England photo preview

I know, the suspense is just too much!! I can't find the cord that attaches the camera to the computer (genius). I am blaming moving house.  But as you all know, we recently took a little trip to England. We had a really super time and Evie was well behaved for both flights (thank goodness).  Here are a few photos to preview the 1000 photo slide show to come . . .

Grandad and Granny Judy went to the Olympic Park on the first Saturday of the games and brought Evie home some fabulous Wenlock (the mascot) jimjams. Beautifully modelled by Miss Pie. 

 Reading time with Grandad!! Nice new book that Mummy found in a charity shop in Rochester (more tourist photos to follow)

Answers on a postcard for what is going on here . . .

 Evie entertained Uncle Andy and Uncle Alex with a few songs . . .

Evie forgot her name so we bought her a reminder . . . . and apparently that was more interesting than the swimming action on the telly

 Oh yeah . . . and we went to the Olympics.  This is us on the train after a looooooong day. Evie's hat has Wenlock on it. Notice a theme developing??

More Olympic photos to come too. Mainly for Nana's benefit because I know how much she likes sport . . .


It really was a non-stop, action packed holiday and we really didn't want to come home again.  Lots and lots to follow!!!

Janey xxx

Return to the Blog

To Auntie Jill and anyone else who might read this . . . .

I have new equipment and will be returning to the blog. Too much time has passed and too many opportunities to share cute photos have been wasted so . . . the plan (at least for now) is to stop being useless. I am starting with this very cute photo of Evie from July 4th! We spent the 4th with Charlotte and Russell in Round Top, Texas, which has a very cute parade. Evie LOVED it - she was really good at flag waving and collecting sweeties . She helped Auntie Charlotte pick tomatoes and eggplant after the parade. So much fun!

News from the family  . . .

I have a new job and as part of the benefits that come with the job is an on site school. So, starting in August Evie will be attending school 2 days a week. She is very excited!  I am hoping that they will potty train her since our efforts have been entirely futile thus far.  Potty training is important when you have a child the size of a 4 year old because to be honest, people judge me. Especially when we put her up on a public changing table and she asks whether we need her to hold her legs. Anyway, I wish the teachers well in this endeavor. 

Evie's vital statistics: Height: 38 inches, Weight 34 pounds, 9oz.  Evie knows all her colors and most shapes.  She likes reading and dancing. She likes Mummy and Daddy to do ballet with her!!!

More photos to follow as I add them to the computer!!

Jane xxx

to answer my critics . . .

Here is an Evangeline update. And to be fair, it was definitely time. We have been having some techincal issues with the blog so the photos are in a slightly random order :-)

Since October Evie has been developing opinions on all kinds of issues and is not afraid to tell you when she thinks you're wrong! It has also been confirmed that she is an amazon child, weighing in on the 86th percentile and lining up on the 94th for height at her 2 year appointment.

Of course, Evie also had a birthday! We had a super fun day with lots of friends at our house to celebrate. There was cake, ice cream and yummy appetizers. Evie was mainly interested in the cake - not entirely suprising as she announces almost every morning that she had dreams about cake. Evie wore her new maroon velvet dress


and did some colouring . . .

and got upset when we took the colouring away !!!

Birthday morning Evie opened some presents, including this favourite from Auntie Claire. The Polar Bear lives in Evie's room with her many other friends.

Evie also opened up a fabulous hobby horse from Ma and Pa.

Some slightly older photos from November. Looking back at these it appears that Evie's hair went on a growth fest over a couple of months. Its so long now she looks like a yetti most mornings.

I will write more when I find some more photos to upload - including some Christmas snaps of the whole family and our recent trip to Cousin Tori's birthday party

xxxxx

Trick or Treat?

Its a treat to get a post on this blog, right?! Evangeline has been growing up so quickly and I have been shamefully neglecting the blog. So here is a little update.

At last weigh-in, Evie was averaging around 30 pounds. She is hugely tall and pretty much wearing only 3T as 2T is usually too short and too tight around the tummy. She looooooves milk more than I can really explain. No matter what the time of day, Evie wants milk. Long may it continue!!! Evie loves to jump and do forward rolls although our one and only trip to "mom and me" gymnastics was a complete disaster. We didn't even make it to the end of the session. It goes without saying that we have not been back!! Maybe next year . . .

Of course, it is also fun to practice gymnastics in your toy push-chair !

Evie talks SOOOOO much! It is like having a little grown up around. She knows all of her letter and also loves to count. She can reliably count up to 25 and we think Grandad is hoping there might finally be another accountant in the family. Luckily for us she is also still a GREAT sleeper. She's always in bed by 6:30 and stays in bed until we go upstairs to get her. To be honest, I think she would go to bed an hour earlier given the opportunity. Her favourite books are "The Tiger who Came to Tea" and "Goodnight Moon" and "Princess Evie's Ponies". I don't get what is remotely entertaining about Goodnight Moon but I'm not 22 months old so what do I know?

And of course today it was trick or treat day. Cute fairy anyone?

With her friends, Lauren and Sarah
What am I supposed to do with this, Mummy?
Evie was allowed one small bite of a Twix. Everything else was donated to the candy basket. Iprobably won't be able to get away with that one next year!!!

Happy Halloween everyone and I hope you all are ready for bonfire night on Saturday :-)

Jane xxx

Big girl

Evangline has a new bed! Well, new to Evie anyway . . . this bed was part of a bunk bed set my Grandma had in her house for years :-) Cheap? me? We bought some new bedding and moved things around a bit ! Accoring to Evie, the little bed is Evie's bed, the bigger bed is Mummy's bed and the crib is Daddy's bed. Not sure Dddy's quite so happy about this arrangement. We are hoping to be fully in the big girl bed by the end of August :-)





Relating to my previous post - Nanina, Evie and Tori!!



Evie's usual Friday lunchtime antics with Papa! Evie loves her ponies . . .




J xxx

the summer so far

Evangeline has had an eventful and HOT summer so far. The temperature in Houston is silly and has meant fewer walks and fun outside but we've managed a good amount of fun anyway :-)

We met Evie's cousin Victoria "Tori" for the first time in July. Having entered teh world at barely over 4 pounds, Tori is still petite. Evie looks like an amazon next to her. Tori's visit also awakened the green eye'd monster in miss Evie :-) She didn't appreciate her Mummy changing another baby's nappy or cuddling another baby. She did love Tori in the end though :-)

My Nana - Nanina - has been staying with Nana for 10 weeks. Evie thinks that its fun to jump all over Nanina and give her huge kisses, making no allowances at all for Nanina's age! She's also discovered recently that walking around with Nanina's stick is hugely great fun.



Fun with uncle Rob (Tori's Daddy) and Tori



Evie also enrolled in Papa's cooking camp. I think she's concerned that one day she might be stuck at home with Mummy and Nana and that in the interests of survival, she should learn to cook! They started with steak which Evie insisted was "snake" . . . we didn't stay for dinner :-)



and then there's music camp . . .



Auntie Christine brought Evie a present from Spain . . . and some champange for Mummy. :-)



At our most recent visit to the doctor Evie weighed in at 28 pounds 2oz, and is around 34 inches tall. She's too big for 2T clothes so we're firly in 3T! And I think she grows a new curl every day. She's also full of opinions and likes to point out personal defects (such as moles/zits/feckles) with a loud "uh oh" and also likes to point out dirt or untidyness in people's houses with a very loud MESS. I've been ashamed in other people's houses more than once due to Evie's enthusiam for cleaning! I can't think where she gets it from . . . . (Nana) . . .

J xxx

pictures of Evangeline!

Due to popular demand - and by popular I mean Laura - I'm writing a new post with lots of Evie photographs. This is a bit of a mish mash but here we go!

As you probably know, we were in England a few weeks back for Ollie's wedding. Evie was not all that cooperative for the photos but this one give you the general idea!



This ins one of my favourites. As you know, we lost my Grandpa, Evie's "Daddad" on May 26th at the remarkable age of 91. He will be greatly missed but always remembered. I am so happy that Evie was able play with him in April. For the record, Daddad thought Evie was just the best little girl ever :-)



Cousin Sam was also there to play with!




This week just gone Evie has been having lots of fun with cousin Sam and Uncle Alex during their visit to Houston. Via some fantastic parenting we found out the Evie can swim if she throws herself into the pool while noone is within an arm's reach! Despite this knowledge, we've decided that arm bands are probably a good idea. This means that "fearless fred" as we like to call her, can swim around by herself and jump in all day.



We also took the opportunity have some photos taken. On the whole, the photographer was useless and we won't be going back, but we did get a few good shots.






Aside from playing a lot, Evie is continuing to talk and talk and talk and now has a number of full sentences :-) I am hoping she shows this off to the quack on Monday when we go for her 18 month appointment. Usually she just stares at him and refuses to show of any talents. So they have probably noted her as mute, immobile, and with delusional parents !!!

Watch this space for 18 months statistics!!

Jane xxx

long overdue update

Yeah, I know, we've been rubbish again. But here is a little update for Evangeline.

Evie is still cute as ever (again, no bias here) and continuing to grow up at an alarming rate. I thought that teenagers were meant to know everything, but apparently Evie is working on it too. In this photo she is telling Daddy where he should sit for photographs. The actual photographs were awful but this one is pretty cute.



As you may know, I had an important and very unwelcome milestone birthday last month. We had a wine party at our house and I was given some lovely presents. From all of the things I received Evie picked out her favourite and trying manfully to open it.




Have I ever mentioned that Evangeline likes her grub? One of her most requested foods is banana. I think this was the biggest banana in the world and she loved every single bite.




We didn't take a camera to England so I can't post our photos from that trip until we upload from our phones. But we had a spectacular time! After a long flight via Newark we arrived in Manchester for Ollie (my step-brother) and Nicki's wedding. As you can see, the bride was stunning and the groom sober so it was a lovely lovely day. Evie market the event with a huge poo blowout which meant we missed the speeches. I heard they were excellent!



After a three day sojourn in Cumbria with Grandad and Granny, (photos to follow), we went to Durham (photos also to follow) to see my besties from University and their babies; Louis (10 months) and Alice and Gabriel (1 year). Evie loved this!

Then it was off to South Shields for my Nana's 90th Birthday party. Evie enjoyed seeing her cousin Sam again and flirted with the waiter all night.



I think Nana looks rather good for 90!


Sadly then we had to go back home. And to make it all fun we had a nightmare train journey to the airport and then Evie got a stomach bug on the plane. FUN!

Ok, now the bit Evie hates - her vital stats.

She's not keen on the scale but the last time we wrestled her on she weighed around 26 pounds. She's about 33 inches tall which is very tall for her age.
She still talks ALL the time, and now uses full sentences. Our french friends also inform us that she speaks a lot of French (we have asked her nanny to talk French to Evie during the day in the hope she might pick it up). She's also bossy and has had to learn the meaning of the "naughty corner" a few times! Our nanny is off to Algeria for 6 weeks so Evie will be going to school for 6 weeks. I think this will be very, very good for her!

Righty-ho, its late. Happy Mothers Day!!

J xxx

Colouring with Daddy and other adventures

Evangeline is 15 months old!! And enjoying lost of pastimes. One of her favorites is colouring . . . .



Lots and lots of fun :-)



Cheeky Evie Pie tried to steal some wine from Daddy . . . like mother like daughter?




We were also lucky enough to have a visit from Ma and Pa. Evie loved this as there were even more people to play with and to charm into giving her her own way. Sadly for Evie, noone is taken in by this. Poor Evie . . .

But luckily for Evie's doll "Lelly", she now has a buggy for Lelly that can be pushed around the house






Evie's best friends - the little girls next door - have a bouncy castle in their garden and Evie got to play on it. She was not sure about this at first and hung onto Sarah's teddy for dear life. She got a bit more enthusiastic after a while but is not yet convinced that bouncy castles are fun!




Evangeine now weighs around 25 pounds! And talks more than ever. Her recent additions are "poo" - usually said when pointing at her nappy, and "wee" - usually said to me if I'm walking towards the loo, and "tiny" - learned when talkign about Evie's new cousin Victoria! Victoria "Tori" was born on March 4th but was so tiny she had to live in the hospital for 2 weeks. Tori came home today!! But she is still only 4lbs 8oz and really does qualify as tiny! Evie was very excited to see Tori and Uncle Robert on skype today. :-)

J xxx