This is what 15 months looks like

Remember when Elle was born and I called her El Chill because she was so easy going?

Things change.

Eleanor is bright, exuberant, hilarious.  I like to describe her as busy, but when she is tired or I am tired sometimes the words holy terror spring to mind. Hyperbole, of course.

Some of her favorite busy activities include:

Reaching for the table, countertop, or desk and running her hands along the edge, rifling everything she can get her hands on to the floor, with a speed that makes Georgia bolt for the door.
Yanking on cords, pausing while she places said cords ( or earbuds or leashes) around her neck, then running away from me, as fast as she can.
Running into the street. (We have since trained her to stop on the sidewalk and say "No no no." while pointing at the street. So far so good!)
Running with her EYES CLOSED.
Screaming.
Shouting "Mama!" 27 times a minute. I'm not kidding, I've counted.
Roaring.
Pretending to be a monster and chasing her sister.
Pretending to be a frog. RIBBIT!
Jumping.
Making kissy lips and walking up to me and saying "Mmmmwah," because she completely knows how to work all of us.

Elle, you wild child, we are not entirely certain where your larger than life personality came from, but we love it.  Since her first birthday, Eleanor has become quite a chatter box and has lots and lots of words.  Sometimes while we're driving she'll chatter to herself and say, "um um um, Mimi!  Anna!  Um um um, Papa!  Eden! Dada! Um um um Mimi!"  If you ask her her name, she'll slap her chest (nothing is gentle with this one) and say "Elle!"  She's an incredibly sweet girl, saying please and thank you regularly, greeting anyone who comes over with a big hug, and eyeing up babies while saying shh! and pretending to rock them.  If you ask her how she's doing she'll say "guh," and if you ask, who wants to get a treat? she'll yell, "ME!"  



She loves to keep up with her big sister, and last week she tried running straight into the pool, assuming anything Grace can do, she can do too.  More than anything, she wishes her legs were long enough to pedal Grace's barbie bike.  She can do all the slides all by herself, and says "higher! higher!" while she swings.  Thanks to their amazing cousins, my kids came into a swing set last week, and now every morning after breakfast Elle slams her fists on our sliding glass door, pressing her face into the glass, shouting, "higher! higher!" until I take her out to play.  Speaking of mornings, the first thing she says to me in the morning is "Juice!" and the second thing she does is lick her lips, which is how she conveys she's hungry, and the third thing is "Elmo!"  She would prefer this routine to start at 5:45, but I can usually hold her off until 7:30 -- as long as I give her my iPhone charging cable, which she then strings around her neck and collapses herself across my chest, in order to fall back to sleep.  😑

Elle knows she's funny, which is charming and, of course, terrifying, because she is shrewd enough to understand how to use her charm to get out of trouble.  She also has a lightning-quick temper, especially if she's tired, unafraid to lie prostrate on the ground and scream until we figure out something to calm her down.  She's not afraid of anything physical, handling wipeouts like a champ, moving large objects in her way, climbing for things that are just out of reach. The other day she tried to ride Georgia and when I told her no, she tried to pick her up.  Poor Georgia.

Last night we were all reading books in Grace's room and Elle snuck away to tinker around like she does, and she started peeling some of the tape that is on Grace's window unit air conditioner.  She was about to rip off a big piece of it when Eric said, "Elle, let it go! Let it go, Elle!"  Elle promptly dropped the tape, spun around and beelined for Grace's bed, where she reached underneath and grabbed a Frozen microphone that plays Let it Go, remembering I had stashed it there a few nights previous.  I'd say mic drop, but there's no way we can pry that thing out of her hands twice.  Tempting to think that was a coincidence, but if you know Elle, you know better.

It's so easy, when you have two kids, to compare them to one another, and more specifically, to compare the second one to the first.  This is not fair and I'm really working on remembering to see each kid as an individual first, and a sister second. What is great about having two kids, is knowing as they grow, their strengths and weaknesses are going to be influenced by their sibling, maybe inspiring a little extra courage, or a little extra patience.  What's also great about two kids is two parents, you feel me stay at home parents?  Eric often tells me, it will be so much easier next year, when she's not actively trying to kill herself.  He's referring to Elle. Hyperbole, of course, but not too far off base.

The thing that I forget is that while Eleanor can keep up with her big sister, it isn't always fair to ask her to do so.  When I get some precious one on one time with her it's so easy to see that she is still little, evidenced by her affinity for lift the flap books, hiding behind her hands, sitting in her chair and swinging her feet, all by herself.  She appreciates a slower pace from time to time, appreciates being snuggled and babied, just a bit.

Which I am more than happy to oblige.

Summer is in full swing so my posts will be few and far between, but I can't wait to check back in a few months to share some lovely photos and updates of this little firecracker, and all the ways she continues to dazzle us.  Elle, I adore you!