Splash Pad!

We’ve lived here since April and have only visited the Brushy Creek Splash twice!  The first time was a bust because there was a whole summer day camp there but now that the big kids have gone back to school, the splash pad has been reclaimed by the little kids! 

Here is Cora, her mommy and Baby Carys in-utero!

Eli enjoyed the water but not when it gushed out without warning!

Baby Love does not get old!

Eli kept running off to the grassy area behind the pad…without permission! She is Lil Miss Independent!

Cora decided to keep Water Baby while her mother wandered about the park. Thanks Cora!

Bloggy-lemma

Since I installed the live traffic feed into our blog, I am able to get a better idea of who visits our blog. And I have been surprised to see how many different people visit us. But I also wonder who you are??

I am beginning to feel a little resentful that many people from different cities, states and countries stop by our blog and don't say hello. I feel like it's a little voyeuristic to frequent a blog and never announce your visit.

I am considering making this blog private. I am sharing my life with loved ones but also a lot of strangers that dont even say 'Hello, I'm on your blog'. I don't think I am comfortable with that. I haven't made a final decision yet, but I will make one soon.

I read a fellow blogger's post recently and she asked, "Why do you blog?" I asked myself that question and I'm not sure why I continue to blog but it started with wanting to share our life with Eliana with others.

I just feel like I am doing all the sharing. To all the anonymous visitors to our blog, sorry but our blog may go private in a few days.

Sweet Deceit

If you read this blog post, you are sworn to secrecy of the following information.  Shhhh! Eliana ate cauliflower today! How? You must be wondering. I don’t even eat cauliflower, yuck! Thanks to a wonderfully deceitful cookbook written by a mom for moms: Deceptively Delicious.  My first recipe out of it is Mac and Cheese.  However, hidden within the yumminess of the cheese is pureed cauliflower. Here is Eli at lunchtime:

So far so good…

Licking her fingers…

Squealing with joy!! 

 

Mommies: 1  Babies: 0

Happy Birthday Great-Granddad!

Eli had a very busy weekend traveling to Denison, Sherman, Fort Worth and then finally back home. I taught her how to sign ‘home’ a couple of weeks ago and I have been surprised by how often she has signed it. She signed it at Grandmother Jo’s house and then on the way to Fort Worth! Poor girl, she got homesick!

At Granddaddy Keith’s big 90th birthday bash, I spent my time chasing Eli around, protecting her 15 month old cousin from getting swatted at by Eli and trying to protect Eli’s head from the floor as she went in and out of tantrums!  God makes babies cute for a reason!  Needless to say, this was not the highlight of the trip for me. But Grandmother Jo and I managed to break away and get manicures together!  I sense a family tradition in the making…

We got treated to lunch in Fort Worth by Eli’s other Great-Granddaddy, Gene!  Joe T’s had good Mexican food and a couple of fountains, so naturally Tata got thrown in for a swim!  Where was Water Baby when we needed her?

Here is a shot of the Hull/Cleveland clan, although Julia & Dan’s other 3 kids were missing because they were doing some traveling of their own.

Composer or Etoile?

Is there anything cuter than a leotard? Yes! Eliana in a leotard!  At the tender age of 18 months, Eli has a long time to decide if she would rather live for the piano or the toe shoe.  But in the meantime, we will have fun with both!

Here she is giving the tutu a good twirl…

Bravissimo!

A Very Special Unbirthday

Today Eliana Liz is 18 months!   To celebrate Eliana got to watch Alice in Wonderland, oh wait, we do that everyday…To celebrate Eli got to play with sidewalk chalk for the first time!  Or rather she watched me doodle all over our backyard!

Eli is wearing one of the many sewing projects I completed last week.

Eli also got her first pedicure by yours truly!  For me painting her tiny toenails was a bit of a dream come true.  You see, when I was a Kindergarten teacher I once loved my girl students so much that I actually sent home permission slips to paint their fingernails! We had a very special field trip to attend the next day and everyone was going to dress in their Sunday best, so it only made sense that everyone should have a manicure!  Eli seems a little confused why the pink won’t rub off…

Here is Naughty Eli plucking flowers off our cilantro.

One more shot of the toes in case you have a baby toes obsession like me!! Happy 18 months Eli, I love you and your wiggly toes!