Oh, Eleri

Often, when we take Eleri out on the town, I see that look in peoples' eyes: that look that says, maybe I would like a kid, if I could have one like that. It may sound like bragging, but I swear she's just that cute. It's partly the age- 1 1/2 was my absolute favorite time with Clio, too- and it's partly the thighs. Especially when Dave dresses them in her crazy zig-zag leggings that emphasize the chubbiness, then adds her purple high tops, gold satin quilted parka, and teddy bear hat, and sets her loose on Pearl street. It's like a stealth attack.

The other day my friend Carrie sent me an email about our visit over Christmas, casually mentioning that Eleri might have the power to make one want more kids.


Carrie claims this effect is because of Eleri's smallness- her own girls, Greta and Morgan (front left and back right in this picture, along with my girls and Lizzie's son Owen) are too big to pick up and carry around on your arm. But I know it is also because Eleri looks like this:


In fact, at this party for Dakota I found myself guilty of saying things like "she's so cute right now, I can hardly stand it."

The thing is, she's not cute in a vaguely sweet kind of a way. As my friend Sara just said yesterday, this girls got personality. And there is so much that endears us to her: the way she attacks her sister with hugs, the way she throws her head back when she laughs, the way she dances when there is no music. Her penchant for the possessive: "Daddy's." (chair) "Mommy's." (water bottle).

Luckily for us on the whole desire-more-kids front, Dave and I are the ones around when Eleri throws her food- no, hurls is more like it- to signal the end of a meal. And when she throws herself on the ground all tantrum-like. And I seem to be the only one who gets the pleasure of Eleri's very effective face-slaps. And neck-pinches. That's right, this cutest kiddo likes to inflict violence upon me. And you can see it here. That spunk is right at the heart of what makes us melt anyway, and makes other people wish they could have one just like her.