Old Iron Works Days 2007

The Marler family has been making the trip to Meramec Springs for Old Iron Works Days for as long as I can remember. There were a number of years that we missed because our family was living in Farmington, and my siblings and I were teenagers who couldn't be bothered by such things. But some of our fondest family memories as children were going to Meramec Springs, so we've decided to continue the tradition with Ellie. Ellie attended her first Old Iron Works days last year, when she was about 7 weeks old, but this year she seemed to enjoy herself much more.
She got to swing and play on the slides...which led to a little bit of a fit when we pryed her fingers away from the swing chains to move on to something new.
... she got to pet some goats. And by "pet" some goats, I mean try to stick her fingers in their mouths and noses.
... she got to sit on a blanket on the big hill and listen to some fiddlin' bluegrass music and watch some so-so cloggers (Hi Aunt Lala).
... and she got to play on some of the old playground equipment that I remember playing on as a child. My parents have a picture of me and Andrew on this same horse and wagon, when I was about 3 years old...the horse was so much larger in my memory.
All in all, it was a fun, fall day, and the beginning of many future trips to Meramec Springs.

Where did you get that gorgeous purse?

Ellie is starting to discover the fun of being a girl, and by this I mean, she already loves her bags. Whether we're shopping or waiting for a table at a restaurant, Ellie will entertain herself by dragging around whatever purse or bag I'll let her have. So one evening her papa & mama surprised her by bringing over a beautiful, pink purse, all for her. She instantly filled it with the essentials--toys, books, a Uniqua doll, and a cell phone--and then began dragging it around the family room, waving bye-bye to everyone.

Happy Birthday

Ellie turned 1 on August 31, and enjoyed a birthday celebration over Labor Day weekend. The party was a success, as far as 1-year-old's parties go...meaning she stayed awake and relatively happy through the whole party, including swimming, playing in the sprinkler, eating cake, and opening presents.
I was very pleased with how well the caterpillar cake turned out. Ellie even had her own miniature version of the cake. But we'll see if she continues to get home-made cakes for future birthdays, since planning and preparing for the party is time consuming enough without considering the baking and cake decorating.



Ellie loved opening all her presents and playing with the paper or boxes. But when Papi brought out the red wagon, she was a goner. I can't even count how many laps we made inside the house on that first day with cousin Paige aboard.

Our Toddler is Toddling

From about 11 months on, Ellie was pretty much walking on her own, but Little Miss Cautious always felt the need to keep at least one finger on someone near by. So by the time she finally decided to be brave and take off on her own, she was a pro in no time.

It cracks me up when I hear those little feet moving as fast as they can across the kitchen floor to get to the dishwasher or fridge before I close the door (Ellie loves playing in both appliances). We also have lots of fun "chasing" each other and dancing. And our newest entertainment has come by way of trying to teach Ellie to jump...it is hilarious!

Sweetie!

Our little snuggle bunny....Ellie must have really been missing her daddy while he was playing golf because she wouldn't leave his side once he got home.
But he'd better not dare talk during Mickey Mouse Clubhouse....OR ELSE....
Just kidding. How could this little sweet face be anything but an angel?

Your Backyard Friends...

Ellie has become quite the Backyardigans fan. Her Granny got her a little Backyardigans fold out chair, that she just adores. Now we have to name each character as she points to them, no less than 20 times a day.
And when she hears that theme song, she stops whatever she's doing, starts dancing, and makes her way to the chair.
She may even nap in the chair on occasion, so she is sure to not miss another episode.

Mini Mozart

I think we may have a musical prodigy on our hands, and I'm not just saying that because she's my beautiful, genius daughter.....Well, maybe I am, but I do believe she's a genius. Ellie has grown quite fond of playing the piano, sitting on Mom's lap. And she likes to help Dad strum on the guitar. The best part, though, is watching her little dances whenever music plays. This girl's got rhythm.

9 Month Pics

Now that Ellie is close to 11 months old, I'm finally getting around to posting some of her 9 month old shots. These were taken at the Jewel Box in Forest Park.

The First in Hair Fashion

Ellie's hair is growing in quite nicely, so she's been wearing a lot of bows and barrettes lately. This was the first day she actually got to wear two barrettes at once, and she looked so cute that we just had to share the pics.

Pool Fun

After our vacation at the Lake, Ellie became quite the fan of swimming, or should I say splashing. So shortly after we returned home, she was at it again, but this time in the kiddie pool that Granny bought for her.

First up on the tee...

Jason prepared for what he hoped would be a three-peat of our winning performance by exhibiting his favorite golf poses. And his actual golf swing was going well, but alas, it was not to be. Sadly, after holding the Freed Cup for the past 2 years, we had to relinquish the title to Mike & Sue. However, let me caveat that by saying the rules were drastically changed this year in order to give everyone else an advantage, in the hopes that they would be able to compete more equally with the J. Freed team.

Off to the course...

Each year during the Lake vacation, we have a couples golf tournament. All the couples MUST play (to the protest of some of the non-golf-playing wives). And for the past two years, we've implemented a matching outfits requirement, which Kate enjoys because it means more shopping. This year, even Ellie matched the green/white/black Jason Freed team ensemble.

The Big 5-0!

We recently spent a week at the Lake of the Ozarks for our annual family vacation. We go with all of the Freed family and stay in adjoining condos. A good time is always had by all. This year, in honor of Papa Mike's upcoming birthday, we threw a surprise party, complete with "Mike masks" that portrayed Mike through the years, and more pink flamingo decorations than should reasonably be found together in one room (Mike has a problem with the plastic yard ornament variety).

I scream for ice cream

Ellie has discovered the wonderful world of ice cream. Granny and Papi Marler hosted a get together for Aunt Laura and Uncle Nathan's medical school graduation. Everyone had a great time visiting and eating, and Ellie enjoyed watching all the bigger kids. But her favorite part was probably the ice cream cones. You should have seen how quick she spit her binky out when she saw that ice cream coming towards her.

Isn't she a little young for this?

Now that Ellie is mobile, she's enjoying all the freedom that comes with it... The freedom to crawl around to play with different toys. The freedom to sit as close to the tv as possible. The freedom to enjoy Tigger to the fullest extent.

I'll Just Have This

Ellie must have known I was having trouble finding the time to clean out the pantry, because one day she took it upon herself to help me out. Although, apparently she hasn't liked the way I've reorganized it since she seems to rearrange it for me on a daily basis now. Or maybe she's just trying to tell me she's hungry.