February Fun

Eléa is growing up fast and constantly has us wondering what she could possibly be thinking.  She continues to dance very seriously, with friends and in costume (check out one of my favorite videos below for proof).  Her circle of close friends has grown to include teddy bear, penguin, plastic baby, a small stuffed fox, two plastic fish, two plastic dolphins, a small duck for the bath,  two dolls from her dollhouse, two blankets, and a water bottle.  It is not only super entertaining to watch Eléa wave to each one in her crib, but also to give them water, dance with them and manage to hold them all in her small, but capable arms.  

We had some snow that actually stuck to the ground for a few hours and Eléa seemed to really enjoy watching it fall and walking in it.  We have been taking frequent trips to the park where Eléa has mastered the big girl swing all by herself.  She is so brave and the one time she fell off she got right back on... She also makes sure to give love to the trees at the park making her Mami proud.  We are ever impressed with her comprehension, and she has started to be able to recognize letters in her alphabet books.  If we ask her where is the A, she can point to it.  We think she may be reading before she is talking.  She also loves to count and has become quite skilled at it.  

Videos:

Dancing queen

solo swings

Eléa, the bus driver.

Can you see me through all my friends?

My cold face!

Kyoto in the snow.

Our little tree hugger

January fun!

Eléa has become a dancing machine this past month (as you can see from the video).  She wants the music on all time, though is very particular about the songs, and dances with a face of serious concentration.  She sways back and forth, sometimes with her dolls and other stuffed animal friends, and neither eating nor drinking can stop her from boogieing to the groove.  She often waves her finger in the air, leading us to believe she may have prematurely discovered her calling as a conductor.

This month Eléa has also gotten to spend loads of time with her bestie, Shion, as Shion's mother was in the hospital for nearly two weeks with bad morning sickness.  Taking care of two kids at 18 months is no easy task, but luckily Luke was able to stay home in the mornings to help out.

We had some nice weather last weekend and made a trip to the beautiful Fushimi Inari Shrine.  There are many fox statues there, representing the g-d of rice, and there is a long walk up the mountain through a series of tori (the orange arches that you can see in the picture below).  When we were leaving the temple we bought Eléa a small stuffed-fox and she proceeded to march down the street, stopping at every stall to proudly show off her new fox to the vendors, which usually involved holding it up in the air and then giving it multiple hugs and kisses.  It was pretty much the cutest thing ever.  She has become very attached to all her stuffed animals and friends, and she waves at each one in her crib, especially just before going to sleep for the night.  She also insists on gathering them all up to take with her when we leave the room, which is quite a task since she's still too small to hold them all in her little arms.  She uses her chin as an extra arm, and it is pretty funny to watch.

Video:
Eléa's dancing style

Eléa and her bestie, Shion

She's taking a rest from going up and down the stairs... a favorite activity.

We are doing some early training for next year's halloween.  Sneak peak for everyone,, she's a dinosaur!

The shrine includes this beautiful path up the mountain.

Bundled up and dancing!

Papi carried 30lbs of cuteness up the mountain...

Too cool for school....