Little copycat

There's a sore lack of pictures this week -- sorry!! But lots of fun stories, so hopefully that will help make up for the lack of pictures.

As always, Gymboree starts off our week, with Xinyi learning more and more about the sequence of events. For example, now she knows during parachute time we shake the parachute and pop the bubbles and look for Gymbo - in that order! And she wants to do it all by herself, like a big girl :).

She's also learning how to play more independently - stacking and re-stacking blocks, sounding out letters and numbers and pointing out pictures.

On Saturday, we had a belated birthday lunch with everyone in this picture! Yay, fun times!

Xinyi was a ham, putting on her sunglasses and waving to everyone!

Nai Nai couldn't resist getting a picture with her two grand babies!

Baby girl walks around the house mimicking what momma does - here she's carrying around a bucket like a purse!

And talking to her dolly, which she uses like a puppet!

Xinyi has really turned into a sweet little copycat right now, saying and doing everything we are doing! She just started saying please and more a week or so ago and yesterday she said amen! She closes her eyes and holds out her hand to pray before every meal. Mommy also taught baby how to ask for help, but she says, "Haaaaal" - like the name Hal. It's hilarious! But she's learning that if she asks for help instead of whining or getting frustrated, that she gets help very quickly!

She's sounding out new words every day and saying words she's been hearing for a while finally. In addition to please and more and help and amen, she's learning more colors and today she said turtle! The other day she said "key" like the keys to a door, because mommy said, wait, I need to get my keys!

She loves to jump and dance and do somersaults still. If you ask her to jump, she jumps up and down with one little leg leaving the ground. She's not ready for the other leg to leave the ground just yet! And when we sing "Ring around the Rosie" she knows when to fall down! While we were reading a book yesterday, I read out the words "love to twirl and spin around, until we fall down" and mid-book, Xinyi got up, went to a big open spot, sat down, then fell down all the way, got back up, ran back to me, sat in my lap and finished the book! So silly!

The other day, baby was wearing a shirt with a piece of cake on it and she looked at it, pointed at it and said, "cake, mmmmm!!!!" And many mornings, she will blow on her food before eating it. Especially if it's food momma is also eating. She thinks that's just what you do with food!!

Finally, Xinyi loves the kitty and wants to pet her all the time. Sophia isn't sure about that so baby girl mostly waves and says hi to the kitty. Baby also loves saying hi to characters in books, babies in strollers, and yes, of course, Elmo.

Sweet baby girl, keep on learning!!