Elli's Current Loves

Here is a list of Elli's current loves:

• As of today, the Children's Museum Carousel ride - we rode it THREE times because she would sign 'more' after each ride was over. She would perform her upper body provocative dance (you have to see it to believe it...it's a bit of a shimmy and shake) when she was on the ride and then clap her hands along with the music. I saw people laughing as they saw her go past them. I am so proud! :)
• Praise Baby DVDs - God bless my sister in law for introducing these to us! I bought the set of 4 and boy am I glad. Every morning Elli watches the videos on the way to Ehrin's. It used to be a fussy 15 minute trip but now she is enamored by them completely. They have also been great for other longer car rides.
• Fruit Smoothies - because our mornings are typically hectic (and I like for Elli to sleep as long as she possibly can) I make her a fruit smoothie every morning and she sucks it down in no time on the way to Ehrin's. It's super healthy too which is a big bonus.
• Pot Roast - she's still a fantastic eater (PTL!) but she seems to particular pot roast and any vegetable done in the crock pot. I made it Tuesday and she said "mmmm" through the whole dinner. I figures that was a good sign.
• Coke/Diet Coke/Root Beer/any beverage in a cup with a straw that you are drinking - I will go ahead and blame my amazing and wonderful parents for this one. We try to limit as much as possible, but sometimes you just have to choose your battles!
• Her cousins - it seems as times that it's a love/hate relationship but overall Elli loves playing with her cousins and seems to get a huge kick out of them.
• Pretend play - typically with babies and/or fake food/kitchen toys.
• Coloring - she loves to color anything and everything. She seems to be very serious about it when she is coloring. Maybe she'll be an artist like her Mamaw!!!
• Talking - I guess it should be termed 'gibbering', but boy does she like to tell you all about it. I wish I knew what she was thinking as she talked.
• Talking on the phone - she will take pretend phones or our phones and talk and talk and talk on them typically as she is walking around the house. She talks really loud when she is on the phone so I always get a kick out of it. I wonder where she got the loud talking from. Greg, probably! :)
• Carrying her purse - she loves carrying around a little purse and goes to great lengths to keep it on her elbow or shoulder. I know I am severely biased, but it's adorable.
• Her mommy - bias aside, Elli is definitely a mommy's girl, but she has a serious crush on her daddy!! :)
• Uncle Syd - speaking of crushes, Elli L-O-V-E-S Syd.
• Grandpa Kevin - I don't know how this man does it, but kids love him. Elli is definitely no exception and I would say even more than being a mommy's girl, Elli continues to be a Grandpa's girl.
• Taking things apart and putting them back together - lids are a good example, but basically anything that you can take apart Elli is really into trying to put back together.
• Repeating everything you do - and when I say everything I mean it! She's such a little monkey!

Elli is in such an amazing stage right now. She's learning new things all the time and I'm amazed almost every day at the new things she is learning. I often underestimate how much she understands. I am so blessed by her. Greg and I can't get enough of her and have so much fun having dance parties to the opening song of the Winnie the Pooh cartoon. We also just love loving on her. She rocks.

The pictures below are taken in our backyard earlier this week on an awesome fall evening. I love playing with our camera settings.

At the Children's Museum today: