UM....
Monday, Ally was sitting my stomach while I was laying down, just before her bedtime. I asked her if she wanted to sing some songs. She said "roun an roun" So, we sang the wheels on the bus. I got to the mommies on the bus part, and she said "stop" I sang a little more and she said "no stop stop" so I said "ok what do you want to sing then?" she looked up a little and said "UM... wah, wah wah" (which is the babies on the bus) It was just the cutest thing though. I've never heard her say um, while she was thinking of an answer before. She did it again last night. I asked her what she wanted to sing and she said um then ran to the book cabinet to get the book with songs in it.

songs
Ally has a bunch of songs she likes to sing. She's actually starting to sing a little more than just doing the motions too.

Wheels on the bus. This has always been one of her favorites. She rolls her hands around for the wheels and says "roun an roun". She "beep, beep"s for the horn and pushes an imaginary horn. The baby's on the bus are supposed to be making fists and rubbing their eyes, but mostly Ally's babies put the backs of their hands to their eyes and blink and open and close their hands. Mommies say "shh". She just recently started to join in on "all around the town" too.

Itsy bitsy spider. She started to sing a little on this one. She says "Sun" "up" "mumble-mumble pider"

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes. She makes me point to everything, cause she can't do it fast enough. She says "hep" then puts my hands on her head and pushes the button to make the song start. She calls the song "toesh".

Have you ever seen a Zoe. This one's kinds strange. The tune is what I remember as "the more we get together" but it goes like this.
Have you ever seen a Zoe, a Zoe, a Zoe
Have you Ever seen a Zoe, spin this way and that
It came on one of those music books where you push the button that matches the picture in the story. She just sways back and forth saying "Zoe, Zoe, Zoe" (or trying to, I can't even descibe what it actually sounds like.)

20 months pics
OKay, finally got Ally's 20 month pictures posted out there

Crocs
We went to Payless about a montha ago to get Ally's feet sized. While we were there, she latched onto a pair of pink crocs (those little plastic clog-like shoes) and wouldn't let go. They were too big for her, but she didn't care. She put them on and wouldn't let me try anything else on her, or even measure her foot very well. Unfortunately, they didn't have any in her size. They called another sore for me, but couldn't find any. So, we left the store screaming without them.

Last weekend, we found the same shoes at the Paylesss in the mall. We found a pair that fit. She was so excited. She didn't even wait for me to take her shoes off her before trying to put the new ones on. She even wore them the other day without socks. She never wears shoes without shoes. She hates it. Rob was shaking his head at her. He says it's too early for her to be shopping and picking out shoes. Boy is he in for a surprise.

She wears a 6 now. My god she's getting bigger too fast

colors
Ally knows quite a few of her colors now.
boo
wet
geen
yewo
pint
purp

By far, her favorite is yellow. It's usually her first choice if she doesn't know what color something is.

counting
Last night on the way home from day care I got a surprise. I started counting with Ally to keep her occupied. This is how the conversation went.
Me Ally
1 No
2 No
3 No
4 No
5 6
???????
7 7
8

9

10

Yay Yay (clapping)

She did that 2 or 3 times and even threw in the first numbers. I asked at the day care this morning and they said they count every day at lunch. They said they thought they told me. I was astonished.

yellow
Ally got herself wet Sunday, so Ibrought up an outfit to change her into. She saw it and got really excited. she started shaking and clapping and yelled "yewo". It's her favorite color

Room 5
Well, Ally didn't seem to have any trouble adjusting to the new room. Like I said before, most of the class went with her. Jayden is younger than I thought, so he is still with her too. Hope he controls himself.

The new room has lots of older toys and stuff. The teachers were really working on manners at the table when I came in to pick up Ally. They said things liek "Ellie, it's not nice to put your feet on the table. We don't do that here" and "Alec, we don't throw our cups" The last room thought they were doing good to keep everybody sitting. Ally showed me some of the toys on the way out. I think she likes it.

sit and spin
Saturday we took Ally to the mall. She rode the merry-go-round twice. The second time, we sat in one of those seats that turn and have the disk in the middle you can slow or speed up with. She understood the idea, and was turning us with it a little. So, we got her sit and spin down for her to play with on Sunday.

It took her a little while to get the concept, but not very long. She was turning and saying whee. She calls it her roundan (as in round and round and round...). She told me to sit on it last night, and was very insistant. I couldn't convince her I wouldn't fit.

sleeping
Ally has slept all night for the past 2 nights. She screamed when I tired to put pajamas on her the other day, so I let her sleep without them. I don't know if that's it, or if her cold and teeth coming in have finnaly settled down. Whatever it is, I'm thankful. It's 7:10 now and she's still asleep. Whoo-hoo

Benadryl
Benadryl is bad. very very bad. I gave Ally some the other night to clear up her cold. She started to get tired when it kicked in, and got pissed off. She screamed about everything for quite some time. Then, I finally got her to give in and go to sleep, but she woke up every 40 minutes or so wimpering. We won't be doing that again. I guess she didn't like the artificial sleepiness.

sleeping
Friday night, Ally started to get a cold. She was sniffling and very needy at bedtime. She woke up 2 or 3 times during the night. This trend has continued. 2 nights, she woke up wide awake and happy at around 12:30. She talked to me while I tried to get her to lay down and go back to sleep. She laughed and had a good time - for 3 hours The first time it happened, I left her in her crib and just sat in the chair / laid on the floor. Every time I left the room, she would scream.
Then, I took her upstairs to change her and we fell asleep on the couch. So, the second time, I tried to take her up early. she just laid on the couch talking to me. I closed my eyes once, and dozed. I woke up to find her playing peek-a-boo with my eyes. We drove for 45 minutes. When we got home, she was still wide awake. I laid her back down. She said "bye" rolled over and went to sleep. I think the temperature is messing with her again.

teeth
For the past couple weeks Ally hsa been getting teeth. I assumed they were her canines, because she's got her front teeth. I thought they would come next. I seem to have been mistaken. They broke through farther back and now I can feel 2 distinct ridges. So, it looks like she's getting her first molars on bottom on both sides. That brings us up to 10 teeth now!

Matthew and Nic
After Darra and Bill left Saturday, the boys and Jenn stuck around to talk. Ally had great fun chasing them around and laughing. they ran in countless circles. I think Ally had about as much energy as the 2 of them put -together - or more.

(added 8-27-05) She did a somersault all by herself too. She hasn't been able to do it again though. I think she was just over-excited that day.

gama
This morning, Ally slept in because she was up all night. (That's another story) I was supposed to pick up G'ma Darra at her hotel and go garage sale-ing early in the morning. That didn't happen. I wasn't about to wake her up before she was ready. When we did finally wake up, she was resisting getting dressed. I told her she had to put on her shirt because we were going to go get grandma. She got real calm and repeated "gama?". I said it again, and she was off as fast as she could run towards the stairs and the front door saying "gama gama gama..."

graduating
August 29 is the big move up to the older toddler room. Next week, they will be visiting and getting used to the teachers. I'm going to miss this room. I kinda like most of Ally's teachers. Most of the kids will be moving with Ally to Room 5, but some will move up to Room 7. (Those who are already 2 years old are the ones moving to 7. I think Jayden is one of them. Yay!) One of the little girls, Olivia, won't be with Ally anymore, and that's kinda sad. They get along pretty well. Anyway, we'll see how she adjusts.

holds a grudge
Ally got bit again yesterday at daycare. I think it was the same kid that bit her a couple weeks ago. They won't tell me who, of course, but I have a good idea. Then, when I picked her up, Ally reinforced that for me.

Ally was standing next to me about ready to go, when Jayden walked within 4 feet of her. She threw out her arm and yelled "NO". Her teacher, Nicole, was next to me, and I said to her "She holds a grudge a little, huh?" Nicole just nodded. It's pretty obvious that Ally remembers who bit her.

I don't know what they're going to do with that kid. He bit another kid, and the teacher yesterday too. Oh well, I think that he's moving to a different room than Ally is.

sharing
Last night we went to Avery's visitation. Ally was snacking on a bag of KIX. When Marley got there, Ally decided she wanted to share, so she kept handing them to Marley. Once, when Marley didn't react fast enough, Ally told her "take it" She's awfully bossy. She was going a good job sharing with everyone though.

Daddy's diapers
Last night, I was outside watering the plants and left Rob and Ally inside together. When I got back in, Rob told me I missed something funny. Here's what he said happened:

"I farted. Ally said "poot" a couple times and went and got me a diaper. She laid out the changing mat and everything. It took me a while to convince her that I didn't need to change my pants"

moody
Ally was in a much better mood tonight than she was last night. Last night, she screamed all night. It was horrible. Tonight, she played, and laughed, and even ran around outside with me for a while. All in all, it was a pretty un-eventful day. I like days like that!