From new words to interesting conversations

Stella, you are expanding your vocabulary and sounds daily.  Tonight you just got down a sound for an elephant -- a "wooo" complete with arm motion.  Unfortunately, you do that for about 5 different animals.  We'll have to get it attached to the correct animal.  You've added applesauce, nose, snow, Emma, Daddy, nana, papa, and doggy.  You're working on Kaya, boot, coat, neck, and book.  It's just the end sound you have to finish up.  You identify your ears, head, neck, leg, arm, hand, foot, toes, mouth, butt, and back.  You tend to still reach for your ears when we ask you to find your eyes.  You are a climbing machine: chairs, couches, tables, stairs.  You're going to break your neck.

We're on our 2 week holiday break.  Emma, you and I have spent all but about 40 hours together.  I'm convinced you've only ever stopped talking during the hours your asleep.  A couple days ago we were having a family day.  Stella was napping.  I was ironing upstairs and then decided to read a bit while you and Daddy were downstairs.  You two had gone to see the movie Frozen earlier that week and were listening to the soundtrack in the family room.  You had complained about a tummy ache.  Dad and I were trying to convince you to try going to the bathroom even though you insisted you didn't have to.  To convince you a bit, I told you I was going to go to the bathroom too.  I went upstairs to use the bathroom and then read again.  Apparently Daddy thought I was still in the bathroom even though I was reading.  Here's the conversation that wafted upstairs:

Daddy: how long is your mother going to be in the bathroom? (I wasn't at the time, by the way.)
Emma: maybe she's going poop. 
Daddy: it's still a long time. 
Emma: daddy, she's a woman and women take FORRRRREEEVVVVER to go to the bathroom.

Another conversation happened with you and Daddy when you guys when Christmas shopping for my gifts.  You were driving in the car and asked him how old he was.  He told you 32.  Then you proceeded to go on about "and next year you'll be 33, then the next year 34, then the next year 35…" all the way up to 70.  Then you said, "And then I'll have to get a new daddy because you'll be too old."  He had to explain to you about how he'll always be your daddy.

Today over breakfast we were having a pretty heavy conversation about the people in the family who have died.  You said, "I'm really sad that my grandma and great papa died."  Then you asked who would be your mom if I died.  I had a hard time getting you to understand that I'd always be your mom even if I was dead, but that you could get someone to be like me (as mom) like Grandma Sandi has kind of become my mom now.  You said, "Well, who's going to get me to Grandma Sandi's?"  I said, "You'd still have Daddy."  You said, "But, what if you're both gone?"  I said, "Then Uncle Jeremy would take care of you and Stella."  You said, "But he doesn't know where Grandma Sandi's is!"

Putting up the Christmas tree

Christmas Eve with Aunt Kellyn and Uncle TJ

Christmas morning checking out the Elsa Frozen doll

Stella opening her basketball hoop

Emma in her Anna dress

Christmas morning

New Year's Eve with James and Spencer watching Despicable Me 2