Eloise

"I am Eloise.  I am six. 

"I am a city child.  I live at the Plaza..." 

Thus begins one of my favorite children's book of all time.  As a child, I have memories of myself, stretched out on my tummy on my grandmother's guest room bed, poring over this beloved book.  The language I would later better understand, but the pictures of Eloise by Hilary Knight were perfect for my pre-adolescent imagination.  Knight perfectly captures the many facets of emotion of the intelligent and sprightly child, and as a child, I knew exactly what Miss Eloise was thinking without having to read a single word.

Now that I am literate (or at least a little moreso), I love reading it out loud.  I have to admit that I am probably the best "out-loud" reader of Eloise.  Ever.  I secretly judge the inflection and speed of every other adult who gets conned into reading Eloise to Olivia and I think that I am the best by far.  But that's probably because I have the entire thing practically memorized.  So I challenge you, all adult-like folk who stop by my house, to an Eloise reading throw-down.  I will win, but it will be fun to see how you ramble off that bit about the elevator.

That's the adult Eloise in me.

And I am fostering that beautiful sense of self-confidence in my little ones.  I love Eloise because she is independent and smart and frank.  She is a great hero for little girls and one of the few beloved picture-book heroines.  Everyone needs a little bit of Eloise.  Especially little girls.  Especially now!

So, for your viewing pleasure, here are some shots of Olivia during her weekly Eloise calisthenic routine!

Standing on her head for the longest amount of time:

Eating:

After all, she is only four (six)!