Elliott Lately.......2 and a Half!

The thing I've missed most about blogging is the bragging and sharing I could do about my kid. She's my favorite thing to talk about, and frankly she's just a lot cuter, funnier, and more entertaining than I am! It's been way too long since I've gotten to write about her, so here's one giant update.

 At 2 and a half years old, Elliott:

~Is fully potty trained. I'm really proud of how quickly she picked this up, once she was ready! She's been solid with potty training (day, naps, and nighttime) for about 4 months now. I'm so glad that I've gotten a break from diapers.......diaper changes towards the end were torture for both of us!

~Can recite her ABC's and count to 10. I'm seriously considering pre-school for her, because I have no idea what to teach her next! Ha!

~Sings lots of songs, recites words and/or phrases from tv shows and movies.

~Can do a somersault and loves to dance (lots of spinning and twirling involved there).

~Participated in dance classes for about 6 months......she loved it, but we're taking a little break right now. I'm trying to decide between dance, gymnastics, or swimming lessons, and when to start up her next activity.

~Loves horses and if we had more money, we'd skip dance or gymnastics and go straight to horseback riding lessons!

~Is still the pickiest little eater! Some new things she's tried lately and likes include bagels (different flavors even!!), different shaped pasta (gives us a nice break from plain ol' spaghetti), blueberries, string cheese (an old favorite that she hated for a while, and is now in love with once again). Her diet still consists mainly of frozen waffles, scrambled eggs, split pea soup, grapes, and frozen peas. What are ya gonna do?!

~Is in LOVE with the iPad and our phones!!! Most days this is a real battle for us. When we're not using iPad time to bribe her to do something, we are usually prying a phone from her hands so that we can brush her teeth :/

~Talks ALL the time. She is still shy every once in a while with strangers or in a large group, but she usually opens up fairly quickly. She'll talk your ear off if you'll let her, and facetime is just about her favorite thing ever!

~Plays with lots of imagination. The best investment for us lately was a "doctor kit" toy......we've spent many hours "fixing" Ellie and being "fixed" by her. When she says "I fix you, momma" you best lay down on the floor and let Dr. Elliott take care of you!

~Wants to play with someone ALL the time! At this point, I'm actually regretting not having a sibling for her sooner. She needs a playmate now, and I fear by the time this baby is able to play with her, it will be too late!

~Still loves all things active. Summer has been great, since she has access to a trampoline and a pool at the babysitter's house. We also have a pool, sprinkler, and water table at home (when it's even warm enough to use them), and we often walk to the park or stop at a park on our way home from outings.

~Is starting to recognize letters, and pretends to write words often. When I ask her how to spell her name, she responds "I-O-T-T". Close, little one!

~Throws tantrums like nobody's business. Obviously, I'm not super proud of this one, but it's the truth! We're just coming out of what can only be summed up as the terrible two's packed into a 2 month period......maybe the tantrums will continue or escalate, or maybe we'll soon be in the clear. Who knows?! Either way, I've been enjoying the last week or so of less crying, screaming, kicking, and pounding the floor. We think we've come up with a pretty good way of handling these tantrums, I only hope we won't need those tactics much longer!

I'm sure there's a lot more I'm forgetting, but this pretty much sums up my not-so-baby girl! I love her to pieces, and I often think about how she'll be as a big sister. Obviously I'm bracing myself for jealousy and maybe some regression in certain areas.......but then again, I could also see her being the best, most helpful and loving big sister ever! Time will tell ;)