2-going-on-20-year-old Elle

Yes, she's 2. Our little expressive pixie is 2 years old today. I've been wanting to write a post about how much fun she is for quite some time, and today I'm finally sitting down to do it. Elle has been talking/singing every one's ear off for months now and we love it. She makes me laugh at least 10 times every day. A couple of examples from this week:

Elle grabbed her purse and purposefully started for the door, informing me, "I'm going to work." After going a few steps, she turned around and reached out her hand, "Hold my pacifawer."

We were driving in the car and Elle piped up from out of nowhere, "I need a pink guitar for me." (I laughed so hard we had to get her one for this bday just so we could remember it.)

She's following in Ryn's footsteps, loving all things musical and princess-themed. She loves taking requests for princess songs, and French or English nursery and Primary songs. Depending on her mood, she'll stop mid-way with either an invitation "Sing with me!" or a firm "No! ME sing!", and she often asks me where her microphone is. (I just show her how to hold her fist up and she's back to belting out the song of the moment, complete with arm extended, long, held-out, vibrato ending) I'm pretty sure she's going to be a soprano, since the jungle puma screams are shriller (is that a word?) than ever.

Elle has reached the must-wear-a-skirt-at-all-times age. Once the skirt is on, then she may or may not move on to other accessories like crowns, wings, necklaces, princess shoes, bunny ears, etc. :) We call this look the Fairy Princess Easter Bunny.... One of my nicknames for Elle is Mess Maker, since 8 of the 10 times she makes me laugh every day are when I'm cleaning up a new mess she has made :). As I clean, I sing, "Mess Maker, Mess Maker, make me a mess...." The first picture is a pretty frequent one--Elle can turn absolutely anything into 'makeup'.

I also call her my little monkey because of the way she wraps her tiny body and clings to you when she's scared, or giving a big hug, or trying to avoid her bed :). I absolutely LOVE that monkey grip around my neck.

I've tried over and over again to get a good video of Elle showing all her different facial expressions, and although none have ever yet captured her 100%, this is the latest and it gives a good idea of how expressive she really is.

As quickly as she changed facial expressions in that clip, she can change moods. I've never seen such huge smiles and raised eyebrows when the word 'chocolate' is mentioned or tears appear so quickly as soon as a request is denied. It makes me laugh, though, thinking of how Joy would always complain about me turning on the tears like that when I wanted to get her in trouble :). Ryn's got a tough road ahead....but at least I'll be able to reassure her of Elle's complete and utter adoration (something all little sisters are hard-wired with from birth for their big sisters). Every day when Elle wakes up, the first thing she asks is, "Where's my Ryn?"

Elle loves saying, or hearing someone else say, the words 'you're welcome.' Every time she says or hears that phrase, she'll smile and say, "I [she, he] said 'you're yelcome." And ever since our trip to Pirate Island Pizza, both she and Ryn are fans of the ever-popular, "Arrrr, matey!"

She loves taking care of her baby doll and mimics every little thing I do with Eden--the way I hold her when she's burping, nursing, singing her the same songs to put her to sleep, reading her stories and the scriptures. Ryn likes playing with her doll in the same way, but not nearly as consistently as Elle does. She wants to take her everywhere, which becomes difficult since she's trying to hold her pacifier and blanket 24/7, too.
Her second birthday was celebrated with a BBQ, cake, ice cream and a present hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Linkous' and those pics will follow soon :). How thankful we are to have this little piece of happiness in our family. Happy Birthday, Elle!