New Skills
Sometimes photos just don't capture the essence of it all. So here are a couple of videos for you.
Ellie has been enjoying the scooter she received for her birthday. "Kick and coast" is the rule, along with "Look where you're going!" Crystal found a really nice Swiss-designed model that intuitively steers wherever you want to go. (Even through puddles....) The detail you don't want to miss is at the end, after the dismount, when she gives the brake a little press — I guess just to make sure she's stopped, or maybe to set the parking brake!
Isla has been learning her signs. She's got four of them down for sure: Milk, Eat, Sleep, and Cheese. She also signs All Done, but its meaning is a little dubious. (I've always thought that this one is too ambiguous, since we use it both for The Food Is All Gone and I'm Full Stop Feeding Me!) One more is Bird, which Crystal taught her by pointing to all of the birds in a picture book. But now she refers to every picture everywhere as Bird.
One subtlety in here is that right after she asks for more food, she sticks her finger in her mouth and blows. That means Please Blow On My Food To Cool It Off, or possibly, I Think Mummy Does Funny Things Like This Sometimes. One is never quite sure.... Also, don't miss the sleight-of-hand at the end where it looks like she's eating that bean, but she slyly drops it into her chair for snacking on later. I'm not kidding.