Going For A Bike Ride

Dad really wanted to take Eli on bike rides with him. So, we got him outfitted in a bike seat and gender-neutral bike helmet. Eli just sits back, relaxes and enjoys the ride.

Eli's First Camping Trip

We went to Mohican State Park for Eli's first camping trip. We had a great time, and Eli did pretty well all things considered. It was a tougher night in the tent than we hoped, but it was also colder than we anticipated. I'm sure the other campers were thinking "Shut that kid up" at 5:30 in the morning when he woke up crying and wouldn't stop. So, we went for a nice early morning drive to soothe Eli, see all the wildlife and let everyone else have some peace and quiet. He was a real trooper and we'll probably go out again soon.

Eli all tuckered out from his hike. You'd think he had to walk the whole way the way he sleeps in that carrier.


The river is a canoeing/kayaking/tubing river. It was cold, but that didn't stop the little kids from floating down the river in their inner-tubes. Eli loved watching them float by.


Eli went all the way to the top of the fire tower and he laughed the whole way. I guess he's not afraid of heights.


Eli loves to help whenever he can. Here he's helping us set up the tent for the night.


Sleeping in the tent.


Up and at 'em. Playing with rocks (more like trying to eat the rocks) at 6:30am while we packed up the tent.


Sitting in the middle of the road under the covered bridge. Don't worry, it was too early for anyone else to be awake!


We spent the morning at Malabar Farm State Park. Its a working farm so Eli got to see and help feed the animals. Eli got to drive the tractor and it actually looked like he knew what he was doing. He was trying to shift and everything. It must be in his blood. (His dad once tried to woo me by taking me for a tractor ride while he was hauling manure.)

Hocking Hills Weekend

We went hiking at Hocking Hills to see some of the waterfalls with some friends. Eli liked the water and the hike. Actually, I'm guessing on both of those. The water was cold and he took a nap during the hike so your guess is as good as mine! We also did a practice run in the tent. We slept in our tent at our friend's house in their yard just to make sure Eli could handle it. Turns out, Eli slept better than Dennis and I did. He slept all night, hardly moved, and woke up with a gigantic smile on his face. He's a natural camper. YES!!!!! So, we're going to do the real thing this week. Check back for pictures.

There just aren't enough pictures of me and Eli.


There's plenty of pictures of Dennis and Eli. But, this one's at Cedar Falls.


Charlie, Eli and Max. Charlie and Max showed Eli how to catch bugs, fish, and tadpoles in nets. Eli loves hanging out with the boys, plus they have a lot of great toys.


Not a good picture of either of us, but for those of you who want to see a 20 week pregnant Sharleen, here it is. Not too big yet, but those are maternity pants (not that I need to wear them).


Dennis and Eli at Ash Cave.

Helping and More From the Zoo

Eli is such a great helper. Taking his diapers out of the dryer is so much fun. His help will be much appreciated when his little sister comes along and there are twice as many diapers to wash. Yes, you read that right, we found out yesterday that Eli is going to have a sister to tease, cut her hair and all the other fun things that brothers do to sisters.


We made another trip to the zoo. Eli took his first ride on the carousel. He didn't know what to think. He didn't cry, but he didn't smile either, which is a sign of botherment for Eli. Maybe he was just too hot and tired to enjoy it. Or the up and down and round and round was making him queasy.


Eli clapping. By the way, Eli had his doctors appointment today and when they sat him down on the scale and read his weight, he got excited and clapped. I think he must be one of the few people around who claps when he gets on a scale. He's just a little over 19 pounds now. Oh, and he didn't cry for his shot or finger prick.