Eleanor

 

 

We’ve been sick around here. The girls caught it about a week ago, and I caught it during the weekend. I decided we would do indoor pictures this time, even if I didn’t do it during the right time of day, and the lighting is terrible, and she looks yellow. At least I’m getting it done, right?

Eleanor gave the scripture in primary this month. She loves to talk into the microphone. She didn’t have it completely memorized, mostly because it has been so busy that we’ve forgotten to practice it with her. She said Job 19:25, but she changed it a bit. She said, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand by the ladder day upon the earth.” Pretty cute.

Eleanor was actually excited about Santa this year. She was rather scared of him when she was younger. Last year, we didn’t even try to have her sit on Santa’s lap. My mom took her to have her picture taken with Santa and her dog at a feed store at the beginning of the month. She didn’t want to sit on his lap, but she was fine talking to him. Then, she sat on Santa’s lap at our ward Christmas party. A few nights later, she told me she couldn’t sleep because she was listening for Santa’s reindeer. I had to explain to her that he only came Christmas Eve, and she had to be asleep. We didn’t have any trouble getting her to sleep Christmas Eve, but she was pretty worn out from an exciting day.

I learned the story of why she asked Santa for a rake for Christmas. Apparently, while they were at the feed store, my mom asked her what she was going to ask Santa to bring her for Christmas. She didn’t know what to ask him for, so they walked around the store a while for her to think about it. As they were walking around the store, Eleanor saw a rake she liked and decided to ask Santa for that rake. When Eleanor got done with Santa, Grandma asked her if she had fun. Eleanor said, “Yeah, but he didn’t give me my rake.” Ha ha! She didn’t realize it wasn’t going to be instant gratification. I had already purchased a rake when my mom told me the story and luckily, she had gone back and bought that specific rake for her. I had no idea she had a specific one in mind, so it was good that my mom covered for me.

I checked out a bunch of Christmas books from the library this month to help Eleanor get into the season. Some of them were duds, but the others were fun to read together.

She really enjoyed Christmas this year. She spent less time playing with new gifts because she was eager to open the next one and the next one. Plus, Phaedra was at a great age for Eleanor to take advantage of her new toys, too.

Eleanor’s favorite foods this month (besides candy canes and candy) have been ramen noodles (“noodle soup”) and fresh mandarin oranges (“little minis”).

One of Eleanor’s little quirks is that she rarely lets me put her top sheet on her when I tuck her into bed. I don’t know why I even put it on when I make her bed. I just end up shoving it down under the covers and putting the blankets over her.

Eleanor discovered Fraggle Rock on Netflix streaming this month. I used to watch it when I was a kid, and I was excited to share it with her. She likes pretending to be fraggles now. Probably her favorite show this month was when we rented Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa. She also liked the Charlie Brown Christmas (but I’m not sure I like some of the “stupid” vocabulary it taught her) and Disney’s Prep and Landing.

She is such a good big sister, sharing well with Phaedra most of the time. She also lets us know when Phaedra is getting into trouble, and often volunteers, “I’ll get her!” She just loves to pick Phaedra up and move her around. I think it makes her feel big. Phaedra usually tolerates it pretty happily unless she’s really intent on something and Eleanor gets in the way.