Two-year old update

One day I'll figure out how to puts words and pictures in one post and have it look right, but in the mean time....

Elaine is now two years old!! She loves Elmo, and as you can see from the pics below we had an Elmo party for her at the park. Among attendance were Aunts Jennifer & Charissa, Pappaw Bingham, "Uncle" Josh, her little friend Peter (who's mother is Mommy's long-time pal, Melissa), and our friends the White's (which was fun for Jackson, too, because their oldest son Kilan is fun to play with). Jackson taught her the in's and out's of opening presents (she is now well prepped for Christmas), and she had her first juice box (complete with the expected squeeze-and-squirt they are known for). She has been busy enjoying her new toys ever since! (And so has Jackson.)

If you ask Elaine how old she is, the chances are better that she'll say, "Paci's," instead of "Two." For weeks now I've been telling her that when she turns two the paci's will go bye-bye. Since Saturday night we began cutting the pacifiers, until eventually (in a week or two?) they will be cut down to nothing and be fit for the trash. So far she seems just as happy sucking on half of a paci. Send your prayers our way for when the final weaning comes! We don't want to lose those precious naps.

I read something wonderful from a parenting email I receive. It said that the "terrible two's" are a wonderful time in that, you always know what your child is feeling. This is certainly true of Elaine right now, who wore a bib at breakfast that appropriately read, "Sweet & Sassy." She is also learning to talk more (finally!), which will undoubtedly help with her frustrations.

Here are some of Elaine's biggest interests at this two-year point in her life:

-School! She now cries when Jackson gets to go to school and she doesn't. She points at the school playground and cries, "Schoo....Eh-ya-ya-ya?" (*translation: Eh-ya-ya-ya = Elaine)

-She is changing her obsession from Elmo to Nemo. Jackson's love of Spongebob has also peaked her interest.

-Ice cream. This girl has ice cream on the brain, requesting it for breakfast or any other odd time of day. (It should go without saying that Mommy certainly does not give in to these untimely "requests.")

-Daddy. Ever since we went to Disneyland and spent 5 whole days with Daddy, Elaine has become a Daddy's girl! Sometimes she says, "Daddy...work," and cries. When he comes home she goes nuts!


-Friends. Elaine is a very social creature (not unlike her Mommy) and thrives off of the "big" crowd playtimes that Sunday school and Bible study provide.

December 6 Elaine turned Two!!

that Disneyland website I mentioned...

www.ridemax.com So if you're planning a Disneyland trip, it was well worth the $15 in services to avoid long lines.

It's a girl!!

Yes, "Little H" as it turns out, is a Helen and not a Henry. On the way to the appointment the three of us put in a guess which sex it would be and we were all wrong! (Elaine had no vote; she was playing with her buddy Ryan.) Even Jackson--who was hoping for a boy with this one and with Elaine--is excited about the news. A girl!!

Disneyland pics

(I'm having a little trouble with formatting, but I'm new to blogging and I'll figure it out later.)

Disneyland!!

We just got back from Disneyland last night. We had an awesome time!! We bought a 3 day pass, went to the hotel each day for naps, returned for dinner and more fun, then the boys and girls parted ways so Elaine could go to bed and Jackson could ride the "big" rides until midnight. Here are some highlights:

-Disneyland is as efficient as Japan! Who knew? Considering the crowds on the streets are as packed as a Calcutta stroll, it is rather amazing that there isn't trash anywhere. And you couldn't find chaos in the parking garage if you payed for it: bored yet smiling attendents are at every turn, ensuring that no one drives around and around looking for a spot. And speaking of smiling attendents, all employees seemed happy to serve us wherever we went! The only chaos was the character breakfast....

-....which was still fun b/c we got many photos and the food was actually quite good. Elaine's highchair happened to be facing a mirrored wall, so each time a character came behind her for a visit, she'd point in the mirror and shout, "Pooh!!" or "Minnie!!" until we convinced her to turn around for the full effect.

-Jackson was a very gracious big brother (as always) and seemed just as happy to see his sister enjoy the less exciting rides (Finding Nemo Submarine, for example). The first day Elaine mostly took in each ride with a serious but curious expression, pointing here and there at something interesting. By the evening of day 2, though, she caught on: rides are fun. She began pointing at her recognized favorites (the carousel, Dumbo, Mr. Toad, etc) and saying, "Eh-ya-ya-ya?," which is how she says her name.

-Jackson's favorite rides were the ones he went on with Daddy at night. In particular: Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, which he has often reminded me with dramatic flourish, "Mom, Splash Mountain had no seatbelts." (Hence, it was one wild ride.) He and Dad purchased a photo of the two of them making monkey faces when the camera went off.

-Day 3 we went to Toon Town an hour before it opened to the rest of the park, and we were surprised at how much fun they had. Not only did they get time with Mickey in his house and Chip and Dale in jail, but Elaine discovered her first roller coaster. Her head barely met the "you-have-to-be-this-tall" sign, and pregnant Mommy watched as Elaine, Dad & Jackson rode 4 times in a row. The 4th time she rode it (and the repeats, I might add, only occured because she'd get off and ask, "More?") she copied her brother and put both arms in the air. It was very cute. Needless to say, the "crazy choo-choo" was Elaine's favorite ride. She still talks about it by saying, "Choo-choo!" with her arms in the air.

-Some tips:

1. We highly recommend the website that costs $15 to schedule your day with minimum wait times in line. It was right on every time, and as a result we got in nearly everything the first day and were free to repeat the favorites on days 2 & 3. (I'll ask Mike later what the site is called and then post it here.)

2. You simply must try the HUGE CINNAMON ROLLS at the bakery on Main Street. Learn from our mistake, though, and share. (HUGE.)

3. Two families gave us the tip to get a hotel suite if you have children who nap or simply would like your own room apart from the kiddos. I can't imagine it any other way now that we've done it.

4. If you buy a meal plan (and we probably will again), take note that breakfast coupons are only good for breakfast, snack coupons only good for snacks, and so on. Otherwise you lose your money by not using them correctly. Also, they won't accept the coupons if they are already torn from the booklet.

5. California Adventure is worth it (according to the guys--Elaine and I didn't go): very short lines and an awesome roller coaster.

6. Use fast passes on the rides! So easy and so worth i!

7. Go to Disneyland.