Keeping up with Elli

Sorry it's been a while since posting. We took a nice long trip over Thanskgiving to go visit Heather's family in Pennsylvania, and we're still trying to get our feet under us now that we're back home.

Elli has started to hit a language explosion. Over our 10 days in PA, she picked up 28 new words (yes, at some point, we started counting). Now that we're home, she's still chugging along with 2 - 3 new words / day.

And she's definitely starting to understand more, and is remembering things more than I would have given her credit for. Take, for example, our going to bed conversation last night:

Heather: Okay, Elli, let's talk about what we did today.... Did you wake up and ask for a bagel with cream cheese?
Elli: Keem Cheese
H: And then did we play and build towers until Nai-nai came to watch you?
E: Nai-nai. Work.
H: Yes, and then Mommy went to work and then I came back and we watched Elmo
E: Up-down (The concept of the day on Sesame Street was "upside-down")
H: And then you ate spaghetti and then you took a nap. And then you woke up and we went to the store...
E: Car!
H: Yes, we took our car to go there
E: No. Car!
H: Oh, not "car" -- "card" -- yes, we got a card at the store. And then we... um, then we went...
E: Doctor!
H: Oh, yes, right, then we went to the doctor. And we went to Ikea and you came home with Daddy
E: Hua ti (Mandarin for slide -- she learned the word on Saturday from "Auntie" Summer. There was a slide at Ikea)
H: Oh, right, at Ikea you played on the hua ti and then you came home with Daddy and then Mommy came home and then we ate popcorn and then we got ready for bed and then we brushed teeth
E: (Looks at me like "you idiot... you forgot something again!") Book!
H: Oh, right, we read a book and then we brushed our teeth and now we're rocking and then we'll go to sleep.
E: Home?
H: Yes, we're home.
E: (smiles) Elmo!
H: Elmo is sleeping. We all need to go to sleep.
E: Car. Home. Elmo. (starts to sit up)
H: Yes, we took the car to come home, but Elmo is sleeping and now it's time to sleep.
E: Home?
H: Yes, we're home.
E: Elmo! Elmo!

At this point, I realized that Nai-nai had told Elli that after she took her trip to the doctor's and come home that she could watch Elmo, and that we had not availed her that opportunity. Whoops. Who knew that she'd remember that, let alone insist upon it before going to bed? We'll have to be a little more careful on promises from now on!