Visit from Aunt Sara and Uncle Nick

Aunt Sara and Uncle Nick came to visit this past weekend. Elizabeth was beyond thrilled and had a ball. There were visits to the park, kids museums, exploration of Seattle and fun crazy play around the house on rainy days. Of course we have few photos as Sara is a photographer by profession hence we leave the photo taking to her.
Finally on a trike ride today we busted out the camera to capture the visit. I'm sure there will be some professional photos to share in a few weeks. These will do for now.
We miss you already!!

This is for my neice....

Balloons from kathleen mcgregor on Vimeo.

Hotlanta Cousin Fest

Elizabeth and I traveled to Atlanta this past weekend. She has become the super duper traveler. When the flight attendant comes around she looks up in her big girl voice and says 'juice and pretzels please'. Well usually there is a please.

I have developed the habit of holding her leg during take off and landing. My thought is somehow she will fly out of her buckle but my single arm strength will hold her down against the 300 mile crash. Not logical but very mom like. This past time she placed her hand on her own leg and said 'momma I hold me own leg by meself'.

Aunt Laura and the girls made a fabulous rainbow cake together. Kathryn was turning eight and I am not certain why Laura is threatening her for her birthday. Put down the knife.

There was much crawling over, stepping and jumping on Uncle Bill.
Everyone had a chance to love on the dogs but not until mom was done cuddling. Same with the kids.

The park was the usual mode of getting their sillies out. I'm so thankful for Elizabeth's amazing cousins who both worked so hard to entertain and love on my little girl.

We had an amazingly gorgeous weekend and decided to head to the beach. Elizabeth was momentarily dismayed as she thought we were going to this beach (Maui in December). She kept saying 'Me want to swim and play beach like at the vacation condo house'.
After much explaining that no we are not getting on a 6 hour flight to Maui today but instead will put on our winter coats, woolly hats and umbrella (cause you never know if it will rain) and our sunglasses like at the vacation condo house. Won't that be fun? She was eventually convinced

We started playing at the beach and had a little surprise in store for her that brought the smile below to her face.
Our friends arrived and nothing is better than a play date. It brought Lila just as much joy to have Elizabeth there.
The girls had some brief quiet chatting on a log but that didn't last long.

There is sand at the beach and sand is meant to be laid in and
poured over your bodies. Seriously. We got home and found sand in ears, naval and bottom.
It might not be Maui but it will do in a pinch.

Weekend Long Playdate with the Corvalis Crew

Scott, Carolina, Lucia and Oscar came into town this weekend. It was our weekend of potty training so there was much demonstration involved by big girl Lucia. However I think that this portion of the weekend was a failure. Those folded arms are a defiant pose against big girl panties.

Despite this failure the girls had a blast together screeching, sharing dolls, and just smiling a ton. Caro made a comment about how kids smile and laugh so much more than adults. I can't remember the numbers but it was like we laugh twice a day but kids laugh five billion times. The nice part is when you are with kids you get to laugh right along with them all day long.
Little monkey man Oscar gets right in there. He doesn't get left behind and finds the girls a hoot to watch.

It is fun to see how play is evolving with them. They really play together now instead of the side-by-side play. They made games of hide and seek, coloring and reading books.
The reading was especially interesting to watch as they will share with each other little fun things in their books. I was telling my mom about our weekend. She commented that we are so blessed to have found our own family of friends out here in the Pacific Northwest. I can't wait for some fun Westie trips with them this summer.

Play Dates

Our Fridays are often filled with play dates for both Elizabeth and mom. Etta is our youngest friend that comes over. She helps us practice taking care of babies.Alice reads to Elizabeth and offer potty demonstrations.
Lila is our dancing and dress up in pretty dresses friend. Lila loves her music.
Oh and both these girls are always game for a kiss. They are just sugar sweet cuddle love pies.

What happens after two days with no nap.

Untitled from kathleen mcgregor on Vimeo.

This is what happens when she misses her nap two days running. We were just going down the road for a quick evening snowshoe and she went into a coma.

Unfortunately there was no sleeping on the 5 hour drive home today. Oh well.

Weekend Ski at the end of the earth

Last minute trip to the Methow this weekend. It is a great area in Northern Washington that is cross country ski heaven. We stayed in Mazama which during the winter is really the end of the earth as the pass is closed and getting there requires a longish drive around. Our house was a quarter mile from the closed pass but right on the ski trails. Quite isolation is heaven! Can you even see the road above??
We went with two great friends , Ann and Kyle, and their new babe Sylvan. Another very brave childless couple, Scott and Avery, came with us. You have to be brave to join a house with young kids but luckily all little ones slept beautifully and were gems. Thank goodness.

Had blue skies for most of the long weekend. Elizabeth loved the ski trailer having spent quite some time in her bike trailer. We packed her in there with books, snacks and warm blankets. She lasted through a tiring 2 hour ski. You could hear her 'reading' her books and singing songs along the way.

Elizabeth loved helping to take care of Sylvan and was basically a little twitter update telling us every move or squeak the child made.
We proved that snow or sun a hammock is always lovely.

I couldn't get anyone to push or pull me... I tried.

Success!!

Untitled from kathleen mcgregor on Vimeo.

Yippie! Elizabeth typically shouts for us at 6am but not this morning. Nope. Not at 630am. Not at 7am. Nope I went into her room at 715am. She was in there reading her books and loving on her new bed. First time in 30 months we have gotten out of bed past 7am. Glorious. We are happy happy parents!

Big Girl Bed... well sort of

Elizabeth loves to read books in her crib which involves us putting her in, then handing her books, then getting her out to get more books, then putting her back in, then handing her more books. You see the pattern here. So today we went on craiglist and got Elizabeth a big girl bed. I use that term quite loosely as it is still the same crib mattress and not really big.

She was crazy thrilled.

She got up from her nap and we just carried the new bed frame right into her room. Cheek to cheek smiles. Right this minute Jeff is attempting to put her down and I can hear that it is not going smoothly. Now fingers and toes and arms are crossed that she sleeps and stays in it tonight. Please. Pretty Please!

Can't wait to see what happens

(pictures have nothing to do with the story but just cute)

Tonight Elizabeth was 'reading' some of her books. She was flipping through a book we have read a jillion times and looked up with excited desperation saying 'I can't wait to see what happens!'.

So crazy cute but I'm biased.

Shabbat Shalom to

This evening on our walk back from the Library we were singing songs to motivate Elizabeth's walking home. We started in on one of her favorites "Shabbat Shalom". She likes it cause it is interactive.

It is a very simple song that goes 'Shabbat Shalom to ______' and then Elizabeth will say someones name like mom, dad or Aunt Laurla. However this evening she said 'Shabbat Shalom to (wait for it) the poo poo that is in my diaper'.

Now the mature mother would perhaps guide her daughter to a better choice and remind her we don't discuss poop. No big surprise but I am not that mother. Instead I lost urine laughing. Yep that is the way we roll.... poo poo is always funny.

Frustrated

We had a challenging morning. Elizabeth now wants to wear two things, pajamas or 'me pretty dress'. Today the dress had to have pink tights. We had no clean pink tights and hence the challenging morning. I could feel bad mommie coming out and finally told her that 'mommie is very frustrated'. She stopped her whining and immediately responded 'you need to squeeze Elizabeth real tight' and then ran into my arms. This is what we have taught her to do when overwhelmed or frustrated.
Once in my arms she said 'OK now mommie you need to count to ten. One, two, three....'. She is obviously hearing us and learning how to teach me how to control my frustration.

Just Dance

Dance Dance from kathleen mcgregor on Vimeo.

Jeff and I don't play video games but I am now a convert. I LOVE (and I mean love) the Wii game 'Just Dance'. I guess you call it a game. You hold a wand in your hand and have to follow the dancing person on the screen while competing with fellow dancers for accuracy. It is active, fun/funny (just watch the video) and even had an old WHAM song. What is not to love!

Hotlanta for New Years

Spent New Years in with family in Atlanta. It was basically an Elizabeth-Kathryn love fest with a bit of Grandma and James sprinkled throughout. Elizabeth has not stopped talking about 'me cousins' and at night keeps asking for 'James and Kathryn stories'.
Aunt 'Laurla' ran the kiddos ragged which we greatly appreciated.
As usual there was much dancing and the bed dancing definitely falls under the blanket of 'Grandma Rules' aka not allowed at home.

Someone had too much eggnog last night...

Christmas morning we went for a run and about 2 blocks from the house Elizabeth has us pull up the stroller blanket and she immediately went into a comma. Keep in mind this is not a kid that sleeps through things but I picked her up out of the stroller, carried her into the house, laid her down on the sofa, unzipped her coat, went and got the camera and snapped some shots. We then talked to her, rubbed her cheek and nothing.
Passed out sleeping child on the sofa means Mimosa time for the grown ups....

Merry Christmas from Maui Wowie

Well we are back in Seattle now enjoying a delightful Christmas Eve with friends and our little family. Maui was great but home is just the best even in the rain.
Each night I say a little prayer to Elizabeth and I send it your way as a blessing for your holidays and for 2011:
'May you have a healthy body, a healthy mind and a happy soul'.

School Performance

Elizabeth with one of her school friends.

School Party from kathleen mcgregor on Vimeo.

Elizabeth had her school party. She did great with her performance. There is really nothing Elizabeth enjoys more than singing and dancing. We have dance party at our house almost every night. Her teachers often comment that Elizabeth is the most enthusiastic performer during singing circle time. She is often at home doing various hand motions and singing away in Chinese. I'm telling you it is quite something to sit in your house with your white Jewish toddler and watch her sing Chinese songs.
As is her more timid personality she was initially quite nervous to join the rest of the kids in the circle with all these parents watching. Many other kiddos were not quite willing. Elizabeth was clinging to me. I then told her to just go sit with Gui, her teacher. That is all it toke. She feels safe, secure and loved by her teachers and doesn't need my lap if they are close. We are thrilled that she is so loved when we are at work.

Yep we are the sort that photographed the first hair cut

Now that hat season has descended Elizabeth is in dire need for a hair cut. Per her usual MO she was initially traumatized but quickly rallied once she realized the joy of the yellow car and the many pretty pink ponies to play with. Twenty dollars later she looks about the same. Perhaps a bit less frizzy.