Isla: 26 Months

There is no longer much silence in our home. My eldest LOVES to talk and talk and talk. Her favorite phrase this month is "Wuz dat, Mommy?" She says it all the time and is usually pointing at various objects, a lot of times the same one over and over. Other times I think she says it and then randomly finds something to point at just to fill the silence. Often I enjoy my conversation companion but I must confess there are moments where the repeated question gets on my nerves. I've learned that if I throw it right back at her and ask "Isla, what's that?" then she will answer and move on.

I do really love that Isla can now communicate everything that she wants or is thinking. She has told me a number of times in the past couple weeks that she wants to talk. So we sit and talk, usually about the park.

Isla is HILARIOUS! At least we think so. She comes up with the most random little dialogues. I've started jotting them down (my Facebook friends probably get an overload) because they just crack me up! This week we were riding in the car and out of no where she says "My hair's CRAZY!" True. Very true. She also told me that "Daddy lives on a school bus." I don't know where it comes from but she is quite creative.

Isla is now calling people by name. For example "Wuz dat Mommy?" Or "Look at those trees over there Grandpa?"

I love the way that Isla talks because it totally isn't what you'd expect to come out of the mouth of a 2 year old. It's humbling sometimes because I realize that she gets it from someone - do I really talk like this? She's started adding words like "maybe" or "someday" and "or something" to the end of her sentences. She says things like "Want to play toys maybe?" Or "Daddy will come out of the library someday. Maybe Tuesday?" and "Want to go to the park or something?" Her phrases make me laugh all the time!

Isla used to always beg "Mommy play ah Isla?" (I think the "ah" was her version of "with") but then Graham spent an afternoon trying to teach Isla to stop referring to herself in third person. She didn't seem to be picking up on it but then all of a sudden last week the switch flipped. She still sometimes calls herself "Isla" but more often than not is now saying "me" and "my." Success!!

One of Isla's favorite activities at present is pushing anything and everything around in the doll stroller we got for her birthday. That stroller must have a million miles on it by now she just loves pushing it so much! And let's be honest, that is also currently the reason she goes to church because she knows they have strollers she can push.

She loves to play with her fake food/kitchen stuff and "cook" and pour coffee or tea with her dishes. Somehow one of my cupboards became the oven so I'll often find a toy pot in there "baking."

We have definitely reached an age where playdates are super fun. Isla is very intrigued by older kids and often chases them around purely out of curiosity, watching their every move. It creeps a lot of kids out actually because she doesn't have any sort of a personal bubble. She LOVES playing with her cousin Gideon. They scream and shriek and chases each other around everywhere.

We've hit a small bout of separation anxiety ever since Emma arrived. Isla cries every time she knows we are going to leave her which is usually as we are walking toward her class at church. I'm told she does fine as soon as we leave but cries quite a bit while we are still in ear shot.

I think Isla has realized that Emma isn't leaving so we are seeing a few changes in her behavior. Usually she is all over her sister, talking to her, trying to get her to "drink" a cup of pretend coffee etc but there are also moments where she tries to pat (read: hit) her belly a little too hard and does so while looking at us to prove a point. All in all though, I'd still say she's adjusting well.

I am always blown away by her little memory. It is amazing how much she can put together like for instance if I tell her we are going to MOPS, she can list her friends who will be there. She is recognizing roads we drive on regularly and can accurately tell me when we're "almost home." She knows who belongs with whom and will often asks where a person is if we are with friends and someone is missing.

I love this next picture. Isla always want to be in on the action, to be where the party's at. Here she pulled up a chair all by herself to help Grandma Wilson cut Auntie Lani's birthday cake.

Isla has started to pray by herself this month. Sometimes we catch her praying with Ducky and sometimes she'll randomly just start praying in the car. Over the weekend Graham and I heard her say "Thank you for Mommy and for Daddy" which totally warmed our hearts. There are a few regulars who she ALWAYS includes in her prayers (Rachel, Oliver, Jeremy and Olona) and lately she's added a few inanimate objects such as the light and the moon.

Isla has apparently been paying attention when Graham practices/listens to worship songs. She learned a Hillsong piece without us even realizing it. It was on one day and she was singing right along! "The yost are found, the blind will see. The yame will walk, the dead will live. And you our God, forever you will reign!"

Isla is super smart. She's become quite sneaky at bedtime, doing everything she can to prevent the inevitable. If you are upstairs, she'll usually ask you to change her diaper downstairs and vice versa. She'll suddenly ask to go on the potty or tell you she has a poopy diaper even though you just changed her. She asks for story after story (we have a strict limit of 2 books for this reason) and then wants you to sing her songs on the guitar etc... We certainly don't oblige all her requests but you gotta give it to her, she's pretty creative!