Thanksgiving in MN

Hanging out with Grandma RJ and Grandpa David on Wednesday night

Bouncing on Campbell's bed

and more bouncing

and Ringing Around the Rosies with Campbell

and falling

and helping each other up

and rearranging pillows

Bedtime stories with Grandma RJ

Friday morning cuddles with my Cuz

Getting some kitty love from Cousin Hannah's fluffy pal

At Cousin Hannah's house, watching the Daddys hard at work

How many Daddys does it take to put in a light bulb?

More cuddle time with Campbell

and climbing over mountains

and loving my Cousin time!

A quick visit to Papa's house

On a cold and rainy day, Papa took Mama and me to the children's museum. 

They had a big barn with lots of animals just like my animals at home!

Mama thought it was too cold to play outside, but Papa took me out to jump on the trampoline.

Papa taught me how to race cars down the tracks!

Grandma Julie made some gingerbread, and Papa helped me frost the special little cake she made just for me.

Yummy!

One afternoon more grand kids came over to play, and Grandma Julie read us stories.

Autumn Quotes

While trick-or-treating at a friend's house, Elsie received a full-sized Starburst package which she was VERY excited about.  Walking toward another house on the way home, we decided to "practice" the polite things to say ("trick or treat", thank you)....

Daddy:  Elsie, let's practice our manners.  Knock, knock...now what do you say?
Elsie:  Elsie wants a really, really big treat?

***

After the fifth round of Ring Around The Rosies...
 
Elsie:  Again!
Daddy (as Elsie begins to run in circles):  Okay, but you sing this time.
Elsie:  No, Daddy sing!
Daddy:  I've sung it a few times already.  It's your turn to sing.
Elsie:  No, Daddy,  I'm too busy running.  You will have to sing.

***

Elsie:  Oh, my goodness!  Mama, I think Elmo has a baby in his tummy just like you do!  Elmo has a boy baby in his tummy.  I think Elmo is pretty silly!

***

Elsie:  I want to go to Papa's house!

Mama:  What is your favorite thing about going to Papa's house?

Elsie:  Dino Dinosaur!  And Mama, I really like Grandma Julie, too.

***

I went in to the doctor to get some blood drawn, and asked Elsie to hold my hand and help me be brave (mostly to keep her out of trouble while I was in the chair).  Afterwards, this was our conversation:

Mama:  That you for holding my hand so nicely and helping me be brave!

Elsie:  Mama, you're brave all by your own self. 

Reading stories- a guest post from Mama

Tonight at bedtime, Elsie declared that she did not want me to read her any stories. 

Instead,  she decided that she was going to read to me.  She then proceeded to "read" to me (extremely accurately, I might add)  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, A Mudpie For Mother, What Will Little Bear Wear?, and Take Care, Good Knight.  After telling me that was her "last, last" book before bedtime, my not-yet-2.5-year-old explained that she has been practicing her reading very hard every day during quiet time.  I guess so!  Kindergarten, here we come.

Playing with Lila Puppy!

My first race!

Last weekend, Mama and Daddy took me here to run my first road race!  It was a 100 yard dash, and we got to wear costumes!  It was really fun because it was at a park, so I got to play while we waited for the race to start.  See the bouncy house?  Normally I really like them, but this one had lots of big kids in it, so I decided not to bounce for very long.

When it was time for the race, Daddy and I walked to the start line together, and Mama stayed to greet me at the finish line.

I was really excited until we got to the start line and two big kids with HUGE angry bird costumes started swarming around me.  I was so scared!  When it was time to run, I didn't want to be next to them, so I made daddy walk with me WAY behind those scary birds.

When all the other scary costumes were out of the way, I let go of Daddy's hand and sprinted into Mama's arms.  And they gave me this ribbon as a prize!  Hooray!

Stinky Pants and other tidbits

Mama:  Elsie, I smell something.  Is there something stinky in your pants?
Elsie:  No, Mama.  Elsie makes her poopers in the potty chair.
Mama:  Oh you do, do you?  I think I smell something in your pants...
Elsie:  Mama has stinky pants!
Mama:  No, I don't think it's me who has stinky pants.  Who else could it be?
Elsie:  Grandma RJ!
Mama:  No, it's not Grandma RJ.  Who else could it be?
Elsie:  Grandma Dorothy!
Mama:  No, it's not Grandma Dorothy.  Who else could it be?
Elsie:  Daddy!
Mama:  No, I don't think it's Daddy.  Who else could it be?
Elsie:  Maaaaaybe Elsie?

***

Daddy:  Elsie, I think we should get you a big hamster wheel and hook it up to a generator.

Elsie (eyes huge):  Yes!  Elsie would like that very much.  Daddy go get Mamster Wheel right now?

***

Playing on the iphone in bed, just like Daddy!

***

Elsie:  Mama, you want to look in Elsie's bottom?

Mama:  Look in your bottom?  What would I find in your bottom?

Elsie:  Elsie's tail!

Mama:  Your tail?  What kind of tail is it?  A kitty tail?

Elsie (grabbing my braid and shaking it):  No, Mama, it's a Mama tail in Elsie's bottom!

***

Elsie:  Daddy, I want to be just like you!

***

Elsie (While being tucked into bed):  Mama, Elsie wake up in two minutes, okay?

Mama:  Well, it's night time, so I think we better sleep longer than two minutes.  We need to rest our minds and rest our bodies so that we will be ready to play again tomorrow.

Elsie:  Okay.  Elsie go to sleep to rest.  Elsie be ready in two minutes!

***

 Giving myself a ride on my big-kid swing!

 ***

Elsie (while rubbing her eyes and laying her head on the table): Elsie is very sleepy.
Daddy: Maybe we should go lay down in your bed and take a rest?
Elsie (as she sprints out of the room): No! Elsie doesn't need to rest!

***

Elsie:  Elsie's baby had a pooper!  

Mama:  Oh, my!  Should we change her pants?  

Elsie:  No, her pants are clean!  

Mama:  Hmm...if her pants are clean, where did she make her pooper?  In the potty?

Elsie:  No!  On Elsie's foot.  See baby's pooper?

(No, it wasn't a "baby pooper"....it was a fur ball Elsie had stepped in.  Lovely.)

***

Daddy (upon "finding" Elsie "hiding" under the yoga mat):  Elsie!  There you are!  What are you doing in there?

Elsie:  Daddy, Elsie drinking tea in here.

Garden Fail- guest post from Mama

Our garden this year was, well, was NOT.  Lack of energy and man power, lack of an effective spring tilling, lack of a raised bed, lack of appropriate research into seed choices...all conspired against us to produce nothing but a harvest of tomatoes and raspberries.  Quite a sad state of affairs, after last year's plethora of goodness in the form of basil, tomatoes, raspberries, corn, string beans, snap peas, carrots, lettuce, and strawberries.  Ah, well.  This year did make for a nice harvest of weeds, so at least something was growing.

I was feeling quite sad about it, really, until I ran across this lovely thought from Amanda Soule.  Though her garden is practically farm-sized, and her harvests do a large part to supply her family of seven with food for the winter, I was instantly consoled by her beautiful thoughts on gardening failure.

"...Each year that I've gardened has shown me once again how very different each year is from the last. I'm assured that it will keep the act interesting in the years and decades to come - with no two gardens ever looking the same. I am reminded that it isn't a formulaic mathematical process after all - but rather a dance. A dance with weather, landscape, time, health and energy all factoring in to creating something together."

Humbling words, no?

And one unexpected benefit of missing out on our own garden has been a renewed joy in finding the plethora of life growing in our neighborhood.  Our neighbors have been extremely generous with their extra produce and flowers, and Elsie has moved on from picking berries to picking other growing things...like flowers, sticks, and pine cones.  She's become quite the leaf connoisseur, bringing home beautiful handfuls at a time for various craft projects.  Luckily, our wonderful neighbors Lila Puppy and Heather have let us tag along on their walks...Lila has a nack for finding all the best, most colorful trees in the neighborhood!

Eplegaarden with the Albrechts!

Mama and Daddy have been going apple and pumpkin picking with the Albrechts for years- since even before I was born! Now that Simon and I can help, apple picking is a lot more fun for them.  And next year there will be another Baby Albrecht and another Baby Cooper to help out, too!

Daddy and me and Simon and Mister Alex all walked together.

Last year, Simon was too little to walk (I could walk, but I didn't want to)!

And the year before that, he wasn't even around yet!

The pumpkin fields are really big, so Daddy carried me while we searched for the perfect one.  I would have walked, but I was wearing my pumpkin coat, and Mama and Daddy were worried I would get lost amongst all the REAL pumpkins!

After we all found pumpkins, we loaded them up in the wagon.

When we were looking at the horses, Mister Alex found milk pods to play with.  Simon and I love throwing the fuzz into the windy, windy sky!

And just in case you were wondering how big I am, 

Mama has been taking these fun pictures to help you remember!

2010

2011

2012