Ellary's First Taste of Cereal

We performed a test at our house today that reminded me a lot of high school biology.

THE SUBJECT: Ellary.

THE HYPOTHESIS Ellary is ready to eat, and will enjoy baby rice cereal because she is showing several signs that she's ready for solid foods.

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS: she has been grabbing at our food while sitting in our laps at dinner time, and making adorable smacking noises with her mouth and tongue while watching us eat.

MATERIALS NEEDED: Ellary, bib, bumbo seat, baby rice cereal, baby spoon, bowl, pumped breast milk, camera, feeder, and photographer.

THE VARIABLES: (1) Ellary's somewhat disdain for her bumbo seat (she still needs a little support to sit), and (2) her infatuation with bibs or any other remotely loose fabric around her face.

FEEDER: Me.

EXPERT PHOTOGRAPHER: Alyson (she stayed home from school today because she's not feeling well.)

RESULTS WE OBSERVED...see for yourself.

Happy subject: ELLARY

So far so good. Subject even reaches for the bowl of cereal...

Subject opens mouth to receive the cereal...

Subject tastes cereal...and...

Subject spits it out.

Results following our second...third...fourth...and fifth attempts...

Ellary was somewhat relieved (and somewhat annoyed) when her face was all cleaned up and we took a little break...

Remember that variable I mentioned about her infatuation with her bib...well, after Ellary made a mess of her first bib, she decided to play with then try to destroy her second one...

NEW HYPOTHESIS FOLLOWING OUR TEST: This may take a little more time and work than I originally thought.

Our Three Girls

Alyson had her first kindergarten field trip to an apple orchard yesterday. She had so much fun picking apples and riding the bus with her friends. Alyson felt so big! She also got to bring home a bag full of apples, so she and I made some yummy cooked cinnamon apples after dinner. Now Alyson can't wait to make some more as a treat for family home evening on Monday night.

Now a little bit about Kourtney.

I have really enjoyed spending time with Kourtney and rediscovering some of her wonderful attributes while Alyson has been at school. She is so much fun to talk to sometimes because she can say some of the cutest things. She is also an expert story teller and song composer so she keeps us well entertained.

I have to tell you about something she told me last week as she, Ellary and I were walking home after taking Alyson to school last week. We were having a quiet walk home (it was about 8:50 am, still a little early for me) when Ellary began babbling away in her stroller.

Kourtney and I listened to Ella for a while, then Koco spoke up and said "Ella's talking to me."

"What is she saying," I asked.

"She says she told Heavenly Father she wants to be big just like you and me."

My heart melted. I love it when our girls say things that remind me of a bigger picture than just the present moment. I just wanted to pick Kourtney up and look through those big, beautiful brown eyes so I could see the world as wonderfully and innocently as she does. What a special girl!

Now on to Ellary.

She is feeling better than she did last week so she has begun to sleep in her crib at night instead of the bassinet. Ellary seems to really like the freedom of rolling around now that she has more room. When I checked on her around 1:30 last night she was laying on her stomach, so I attempted to roll her over onto her back. Just as I touched her, Ellary raised up with her arms, looked right up at me and gave me the biggest, wide-awake smile I have ever seen. What a happy face to have at 1:30 in the morning! She is such a delight! I will post more pictures of her room shortly. It's one of my favorite rooms in the house.

(We don't let Ellary sleep with a blanket anymore because she doesn't like the covers on her feet. She kicks the blanket off so hard that it doubles on to her torso. Then she pulls the covers over head where she can't get them off.)

Ellary's Favortie Song

Little Ellary isn't feeling well today. She was up a lot of the night with a stuffy nose, low grade fever and she has been pulling at her ears. I wish I could provide her instant relief, but she can't be seen by the doctor until tomorrow. So, our happy and very smiley baby isn't so happy or smiley anymore. Ellary has wanted me to hold her most of the day, otherwise she cries, and even then she's been crying some when I hold her.

The only sure solution to get her to stop crying has been playing her favorite song on the piano. It's "If" by the 70's group Bread. I swear she remembers it from when she was in my tummy. It's one of the only songs I can play well on the piano, and "If" happens to also be the only one I know by heart. As you can imagine, I play it almost every time I sit down at the piano. It calms me, and obviously, it calms Ellary too. And although I have a pretty average singing voice, and I'm off key sometimes, she will even calm down when I sing it to her. It makes me smile to think she likes this song as much as I do and she's only 4 1/2 months old. You can click on a video to the right of this blog to hear the song.

"If"

If a picture paints a thousand words,
Then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show the you I've come to know.
If a face could launch a thousand ships,
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you,
You're all that's left me too.
And when my love for life is running dry,
You come and pour yourself on me.

If a man could be two places at one time, I'd be with you.
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die,
I'd spend the end with you.
And when the world was through,
Then one by one the stars would all go out,
Then you and I would simply fly away.

Last Week's Celebrations

We had a lot of things to celebrate last week. To start off with, Alyson started kindergarten. Then Kourtney celebrated her 4th birthday and I celebrated my 29th.

Kourtney had a birthday party with some friends and went on a Dora adventure. One of the activities was to find berries (water balloons) that were scattered in our yard then take them back to make jam (toss them into a bucket to make them break). In theory this plan would have worked and decreased the amount of water the children got on themselves, but the balloons weren't full enough to break easily. So the kids began throwing them into the bucket sending water splashing up into their faces or breaking the balloons with their fingers with the same result. They all got a little wet, some more than others, but they all seemed to have fun doing it. Kris recorded some of the action (sorry the quality isn't too excellent, but it's still fun).

Here are some additional pictures you may enjoy seeing from her special day. Thank you everyone who thought of her and for the presents she received.

The following day, September 6th, Kris and Kourtney set out for a Michigan State University Football game. They took the CATA bus onto campus and sat behind the bishop and his family. They had a great time watching the game and eating cotton candy. Kourtney lasted the first half of the game, then the two of them took the CATA bus back home just in time to watch the BYU/Washington game on TV.

My birthday fell on Sunday this year, so it was pretty low key but enjoyable and relaxing. Kris made french toast which has become a Sunday breakfast tradition in our household. We then walked to and from church (about 1.3 miles from our house). Kris also made dinner for us and lastly we played UNO and ate some Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Oh yeah...we also took family pictures. That was a present all in itself!

Have you seen these jugs?

Kris has been asking me to post this blog for some time now. So, here it is!

We've actually been using our Sam's Club membership on a regular basis to purchase a variety of things including milk since we moved to East Lansing. I can remember one of our first times back since our rare excursion to Sam's Club in Indiana for diapers when Kourtney was wearing them nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

Here's how it goes. We were towards the tale end of our shopping trip when I remembered we needed milk. So instead of making the whole family return to the refrigerator isles, I went back by myself. I was pleasantly surprised by the price of milk, and decided I'd better get two gallons instead of one, otherwise we'd be back in less than a week. I hurried to catch up with the family balancing these two odd shaped jugs between my arms and my chest. Just before I was about to set them in the cart Kris looked at me kind-of funny and said, "What are those?"

So, I'm asking you all, have you seen these kinds of milk jugs before? If so, please comment on our blog and let us know. They are an odd shape and difficult to pour out of. I also have a feeling it would be almost impossible to drink from them without spilling milk all down the front of your shirt...I'm not speaking from experience of course!

Alyson's First Day of Kindergarten

Alyson began kindergarten yesterday, and she was so excited! For the past couple of months she's been asking "when is school going to start" and we've been telling her, "very soon." Her enthusiasm for school has been wonderful, and we hope it stays with her for a very long time (at least through college!)
We took pictures of Alyson in the morning, then I walked her to school while Kris took Kourtney and Ellary to the neighborhood playground. Alyson met her teacher, explored her classroom, made a craft, played on the computer and on the playground, and put her extra set of clothes, gym shoes and backpack in a locker she shares with another student in her class. I could see her taking it all in very well, and it eased any fears I had of letting her go.


My mom has been anticipating this day for some time too. She saved the dress I wore my first day to kindergarten then sent it and a picture of me in it to us. I gave the picture to Alyson and she wanted to frame it. We also took pictures of her wearing my dress. She wanted to wear it her first day, but we explained that she should wear her own dress if she wants to save it for her children someday. I promised her she could wear my dress again soon.
So, today marked Alyson's first day all alone-just a half day. She begins going full day tomorrow, and she can't wait because she'll get to have hot lunch. I am glad she's excited about that!

East Lansing Celebrity

I saw an East Lansing celebrity today in Home Depot. People in other parts of the country might not have recognized him, but I surely did. Do you know who this is?



He must have had a good summer because he was really TANNED! But it was pretty cool to see him. He was looking for something in Lawn and Garden. I passed him by and he said hello and nodded his head at me. If I was thinking quickly I would have said, "Do you think you could get MSU to increase the size of the basketball arena so new faculty would not have to wait 20 years to get tickets?" Instead I just said hello in return and went to check out. Next time I see him I will be ready! This is Kris by the way - not Jessica - I don't think she would have recognized him.