Elliott: Year 2, Week 47 (July 11

Elliott: Year 2, Week 47 (July 11 - 18, 2004)

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Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mike"
After swimming and escaping from his wet suit, Elliott gently touches a cosmos blossom
Hmm, the color red? (Elliott LOVES to "draw a pickure" and draws dozens every day)

Strange, but true.
A raccoon accruing frequent feeder miles. Squirrel-proof, somewhat. Raccoon-proof, never.
Sha-la-la-la-la-la,
go on and kiss the girl

Wow. Just Wow.
After the watermelon experience, Elliott takes a quick dip in the sink.
Happiness is a plastic funnel.

I could stay here all day..
Jasmine came over on a hot day, and we set up the hose toys.
Elliott figures out that touching the stream will spray him.

Wow, big rocket!
Jasmine gets a turn with the precious watering can
ooh hoo hoo hooooo!

scooping and dumping
Jasmine can swing on the big swing now!
Ahh, yummy pop!

Mine's berry, what's yours?
doing the popsicle dance
Mom, does he ever stop moving?

Jasmine gets popsicle on a finger - oh no!
meanwhile, Elliott's becoming one with his popsicle
Kid, you're eating just a little too slowly

Oh, drips! Sweet gesture, but...
Contemplating the nature of the pop.
Oh dear, more berry goo!

I'll just clean my face...
Hmm, that wiping up didn't seem to help..
Oh well, don't worry, be happy!

Later on, we went outside to play with the "giant ball"
Jasmine's a budding soccer player
oh, Elliott got it!

Gus enjoys his carrot top snack
Elliott helps feed Gus
Here, have it all!
We went camping on Burton Island in Lake Champlain with our friends Jerry and Kristen. These are Friday and Saturday's pictures. Sunday's will be in the next week's installment.

Elliott peers into the ashes, waiting for us to get ready for our first swim
The water was chilly, but we had fun! Time for a snuggle with Dad.
Elliott Boy Wonder practices his bowl levitation.

Ahh, he manages the back of the shoulder balance!
communing with the bowl
In spite of his talents, Kristen explains to Elliott that he probably isn't The One.

A very merry unbirthday to Stef!
Yummy!
Elliott is invited over to the neighboring campsite for some bubble popping

Yay, another kid!
This is January, a friend from camp
OK, you blow the bubbles,

and I'll pop them! hehehee!
Jim, Stef and Scott return home on the last ferry of the day
Bye Bye!

Elliott watches from his favorite perch
OK, back to business - yummy!
Elliott discovers the water fountain

It's a good thing it's summertime!
I want one of those!
Weee!

Hmm, burying Dada is going to be a big job
Elliott had a BLAST in the "giant sandbox"
"hiding" his feet

Having a spiritual moment with Dada and the sand
A few choice phrases from this week:
"warm up a bear" as he puts blankets on his bear
"love you dadda, love you mamma" over and over as we were all falling asleep (with lots of hugging and snuggling too)
Since I have been staying home, I frequently turn on VPR, our public radio station. I've gotten in the habit of trying to catch the afternoon/evening news a lot lately, as we play and make supper. This week, we were drawing, and Elliott started humming the theme to All Things considered! Hmm!
He uses "Elliott sad", "Elliott happy", "Elliott mad!" to describe himself - spontaneously. He'll be drawing with crayons with me, and just say "Elliott happy!". It's so cute.
I've been washing and sorting laundry a lot lately, and he loves "picking clothes" - usually picking clothes out of the basket and tossing them all over the room and/or handing them to me. While doing this, he said, "Elliott bringing clothes", and then amazingly, "Elliott brought clothes".
"mama, Elliott help snake found crayon!" "snake hug.. fall down snake. Crayon? C'mon snake, let's draw snake!" "bus here too, airplane too, truck too..." - he likes making lists of things, and pointing out and naming objects. He's getting better at asking to do things. For instance, this week he said, "Elliott outside, a little bit, happy", meaning "I want to go outside, for a little bit - it would make me happy". Hard to resist granting that wish.
He is just starting to actually ask for food when he's hungry (instead of just melting and acting grumpy, or asking to nurse constantly, until I figure out what's up). Today, he spontaneously asked for lemon ice. Not the best food in the world, but it's a start.
At bedtime, he said, "Dada, don't sleepytime" when he didn't want to go to bed. Later though, he said, "Elliott tired - nap time".
He took the clothes off a male barbie doll of his this week. I'd never seen him curious about taking the clothes off a doll.. but he recently stripped his cabbage patch premie "Timmy" too (both of these are from my childhood). He doesn't have any girl barbies, which is fine by me.
He's really starting to use the potty more. We don't push it, but if he's been dry for a while, we'll invite him to go. We usually flip through a board book and he goes pretty quickly. A few times lately, he's even been dry all night and gone to the potty in the morning. Pretty cool. He still can't tell when he has to go before he goes, but at least he can go "on command" when he sits on the potty. We're just trying to keep it a fun, positive experience for him at this point.
Grandma came over this week and helped us clean the basement a bit, after having brunch out at a local cafe. Elliott was REALLY amazingly good at the cafe. We dillydallied over our breakfast for well over an hour, and he stuck around, played with the toys we brought, smiled at the people coming in, ate a ton of blueberries and was in general a perfectly pleasant, sweet kid who listened to directions and was a pleasure to be with. I don't want to say I was shocked, but it was very different from my experience there even a few months ago, where he wanted to get down, explore, whack the plants, climb the shelves, peer under the refrigerator, climb the stairs, etc.
Later, we brought him down to the basement while we finished up. He was such a good listener, not touching the things we told him not to touch. He just ran around pointing things out, asking questions, and being a good kid. I was really impressed.
Stay tuned for two weeks from now, where the above paragraphs will seem like a fading distant memory.
I'll describe our camping adventures soon too.. running out of time right now.

Back to Year 2, Week 46
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Go on to Year 2, Week 48

Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mike"	After swimming and escaping from his wet suit, Elliott gently touches a cosmos blossom	Hmm, the color red? (Elliott LOVES to "draw a pickure" and draws dozens every day)
Strange, but true.	A raccoon accruing frequent feeder miles. Squirrel-proof, somewhat. Raccoon-proof, never.	Sha-la-la-la-la-la, go on and kiss the girl
Wow. Just Wow.	After the watermelon experience, Elliott takes a quick dip in the sink.	Happiness is a plastic funnel.
I could stay here all day..	Jasmine came over on a hot day, and we set up the hose toys.	Elliott figures out that touching the stream will spray him.
Wow, big rocket!	Jasmine gets a turn with the precious watering can	ooh hoo hoo hooooo!
scooping and dumping	Jasmine can swing on the big swing now!	Ahh, yummy pop!
Mine's berry, what's yours?	doing the popsicle dance	Mom, does he ever stop moving?
Jasmine gets popsicle on a finger - oh no!	meanwhile, Elliott's becoming one with his popsicle	Kid, you're eating just a little too slowly
Oh, drips! Sweet gesture, but...	Contemplating the nature of the pop.	Oh dear, more berry goo!
I'll just clean my face...	Hmm, that wiping up didn't seem to help..	Oh well, don't worry, be happy!
Later on, we went outside to play with the "giant ball"	Jasmine's a budding soccer player	oh, Elliott got it!
Gus enjoys his carrot top snack	Elliott helps feed Gus	Here, have it all!
We went camping on Burton Island in Lake Champlain with our friends Jerry and Kristen. These are Friday and Saturday's pictures. Sunday's will be in the next week's installment.
Elliott peers into the ashes, waiting for us to get ready for our first swim	The water was chilly, but we had fun! Time for a snuggle with Dad.	Elliott Boy Wonder practices his bowl levitation.
Ahh, he manages the back of the shoulder balance!	communing with the bowl	In spite of his talents, Kristen explains to Elliott that he probably isn't The One.
A very merry unbirthday to Stef!	Yummy!	Elliott is invited over to the neighboring campsite for some bubble popping
Yay, another kid!	This is January, a friend from camp	OK, you blow the bubbles,
and I'll pop them! hehehee!	Jim, Stef and Scott return home on the last ferry of the day	Bye Bye!
Elliott watches from his favorite perch	OK, back to business - yummy!	Elliott discovers the water fountain
It's a good thing it's summertime!	I want one of those!	Weee!
Hmm, burying Dada is going to be a big job	Elliott had a BLAST in the "giant sandbox"	"hiding" his feet
	Having a spiritual moment with Dada and the sand
A few choice phrases from this week: "warm up a bear" as he puts blankets on his bear "love you dadda, love you mamma" over and over as we were all falling asleep (with lots of hugging and snuggling too) Since I have been staying home, I frequently turn on VPR, our public radio station. I've gotten in the habit of trying to catch the afternoon/evening news a lot lately, as we play and make supper. This week, we were drawing, and Elliott started humming the theme to All Things considered! Hmm! He uses "Elliott sad", "Elliott happy", "Elliott mad!" to describe himself - spontaneously. He'll be drawing with crayons with me, and just say "Elliott happy!". It's so cute. I've been washing and sorting laundry a lot lately, and he loves "picking clothes" - usually picking clothes out of the basket and tossing them all over the room and/or handing them to me. While doing this, he said, "Elliott bringing clothes", and then amazingly, "Elliott brought clothes". "mama, Elliott help snake found crayon!" "snake hug.. fall down snake. Crayon? C'mon snake, let's draw snake!" "bus here too, airplane too, truck too..." - he likes making lists of things, and pointing out and naming objects. He's getting better at asking to do things. For instance, this week he said, "Elliott outside, a little bit, happy", meaning "I want to go outside, for a little bit - it would make me happy". Hard to resist granting that wish. He is just starting to actually ask for food when he's hungry (instead of just melting and acting grumpy, or asking to nurse constantly, until I figure out what's up). Today, he spontaneously asked for lemon ice. Not the best food in the world, but it's a start. At bedtime, he said, "Dada, don't sleepytime" when he didn't want to go to bed. Later though, he said, "Elliott tired - nap time". He took the clothes off a male barbie doll of his this week. I'd never seen him curious about taking the clothes off a doll.. but he recently stripped his cabbage patch premie "Timmy" too (both of these are from my childhood). He doesn't have any girl barbies, which is fine by me. He's really starting to use the potty more. We don't push it, but if he's been dry for a while, we'll invite him to go. We usually flip through a board book and he goes pretty quickly. A few times lately, he's even been dry all night and gone to the potty in the morning. Pretty cool. He still can't tell when he has to go before he goes, but at least he can go "on command" when he sits on the potty. We're just trying to keep it a fun, positive experience for him at this point. Grandma came over this week and helped us clean the basement a bit, after having brunch out at a local cafe. Elliott was REALLY amazingly good at the cafe. We dillydallied over our breakfast for well over an hour, and he stuck around, played with the toys we brought, smiled at the people coming in, ate a ton of blueberries and was in general a perfectly pleasant, sweet kid who listened to directions and was a pleasure to be with. I don't want to say I was shocked, but it was very different from my experience there even a few months ago, where he wanted to get down, explore, whack the plants, climb the shelves, peer under the refrigerator, climb the stairs, etc. Later, we brought him down to the basement while we finished up. He was such a good listener, not touching the things we told him not to touch. He just ran around pointing things out, asking questions, and being a good kid. I was really impressed. Stay tuned for two weeks from now, where the above paragraphs will seem like a fading distant memory. I'll describe our camping adventures soon too.. running out of time right now.