Tomatoes, er onions.

I just found this in my notebook. Something that I jotted down before I could forget it. Something that totally cracked me up and brought me to tears. Kids rock, especially smarty-pants 3-year-olds.

So Eleanor has been studying vegetables in preschool. One day she brought home a paper onion that she had made. As she gave me the onion, she proudly proclaimed that onions make you cry.

(fast-forward a couple days)

Eleanor was showing daddy her onion while I made a mental list before heading to the grocery store. I asked if anyone had any requests for dinners that week. Of course, Eleanor tells me she'd like "something with onions". Okay, French onion soup!

(Back from the store and slicing onions for the soup. I'm crying.)

Eleanor: Mama, what are these? (points to the onions)
Me: Onions. They make you cry. (I look at her so she can see my tears)
Eleanor: But I don't hear you crying. (puzzled)
Me: Well they make your eyes water like you're crying.
Eleanor: (handing me an onion) Mama, here are more tomatoes.
Me: They're onions Eleanor. Tomatoes are red.
Eleanor: These aren't red.

Ah, you make me laugh Eleanor.

Cute Red Cabin in Kewadin, MI

For Memorial Day weekend, we were able to take a long weekend trip up to Kewadin, MI and stay in my cousin Cindy's charming red cabin! Kewadin is just north of Traverse City and Elk Rapids and the cabin is on a sand-bottom little lake called Birch Lake.

Eleanor was very excited about the bunk bed!
Carolyn found a trike and was in heaven

We all had a wonderful time, especially the girls who loved being outdoors, cooking on the campfire, hiking, and taking rides in the canoe.

Hotdogs on the fire - ohh boy!

First trip out in the canoe!

The weather was great and go up to the high 60s with plenty of sunshine. I was amazed at how clear the water was. The sandbar went out about 60 foot so the girls had a great place to wade in the water.

Eleanor enjoying the peaceful morning on the lake

Birdwatching
We took a short hike
Eleanor and Daddy looking for some ducks who may want the hotdog bun in Eleanor's hand
What's camping without 'smores

Eleanor and I were walking around looking for crayfish when Eleanor took a wrong turn and fell. After the initial shock, she was happy to continue her hunt in the nude.

This is the little spot that Eleanor called "Her beach"

We found a crayfish!

Bath time!

The last night at the cabin - we had to have cherry pudgie pies!

On our way back, we stopped in the cute town of Elk Rapids. There we found a great park, walked the town, saw the island house which is home to the city library, and had brunch at Pearl's, a great cajun restaurant. If you ever so during brunch hours, the blackened catfish benedict is 'umbagood!' (For those of you not in the know, 'umbagood' was one of Eleanor's first words and she used it whenever she saw or ate really good food)

Annie

So a while back I took Eleanor to see Annie. Matt thought she was too young and would forget it. Well so far he was way off. She's since watched the movie a handful of times and now has an "iPod" loaded with her three favorite Annie songs. I had to buy her an MP3 player because I was worried about giving a 3-year-old my Blackberry all the time to listen to Annie songs.

Here she is, belting out 'Hard-Knock Life' while it plays on the Blackberry.


So, to emphasize her love of Annie, one day I asked Matt to help her clean her room. Once back there, Matt had to remind her that it wasn't time to play. That they needed to clean. She looked at him and said, "Daddy, how 'bout you be Annie and I be Ms. Hannigan. I say, 'Clean this room' and you can sing 'It's a Hard-Knock Life'. Yeah, she definitely hasn't forgotten Annie.

Favorite Eleanor Words

Matt and I both agree that Eleanor says some of the cutest things. Here's a list of our favorites:

Pake-pake (pancake)
Pick-pick (picnic)
Pack-pack (backpack)

Matt loves it so much, he's often trying to get her to say, "Let's take our backpack and go on a picnic and eat pancakes." :)

Mother's Day Painting

For Mother's Day I thought that some paintings from the girls would be a great gift. I went ahead and bought all the supplies and got the girls set up to create their masterpieces. I didn't want to influence the gifts more than I already had so I left Matt in charge and ran to Harding's for groceries. I no sooner parked the Jeep and my phone rang. I was Matt asking me if the paint was toxic. I had to laugh. I couldn't wait to get home to see what was waiting. And to my great pleasure, I not only got 3 beautiful pieces of art to adorn my bedroom wall, but also these videos:

Happy 1st Birthday Little Carolyn Mae!

Carolyn turned a year old on April 3rd. I really don't know where the time went. She's already walking and babbling and getting into EVERYTHING. She's a sweet girl and her big tricks are waving and giving sweet open-mouthed kisses :)

She's a much bigger girl than Eleanor was, already 19 1/4 pounds. She loves to eat everything, but her favorites are steak and bacon (just like Daddy).

Carolyn loves to play and play and play. We have a playroom upstairs and whenever we carry her up there her little arms and legs get a flapping and she squeals and squirms. She loves playing with her big sister and recently started mocking her - pretending to eat food from the play kitchen, etc.

Carolyn has the cutest toothy smile! And lucky for us, she's a happy girl and we see it often.
We love you Carolyn Mae!

Happy Birthday Sweet Eleanor Jane! (March 24)

Our baby girl turned 3 on March 24th. Eleanor is such a joy. She's got to be one of the sweetest girls always telling us she loves us - just out of the blue, she'll walk up to me, wrap her arms around my neck, and say "I love you Mama".

And she's always thinking of others. One day she had a dollar and I asked her what she wanted to buy and her response was, "Something for Daddy, Carolyn, Mommy and Eleanor".

So for her birthday, cousin Francie was celebrating her 4th birthday with a trip to Chicago and the American Girl store. How perfect, Eleanor was invited, and we celebrated her 3rd birthday too.

Eleanor, Francie and Delaney on the train

The girls: Francie, Delaney, Eleanor, Isabelle, and Anna

Eleanor in the "Big City"

Eleanor and Bitty at the AG Cafe

We had an amazing day. The store is unreal with its doll hair salon, hospital, and more dolls and clothes and accessories than you could imagine. Eleanor saw a high chair minutes into the store and wouldn't waiver. So we bought her that and some little jarred baby foods and a bottle for her birthday.

Aunt Jennifer bought little 3-year-old Eleanor an aluminum bat, glove and ball for her birthday. Did I mention the bat's aluminum? Yeah, I'm thinking we need to get a helmet (for Carolyn). No casualties yet, but Jennifer also bought Carolyn a whiffle ball and bat with a T. Eleanor T'd up a ball and crushed the ball into Jennifer's head with her first swing. How perfect :)

No matter what the doctor says (24.6 pounds), Eleanor is really growing up. Her latest trick is playing in her room after we tuck her in and say goodnight. We'll hear her singing and talking to her dolls for an hour after bedtime some nights.

Eleanor caught reading past bedtime (she's currently into my old Little Miss and Little Mister books - anyone remember those?)

Eleanor's our little entertainer. She dances, she sings, she plays the 'bitar' (guitar). She loves watching musicals. We recently watched Mama Mia, Annie and the High School Musical movies. She loves anything with singing and dancing. So when Annie came to South Bend I had to get us tickets. I got tickets to the Friday night show for the two of us. I picked her up from daycare and told her about the tickets. I told her it was a special night, just the two of us, and we'd probably get dressed up. Her eyes lit-up as she told me, "I'm gonna be a ladybug!". No Eleanor, not that kind of dressed up.

The entire drive to the show, Eleanor was in the backseat, "Mama, this is going to be fun!", "I love Annie!", "Where does Annie live?", "Mama, this is going to be fun!".

In our seats in the third balcony, before the show started, Eleanor pointed down to the stage and said, "Mama, someday I want to go down there and sing." You know, it wouldn't suprise me.

She loved the show and be-bopped in her seat throughout. Since, she's been going throughout the house singing, "HOLY COW, SOMEBODY PINCH ME PLEASE!

Eleanor, stay sweet. We love you!