Tag Archives: Naptime

April 15th, 2018

Long after the kids have finished their own breakfasts, this is what dad eating dad’s breakfast looks like. The script is as follows:

Eleanor: [With doe eyes, silently sign “please”]

Down to business when they’re on the final “fruit” course

Grandma and her two shopping assistants

Napping downstairs while mom and dad’s new bed is delivered upstairs

Meanwhile upstairs, Des sleeps through the removal of the current mattress and box spring (which required mom to use the drill to remove the upstairs handrail) and delivery and set up of the new mattress, bed frame and box spring. He must’ve needed this nap.

Desmond and dad reading what is surely a Star Wars book before bed

Easter 2018

Easter is a spring celebration for Team LLama, and while there were a few treats, it was mostly an opportunity to gift springtime necessities to the kids

Ok, and one indoor/outdoor activity for “exercise”

Cool baby found a pouch almost instantaneously

Des models this spring’s rain fashion

Can only assume her grunting and gesturing was an attempt to say, “Mom, there appears to be treats hidden in these egg-shaped contraptions. Can you open this, please?”

Let the egg hunt begin!

Des spots an egg up above

Taking a craisin break

After plowing through her own craisins, Eleanor begins scavenging for more elsewhere. “PLEASE BROTHER! I need just four more!!”

Ella celebrating her dunk

She was, and continues to be, a big fan of her rain boots

So much so that Ella begins handing out footwear to everyone in the vacinity

Easter bunny did well with the stuffed dinosaur

Snack time with Ella and one of her many BFFs

Yup, wind-up chicks are hilarious!

In addition to coming over for dinner with ma and pa, aunt Megan brings over a basket of Liam and Viv’s old children books. Liam and Des go right for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book.

Everyone has a book they’re waiting to be read

Eventually the kids self-organize their own book clubs

Eleanor is getting to the age where she usually picks out her own books to read before nap/bed time. Originally from great-aunt Molly to Desmond, Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas is still in regular rotation.

February 25th, 2018

The Sunday morning crew, watching a few minutes of Planet Earth II

Ella modeling her new hat ma made

Ma also brought over a Peter Rabbit stuffed animal for each of the kids. Des has already decided on a new nap time buddy- 

More Ella and dad naps

All bundled up, sporting her new hat

As Des continues to learn about making good choices and practicing good behavior, mom and dad have instituted a “pom pom jar” for rewarding unprompted good deeds. As Desmond reaches each new level, he gets increasing rewards: an ice cream outing, a movie at the theater, and eventually a new lego set. While filling the whole jar is several months away, he did get to the first level, so a trip to eCreamery was a special post-nap treat.

Eleanor was selflessly willing to show her support for brother’s good behavior

Eleanor can spot a dog a 100 feet away, through pedestrian and vehicle traffic 🙂

To the victor goes the spoils

Eleanor hugged her new best friend, Flopsy

February 24th, 2018

Despite the impending late-winter storm, dad and the kids venture out to “the plant store” for seed trays and soil. “Come for the gardening supplies, stay for the pictures with old pickup trucks!”

Eleanor was eager for a good stretch of the legs

She does not trust giant tortoises, alive or bronze. Don’t worry, grandma will protect you.

These two are cute, not cute enough to convince grandma and dad to take them into the fragile housewares section.

What’s better than a weekend lunch at the food hall?

Apparently there are paparazzi amongst Team Llama…

Making some banana bread, just because

The “D” wasn’t detectable after baking, but worth a shot

Peter Pan for family movie night

Des’ glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs finally brought upstairs from Christmas. Not quite installed yet, it does appear they’re doing the dinosaurumpus (thanks again, great-grandpa Irv!)

January 20th, 2018

While mom and ma are at the women’s march, the rest of the family is marching in spirit/dreams…

Eleanor’s walking game is strong. Less tossing this time, more interested in running the ball back to brother

Upon the soundtrack starting to Saturday Movie Night’s Monster’s University, Ella wiggles off the couch, walks towards the front of the room and appears to begin dancing/wiggling 🙂

January 13th, 2018

On the first night of mom’s first recreational trip out of town to visit a friend, Eleanor decides it’s time to experiment with croup again. After a night of new coughing and wheezing, dad was fortunate enough for aunt Kellie’s on-call experience. After forming a backup plan at midnight and packing a go-bag, Ella followed her playbook from last time and woke up at 3am with notable difficulty breathing. A quick call to the nurses’ line later, they confirmed stridor and recommended an adventurous, yet urgent trip to the ER. Again, thanks to aunt Kellie, dad and Ella were able to quickly get to the hospital without even waking.

The doctors were all caring, swift and helpful. With a steroid shot, everyone was back in bed before the sun rose. The next day, however, everyone was a bit sleepy.

Eleanor beginning several long hours of napping, with brother exploring the children’s museum with grandma, aunt Kellie and Cal.

Asleep, then awake. Repeat.

She eventually fell asleep for the longest period after rubbing dad’s beard.

A young family of two, it takes a mom and a dad, with a cast of loving supportive family members.

December 30th, 2017

Des was proud of his most recent magna-tiles creation and requested a picture

Christmas brunch with friends. Playing catch in the living room, this can’t go wrong, right?

Nap time…

…shift change

More lego builds, with Luigi and Guido from Cars

Mom gets in on the lego action (don’t tell Des- we’re practicing numbers, spatial reasoning and fine motor skills)

TENS! for finishing the build

Suppose that’s one way to play with the tent

Trying a new setup for Saturday movie nights

Eleanor putting away a healthy portion of chili

Ah, they joys of foaming bath soap (“shaving cream”)

Of course he started by putting it on his leg and shaving, cause with dad’s beard, mom apparently has been the prominent shaving role model 🙂 Here we are also practicing face shaving, though following by arm and foot shaving for good measure.

December 17th, 2017

Dear Santa- All Eleanor wants for Christmas are spices, containers and containers of them, so she can throw them around the kitchen over and over again. #spicespicebaby

Returning to winter weekend routine, making orange juice

Ella chugs her first glass of orange juice* (one part juice, four parts water)

Desmond helps dust all the things

Afternoon naps, these days will be over before we know it

Any excuse to do whatever her big brother is doing

Desmond wanted a picture of the snowman masterpiece. It was only later that the irony of a yellow snowman dawned on dad.

Pictured: family of four, eating mussels for dinner.