Zoo!

 

We went to the zoo this morning and had a great time. Excellent lion experience, also giraffes, zebras, gibbons, mandrills, and many other cool animals that we've seen time and again in books.

Milk Moustache

 

Grandma stocks half-n-half instead of milk, which Elizabeth not surprisingly really enjoys.

He Who Shall Not Be Named

 

Barb was doing her banking online with Elizabeth on her lap and after the work was completed she decided, what the hey, let's check out Sesame Street's website. The first thing that popped up was an Elmo video, and Elizabeth was mesmerized. It was her first taste of children's programming, and apparently the highly-paid experts who make that stuff really know what they're doing.

Sleepy Dada, Wakeful Baby

 

Elizabeth needs no coffee. She awakens bright-eyed, happy and energetic. She likes being a part of my morning coffee-making ritual. Especially the part where she gets to wear a filter for a hat.

Strolling

 

Elizabeth loves the umbrella stroller Barb bought. She puts her dolls and her doll-like friend Lily in it and strolls them around the house.

King and Princess

 

Barb made us crowns. Crowns are awesome.

Oktoberfest

 

Billi and Elizabeth

 

We babysat Billi Francis recently while Jen and Joshi went off to Disney On Ice or some such (it involved, according to Joshi, a princess on ice skates receiving a block of solid gold at the end). Billi and Elizabeth are very nearly the same age, and they get on well. We took Billi on a bike ride to the park, where she and Elizabeth rode this spring-horse together. The time passed quickly and we all look forward to the next time Billi comes by. She's fun.

Happy!

 

Elizabeth calls jack-o-lanterns 'happies.' Here she is painting (rather than carving -- knives causes owwies, as we've told her over and over) her happy. The great thing about painting a pumpkin is they last. This morning the one I carved finally deliquesced to the point of falling off the garden fence and breaking into four pieces, whereas Elizabeth's pumpking (pictured above) is solid as a ... pumpkin, and going strong.

Happy Birthday, Barb

We had a good time on Barb's birthday. Aaron and Wendy and Lily came over, as did Grandma. We carved pumpkins ('happies,' as Elizabeth calls them), blew bubbles, ate pizza, and drank beer and port.

Below, Elizabeth and Lily participate in a pajama fashion show.

Trick or Treat, Part 1 of 14

Technically last night was Elizabeth's second Halloween, but practically it was the first. She wore a costume. She attended a couple of Halloween events (at the library with the awesome Librarian Joan, then at the community center where she got a treat bag and a black balloon), and she went trick-or-treating! It was really fun, particularly the trick-or-treating. Barb and I have over the past six years noticed a decided lack of trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. On a given Halloween night we might get zero or ten trick-or-treat parties. But last night was different. As we were walking around we saw lots of people and when we got home we got more than the usual number. Maybe people are forgetting their fear and re-learning the fun of the trick-or-treat ritual. I hope so. Twice on our route we got solicited to trick-or-treat at a particular house. Once, a grandma-aged woman opened her door and implored us to trick-or-treat her house. Later, another woman stopped us on the street and told us to go to such and such a house because the kids there had put in such an effort to decorate.

We're already looking forward to next Halloween!

Baby loves Grandpa

Elizabeth only has one grandpa, so he's a particularly special person in her life. Although he can be a grumpy old soul, Elizabeth isn't put off in the least by the gruff exterior. It was fun for me to see just how much she loves spending time with him -- and how much she learns from him! Grampa was instrumental in Elizabeth eating her first solid food (broccoli, I think) and in taking her first steps.