Eleanor's Little Antics

Here are a couple of cute Eleanor stories. . .

As I have mentioned before, we got a new laptop. The week that it came, Grant took apart our old desktop computer that was taking up space in my kitchen. Eleanor watched Grant as he used a screwdriver to open up the CPU and take out different parts. A few days later, Eleanor was helping me with dishes in her usual way, handing me dishes one by one out of the dishwasher to put away. When that was done, I started loading the dishwasher, and Eleanor assumed her most recent preferred position of sitting at the end of the open dishwasher door with her legs underneath it as if it was a little desk for her. This time, she happened to look down and notice the latch on the door. At first, she explored it with her fingers a bit, and I could tell she was thinking. Then, her mind made up, she reached up and yanked her hair clip out of her hair and proceeded to try to stick the end of it into the screws and turn them. After she tried the two screws on either side of the latch, she stood up and tried every screw around the dishwasher door. So, if any of you are needing dishwasher repairs, I think you know who to call. Leave the Maytag Man alone; Eleanor will take care of you!

Another funny thing she did was with Grant last weekend. Kari invited me to go shopping with her and some other moms (without our babies), so Grant and Eleanor spent most of the day together. They went walking, and Grant decided to walk up the hill to visit his parents. Eleanor loves to be outside, and she really likes walking around on her own, without being in a stroller or being held. We're teaching her she has to hold a finger at all times so she will be safe, and she's doing pretty well with it. Grant decided she could walk up the hill herself. He said she did really well. She made it up the first very steep hill, with many stops to explore and look at animals, etc. Then, toward the end of the second hill, she turned to him and fussed. She was tired of walking! Grant picked her up, and she told him very clearly, "Car!" Grant said he knew right then she was her mother's daughter. Ha ha, Grant.