Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

The usual day in our household to decorate for Christmas is the day after Thanksgiving. It's a rule that we can't do it before, so we set aside the day after and deck the halls. However, this year was different, instead we waited until two days after Thanksgiving so that we didn't have to go buy a new set of Christmas lights on Black Friday; we wanted to avoid the crowds of crazed money savers. 

Another rule in our household, which Kim broke early on this November, is that we can't listen to Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving as well. This way we don't get tired of Christmas music too early on in the holiday season. As soon as dawn broke the day after Thanksgiving, Kim was playing Christmas music to her hearts content.

Kim made a special "Trim the Tree" playlist at grooveshark.com (her newly found toy), and we turned it on and got started. Chris put the tree up and trimmed it with lights. Kim started getting the ornaments ready to put on the tree, but when Elyas saw the lit tree and heard the music he started dancing. Here he is rockin' out to the Christmas music:

Elyas Lately

Lately Elyas has been loving his stacking blocks. He has been picking them up and carrying them all over the house. He has to make sure that someone is watching while he is stacking his blocks because every time he stacks them he gets so excited he celebrates with a big excited smile and starts to clap. He looks at us for approval and to see if we are just as excited as he is.

Elyas is also doing the following:

• He is walking everywhere, sometimes running.
• He is dancing whenever he hears music, whether it be blocks being knocked together, mama or daddy singing, the washing machine, a wind up flashlight, or actual music.
• He claps all the time, but especially when he is excited or when he has just waved hello or goodbye.
• He is cuddling, hugging, and kissing a lot.
• He learned how to blow this week.
• He starts laughing and hopes you will laugh along with him.
• He whispers and talks all the time, in baby language.
• He throws his arms behind him and runs, it is so cute and so funny.
• When asked which is a letter and which is a number he points to the correct one.
• He's still tackling the cats and cuddling them, mostly Koko, but he is starting to be a little more gentle.
• He is pointing to what he wants to learn about, or what he wants us to get for him.
• He learned how to tell us no when we ask him if he wants something.
• He still loves books and will pick them up and read them as he walks
• During story time he points to the pictures and helps us turn the page.
• Elyas finally sleeps through the night, but he wakes up so early, he hates that we keep him in bed till at least 6AM, he is ready to be up by 4AM.
• He loves playing catch, soccer, or even just running with a ball. He can't get enough!

A Rainy Day Hike 4-15-2011

Elyas and I had spent the night at Grandma Suchanski's last night and were invited to spend another night because we all had so much fun. So we decided that I needed to go on a date with Chris so that he didn't feel left out of all the fun.





Chris and I decided to go on a hike together. It was a rainy day, but we didn't care, we love hiking and rain and so we don't mind the two mixed; however I do love a warm, sunny, beautiful day for hiking. We live in Oregon, so we can't be to picky or we'd never be able to go hiking! Not entirely true...but it feels like it sometimes.

Chris and I decided to go to the same spot we went to before for our 1 year anniversary hike and take the longer trail since we had more time. So we did, we got on the correct trail, but somehow ended up on a maintenance trail. So we still haven't hiked the trail we've been wanting to, but it gives us an excuse to go again.

We hiked about 2 miles, it was wet, muddy, and beautiful. At one point Chris went sliding down the trail, he looked like he was snowboarding down the trail. I was afraid that he might go flying off the hill, but he seemed to handle his sliding with grace.

When we got home we cleaned up and went back over to Grandma Suchanski's where we hung out and played with Elyas for a few hours before Chris left us to our slumber party. We had a lot of fun.

Elyas Rolls Over

Elyas had been pretty elusive when it came to rolling over. He had done it two or three times before without me there to see, I finally captured him on film...Yeay!