And I don't think we've ever read Handsel & Gretel

Eliana managed to folder herself into her new kitchen's oven today. I knew that I shouldn't have shown her how to take out the "baking rack" inside. AL got a picture or two. Eliana demonstrated the feat for me when I got home from work. She even manages to shut the door so the magnet catches. At least the refridgerator has non-moving shelves or we'd have already lost her to that.

I put a stuffed duck inside the oven for when she tries this trick next time. That should get an interesting reaction.

Kids & checkouts

Eliana had a small accident today, probably because she was so excited about all of her toys. One of them is a checkout station/cash register. It has a microphone on it as well as a scanner for groceries and similar. She came in saying "I go potty" which she had before coming to the bathroom. I cleaned her up - she went back to the cash register, hit the mic button, and said "Cleanup - I poop my pants".

Kids.

Christmas at home 2005

Finally arrived home after a good trip to Louisiana. Eliana recovered well from her sickness and ate to make up for the little she'd eaten the whole weekend. We checked out from the hotel after practically dragging Eliana out of bed. We got to Thomas & Nicole's house where she played a little with her baby cousin and his toys. When we started to leave, baby Thomas lifted his arms to come with us and waved bye to his mom.
It was a good trip back - no problems along the way. We dropped off Myrl and headed home to spend some time together. After unloading the car, we arranged the presents around our coffee table to allow for easier filming. Eliana's special gift was still under wraps and she didn't seem to notice.
We unwrapped gifts - Eliana was thrilled with everything. She would have stopped after each one if we hadn't encouraged her to continue. Her great uncle David, aunt Joyce, cousin Kev sent two books - one an incredibly intricate popup book (adult supervision required, I'm afraid). Her great grandmother sent a toy baking set (she described each piece after opening). She got some clothes, more books, a necklace kit, an electronic cash register with scanner, and her big gift - a new kitchen set!
Once that was unveiled, there was no stopping her. She pointed out the components (phone, stove, fridge, sink, microphone (wave). She eventually discovered the loaded dishwasher and was in heaven. She first hung up the mugs on little pegs. Then she unloaded all of the dishes, putting most in the fridge for some reason. We broke out the other toy cookware and she went to town making pancakes (cakecakes), eggs, cookies, drinks, etc. She had to stop regularly to ring something up on her cash register and swipe a credit card or two. Then she'd go right back to it. Once we wash the tea set she'll be even happier.
After some time, we interrupted her briefly to do some dress up with her Mimi's present. She made a cute bride, but didn't enjoy the others quite as much yet. I think the boa worried her a little. After some posing, she changed back to her normal clothes and resumed cooking and shopping.
It's good to be home again. God really helped remind me this year that it's about so much more than presents. There seemed to be a theme running everywhere I looked saying stop, slow down, don't get caught up in the business, be still and know that I AM God. Our choir musical, verses in quiet time, messages preached, radio - everything just saying that it's about God. If you're reading this, take some time out to really reflect on what you did with your Christmas this year. Was it of eternal value? Will it fade away? Turn off the radio/cd/mp3/tv/game and stop for a moment to thank God for what He's done for you in your life. Be still - know that He is God.

Blessings and peace.

Christmas Day 2005

Finished Tabitha's Travels early in the morning and let Eliana open her stocking presents. She was excited about the presents - not quite so much about the story. The few pictures throughout make it difficult for her to focus on the story. We didn't make it to church due to sickness and trying to rest up to fight off the sickness.
We gathered with the family in Lousiana for this Christmas. Spent some time on Christmas Eve making a borthday cake for Jesus with Eliana. She sang and blew out the candle. We had the main gathering at John & Erin's house this year. The kids had a good time opening their presents and checking out what each of them got. I think Eliana was a little immune to this as her presents consisted of ponies, cooking toys, a teaset and similar. She was thrilled with everything, but her eyes really lit up when she opened the teaset. She showed that to everyone who walked by for the rest of the day.
The festivities ended a little earlier than expected, with everyone returning to their respective homes. We didn't really want to go back to the hotel yet, so toured Lafayette looking for an open restaurant and letting Eliana snooze in the back seat. We eventually headed to a Chinese buffet (the only open one as far as we could tell) and got some take-out. Back at the hotel room, Eliana had a tea party with some orange juice. She drank some and nibbled at some food - just enough to let her watch a movie and sip some more water from her tea set. We then read a story and settled down to sleep - something we all needed. Eliana slept through the night and well into the morning where her appetite returned heartily.

Christmas Eve 2005

We attended the Christmas Eve service @ East Bayou Baptist Church in Lafayette, LA. It was a neat service. I liked the opportunity to sing along with some traditional carols (done in a non-traditional way). I also liked the multimedia presentation on the History of Christmas. It started with a porcelain nativity set - with the pieces moving around as the voices warranted. They told how the first Christmas came about so many years ago. Then they added things - Santa Claus, penguins at the North Pole, shoppers, parking, presents, trees, candles, songs, etc. Each came in and crowded out the nativity scene, pushing it further and further back. It culminated with one of the figures "shoving" its way forward and reminding us about the true meaning of Christmas with all of the others slowly giving way until only the nativity scene was left. The shot then focused and zoomed on the baby figure. This led into the pastor walking out with a shopping cart and giving a brief message on where we should be putting our trust and attention - not degrading anything that we do, but contrasting Mary and Martha a little on the way.
It was a good service and a great reminder of how much God did for us so long ago through an unwed mother who would have been shamed and an earthly man. God became a man. He lived among us - as one of us. He experienced life as a human and understands what we are going through. He came for a purpose - to take our punishment for every last thing we've done wrong. He stands in our place and gives us His righteousness. All of this while we were still at war with God. Thank you, God for the gentle reminder of what it's all about.

Advent

We've been enjoying Tabitha's Travels - a neat story about a young girl named Tabitha who is caught up in the sidelines of the Christmas story. The author has written three books. We read Jotham's Journey last year, but Eliana was a little too small to really appreciate it. She's a little more appreciative this year, but I think if there were a similar book with more pictures and perhaps fewer words, she'd really get into it.

Along with the book, we have been using an Advent Wreath to celebrate the season. Eliana has helped us light each candle by telling us which candle we're lighting. (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love) She remembers them really well. She even helped us light the candle for the first Sunday of Advent at our church, though she did get pretty shy (and acrobatic) during the second service.

It's definitely been helpful to sit back and remember that Christmas is about more than the hustle and bustle - buying gifts, singing in concerts, attending events, decorating, etc. It's nice to sit back and remember that our Saviour was born many years ago into a world that is so different from ours. He didn't come to a nice clean hospital room with doctors and nurses ready to assist. The best comparison I've read lately is that it was about the same thing as thinking the Saviour was born to an unwed teenage girl in an alley in the slums of town. To quote the song "This is such a strange way to save the world."

Reading

Eliana has taken quite an interest in books lately. She's been "reading" quite a few of the Sesame Street books (especially after she's supposed to be asleep in a pretty dark house). She picked up "Green Eggs and Ham" the other day and went through, identifying the pictures on the page and getting the words mostly correct. It was actually pretty amazing how much of it she had correct compared to the number of times we have read it recently. Just a good memory to share.

Eliana and Cinderella - Take 2

She does like the original Disney movie Cinderella. She still sings out "Sweet Nightengale" occasionally. The other day, I understood that she ducked behind the couch while singing the opening number, holding her arms up just like Cinderella does when she's getting dressed. Complete with sound effects.

The most common behaviour recently has been to dance around the house singing "So This is Love". Usually she'll do this right after her bath, treating her towel as her dress. The other day, she took her church dress and held part of it out while twirling around.

Toilet Seats

Toddlers. Eliana's curiosity extended to wondering if the portable toddler-sized toilet seat would work as a hat. (These are the seats you can put over adult-sized seats to make it more kid-friendly. Really portable and good for travelling.) Well, shortly after realizing that the opening was a little too big for a hat, she decided to see if she could make it into a necklace.

When did mom discover this? Oh, shortly after hearing the cries and grunts coming from the bathroom as Eliana tried to get the seat (cushion side down of course) back up over her head. There was minor scarring, but the seat was eventually removed intact. Here's hoping that she remembers this and doesn't try it again.