Random baby bullets

• Silas has learned the word hippo this trip. He loves the book Pajama Time. Loves it. Points to all the animals and makes their sound or says what they are, sometimes throws in a little sign too. Points out the moon. That the elephant and moose are brushing their teeth. Somehow I am not irritated by it yet.
  
• Ellis is stinking adorable. He always looks like he has just delivered the killer punch line to the most! hilarious! joke! ever! It's a combination of surprise and joy and it makes you want to gobble him up with a spoon.
  
• They are pretty good together too. Sure, Silas has kicked Ellis a couple times, yes, Ellis thinks all exposed skin is a handle. But on the whole they seem to be pretty good natured together. Ellis is not frightened of the flailing toddler limbs, Silas delivers books and pieces of pear and bread to the baby. Together, Ellis goes for a spin in the walker while Silas acts as both navigator and driver. Silas definitely has a bossy streak and is happiest when Ellis the passenger only. I'm sure there will be power struggles between the cousins ahead, but it is really fun to see them interact and grow up together.
  
• The nice thing about potty training Silas is that I have my own personal cheering section every time I get up from the toilet. Silas hasn't been using the potty at all this week since he seems pretty terrified of the big toilet, but since he can open the door to the bathroom and I don't usually lock it, he lets himself in more often than not. And who doesn't want a little recognition for a pee well done?
  
• Did you know they sell a product called lullaby milk in Ireland? The dairy keeps the first day's milking separated and since it is produced overnight it contains higher levels of melatonin than milk produced by the animal during the daylight hours. I can't imagine this would take off in America because in the US melatonin can be taken as a supplement but in Europe it is regulated as a drug. The first thing I thought about when I saw it though was that it didn't seem to make a lot of sense in that when you are nursing you baby to sleep at night your breast milk has its lowest level of sleep inducing melatonin. But then again, you don't see cows pacing the pasture with a crying calf over their shoulder.
• This isn't baby related but it is exciting: the worlds largest shopping cart! It's located in just the next town over! Can you believe it? Tomorrow we load ropes, grappling hooks, and cameras to document our ascent.