Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone! I wanted to wish you all happy holidays! I hope you are all enjoying this season with family and friends. We had lots of good times at our house, plus lots of presents to open and good food to eat (tomorrow is the last of the turkey, thank goodness!) I'm still waiting for my baby brother or sister to arrive---so it's just me, my parents and Rusty for now. I'll let you all know when my play buddy is here!

Tickeling the Ivories

Ellenor has a fascination with mommy's piano. She loves to make music and hear the different sounds. Her latest thing is to play a duet with the demo feature and play along to Chopin. Concert pianist here we come!!

At The Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday, Ellenor went to the Pumpkin Patch off Lickman road with her playgroup friends. She loved being surrounded by so many pumpkins--especially the little ones. She discovered that a little pumpkin can roll like a soccer ball, which motivated her to kick it down the road. So, we learned that pumpkins are good for more than just posing beside--they're fun too!

If I Were Going To School...

If I were going to school this week, I would wear this dress because it kinda says cute but smart all at once! This dress, however, does not say "I'm not listening to you and I'll do what I want to do Ha Ha Ha" although this is what I am really like! It's important to look the part and not give too much away :)

Swimming with a Dress!

When the weather is warm, who needs a bathing suit? Just jump right into the water with your clothes on and enjoy the sensations of clingy fabric onto your skin! My dad said something about no wet T-Shirt contests for me, but I'm wearing a dress---duh!

When at a restaurant......

I've discovered a couple of fun things to do while eating out. While waiting for the food, you can colour or chew the crayons...whatever you're in the mood for---and who's watching.
Or, you could put the colouring paper over your face and play "peek a boo".....although my version involves hiding for up to 5 minutes (seriously, I'm not kidding!) and wait for the adults to find you, because you know, your eyes are closed under the paper, so it's a really good hiding spot! If total boredom sets in, throwing food at nearby tables and their occupants is a good alternative.

At the Beach

This is Ellenor's first spa treatment, although I told her her skin was already quite soft, she insisted on the full body mud treatment. Let me just say, there was sand where no sand should be! It is such a blast having Ellenor walking!! And the little monkey is getting quite adept at walking away with things (i.e. shoes) and hiding them in places that mommy would never think to look! Ah, the joys of growing up!

I CAN WALK!!!

I finally figured out this whole walking thing last week, much to my family's excitement! They were whooping and hollering and cheering....but despite all this racket, I managed to walk all by myself. And, I figured out how to stand up after I've fallen down (which I've been doing a lot of these days) and keep walking to where I wanted to go in the first place. I must say, it is a lot of fun---I've even developed this technique while walking where I stick my tongue in and out, while smiling and laughing, which gives me the hiccups. Talk about multi-tasking! Anyways, I wanted to pass along the news. See you all soon!

Holidays In Winnipeg

I have been a little traveller lately. On June 23, I flew to Winnipeg with my mom and dad. I didn't sleep one wink--there was just too much going on! I met with a bunch of mommy's friends and their kids. I met them last year, but I was only 3 months old at the time, so I didn't really remember them. I had a really good time in Manitoba, although the weather was very humid and hot! There were thundershowers and lightening almost every night! On June 28 we flew back to Kelowna (which is where I am now), and I am enjoying my Gramma and Grampa's pool! I am visiting with friends and having a good time. I've also decided to only have 1 nap during the day, so I'm teaching mommy when it is a good time to put me down (I say the morning but mommy says the afternoon after lunch because that's when she's tired and wanting a nap---we'll see who wins!) I head back to Kelowna on July 6, and I look forward to seeing my Chilliwack friends (and daddy) again soon!

The Hospital

So I saw a couple of doctors this week at the hospital. I went on Tuesday morning because of my ears---more ear infections! And the doctor gave me some medicine that I was just on 4 weeks ago. The doctor said I have to get tubes put in my ears which sounds a little freaky but oh well. And then on Thursday my eyes were swollen shut and I got more medicine for my eye infections! I still have green goo coming out of my nose and yellow goo coming out of my eyes, but the doctor said it should all go away in a couple of weeks. The good thing about going to the hospital this week is that we went early enough to miss the rush, so we were seen pretty quick. I definitely did not like the metal thingamerbobber that the doctor put on my chest---brrrrr! So hopefully I'll be well enough to come swimming next Friday!

Everyone Needs A Quiet Place

Ellenor has found the inside of our unfinished fireplace to be her special quiet place. She takes stories to read in there and her favourite toys to play with. When she has done something she knows she shouldn't have (i.e. throw the plant of the ledge and have it land crumpled and broken on the stairs) she will retreat to her quiet place and just peak her head out now and then to see if Mommy is still angry. I don't know what she'll do in a few months when we finally finish up the fireplace---maybe she'll hide in her closet--who knows?!!

Swimming!!

I went to my friend Keira's place on Friday for a swimming party, and as you can see, I'm all decked out in my swimming gear, ready to get wet. However, I wasn't much in the mood for swimming that day, so instead I sat near the pool and played ball.
Hayden's mom was nice enough to play ball with me. Thanks Sheri!!
And then to end of my afternoon of non-swimming, I decided to take a car ride with my buddy Presley. It was a tight fit but we managed to both fit in!

Slides!

When my Gramma found out that I could go down slides on my own, she bought me my own big girl slide! I was so proud of myself for being able to go down on my own that I had to look off to the side at my Grampa to make sure he saw what I did! I'm going to my Gramma and Grampa's house tomorrow, and I can't wait to play on my slide!

How Cute Am I???

My mom was trying to make me smile because she had her camera out, but I at the time I was more interested in smelling the flowers (which is important to do a busy baby's day). But when my dad came home from work, he also took his camera out and I thought for him, I would smile. And voila...the cute picture!

PIG TAILS!!

So my Grammy bought me this iddy biddy elastics for my hair. My mom thought it would be "cute" to pull my hair as tight as possible into these elastics....not once but twice. I didn't quite enjoy this and tried to pully them out, but my mom said "no...they're pretty!" Well, I did leave them in but they eventually came out when I sat in the stroller. My mom said something about positioning them on the sides of my head next time so that they won't come out so easily---does this sound strange to any of you?!? Well, we'll see what happens!

Sand Time!

I've discovered sand!! The playground that I go to when I visit my Gramma and Grampa have SAND, not bark mulch...which is what my playground has in Chilliwack. It is very fun to fill the pail full of sand (with the help of my mom of course), and then lift it up as high as I can (almost eye level), and then pour the sand down over my body. It feels so neat! Another good thing to do is to eat the sand, because then it makes a cool gritty sound in between my teeth. Bark mulch does not have this property. I have to eat the sand on the sly though, because my mom says it's yucky...but I quite enjoy the whole sand experience!

Having Some Fun in the Sun!

On Friday, some of my playgroup buddies came over to my house to play. Fortunately, the sun was out so we were able to play outside!

Happy Easter!

I got this fun dress for my birthday, but I haven't worn it until now because I was saving it for Easter. I thought since it was Easter, I would rumage through my toy basket and see what I could see...and low and behold, I found two bunnies that I've had all my life but haven't really played with yet. What a great time for this discovery! So here we are, me, my dress, and my bunnies!For Easter, my Gramma and Grampa bought me my very own chair that is just my size. It is so soft and comfy--I need help getting into it, but I have no problems rolling out! You can't see what's actually on the chair, but it's a picture of Cookie Monster and Elmo--who is playing the drums. I like to pully the chair towards me and stuff my head right into the chair and give Elmo a big hug. Thanks Gramma and Grampa for the chair! I love it!!

Engineer Ellenor

You've heard of Builder Bob? Well, let me introduce you to Engineer Ellenor. She does many creative things--her specialty is stacking blocks. The hard hat is necessary as sometimes the blocks do get thrown around. Now that I think of it, maybe the hat should be for Mommy? So keep a look out for Engineer Ellenor. She will be visiting you soon!

Bath Time!!

Another naked shot of me! I'm smiling because I'm about to jump into the bathtub and play with my toys....my mom is smiling because she's about to wash away the supper residue that found its way into my hair, ears and nose. Hurrah for bathtimes!

Hanging Out With My Brother

Everytime I go to Kelowna, I see my big brother---Aydan! He just turned 10 years old--which makes him the perfect size for picking me up and holding me, or pushing me around in my car. I can't wait to walk because I want to follow him around and see what he's doing. He's the best brother a little girl could ask for!

I DO!!

Ellenor has really asserted her independence at meal times these days. She often insists on feeding herself, and although it is WAY messier, I know that she needs to learn the skills of using cutlery. However, the spoons she has are not conducive for getting the food directly into her mouth. My mom has seen these other spoons that are curved shape so that the way the spoon is held, it is facing more in line with the mouth. Has anyone seen these kind of spoons?

When Can We Go Outside??

There is so much to see outside. Now that it's getting nicer out, I often see my dog Rusty laying in the sun on the deck. I can also see the squirrels running back and forth along the top of the fence. There are some birds too on top of the garage. Oh--now I see some little birds going into the birdhouse. There's so much to see!! When can we go outside?

Busy Times at Gramma and Grampa's

My mom and I are spending lots of time at my Gramma and Grampa's in Kelowna these days. My daddy has to go to New York and other eastern states every month, so while he's there working, my mom and I stay with Gramma and Grampa. At their house, I am working on developing my skills and talents. For instance, I am getting really good at standing up by myself. I'm still a bit wobbly at times, but I'll keep practicing!
I've also learned how to stand up in the tub. This gets a big reaction out of mommy and Gramma, so I will keep doing it. However, this skill has resulted in a few slips and falls which does scare me (and my mom!), so I need to work at standing without falling.
At Gramma's house, I have a cupboard all to myself with tupperwear inside for me to play with. I like to sit myself down in front of this play area, with all of my other toys around me, and play and sing. It's also fun to slam the doors shut really hard (although sometimes my head gets in the way and I give myself a bruised forehead---got to work on that one too!)

My First Visit to the Emergency Room

I haven't been feeling well lately. I have a rattle in my chest when I cough. I don't know how the rattle got in there, I didn't swallow one. Anyways, whenever I cough, I throw up--that's gross I know. I don't like doing because I cry after it happens...but it's been going on now since Monday night. Last night, I threw up again a few times, so my mom and dad took to the hospital. I was pretty brave, especially since there were other babies there who were crying very loudly. I only fussed a little bit when I got my temperature and heart beat taken. A very nice doctor looked me over and said "she has a rattle in her chest"....so, there you go. He gave me a prescription for some antibiotics for my ears, and told my mom and dad that if I continued to throw up, I would have to come back and see him again. My mom told me to not throw up again---and I haven't all day yet! Hopefully the rattle will find it's way back into my toy box and I can be up to my old playful tricks soon!

Getting Big Pushes from Strong Owen

My friend Owen is so big and strong. After pushing my friend Olivia around on the car, he still had energy and enthusiasm to push me. His mom even took off his socks and shoes for extra grip on the wood floor. Owen had pretty good speed too on the straight-aways. Corners were a bit tricky, and an adult had to get us turned around, but all in all, I'd rather have Owen push me over my mom or dad any day!

I Don't Know!

Over the course of this past year, I have learned many things. But I have to admit there are many things I still have to learn. When I am confused, I can now express my incomprehension by shrugging my shoulders and raising my hands, to indicate to my mom or dad that I need further understanding about something. However, the reaction I get from them is laughter and then they point their fingers at me and imitate my expression! So I guess they don't know everything either! We're in for a bit of a time then this coming year!

I Am One Year Old!!

I had a weekend long celebration for my birthday. My Gramma and Grampa came out from Kelowna on Saturday, so I opened up some presents with them. Under this wrapping paper is a Giggle Care Bear from my Auntie Karen who couldn't be here with me because she is living in the Cayman Islands. I miss you Auntie!!
This is a cool present from my Gramma and Grampa--it's a Noah's Ark with fuzzy animals that fit inside the boat! Cool present!
The change of outift means it's Sunday--the day of my birthday party! The celebration started off to a good start when my friend Ella came over and she made me laugh and laugh by chasing after balls that popped out of this toy beside me. I normally just watch the balls pop up and fall down around me, so this was quite entertaining to see her run after the balls. I'll have to try that sometime!
These are some of my friends who came to my party. When the party was in full swing, I had 14 children in my house (ages 2 months - 8 years old) and 8 adults (ages 32 - ???) I had a great time. My dad made a chocolate cat cake (more birthday pictures to come from other cameras) and I got sung to and I opened even more presents! It was a great day to be one.

Play Group Birthday Party

My playgroup friends and I had a joint one year birthday party today because we were all born in Janaury last year. First there was Jacob (not in the picture) then Charlie (not in the picture) then me, then Keira (who you see just walking away), then Owen (sitting to my left). Wow, time sure has flown by! It feels like it was just yesterday that I was brought home from the hospital!
Before the festivities really got under way, I decided to try out my walking. My mommy was nice enough to follow me around the room as I held on to her hands. As much as I like this new way of getting around, I think I'll wait a bit longer until I try it out on my own.
Then Owen's mommy handed out these party hats. Owen actually kept his on during the party, but I didn't like the feel of the elastic on my chin. For some reason my mommy thought this was funny. Go figure.
Then it was time to blow out the candles. There was a problem though....none of us knew how to blow out candles! I thought the cake was pretty (made by Jacob's gramma) and I tried to touch it, but my mommy was fast and thwarted my effort. I'll try again on Sunday when it's my own party! Then we sat down and ate some good chocoate cake. It sure is fun having a birthday!

Bath Time Fun

So here I am having my bath. This is one of my favourite times of the day. No matter how cranky I am, when my feet hit the water, I become a new baby. The picture where I am not looking at my mom's camera, I am actually studying the effects of how my hands moving through the water very rapidly produce different sizes of waves. I have learned to get the waves quite high and often I can even splash my mom--who is not even in the bath!














This other picture represents my first bubble bath. My dad always gives me a bath on sundays, so he came up with the cool idea of adding my shampoo to the WATER (as opposed to my hair which my mom always does). This created a very cool effect---bubbles!! My dad even put these bubbles on my head to make me a little hat! Alas, it's back to normal baths with mom from monday-saturday. I can't wait for sunday to come again!