Elmo loves you

As previously shared, Lucy got a rock and roll Elmo for Christmas. At first I was uncertain about how many loud toys we were gifted...but Elmo has been hilarious. Not so much his 4 standard songs but what he makes Lucy do. She often opens her mouth really big like he does as she's "singing". She also likes to dance with him. It's pretty amazing how tuned into this singing red robot she is.

Remember those "my buddy" commercials. That's what tonight felt like. Strapping Elmo into her highchair made her eat more of her dinner. Whatever works. A couple other notes - she insisted on wearing the floral coat and that little arm over Elmo's shoulder was a natural spontaneous move.

Lu and big E also did some cruising and singing before bedtime. What I wasn't able to capture on film was her basically swing dancing with him. There was some serious laughter on my part. 

Baby high fives are hilarious

Dear Kate. If that lighting design thing doesn't work out...baby entertainment might be a good fit. My favorite part is Lucy's total collapse because she's laughing so hard. 

Christmas/New Years in New England part 1

We just got back from a trip to New Hampshire. It started with a trip to the mountains (pictures coming soon) and then a bit of time in Rochester. It was great to see folks and especially fun to see everyone play with Lu. My parents, Ben and Trish all took lots of time out of their busy lives to hang out with us. Unfortunately we have very few pictures. Must be because we were busy having fun. 

Playdough factory was a hit

Ben and Trish got Lucy a floating flying shark. Lu was a big help putting it together. One of the funniest moments of the trip was filling the balloon at the grocery store...

I went to Allenstown to see Clare (who just moved from MN to NH!) and while my Mom was working the guys took Lucy to the local children's museum.

The "kitty" has always been a highlight of visits to my parents' house. Lucy and Hannah have a bonding moment on the stairs. But what I really think Hannah is thinking is, "Go ahead kid. Grab my tail. I double dare you."

Walking the polar bear AND the new barking tail wagging bell ringing puppy that was a gift from my Mom. 

"Graham cracker" was a new phrase this trip. Look! She can reach the counter. 

Kate drove all the way from Troy, NY to visit! Thanks Kate! We went to see the horses but they were too far away to see well. This is about a 10 minute walk from my parents' house. 

Lucy is bigger than the "Lucy tree"!

Night at the Museum

Making her rounds.

Baby it's (warm) outside

The dynamic duo strolling through the park.

Mom and Dad: Lucy where are you going? We're going this way.

Lucy: So? I want to go THIS way!

We have an independent kiddo on our hands.

We found a geo-cache in this park too. Yes, there's an app for that.

Christmas part 1

We met up with the Erickson clan in the cities for some holiday cheer.

Lu in her special Christmas pjs that Grandma got her. Very cute.

Uncle Neal and Aunt Kelly brought Lu a rocket ship! The team is hard at work adding the finishing touches.

Merry Christmas Aunt Kelly!

Lucy got right into the swing of present unwrapping.

What a silly guy.

This was our contribution to all the very noisy toys she got this holiday season.

One of them being the "Rock and Roll Elmo"from Neal and Kelly. Lu's been rocking with him since we got home. She's a wicked tambourine player.

Kelly gets a vintage 80's era photo of Neal for Christmas. It was a winner.

Another winner. Kelly gave Ry a remote controlled helicopter that he can control with his phone. The boys give it a whirl and I almost loose an eye. Good fun though. Good fun.

Our little climber. Ryan rocks his new Christmas hat.

Macy's Christmas display

The Macy's/Dayton's/insert latest store name here always has a fancy Christmas exhibit. It's a Twin Cities family favorite. I've been once before but the Ericksons have been going for years.

Those letters look SO real. This is on the second time through. The first time was a little overwhelming for little Lu. The second time - she owned it.