Bread-Making Lessons

Lest you think I'll be doling out advice in this post, I'm simply informing you all that I have been on the receiving end of bread-making lessons. Here was my first attempt at a braided bread. It was fun to make and tasty too~;-), although a bit dry. My friend Suzanna had Elijah and I over for a lesson on Sourdough Bread. First, Elijah and Ian practiced cooking in Ian's kitchen. Elijah LOVES to play in these little kitchens.
Then Suzanna was kind enough to let them play with the real food. Elijah and Ian stood on little chairs to ensure they could reach (almost) everything.
Ian was super helpful in instructing Elijah...
...and surveying his work. (Look at Ian's face in this pic!)
We had several water spills and an episode in which around eight cups of flour were wasted, but overall we had a productive morning. Suzanna didn't even show signs of irritation after Elijah made his fourth (or so) spill. ....maybe someday I'll be a Mom like that!
Here is the lovely dough after the second rise:
I was sent home with my own starter and some very elaborate directions. I've pretty much been making all our sandwich bread since then. With the same starter I've also attempted an Italian dinner loaf (French bread style) and cinnamon rolls. The former was delicious, the latter will not be made again. This week I'm trying my own pizza crust. It may be a little tricky as I've frozen the dough after the first rise.

While I was busy making bread, Laura was busy growing Baby Luke.
Isn't he coming along nicely?

Cookies!

Don't worry - this behavior was allowed only after the last batch was safely in the oven~:-)

Parties

We celebrated Baby Luke's impending arrival with lots of presents and lots of food. (Can you tell Grammie is REALLY excited about Baby Luke?) Pregnant Sisters:
Laura with her mother-in-law, Pat:
We played this game, "Guess the Baby Food," which ranks high on my list of most disgusting games. Nonetheless, it was a fun shower.
Eric, Elijah, and I met later for Matthew's TWO YEAR OLD birthday party. (How can my child have two year old friends already??) I don't recall any fights or serious problems the whole afternoon, but I'll credit Matthew's excellent example with that feat.
Matthew's new toy was a super big hit....
...over and over...
...and over again!
Charlotte made a yummy Curious George cake of which we all partook. (Note: Elijah can drink by himself; we just often find it easier to assist.)
Matthew had a good time opening presents. As soon as he would open one, Charlotte would hide it and give him another to open. It was funny because he just kept wanting to play with his toys. It is nice that he has yet to be greedy with his gifts.
Elijah really wanted to help - open presents and blow out the candles.
Elijah stalking the birthday boy:

Hooray for celebrations of all sorts!

Atlanta

Ab and I met in Atlanta for a quick visit with MawMaw & PawPaw. It was MawMaw and PawPaw's first time to meet Bella; she was quite a hit! Bella is growing by leaps and bounds! I couldn't believe how different she looked already.
Elijah had quite a few dance parties during his trip. Here his dance partners include Mr. Moose and the Elvis-impersonating dog.
We heard a lot of "Mo! Mo! Mo!" with this dog around. There sure ain't nothin' like a hound dog...
Since Bella has now adjusted to life outside the womb, Abigail was able to rekindle her relationship with Elijah.
They are friends again.
This trip changed Elijah from simply talking about "Joe! Joe! Joe!" to also including "Ahhhb!" and "Bubba" in our conversations.

Sweet boy, sweet sister, sweet niece, sweet MawMaw & PawPaw. Sweet visit.

Sleep Positions

I just find these too cute not to share. Don't you just want to pat that little bottom? Check out the height of Teenie's bottom; aren't you impressed with that slope?

Circus

Daddy's Christmas present this year was a trip to the circus with Elijah. Daddy bravely ventured out armed with the Tooskie, the potty, several changes of clothes, plenty of snacks, and lots of wet wipes. He had also been drilled with an overabundance of potty details before the trip.

They made it through the entire show with no accidents but several trips to the handicapped bathroom~;-) Elijah really had a great time. He was excited to tell everyone about the lions, clowns, dogs, and other animals he saw there.

We had been reading Peter Spier's Circus!

for a few weeks before the circus to help prepare Elijah. He loved this book so much that he cried when we had to return to the library - after three consecutive renewals!

Playing in the Toy Box

Elijah, at 22 months, has yet to crawl out of his crib. Around 21 months he learned to climb on top of the couch. At 20 months he climbed into his toy box. After discovering how uncomfortable it was to sit in there, he has yet to return. I thought I should capture some pictures of his rare adventurous moment.



And, you may have noticed his attire. It was potty training day #2.

All In A Day's Play

We have a very busy schedule here on the homefront; Elijah really has a lot he likes to get done each day. Reading books ("Books! Books! Books!") is, for instance, always a high priority. The couch is the preferred location for reading these days. Hiding behind cushions to read seems to add to the joy.

Elijah has a strong need to be outside. "Play! Play! Owside? Owssssiiiiddddeee!!!" We often venture to Cedar Hill Park.
This was the first time Elijah went down a slide all by himself (1.23.09). After completing the obstacle once, he was hooked. Thus, we played on the slide for quite some time.
Climbing practice was also in order.

Our very favorite part about Cedar Hill Park are the ducks. "Ducks! Ducks! Ducks!" They are good for watching and for chasing.
He was having such a good time!

And then he spotted the duck poop. "Poo-poo." As poo-poo is a recently introduced phenomenon and as it is everywhere around the duck pond, we talked about it a lot. "That is duck poo-poo. No, don't touch it. Yuck! Ducks go poo-poo on the ground. Where do you go poo-poo? That's right. You go poo-poo in the potty!!! Yep, there is more duck poo-poo. No, don't touch it....."
We have tried the big kid swings a few times. These episodes have always ended in a traumatic fall. Yet we continue trying...
We chase the ducks around the pond, into the water, over the bridge, and even into the woods. I figure the ducks probably need the exercise, what with few natural predators at the park.