Part headband, part headlamp. All “Adventure Ella.”
(Hearing) safety first when building rockets with magnets
Winter movie matinee with Yellow Submarine
Mom and dad clearly forgot just how scary the music-hating Blue Meanies were
Dad’s getting pretty decent at making Pad Thai
Yum, noodles!
A treat for breakfast- chocolate malt-o-meal, although Ella blindly declines before tasting (via her favorite phrase- “no thank you, I do not like that”)
Upon leaving aunt Megan’s house for brother’s haircut, Eleanor had to say good-bye to the potpourri light (?)
Clearly her “happy to be awake after nap” face
Ella walking Max or is Max walking Ella?
It was just barely warm enough to venture downtown for the fireworks display with aunt Megan, Liam and Viv
It was nice to see the familiar Gene Leahy Mall holiday scene one last time before construction begins soon
Pre-game snacks
Eleanor can sense there’s something going on, but she’s still not quite sure what exactly is happening here
Des scored some sweet new shades for the fireworks
Ella charges with, “KISS!”
Des staring out at the lights- one of mom and dad’s first dates many years ago walking around with hot chocolate, counting these very same lights
And then there were fireworks!
Des insists the glasses he got are a worthwhile optic effect, dad is less sure, given the required effort
A classic Omaha night
Making rug angels, as you do
The future is indeed bright
Ella sensing the instinct to scrub the tub clean
“On your head, for a hat”
Is she gone? Nope, just sleep-wandered to the north end of her crib
“Gimme a break, gimme a break. Break me off a piece of that… fancy feast.” Kit Kat in the tub- one of those rare times where treats and bath time overlap
After confirming the color of each crayon before use (“this blue? this purple?”), Eleanor doodles through a new series
Grandpa stops by for a few, so of course it’s time for “show and tell”
Ella demonstrating pretty decent fife form, for a toddler
Ok, back to show-and-tell
Starting out the new year with what is definitely not a new experience reading Minnie and Daisy’s sleepover story for the umpteenth time
Des playing with the weirdest gift he received this season-
It’s a hit.
Ella doing some light cleaning after nap
Only the best sushi chefs use a whole-body, cleaver chop for slicing delicate sushi
On to fine motor skills with the two-handed chopstick technique
(“Now where did I put mom’s tuna?”)
(“Oh phew! Mom would have sad.”)
Ella demonstrating the proper form for eating cauliflower soup over the bowl
Mom had to work during the day so Des and Dad ventured out to Noon Year’s Eve at the Durham, despite Des feeling a bit under the weather
Packed in like toddler-sized sardines, scored a cozy spot just under the tree behind the stage
Tunes leading up to the countdown by the usual group, though when the crowd requested “Baby Shark,” they barely got through a verse (not that requests are a requisite, but how does a musician specializing in kids entertainment not know the #15 video off all time on youtube w/ 2.5 billion views?)
“3… 2… 1… Happy Noon Year!!”
As the balloons and confetti dropped, of course he hand to grab an orange balloon
Clearly worn down and ready for a nap, a sushi lunch date evolved to take-out avocado roll at home. But still tasty.
Eleanor is going bye-bye and taking her baby with her, no car seat necessary
Mom’s New Years Eve-themed gift bag from work included a silver-glitter shot glass… big hit with the little ones!
Cheers to a new year!
Special treat for dinner- poke bowls!
“Got a little something there on your shirt, sweetie…”
The wake up crew goes full tilt
He’ll build with anything, including his oldest blocks now residing in sister’s room
Sporting her new t-shirt
In cold weather, Team Llama kids go to PE class. Before lunch, Des has to get 10 coins. Twenty minutes of running does wonders for Des’ nap time, even getting a wee bit sweaty.
Skiing worked out better than prior hula hooping attempts, though just barely
Gift exchange with friends
