Raising a Thinker

Elizabeth inherited her Grandpa Johnson's common sense and ingenuity. She loves getting up to the counter. There is a whole new world to explore, and many things she shouldn't have. I try really hard to keep anything dangerous like scissors and knives put away in case she does find something that will help her reach new heights. Here are two prime examples:
It only takes a minute, and Mom to be out of the room for her to act. Some days I wish she wasn't so quick, but I am very grateful she is using her mind to think of the best ways to get what she wants.

The Park

I had the best time at the park in Quartzsite. They had some great slides. After going down once with Daddy, I was a pro and went down by myself after that.

Christmas in Quartzsite

We spent Christmas in Quartzsite with Great Grandma Rossmiller and the Myers family. We had a great time. Mommy was really worried about me sleeping in a strange place, but I did a great job and slept through the night. My favorite part of the trip was the park in Quartzite. they had 3 really fun slides and swings. I also loved cheering and watching Mommy, Doug, Lou and Chris play washers out in Grandma's yard.

Showing Great Grandma pictures on the computer of me going down the slide at the park in Quartzsite.

Uncle Doug helping me open my new toy cell phone.

Mommy and I sharing ice cream.

Helping Aunt Lou do the dishes.

Christmas Eve

We had a really fun breakfast with Aunt Tami and Grandma Olsen for Christmas Eve. They spoiled me with presents. Grandma Olsen brought me a shopping cart. I immediately started pushing it around, until I found the new clothes. Aunt Tami gave me some bath toys. I love them. Thank you.

Our Visitor

Grandpa Olsen is visiting us from Utah this weekend. He brought presents for the kids. They love spending time with him.

Sesame Street

Every morning at 8 Sesame Street comes on. Elizabeth is a dedicated watcher. She gets antsy at 7:45 wanting to turn the t.v. on. I love it because it allows me to do chores around the house without a helper. She is learning. She loves to sing the ABC's and say her numbers.

Dressed for a Party

We went to the church Christmas party. E was the only little girl dressed up, and the cutest by far.

Water Child

I have never seen a child who likes to play in the water more than Elizabeth. Her two loves are being outside and playing in the water. It's even better when she can have both at the same time.

The aftermath

Oh No! Look Grandma

We had a freak hail storm last night. Look at E's flowers now. The hail put Elizabeth on edge. She learned the true meaning of cold pretty quickly. After feeling the hail and how cold it was she would point outside and say "cold" all throughout the evening.

Look at our flowers Grandma

Elizabeth and Grandma Johnson spent June and July taking care of these flowers at Grandma's house. Grandma brought them down last month and put Elizabeth in charge of watering them every day. I would say E has a green thumb. They are beautiful.

Love of Roses

E loves to pick the rose buds off of our rose bush in the back. It isn't a very big plant, so every bud is precious. I have tried to tell her that they need to stay on the plant so they can flower and be pretty. She picked this bud off the plant. It flowered this morning. As she was holding it in her hand I had a flashback to my college days. There was a rose garden outside the doors of one of my classes. Two or three times a week I would pick a rose and take it with me back to my room. The pretty flowers are just to much to resist. So, I had a change of heart about her picking the flowers, because I do it too. It is amazing to me how many things she does that I find myself doing.

Woof Woof

Elizabeth was a dog this year for Halloween. It is her favorite animal. Every time she hears a dog barking she says Woof Woof.

Grandma O came down in the morning and went with us on our morning walk. She and E had a great time playing out back with the water and reading nursery rhymes.

Trick or treating was pretty fun for Elizabeth. She has quite a few older friends down our road who really spoiled her with candy. She can't say trick or treat yet, but she thought it was pretty cool to carry a bucket down the street, and it was even better that people kept putting stuff in it.

Here she is checking out her goodies.

Cans for Chili

Daddy volunteered to bring chili to work for Halloween, so I helped Mommy make it this afternoon. I had a really fun time playing with the cans.

Making Cookies

Daddy let me help him make cookies tonight. He gave me a bowl, spoon, and measuring cups just like he uses. He even let me stay up long enough to taste one of our cookies. Mmmm, I like cookies.

My Eyes

As some of you may have noticed in pictures, Elizabeth's eyes have been crossing for several months now. We took her to the doctor yesterday and found out she is severely far sighted, which means she basically can't see anything very clearly. She was having to work so hard to see. She also didn't have a very long attention span for books or other activities. It was all because of her eyes.

Daddy and Elizabeth played with a fun train at the doctor's office while we were waiting for her eyes to dilate.

The doctor dimmed the lights and shined a light into her eyes so he could see how her eyes were working. He then held up what looked like a ruler that had lenses of different strengths and looked through the lenses into her eyes. Elizabeth had to be pinned in Mommy's lap the entire time. It wasn't very fun. So, after the doctor we went to Daddy's favorite sandwich shop and she got her own kids meal.

This morning, I took Elizabeth in to get her glasses made and fitted. We had to buy the smallest pair they made. They wrap around her ears so she can't get them off too easily. This was the first time we put her new glasses with the prescription on her.

When Elizabeth walked through the door at home it was like a whole new world. She has never been interested in reading or watching TV. Both Mommy and Daddy read a book with her tonight before bed. She pointed to things on the pages and studied the pictures. I know this is the first time she has been able to see the images on the page.

Words cannot express how grateful I am that she can see. She was having to use her other senses like touch and hearing to compensate for her eyes. Now that she can see, she is much more content and happy. The doctor told us that children's brain/eye development happens between birth and age 8. If the problem is not fixed by age 8, they could potentially go blind. Elizabeth will always need glasses, unless we do some corrective surgery after age 14. We are so blessed to be able to get her what she needs to see so she can continue discovering and conquering the world.

Tea Party

Grandma Olsen has the best Tea Party dishes. Each time we arrive at Grandma O's house, the first thing Elizabeth does is go to the dishes and her booster chair. I think it helps having great snacks for the dishes too.

The Day with Grandma Olsen

Grandma Olsen watched Andrew and Elizabeth today so Mommy and Daddy could go to the temple. Elizabeth had a great time. They played in the sand at the park, planted some flowers in the back yard and played tea party with her play dishes. What more could a girl ask for? Thanks Grandma Olsen. Elizabeth had a great day!

Mini Me

We constantly are told how much Elizabeth looks like her Daddy. She is definitely a mini Jeremy.

Planting Flowers with Grandma

I loved having Grandma Johnson visit. We had a great time playing in the dirt. She brought flowers from her flower boxes that I helped her water when we were in Idaho. I helped her fill the pots with dirt and water them. Since Grandma has been home, I make sure Mommy remembers to water the flowers every time we go outside. I like filling the watering can and pouring the water over the plants. I also like picking the flowers off of the plants. Mommy tells me that's what makes them pretty and they need to stay and grow, but I can't resist.

Our trip to Quartzsite

Grandma Johnson brought Great Grandma Ross back to Arizona this week, so we went out to visit them in Quartzsite. Elizabeth had a great time exploring and finding new things to play with. She did a really good job of staying out of trouble. Her favorite toys were the fly swatter and flashlights. Grandma Ross had some stuffed animals, but E wasn't very interested in them. She and Grandma Johnson planted plants and played in the rocks. She also got to play in the water, getting herself all wet.

My First Haircut

It was time for Elizabeth to get her hair cut. She was constantly getting food and other things in her hair because it was always in her way. Daddy was also complaining that it was getting too long and hard to wash in the bath. She did great during her haircut. She wiggled, of course. But she didn't cry. I think she really likes not having hair in her eyes anymore.

Playing in the Kitchen

Aunt Christina has the best play kitchen. Elizabeth and Julia loved playing together in the kitchen. They also have a play kitchen in the nursery at church. Each time she sees the kitchens she gravitates towards them. I guess Mommy should look for a play kitchen of her own.

Me and my Brother

Elizabeth and Andrew are starting to respond more to each other. As a mother it warms my heart to watch them play. Andrew is never quite sure what Elizabeth will do, but he loves having his sister close by. I love both of my children.

Big Girl Bed Update

Elizabeth has been doing a great job in her new big bed. Up until now we have been carrying her to bed and saying good night. The past couple of nights she has walked to her room and climbed into bed all by herself. My little girl is growing so fast.

Now, notice the book. When she goes to bed she doesn't have a book in her hand. But after we close the door, she gets up and picks a book to sleep with. The book is different each night. The night before last, she had a book that makes noise, and at 4 am I heard Blue from Blues Clues say "what time is it?" It didn't wake her up...thank goodness.

Reading with Grandma Olsen

Grandma Olsen and Aunt Tami came for dinner today. Grandma and I had a great time reading a book of silly rhymes.

I love Cups

Elizabeth found two cups in the closet today. They are her new found treasures. All day long I have been filling them with small amounts of water. Half the water makes it into her mouth and half ends up on the floor. It's a good thing we have tile.

My Chair

Elizabeth loves this chair. Grandma Johnson gave it to her for Christmas. She spends so much time playing while sitting in her chair. It is so nice to have something her size.

Big Hair

Elizabeth has her mother's ability to grow hair. It is constantly in her face. We need to decide if we let it grow, or cut it. I don't think she could sit still long enough for me or anyone else to cut it. What do you think? Cut or no cut? Daddy votes cut.

Today

January 2008

Big Girl Bed

Elizabeth graduated into a big girl bed today. We are very proud parents. She did such a good job of adjusting. She watched us take the crib down and we explained to her about sleeping in a big bed. This afternoon for nap time she played for about 15 minutes and gave up. Tonight when I put her in bed and closed the door she didn't make a peep. There are some benefits to being so busy during the day...it's easy to go to sleep.

Elizabeth during her nap this afternoon.

Tonight at 8:30 (It is completely dark in her room but the flash makes it look like it is daytime.)

Cousins In My Room

I had a great time playing with my cousins in my room. I showed them all my toys and books. They had given me a quiet book for church and were showing me how to play with it.

Reading with Grandpa Olsen

Elizabeth had a great time reading Olivia's Opposites with Grandpa Olsen. She laughed and laughed. I think Grandpa Olsen enjoyed it just as much as she did.