Nora's summer

I put the easel outside and every time we went outside, Nora would say, "uh paint!"  Every time.  She would get very angry if not allowed to paint.  We had to move the easel inside so we could get to the car without her throwing a fit.

Nora is always singing, usually "Tomorrow" or "Twinkle Twinkle."  If she isn't singing she is talking.  A lot of what she says we are not able to understand; she could say something to us in a long string of words and no one has any idea what she is talking about.  She is easy to understand when she slows down and concentrates. 

Nora loves playing with baby princesses.  They are little characters from Alena's Candyland game.  Alena doesn't really like games, but they both love the princesses.  Nora will hand one to me and she takes one.  Then both princesses have to interact by saying "hi" to each other, over and over (there are many variations of the "hi" game.  Today at the playground she gave me a blade of grass and we had to say "hi.")  I think Nora could identify all of the princesses before her colors.  Though she is now good with her colors.  Her favorite color is yellow.

Other cute things Nora says: I ya you (I love you), See you (while playing hide and seek).  She points to people and identifies them; "Mommy, Daddy, Ya-ya, Nora, Ruby... She repeats everything that Alena says, and Alena thinks it is funny.

Both girls are jumpers.  A lot of their playing consists of bouncing up and down.  Nora sometimes likes to copy her sister's toe walking.  Her running is getting faster, but still includes quite a lot of bouncing.

Nora defines bird appetite.  She just does not care to eat very much and continues to be very petite.  Today at lunch she ate 3 beans.  Then she stood up and said, "Poopy is coming!"  I changed her diaper and asked if she wanted more food.  "All done."  The only way to get her to eat is to trick her.  Alena and Nora have challenges who can eat their broccoli first, or daddy has to very exaggeratedly proclaim that Nora isn't big enough to eat something.  Then when she takes a bite he has to act shocked.  It is funny but makes for a lengthy dining experience.  The exception is if she can forage for her food.  She loves picking strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and shoving them in her mouth as fast as possible.  But if I pick those same berries and bring them inside, she usually turns up her nose.