January wrap up

We had a good start to the new year with a smooth transition of Eleanor switching day cares and a couple trips up to northern Virginia for a shower and to visit family, as well as Chris' long weekend snowboarding. We officially bid the holidays goodbye and have settled in for the somewhat long rest of winter. It is cold here, but not cold enough to complain and seemingly not cold enough for a legitimate snowfall either. I used to be more of a fan of winter when I only had to bundle myself up, but bundling up a very mobile toddler takes a lot of time and is not very much fun. We were still able to go out for bike rides quite a few times this month and go for a few walks in the afternoons, too. 

We've done lots of snuggling inside in sweatpants on the couch with the fireplace on.

We've also had lots of ice and rain, but like I mentioned earlier, no snow that really sticks.

Basketball games continue to get us out of the house at least once a week. Eleanor loves going to the games and seeing lots of friends. There are a few older elementary-school-age girls that sit behind us that she always tries to "keep up" with, but mostly unsuccessfully. She and her friend did get the opportunity to dance on the court during a media time out and received a hat for her efforts. They danced to Taylor Swift's Shake it Off, or as Eleanor calls it, "shake shake."

I took Eleanor shoe shopping one weekend to try to find some shoes for her to wear in the wedding in March and she is now obsessed with shoes. She loves to put on shoes, particularly mine, and walk around the house in them. 

Eating has been getting messier and messier here. She is enjoying using silverware now when we let her, which is infrequently because as soon as she gets a fork or spoon in her hand, all eating ceases and playing begins.

I was able to go out to celebrate one of my friends having a new baby for a girls night. We went out for Mexican food and had a great time leaving all of our kids at home. 

Eleanor has also gotten more and more interested in cooking. Whenever I am in the kitchen these days, she wants to be picked up and sit on the counters to watch. I am thinking we will get her a kitchen this year for either her birthday or Christmas, because I think she will really enjoy it now. She still doesn't quite get it, but I think by the time she's two, she'll be very excited about it.