It ain't dim sum, but I guess I'll eat it.

Last night we went to a big party at Leah and Heinz's house. The theme was Dim Sum and Some Games. Elliott had a blast in the kids' basement and really burned the midnight oil. (He stayed up until 8:30 and slept until after 8 this morning!) The decorations, conversation, and Asian food were super, but we didn't bring our camera. Instead, here's some video of Elliott eating applesauce with pomegranate last week. Enjoy!

Trekking into the wilderness

Well, "wilderness" is probably a stretch. Today we went hiking at a nature preserve near our house. It wasn't too intense, but it offered the perfect amount of challenge for us. There were rocks, hills, and a serene waterfall. I wanted to let Elliott frolic around in it, but Eric said that it looked dangerous. You know him, Mr. Safety First. :)

And the picture below shows why Eric is our official photographer. Poor guy hardly ever gets to be in a picture, and I captured him with his eyes closed! (PS--In spite of what his facial expressions might suggest, Elliott had a wonderful time.)

Happy Birthday, Josh!

JOSH IS 5!!!

Ooh la la, Pepper Place!

We took Elliott to the Pepper Place Farmers Market for the first time yesterday, and I can tell that he's wondering how he got such slacker parents who haven't taken him before this. He danced to a fiddlin' band, watched a juggler, and sampled the tasty wares.

I'm tired just typing this up.

Elliott's school was out all week, and we've had a hectic week at the old homestead! Let me take a deep breath and walk you through.

OK...first, our friend Andrea and her 3 girls spent Friday through Monday with us. (And my nephew Cody arrived on Saturday to stay the whole week.) Over the weekend, Eric took Cody and Kaitlyn to a Barons baseball game, we went to the zoo AND the McWane Center, and Elliott got his hair "prettied up" a couple of times. When the girls would line up for morning hair-fixing, he would just sit at the end of the line!

On Monday, Elliott had a playdate with Jack and Jay. They played in the sprinkler and had popsicles (of course, the popsicle was the best to him). Unfortunately, there are no pictures because I was busy enough just chasing him around. When we got home, Nanny and Pawpaw were there to spend the night and help take care of Elliott on Tuesday while we worked.

On Thursday, there was another playdate, this time at the McWane Center with Jack and Luke. (Yep, twice in one week. Annual passes, people, I can't praise them enough.) Cody had some fun of his own this time.

That's no camera trick. Jack and Luke really do move that fast.

At Granna's house this weekend, Cody and Noah really hammed it up in the pool.

Mawmaw, Barbara, Breanna, and Cody (still with us) spent the night on Saturday. While I was at work today (boo), Elliott and Eric went to Fan Day in Tuscaloosa. He apparently befriended a small dog there. The only problem: Eric forgot the stroller at home. So we are the proud new owners of a University of Alabama umbrella stroller!

No matter how much we tell him, Elliott just will not stop texting while driving.

Dancing, running, and a surprise ending!

NOTE: No babies were choked in the making of this movie.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

As the official photographer of Elliott's life, Eric is hardly ever actually featured in any pictures. So here are some really great ones that he's taken recently of Elliott. Happy birthday to a guy who is WAAAAY too young and handsome to be my baby daddy.

Weekend Visitors

Sydney

Cody

Kaitlyn

Molly

Elliott woke up early to practice gymnastics with Kaitlyn.

Please help

I know that I broke the unspoken rule against non-family posts back in April when I asked you to spare a thought for baby Stellan. Sorry, but I have to do it again. This child is in a terrible spot so take a moment and think happy thoughts/send positive energy/say a little prayer/whatever.

Marilyn

Happy Birthday, Luke!