Morgan Family

It's Been Awhile!

2010-01-28T14:22:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since I have even posted on here! Does anyone read it? Ha! Eliza will be a big sister in April (or March...the baby is due April 2nd). She will have a baby brother. She couldn't be more excited, it is adorable to hear the things she says about her "baby". The other day she told me that she thinks "My baby will come out born with a blue shirt. Or maybe a green shirt." She also gets right down to my belly and says things like "My baby is so cute! He looks JUST like a baby dragon!" Eliza drew this picture of me in school, apparently I have purple hair and am looking like I am carrying triplets!

Preschool!

2009-09-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Eliza started Preschool on Friday and I am pretty sure she had a blast. she does not like to divulge too much information at once, but here are a few of the things that she managed to tell me around 3 and 4 that morning when she was wide awake (God help me!) and then this weekend.
She made cereal necklaces and got to eat them!
A little boy had pizza on a napkin for lunch.
She had to use the potty and told her teacher.
She watched a movie during rest time.
She likes to play in the play kitchen.
A little boy was crying because he wanted to go home.

It is a long day for her, especially with only a 45 minute rest time which means no nap (especially if a movie is being shown!), but I know she really enjoys it! She is way too excited to have a cubby (even though she doesn't really know what that means) and a new lunch box. The little one is growing up!

Eliza's Recent Favorites

2009-08-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in such a long time! I have been such a slacker - this is all due to the approaching first day of school, unfortunately! Anyway, I figured that I would post a few of Eliza's favorite things as of the past few weeks.

1. Her "wed" (red) binky (OMG...so sick of this binky) - This has been up there as an all time fave for close to 3 years now.
2. The Fresh Beat Band - (you have to be so un-hip if you don't know these guys), and when they come on she gets right on the floor and tries her hardest to follow their choreography, but then ends up doing head stands against the wall when she realizes she can't follow it.
3. "Party in the USA"- You know, by Miley Cyrus? Her auntie made the mistake of letting her hear that song and now whenever we are in the car she demands that I find the song so she can rock out. And of course, I can NEVER find it. She bumped that Taylor Swift song down a notch, since that used to be her favorite.
4. Green jello
5. Seeing horsie poop- Most recently, at the "Martian Field Fair" as she calls it.Anytime she can find horsie poop she goes completely nutso. You would have thought she found gold the way she laughs about this. It's pretty funny.
6. Munchkins - Oh wait, this is not recent...just like that binky. She's always loved them. I guess it seems that lately she's consumed more than the average person. Time to cut back.
7. Cotton candy - She found out about this healthy treat from Daddy's charity carnival.

Are we seeing a pattern here? Horrible food and horrible music. (Buuuut..who am I kidding - I can't help but sing along to the Fresh Beat's catchy songs AND the Miley song.) I promise.. she does play outside and eats vegetables. Not at the same time.

Tuesday's Talk Time!

2009-08-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Written a day late of course!

Yesterday I was in my room and heard a bag rustling around in the hallway. Then, short moments later, this is what is heard:

"MOMMY!!!!!!! Wook at all this stuff you got me! Wook at all this paintin' stuff you got me and I am just SO SO SO SO happy that you got me all of this stuff! You got me new paintin' stuff and a puzzle and wook at it all!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! (she literally screamed), I am so happy about this stuff you gave me! I can paint and use my new paintbrush and AHHHHHHHH!!! I love it all! Wook at it!!"

Eliza had found a bag of "rainy day" cheapy little activities that I had gotten for her from Michael's that I had forgotten to hide. Who knew mini crafts from their dollar bin could cause so much excitement.

Blueberry Picking!

2009-08-04T13:16:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went blueberry picking with Jen and the kids. Eliza started off ready to pick and was so excited. But....she grew tired of picking blueberries for her container after about 5 or 6 were in there and opted to just pick and eat, pick and eat. I had to take over after several attempts at getting her to find the ripe ones. Eliza did MUCH better last summer when she did not get bored so quickly. Audrey did a great job though! We ended up only filling two pints as I had to battle with Eliza over running out in the dirt road. Plus, it was so hot and we were sweating!

Oh, and at this farm the blueberry picking was an honor system! You put your money in the cash box and take out your change, and take your pints. Love it!

Comment Update

2009-07-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Auntie Maryann and Auntie Tracey are tied with 6 comments each in this summer's comment incentive program!!

Tuesday's Talk Time!

2009-07-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

1. "Why is this a fake Cinderella Mommy???" Eliza asked in front of a room full of little kids waiting in line to get their picture taken.

2. "Mom, am I allowed for Hannah Montana?" ..Ummm, NO!

3. When I commented that she had some big feet, Eliza replied, "I really do."

That's all for this week!

New Hampshire Mini Vacation!

2009-07-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to NH with Val, Martin, and the kiddos. On Saturday we spent the day at Story Land and the kids had a blast. Well, except for the occasional melt-downs while waiting in lines, and the few minor time-outs that were given. Eliza loved the antique cars, the swan boat ride, and seeing Cinderella! Though she wasn't so impressed with Cinderella's looks (see above post). She also LOVED seeing Mother Goose, the Big Bad Wolf, and Mr. McGregor's Garden. We had great weather for Story Land. On Sunday we went to Clarke's Trading Post on the way home. Eliza was very anxious about the train ride where you saw "Wolfman". This guy IS scary, so I can see her point. From the first second that Wolfman started yelling at the train and shooting his gun, she was petrified. She was screaming and crying and would not let me unblock her ears. She continued to yell "Let me off this train!" "Let me off this train!" "Don't open my ears!!!". Every time Wolfman started to come near the train, I had to have Andy give me a heads up about which side he was on so that I would force her head in the opposite direction. The poor kid was having panic attacks. When we got off the train she said that she didn't like it because "Wolfman just kept staring at me and blowing smoke in my face."

It was a busy, fun, and exhausting weekend!

Martha's Vineyard '09

2009-07-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

This post is so late but better late than never? We had a blast in MV again this summer, staying at the house that my dad rented. It was especially great to see family that we don't get to see too often! Eliza had a blast on the beach having "noodle fights" with Grampy and stuffing her face with snacks. She would get bored every 20 minutes or so and beg to leave the beach, but then find something to interest her for the next 20 minutes. We've learned she is extremely scared of seagulls and has no shame in screaming at the top of her lungs when one is within 100 feet of her. She also had her first mini-golf experience, as well as got to see what "Taco Night" is all about. We had a blast watching the sunset at Menemsha Beach and of course we had to take her on the carousel a few times.

The joke of the week told by Eliza? "Knock Knock!" "Who's There?" "Martha's." "Martha's who?" "Martha's Vineyard!" We can't wait to go back next summer!

Tuesday's Talk Time

2009-07-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to start listing some hilarious/sweet little quotes from Eliza on Tuesdays because she does say some of the funniest things we have ever heard, but then I forget them soon after. So if I make a mental note to jot it down and then list a few on Tuesdays, I'll have them to look back on and to share with all of you! So keep posted on future Tuesdays.....

Can you say jinxed??

2009-07-19T18:35:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I guess I completely jinxed myself by writing about her great first night of sleep in the toddler bed. Last night (3:50am to be exact) I was awoken to a soft whispered "Hi Mom, I'm scared." right in my face. And then again at 3:59, and 4:07. As much as I wanted to pull her into the bed with us and snuggle with her to sleep, we decided to put her right back into bed, explain that we are right down the hall, tuck her in, and tell her to wait until the sun comes up to get out of bed. At 4:12 I thought I heard something again so I quietly got out of bed and looked out of the room and there she was, standing in the hall just staring at me, sucking on her binky. Got to admit, just a tad creepy! Then again at 4:20 she got out and Daddy met her in the hall and brought her back to bed where she finally fell asleep. I was awoken at 7:00 to her little face next to mine whispering "Mommy, the sun is up now!" :)

No More Crib!

2009-07-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well, more like a crib converted to a toddler bed with a bed rail on it-that makes it pretty much still a crib except for the 5 inches of space where she can get in and out herself! Last night was her first night and she was very, very excited. Before she went to sleep we told her that when she woke up (at the crack of dawn as she usually does) she could get out of bed on her own and get some books and get back into her bed to read, or go to her table and color, but she shouldn't scream for us or come in and wake us up just yet. She agreed to this. :)

This morning at about 7:15 I heard some rustling around but wasn't sure if she was really awake yet and didn't want to wake her if not. I went and peeked into her room and there she was, sitting on her bed reading a book and sucking on that binky of course. Oh yeah, in the dark. I forgot about that part, that she can't turn on the light herself! Ha ha. Well, she had listened to us and it was the cutest thing to see. That didn't last longer than a minute from me catching her because then she had to get out of course. Fingers crossed that tonight and from now on it will be just as easy!?

Time For A Trip

2009-07-11T20:26:00.001-07:00

Since it's that time of the year (Kelly Family vacay to Martha's Vineyard!), I had to look back at my chubby cheeked baby girl from two years ago on her first Vineyard trip. She was about 9 months old. Can't wait to get some new pictures from her third trip over! Watch out Martha's Vineyard, Eliza is about to step onto your island. :)

Did You Know?

2009-07-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know that at two and a half, you can transform from "baby" to "big girl" within hours, or even minutes? I've recently found this out.

At this age if you refuse to sleep without your binky, it's ok because you are still a "baby". But when that sleep is up, you better believe said "baby" can become a "big girl" faster than you can say "Map!" or "Backpack!" if there's something he or she wants. Eliza is adamant that she is still a "tiny baby" when she wants that darn binky. She lets us know that it is ok because of this fact. However, if she wants candy, wants to watch a movie, listen to hip hop, use my camera, use scissors, use the phone, not use her stroller, or not sit in a grocery cart, instantly she is a "big girl".

"I don't WANT to go in my stroller! I can walk! I am a big girl!"
"I thought you were a tiny baby Eliza? You told me that before your nap so you could have your binky."
"Well, when it's time to go to sleep, I'm still a tiny baby. But right now I am a big girl so I want to walk!"

Conversations With "Friends"

2009-07-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks, Eliza has started having very important conversations with her "friends". If I ask her who she is talking to, she'll tell me (and give names of her real life friends) and say that "They are right here mom!" "I'm telling them to help me build a tower!" The other day she was in her room and was telling some of her friends to follow her downstairs. Today in the car I asked her who she was talking to and she told me that she was talking to her friends that were right there in the car with her. It's hilarious. She does have real friends though, I promise! And we do a lot of socializing with children her age, so I'm hoping there isn't some deeper meaning behind this like I don't get her out enough or something! Ha ha

How To Make Cookies?

2009-07-05T20:51:00.001-07:00

Today Eliza was looking through an old kid's cookbook from when I was a little girl. She said to my mom, "I know how to make cookies with my mommy!" My mom asked her what you do to make cookies and Eliza replied "I just sit at the table and wait for them!" She truly could not have been more proud with her response and her obvious contribution towards cookie making.

Fourth of July Parade and Fun!

2009-07-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July morning we took Eliza to the Halifax parade. It wasn't as great as the Plymouth Parade, but since the Plymouth one was canceled, we decided to stay in our town. Eliza had a blast and of course had to wave at every person/float that went by. If they did not see her or wave back, she got extremely concerned and would discuss it with us until a new person/float went back and waved to her. She was really caught up with a horse that happened to poop on the road right in front of her. She could not get over that or the woman that followed behind and proceeded to pick it up with a shovel. It must have been one of the funniest things that she has seen. After the parade we met up with Val and Martin and the kids and went to some events in the center of town. She got to ride a pony, have a blue raspberry slush puppy (she would not rip her paws off of it), and try out some hula hooping. I have to say, she's getting darn good at the hula hoop!

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

We went to the Halifax fire works with Val and Martin and their kids, Adam and Andi. Eliza went for a later nap so that she would be somewhat less of a cranky monster come 9:00 for the big show. We got the kids all bundled up in their strollers and got ourselves equipped with blankets and snacks, snacks, and more snacks. Eliza was mesmerized by the children with all of their cool "light thingys" and so of course we had to buy her one. Both she and Adam had a blast for about 20 minutes of just running around and playing swords with their light thingys.

Then we got the kids settled on the blankets when the first firework came on. How cozy and fun - Daddy, Mommy, and Eliza on the blanket enjoying the fireworks. Ummm, nope! After the first loud bang of the fireworks, she had enough. She was hysterically crying louder and harder than I have ever heard her (which then caused poor Adam to start crying) and we had to block her ears for her. Even still, she was not having it. She was crying and screaming "Get me out of here!!" over and over. We thought that maybe she would relax once we clapped and showed her that kids all around were enjoying it. And again, nope. We had to pack up our supplies in a flash (while still trying to hold her ears) and get ourselves out of there. While making the mad dash for the exit we only stepped on a few blankets and felt the need to apologize for our hysterical child. Ahhhh, Happy Fourth! Oh, and once she was "safe" in the car away from seeing or hearing the loud fireworks, Eliza said, "I don't want to ever go to the fireworks again until I am bigger! I wish we went to the Red Sox game instead!". Not sure why she thought that was ever an option for that night. :)

Bed Head

2009-07-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

I have to really smile when I go in to get Eliza from her long and restful nap and she is lounging there with her hair in little sweaty curls. Though she is pushing three, the hair is still minimal. But when it is humid or she is hot, the little ringlets really stand out.

First Recital!

2009-05-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Eliza started dance in February and had her first recital 3 months later on the big stage! Very, very exciting. She also made three new friends - Thalia, Ava, and Addison. Eliza was just too cute for words on the stage, and even though it was only a quick 3 minutes of a performance, it was a proud moment for Mommy and Daddy. She stumbled once and almost fell over, but overall did her dance moves along with the other girls. Here are some pictures. The ones of her on the stage are from the rehearsal (we weren't allowed to take pictures during the actual recital).

Easter Fun!

2009-04-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today Audrey, Aidan, and Jack (and new baby Johnny!) came over for some cookie decorating, egg dying, and a little egg hunt. We managed to get all three of these events, plus lunch, completed without too much chaos or tears! The kids had a lot of fun.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2009-03-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight after giving Eliza her bath, she started talking about the show "Yo Gabba Gabba" and the show characters. If you've yet to see this "special" show, you're really missing out. I started to ask her the colors of each character and when I asked her what color "Brobee" was, she said "gween". I told her that "No, Brobee is red Eliza." She kept telling me, "No Mommy, Brobee is GWEEN! His wegs are gween, his belly is gween, his head is gween, he is gween Mommy!" So I grabbed the book from her shelf, and needless to say, I was soooo wrong. I thought Brobee was Muno, who is in fact, red. 2.5 year olds really know their tv shows apparently!

Two and a Half!

2009-03-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated and I am really hoping I can try to be more consistent with this! So I've missed a few months and Eliza is now 2.5 She is a fun, sweet, and wild little toddler. She is taking dance classes now and has her first recital in May. We are very excited about her three minutes of fame on the stage. Let's hope she follows the directions. Lately she has not been given a sticker at the end of class for not sitting on her x or being too silly!

Her current loves right now include books, Dora, m&m's, being outside, bread, coloring (in the lines!), her mommy and daddy, and yes, of course, the binky. Let's not even get started about when that is going to disappear. Here are some pictures from the past few months!

Halloween

2008-11-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is very late to be posting Halloween pictures, but I am not that great about posting to this blog anymore since the Facebook world! And my mom is the only one NOT on Facebook that would like to see pictures, so these are more for her. We took Eliza out to a few houses w/ her friend Adam and she thought she ran the show. She strutted her "stuff" (or, stinger) around the streets yelling at older boys. "Boys, come walk with me, come hold my hand boys!". It was pretty funny, but scary at the same time!

She's two!

2008-10-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

We met up with Audrey, Jen, and John to go to the pumpkin patch again this year. Last year Eliza was only one but loved it. Of course she loved it even more this year. Here's a flashback from our time there last year.

Here are some pictures from today!

Cute Conversations

2008-09-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Eliza keeps us laughing all day long (aside from her daily multiple tantrums of course). We are always wondering where she comes up with some things, and how she remembers such random stuff. Here are a few favorites from recent days. Ok, maybe they won't sound as cute to you or as funny, but if you heard her voice and expression, you'd probably laugh. :)

Daddy took Eliza for a drive the other day and stopped to get himself a coffee. Eliza chimes in from the back, "Daddy, you going to get Mommy a coffee tooooooo?"

On the way home from work one day I got Eliza one munchkin at Dunkin Donuts (it's her once in a while treat if I am getting an afternoon coffee!). When she was finished, she wanted more of course. I told her that there was only one in the bag, so she proceeded to cry. Then I said, "It's a special treat sometimes, because Mommy loves you!", "You love Mommy, too!" Of course she said "No!" so I pretended to fake cry for a minute until she yelled "No, it's my turn to cwy Mommy! I'm cwying this time!".

She loves singing to any pop song on the radio and if I start singing w/ her (to Rihanna's "Take a Bow" for example), she'll tell me she doesn't want me to sing, she's the one that is going to sing. Her favorite part is "go on and take a bow...." She could truly do karaoke to that song at 2 years old.

During dinner last week I was asking Eliza what she did at daycare. Apparently I was chewing while asking because she told me to "Chew your food foowst mommy, then you can talk!"

Another day on the way home from work she kept saying "I want to see your business Mommy, pweeeeeeeese! Can I see your business?" I kept repeating her by asking "my business? Is that what you are saying Eliza, business?" and she would say yes. I had no idea what she was talking about but she was getting frustrated and kept asking over and over to look at my business. I was dying laughing, but clueless as to what she meant. Finally I turned my head and saw my school bag on the floor, and that is what she was pointing to. I asked her if that was my "business" in the bag and she said yes. Later that night Andy told me that she tried to grab my bag one day at home and Andy moved it and said it was mommy's bag for school work, just like daddy's business bag.

Hmm, I just realized that almost all of these conversations took place while in the car. I promise we are not always driving.

Apple Picking, Take 1

2008-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

We took Eliza apple picking today and I am sure it will be the first of a few different trips w/ friends. Today it was just the three of us though. She loved running around w/ the other kids (especially boys) and grabbing apples. Her favorites were the rotten ones already on the ground. She also got to see the animals at the farm and pick a pumpkin.

Fall Flower Time

2008-09-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Flower Land to get some mums. The place is so fun for Eliza. She loves to feed the big fish and run around to find pumpkins. She also LOVES "helping" Daddy to dig in the soil.

Almost 2!

2008-09-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

Mommy's back to work now so Eliza has started back up at daycare. She loves playing w/ the little girls. I can't believe she is almost 2. Right now her latest obsession is with skeletons. Skeletons in the stores ready for Halloween, pictures of skeletons, etc. She is obsessed and could look at one all day long if I let her.

Muscles

2008-09-07T12:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Andy went to the gym while Eliza was napping. When she woke up she asked, "Where's Daddy?" and I told her that he went to the gym. She replied, "Oh yeah, he's going to get some muscles."

Morning Wake-Up

2008-08-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Eliza woke up and proceeded to yell at Andy and I demanding some bagels. "Wake up Mom! Come and get me out and get me a bagel!". "Wake up Dad! Come and get me out now and get me a bagel!". "I need you to wake up and get me a bagel!!!". It was hilarious.

Beach time with Cam, Audrey, and Adam!

2008-08-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Eliza and I met Sue and Jen at the beach today with Cameron, Audrey, and Adam. It was such a nice day! I'm glad I got to get to the beach one last time before school starts next week. The kids had a blast sitting in a mud pool and running in the water.

Getting So Big

2008-08-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Nothing special to post! Eliza is getting so big though.

More Blueberry Picking

2008-08-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

We went blueberry picking again with Jen and Audrey. This time Eliza decided to throw her blueberries on the ground and squish them in her fingers, rather than put them in the containers like she did last time!

Go away you old goat!

2008-08-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Just a little video clip of Eliza telling us what she says to the wolfman.

Go away you old goat!

Visit to Storyland, NH

2008-08-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

We took Eliza to NH for a few days to spend some time with Grampy, Grammy, Auntie Brenda, and Uncle T.J. They had rented a condo for a week so we took advantage of that and got to take Eliza to Storyland and Clark's Trading Post. Eliza loved both! Here are some pictures from Storyland. She was in heaven. It was perfect for her age, she got to run around and check things out and by the end of the day she was exhausted. She had a blast!

She was so amazed by Mother Goose!

More from Storyland, NH

2008-08-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Humpty Dumpty!
Mary Had a Little Lamb

She loves her new tu-tu!
Who doesn't ride a donkey in a tu-tu and tiara?

Clark's Trading Post, NH

2008-08-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

Eliza had a blast at Clark's Trading Post. She loved the bear show, but loved the train ride even more due to the fact that "Wolfman" would chase the train and yell at the passengers. She would start to get scared but saw other kids on the train getting excited, so she knew that it must be ok. She did not like when he fired his fake gun, however. Passengers were supposed to yell "Go away you old goat!" to the wolfman when they saw him and she mastered this during our 3 day get-away and loves saying it to anyone, anytime.

Enjoying some ice cream with Grampy!
watching the bear show
How does this bear hat look on me, Mommy?

Blueberries for Sal (or, Eliza)

2008-08-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

We decided to get out of the house and do something as a family this weekend as I have been mostly house bound for the past week and a half. We went to a local farm to take Eliza blueberry picking. She loved it! Although, she needed many reminders about keeping the blueberries in the bucket. She thought she was so great dragging around the bucket and pitched a fit when we had to give the bucket back. Here are a few pictures.

Martha's Vineyard

2008-07-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

We spent most of last week in Martha's Vineyard visiting with Eliza's Grampy's side of the family. We stayed at the house that Grampy and Grammy rented and had a blast. Eliza loved eating ice cream, going to the beach, and riding the carousel. One night we went to a really nice dinner at Menemsha Beach and finished in time to walk down to see the beautiful sunset. Here are some pictures from our little vacation.

Martha's Vineyard

2008-07-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from the Vineyard!

Fourth of July Parade

2008-07-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

We took Eliza to watch the parade on the morning of the fourth and met up with Audrey, Adam, and her cousin David. She had a blast, except for the fire engines. After the 10 fire engines went blaring by, Eliza looked at me, said "Oh no.." and then burst into tears. She doesn't like loud sounds! The rest of the parade was fun for her and she especially loved marching in the road with the bands!

Corn

2008-06-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

And just because it's the cool thing to do, here is my picture of Eliza chowing down on a piece of corn on the cob.

Petting Zoo

2008-06-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

We went to the petting zoo today with Jen and Audrey. They loved seeing Mary the cow and Rosie the pig, although the animals were pretty laid back today so it wasn't as exciting. A chicken with a weird beak kept following Eliza around and scaring her.

The Beach

2008-06-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the beach with Michelle, Jen, and Audrey. It was very cloudy but the girls had a blast piling up mud and running into the water. Both of them were total sand creatures when it was time to leave because the wind was blowing so hard. Here are some pictures.

Edaville Railroad

2008-06-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

We took Eliza to go on the Thomas the Train ride at Edaville Railroad yesterday. We met up with Lisa and Chris and their daughter Rose. Eliza had a blast! The train ride itself wasn't anything spectacular (although she did love it), but she was freaking out over the rides. She had a melt down after every ride because she wanted to stay on. It was a long day but she had so much fun. And it was her first time being on a ride by herself, so it was cute to see.

Edaville Railroad

2008-06-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

More Edaville pictures

Pool Time at Grampy and Grammy's!

2008-06-23T16:29:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we went to Weymouth to spend the afternoon with Grampy, Grammy, Auntie Brenda, and Uncle T.J. Eliza has not been in the pool since she was about 9 months old last summer. At first she wanted no part of it, but then warmed up to the idea (only if Daddy would hold her) after a little while.

I don't think I like this!

Playdate with Cameron

2008-06-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

We went to Cam's house the other day for a play date. What a little gentleman Cam was to give Eliza the dandelion! We had fun, thank you!

Spinning her ABC's

2008-06-09T16:59:00.001-07:00

Here's Eliza right before bed, hyper, spinning and singing.
Spinning the ABC's

At The Beach

2008-06-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today was about 95 degrees so we took Eliza to the beach for about an hour and a half this morning. She loved it. We left just as it was getting crowded. She has no fear though, she would have taken off straight into the ocean by herself if we let her. We've got to watch this one like a hawk.

So thirsty!

Play Date with Rose

2008-06-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we visited with Rosie. They are about 3 weeks apart. They are too cute together. The girls played outside and then we went to the park. Oh, and Rosie is on fire behind the wheel of a Barbie jeep! :)

Shorts Season

2008-06-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting to post, but here are some pictures of Eliza checking out buggies and birds in her new shorts today.

At Grampy and Grammy's on Memorial Day

2008-05-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

On Monday we went to visit with Grampy and Grammy, and Uncle T.J. (Sorry Auntie Brenda - we missed you!). It was a very hot day, but the pool was still too cold to go in! That's ok, bubbles and goldfish are even better!

Last May

2008-05-19T16:57:00.001-07:00

Wow! I was just looking at some pictures from one year ago this month. She still has the chubby cheeks but they are nothing compared to last year at this time. Here are some of my favorite May pictures from last year, when she was 7 months.

Stickers and a Balloon on a Saturday Morning

2008-05-17T08:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-05-14T04:25:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th Birthday Daddy! I love you very much! Have a great day today!
Love, Eliza
Quick Happy Birthday to Daddy!

"I Want", "Sat?", and "Ummm"

2008-05-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Every noise Eliza hears is followed by "Sat??", "Sat??". (What's that?) and she will keep repeating this question until she gets her answer. This is the same for every single object in a book that she is not familiar with as she points to it. "Sat?" "That's an armadillo Eliza." "Sat?" "That's a pair of scissors."

"Sat Mommy?" "It's a choo choo train."

"Sat Mommy?" "It's the stove."

She also is now very clear on what it is that she wants. She is quite demanding at 19 months. "I...want...gode-fish." She pauses between the "I" and the "want" and it's pretty funny. "I...want...quackers!". "I...want....to watch Thomas!"

She is also now loving adding the "ummm" before doing or saying many things. Like picking out a book. "Ummmm, dis one!". "Ummmmmm, Ok."

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Mother's Day! We went to Great Auntie Pat's house first for a brunch, and then we headed to Grampy and Grammy's for an early dinner. We had many birthdays to celebrate along with Mother's Day!

Relaxing With A Book

2008-05-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

Eliza likes to read by resting books on her feet. This video doesn't capture that as much as she usually does, but you'll get the picture. 5 Little Monkeys

For you, Maryann

2008-05-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

Auntie Maryann is in Italy right now and Eliza gets on the phone with her often.Here's a cute clip. Oh, don't mind the messy living room. Eliza likes to destroy any room she is in. On the phone with Auntie Maryann

Decent Photo

2008-05-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Just posting a picture that is actually decent of the two of us so I know it exists. It is very rare these days to get a nice picture of us! This is from Bill and Nicky's wedding this past weekend.

Build A Bear!

2008-04-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Jen and I took the girls to Build A Bear for the first time. Quite the experience! They did have fun, especially "bathing" the bears!

Thanks for the T-Shirt Auntie Marie

2008-04-27T16:42:00.001-07:00

One More Park Picture

2008-04-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Just because it's so cute of the three babies.

Eliza, Cameron, and Matty at the Park

2008-04-24T14:44:00.001-07:00

We met up with Cameron and Matty today at the park. The kids had a blast. Eliza and Cam loved throwing rocks. I think it was her favorite part of the day! It was so fun to see Cam trying to keep up with the big kids, and Matty just taking it all in. We had a lot of fun Kate and Sue!

Bum Stuck

2008-04-23T15:29:00.001-07:00

I heard Eliza crying hysterically today like this. She was stuck in her Bee Bop Band and couldn't get out. Of course I had to take pictures! When I got her out she said "dwum stick, dwum stick". Apparently she was trying to get the drumsticks but somehow went in bum first!

And More Outside Pictures

2008-04-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

Loving The Park

2008-04-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

We took Eliza to the park at the elementary school on Tuesday. She LOVED it, to say the least. She especially loved watching the big kids run around and wanted to do what they were doing! Here are a few pictures from our time there.

Outdoor Fun

2008-04-20T16:28:00.001-07:00

We've had some nice days recently and Eliza constantly begs to go outside. Here are a few pictures of her riding her bike and playing around with her new water table. Thanks for the recommendation, Annemarie! She loves it!

My Litttle Picasso

2008-04-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today we went out to Target to buy a little paint smock and some paint and brushes. She was begging to paint the whole way home in the car. She loved this activity and I can see a lot more of it in my future. It is going to take awhile before she gets the concept of washing the brush before dipping into a different color. :)

Silly Time

2008-04-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

Eliza enjoys being a goof ball for the camera!

Her First Year Montage

2008-04-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen this in awhile and thought it would be fun to post on here for anyone that didn't get to see it. Time flies!
Eliza's First Year Montage

Crash!

2008-04-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

Eliza loves to stack a few blocks, only in the hopes that they will crash.

Crash!

Sidewalk Chalk

2008-04-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

After work today I took Eliza outside for a little while to enjoy the last few moments of the sunlight. She used her new bunny chalk that the Easter Bunny gave her. Who knew sidewalk chalk could be so fun? Here are a few pictures.

This is just too much fun!

18 Months

2008-04-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Eliza's already a year and a half as of today! She is a hyper little toddler that loves getting into mischief.

Favorite Foods: Meatballs and bread (bwed)

Favorite Activity: Being outside

Favorite Show: Currently it's "Thomas the Twain" but she also enjoys some Rachael Ray, Wiggles, and Jack's Big Music Show.

Favorite Song: She loves to sing "Old MacDonald" and can actually sing the words pretty well!

Dislikes: Sleeping past 5:00 am and being told to not touch something that she wants.

Dancing In Rain Gear

2008-04-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Eliza wanted to try out her new rain gear today since it was rainy and miserable out. She loved stomping around in the boots!

Oh Man, Nothin'!

2008-03-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just a funny short clip of Eliza w/ empty eggs. Tonight she was playing around w/ them and she opened one and said, "Oh man!". I said, "What, nothing is in there?" and she then went nuts opening egg after egg saying this, so I had to get a bit on video.

Oh Man, Nothin'!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun and busy day! Eliza had a blast this morning finding eggs around our house with goldfish and bunny grahams inside, as well as getting a basket full of stuff. Then we headed to Grampy and Grammy's for a fantastic lunch. She had a little hunt there and also scored some great Easter gifts. Then our last stop was to great Auntie Pat's house for dessert and yet more Easter gifts. She was extremely hyper all day, and I found out she really enjoys Peeps. Mommy let her try an ear. Ha ha!

Checking out her basket
Hi Auntie Tracey!

Little Egg Hunt

2008-03-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

We took Eliza to FlowerLand yesterday for a mini egg hunt and bunny visit. She had fun, bad cough and all. Here are a few pictures!

Bunny Hugs

Shooting Some Hoops in PJ's

2008-03-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

some morning hoops

Thank you for the puzzle Faith!

2008-03-21T05:49:00.001-07:00

Eliza got a new puzzles from her friend Faith (Thank you Annemarie!). She loves it!

Eliza is voting for Obama

2008-03-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Eliza digs Obama.
Sorry Grampy, I'll try to get her to say "McCain"!

2 cute conversations today with Eliza

2008-03-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today after work I had two funny "conversations" (if you can call it that) with Eliza.

The first one was about her ripping a page off of her Santa book. I said, "Oh, that's not nice Eliza, now Santa is sad!". She said (with a sad look on her face) "Sorry Santa! Santa cwying?". I said, "Yes, Santa is crying because you ripped him, so let's put him back together". I think I really made her upset because for 10 minutes after the book was put away she just kept saying "Santa sad, Santa cwying, Sorry Santa" over and over and over.

The other conversation was me sort of "bribing" her into getting her pajamas on. She was giving me a hard time and so I said "Eliza, if we can get your pj's on then we can go downstairs and have some milk and maybe watch Rachael Ray!". She immediately got excited and said "Ok Mommy! Yep Mommy, Rajaray Mommy! Jammas, Rajaray Mommy". Of course we had to watch a few minutes of Rachael while she had her milk. She is way too into that cooking show.

Eliza and cousin David

2008-03-17T17:18:00.001-07:00

We visited with Eliza's cousin David this past weekend. They had lots of fun together. Here are some pictures!

Shoot it!

2008-03-17T17:10:00.001-07:00

Eliza got a new basketball hoop from her uncle T.J. and she loves this thing! For now it is in our living room, but when we finally get some decent weather it will go outside or in a finished basement if we ever get that done. Eliza runs around yelling "shoot it!" and has so much fun. I think Daddy loves it more than her, he seriously shows off trying to act like he's back in high school and the captain of the basketball team or something.

Saying her ABC's (or some of it anyway!)

2008-03-11T19:04:00.001-07:00

A-B-C!

Doin???

2008-03-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Eliza loves asking people, animals, and things what they are "do-in". She'll say "hi doggy! Do-in?"", or "Hi Mommy! Do-in?". It cracks us up. Although, it's not so fun at 5 am when she wakes up before it is light out and is yelling those things from her crib.

Chinese New Year

2008-03-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our family met for an early dinner at a restaurant in Quincy to celebrate Chinese New Year. It was also Grampy's birthday! Yes, we are all wearing red. Do we sort of look like a Chinese gang in all red? Regardless of what I think, it is a tradition to all wear red, so it is what it is! Andy had to wear the same red sweater that he has worn to the past 4 Chinese New Year's dinners. Apparently every time I realize Chinese New Year dinner is coming up, I head to the stores and anything red and long sleeved is long gone as they put the spring clothes out. Oh, but I did manage to find Eliza a little red button down from Baby Gap for 97 cents. What a steal. Ok, here are a few pictures from the dinner.
Eliza with great-Nanny!
Eliza with her new chalk mat.
Mona, Tracey, and I - I look like I am trying to escape but I was helping with the camera.
Resting on Papa after a long dinner.
Eliza and "uncle" Chris.

Marker Fun

2008-02-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Click on the link below for a quick video of Eliza with her new ColorWonder markers. Exciting stuff.

Eliza loves to color!

Rachael Ray

2008-02-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

Eliza's latest obsession is watching some of Rachael Ray after dinner. She gets way too excited about her. As soon as it is on, she screams, "Rajaray!". It's pretty funny. Maybe she wishes Mommy would cook like her. Here is a quick video clip of her enjoying the show in her p.j's. Copy and paste the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zZo6i-0WjM

Play Date!

2008-02-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Today we went to Noelle's house and had a fun play date with Audrey, Aiden, Jack, Noah, Ethan, Owen, Logan, and Grace!! There was lots of the usual pushing, taking of toys, and running around. But, the kids had a blast! They also made a fantastic mess (sorry Noelle!). Thanks for lunch, too!

Hey, I want to play the guitar now!

Imagination Island Fun

2008-02-20T11:08:00.000-08:00

Mommy is on school vacation this week! Yeah! I was able to take Eliza to Imagination Island twice this week. Once with her friend Audrey and another time with Sienna and Lilly. She loved being able to run around, dress up, and play with all of the toys. The adults were more tired leaving there than the kids were! Here are a few pictures from the times we were there.

Dress Up Room!

Instead of jumping, I'll take a minute to check out my toes.

Looking Back One Year!

2008-02-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here are two pictures of Eliza one year ago in February. She was four months and was so tiny! I might do this more often on the blog because it's fun to compare a year's difference.

And here is miss thing, 16 months old today.

Headless Willow Trees

2008-02-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

I forgot to add these pictures because they are just so hilarious. A couple of weeks ago Eliza did this. I needed to "document" her first real destruction. She grabbed these two figurines and sat crouching on the floor, gave them a good whack, and the heads came clean off at the necks.

16 Month Old Toddler

2008-02-02T15:59:00.001-08:00

Eliza is 16 months now. I can't believe how much has changed, even in just a few months. She is this great little person that has a very funny personality. She is still pretty much a peanut, still pretty bald, and only has 8 teeth so far. I am waiting for the awful molars to arrive.

Some of the cute things that she is doing these days include:
-asking where things are by saying "(insert name/object here)", Wee ahh you???". So it might be "puppy, wee ahh you?" , or "Daddy, wee ahh you?".

-Asking for music so she can dance. She'll point to the cd player and say "moo sic?", and I'll ask her if she wants to dance and she'll do her little awkward head nod for yes. Then she'll just stomp around the room clapping.

-She will sometimes say "peeese" when she wants something, but we are still working on it, and once in a great while she will try to say thank you.

-She walks around the house with her little fake phone and has adorable conversations saying "hello" or "HI!" and then a lot of babble.

-She learned "goof-ball" and will call daddy or mommy a goof-ball if we do something silly with her.

-She loves the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and gets so excited when she hears it.

-Her favorite game is "hide-sheek" and she will say she is going to play it, then run to a corner and hide her face, thinking we can't see her. When we act concerned and say "Where's Eliza??", she'll come running over and give us a hug.

-She says some numbers and will say one to ten (obviously not really counting anything or knowing they are numbers) in the cutest little way. "One, Tooooooooo, Fweee, Fo,", etc.

Some of the not so cute things she is doing these days include:

-Tantrums. Oh, the tantrums. When she gets really upset about something she will just flop herself on the floor and roll around and stomp a foot. Or, her most recent tantrum included her pulling her own hair (the little hair that she does have) and yelling.

-Spitting out any food she doesn't like, or putting it in her mouth and then thinking it is hysterical to reach in with her fingers and pull it back out and throw it. Dinner time is the hardest with her and maybe 2 out of 7 nights she eats her meal without much trouble. She is really picky now, when she used to be a great eater! She also likes to stick any food she doesn't like on top of her head or her sippy cup, or make little random piles and then try to sweep it off of the highchair. Fun times!

-Hitting. She occasionally will hit us and do it right in the face. We are working on this, although I know it is normal for this age. She thinks it's a riot.

Anyway, this is such a fun age and I get a kick out of her everyday. She surprises us with lots of fun and new tricks. We don't have her 15month appointment until later this month (we couldn't get a date earlier as we were late trying to schedule it) so I will post again about her height/weight at that time. Maybe her head size will have gone down!

PlayDoh Time

2008-01-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a snow day for Mommy! I asked Eliza if she wanted to play with PlayDoh today because I know she has done it at daycare. She did this new funny head shake for yes and said "Yep, pay doo!". We decided to break out some PlayDoh for a little inside fun. She loves playing with it, but her maximum time for PlayDoh is about 20 minutes. So here are a few pictures of her messing around with it.

Snow Fun!

2008-01-27T12:09:00.001-08:00

We took Eliza out for a little bit today since we had some more snow. We wanted to see if she would be any happier this time around! She liked it just a little bit better. I wouldn't say she was having a blast, but she was more open to the idea of snow and snowflakes on her face. :)

Playing

2008-01-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today I had the day off since it is Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Eliza and I were going to go to the library with Jen and Audrey, but it was way too cold out. So we just played inside all day. Here are a few pictures of Eliza playing around with her puppy. Nothing special, but I haven't posted any new pictures on the blog in awhile so enjoy.