Look at me when I'm talking to you!

A few funny things the kids have been doing lately:

Ethan will now grab me by the cheeks and pull my face towards his so we're looking at each other. Sometimes he wants to show me something, other times he wants to see my reaction. He's also trying to say all kinds of words, and he's picking up more signs all the time. I've noticed he has the cutest intonations in his voice. He'll often say a word, with a higher tone at the end, like he's asking a question. We probably do that a lot (Can you say bear??), and he's picked up on it.

Amara has started acting like a rude, culturally insensitive person trying to communicate in another language. Let me explain: When she says something that I don't understand, I'll ask her what she means. Instead of offering an alternative explanation, she then BEGINS SPEAKING IN A SLOW, LOUD VOICE, but repeating the same confusing question or gibberish. Not helpful, but amusing to witness.

She has also become a bit of a shopaholic. Whenever we're in a store, every item is up for debate and I just repeatedly say, "No. We don't need one. That's the wrong size. We already have one. Please don't put stuff in the cart. No. No. No.... Ack! Her hopeful purchases are not always self motivated. In fact, she grabs a lot of things and provides wacky excuses about why we need them. I need stickers/cards/envelopes to write letters to grandma. I need to pick out frilly lace socks for Ethan to keep his feet warm. I need a vacuum because its red and red is my favorite color. Its actually quite cute that she's so intent on learning the shopping process, but it produces a constant stream of questions and discussion that can be exhausting.