Holidays with Friends.

"Save me... Daddy has my legs... save me"
At 16 months she has finally decided to walk. At last she won't be ruining anymore pants. She will walk by herself but prefers a finger to hold.
Christmas morning Maria arrived with coffee drinks in hand. She was our Christmas Angel for sure considering Elizabeth has been rising at 3am for about a week.
Spent Christmas Eve with our friends Sam, Lynn, Anneka and Virginia. Virginia actually spent a week with us. Was supposed to be her holiday but I think with the 3am Elizabeth alarm it was perhaps not as restful. We had fun though!!

20 years of mairrage

I went back east for Bill and Lisa's 20th wedding anniversary and got some shots of the cousins together. I only hope that Jeff and I manage to have such a wonderful relationship in 20 years. Their kids are also just fun to be around.

James and Kathryn desperately trying to get Elizabeth to smile.
The cousins.

Play Gym

One of the reasons we moved was for a larger house. It allows the space for visitors when they come but even better we have quite the play space. Some 200 feet of covered deck outside which is great in the Seattle rain but also an amazing basement where she can just go loose. Thank goodness for used finds on craigslists and the reusing of boxes for playhouses. Please notice Jeff in the playhouse... she loves to put her dad in the house and makes him stay put!!!

ABC's

When I sing the ABC's to Elizabeth I always accompany it with the letters in sign language so check out her hand movements. It is her attempt to sign along to the song. She had quite the audience as you can hear... Jeff's parents were her for a great visit although somehow we managed to take no photos.

Thanksgiving on Sunday

Nice after shot of the dinner table and Cory pushin' the wine!!
We got the girls all contained in the crib together... it was fun for about five minutes and then they escaped.

Check out our spattering of paint colors on the back wall... can't decide.
The gang!! It was seriously one of the best meals EVER. Cory can cook a heck of a turkey and the sides... of I luv me some sides.

A nice beach sort of weekend!??

This past week there was a significant wind storm in Seattle with the weather being even more precarious out on the coast so in our infinite wisdom Alison and I booked a place for the weekend. The weather was horrendous but the house was sweet, the food yummie and I loved having the girls together all weekend long.
Elizabeth and Lila LOVED the hot tub and it was a perfect way warm us all up after beach time.

Double trouble for sure!!

Dinner Routine

When it is dinner time or any meal time there is no multi-tasking. She wants you seated next to her during all meals. Makes sense. Nice to eat with a friend. Oh and often we are required to also wear a bib. She is in charge.

Bath time is her FAVORITE!!!

She lunges from my arms to get in the tub and then tries to climb in to the tub.

Just when you think it is baby proof...

Just when I thought we had baby proofed I realize she is now a toddler and I find her standing in the drawer.

Halloween Activity

No trick or treating however she did have fun with candy. Hours of moving it from drawer to bag to pumpkin to hidden spots throughout the house.

Halloween

Halloween candy is awesome. I gave her the bag of M&M's and told her to put them in the pumpkin from Aunt Sara. She then spent the rest of the evening moving the M&M's from the pumpkin, to the drawer, to the bag, to the coffee table, etc. I read almost an entire New Yorker Magazine while she did her 'work'. We will be finding candy for months I think.

Our little yellow jacket enjoyed her costume most of the night.
It was utter chaos with 8 adults and 4 kids dressed as a bumble bee, one pumpkin, a lion, a cookie monster that would not wear her costume and Ezra (7 weeks). We didn't quite get photos of everyone but had a blast.


ROAR says Lila the lion.
We briefly attempted a group shot which ended in fits so abandoned that idea.

I'm melting....

Eating just prior to nap time can be exhausting, messy and an opportunity for fun photos.

Walking... sort of

We have moved!!

Boxes are so much fun and when I crawl up on them mom and dad come running. Yippie!!
The day we finally closed we had a VERY early breakfast at out new home. I believe in this shot she has half that bagel in her mouth.

Grandma and Pops Visit and take us away!!

My parents called and asked what they could do to make our move easier. Our answer was come and visit and take us away from our cruddy rental... so we spent a week on the Kitsap Peninsula. Our house was on the water and we saw deer, eagles... it was perfect. Jeff commuted to work via the ferry and I loved having the view, the water, quiet walks, meals cooked and extra hands for help. Now I am soooo sad to be without them but sooo lucky.
She is just nuts for that trike!!

Pterodactyl Lives

I mean she can really ear shattering shriek.

Official member of the Clean Plate Club

"Momma this is bowl lickin' goooood!"

"I do NOT like the DONKEY" she says

Bike riding in Leavenworth WA this weekend we thought it would be fun to introduce her to barn animals. She did NOT enjoy this but it did make us laugh... is that cruel?
'Give me a kiss' he says

Sometimes all that makes it better is momma luv.