Eleanor at 22 Months

A cute thing happened the other day. I was telling the kids that they needed to get ready to go, and that I just needed to change my outfit and I would be right downstairs. I expected Will to go into the garage and get his boots on, and Nora to wait for me in the kitchen like she always does. Instead, I came down to find Will still in front of the tv and Nora nowhere to be seen. Thats when I went into the garage and there is Nora, standing by the car, ready to go, with not only both of her boots on, but on the right feet even! I was shocked! I knew she has been trying to teach herself to put her own boots on lately, but she usually struggles to even get one boot halfway on. So to get both on and on the right feet, was pretty impressive!

Nora is a girl who loves unusual tastes for a little kid. We went out to a restaurant for Mother's Day and she grabbed a lemon out of my drink and proceeded to eat it like it was no big deal. She didn't grimace even once. Then the other night I had a glass of white wine and before I could stop her, Nora grabbed the glass with an iron fist and took a small sip. The weird part was that She LOVED it. I figured she'd make a face and leave it alone after that. NOPE! After her stolen sip, I had to protect my glass with all my might and eventually leave the room, as she was clambering for more. So to recap, she likes sriracha, lemons and wine. Crazy kid!!!

Near the end of the month, we made a trek down to visit my parent's house down in Oregon. Its a 5.5 hour car drive and I was worried about how the kids would do - particularly Nora as she tends to get antsy after only 20 minutes in the car. I had plenty of toys and snacks, and bought the kids a travel DVD player that I could strap to the head rests, and they both did great actually! I planned a stop at a McDonald's play area, half way through the trip as well, so the kids could stretch their legs, eat and get a bit of a break. Aside from the occasional french fry from there, this was both kid's first trip to Mickey D's. They split a happy meal (which thankfully include some healthier options like apples and milk) and played for 30 minutes before getting back in the car and finishing the trip. The voyage back was equally successful and I am no longer afraid to make longer car trips with both kids!


While visiting grandma's house, Nora had an absolute blast. It was very warm the whole time and she swam in the pool daily (even in the lake a couple of times!), explored the chicken coop with the baby chickens, and was absolutely enamored with my mom's cat. She followed that cat everywhere and just observed him going about his day. She always had to be close to him, and near the end of the trip, even worked up the courage to pet him a time or two. She got to play with her cousin Susan for the first time since she has been a 'bigger' kid and the two of them had a blast together (well the 3 of them really). She also slept better down there than she ever has before, making the whole experience a lot more enjoyable for me!

Nora is just a pleasure these days. Maybe its just her nature, or maybe its because she's not talking yet, but shes just so easy going and pleasant to be around. Shes not easily perturbed, eats just about anything and just goes about her day happily. She is clingy from time to time, but she will happily sit still in your lap and read books or watch videos on my phone, so thats an easy fix and I enjoy the snuggles for the most part. Even her toddler tantrums are occasional and very short lived. She also has a fiercely independent yet competent streak and is sassy! I just love this kid!