Happy Halloween!

Barn Time

Eliza's love for horses is growing with the help of her Aunt Kelly, my brother's wife.  Kelly has had horses all her life and is the perfect person to teach Eliza about them.  I really hope Eliza's love for horses continues and that she can learn from Kelly as she grows.

On Saturday, Eliza and I drove out to the barn to meet Kelly, who said Eliza could ride with her that day. This was Eliza's third time riding a horse, so I'm sure she felt like an old pro.  Haha.  This time, we helped Aunt Kelly bring in the horse Eliza would be riding, "G" (short for Gallahad):

Kelly showed Eliza how to clean out G's hooves, and then Eliza helped brush him.

After Aunt Kelly saddled him up, Eliza was chomping at the bit (haha) to get on, so we wasted no time.  Kelly asked Eliza if she would like to ride by herself or if she'd like to ride with her and Eliza said, very clearly "by self".  Eliza loves her Auntie, but I guess she wanted to have the saddle all to herself this time!

Eliza was on cloud nine on that horse!  Kelly lead G around the property a bit, and Eliza just sat there riding with the biggest smile on her face.  G was so incredibly sweet and gentle, the perfect "kid" horse, as Kelly said.  

We are so very lucky to have Auntie Kelly in our family (but not just for the access to the horses, of course!).  I hope there are many more days like this in Eliza's future!

Three Things

Three things that are making me happy right now:

1) Fall decor.  Ornamental corn (we used to call it "Indian Corn", but I'm pretty sure that's not PC...!), pumpkins, gourds, leaves in a rainbow of fall colors... Eliza likes to tell me each time we walk in the house that she hung the corn, she picked out that pumpkin, she hung up that halloween decoration (the mummy is her favorite)... she's really getting to understand the concept of decorating.  I am already looking forward to Christmas with her!

2) Beautiful fall weather (do you sense a pattern? we love fall around this house!)!  It is so gorgeous here right now so we are doing a lot of playing outside in the backyard and taking walks.

3) Baking.  Eliza is getting to the age where she can (sort of) help in the kitchen and it is SO much fun.  She has watched me cook and bake (and her Dada too), and for her to now be invited to help is totally rocking her world.  She pushes her chair up to the counter and helps us crack eggs, add the flour, stir... and she loves watching the mixer go "round round!"  I've dreamed of baking with her since before she was born, so this new stage is totally rocking my world as well :)

 

What's making you happy right now?

What she was offered...

Today there is no "what she ate" photo, NOT because I forgot to take an after photo (which is usually the case), but because... she ate it all!  This is rare, people.  In fact, I have an upcoming installment in which she ate NOTHING.  There is no predicting toddlers and their eating.

{pb+j on whole wheat toast round w/our homemade jelly!}

{string cheese pieces}

{half a banana}

{three strawberries}

The last of the "months old"

Today my girl is 23 months old.  This officially marks the last month that I will say that Eliza is "___ months old", something I have done for almost 2 years.  Lately, I have been saying "almost 2" when people ask me how old she is, but still... it's a milestone, and means my baby is growing into a little girl!

Happy 23 months, big girl!

Wordless Wednesday: BFFs

Talking up a storm!

Eliza is talking so much lately!  She's starting to put sentences together and use phrases.  I swear her vocab doubles every day.  She will repeat anything we say, and has also started to form her own sentences.

Here are a few of the things she's saying these days:

• "Where did it go?" (she hides something and then asks this, hand gesture and all)
• "There it is!"" 
• "Eliza drink Isaac's water" (this one she put together all by herself last week when we were watching Isaac and she stole his sippy)
• "Eliza wants more"
• "By self" or "Eliza do it" (she uses these when she wants to do something without your help - which is basically all the time)
• "I don't!" (this one is used anytime she doesn't want to do something, doesn't want YOU to do something, or basically doesn't want to agree with what you are asking her to do)
• "Eliza's running!/jumping!/walking!/chasing!/drinking/eating" (she likes to narrate what she's doing. So cute!)
• "Uppa-dee-dee" (this is her request for you to pick her up)
• "Change diaper"
• "Milk please mama" 

I know I'm forgetting a lot right now; I'll add to this list as I remember more.  I'd like to get some recordings of her talking.  Her speech is changing so rapidly that soon she will sound completely different I'm sure.  It would be fun to have a recording of how she sounded before she could really talk.  My iPod has a voice recording app which would work better than a video recording since as soon as I take out the video camera, she clams up!

In which Eliza learns about cookie dough...

What she was offered...

{green peas}

{string cheese}

{apple slices}

{rice + beans}

{strawberries}

I've been using leftovers a lot lately for lunches.  Eliza loves it and it's super easy for me.  We've also been loving sweet tango apples, too.  Yum!  

So happy fall is here :)