TGIF

On Friday afternoon, we ran into our friends Joanne, Matt, and Eve on the way home and ended up hanging out with them into the evening. Another great neighbor, Ellen, came by during the evening and took these pictures. It was a beautiful warm night, and the girls had a great time, as did the adults.

Up Two, down two

Josephine turned two a week and a half ago. She had a wonderful birthday. Her grandparents from California were in town for a visit and treated her to seemingly unlimited outdoor time. Her friends Connor and Samantha came over along with their family for a fun duck-themed party. And, her Nana gave her what may be her most prized toy: Itsy Bitsy Spiderman. After a harrowing first week with this toy, we've figured out how to adjust the volume and are much happier.

So, what is Josephine like at 2?

Josephine's loves:

1. Singing - Old MacDonald and Monkeys Jumping on the Bed are still at the top of the list...along with another song we've yet to identify. We've been interviewing Josie's preschool teachers to try to figure this out, but they're also not sure which song contains the lyrics "Mingo Domingo...Bop! Bop! Bop!"




2. Outside - Maybe it's just the springtime, but Josephine can't get enough of being outside. She loves the playground, walks, the backyard, and best of all, puddle stomping.




3. Monkey - Mostly, Monkey cuddles Josie at naptime and night, but she also sometimes wraps him in a blanket for a nice stroller ride around the downstairs or offers him a bit of toast and sip of milk. Monkey (or monkeys, if you want to get technical) is quite beloved.




4. Madeleine - Mostly, Josie refers to Madeleine as 'Sister' though her pronounciation of 'Madeleine' is improving. As Josie has developed her own preferences this year, Madeleine has had to make adjustments for another strong will in their games. But still, any game Madeleine is playing is one that Josie would like in on. If Josie is upset or apprehensive about something, she will go to Madeleine to be held and comforted...particularly if it's Michael or I that she's upset with.




5. Books and pictures - Josephine has a small bookcase in her room and a footstool that sits in front of it. Frequently, while I sort laundry or straighten up the bedrooms, Josie will go in, sit on her stool, and read her books. During their recent visit, Josephine and Madeleine's Grandma gave Josie several pictures of cousins, cows, and Grandma and 'Cow Papa' in their respective chairs. Josephine couldn't get enough of holding and looking at her pictures.

Madeleine is changing quickly too. As her kindergarten year winds down, it seems that she's making sudden and big leaps in reading and writing. Now, sometimes, she'll read a book title or phrase out loud...and then get shy when you point out that she read it herself. Her writing has also made a sudden shift and is quite neat and legible. She does still sometime mirror her letters, but once she gets one pointed in the correct direction the rest seem to follow.

As Madeleine's reading and writing take off, her speaking may be downshifting a bit. Last week, Madeleine lost both her front teeth a few days apart. While one front tooth started getting loose last summer, both held on for months. She lost the first at lunchtime and the actual tooth was never recovered though the toothfairy did accept her explanatory note. The second tooth hung on a few days longer until it dangled by a thread - below the level of her other teeth, off-center, and crooked. Finally, during lunch on Saturday, it too came out and she has a lovely gap in her front teeth. Her speaking is only affected a little, and she sounds awfully sweet.