happy birthday to you!

happy first birthday lyla!

faux shopping

we went to the discovery center the other day. both kids loved the grocery store. i've never played in there with eli, but he knew exactly what to do. he got a cart and started loading it up with food (and cat food, which i thought was funny b/c we don't have a cat and have never bought cat food...maybe that is why he laughed a little when he picked it up). after shopping he went the the register and ever so seriously loaded his items onto the belt. the little girl who checked him out was also all business. i was bursting with pride at his shopping skills.

lyla was a big fan of the fruit and vegetable section. she was fake eating the fake food...it was soooo cute. she had a fit when we left, not so cute:(

it was closing time but eli snuck in a ride on the lift-yourself chair, and of course, loved it.

lyla's first birthday

we celebrated lyla's birthday this weekend. she had a fantastic time:)
she really seemed to enjoy her cake and even opening her gifts.

it was a beach/hawaiian theme...thus the surfboard cake.

the kiddos waiting patiently to take their shot at the pinata.

eli was soooo excited to finally get to do the pinata...he had been waiting all week for the party (mostly for the cake and pinata).

she decided to climb on her gifts before opening them...

we had a fun time with our friends, the kids had a fun time with there friends. it was a good day:)

silly kids

when you're three, sitting is the secondary use for a couch.

you gotta love lyla's face here...

this picture is to make up for the last one...

growing up so fast

"i'm a yittle tired, i think i need some coffee" -eli

oh, lyla

i don't know how we escaped it the first time around. i hear stories from parents all the time about it happening in the grocery store, restaurants or other public places. and don't get me wrong, i've never taken for granted my lack of experience in this area. i counted my blessings many times. but i have also always worried that the second one would be different...well, she is.

yesterday i experienced my first in-store-temper-tantrum. i kind of feel like i've joined the inner circle of parenthood. i withstood the screaming, back arching, and head throwing. yes, i've gone to war and came out alive.

our other issues: hitting and throwing things. i know, where does a one year old learn these things!?! she threw a car at me this morning because she was mad that she could not touch the computer. wow.

she is lucky she's cute.

playing

i love this picture for two reasons.
1. they're playing together. i love that. she's only one (almost) and they are playing. he always wants her to come in his room and play with him...i think he likes the company.
2. her skirt and cute little legs:)

she is really starting to walk. she can go about 4-5 feet sometimes. today she was sitting on the step in our living room and just stood up and started walking...nowhere in particular, just walking. she is still really unstable most of the time, but sometimes she looks like she really knows what she's doing.

eli is just being eli. the good stuff always seems to happen while we're driving, probably because he's strapped down so he has time to sort through his thoughts. the latest was, "i wish i had fire in my nose, so that when i did this (blowing air out of his nose) fire would come out." i said, "yeah?" and he proceeded to confirm, "but we can't do that, only dragons can do that(?)." the last part cracks me up because he knows that people can't do that, so he won't just come out and ask. but he's holding onto the hope that there is just a slight chance that we can blow fire out our nose and i'll say, "sure we can, honey! i'll show you how!"

really?

lyla's hair is getting long enough to put up in bands/bows. i put in a bow this morning for the first time. eli came in and said,
"she looks like a women!"
i said, "she does?!?"
he said, "yes, she looks just like my dad."

note:

lyla took four steps today:)

lyla loves broccoli

hoarder

lyla has figured out that eli's cups have better stuff in them than hers do. this particular morning she found two cups, one chocolate milk and one lemonade...jackpot!!!

warning: biker gang on the greenbelt

kristie and i have gone for walks since chloe and eli were itty-bitty babies. they got bigger and we each had another baby which ushered in the dreaded double stroller era...now we're back to singles. it was bitter sweet...but mostly just sweet.

surprise

so after church last sunday we came home, eli and i took a nap and adam took lyla to "spend some time with her." when i woke up i heard playing in eli's room. i went to see what they were doing and there was corrie playing with the kiddos! she came for a surprise visit:) adam was in on it, of course, but did a very good job keeping it a secret.

eli and lyla both loved her...eli fake cried when i told him she was leaving. i think he really wanted to cry but couldn't muster up the tears, so he just faked it:)

we got to meet up with jenny and went out to dinner and did some shopping. we had fun goofing around and laughing a lot. then we went back to jen's house a visited a bit more before the night was done.

thanks corrie! it was great to see you!

4th of July

what a fun day. we went to a raging fun bbq with a ton-o-friends (the swan's sure know how to party like it's 1999). there was face painting, squirt guns, a little bounce house and a dunk tank. we left before they set off the fireworks, but i hear it was a great show. here is eli trying to dunk
scott in the dunk tank...though not shown, he was successful:)

after the bbq we went to ann morrison park with my parent and aunt twylla (who is visiting form SD) to watch the fireworks. the show was very loud, very big and very awesome. while waiting for the display to start, adam was giving eli some wrestling pointers...here's one in progress.

the fam...

lyla was a bit afraid of the fireworks at first. she whimpered a little and climbed all over me. but by the middle she was reaching for them and when there was a lull in the show she would give the "more" sign. i wouldn't say she was ecstatic about them, but she did enjoy them when they weren't super loud. i love the 4th:)

God Bless America!

eli just said...

"she's the cutest baby in the whole world." :)

this was after her and i woke him up from his nap. i sat on his bed and leaned over to give him a kiss...she did the same. without even opening his eyes he reached his arm around her and gave her a hug. can life get any sweeter than that? if so i need to start carrying Kleenex around with me.

nature center

playgroup was at the Nature Center and Municipal Park last week. i think there were 25 kids just in our group (literally:). it was such a fun day!

chloe and eli

still thinkin' about it

in the past i've wrote about eli's flying attempts (funny day post)...he's still has the bug to fly (hahaha). just now he said, "i wish i had a wingspan so i could fly on top of the house. you too, you and me, we could both fly."