We went to the little zoo at the end of our block so Ellie could fulfill her life's ambition of riding the "choo choo train." Truly, she rides it once and talks about it again for weeks.
She's started having little conversations with her things, toys, her dolly, Little People.
"You want this? Oh, OK. Here we go, here we go."
(She gets "here we go" from me. I didn't realize it but I say it a lot, apparently.)
Ellie's daily, growing language and vocabulary seems to be a bit of an equalizer, in terms of sibling rivalry. Now that she can literally call Leo out, "Don't do that Leo! That's my baby!" he seems less likely to pick on her.
But don't get me wrong. There is still plenty of pushing, "No Leo No!" and "Ey-YEE!" When Leo is wronged by Ellie, her bursts into crocodile tears.
Sitting in the Adirondack chair out back, watching Ellie drive her Little Tykes car while Leo collects rocks and acorns in a plastic bag, all of us bathed in a late afternoon glow, it seems impossible winter will ever come, just as it seems impossible to think these little children will ever grow up, will ever be anything but HERE, in this house, in this backyard, bickering little people who one minute want to do it themselves: "No, my turn!" and the next want to be "Baby!" (Leo's term for when he wants to be picked up). And of course there's Ellie's go-to, the ubiquitious "Uppy."
Just another Sunday.
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