It dawned on me as I set up this post that this site is now a whole year old, and then some!  Perhaps, considering the subject, I should say the site is now 12 months old.  It'll start walking any day now.  

You should all know you're witness to my longest journaling effort ever.  Considering I'm supposed to be some sort of writer type, I feel like that should be a surprise somehow.  Anyway, I appreciate the patience and support you've given me over the past year, and I hope it's proved worth your time.  

Thanks!

 

Sarah and I were waiting for the Elliott's 18 month check-up today and started counting his current word list.  I thought you might be interested.  Actually, I thought I might be interested in a year or so, and I have the memory of a goldfish.  

For fun, I'll try to list them in the order they first escaped his lips.  For even MORE fun, I'll white out their English translations.  100 The Elliott points if you get them all right without peeking.  To reveal the answers, highlight them by clicking and holding. (That's just for the Old Timers who think computers are of the Devil).

1. Mo?  More

2. Pup up   Dog

3. Awp  Up

4. Ba ba  Bottle

5. Mama  Mom, Me, Grandma, and anyone else he likes.

6. Otside Outside (He sings it - Outsiiiiiide!)

7. Mo Mo  Milk

8. Mo.  No

9. Ot  Hot

10. Caw Bird

11. Rawr  Lion, Tiger, Bear, Teddy Bear

12. Moo Cow

13. Fssh  Fish

14. La la  Elmo (because of his theme song - La la la la, la la la la, Elmo's Wooooorld) 

15. Arm rum rum  Cookie Monster (says with fingers in mouth while eating imaginary cookie)

16. Nurnee nu nurnee  Ernie (Journey to Ernie theme song)

17. Oma  Grandma (my Mom)

18. Aplaen  Airplane

19. Eyela  Isla (#1 Cousinette of The Elliott)

20. Chsss Cheese

21. Buk  Book

22. Dad  Dad (if he really wants something.  Otherwise he calls me Mama because he knows it drives me crazy.

23. Bee Bee  Truck or car

24. Doo Doo  Train or truck or car

25. Nap  Crocodile (accompanied by vertical clap.  I taught him that one)

26. Brrrr Cold (while shaking fists - That's actually the International Sign Language sign and it's adorable.)

27. Burr  Also bird

28. Yay  Yay

29. Ro Ro Roan (#1 Oldest Cousin of The Elliott)  Meg, this is new as of today.

Since his vocabulary is blossoming, I'll try to add them as they turn up until it gets impossible to keep track or the cute factor wears off.

 

 

 

 

Never satisfied.  Always innovating.  My maternal grandfather would be so proud.

 

                          MOUSE OVER! ----->

 

 

Yesterday, he awoke with a roar.  I went into his room to get him up for school and he rolled over on his back and "rawr"ed at me, claws curling in the air.  He had been waiting for me.  

Sarah brought a Darlene Kindersley animal book back from Kansas, and we've been going over animals pretty extensively, so I'm sure he woke up with it fresh in his mind, but still.  I could beat this to death with words, but I think you can catch my drift. 

That's just such a little boy thing to do.

 

 

This is the best kind of airplane baby.

The Elliott was also the second best kind of airplane baby in that when he was awake he played quietly (mostly) and did not draw more attention to himself than the most obnoxious child on board.

Sarah deserves nearly all the credit for The Elliott's good boy status.  She brought about $500 worth of Dollar Store toys stuffed into a big green carry-on and we went through most all of them before the trip was through.  An interesting side note: the dye in dollar store modeling clay enjoys only a loose attraction to the clay itself.  Conversely, it has a VERY STRONG attraction to airline tray tables.  In other words, we're very sorry Flight 1612 from Dallas to Portland. 

 

Well, the boy turns 18 months on Friday, and since we've now had to collect him from the pound three times, we decided it was time to shear him.  

Every time I try to trim his hair, he keeps turning his head abruptly to see what's making that snipping noise, and my active imagination has no trouble at all generating a picture of my son with scissors sticking out of the side of his head.  Thus, we finally found ourselves at Kuts 4 Kids this afternoon.

The transformation was remarkable.

Here's our little furball, slightly clearer.  I'm not sure why I'm looking so evil.

And here's Harry Monster twelve dollars later.

Holy cow!  A camera may add 10 pounds, but a baby's first haircut adds about a year!  It's like the hairdresser's  fingers slipped and she accidentally snipped off the last vestiges of his babyhood instead!  Fortunately, I saved a little baggie of it, so we can find it in a drawer ten years from now and wonder what the hell it is.

And for Sarah, here is the cutest picture of our child that I have taken to date.  Psyche!

 

Hi there.   Remember us?  We used to update occasionally.  Well, January was a busy time.  We spent half of it in the British Virgin Islands, sailing about and pretending we could afford it.  The Elliott had a terrific time.  In fact, despite cramming 11 people into a 50 foot sailboat, we all had a terrific time.   So terrific in fact, that we took a very small number of pictures.  Rum and that tiny, tiny camera button just don't mix.

So, in order to prevent another January, I'm going to drag out what BVI pictures we do have for as long as I can.  Further incentive to leave you all wanting more is that fact that Sarah seems to have acquired a taste for the jet set lifestyle and has left me for a 4-day trip to exotic Kansas.  To keep her sane, I promised I'd have a picture for her every night.  That means you ALL get a picture every night.

No, really!  Hey, don't give me that look!

Why do I suspect I've spent all my political capital here.