Grinning from Ear to Ear

The Fam

Christmas with Great Grandma Shirley

Uncle Greg and Kiddos

Nurse Louise Examining the Gingerbread Man

Care for a Spot of Tea?

Elliot Newsletter: March 2013

E - you are now 4 1/2 and boy do you know it.  A few days before you turned 4 1/2 you asked when it would happen, I told you March 17.  You counted down the days and have since declared to everyone that you are 4 1/2 yrs. old!

Really the only time you are quiet is when you are sleeping.  You.never.stop.talking...ever...like ever.
While we mostly try to answer your questions it can get to be a bit much.  There are times when we ask you to be quiet just for five minutes. It never lasts though - usually you break with the giggles.

You are able to tell time, digitally and often with the hands too.  You love math (thanks for the math genes daddy!).  We spend a lot of time counting by 10's or 2's and then we add and subtract a lot.  You love to challenge both daddy and I by doubling.  i.e. what's 2+2, what's 4+4, etc.  You have quickly learned that your daddy can go much higher than me.

This winter has been never ending.  We complain about it a lot but it strikes me that you don't complain about it. You love the snow and have really enjoyed the few days we have had at the park this spring but when it comes to weather you are pretty go with the flow.  I should follow your lead more.

Also this month you and Louise switched rooms.  You are now sleeping upstairs in a tent!  There is enough room for it upstairs and you have been thrilled about it.  You are in fact looking forward to summer and going camping.  I love to see your eyes light up as you look forward to roasting marshmallows and playing the lake.  In late April, I am seriously wondering if that will ever happen...

Love you buddy,

Mommy

Louise Newsletter: Month 17&18

Lou - you are trouble.  Just when we think you cannot get any more adventurous or curious you manage to prove us wrong.  We shake our heads while never being able to turn our backs on you.  You are EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING!

I know this is a phase and you will soon grow out of it but whew! you are keeping us on our toes.
You continue to talk more every day, now saying; nigh-nigh(night-night), cah(car), uh-oh, cookah(cookie), cahk-kuh(cracker), deez(cheese), guh(yogurt) puppa(puppy) and lala(Elliot). 

Your hair is now long enough that it requires a pony or pigtails.  You are not such a fan of this but if I distract you enough you don't really notice.  Until you do and then you are determined to take them out over and over.

Finally you are into books and can sit down and look through them yourself.  Sometimes you will even sit still long enough to let someone read one to you.  Your favorite books are those with pictures of real things.  You point and jabber at each pic wanting to know what it is.  We can see your wheels turning taking it all in.

You are a real animal loving - almost too much!  You show no fear when approaching them or wanting to pet them.  You especially love Maggie and Wini and are learning to pet gently.  If they get caught laying on the floor you take that as an opportunity to ride them.  They don't like this so much and we think this has contributed to Maggie's current injury...sigh.  Can you blame them?

You are super physical, wanting to climb everything and everyone.  You love to wrestle and tackle and bounce on people.  The more movement, the better.  Trying to jump is your latest attempt.  It is so funny watching you crouch down and try to take off.  Keep practicing Little Lou, you'll get it.

Love,

Mama

Christmas Wonder

Daddy and E

Elliot Newsletter: January/February 2013

Age 4 Interview

What is your favorite color?
Green

What is your favorite toy?
Trains!

What is your favorite fruit?
Pear

What is your favorite TV show?
Octonauts

What is your favorite book?
The Giving Tree because it has all of the things I like.

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?
Dates

What is your favorite game?
Uno

What is your favorite snack?
Chocolate chip animal crackers

What is your favorite animal?
Our dog who loves to play catch

What is your favorite song?
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Who is your best friend?
Louise and Mommy

What is your favorite thing to do outside?
Play at the park!

What is your favorite drink?
Milk

What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween

What is your favorite thing to take to bed at night?
My kiki

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Waffles or pancakes and bacon

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A train

Obligatory - Be Still, Christmas PJ's - Photo

Christmas Eve

Yum!

Baking Christmas Cookies with Grandma Bev and Grandpa Steve

The Black Eye

The weekend after Thanksgiving Lou fell down an entire flight of stairs and landed on her eye.  She looked pretty rough for several days but healed just fine.  Those toddlers are tough I tell ya...

Blogging Delay

Sorry for the gap, we upgraded to a new version of Windows and for a while couldn't find our pictures on our computer - eek!  They have been located and backed up so we are good to go now.
I hope to catch up over the weekend.

Thanks and love!

Liza

Grandpa Rick and Lou

Louise Newsletter: Month 16

Lou - you are a bull in a china shop.  Your daddy and I feel that is the best description for you right now.  You are into everything, everywhere, all.of.the.time.  And you have no fear about anything.  You are tenacious and stubborn and adorable of course, so that helps =)

The Christmas season was so fun with you.  You watched everyone and imitated immediately.  i.e. you figured out how to open presents very quickly.  Several favorite toys right now include your kitchen, baby stroller and Minnie Mouse train. 

Though these last few weeks in addition to your boldness you have been quite crabby as you have been cutting some serious teeth.  Lots of whinyness and wanting to be held and snuggled, can't say that I blame you.  It finally feels like you have turned a corner and are feeling better this week.

New words include; uh-oh, bubba (baby), and you can shake your head no. 

It is amazing to watch you understand so many things even though you aren't able to say much yet.  There isn't a lot you don't get.  You even know to head to the bathroom and open the toliet seat when someone in the house says they need to go potty.  Could this be an early sign that you will be much easier to pottytrain than your brother was?  Your mama is hopeful...

Love you baby girl,

Mama

Elliot Newsletter: December 2012

Elliot - the Christmas season has come and gone and you were all in this year.  So fun!  When we put our tree up, you jumped and got so excited with every.single.ornament.  A plan was developed by you about which ornaments to put where and why so that Louise wouldn't break any of the special ones.  GK got you a Christmas countdown ornament and daily you check it to see how many days until Christmas. 

We baked a lot of Christmas cookies and you were a huge help, measuring the flouring and turning on the mixer.  And a new tradition began this Christmas with Elf on the Shelf appearing.  She arrived on December 1 and it took you a few days to get it.  She is magical after you adopt and name her.  You decided to name her Bean =)  You wanted her name to start with the letter "B" and that is what you came up with.  She cannot be touched or her magic will disappear.  She reported back to Santa at the North Pole each night.  Every morning you woke up to find her in a different place.  Bean added some special moments to Christmas this year.

You loved looking at Christmas lights and asked why we don't decorate the outside of our house.  (Thanks we get the hint).

There were a lot of questions about Santa that we didn't expect already.  You pointed out that we don't have a chimney or a fireplace.  And prior to visiting Santa, you informed me that he wasn't the real Santa...
At school during recess, do you have Santa 101 discussions or what?

On Christmas Eve, you were so excited to select special cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. 
On Christmas morning your eyes almost burst when you saw what Santa brought.  And you couldn't believe Santa knew what kind of candy was your favorite.  It was so cute!

You just drank everything in and were in awe of all the magical.  Honestly, your daddy and I cannot remember a more magical Christmas, it was so special.  And now you can't understand why it is over.  Yesterday you asked to turn the radio onto Christmas music =)  When I told you it was over, you said, "well, why?"

Looking forward to creating more memories and traditions with you buddy.

Love,



Mommy