An Eliana first: She played in the sandbox.

Ethan didn’t even have a sandbox until a couple years later in his life, which was a conveniently clean delay. But the sandbox is there, and Ethan makes it look so fun. Now, Eliana thinks so, too.

An Eliana first: She took a seat in her rocking chair.

Eliana was playing in her bedroom when I peaked in to find her contently sitting in her rocking chair. I went downstairs not knowing whether to get the camera or a teapot with cups and saucers. When I returned (with the camera) she was still happily seated, even with her brother vying for her attention.

After some observation, I learned how she got there. Eliana climbs on anything she can, including her rocking chair. It turns out that after climbing up on the rocking chair, it is natural for her to transition from kneeling or standing to sitting. And since it’s a comfortable chair, sitting is not a bad way to stay for a bit.

An Eliana first: She climbed up and down the stairs.

The key was getting over the mindset that movement had to be forward. I’d been working with Eliana the last few days to get the idea across, but she really caught on today while she was unassisted on the back deck stairway, climbing up—and then back down.

An Eliana first: She climbed a flight of stairs.

An Eliana first: She indulged a chocolate craving.

Learning not to raid the pantry to satiate the immediate desires is never easy, but it can be tasty. And there are blessings on the way. Besides watching her grow in awareness and dexterity, we take comfort in Eliana’s shared trait with her brother: a convenient satisfaction simply with pure cocoa, even without sugar or any other sweetener.

An Eliana first: She climbed down from a bed.

Unlike her brother at that age, Eliana is quite aware of heights and navigates cautiously near edges. For example, she can tell that our bed is raised high, leading to a careful blend of curiosity and sense of peril (she seems unaware of the arms ready to reach out and catch her). Ethan’s bed is lower, however—low enough that with well-planned seating and a little scooching, she safely made the solo transition to the bounty of Ethan’s toys awaiting below.

Ethan on use of royal authority

Why does a king hold a scepter?

“So he can scept a dragon. Boom! Boom!”