It’s All Greek to Her

 

We have been trying to get Eliza to use her words more and not just point or grunt.  I taught her “up” last week and it is now her favorite word, but it comes out as “uhhhhPuh!”  It is never said softly either.  She has loved finding her voice and being heard, so it’s no surprise that “up” is so loudly stated.  She loves saying it so much that it is now also used for “down,” “on,” “in,” and “out”…we have a little work to do on those.  

While Kirk was gone she also mastered “Hi Dada” on the phone.  Now she wants to say it whenever you hand her any phone, usually shouting it before she hears who is actually on the line.

Ladies Who Brunch

While the men were all off hiking and doing manly things (you will hear more about that soon) we ladies got together for a refined brunch. It was great hanging out and sharing a beautiful Saturday together. We even got some shopping in, and I hope that we can do it all again soon. Such fun!

One Day it Will End

Don’t tell Eliza that the raspberries can’t grow all year round. This week I (or Kirk) have gone out and picked them everyday for breakfast. She isn’t going to know what hit her come fall…

Friday Night Next Door

When Kirk is gone we often go next door and have dinner with Meg and Nick on the patio. This night was a lot of fun and a lot of mess! Eliza decided to drop and break a glass dish of ours, Nick let us all tug on his tooth until we finally got it out, and then Eliza decided to play in the sprinkler puddles. There was a bit of ice cream thrown in there as well. If you couldn’t guess, we came right home for a bath. She loved playing with big kids and learning the ins and outs of outdoor fun.

Nick was such a champ! I love the bloody chin and teary eyes, but I don’t think he ever stopped smiling.

The Zoo

We went to the zoo this week with our neighbors. Eliza had so much fun. She squealed and pointed at all the animals. All the “characters” in her picture books came to life, and she couldn’t contain her joy. She now points to their pictures with a new found excitement!

Sorry for all the pictures of the back of her head. Let’s just say that she didn’t have eyes for the camera.

Picture Books

Over the past week Eliza has loved her picture books even more. They are the only books that we are allowed to read her right now. She loves to look at all the pictures and point out what she knows. The Best Word Book Ever is her favorite. It has two pages full of trucks, cars, semis, and motorcycles! Thanks Grandma Debby for getting it for her. She also loves The Baby's Catalogue. This was my favorite book as a kid too. I hope that she continues to love to read (and look at pictures)!

Time to Eat Again???

It can often be a stress for me to figure out what Eliza is going to eat next.  She is not a picky eater but everything must have flavor!  Like any parent, our goal is to give her the best diet that we can.   I have found that it is all about setting a rotation and getting the right foods in front of her at the right time.  There are a few things that she will eat anytime of day…okra, raspberries, and crackers.   Fortunately, Kirk is growing lots of okra and raspberries in the garden (crackers not so much).  Her Papa has nicknamed her Polly because “Polly wants a cracker.”  Like many kids, green veggies are sometimes the most difficult to get her to eat.  She loves quesadillas, corn on the cob, English muffin pizzas, mac and cheese, oatmeal, pears, peaches, oranges, broccoli, polenta, peas, grilled cheese, and tortellini to name a few (or a bunch).   This next week I am going to try to cook up something new.  She is always up for that.

She spotted them and is diving in.

What is Your Name?

L-I-Z-A

 

Eliza loves to tell you her name.  She can’t get the first “E” in there yet but one day!

State Fair

Today Eliza and I went to the state fair with our friends Zach and Rochelle.  Eliza had more fun seeing all the animals than I expected …she loved it!  The food wasn’t as big of a hit for her as I would have thought though.  Thankfully, the weather was cooler than it’s been for weeks (but still in the mid-80s). 

 

Zach is an Indianapolis police officer and he drove us there in style.  This better be the only time she sees the back of a car like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eliza in the cow barn.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watching the parade with her new friend Zach, especially after he gave her some elephant ear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eliza continues to be intrigued by cars and trucks, and now she loves tractors!  She wanted to get up close and wave to them as they parade drove by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think she liked playing with the water most of all.   Kids are sometimes so easy to please!

 

Check out Eliza in these two photos – one from this year and one from last year’s fair.  A  year makes a big difference, and it looks like the horse had some work done in the off-season, too!

5 Minutes in the Life of a 16 Month Old

4th at the River

We had some temperature trouble around the time of the river, Eliza ran a fever the day before (due to teething I think) and then outside it was H-O-T!  At the last minute we decided not to camp and instead just go up for the day of the pitch-in meal.  For those of you reading and a bit lost, this is Kirk’s family reunion that takes place once a year on family-owned farm land up in Rochester, IN.  This year there were almost 100 people there.  It is great to see extended family and for Eliza to be able to play with her cousins. 

Due to the teething Eliza was tired and looking for something to chew…a bad combination!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Smileys have been having all girls lately!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eliza playing with Kendra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the meal we go around and count the number of people there and say grace. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun day, and hopefully we’ll be camping next year!

 

Wedding Season

I have been busy with three weddings over the last four weeks.  My mother-in-law and Kirk were great and helped take Eliza while I was away from the house.  It is always a blessing to see two become one.   It was great to get to know each couple and help them during this exciting time, and I look forward to the next two I have this Fall.

Something to Walk About

The bike helmet wasn't due to the walking but rather her obsession with it.  We're not that big of safety nuts!  All that walking just to reach Kirk's graphic novel.

Visiting Michigan

Kirk had to go out of town for work, so Eliza and I took the opportunity to go up to Saline for a visit. We went with Grandma to get her haircut, hung out at the house, and went to the Pottery Barn outlet and scored a great deal on rug pads and a rug. Eliza got to eat her favorite graham crackers from Zingerman’s and got Grandma’s special grilled cheese. Otis was able to hang out with Wesley and be in dog heaven, too.

Eliza has been loving water. The newest pastime is going out into the yard with a half filled watering can. Her and Grandpa Stew went out and had some evening fun while dinner was on the grill. Grandparents always let you get wetter, messier, fuller, and stickier than moms or dads ever would…Eliza loved every minute of it!

All of this water led to the need for even more water…bath time!

The cutest thing that Eliza has been doing lately is giving kisses. But if she gives a kiss to one person in the room she has to give them to all! That includes Otis as well, or in the case of this week’s grocery run, the deli lady. I tried to explain that the deli lady was very busy and couldn’t give kisses at the moment (nor did I want her to). The funny part is she will just continue to pucker up in hopes that it will happen. Here she is giving herself a kiss in the mirror.