SUmmer

This was Eloise's 2nd time down spalsh Mountain, but still her first day

We had a nice butteryfly migration through town this year. Eloise enjoyed all the visitors. Occaisonally they would even accommodate her desire to hold one.

Eloise and Robert are equally fascinated by the guitar playing video game. They like to play together when they visit with Eloise's cousins.

Eloise likes to help out. This is her version of mowing the lawn

Helping is even better when Eloise gets to take over the tools and take charge. She likes mopping, vacuuming (with the hose attachment, because it's more her size) scrubbing the bathtub and sorting laundry. She does not like picking up her toys.

It's all about how many accessories you can fit in.

Eloise is getting more and more bold in the water. She is not yet able to stay afloat on her own, but give her a noodle and she is ready to go. She also like to dive under the water.

Eloise was thrilled to have her cousin Katie come to visit. especially since Katie would dance with her.

This is a little afternoon rest break for Eloise. She tucked in her dollhouse people, climbed in bed, asked mommy to turn of the light, and told mommy to go sleep in her room. Alas, the nap lasted about 30 seconds.

Eloise has reached the stage where she likes to make silly faces for the camera, and then see how they look.

We found another Eloise for our Eloise to play with

Eloise has progressed this summer from taking just a few licks of the ice cream cone, to confidently controlling the ice cream cone

Eloise has started preschool! Here she is ready to set off for her first day. She has been very excited for the last week. We visited her class and played on the playground for a meet the teacher day last week. She didn't want to go. She said she couldn't leave because she hadn't learned all her ABCs yet.

Here is Eloise in her classroom going for the playdough and wondering why I haven't left yet.

The first thing Eloise told me when she came home from school (with a big sigh) was that she didn't learn her ABCs. The second topic was food... she came home hungry. She raided the graham crakers and ate a big plate of mac and cheese. Later she told me she painted (specificall she painted her hands) and played follow the leader. She perked up after lunch an admitted to having a good time.

Here is our gestating little girl. Eloise has embraced the idea that there is a baby growing in Mommy's tummy. She likes to hug and kiss the baby. She also says the baby wiggles in my tummy because she is looking for a toy. Daddy suggested Mommmy could eat a toy so the baby would have something to play with. Currently she wants to name the baby Daphne. That is the name of her pet on Toon Town.

Eloise has been taking swimming lessons this summer. She has made great progress. She is very good at floating on her back. She is getting coordinated on kicking and using her arms, and starting to cover some distance on her own. This is her working with her teacher. (Aug 2008)

(or was that Hurray! for the big wave). We had a fun day at the beach, building castles and playing in the waves. Eloise likes having a lake in front of her castle. A moat is too small. A lake is big enough to sit in. But to get a good lake, you must risk the castle

Once the big wave hits your castle , there is only one thing left to do.

We decided to finsish off our summer with one last trip to Disneyland. Eloise was very happy to visit all her mountains again (splash mountain, big thunder mountain, Matterhorn). She was also enthralled by a mickey mouse cookie as big as her head. She ate most of the ears in one sitting.

After 12 hours of tromping around Disneyland, dancing in lines and lots of jumping, Eloise didn't quite make it back to the car.

Eloise has started to write letters. This is practice writing all the letters in her name. Little e took the most work, the 3 loops in the middle are her pratcie attempts.

Sept 29, 2008