1st Dance Recital

Starting in September '12, Eliza and I started a Mommy & Me dance combo ballet/tap class.  When we first started, Eliza was just 15 months old and enjoyed playing with the balls and balance beam.  As we continued with class each week, she began enjoying the actual dancing and really picked up on the moves.  One thing she never liked, however--the parachute ride and flapping!  But other than that, by winter, Eliza could do arabesque and passe when asked.  Eliza and I both had fun during our weekly classes.  During late winter and through spring we began rehearsing her recital routine.  By the end, Eliza could do the dance with Mommy!

On June 7, 2013 we had her first dance recital.  It was quite the production!  The ballet portion was Pinocchio and Eliza's class (including the mommies dressed in all black) were the Cleo fishies.  We had a big dress rehearsal the week before, and none of the girls in class freaked out!  On recital night, the girls did wonderfully, too, and no one cried or ran off stage.  :)  While Eliza didn't do much of the routine like she has at home or during class (in front of a full wall of mirrors), it was a fun night.

Pre-recital fun with Uncle Adam

Here is the video of our routine.  Eliza and Mommy are the first to enter so are on the far left of the video.  It takes a second for the camera to catch back up to us after we run across stage to our places. UPDATE: 6/26/13--full recital video now posted!

Post-recital with Mommy

With her treat bucket

Doing an arabesque on the floor

Passe!

Pinnocchio

We will be continuing in dance in some capacity in the future!  

First Trip to Children's Museum

On May 4, we took Eliza to the Children's Museum for the first time!  We spent a couple hours there and were unsure how she'd like it.  Being a Saturday, it was a little busy so we skipped the Dinosaur section which from prior experience with our nephews and niece is very popular!  Eliza isn't into dinos yet, so we  don't think we missed out.  Eliza had fun, but I think we'll wait awhile to go back because she didn't get into the exhibits much.  We'll try again in the fall.  Here's a few pictures we took while there.

Weeee!  A slide!

And a carousel!!

Museum play is serious business.

Funny mirrors

So much fun in the mirrors

Taking a break for a tea party

Trying to make the balls go

Loving the Rody

Such a sweet sweet smile!

Toddler Tuesday: First Gymnastics Class!

First, this is our LAST Toddler Tuesday post about our one-year-old.  Yep, in one week Eliza will be a two-year-old.  Please say a prayer for Gary and I that we don't lose our minds over this fact!  :)

Second, we have begun a new Tuesday activity:  Tiny Twinklers gymnastics class!  This is another parent-toddler class that I will mainly participate with Eliza in, but Gary will take some turns as well.  We had a great time tonight at our first class!  We did some floor activities, beam work, bar work, and fun in the pit (a sunken foam pit--for lack of a better description).  She loved it and we did some handstands/headstands and forward rolls when we got home, too.  Well, not "we", Eliza did!  ;)  Here are some pictures and a video!

Let me in!!

Stretching

Waving to Daddy!

On the wide beam

On the high beam like a big girl

Taking in the bars

Listening to instructions

Hanging out in the pit

Receiving a coloring sheet after class

Toddler Tuesday: First Haircut

On Monday, we took Eliza to Cookie Cutters, a specialty place for kids haircuts.  While I've been trimming up her bangs from time to time, as well as some long stragglers in the back once, Eliza had never had a "real" haircut.  We chose to go to a kids place so there was plenty of distraction.  She really liked the carousel horse, but ultimately, she sat in the little race car the spins (much more stability!).  Each chair also has a tv/dvd player and there is a wide selection of videos.  We went with a San Diego Zoo video narrated by animated animals.  It was a hit!  She sat mostly very still and did a great job.  The next time she needs an all-over haircut, we'll probably just take her to my salon--but we are glad we had this experience for the first time.

Before

Taking a spin

Sitting still

I'm not so sure about this!

She's thinking, "Don't block the TV!"

Bang trim

Unwrapping her celebratory sucker

Can't tear her eyes away from the video to smile with Mommy!

It made me a little sad to see the length go away, but it will grow back and probably look nicer!  It looks very nice and we are happy.

First Popsicle (in January!)

As odd as it sounds, Eliza had her first popsicle not too long ago--yes, in the middle of January!  While it may be cold outside, they just sounded yummy and we had some real fruit juice popsicles in the freezer.  So why not?

Eliza wasn't too sure about it, though.  But something tells me she'll probably eat them right up this summer.  :)

I'm the cutest!

What.is.that.

Well, ok, I guess I'll try it.

I don't love, it, but I'll smile for you, Mama!

Well Baby & School Report

Today Eliza had her 18 month well baby visit a little late!  Her pediatrician has been on leave, so we needed to reschedule.  While we were disappointed that we couldn't have this check-up when she actually 18 months, we also were happy that our pediatrician felt that Eliza's development was on track so that we could wait!

Here were the stats:

Weight--22lbs, 35%
Height--33in, 67%
Head circumference--82%

Her milestones are right on track (well, we'd hope so considering she is almost 20 months!).  She has between 10-20 single words in her vocabulary (at least!), can scribble, is climbing stairs, is using utensils, and responds to commands.

The pediatrician was so happy to see Eliza, even though Eliza was the most apprehensive she's ever been at an appointment.  This is due in part to her age (apparently it's very normal for this age range), and the fact that it's been so long since we've been in the office!  Eliza's first year of life we were in the pediatrician's office, literally, every month.  So far in her second year, it's been a LOT less frequent--which is wonderful!  But we love the pediatrician so much that I was sad Eliza was so scared.  And then, she had one immunization and a toe prick at the end.  We haven't seen her that upset in so long and it was very hard for all of us!

This week we also received a status report from her daycare teacher!  It was so fun to see how she is learning and developing from her teacher's eyes.  We are happy to report that many of her skills are above her current age range. Her teacher specifically said "Eliza will remove toys that she does not want in a group"!  Of course she does--she is a very particular little girl! :)  Another funny comment from her teacher is how Eliza always comments on whether her food is hot or cold, or the water she uses to wash her hands.  She also will say it's "cold outside when her hands get cold on the playground."  She can also draw circles!  Though, she doesn't try to imitate objects, it's just a scribble she makes.  One of the skills we are so impressed with that her teacher noted, too, is how Eliza is able to assist in dressing and undressing herself.  It's such a big-girl thing to do and amazes us every time!

Well, that's the end of this update!  A little more boring than our usual ones, but since this blog is also partly Eliza's baby book / mommy-daddy journal, we wanted to document this here.  :)

Someone Loves Pumpkins!

When we went to the grocery store on Saturday, there was a big pumpkin display at the entrance.  Eliza immediately "ooooohed" and "aaaaaahed" at the pumpkins.  So we let her "pick" one on our way out--she picked a giant one on the floor that she could reach and touch.  It was actually one I would have chosen, too!

We decided to skip the messy carving and instead chose messy finger painting to decorate our pumpkin!  It's an easy and toddler-friendly approach.  Here's the photo-diary of the whole thing!

Finding "the one":

Then the painting, the next day:

Pumpkin Patch!

This weekend we went with neighbors to a pumpkin patch.  We came home empty-handed of pumpkins, but  took plenty of pictures.  Obviously.  Eliza loved it!

Wait, we're not here for rocks?  Because these are awesome!

Can I pick this up?

Hayride to the pumpkin patch

Posing in front of the Farmall tractor (Eliza's Great-Grandpa Troutman had a Farmall and Grandpa "spent many hours" on one!)

I like this one!

The four babies

Showing off her pumpkin shirt!

Sitting on a pumpkin is neat!

With her Daddy

Eliza finds another one!

Love this face.

Trying on Daddy's hat

Our little punkin!

I love this!