Lunch with friends

We celebrated Melissa’s birthday this week by brunching at La Madeleine. Eli and Cora sure know how to greet each other!

Eli loved La Madeleine’s tiny cups of fruit preserves. Unfortunately she put some on her hair, so she had stiff hair the whole day! 

Last week was rough on Eli since I went on a sewing binge plus Dada weaned her off her bottle!  But last Thursday the poor girl finally gave in and drank her lechita from her big girl sippy cup! Here she is moments before the big gulp!

S-U-C-C-E-S-S!

The Cost of Couture

This post could also be titled: Dada’s Heart Attack, The Naughty Spot Stays Warm All Day, etc

This week at the Smith household there is a mini-sweatshop being run out of the dining room/kitchen. I am the boss, employee and custodian. Unfortunately Eliana does not like my long hours.

Next week I will be fasting from sewing and if you know me at all, you understand why.

Since Eli is not accustomed to my sewing downstairs she wants to know all about the family business.  Here she is after pawing my thread holder down from the table and on to her curious little head!  It irritated me because I have a deadline!  But after a few pictures and some laughs we both picked all the threads and bobbins up. She was exceedingly happy to help.  As precocious as she is, she always loves to help!

This is the incident that would have sent JW over the moon.  I was happily finishing project #3 when Eli went quiet and I started to hear…s-p-l-a-s-h-i-n-g.  I thought, “Oh, she’s spilled her milk again.”  No. It was way worse than that:

She was splashing about and bathing her baby in the  milk!  It got on the cushion, the couch, the floor, her puzzles, and then she grabbed my phone and dipped it too!  However, by Divine Intervention (because God ♥s Eliana) she also pressed the music button on my phone and on came, “Hallelujah” by Michael W. Smith.  A not so subtle reminder to discipline with ♥!  I walked her to the Naughty Spot and cleaned up. When she had done her time she helped clean up and we were off to a bath!  Bath time always puts life in perspective!

Family Portrait

Meet the newest member of Eliana’s litter: Bath Baby!

Eliana loves to bathe her babies but they take a long time to dry so today we went to the adoption center (aka the toy dept) and adopted a baby for Eli to bathe to her ♥’s content!

We picked her because she looks like Eliana did when she was born—covered in sweet rolls!  When we find our two Mini-Babies we will have to take another family portrait!  Bath Baby is Baby No.5 for Eliana—and I have a feeling she will not be the last!

A Visit from The Sewing Goddess

Here is Aunt Benna with her gorgeous girls, Erin & Genelle

Eliana was gracious enough to perform for her guests to the music of Ms. Music Bear sitting behind her.

Thanks for the sewing expertise Benna!

Owl Dress & Moon

This past Sunday two miracles occurred at the Smith home and happily they can be wrapped up in the pics below. Miracle #1: I learned (after more prayer & time  than any other pattern has ever required) how to make this cute dress:

And Miracle #2: Dada & Eli went to HEB and while on their outing, Eliana finally found the Moon!  Eli can sign ‘moon’ in ASL, she can identify the Moon in any of her books, but she had never looked up in the sky and found it in person!  JW came home very excited to tell me and sure enough Eli could not only find the Moon but she also says “Hi” and “Bye” to it, and of course, “Ooohh!!! Moo!!!”

Here is my Dainty Diva looking all the way up to the sky! (new skill!)

Bounce House

Last Friday Eliana went to her 2nd Summerfest at Hill Country. Last year she sat in her stroller the whole time and this year she got to do 2 fun activities, one being the bounce house!  We hope next year she can participate in more games.  But she did great in the bounce house!  4th of July was her first time in one of these and this was the second, if you don't count in-utero times…

She stood up!

And fell very happily!  I was watching and praying the whole time because there was some big bouncy kids in there with her. God protected Eli and she bounced to her heart’s content!

She earned it!

This is Eli’s first day of earning ‘The Naughty Spot’.  Throwing shredded cheese at lunchtime is not ok with me. 

At this point ‘The Naughty Spot’ feels like a fun game we are playing… The goal right now is to keep her sitting down in the corner but it is so pitiful and ridiculous to keep telling her to sit down in the Naughty Spot because she is 17 months old!

I want to laugh when I walk her over and explain why we are doing all this.  I say, “Sit down” and it really makes me laugh that she actually knows what I mean and does it…for a few seconds.  Then I set the microwave timer for 70 seconds because I feel that is appropriate for her age.  Then she sits there and plays with the spider in the corner or tries to stick her finger in the outlet or tries to get up and walk away.

Finally the microwave timer goes off and I make a big celebration and tell her she is such a good girl!!  See why this all feels like a silly game??  Even in the Naughty Corner, Eligirl is workin’ it!

BYBC

Eli and I have been super busy this week with hosting a Back Yard Bible Club for the first time.  Eli will technically be eligible to participate in 3 years but why should that stop us serving God and hosting?  Today was Water Day!

In case you have noticed the teens laying on the ground behind Eli, yes they are being water boarded…by Kindergarteners no less.

With all the commotion and excitement Eli has decided that this week her favorite word is, ‘Mama?’  She has been toddling around all day, long after the BYBClubbers have gone home calling out my name.  It was cute the first 56 times. Just kidding, I’m loving it!  Thanks for taking our pic Hill!

The tragic thing about this pic is that my post-pregnancy hair is beyond help!  I am way past Baby Bangs, I am sporting a full-on Baby Hawk…

God, I know mothering is a beautiful thing but why the hair?!  It’s not like I can cover up my pelo!

Last Day of our Staycation…

Although everyday is a vacation for a toddler!

Lookin’ for the tickle…

There it is!

Please note: I was inspired by a fellow blogger I’ve never met to give a care about my messy hair!  Thanks AJ!  I gave my hair her self-described ‘triple-torture’ and I have been glamorous all day long!

For the sake of Gorge-o-sity

 

If you could only see the silliness behind the camera…

Eli’s 1st kid movie!

After 17 months we finally made it to Alamo’s Baby Day!

Hattie was very brave to come with us. Eli did not like sitting by herself so she sat in our laps. She really liked the movie but not the 3D glasses, they were too big for her face.

 

If you ever wondered whether the chocolate chip dessert is good here,  just ask Eli- it was awesome! Just make sure you have plenty of people to share it with.

Matching scrunchy faces! We survived Toy Story 3!

Muggy Fourth

Eliana got to bounce in a bouncing house for the first time this Sunday.  Unfortunately she only ventured to stand up once!   Cora, on the other hand, did great!

Cora has mastered ‘landing well’.

And also ‘apologizing well’ when she lands on a friend!

We got to spend the 4th with The Kemps!

Eli and Cora bonded over Goldfish crackers.

Eli and Dada.

And of course Tata had to come along!

Eli was completely unaware that this cotton candy was the World’s Worst Cotton Candy ever!  It had the consistency of ABC gum and we waited in line so long for it that we missed watching the fireworks with everyone else! That is now on my list of “Dumb Things Never to Do Again.”

 

Poor Eli! She had no clue that watching fireworks from a cotton candy line was lame-o!  Eli and Cora did amazing, lasting the whole hot and sweaty afternoon and night at Milburn Park!   Prayer works!