Fall Fun

I am SO happy to be wearing long pants and socks.  We loved this summer but I'm ready for this cooler weather.

I am also ready to be done with bee season.  I've gotten FOUR bee stings in the last 7 weeks.  One got me on my belly -- now that's just cruel.  This was the most noticeable one because my finger swelled up like a sausage.  I must be giving off some sort of delicious pregnant lady pheromone that the bees like -- they have bee chasing me all summer long! 

This was after her first day of school -- we cuddled up and read books all afternoon.  She was wiped out.

Post-lunch baby cuddle session.

Cushing Park again -- we love it there.

Using her empty milk box as a phone, Elliott just ordered a large pasta pizza from the imaginary waitress. She then told her she was disappointed they ran out of coffee but that her mom doesn't really like Brad Pitt anyways so we'll have 33 lemonades instead.

This is her new favorite place to play while I'm in the kitchen.

Apparently this is the bus station.  All of her friends are taking the bus to school.

Love.

She helped make cupcakes for Dee Dee's 37th birthday.  They were more purple in real life than they look in this photo.  She was VERY excited to be allowed to frost it herself.  She then proceeded to eat the frosting and leave most of the cupcake.

Big GIANT Bed!

Elliott moved into a big GIANT bed so we could set the crib up in the baby room (I am in extreme nesting mode -- you should see all the projects I am making my mom help me with.  I'm a crafting queen -- but I need her help on all the sewing parts!).  E nestles down in this comfy bed and I'm telling you, she is sleeping like a rock.  Several nights she's slept from 7:30pm to 8am.  Remind me of this glorious time in a few months when I am in newborn exhaustion phase ...

Capron Park Zoo

We met some friends down at Capron Park Zoo -- it is such a cute little place!  They have a great playground and the kids played for hours.

I LOVE FALL!

Dee Dee's Garden

Out with the impatients and in with the mums!

Disney on Ice Fail

Ant Lindsay and Uncle Matt got Elliott tickets to Disney Princesses on Ice for her birthday.  She has been talking about it for 2 weeks and couldn't wait for our big adventure.  We got all dressed up, loaded into the car (Dee Dee got to go in place of Uncle Matt for a fun girls day adventure), drove all the way down to Providence, posed for this happy picture:

... and then she had a meltdown.  She panicked.  It was loud and crowded and loud and loud.  She could not be consoled.  We barely convinced her to go through the ticket turnstile -- we could NOT get her to go into the arena.  We tried baby steps, popcorn bribery, ear plugs ... we tried for a half hour and eventually gave up and went home.  She's usually so outgoing and independent it really threw me.  Poor kid was petrified.  Maybe next year?

My little ballerina

I'd like to think I've handled all of Elliott's transitions well -- she was ready for preschool and I made good use of my two hours alone, weaning and potty training were both drama-free, etc.  She's a very happy and independent kid and I support her independence and try not to get too sentimental about my baby growing up.

Cut to ballet class.

Oh. My. Mama.  I can't stand it.  She was so cute in her little uniform and ballet slippers -- she even let me put her hair in a bun!  I cried three times in the waiting room while she pranced around and skipped and played.  And like mother like daughter ... she talked through the whole class.  Ha!

Four Generations

30+ weeks

Meet and Greet?

We went to a playdate this morning to meet some other families at Elliott's pre-school ... but we were the only family that showed up!  Nerdy joiner fail!

Florida Friends

My uncle passed away recently and this weekend we had a memorial service down at the National Military Cemetery at the cape. Great Grammie, Great Babsie and Great Donnie came up from Florida to stay with us for the weekend -- Elliott is thrilled to have sleepover guests who will paint with her. :o)

I don't know why I got such a kick out of this: E wanted butter on her toast just like Great Donny so he buttered her toast.  

Wheeeee!

I have a little ballerina!  I have a little ballerina!!

SCHOOL!!

She's been talking about going to school for months.  "When I'm three, I go to SCHOOL!!!"  The day finally came -- first day of school!  She LOVED it. 

Successful first day!

Nicoli turns ONE!

I think he liked his cupcake.