Video #4

While I'm putting up videos....here is Levi reading! His teacher sends home books to read every week, and he had read this one a few times and so doesn't have to sound out all the words anymore. At the beginning of the school year I thought he'd never get what it meant to sound out words or letters, but he has really caught on! I always forget, though, that videos can only be in one direction, so it's sideways.....

Video #3

Ellie is finally taking off - she has realized she can get somewhere without a toy luring her along. We now find her all over the upstairs!

Video #2

Here's another sweet song.....

Video #1

Caleb and Levi participated in the Christmas concert at their school, and my camera batteries died during it. Luckily for them, they have each other to sing with at home! This is one of my favorite songs they sang: "No L"

November 2011

Sweet little Ellie's hair is finally long enough for a ponytail!

Caleb loves to read books to her. And she likes it, too!

Every November Ian's school does a turkey trot, with one team member from each grade (minus kindergarten, so Caleb and Levi didn't participate this year), so six members per team. Then they race by grade, adding up the team's scores at the end. The lowest score wins certificates for a turkey. Ian isn't the fastest runner in the third grade, but he ran the whole thing (we figured it must be about 1/4 mile) in the snow!

This is the first snowman Caleb has ever built completely by himself - not too bad! It snowed about 2" just once, and hasn't snowed again. Very different from last year, when November had record amounts of snow!

What would Ellie do without three doting brothers to entertain her?

Ellie and Daddy, with her mohawk she usually has since she doesn't keep her ponytails in long. We went to visit grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins over Thanksgiving and had a great time! We truly have many things to be thankful for. We've been keeping a jar to add a candy to when someone either says, "thank you" to someone, or says something they're thankful for. The jar is over half full, so hopefully that means we're learning to be thankful. My very favorite was from Levi - "I am thankful for that we have noses so we can get all the gunk out."

So this month seems to be a lot about Ellie.....here she is standing! So, she only can last a few seconds leaning on the couch like this, but she can do it! She also can copy things like sounds you make, panting, and things you do with your hands like tapping and waving. She's working on clapping. She's really good at spitting. When I put on her pajamas her hand usually gets stuck, and I ask where her fingers are and then say, "there they are!" when I pull them through. She's picked up on that and will say, in a super cute little voice, "there they are!" She even says it if you play peek-a-boo and say, "there she is," etc. And, she'll copy "ta-da!" She will be a talker yet! Over Thanksgiving at Grandma's house she really started pulling herself forward on her tummy. Since we've been home she will now go after a toy across the room, rather than just right in front of her. Soon we may find her all over the house!

Also in November Ian had a musical performance at school. They did two dances and sang four songs. It mostly had an African theme, and each class used instruments for one song. He participated and sang and had a fun time at it!