Happy Birthday!!!

We had a great day with Elena on her birthday! We tried to do lots of things that she likes to do, though the birthday fun is just beginning!

I thought I'd start with a few pictures from the week, then get into birthday. I figure this is the first birthday post of at least two, and maybe three.

She is really into mama's hair lately. Literally, she was in her carseat with a paci, and was trying to reach for it. Just crawling around the bathroom. I liked her rock star hair and funny expression.
She also loves to shut doors. Here, we're in teh bathroom and she's shutting daddy out.

Flying Leni! She really liked this game, and complained very loudly when it ended.
We love the kitty! She pats him (and pulls a little). But, she's fast enough now that she can catch him, or at least his tail, sometimes.
Okay. Starting birthday pictures. Snacks for every meal, including breakfast. After her toast, yogurt, and banana, she had a little brownie.
For lunch, we went to Tomato Head with Mimi, Poppy, and Aunt Avery. Chris took the day off (and, the two days prior because of other things) so he was with us everywhere.

Sharing her present with Poppy.

She liked touching Aunt Avery's finger across the table.
She did not like this hat.
Aunt Avery brought her some cake, and though we didn't get into it then (you'll see it again...) Ave did give her some icing. Again, snacks at all meals. She also had some of daddy's chocolate cherry cookie.
She might not like to wear them, but she does like everyone to play with them.

Helping Poppy read her card.

She's into "reading" to herself lately, particularly in the car. She turns pages and "reads" outloud.
Dinner was some of her favorites-macaroni and cheese, and roasted sweet potatoes. She also has some goldfish that we let her play with to tide her over. I don't know if any actually got eaten...
Sharing the basket with mama.
Courtesy of the Littletons...Caitlin's family had a tradition where she had a shirt from where she was born, and they took her picture in it every year. It was fun to look at her blog and see pictures of different attitudes, haircuts, clothing styles. So, thought we'd start the same for Leni. This is a locally made Yee-haw Knoxville Girl t-shirt-in an adult medium .

Last night we went to the Rush playground at East Town Mall. She loves it and liked hiding behind things. Then, other kids got there, and she mostly followed them around watching them run.
Sliding.

This is one of those riding toys that you put money in. She liked it, but I just liked seeing her in it.



Trying to get out of the window, instead of the door right next to it.

We let her walk around the mall, and she stood in front of Hot Topic for several minutes, dancing. Really dancing-back and forth, bending her knees, waving her arms. Pretty darn cute, this one year old kid. And, if you know what Hot Topic is, pretty darn endearing also.
Late last night we finally got into that birthday cake. It was a royal mess, and she got two baths yesterday.

She was in a phase where she'd pull lots of books off the shelf, but we've both been working with her to get one and sit down with you to read. It is maybe the cutest thing ever, and she really does it now.
Playing daddy's guitar.
Reading with daddy.
She had a towel on her lap, and then we'd touch her toes on the other side of it. She started doing it to herself, and thought either way was hilarious.






Opening presents. We got her a "special day" plate, but it's that unbreakable plastic. Pretty cute, and a good idea for little kids.

We also got her a book, a growth chart, and two iplay kits-a mushroom with fairies (to have something girly, but not princessy, and a set of 3 knights and a catapult, since her second middle name is her mama's last name, and it means "man who operates a catapult or flying arrow machine". Hence, the catapult. Daddy mostly tried to knock over fairies with it.
And, Elena's new favorite toy. See all of her pretty new toys in the front? See her playing with a box of Raisin Nut Bran? Sigh.
This is from this morning. Mama was trying to get some birthday party stuff done, and decided that she had lots of interaction for the past two days, and was going to have lots of interaction for the next three. So, I let her carry around the bag of chex, and I let her get into it (which we never, ever do). She'd sit, eat a few, carry it around, sit, eat a few...and then I let her watch Go, Diego, Go without supervision. But, her cupcakes are made, and mama is sane.
My grandparents got in last night and came today with mom to take Elena for a couple of hours. Dad, on the other hand, stayed with me for a couple hours and we cleaned like crazy people. Seriously, my house is the cleanest it's ever been, probably in the 80 years it's been around. Thanks to mom, gigi, and grandad for taking munchkin, but thanks a lot to dad for the crazy cleaning!

Stay tuned for pictures of the most awesome first birthday ever!