Etta's First Jazz Fest

...and big choir concert.

On Wednesday Etta and I packed up and headed up the hill to Moscow for the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. It was my 12th consecutive festival. I thought that organizing 40+ kids and chaperones was difficult. Not quite as hard as wrangling one little baby. Who would have thought? The pouring down rain added its own interesting element. But all in all it was a great day. So many people commented on Etta's great concert etiquette and attitude. We are such lucky parents!

On Thursday we went up for the LCSC Jazz Band performance. Etta was baby sat by her other Grandma Kathy - Kathy Bowman. I guess that the hour went well!

Here are some pics from the Big Choir performance. A little blurry, but I am always just compelled to take pictures of big choir. Etta was dancing in the aisle when they were singing!

Our first retreat

Last weekend Etta and I headed up to Ross Point Camp (in Post Falls) for our very first women's retreat! I was very excited to be going, so excited to be going with Christine, and overall just very excited. It went well with Etta for the first time traveling without Bob. I am more than glad that Christine was there though, I don't think that I could have done it without her! It was a great couple of days and I am already looking forward to next year.

While there Etta made a new friend. Carter. He is just under nine months, but taller than Etta and able to stand without support. They were pretty cute together.





Being on the water was great. Some really beautiful views.

Battle of wills

Giving Etta new food in our house is a real experience. Some foods she likes, some...not so much. But I think that it is important for her to try new things. And I usually can convince her to finish what we've started. On meals that she likes I barely have to wash her face. On meals that she disagrees with, well...



But I don't think that it hurts her too much!

Just the right size

At choir last week Etta was exploring. She is just the perfect height to stand up under Bob's table/desk. She discovered a couple of Tupperwares with instruments. And that by hitting the top of the Tupperware she could make the tambourines shake! How fun! Another sound to add to the repertoire.

Why buy toys?

When all she wants to play with is stuff we already have? Her favorite trick? Start crawling to the stereo. Hear me say, "Etta, no - no". Turn, smile, wave. Plow straight ahead. This girl is on a mission. Bob and I think that she thinks it is like her Learn and Grow. When she pushes different buttons it makes different sounds!

Thanks MT Grandma and Gramps!

Thanks for spending the weekend with us in Spokane! I had a lot of fun going to concerts, napping, sitting in the chair and just chillin'. Can't wait to do it again sometime.

Love,
Etta

Cuba or lame'?

When visiting Aunt Molly and Uncle Jim at The Davenport we saw Cuba Gooding Jr. sitting at the bar. As I was getting out my camera I was hoping that no one would come and tell us to leave Mr. Gooding alone. All we wanted to do was get some safari shots! Alas, I was not brave enough to ask for a photo with baby Etta. Maybe next time...

Hippo ride



Albino Rhino - Not quite



As you can tell, she really wasn't that impressed.

My Aunt Molly

[Bonus post - Etta and I will be out of town at a women's retreat this weekend. Thought I would do an extra post today.]

This past weekend I didn't only get to see my Montana Grandma and Gramps I also got to see Aunt Molly and Uncle Jim!! [Hi Aunt Molly! It's Etta Girl! I love you!!] It is so exciting to see them because I have hair just like my Aunt Molly. She is very pretty. We got to go to dinner with them to The Steam Plant Grill, breakfast at Frank's Diner and hang out in their super fabulous hotel room at the Davenport. Where Cuba Gooding Jr. was staying. We saw him in the bar. Well, I wasn't in the bar, we just walked by. I'm only 9 months old for pity's sake! Anyway, it was so fun to see them and I can't wait for Aunt Molly to come to Lewiston next month and visit me. That makes me happy! But then she moves to Washington DC and I won't get to see her for a long time. That makes me sad. But it will be okay!

See, twins!



Multi-tasking with Uncle Jim.



The Steam Plant

Babes in arms

We had the pleasure of seeing our good friend Brooke over the long weekend. And her parents, Kent and Annie of course. It is absolutely amazing that when children are so young that the littlest difference in age is so pronounced. When the girls are even just a few years older I'm sure that we won't be able to tell the 3 1/2 months that separate them. But for now it is still a bit obvious. Good news for Brooke though - that means "new" clothes on a fairly regular basis!

At least Brooke showed some different "emotions" at the photo shoot!

Brooke: Who are you? You're pretty big!



And who are you? You don't look like my dad. [Bob was helping Etta stand.]



Are we supposed to be playing or interacting or something?



Ever changing girl.



Our next visit will be in June at the home of Kent and Annie. We are already looking forward to it!

Can we keep it?

In our hotel room was a nice little rocker/recliner. Etta LOVED it and would probably have spent the whole weekend there had we let her.

First taste o' wonderful chair.



My dad fits in it too!



C'mon Montana Grandma, it's SO nice. [Note: you said that you didn't want to see this picture on FaceBook - you didn't say anything about the blog!]



Just practicing for my first concert.



It's a keeper.

New way to measure

Now that Etta is pulling herself up we may have a new way to measure her growth. And where there is a baby there are of course, little dogs. All three were standing at the gate at one point but . . . of course we were too slow.

So big!



Where'd she go?



Peek-a-boo!



The whole crew




[Please check daily as I will be adding new pictures every day (for awhile) of our fabulous trip to Spokane for All North West. We had a WONDERFUL time with Montana Grandma, Gramps, Aunt Molly, Uncle Jim, baby Brooke and many others!]

Over, under, around and through

Every Wednesday morning Etta and I load up and drive up to Bob's school to play piano for his elementary choir. When we started in November Etta was at the angelic stage of sitting up all by herself and playing with whatever toys we laid around her. And then we had Christmas break and did not go up for a few weeks. By the time we started back in she was able to wriggle around. And now? She is an unstoppable machine. We have tried to set up a "play area" consisting of two walls, a diagonal piano and a felt board. She has been exploring Fort Knox trying to figure out how to escape. Well, Wednesday she found an outlet. Not much of an outlet, but a box that she was able to pull up on and then over. The kids think that she is the smartest baby ever. And maybe she is. All that I do when I try to barricade her away from stuff is give her a bit of a challenge and make it impossible for me to get to her.

[This isn't the best picture. Again, I was slow getting my camera and by the time I had gotten it out she was trying to do a face plant off the end of the box and was irritated that I wouldn't let her down...]

Best Friends = Mischief

Etta is developing and changing so much every day. She cannot yet sit herself up, but can pull up - on everything.

The dogs were poking their noses through the bars of Etta's crib so she could poke at them and I was going to stand her up and take a picture but thought that that would be cheating. So I just left her in her crib and went to get the camera. Low and behold, by the time I got back she was standing. By then the dogs weren't really cooperating anymore, but I think that you can get the general idea. They are going to make quite the trio in just a couple of months I think!

Here doggy, doggy, doggy!



Watch me mommy!



Can you maybe jump higher?



Mmmmmmmmmm, tasty.