Amelie Says

At our yardsale, Ezra was having a hard time waiting on something so Amelie told him to "Be patient!"

Amelie stuck her bear inside her shirt and brought him inside, telling me, "The roof of my shirt will protect him!"

Sam asked Amelie what time it was when the short hand of the clock pointed to the 8 and she said, "Eight o'clock." Then she paused and asked him, "What about when it's on the one-two?"

"Does Dolly Parton love me?" (Because Amelie and James each get a book a month in the mail through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.)

Amelie narrates what she's doing almost constantly, and she babies her stuffed animals. Tonight on the deck, she brought out one of James's diapers for her stuffed bear and said, "I'm going to give him a new diaper and wrap him in the swaddle waddle and put him right to bed." Then she asked me and Sam to smell the bear's butt.

At the park the other day, she stopped halfway down the slide and said, "I can't go another inch."

Here are two from the car: I told Amelie that we were going to turn to go Weight Watchers and from the backseat she replied, "Okay. If you say so." On the way to Hy-Vee, Sam and Amelie were stopped at a red light so she said, "Your light is green. You can go."

I asked her to be nice today and she said, "No. You be nice."

Nana Jana & Aunt Helen Visit

Aunt Helen and Nana Jana came up to Columbia for Amelie's third birthday party (way back in May, and I'm just getting around to posting the pictures now).

Aunt Helen teases James:

Amelie helps: 

Nana Jana and Amelie have a chat.

James is his usual charming self, from behind his binky. 

They went with us to Amelie's preschool's end-of-year picnic. Amelie got a book in French, J'ai perdu une dent. (I lost a tooth!)

It was warm and sunny. Both say they had a good time, and aunt Helen says she gained a much-needed 5 pounds.

Photo Op

Honestly, it was hard to narrow the photos down to this:.

Tricycle

Amelie hasn't quite mastered her tricycle, but she enjoys it -- the bell, especially! Thanks, Nana Jana, for getting it for her.

A very short video:

And another. (I have no idea why these are different sizes, or why this one's blurry! I only pretend to be technologically competent.) 

Hmmm, this thing doesn't ride so well on the grass.

Let's try it out on the deck!

Updated to add two new photos. (New as in I just found them on the computer.)

There were some theatrics during dinner preparation.

9 Months Old

We took James and Amelie to their well-child checks today. James just turned 9 months old a few days ago.

I had to wake him about 20 minutes in to his afternoon nap for the appointment, but he was a very good sport -- probably because there were no shots. James was also more amenable to being photographed than Amelie was.

Here are those vital statistics!

Length: 27 inches - 11th percentile
Weight: 19 pounds, 5 ounces - 30th percentile
Head Circumference: 46 centimeters - 70th percentile

It looks like he's pretty much following the same curve from his last visit. This is the chart I use to calculate the percentiles.

New developments since his 6-month appointment:

• Babbling many more syllables
• Sitting very well
• Scooting himself around in a circle on his butt (slooooowly)
• Eating many more foods and feeding himself
• Using a pincer grasp
• Has a better sense of humor
• Recognizing and responding to his name and the words Mama, Dada, Sister, Amelie, Schroeder, and possibly binky 
• Enjoys drinking water from a sippy cup and an open cup

Doctor's Visit

We took Amelie and James to their well-child checks today.

Amelie was a little restless at her 3-year appointment. She didn't want to stand still for a picture -- playing with the curtain was much more fun.

Waiting on the doctor with Dad:

And here are those vital statistics!

Height: 36.5 inches - That's just over 3 feet tall, or 33rd percentile

Weight: 31.8 pounds - 59th percentile

Here are some things that Amelie is doing now that she's three:

• Is very imaginative - she makes up stories and songs and elaborate games to play
• Can cut with scissors and use tape and glue
• Draws straight lines and circles
• Knows the alphabet
• Recognizes most letters and initial sounds of words
• Rhymes words
• Memorizes favorite books and songs
• Counts reliably to 12 and recognizes most numbers
• Makes jokes
• Climbs 
• Kicks and throws a ball
• Can lock and unlock doors
• Can take herself to the potty if her clothes are not complicated
• Tests boundaries frequently, but is able to get along with fewer meltdowns than before

Here's the link to her 2-year visit.

Big Boy!

We put James in his big convertible carseat today. What a big boy!

Big sis likes to read in the car.

Happy Father's Day!

Very Happy Father's Day, Dada!

And these are from today:

We went out for brunch. James had scrambled egg, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, sausage, and salmon. He was a hungry boy! Amelie had no particular interest in brunch and stayed in with Grandma Mary.

Reading The Last Bassalope:

Swim Suit

We got Amelie a surfer swimsuit. Now it just needs to warm up so we can use it! She's only gotten to wear it for the water day at the end of school and twice so far at the splash pad.

Oh, and a big thanks to Shauna for finding us one that didn't cost and arm and a leg!