Our poor little Zoe

Well, since this blog is titled "Eli and Zoe," it's about time Zoe got her own post! I actually meant to give her one long before now, but just hadn't gotten around to it...sorry Zoe! Unfortunately the purpose of this one is not to celebrate something cute she did, but instead to ask for prayers on her behalf. Zoe's had a recurring limp on and off for a couple of months which has recently become more severe. Xrays and two thorough physical exams haven't given any clues as to what the problem is. Zoe has such a high pain tolerance that she just keeps going and going and going, yet doesn't give the vet any indication as to exactly where the pain is. So, Zoe is currently on doctor's orders to rest - and for those of you who know Zoe, you know that's just about impossible. Zoe gets some serious cabin fever when she can't go out to run and play, and she tends to get wound up and race around the house...also a "no-no." So, please pray for our dear Zoe's injury to heal quickly and thoroughly, and for her spirits to not be too dampened by being cooped up inside. Thanks! By the way, the photo is a pre-limp pic of Zoe having the time of her life on the beach during our family vacation to Moclips in August. She was happy as a clam (pun intended!) running along the dunes and the edge of the water. We have the best dog! :) (No offense to you other dog-owners out there...we're just partial to our Zoe!)

Football!

Eli got a new football today; a really cool one that's a mini version of an actual NFL football...and if you ask Daddy, he might just claim that it's his football that he'll happily share with Eli. :) Eli loves it, and has a great time playing catch with Dada. I hate to say it, but the football may just have replaced the basketball as Eli's favorite. :) ...I'm sure that'll change again come basketball season!

Playdate...on a boat?

The Bellevue Square Mall is a mecca for moms who want a place where they can sit and chat (over coffee, of course) while the kids are able to safely get their energy out and have fun. The mall has two play areas with big rubberized boats for kids to play on surrounded by soft benches where moms can keep on eye on the little ones while enjoying each others' company. Eli and I met up with some friends at the ferryboat (the tugboat is currently "docked" for maintenance), and Eli had a blast! This is the first time we've been since he's been completely mobile and upright, and boy was he a happy camper. He climbed to his heart's content, and discovered that the smokestack made a great drum. :) I think we'll probably be playing at the boat often this winter when the weather's yucky and we need to get out of the house.

Fun with friends

The neighborhood kids all just love to play with Eli. It's like he's their own little pet - poor guy! Really, though, they're very sweet with him. Today he had a great time eating goldfish crackers with our five-year-old neighbor, Lily, in her teepee. He especially liked playing peek-a-boo through the back window!

A little side-note; Eli has discovered the power of "no." Look out world! Fortunately, so far he's only using it to let us know if he doesn't want something we're offering him...but we know our days are numbered. :)

Wow, what a weekend!

Ryan, Eli, and I spent Friday and Saturday on a bus trip to Seaside, OR with the Eastlake High School cross-country team. Boy, was it an adventure! Eli got sick on the way down (on the bus!) and, of course, I hadn't brought a spare change of clothes. So, we had to strip him down and put him in one of the team t-shirts. He kind of looked like Yoda, this little 3 foot tall guy in a floor-length shirt toddling around! :) Fortunately, he recovered quickly from his sick stomach and was well (but very tired) the next day for the big meet. He had a remarkably good time working the buckles on both his car seat and his stroller. The highlight of the trip was the time we got to spend in Seaside on the way back. It was nice to have a little time just for the three of us, especially in such a pretty place! The two highlights for Eli were all the dogs he got to see and pet at the meet...and the finale of the trip; Eli's first ice cream! Ryan and I got ice cream cones after lunch, and had to share with Eli. I think he shares his Mommy's love of ice cream!

Flying high

When Daddy comes home, one of Eli's favorite things to do is be tossed in the air! You can see the sheer joy in his face...and Daddy loves it too!

Brrrm, Brrrm!

Some of Eli's favorite things these days are trucks (especially big trucks like cement mixers and dump trucks) and anything else that goes "brrrm, brrrm." He likes to point them out wherever we go. Today after our moms' group we headed to the outlet mall, which proved fortuitous when Eli found some very exciting cars! The first is the apple car from one of Eli's favorite books, Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks from A to Z (great birthday gift, Unkie!). He had a great time driving with the toddler-sized worm. :) Next, Eli made a very exciting new friend: Spiderman! He was very excited about driving Spiderman's car and pushing all of the buttons inside...all the while saying "brrrm, brrrm!" Needless to say, all this driving was very exciting. The funny thing is that Eli only likes these rides if they're not moving! He does the same thing with the horse at the grocery store; he loves to ride it as long as you don't put in the quarters to actually make it "go." At least it saves me the trouble of rummaging through my coin purse for quarters every time. :) Funny boy!

Go Hawks!

Despite the Seahawks' sad defeat, our little man had a great time watching the game today! We hooked his booster seat into his recliner (yes, he has a pint-sized recliner that we picked up at a garage sale this summer!) so that he could eat lunch while watching the game. As you can see, he thought it was a blast. We even got him to throw his hands up in the air and say "yay!" for a touchdown. He clearly didn't know what was going on, but was delighted by the reaction he got from us! :)

Date with Nana

Eli and I had a great day; lunch with Nana, new clothes and a rocking horse, and Starbuck's to top it off...how do you beat that? We started off with lunch, where Eli was certain that Grandpa ("Mpa!") was sitting in the next booth over...until he went to say hello. Fortunately the man was very nice. :) Then Nana took us to a great little consignment shop where Eli fell in love with a "neigh neigh" - which he convinced us he must bring home! He's awfully cute riding his horse, patting it's mane, and giving it kisses! We also hit the outlet mall for some winter wardrobe necessities...then hit Starbuck's for Mama's and Nana's "necessities." :) Don't worry, Eli only got a few sips, and it was just a blueberry Frappuccino. It practically has real blueberries in it, which makes it practically health food. ;)

Walking tall

A picture's worth a thousand words...and that face is worth even more! Needless to say, he's having a blast practicing his new skill! :)

On the move

Eli's a walking machine! He really enjoyed practicing in the backyard today. Our nice soft grass (great job Dada!) made the falls much more bearable, and he had lots of space to just go, go, go. I was so impressed with how he just kept getting right back up to keep going; even after some serious face-plants, he just giggled and got back up! (If you listen closely you can hear him) Our little man loves his new mobility! Hope you enjoy the video as much as we're enjoying the real thing. :) By the way, if you're able to pry your eyes away from our precious little walker, you can catch a tiny glimpse of the fabulous deck Ryan built us this summer (with lots of great help from Mom and Dad, and a little from me!).

Walking!

Okay, so Eli has definitely been taking his time walking. His first steps were over a month ago (on August 5th), but he just hasn't felt the need to take more than a few steps a day since then. He had taken up to 6 or 7 at a time, but that's about it. Well, that all changed today...our little man is suddenly a walking machine! :) He's having a blast walking all over the place. Wish us luck now that we officially have a toddler to keep up with! On a serious note, we are more and more grateful for every moment that the Lord gives us with this precious little boy! He amazes, delights, and impresses us every day, and we continue to fall more and more in love with him. Praise God for all of the amazing things Eli does daily as he continues to grow and develop.

1-0!

For anyone who might have missed it, our Seattle Seahawks kicked off the football season yesterday with a 20-6 win over Tampa Bay. Go Hawks! We enjoyed a fun afternoon of football and food with some good friends who have a little girl (Naomi) just a month younger than Eli. As you can see in the photo, Naomi and Eli weren't all that into the game! :) That's okay, though, no TV 'til they're 2, right? Well, we might make a slight exception for football. Besides, Dada's doing a great job of using it as a teaching opportunity...all day today Eli's been finding footballs to show me in his books!

Fun on the Farm

On Wednesday, Eli and I went to the South 47 Farm here in Redmond with our Moms' Group. They do a "Farm Tots" program that includes an art activity, hay ride, and picking a snack...not "choosing" a snack, but actually picking it from the crops they grow on the farm! The snack that day was green beans, and Eli surprised me by picking the beans and eating them right off the vines! Eli had a great time watching the farm's goats play; I think he would have watched them for an hour if I hadn't taken him to the next activity. He definitely enjoyed the hay ride...but the highlight came after the ride when he got to "drive" the tractor! You can certainly see the excitement on his face! It was definitely a fun morning.