Meet Ellis, Age 2

Okay, one more post about Ellis. I realize that most of you haven't seen this kid recently, and even if you have, you may not have had a chance to get to know Ellis' personality. He is such a funny boy. He definitely has his grumpy side, and he definitely has a shy side. But what I get to see most of the time these days is a happy, talkative, hilarious little guy. He brings smiles and laughs into our home all day long.

I am completely smitten by the way Ellis talks. I love his cute little way of saying words like "church" and "Monkey George" and "Henwy" and "Right there!" I love his funny phrases: "Mommy, I need come-meer" (for "I want you to carry me") and "Henwy do it" (for "Henry did something that bothers me"). I love how he says, "I need hug and kiss" when he first sees us in the morning, before he goes to bed, or before one of us leaves.

I could go on all day. Instead, I will show you a video. If you're a die-hard Ellis fan, or you just want to get to know the kid in 5 minutes or less, watch it! I should explain a couple of things first though:

1. "NO!!!!" He got in the habit of yelling "No!" to get people to laugh. This has gotten completely out of hand, especially in public places. When Brady and McCall were here, he got started in a restaurant. It was horrible.
2. "Be happy" is the opposite of sleeping. There are two choices in our house when you get grumpy: you can go take a nap, or you can be happy. Ellis brings this up every time I even come close to mentioning a nap: "No -- I be happy!"
3. "He needs a shirt!" Not sure where he got this phrase, but he started saying it EVERY single time he sees someone (or a picture of someone) without a shirt on. He is amazing at spotting these people. It has been pretty embarrassing in several situations when we were quite close to the people, and Ellis loudly, clearly, repeatedly remarked, "He needs a shirt!"
4. "Enjoy the show." If you have seen many Baby Einstein episodes, you know that they say this at the beginning of the videos. Sometimes this is Ellis' favorite part, as you will see in the video. Other times it's his least favorite part. He'll say, "No! I don't want enjoy the show!" until the segment is over. Picky, picky.
5. I will mention that on the piano song, I have no idea what he's singing about. I just love his loud, screechy voice, and the few words I can pick out: breakfast, choice, sisters, "when grandpa is coming . . ."

With that long intro, "Enjoy the show!"

Meet Ellis, Age 2 from Ben and Jenn on Vimeo.