Acting 1...

This sweet little one-year-old is staying busy getting into the fridge....

Practicing taking some steps (Thanks, Aunt Molly, for the new jammies!)
and climbing everywhere!! Hannah is delighted to teach Eliza new tricks-they are really bonding over Eliza's love of climbing. I overheard Hannah telling Eliza, "Baby Eliza, you are so crazy. Do it again!" I have a feeling these two might be my biggest challenge in another year...

I heard Eliza pushing the table across the room, but didn't think much of it because she likes to walk behind it while pushing it. I walked around the corner a minute later, though, to find this! She is getting really fast at climbing up onto the table and then down the other side, and will often to that over and over.....but this time she found new heights to climb to!

So scary!!! (but I still had to grab the camera!)

Like I said...these two will be trouble!!!

New Year Interviews

My good friend, Brooke, has asked her kids New Year Interview questions the past couple of years, and I LOVE reading the cute, funny answers that they give. I thought I would try it with Clara and Hannah the other day, and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable activities I have ever done with them! Some of the answers were so sweet, and other answers so off-the-wall funny! I loved getting a little peek into their thoughts and ideas in this way. So, here is what they had to say in 2010:

Clara:

favorite color: Green

favorite food: popcorn, cookies, muffins (cupcakes) and spinach

favorite toy: Little Petshop

favorite restaurant: Red Robin-because it has ice cream on your birthday

favorite holiday: Christmas

favorite breakfast: oatmeal-the kind with the sugar in it

favorite vegetable: carrots

favorite drink: smoothie

favorite movie: Peter Pan, Tiana, Pocahontas

favorite place to go: Disney Store

favorite place to play: with the gorilla statues at the zoo

favorite place to go on vacation: Disneyland

favorite thing about Daddy: He looks different because he has short hair

Mommy: you take really good care of us and protect us

Hannah: She's crabby!

Eliza: she crawled early

yourself: I have curly hair and I can jump really far

and then she added in Uncle Tommy all by herself: because he is so strong!!

What makes you happy: Hannah doing cross-eyes makes me laugh

What makes you sad: When I cut myself and blood comes out

What makes you scared: loud noises

Hannah:

favorite color: Blue

favorite food: macaroni and cheese

favorite toy: Baby Mines (elephants)

favorite restaurant: Red Robin

favorite breakfast: Panpakes :)

favorite drink: apple juice

favorite movie: Tom and Jerry pirate movie

What do you like best about Daddy: he gives us toys to play with

Mommy: you give us food

Clara: She gives me a big hug

Eliza: cause she plays with us

Yourself: I give every toy to Eliza.....what?!?

What makes you Happy: Elephants

What makes you Sad: Clara takes the elephants away

What makes you scared: the monsters, but God didn't make any monsters, and guess what, God bringed you me!

Eliza:

Loves to eat: everything! especially anything chocolate or sugary, and loves her apple juice

Loves to play: with her sisters

favorite thing about Daddy: when he comes home from work, snuggling, and being tickled

favorite thing about Clara: she carries her places and dances for her

favorite thing about Hannah: when Hannah gives her rides around the house inside the tunnel

favorite thing about Mommy: being held constantly and getting treats in the kitchen..usually sugar!

Dancing in the New Year....

Nana bought the girls matching New Years Eve dresses....every girl deserves one of those, right?? I'm sure my dad, Boppa, would agree ;)
We were celebrating the New Year and the "newly engaged"!! My brother, Joe, and his amazingly wonderful fiance, Cara :)

Eliza "helping" with the dinner....what you won't do to keep the baby occupied while trying to finish cooking dinner!

The whole crew sitting down to dinner pre-party...

Another round of chocolate fondue!!

Yum!

If I get within sight of this girl, she ends up in my arms!

Let the dancing begin!!

Party horns and confetti..

These girls had some moves!

And here is where they learn their moves...

Eliza woke up at 10 to join the party (I'm not sure how she even slept that long!)

We're looking forward to the daily excitement that this new year will bring!!! Happy New Year!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Eliza Jo!!!

Eliza turned 1 on December 29th! We discovered that having a birthday right after Christmas is not ideal.....it is a busy time of year! We headed down to Portland the night before her birthday, and Aunt Molly made sure she had a celebration when we arrived-even though it was 9:30 at night!

Molly had cookies, frosting, and sprinkles ready for decorating. Molly's birthday is just one week after Eliza's, so she understood that it is still important to celebrate, even if everyone is exhausted from Christmas:)

Two big sisters working hard on the cookies

The morning of Eliza's birthday, Molly and I took the girls to the Children's Museum. We tried this a few weeks ago when we were visiting, and Clara threw up just as we walked in the door. They were excited to get to stay this time and play!

Tunnels are one of Eliza's favorite things!!

The Clifford exhibit was a hit!

They had this great stage and dress-up clothes to dress like Clifford, T-Bone, and Cleo and put on a show

Hannah didn't take her Clifford costume off until it was time to leave!

We continued on to Bend that afternoon, arriving just before a snowstorm hit to spend New Years with family.

Nana had strawberries and chocolate fondue for dessert!

Eliza LOVED it, of course!!

She finished off this entire huge strawberry taking bite after bite!

My sweet birthday girl!

Eliza's sisters and cousins helped with blowing out the candle and eating the brownie cake

I wish we would have had the video camera because Eliza LOVED having Happy Birthday sung to her and swayed back and forth "dancing" in the high chair. It was so cute that we sang it more than a few times!

One of Eliza's favorite things is her apple juice!

So sweet and clean after her bath to wash all the chocolate off!

Eliza spent most of her first year sweet, calm, happy and pretty much going along with whatever her sister were up to. Just within the past few weeks, though, she has learned to yell for what she wants, and if that doesn't work, she knows to just yell louder! She continues to be sweet and full of joy, but now if you tell her "no" she will throw her head back, force a cry, and cover her face with her hands! She doesn't want to miss a thing and loves to be in the middle of whatever her sisters are doing. Often that means disrupting their play, so it is usually short-lived and she ends up crying. It is so sad to watch, but we know she will soon be able to play right alongside them. When they do include her in a game, she just beams and is delighted to be part of the fun! Some of her favorite things are taking a bath (always with all 3 girls in the tub!), eating, eating some more, climbing, bouncing on the couch or bed, being held (constantly!), playing peek-a-boo and being chased through her tunnel or tent, and being outside in the backpack. She is full of energy and laughter and the entire year has truly been a joy with this little girl!!!