Gabi imitates everything we do these days. She'll pull a brush out of the bathroom drawer and brush her hair while I am getting ready in the morning. If we give her a napkin, she'll wipe the table, and if she finds a Kleenex, she'll try to wipe my nose. She likes to pick up my purse and carry it around when she's playing downstairs.
When we go outside to do yardwork and pull weeds, Gabi starts picking grass and flowers and tossing them into the trash can. While I fold laundry, Gabi grabs some and shoves it in the dresser drawers. She likes to go in the kitchen and pull out pots and stir in them with her wooden spoon. Gabi is such a little helper!
Gabi likes to put lotion on her legs
(and then put the lid back on the tub, too)
just like her Mama does. She's such a big girl!
While Mama was folding laundry,
Gabi got into the laundry basket and put on one of Mama's shirts.
She was so proud of herself that she
paraded/ran around the house like this for quite awhile.
Picnic
Last week, we had the annual picnic with Daddy's co-workers and met all the new people. Gabi enjoyed running around with the other girls her age (Ana and Myla, who shared their beaded necklaces and Dora-the-Explorer ball very well). She also found a couple dogs to befriend.
Our little Georgia Peach at the picnic.
Eating a peach and playing with a dog...
life couldn't be better!
Gabi pants like a dog to tell us what this animal says.
Social Toddlers
Ella came over to play one night. These toddlers are certainly growing up; they interact with each other more and really play together rather than just alongside each other. It's fun to watch them playing peek-a-boo through the little door and sharing toys or imitating each other. They give each other hugs to show affection, and whenever one gets upset, the other will give her a reassuring pat on the back. Another new social skill is pointing out and naming each other's facial features ("hair," "nose," "eye," "mouth," "ear").
Gabi and Ella sitting on the stairs together.
Ella brought a portable DVD player to watch Nemo until she fell asleep. Gabi was intrigued, since we don't let her watch TV. When Ella was scared of the sharks, Gabi and I came in to keep her company during the shark scene and a bit afterwards.
Gabi is signing fish and saying "shish" (fish)
to tell Mama what she sees.
Ella and Gabi are so interested in the movie,
they certainly don't look like they are about to fall asleep.
Big-Kid Playgroup
Ella and Gabi belong in two different playgroups together: one through their Daddies' work (with big kids, too!), and one through the New Mom Group (with all the kids their same age). We will certainly miss Ella and her mom when they move to Boston next month!
At the playgroup through Daddy's work,
Gabi drove this toy car around Kate's backyard.
Ella and Gabi wanted to ride in the car together!
Gabi honked the horn, and Ella steered.
Gabi figured out how to climb the stairs to the fort all by herself!
Ella and Gabi enjoyed blowing bubbles.
Gabi quickly learned the word "bubbles," and
she used her word for "hot" to talk about blowing bubbles
(since we blow on food that is too hot).
Here you can see how well Gabi blows bubbles!
Expanding Language
Gabi is learning words at such a rapid pace these days, I can't even keep track of all the words that she uses spontaneously on a regular basis. Her vocabulary has blossomed amazingly, as has Ella's--they are both beyond their age group in language and communication skills. They both already contruct two-word sentences, too. We moms think it is because they used signs before they could speak, which developed an early understanding of language and an interest in communication.
We went to play at Sam's house, and
Gabi found a book and took it over to the stairs,
where she could sit and read. Gabi certainly likes sitting on stairs!
Stairs is one of her [many] favorite words these days.
