Motel Fun...

We had fun swimming in the pool...grandpa was helping Elsie swim!
Elsie is quite a water bug...I think we might have problem getting out of the pool this summer! Thankfully Elsie has lots of aunties who are willing to take her swimming!

Grandpa is a bad influence sometimes...he was jumping on the bed with the kids...Elsie thought this was lots of fun! I don't think Marissa looks to happy with everyone jumping on her bed as she was trying to watch some tv! I guess that is just part of a big family!

Elsie having fun jumping...the things this girl learns from her aunties...and grandpa!

Elsie and mommy...having a bedtime snack...we have found some tricks to staying in motels with a little girl with lots of allergy induced eczema...one thing we do now is bring our own sheets...and a tea of stinging nettles...seems to work wonders!

Dinner in the motel...only in a motel do the kids get to eat in front of the tv! What a special treat!

Our other trick of traveling is bring all of our own food...it is a pain sometimes to be cooking and baking the day before a trip...but at least we know we are keeping to our regular diet so we don't have any fear of tummy aches! Thank goodness we have a GF store in town to get some special treats at for trips...

My mom stayed with Ana and Brandon for the week to help them out with the baby...and Auntie Em and Marissa were having a difficult time missing mom on the way home...so my dad stopped at the gas station to get them a special treat to help them feel better...and he got Elsie a little treat also...a little dum-dum sucker! This was her first sugary candy treat! I must say she loved it! I sure to tell my dad that this was a one time treat...otherwise I know he would start bringing her a sucker quite often!

Everyone had a fun weekend...the best part being the we got to see baby Oliver...

Baby Oliver...

We just got home a little while ago from visiting baby Oliver...there are lots of baby pictures I am posting here...when there is a baby around you simply must smother him with cameras! Oliver has a perfectly shaped head, perfect complexion, the most adorably little nose,ears, fingers, toes...a perfect baby in my opinion!

Our family is a family who can't enough of babies...so we all gathered around and waited our turn to hold the baby...

When Ana asked "who is next to hold the baby?" Elsie waisted no time in raising her hand! I think she simply adored Oliver! She can even say his name!

Elsie was very gentle with him...I think she will make a good little mama someday!

Today Ana was changing Oliver's diaper and clothes...and he had quite an audience! I think there were 2 cameras and 1 video camera going...

I love this picture...After Oliver's change of clothes he was very hungry...so all the little girls were trying to comfort him...how many hands can fit on a tiny face? It does look like he likes it though!

Little Cousins...Elsie was rather concerned about Oliver's crying...I think he needed his mama...

Auntie Em and little Oliver...what a special thing to be so young and be an auntie!

Anything Good to Eat?

Lately Elsie has had a "thing" with playing in the fridge...I think she likes the freedom of playing where she normally cannot play! Today she was enjoying eating some black beans she found in a Saran covered dish...
She likes to let the door close on her...then she will make some kind of noise until I "find" her!

Tonight she found this soda can in the fridge and carried it around for a while...I think she enjoyed the coolness on her mouth...she has never had any soda...so just the can was great for her to play with!

Splits...

Last night after bath time Elsie sat down to do some art work before bedtime...I took one look at her legs and had to take a picture! I have never seen her sit like this before! It must of hurt her legs!
She sat there like this for quite some time...silly girl!

He Is Here!

My sister Ana and her husband, Brandon had their baby today! Oliver Martin Ankeny...5:25pm...8lbs 9oz. ...20"long. A healthy baby boy...from the pictures we saw he looks just like his mama! (My mom says he does have his papa's nose,though!) We will be traveling on Saturday to go "check" the baby out...can't wait to see him and hold him! Congratulations to Ana and Brandon!

"The Safe Sippy"

Yesterday Elsie's new sippy cup came in the mail! We bought her the "safe sippy"...it is made of stainless steal...so no more drinking out of harmful plastic cups for Elsie! We have made it our quest to raise Elsie as healthy as possible...and drinking and eating out of plastic is not very safe...so all the old plastic sippy cups and plastic plates and bowls will be on our garage sale!
Elsie love her new sippy...the water stays nice and cold because of the stainless. I read the directions that came with the sippy and had to laugh...here is what it said..."Please do not use with carbonated beverages. Carbonated liquids have lots of bubbles that may cause the cup to leak.(The ones with sugar can also turn your 2 year old into a screaming banshee.)" It is a good thing Elsie is only 1!!

Tutu Girl...

Today the aunties came over to play in the morning...and the little kids were all playing dress-up...Elsie was having fun playing dress up with the kids...she was wearing a black leotard and her little tutu...she wore this pretty much all day...I finally had to take the tutu off for nap time...but when she woke up she wanted it back on! She just looks so sweet in it!
Elsie was standing on the couch waving goodbye to the kids...

I love this picture...my mom snapped this...Elsie was not posed for this picture yet it turned out so sweet! She was actually sitting inside a box as the kids were pulling her across the floor!

Even a ballerina has to eat...every Tuesday when the kids are here we have popcorn...notice her little rock on the floor beside her!

Playing peek-a-boo with my mom...

How can you resist that smile...I think I can almost hear her giggle in this picture...

Painting Fun...

Last night we took out the water colour paints for Elsie to explore with. This was the first time she had really played with paint...I think one day the aunties tried to show her how to use paint but she didn't really get into it! Last night she loved to paint...she made lots of lovely pictures...we have one proudly displayed on the fridge...
At first she was so happy to carefully dip the brush into the water than the paint than the paper...I think I am a bad influence because before long I was showing her how to paint with her fingers...and she enjoyed that! I firmly believe in creativity...and that creative messes are a good thing!

Quite the little artist! I think this something we will be doing often!

Rice Krispy Bars...

This evening Jon was busy making Rice Krispy Bars...I had to take a picture of him...sitting down melting the marshmallows!
The last time we made Rice Krispy Bars we let Elsie have a little...that was a bad idea! All we have to do is say "rice krispy bar" and she gets excited! So you can only imagine how excited she was as she sat in her high chair and watched Jon making some! She instantly started pointing and whining for some! I think she just might have a sweet tooth...good think we don't make these often!

Pizza for Dinner...

Pizza is a very rare thing at our house! Being gluten and dairy free we don't eat pizza...Elsie has never tasted before even! "Glutino" does make a GF/CF spinach pizza that we have tried before...but it has soy cheese and no sauce...so it just isn't "real" pizza. Today I made a GF crust from scratch...and topped the pizza with lots of sauce, peppers, onions, spinach,pepperoni and mozzarella flavored rice cheese. It was so good! The cheese tasted no different than regular mozzarella! This is something we will certainly be having again!
We topped the pizza with fresh Parmesan...and Elsie had to grate her own!

I think Elsie enjoyed her first pizza! I have plans to make several crusts,bake them and put them in the freezer so we can have pizza more often!

I will share the recipe for those who want to try...I found the recipe online...but I don't remember what site...

*1 Tbsp yeast

*1 1/2 c. warm rice milk

*1 tsp sugar

**mix together and let rest until bubbly...meanwhile mix together the following:

*1 1/3 c. Brown Rice Flour

*1 c. Cornstarch

* 2 tsp xantham gum

*seasonings...I added Italian, garlic powder and sea salt

**add 2 tsp olive oil

and 2 tsp cider vinegar to the yeast mixture...mix well and pour into flour

** Mix all together and press into oiled pizza pan. Be sure to oil fingers when pressing into pan! I always bake the dough almost all the way than add toppings and finish baking...Enjoy...this is the best!

Water Skipping...

A few days ago Jon decided to take his snowmobile out of the garage and go "water skipping" through the pond at my parents house...
The last time Jon tried this was a few years ago at our old house...but he sunk it! This time he kept it above the water! Thankfully this pond is not deep since it is made from just the melting snow...

The crazy things that guys find exciting!

A Little Rock Friend...

Yesterday When Elsie and I were outside going for a walk she found this little rock laying in a puddle in the middle of the road...and she simply had to pick it up...She brought it in the house with her...she even had to take a nap with it...today it had still been a fun little play thing for her...I love the simpleness of children's play! I have a feeling this summer Elsie will be finding lots of simple treasures to bring inside...we will have set up a special nature area for all her treasures...

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

This evening for dinner we made steaks, steamed carrots and green mashed potatoes...green potatoes for St. Patrick's Day! When I was little we always had green food for st. Patrick's day...so I thought this would be a fun little thing to do with Elsie since she mostly Irish. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Outside with the Aunties...

This afternoon We went over to my parents house for a little visit...it wasn't long before all the kids we outside enjoying the lovely weather...
The aunties were more than happy to show Elsie all their mud puddles!

Love the mud boots...can you get much cuter than little yellow boots?

Normally Elsie just wears some little robeeze shoes...so mud boots were a new thing for her...she did good walking in them but they did fall off sometimes...this time they fell off in the deep water puddle...and got filled with water! Oh' well...the joys of spring!

I think she had fun walking all around and splashing in the water...

Snowy boots... I have a feeling lots of mud boot pictures will posted this spring!

Not all the snow has melted...looks there is just enough for a little sled ride!

Love this picture...a little bit of winter and a little bit of spring...looks like they are taking advantage of both with the sled and Emma's bare legs! How lovely to be a child!