A little snapshot at two and a half!

So, as of Monday Ella was officially 2 and a half! which seems crazy because I've been telling people she's 2 and a half for months!! but now, she really is! and it is just the most fun age! and I wanted to record and write down a few of the things I'm loving about her right now...

her love of role play! She is always making up some cute little scenario - whether it's between her mummy and baby dinosaur playing in the dolls house, or the mummy and the baby duck playing in the bath.  Usually her role plays revolve around ice cream! and the one character will always invite the other one to go to the 'ice cream farm' and then she very politely heads up to the counter with one of the characters and says 'excuse me please...can me have mint coc-cip' and then reels off all the toppings she wants 'sprinkles, oreo bits, cocolate sauce'!! Often her little characters go back for second helpings too!!! so it's safe to say even her make believe scenarios are influenced by her sweet tooth!

As well as being all about the ice cream still, she's now decided she loves milkshakes! She never used to be a fan before...but after trying a few in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago she is hooked! My mom and I ordered a bounty cheesecake one to share at Artisan Cheesecakes but did we get a look in? no! when I did eventually get one sip Ella said 'excuse me please, me need a little bit more milkshake'!!! 

She also LOVES stories! especially made up ones by mommy or daddy.  Every night before bed we ask her who she wants to tell her a story - and that is literally the highlight of her night - being told an imaginary story! When she really enjoys one you've told she will request that one for several nights following but will often change the situation slightly so she'll tell me she wants the one about the little boy and the crocodile and the ice cream (noticing a theme here?!) but one night instead of ants eating his ice cream (which he drops on the floor) she will ask for owls to come along and eat it! or sometimes she'll chime in during the story chipping in with her own storyline adding to mine! 

As well as her made up story, we also read an animated scripture story before bed.  It amazes me how at 2 and a half she takes it all in, some of the stories are pretty complex even when I break it down into language she can understand! When Naaman went to wash in the river Jordan 7 times to be healed of his leprosy, I explained that he had 'owies all over his body'.  A few days later she was doing something risky that I told her not to do otherwise she might get an owie, and quick as a flash she piped up 'like the man who had owies all over his body and he had to wash in the river because God told him to'!!! She can also retell the whole stories of Jonah, Moses and Daniel (a particular favourite for her) because she has these cute little bible sticker books from Granny that we have been reading to her most Sunday's during church for months and she seems to know the stories inside out now!

She LOVES to sing! The other day she was meant to be going down for her nap, but she was taking a while to fall asleep as she was too busy chatting away - I was just about to speak to her through the monitor to tell her firmly it was time to go to sleep when all of a sudden I heard her singing 'Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam' and 'Follow the Prophet' two of the little primary songs we sing at church! Of course, my heart melted and I couldn't tell her off while she was singing a song about Jesus! Along with her love of singing is her love of dance - her new fave is dancing along to Pokemon - it's a half dance/half jump/stomp around the lounge! She watches an episode before bath time and she sometimes tries to get Milo to join in 'come on Milo - dance with me, me love to dance'!! I think the 'jump' is her signature move!!

Despite her speech coming on in leaps and bounds, and her literally chatting non stop from the moment she wakes up until when she goes to bed (wonder who she gets that from?!) there are still some words that she doesn't pronounce correctly, and some of them I just love! like:

cu-pup-er (cucumber) 

haygroup (playgroup)

haimsburys (Sainsburys)

mint coc-cip (mint choc chip - her fave ice cream flavour)
kap-pup (ketchup)

shishers (scriptures)

Daddy asked her the other day what she wanted to do as a job when she is older, and he told her what he did and what I do...and she said she wanted to 'run around lots and lots'! which sums up the little ball of energy she is these days! 

She is also SO helpful! She always wants to be involved.  We often get her to set the table before dinner, a job she takes very seriously, and we also get her to empty the cutlery container from the dishwasher into the cutlery drawer which she loves.  She loves to help daddy with the gardening, and if ever I say I have to go put dinner on or make lunch straight away she's going 'me put dinner on with you, me help make lunch'!! Often, the tasks I am going to do involve chopping things up with knives or things she can't really join in and assist with so she makes a great little 'bin lady' running back and forth taking my rubbish to the bin! saying 'me bin lady' as she goes!!

It's also all about ghosts just now! We went to Floors Castle last week, and they had this cute little room trail...

 where you had to find an animal in each room of the castle for the kids...so armed with her clipboard Ella would march into each room and when the members of staff would ask her what she was looking for (expecting her to say an animal) she would answer 'ghosts'!!! much to their surprise every time! They would then tell her there aren't any ghosts at the castle, but she wasn't having any of that and off she'd go peeking behind curtains or knocking on closed doors trying to track them down!

Along with her love of ghosts comes a love of Abbey's...

and we're certainly not short of those around here - she likes looking in all the little nooks and crannies trying to find the ghosts!

These days she always wants to be hanging off of something...

or balancing on anything...a beam, a wall, a kerb! I have a feeling gymnastics is right around the corner for her!

and she's still all about monkey...

or both monkeys! She has now officially named them 'oo-oo' and 'ah-ah' and although she doesn't carry them around everywhere like she used to they are still firm favourites at nap and bedtime along with the rest of her monkey brood (apparently she has 13 - she loves the number 13 right now, she actually has about 9! but is always being gifted more so she may well have 13 soon enough!)

Also, this was her at the garden centre this morning - riding on her favourite ride, and just as I took this picture she leant over to monkey and said 'okay gorgeous'?! 

She is also still all about the water, whether she's throwing stones into a fountain...

or dipping in and out of the ocean...

or cooling off in a water sculpture on a hot day! I have a feeling this water baby won't be giving up her love of water anytime soon! 

Ella Bella - you are still the happiest around! and your big smile brightens my day! You are so eager for the future...for dressing up as a minion for Halloween, for throwing a snowball with mommy and daddy in the winter, for your 'paw patrol' birthday party when you turn 3 (next Feb!!) but I'd just like the present to slow down a little so we can enjoy each and every moment with you as you are growing up way too fast for my liking!

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