Boxes

I was surprised when Elinore didn't spend a lot of her Christmas this year playing with the boxes and the wrapping paper.  She tore off small pieces of wrapping paper and carried each one over to us to throw away.  And the boxes she just ignored.  I even saved a big one expecting her to play with it, and she never did! 

She did, however, enjoying climbing on top of the boxes!

A New Car

Elinore received a new car from Santa for Christmas this year.  Daddy spent a good portion of the morning assembling the car.  (We should ask Santa for per-assembled next year...)  While the parts were in the living room, Elinore was loving sitting in the car and playing. 

The funny thing is that once it was all put together, Elinore was ANGRY!  She apparently didn't want it put together.

Now, she's happy as pie with it.  She hasn't figured out how to make it go forward on her own yet, only backward, but she loves with Caden and Caleb push her around in it!

Good morning!

Elinore has in the last month or so started doing the sweetest thing in the morning.  Instead of waking up crying to get someones attention, I hear MAMA through the monitor.  If that isn't the best way to wake up every morning, I don't know what is!

Sometimes if I'm not fast enough, it turns to DADA and on the weekend, Keith enjoys that I'm sure since he's not here during the week.

During the week when I get her up she usually asks for Daddy, but Daddy's already at work.  Often we still have to go check his spot on the bed to make sure he's not here. 

Elinore the Elephant; A Comparison

2012

2013

In 2012, Elinore fell asleep at the Akron Zoo during Boo at the Zoo and I snapped this picture when I layed her down on a bench, so my arms could have a break. 

In 2013, Elinore slept through our dinner at a burger joint after our trip to the Akron Zoo, and remember the photos from 2012, I couldn't resist snapping another to compare. 

Christmas Card Photo 2013

Photo

18 Months Old

A week after Elinore turned 18 months old we went in for her wellness check.

Unfortunately the night before the appointment she was sick and throwing up.  All was fine when she went to bed, but about 90 minutes after that I heard a strange sound on the monitor and went in right away.  Poor girl was sitting there just starting to throw up.  We were up for a few hours then and went to bed around midnight.  She threw up a little a few times after that, but eventually curled up next to me on the couch and fell asleep.

I called the office first thing the next morning, and they said as long as she didn't have a fever she was okay for her vaccinations and well check, so in we went!

She weighed in at 18 lbs. and 15 oz.  She made a jump in her weight up to the 8.3% for her age group.  This is a jump since we've been under the 5% probably since she was born!

She measured 30.25 inches, and increase there too to the 9.55%!  She's been under 5% there too.

The doc said all was well, and she's may be small, but she is proportionate and growing on the charts and not dropping off them.

And the great thing, she's done with vaccinations, except for the flu shot, for a few years! 

Elinore Plays in the Snow

We've had a few rounds of snow so far this winter, but last November in one of our early snows, we took Elinore out to play in it for the first time.  I shoveled the driveway and she spent most of her time just walking around the driveway watching me and her brothers, but she enjoyed it!

Window Wonderland

For the second year in a row we took the kids downtown to see Santa come to town and the unveiling of the store front windows full of Chrsitmas displays.  It was a pretty cold night this year, but we walked around and enjoyed the scenes anyway.  One of their favorite things is watching Santa come to town on the roof of one of the buildings and the fire department helping him down.  Their other is going into the Rubbermaid store and sending letters to Santa while they wait for their immediate reply.

Rain Gutter Regatta

As a part of their Tiger Cub program the boys participated in the Rain Gutter Regatta in November.  They worked with their Daddy building their boats, then raced them!

Caden even won third place!

Yikes!

One evening after the kids went to bed I was working in the kitchen on something.  The kids have been playing with our piano more lately, so it was open, but I didn't think much of it.  Then as I'm working in the kitchen I hear a few keys being pressed on the piano and tones coming from it.  I'm the only one home, the kids are asleep, the piano is right around the corner, and I'm getting nervous there is someone in the house!

I bravely went around the corner, and look what I found:

Silly kitty.

2013 Pumpkins

 

Each of the boys carefully planned out their pumpkin designs.

Daddy helped them create them.  

Elinore even got in on some of the cleaning.

Then we had jack-o-lanterns!

We used a tattoo on Elinore's.

Date Nights with the Boys

Last fall I took an evening and took each of the boys on a "date."  They hated that I called it a date, which made it even more fun.  But I took each of them to run one or two of our errands and then to dinner and had dessert.  It's a great time to bond with them one-on-one and I wish I managed to do it more often. 

Caleb with his chocolate pie for dessert at The Barn. 

I couldn't find a photo from my dinner with Caden, but we went to the The Barn too.  It is usually their restaurant of choice. 

New Trees

Thanks to my dad giving Elinore some new trees for her birthday, we had a landscaper install some new trees in our front yard in late October last year.  We now have 3 new red oaks in our front yard. 

Funny PJs

One day in late October last year, I went in to get Elinore in the morning and found her like this.

I'm not sure how she managed that, but I'm guessing her pjs may have been a bit big!

Photo

Just because i love this photo from last October of my sweetest little girl.

Dentist

Elinore went to the dentist for the first time ever in November last year.  She did very well; I mean sure she cried when they looked in her mouth, but it was quick and painless and she was right back to herself after that. 

Her first molar on top are just peeking through and her bottom molars are going to be popping through very soon they say. 

Caden did very well too.  He gets nervous as we get to the appointments, so I usually stay with him.  I could see he was anxious when he sat down as I walked on to stay with Elinore.  He did very well all on his own though and had no cavities!

Caleb on the other hand, had 3 cavities!  He'll be going back in a few weeks to have those filled.  They said he does so well with his dental work that he'll be getting all 3 done at once and then be done because he does so well with it.

And it wouldn't be a visit to the dentist without them reminding me to help them floss, because we have to remember they don't do a good enough job on their own.  We'll see how that goes...!

To end, a few pictures from this morning's dentist office visit. 

Sick Day

One Monday in November, Elinore and I stayed home from work and the babysitters on a sick day.  I was miserable sick and she was on the upswing from being sick over the weekend, so we snuggled.  Her spot of choice, the crook of my knees on the living room floor while we watched tv.  More than likely it was Sesame Street because that's what she's interested in!

Swimming Underwater

We spent the last few days as a family at Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio.  While maybe someday I'll share more about our time there, today I just wanted to remember what Caden told us at lunch.

At lunch today Caden told us he has a special tooth he has in his mouth that lets him breathe underwater! 

Amazing!

It sure was good for a laugh for Keith and I!  :)