Busy Week and Busy Babies

It has been a busy, busy week for us, but it wouldn't be a normal week if I didn't send out a slew of pictures for everyone to see. I warn you, they are pretty cute.

Ellie is doing well. She has definitely mastered the whining part of being two. It is pretty incessant. She is a ball of energy, always ready to do something new.

This week we got her leotards, tights, ballet shoes and tap shoes for dance class! It is a little early, but I am just so eager for it to start! We got a few moms in our ward to sign up as well so she will have friends she knows there. I have almost gotten her all dressed up a couple times just to take a picture but Daniel says I need to calm down and wait until the class begins.

Here is our little sweetheart playing in his highchair. The "pod" is still in circulation, but he pulls his legs up out of it and so it makes us really nervous to set him in it at the table when we aren't right there watching him. Owen is becoming a little boy in front of our eyes. He seems to change a little more everyday. I know he is only 5 months, but hold him and say that.
Ellie loves to play with her toys, but never by herself. She has a whole playroom with a ridiculous number of toys for her to play with, but won't play with them by herself or will drag them into the family room so she can be by mom and dad. Never has been an independent child! Lately, her favorite thing to do is to play with the water in the kitchen sink. I read that this is a good thing for toddlers to do because if you give them some containers, it will help them be creative. Problem is, she always wants to do it!
Here is Ellie undressing Owen. She likes to unbutton the snaps. She is blowing on his belly. Afterwards, she started taking off his diaper saying he needed a diaper change. -- Just yesterday she lifted his shirt and said, "chubby!". It was cute.--- Owen tolerates her.
Here is our big boy. I tried to get a picture of the two of them laying side by side so everyone could see the small difference in their size (both height and weight!), but Ellie was not cooperating. As you can see, he isn't a real fat baby. He has a little chubba in the thighs (and who doesn't...), but he is just big all over and very long. He must get his height from me :).

Here is daddy playing kitchen with Ellie. What you don't see is Daniel's apron that he ripped off when he saw me running in with the camera. Poor sport. (All the JUNK in the background is our Goodwill pile. I have high hopes it will be brought to the Goodwill this weekend--- it is right up the block so really no reason for it to continue being part of our home decor).
Here are our crawlers! "Anything Owen can do, Ellie can do better!" That has been kind of the motto around here lately. Owen tries to crawl and Ellie shows him that she already knows how. Owen cries in his crib and Ellie climbs in and shows that she can cry in the crib as well. Owen bounces in the jumperoo, Ellie climbs in and shows him that she can bounce higher. I don't think it is really competition as much as they are really desperate to play together. Elise is Owen's favorite person in the whole world. You know when Ellie is around because Owen is smiling from ear to ear.