So....

The kid learned a new word today, "puky". As in, "do you feel puky?", or "Do you need your puky bucket?" All in all a pretty long and tiring day of puking. Hopefully things are looking up tomorrow. Zach and Becky are coming to visit this weekend and it is supposed to be HOT! Maybe we'll get our swim on or have some good times at the aquarium to cool off. No photos today -- puke is just not that photogenic.

bricks

Here's the kid doin' her fair share of work on the brick patio. She's been excited to help in the backyard ever since Samuel showed her how to pick up garbage. After she hands Susan the brick, she's doing the sign for "more".

kanyeleri

After trying several times to get this video on using Blogger's upload and failing, I've bitten the bullet and signed up for youtube. The bigger/longer videos we will put up there, and it makes posting to the blog a snap. Not sure how you find them there, maybe you can search for eleri videos? or our account name is samandmeganeleri.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES!!

We just returned from a great, long weekend in SLC. Had a chance to catch up with friends, enjoy the gorgeous mountains and just relax. Special thanks to Chris and Stefani for opening their home to our messy selves, and to Rob and Rina for their hospitality in the face of major construction. Here's some photos:

Climbing the big tree on the patio at Ruth's diner in Emigration Canyon. We had a great al fresco breakfast with An, Rob and Rina.

Going for a walk at Tanner park with Rob, Rina and Lucy

Eleri and Lucy regarding each other

Hanging out with the big frog at the SLC Aquarium. We went with Rob, Rina, Pete and Dina. This aquarium is temporary, but was still cool-- we saw drawings for the proposed building which looks very fancy.

Eleri's favorite spot in all the yards

the new sandbox we made last weekend with Becky's help

18 mo birthday party outfit

Here's a post of all photos taken by Becky, pictured below. She's in town this weekend for a work conference tomorrow. This morning we went to the zoo, aquarium and botanical gardens, which resulted in lots of great photos.

Eleri and I inside the eggs at the Rotary Children's Garden

This looks like a paparrazzi shot of us feeding the ducks

Watching the giraffes

Sitting in the big chair in the Africa part of the zoo. She's getting better and better with pointing out different colors. Pretty soon she'll be able to distinguish the mauve from the rose tiles....

She's pointing at her distant cousin the koala bear

Here's a good photo from Easter weekend, when we went to Ouray to celebrate Becky's birthday. This year we did some much less sketchy skiing at a nice, free, groomed cross country area about 9 miles from town.

Here's a sleepy baby being serenaded by Becky.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Hans! Here's some recent photos. In other news, Susan reported that today she asked Eleri, "Where's your shoes?". To which Eleri replied after finding and presenting them, "these my shoes". She continues to do new things all the time, most recent achievements include: drawing a pretty respectable fish (with a pincer grasp and delicate wrist movement); making it up and down stairs with a minimal amount of help -- walking upright like a big girl; and seeming to understand everything you say and ask of her, including learning some colors. Just a few weeks until she turns 18 mo, but seems so big already!


Helping mommy with the workout

With daddy on the way to Durango last weekend at sunset

This one's dedicated to James, who's on his way to England in search of fame, fortune and romance.

This is a fun game we invented in wisconsin that involved sliding down the stairs on the mattress more times than you could count.

Here's two favorite things at once; wearing the big people shoes, and being naked

With daddy in the bathtub

quickest video ever

Contrast this video with the one not too long ago. notice what a big girl she is now when she's on the phone.

I thought I'd make a post updating what i think are a few of Eleri's favorite things.

Favorite Food: Strawberries & Cheese
Favorite Musician: Boowa Kwaala
Favorite Dance: Twirley Dance Game
Favorite Toys: Tupperware, gravel, pens & paper, cell phone, magnets, mattresses
Favorite Clothes: Winter coat (brown suede) & hat (pink & brown)
Favorite Drink: Strawberry & Banana Smoothie
Favorite mode of eating: the Dip
Favorite Books: Good Night Moon, Waltzing Matilda, the Hungry Caterpillar, & anything with Horses
Best Friends: Cosmo, the Goats, the Horses
Favorite Hot Spot: the Aquarium
Favorite Words to Say: Fish!, Cheese!, Hot!
Other sweet words: Da (Daddy), Mu (Mommy), Ti (Tio & Tia), Eri (Eleri - which means "Hey you") , Jace (James), Hat, Fish (all animals), Hi, Avi-avi-avi (get off your rumpus and play with me), yugudugudugu - yosh (what big people say)
Favorite Signs: Light!, Cheese!, milk, fish, the wave hi & bye

This is me singing her favorite Boowa Kwaala song.

Here she is moving her magnets from her spot under the kitchen island.

Here's a sweet clip of Eleri talking on the phone in her favorite secret spot. She's talking on the phone with her grandparents at about 6:45 am.

As this is essentially Eleri's baby book, we thought we'd record some of her accomplishments. We're considering her first word to be "cheese", since that was really her first use of language to communicate. A few weeks ago, she took Sam by the finger to the fridge, pointed and said "cheese", and was very pleased when she was given a piece of colby to eat. Prior to that she had said mamamama and dadadada to vaguely the right people and was proficient with the sign for "light" but didn't say the word. After the great cheese communication, however, the words are starting to take off. As of today she can say: mama, dada, hi, hot, light, cheese, juice, shoes, fish, james, tia/tio. she learned the sign for "ball" this week too. Tomorrow James comes back from the great white north, and Eleri will get to meet Yusuke and Sayaka. Then this weekend, off to the first yurt trip for two nights up in Chama, NM. Photos to come..... Here's some recent ones.

Eleri is here, though you can't see her in the pulk. Sam and Susan are racing at Enchanted Forest in Red River, altitude 10K ft. we had a great weekend of skiing and enjoying the heated pool at the eisenhut.

We're so proud of Eleri...she's a fabulously dedicated athlete.

Here's a tense moment, in which Eleri believes she will never get to play with her new toy that Mama can't unleash from the packaging. Eventually it was freed and ended up being great fun.

Baby's first apres ski, lovin the hot cocoa big time

On christmas eve, walking around with 2 new pajamas from Grandma Anne, and her favorite spoon in her mouth

Finally, Christmas morning! Checking out the stocking goodies with James' help

Fancy Christmas elfling looking for the cat to play with

In a new dress made by her auntie Susan, she models two purses

Testing out Samuel's new chin up bar. Eleri set the house record with 21 pullups! All in all a very fun Christmas.

Here's some photos from the summer from Lily:

Sorry about the lack of posts in November -- as you are about to see, it was a very fun-filled month. We started out with a great visit by Pete, Dina and Dan and another fantastic Chris Smither concert. In addition, lots of little house projects and christmas decorating. Then came Thanksgiving and a bustling houseful of guests including: Wally, Dennis and Joe from Chicago; Becky, Wes and Renee from Denver; and Rina, Rob, Lucydog and Tom who were also visiting John Corson here in ABQ. Then, a very relaxing and fun trip to South Carolina to see Eleri's Grandpa and Nana, Hans and Sandy and meet all the cousins. And, on top of all that, Lily has had her final day as Eleri's supernanny. She and Ricardo are moving to Iowa City, where Ricardo has a new job at the University of Iowa. We will all miss Lily terribly and are in the process of deciding what we want to do for childcare from now on. After the semester is finished, Susan will be nanny for a few weeks and we have some sitters lined up here and there.
Pictures in reverse chronological order...

Last night at the airport, arriving home in ABQ -- one tired but smiley baby.

Eleri trying to feed her cousin Vinson, who turns 2 on Christmas day. That is his mom Lauren, Sandy's youngest daughter.

Eleri and mommy playing at the zoo in Columbia, with Auntie Leslie looking on.

Grandpa, Nana and happy baby

Doing some laundry with a helper

Showing off the pretty necklace after a bath

Lily, Ricardo and Dan before the feeding frenzy of our sushi party. That's seafood salad in the bowl, also very tasty.

Eleri in her first plowing experience.

Playing around with the strong man (Andy) at halloween