More pictures

Phillip posted Halloween pictures and beach pictures. There are some really great ones in there! Go see!!

Halloween 2005

We thought that Eliot would make a really cute cowboy for Halloween. So we set forth to put together an outfit for him. I finally found boots at Walmart, but the only color they had left was black. So I went ahead and bought them and called Mom. She had already bought brown fabric for the costume, but when I told her about the boots she had an idea. My dad had a cowboy outfit when he was a little boy. Mom went to the family archives and pulled out the old outfit. It was perfect! She bought a white hat and we were done. Eliot loved his cowboy outfit, and I think he looked very handsome! Pictures here.

more beach pictures

I've posted a few more pictures here, and Steph posted some there.

Beach Trip

We have just returned from a fabulous trip to the beach! We stayed with several families in Steph's Mom's beach house (thanks, Steph's Mom!) The first two days the weather was beautiful. We played on the beach and listened to music. The last day became a little cold and windy. So instead of going down to the beach we played at Fort Morgan. I had so much fun that I neglected to take very many pictures. I've posted the best ones in the gallery. But I know that there are others that have pictures, and they should be posted soon. I'll link them once they are up.

enjoying the mundane

It's funny how something as mundane as washing hands can be so amusing when it has a toddler twist. Last night Eliot was watching Elmo and doing puzzles in the living room. All of a sudden, he jumped up and said, "Wash Hands!" and ran off to the bathroom. I got the stool for him and he stepped up. He walked me through the whole process like a surgeon. "Water." "Soap." "Towel." I passed each item into his outstretched hand on command. When he was done he turned off the water and went back to Elmo and puzzles. I guess it's not really anything out of the ordinary - washing hands. It's just that I didn't even know he knew how to do it by himself, much less wanted to. I'm sure he learned it at school. Another thing he's been doing is throwing things away. He can't wait to get finished with lunch so he can throw away his paper plate. He'll pick up trash from the floor and throw it away. Unfortunately, he also throws away things that are not disposable - like forks and cups. But at least he's got the idea. He also puts his laundry in the hamper and his diapers in the diaper pail. Again, nothing that extraordinary, just really amusing to watch.

cookout

We were invited over to the Lamphere's for a small, impromptu cookout last Saturday. We all had a wonderful time. It was such a nice night for sitting outside. Eliot spent his evening following Lauren around and doing whatever she was doing. Except when Lauren insisted that they read Cinderella, which he was less than thrilled about. He kept trying to get up and run off, so she had to hold him down with one hand and hold the book with the other.

haircut

Eliot got his first haircut last weekend. Anticipating a bad scene, I scheduled the appointment at a time when there would be very few patrons in the salon. I didn't even bring my camera, as I thought my hands would be full with screaming toddler. However, true to form, Eliot did the exact opposite of what I thought he'd do. He sat in the chair (in my lap) and did not even make a peep. We read a book and looked in the mirror. The only two slight moments were when the hairdresser used the clippers and when he started the hair dryer. When the clippers started buzzing, Eliot looked up from his book and said, "by clippers." He didn't scream or anything, but firmly insisted, "BYE CLIPPERS." When the hair dryer turned on it startled Eliot and he cried a little. Ten minutes after we began, the whole thing was over. Now I wish I had brought my camera.

born actor

Eliot was very upset when Daddy got him out of the bathtub tonight. He didn't cry, oh no. He stuck his bottom lip out quivering. I'm not sure how he did it, but he made his eyes about three times larger than usual. They filled with water, and one tiny tear rolled down his rosy cheek. In general, he just looked pitiful. Brian and I felt horrible! On and on we went! "OOOOH, Eliot! We love you so much! Everything is ok..." Hug, hug.. Kiss, kiss, on and on... You get the idea.

Then there was this slight moment - just a tiny fraction of a second. Eliot looked side to side and let his guard down. Brian and I looked at each other and realized that we had been had! Brian and I had a good laugh at our own expense, and Eliot laughed at us, too. Then he said "more! More!" So we said our lines, "OHHH, Eliot! We love you SOOOO much!" Eliot put his game-face back on. He poked out his lip ("yips", as Eliot calls them) and watered his eyes back up. We all laughed again, then we were commanded to run lines again.

Honestly, I think he's getting better with every take. Judge for yourself. Between takes he beamed with pride.