Where is Eli??

Just thought I'd share a quick story that I thought was cute. Last week I was making dinner and I couldn't find Eli. After a slight panic attack and sprints from room to room, I realized he was laying with his milk... in the dog bed... in the corner... in the kitchen... right behind me!!!!!! argh!

Tain, tain, tain!!!!

This, of course, is the word "train" out of the mouth of Eli... I cannot believe just how much he loves trains. It started with a simple Thomas the Train oval wooden track with a wooden engine. It has evolved to a mass transit system in our gameroom that involves hills, battery operated engines (thanks pap), water towers and even a San Francisco trolley! From the moment he gets up in the morning, until bedtime it is "tain, on" "tain, off" "tain, Tain TAAIINNN!". I now usually have to make him say "night night, tain" just to get him to leave them for the evening just so it can all repeat the next day. A very sweet patient of mine has a daughter that needed to get rid of her son's train table and we apparently needed to get a train table so it was a win-win!



Being that he LOVES the train world, we thought it would be a fabulous idea to take him (in the 4000 degree heat) to Zube Park. Zube Park has a train society there for people who build miniature trains to run them on tracks and they allow the public every so often to ride them too. From the moment Eli saw the Thomas the Train tablecloth he was in.... and boy did he love the engines. Our friend, Nicole, brought her son, Cade, and everyone had a blast!!



This is him screaming "Tain!"

Memorial Day and First Boat Trip

We were invited to celebrate Memorial Day with our friends and their family this year. There was good food, small fireworks, horses to see and large grassy areas for Eli to roam... although he still headed directly to the road... what is it about him???

Ellen With Luke and Mitchell


Horses



Daddy and Eli


Eli and Aiden (couldn't get them to look at the camera at the same time)



The week after Memorial Day we went to Lake Livingston to visit with some friends who have a house and boat there... Being that Eli LOVES water, he enjoyed the lake, the pool AND the boat, although the life jacket took some getting used to...

Easter '09

Eli's second Easter...can't hardly believe he's 15 months! He is walking and talking and he has decided that he should exert his own opinion and thoughts and I am not sure how much I like it. He loves to walk, just not in any direction I prefer. He has a teeny temper (hmm hmm daddy's boy) and he is not afraid to speak up (rather shriek) when challenged. All in all he is the absolute most amazing creature that I have ever known and just when I think I am consumed entirely by my love for him, I learn I love him even more... how is this possible? Anyway, here are some pics from Easter and I know there are many, I just couldn't decide on fewer.

Quints Coming to House Near you!!!

Springtime... means so many thing to so many people. To us... it means we get to hang out with the quints more often!!! So, last Saturday was the very first appearance by Luke, Sidney, Ivy, Briellen and Mitchell at the Wagners!!! Hold onto your hats!!! So much fun!

Mitchell


Ivy & Brie


Luke accosting Eli for his milk


Luke and Sidney in the steeler beanie


6 little bebes

Blue Eyes & Blue Bonnets!

So... we don't often take part in "Texas" traditions to the fullest however, I didn't want to miss out on this one. I thought, once again, that I would get some really good shots of my blue-eyed subject laughing and frolicking in the beautiful blue bonnets. What I got was a determined toddler running AWAY and in the opposite direction from every perfect shot I wanted posed. So, instead here are several candids...

Valentine's Day for 3

he can't wait to drive


pretty sunset on the lake


modified dining for toddlers


i like this chair


RJ surprised me with a Velentine's getaway to a new resort in Lake Conroe, TX. Since we have no grandparents locally,the little monkey tagged along. We had a very nice time. The room was gorgeous and we got a bottle of champagne, a dozen roses, dinner, breakfast and couples' massages in the room (although we had to go separately so one of us could entertain said monkey). We spent some time at a park in Lake Conroe the next day and the weather was fabulous. Although Eli couldn't have any champagne, he enjoyed milk while mommy imbibed... it was very nice family time...

happy boy


mom and dad


the wagners


the boy loves to slide


Looks real, no?

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Eli celebrated his first birthday January 12!!! We had a birthday party for him on January 17 when RJ's family came into town! It was a lot of fun and we had a great turnout. Unfortunately Eli didn't feel well (we later learned he can't tolerate cow's milk yet) and he absolutely did NOT want any of his cake!!!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! Go Steelers!

Eli had his first Christmas in the Rocky Mountains with my family. It was a blast. We had a super warm snowsuit for him (something unheard of here in Houston) that won't get much use otherwise but he looked adorable in it. My dad pulled him all around Breckenridge in a Baby Boggin (Toboggin "baby-sized") for days. No stroller can make it through all that snow... There is a sledriding hill very close to their home and we finally decided to try him on the hills unassisted. He LOVED it. TOO funny, he smiled the whole way down the hill and laughed and laughed. In fact, the only time he cried was when we stopped. RJ and I actually got on the sleds with my niece, Maya, and I absolutely forgot how much fun it is to sledride! Hysterical! I can't wait to do it again. We also did some skiing which counted as my full second time. The great thing is that I really picked up where I left off and didn't fall much at all!!! GO ME! We had a low-key New Years (it's been a long time since that happened) and spent the night in with 2 bottles of champagne (and vodka/grapefruit, yum). There is a torch light ceremony that involves selected skiers (not me, of course, you have to be good)carrying lit torches down one of the peaks. Very neat. Then there were fireworks that we could see from my parents' living room. We watched the ball drop in New York and didn't even stay awake to see midnight mountain time. Oh well... so it goes. Pretty successful first holiday season for the boy... ho ho ho.

To see more pics from the trip go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanbsn/sets/72157612171220427/

Short video of the "sledder" this is a much smaller hill but you can see his BIG smile at the end!