Thanksgiving 2019

Happy beginning of the Christmas season! We had to mix up our original Thanksgiving plans this year, and we welcomed Gma Elsie and Gpa Ron over for a bunch of days over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend :) Of course, Little E had a blast with them and they did TONS of things together. We were so busy I forgot to take a end of the month photo shoot in her Adirondack chair.

Some highlights

• Before Gma/Gpa got here, we three spent a pretty quiet Thanksgiving ourselves, day of. Cornish hens, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls, and apple pie for desert.
• Friday after thanksgiving we went off to the Legacy Academy for a couple hours. Haven't been there since last spring and Elsie had a blast running around trying all the things (games, bouncy things, jumping things, slides, carousel, toys, legos). Favorite was the carousel!
• Friday night Gma/Gpa arrive! Lots of rolling around and showing them all her new favorite toys and things.
• Classic quote while we were eating breakfast we were asking her what everyone's names were. Mom? "Betty" Dad? "Spencer" (sounds like sfensir, still getting the "th" and "sp" sounds down). Grandpa? "Ron" she knew, but Grandma she didn't really know so she said "Slinger", which was adorable and then she learned she is named after Gma Elsie
• Another morning Little E was helping Gpa make some waffles, and thye decided to put chocolate chips in them (of course) and I overheard my dad saying, "Those chocolate chips are really good, aren't they? They fit in your mouth really good!"
• Both Gma/Gpa were impressed with her potty skills, and found it kind of funny that she likes to be completely alone. Sometimes she doesn't wipe or flush, however, hence the following conversation I had with her, to my parents' amusement. "Did you go pee?" "Yup", "Did you wipe" "....nope", "Did you poop?" "No, just a toot".
• Another breakfast we were sitting around the table, Gma/Gpa, Me and Little E, and all of a sudden Little E raises both hands (like STOP) and says something we eventually figure out to be "hole". It ended up she was pointing at Dad and I because we both have a hole (me in my shirt, dad in his sock). Haha, she still brings up the fact that I had a hole in my shirt, like this morning she saw a hole in her leggings and she said, "Hole like you, Mom!"
• Another classic quote, Gma asked her how many grandpas she had and she said "5". haha
• As you can see most mornings start out pretty chill, hanging around the kitchen table for coffee and breakfast. Then someone usually picks something to do for the day, go to the mall, my mom took Elsie to a bounce house for kids, we went to see lights, we went to the museum, lots of fun goings on. 
• By far one of the coolest things we did was a very spur of the moment thing, Spencer woke me up at like 10 pm to see if I wanted to go to Hamilton and in my delirium I said, "ask me in the morning", but a couple minutes later realized what he asked me and said, "YES!" So the next day my mom, dad, and I went to see HAMILTON!!!! I felt really bad that Spencer couldn't go, but the person we got the tickets from only had 3, and he really, unselfishly wanted us three to go. It was so fun, and such a great distraction from the painfulness of the week, since we recently had a miscarriage. I think I laughed and cried the same the entire time, and it was a blast overall!
• It was super great they were able to change plans and come to see us, since we had originally intended to head to Fbo, MN. We plan to make the trek in a couple weeks for X-mas, so that will be great! I'm so lucky and thankful to have such a loving, caring, supportive family!!!

  

  Doing our hair and watching the Thanksgiving Parade on Turkey Day.

  
  

  

  Silly time with grandma! She and Little E picked out that flamingo in the background and an array of ivy/poinsettias/mossy floral arrangement to make me feel better and it did, along with seeing their smiling faces every day.

  

  Gma and Gpa took the little one to the mall for some playground and fun with the cars.

  
  

  

  We drove through a local lights show, I thought this display with the Monona terrace, and the capital, with them both in the background was especially cool.

  
  

  

  Flamingos playing soccer to celebrate our local semi-pro soccer team, the Forward Flamingos. Yes, they light up to kick a ball back and forth, then score a goal.

  
  

  

  Gma capitalized on Little E's recent love of Peppa pig to make her her very own pinata! She also go her some peppa play sets, thanks grandma!

  
  
  
  
  

  

  Spencer, Arthur, and Elsie all cuddling and watching some baby.

  
  

  

  Loves Arthur and "Pink Bear"

  
  

  

  She and I went to wal-mart to pick out some paint, and after judiciously studying the 10 various pink colors, she chose this color to paint her pinata, and herself!

  
  
  
  
  

  

  She and Gpa Ron played play-doh for a good hour, making dogs, shapes, balls, and generally having a blast.

  
  

  

  HAMILTON! At the Overture center, Madison, WI.

  
  

  

  The Elsie's like to look at funny dog videos together.

  
  

  

  We got a new mattress deal on Black Friday, and got the old one upstairs for Elsie to bounce and play on.

   Hungry for some Mac n Cheese, def her favorite food right now.
  
  
  
  

  

  They let her paint their toe-nails.

  
  

  

  Playing a dot/color peg picture game.

  
  

  

  Making waffles! Purple chocolate chip waffles.

  
  

  

  Sliding with her babys Emma (pink) and JJ (gray).

  
  

  

  Lots of games and fun at the Legacy academy, Fitchburg, WI.

  
  
  
  
  

  

  Lots of hugs and love from the grandparents.

  
  

  

  She walked out of the bathroom looking like this and I thought it was hilarious.

  
  

  

  Standing like dad.

  
  

  

  Had to get a selfie.

"Stuck in the puke"

When we get stuck in traffic, I'm not sure what spurred this but Elsie started calling it, "Stuck in the puke". It seems like lately we have been stuck in traffic every week heading to music class, with the bad weather or snow or just dump WI drivers :( Still, she's adorbs.

October Photo Dump

Bilibo seats were a fun addition to music class this week.

Music class with other 18m-3 year olds.

Sliding in the new snow, Halloween 2019. 

She's taking her own pictures with my phone, loves loves loves her JJ and Emma babies, and she arranged and took the picture all by herself!

"Take a picture of my babies" 

"Elsie, take a selfie with me!"

That's Lena's phone that we somehow ended up with, so everytime she sees it she wants to call Lena to come over and hang out.

"I take a picture" She wanted me to hold the babies while she took a picture.

 Boo at the Zoo

Pumpkin carving, turns out she likes to hold the little knife but not really carve. And she refuses to touch the gunk.

Trick or Treat in Downtown Madison

Afraid of Bucky the Badger

FREE ice cream at Chocolate Shoppe! "Elsie, do you want blue or chocolate?" "Ummm, BLUE!"

 

"Elsie, take a selfie with me"

Favorite as of late is to run around naked in her "cape" as a superhero.

Grandpa birthday hug!

Grandma visit to play in leaves.

Grandma was a great addition to music class! 

Making my birthday cake :)

Singing Baby Shark, loves to sing and dance! In music class we're learning how to keep a steady beat, and go slow and fast.

Painting with shaving cream

October 2019 Photoshoot

Elsie (2y 2m) with JJ Koala Baby

Halloween was a blast this year, it was in the upper 50s both days we went trick or treating (Downtown Madison and Boo at the Zoo). Our Little Daniel Tiger was recognized by soooo many kids, I think she was a bit confused why they were pointing at her and calling her Daniel (Look, Mommy, it's Daniel!). I told her she should say, "Hi, Neighbor!" to everyone, but she was feeling shy for the most part. Besides dealing with long lines and lots of people, both events were great. Unfortunately, on my birthday and for the 31st it was SNOWING and lots of cold weather, so we did not trick or treat on the actual day. Next year we will check out the mall or something, just in case. Funny enough, she likes to pick out the "junk" candy, suckers, gum, hard candies. She never went for the chocolates or Snickers or anything. We'll have to chat ahead of time next year ;)

What else to report? Her speaking and vocabulary is off the charts, in comparison to the other 2 year olds we've met. Her growth is right in the middle ~50% for height and weight, and she is suuuper active, never sits still my Elsie. She also has a pretty good secret to tell people, but I'll let her do the telling ;)

She's still obsessed with her babies, loves to drive them around on her bike, put them in her 'pouch' like her Joey, push them in her many carts/strollers, sleep with them. And for the record, Libby Koala Baby has been renamed JJ (I assume because she also loves to watch JJ Baby from Cocomleon onYoutube). Emma Kitty Cat Baby is still Emma. And Serena Giraffe and Mable Cow don't matter at all, ha. She's also become super interested in taking pictures of them with my phone camera.

I have to get her a haircut, her hair is always in her face and she doesn't like to let me put it up. Maybe over Thanksgiving.

She's loving her Kindermusik class every week and her swimming lessons. Dad tries to get her to the Children's Museum once a week as there's tons to do and they can go when it's not crazy busy. Unfortunately, with the snow we are more cooped up inside as of late, probably for the foreseeable future, alas!

Wanted pictures with her babies.

Then wanted a picture of just the babies.

Making JJ wave at the camera.