Today I tried to get some pictures of our littlest Ellis tornado for posterity's sake.
She's grinning because she has a secret; she is holding the lens cap.
All done with pictures.
Matthew baked the cake for his little sister.
Check it out, she is using a fork now. Hands are still easier, though.
Corinna has a mind of her own now! She likes to make her own decisions about what to wear, what to do, and what to eat. She has strong opinions on nearly every topic. She is a happy soul when her wants and needs are respected, but is a tiny ball of frustration and fury when her baby will is thwarted. "No" is her least favorite word to hear but her favorite word to say.
She loves her position as baby in the family and enjoys the attentions of her older siblings, most of the time. Corinna wants to be just like the "big" kids and imitates the things they do. She's tried to ride Isaac's bike, crack eggs like Melissa, and do things on the computer like Matthew. Isaac in particular is her buddy and sometimes the two of them will wrestle, play word games that only they understand, and laugh like loons at nothing in particular. When Isaac gets home from preschool she yells, "I-yah!" and runs out the door to greet him with a big hug. Together they hold hands and run back to the house to wave to the bus from the front door.
Corinna says the name of every family member now. Her vocabulary in English and French is growing every day. She also strings 2 and sometimes 3 words together to make short phrases. At the park yesterday, Jonathan heard her say, "I tersety, wa wa." (I'm thirsty, water.) She's learned the blame game from her older siblings and can say, "..... did it." Usually it is Isaac she is blaming. Usually with good cause too. Corinna can say with limited articulation: ball, band-aid, banana, dog, cat, baby, go, down, up, hot, cold, in, out, dirty, stinky, diaper, uh oh, oh no, bath, treat, candy, cake, cookie, juice, apple (every round fruit is any apple), yuck, thank you, NO thank you, si tu plait, all done, shoes, pizza, park, pomme, water, de l'eau, ouvre, de lait, milk, fine, chicken, book, wet, poopy, drink, thirsty, grandma, grandpa, car, bus, eat, bye, all gone, socks, shirt, MINE, ow, more, please, amen, eyes, belly button, nose, hair, tickle, mouth, ears, toes, paper, I, night, blanket, and other words. Sometimes it sounds like she is trying to say a word that we just can't recognize yet. She also says more French words, but I can't think of them at the moment.
Corinna does not walk when she can run. Her little body is in constant motion; she climbs, runs, rolls, tumbles, and jumps throughout the day. It seems impossible for her to hold still for more than a few seconds at a time. While she does not like to sit still for television, ever, sometimes to my chagrin, she does manage to find plenty to do. The house is her playground and she likes to empty cupboards, book cases, pantries, containers, and rearrange small items. She is particularly pleased when her older siblings forget and leave something forbidden out within her range. This happens on a daily basis. As a consequence we have some spots of purple nail polish on the carpet upstairs, some crayon markings on the wall, as well as many, many other mishaps of a less permanent nature.
We welcomed this little one to our family on a warm, sunny day two years ago, and in that time she has upended our house and filled our hearts. We can't imagine life without Baby Bubbles and her cheerful babble and infectious belly laughs.
