Eliza Lee Nguyen

January - December 2011

Wow - how time flies. It's been a year already?! Eliza had her 5th birthday party, we went to Canada, she started her first year of school, we went to Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg twice, and she did lots of growing up. She's becoming quite the big, brave girl - almost fearless.

Taking pictures of her sister at the park

Wearing her Halloween mask at Sam's Club

She loves to give people flowers, especially people with cameras

Waiting for dinner on the cruise ship

Watching the sunset on the ocean

Holding a screech owl at Busch Gardens

Halloween face painting at the park

Picking flowers in Halifax

Lounging on the hill outside of the Citadel in Halifax

Making buddies with the locals

Burning off some energy on the cruise ship jogging track after dinner

After the comedy show, fearless Eliza gets up on stage and does her ballet routine

Nose to nose with the towel sea monster

Little Red Riding hood!

Fife and Drums at Williamsburg

It was water... really

Wearing Grammy's glasses

Struggling to stay afloat

They just love each other SOOO much!

We need to get one of these at home.

"I'm the clown in this family... GOT IT?!"

Ballet class excercises

Cousin Eva!

Sick on the couch

"Oh dear! I've left the bread in the oven too long!"

This is the first year that Eliza gets to carve her own pumpkin

First school field trip

Turning 5... "I so excite!"

Dying Easter eggs - it's a big deal

Waiting to smash pumpkins on the driveway

This ride is so boring.

Picking out a Christmas tree

Going down the big slide all by herself... and it's a tall slide, too

"Eliza, give me your best 'I'm going to kill you' face."

1. Quirkle Planning

2. Plan Complete

3. Implement Quirkle Plan

4. Destroy Opponents

Eliza being thrown into a foam pit... by Daddy

"Yeah, I'm ready for school."

First day of school

WWII Weekend in PA

"No, Daddy. I'm not letting go."

That's watermelon.

WWII Weekend Poses

Exhausted after bike riding

Fishing in Salisbury. Don't eat the fish here.

This is what Eliza does when the sun is in her eyes

Riding a pony at the Fall Festival

February 2010 - January 2011

So much has happened, and the little squishy gets a little taller each month. She's on the shorter side of average, so it helps us feel like she's not growing up so fast. Don't let her small size fool you, she may have short legs, but she's got a big attitude for a 5 year old.

Sleeping with Nana

Eliza and Dadami

Anxiously awaiting her stage debut at the Salisbury dance recital

She doesn't like the idea of being the present. She'd rather get them.

Eliza wins limbo at the local skate place, partly due to her pre-existing height advantage

"all the sand keeps falling back in though!"

At the local ophanage, this little girl attempts to shamelessly market herself to prospective shoppers

At the dollar store, Tess and Eliza purchase rubber roaches. They had lots of fun with them until they "mysteriously disappeared"

"Higher Tess, HIGHER!!!"

Out of my way... Dad.

Picking squash with Grandpa

At our yard sale, the girls have their own table. The kitty purse has coins for making change.

Aunt Linda's wedding was a happy and joyful event. See?

"Daddy, are you aware that you're in the middle of the road?"

IMAX movie in VA

Showing off her Monopoly properties. She really loves the light-bulb one.

Not afraid of worms

Little Red Riding Hood for Christmas

May 2009 - February 2010

Another large group... I remember to take the pictures, but forget to update the website.

This past year has been full of trips, games, ballet, fishing, beach, and tons of other fun things. Eliza has been working on her "manipulation of people and situations" skills. She's getting quite good. She's often fearless, when it comes to doing new things. A highlight of this past year was the "Worm Hunter" title that I bestowed upon her after she fearlessly went into the yard and dug up earthworms for us to go fishing with. Tess wouldn't touch the worms, but helped by lifting rocks and providing moral support and advice. Eliza would dig into the dirt chasing worms and fiercely pulling them from their little holes. She'll dig up worms with her little fingers, but won't eat spaghetti or any kind of noodle-based food. She's a funny little girl, with a million facial expressions.

My little ballerina

Cookie eating ballet girl

Those are cookie crumbs

On BaBa's shoulders at the park

Her first fishing trip with Daddy at Point Lookout

My fearless worm-hunter picks her bait

Eliza catches her first fish!!! I cleaned it back at camp, cooked it over the fire, and she ate it. She didn't really like it, but she ate it anyway

"Is that swing up to code? It looks a little loose."

Surrounded by kids and a playground, both girls tell me they're bored and there's nothing to do

Rehydrating after playing in the sun

"Good to go!"

A the park in Bowie, we stare into the water, hoping for something to show up

Eliza in the watermelon dress that I made for her. Tess and Erin also have matching dresses

Walking with Aunt Linda

Uncle Harris gets hungry at the park

Feeding baby geese at the Salisbury park during our picnic day

Eliza is Dorothy for Halloween 2009 in Rehoboth Beach

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop taking pictures of me."

Trick-or-Treating during Rehobth's SeaWitch Festival

Eliza claims her pumpkin. She's the one with hair and eyes.

Running in the sun

Warm weather, bright sun, a tricycle, and a turtle - now THAT'S childhood... unless the turtle bites your nose. That's called trauma.

Getting ready for Halloween night.

So worn out by playing, Eliza takes a quick nap on her little chairs.

The girls asked me to make them a TV after seeing something on TV. Starting with a box, we made a duct-tape viewing station.

On the 4th of July, we spent the day outside playing in the yard

I don't remember what this was about...

Or this... she may have been telling me that there's something wrong, or that she was in pain or something.

Tess tells Eliza a secret in their room

She sports her Mossy Oak footy-pajamas with lace butt ruffles. This is "must-have" bedtime attire for all self respecting worm-hunters

On this night, Eliza was SO tired that she didn't even get her legs into the bed before falling asleep

She patiently waits for me to get her a glass of milk at BaBa's house.

At a friend's house, Eliza finds a baby doll and a red wall

Eliza has mixed feelings about the fish in the fish tank

"What's that smell?"

She really liked the truck at Brian's birthday party

She dressed herself, and then I let her play Crazy Taxi on Playstation

That's my little worm-hunter

Eliza likes playing Rock Band guitar, but she has a hard time with getting the game and her fingers to agree on notes

Getting ready to go to the store

Grandma's Chair

After Tess got on the school bus, Eliza points out her red shoes to me

Eliza finds a wild strawberry and half of a walnut shell outside in the driveway

Playing at the beach

Flying a kite... and quickly gets bored and asks me to hold it for her

I make her stand still to get a picture of her. This is how she feels about it

You can't hear it, but she's singing a song about the beach

Digging a hole

Sitting in the stroller as we head down the hall to the pool on the cruise ship

In Nassau, Eliza finds some rocks to play with behind the Straw Market

At the beach in Nassau, Eliza finds more rocks... and shells

We played at the beach until the sun started to go down. Then we had to head back to the ship for dinner

I guess when you're only a foot or two from the ground to start with, using your knees to bend over is optional

On the way back to the ship, the excitement wanes and the fatigue takes over

Walking with Daddy, heading off the ship for some shore-time in Freeport

Impatiently waiting for our shore excursion... which was cancelled for "rough seas"

As a consolation prize, Eliza gets a Kare Bear straw purse bag thing

She pretends to ride a dolphin (that's me) in the saltwater pool on the ship

There's something really satisfying about throwing your children as hard as you can AND knowing that they'll be fine when they land

The girls are dressed for dinner

Eliza is so tired at dinner, that we made a little bed for her by the table. She didn't even make it to the appetizers

Here we are waiting for the grown-up girls to come out of the stores on the ship

After they kicked us off the ship, we went back to Laurel. Eliza had a rough time coping with her cruise-ship-exile

And she slept on the ride back to the Eastern Shore

Here we are at the Christmas tree lot in Salisbury

"I like this one. How about this one?"

"I almost 4. I in March!"

Playing with Christmas toys

"I don't like it"

Waiting at the top of the stairs to come down on Christmas morning to open presents

Picking her nose

I don't remember what was happening here

Snow Peas!!!

"You want me to eat WHAT?!"

Tess tells a joke... apparently a very funny one

The steak is good

Laughing at Nana's house

Falling down the stairs at Nana's house

Yellow socks at Grammy's house

Mommy tries to clean her Temporal Lobe with a Q-Tip

See? things are fine now

Getting on the cruise ship in Baltimore

Eating bread, with conviction

Early morning wake-up call from the top bunk

"The pizza is good. The chef may live"

The girls had ice cream for what feels like every meal on the cruise ship

Holding on for dear life

The sun is bright, and she didn't like it

How often do you see an angry 3-year-old on a jogging track in the ocean.

For Christmas, the girls got Quirkle (the game). We like it, and the girls are quite good at it

All suited up for snow

"I will crush you."

She started out making a snow angel, but then couldn't get up

Dinner on the ship, again

Playing in the snow

"... that's some good stuff"

Way to go!

Little cow with piggy tails

Eliza pretends that her baked potato is a fortune cookie

She earns her keep at Ba Co's house for Tet 2010

Dolla Dolla

Waiting to play giant chess on the ship

Posing for me on the ship - Lido deck aft

Tet 2010

My Little Sea Monster

Serious ice cream

more ice cream

Showing me a page out of her coloring book before I head off to work

Reading in bed before lights-out

Taking a nap on the couch after the "beefaroni incident"

That's some good hot dog

... and more ice cream

This little girl likes to be up-side-down. I hope there aren't any long term adverse effects from this

August 2008 - May 2009

This group covers a large time-frame... sorry. I remember to take the pictures, but forget to update the website.

So, last fall, we took a trip to Busch Gardens with Grandpa and his extended family. Grandpa spent lots of time with Tess and Eliza going on rides and having fun. It was great. Then it got a little colder, and we began preparing for Halloween. Eliza was "Captain Huggy Face" from Word Girl (the cartoon). We also attended a birthday party for one of Tess's classmates, and Eliza came along and had fun, too. Tess also took a trip to the National Zoo, and Uncle Harris joined us for the day. The pictures aren't in order, but that's not really the point here... is it? Later in the winter, it snowed and we had some more fun in the yard. When the weather warmed up a bit, we took another trip to Williamsburg. We seem to go there a lot. We like it there; it's educational, near home, wholesome, and the girls get to dress up in costumes!

As usual, if you're looking for an endless sea of expressions and facial anomalies... Eliza's your girl.

Going to pick up Tess from the first day of school

All bundled up for snow

Licking up snot

Eliza and Uncle Harris at the National Zoo

Zoo trip

Lunch at the zoo

Juice at the zoo

Eliza makes a friend

Eliza's silly flower hat thing

Eliza on my shoulders

"You get back here, kid!"

Easter dresses!

Eliza turns 3!!!

Tess "helping" her with the frosting

Daddy and Eliza in Salisbury Festival

Eliza often falls asleep doing puzzles

I don't want pizza.

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"Daddy is number 1"

Grandpa takes Eliza up into the play house

Grandpa and Eliza waiting to get on a ride

"are you serious?!"

Eliza riding by herself!

Eliza and Grandpa on a ride

...how she feels about her mob cap

Baby ninja hoop

Yummy blue ice cream

Ice cream is SO GOOD!

Captain Huggy Face

Helping Nana water flowers

Playing outside of church

Swinging at Baba's house

Helping with the tree

She's jumping!

Going to deliver cookies to Mrs. Goldie

Christmas morning!

Christmas "yucky stone"

Watching TV

April - August 2008

How can such a tiny person make so many faces?

Is that a NAPKIN?!

Eliza goes to pick up Tess from the first day of school

This rail is too high... I can't even climb over it

morning cartoons

Dandelions are neat...

I think mine's broken...

Here's a different one...

yeah, that's broken, too.

Watching movies in the dark

"That's disgusting."

"Fine, be that way."

Little happy dog follows little sad girl

This horse ROCKS!!!

"SURPRISE!!!"

Campfire marshmallow

Swinging the baby

Happy Gwammy

"I can't believe they're out of sua dau nanh"

Data Soup A Hot!

Mini golf

more mini golf

No caption necessary

"hey, the pointy part is much easier to bit"

Happy ice cream

Sleepy baby

Bee cereal (a.k.a "Honey Nut Cheerios")

Beach baby

Ewok ball-pit

January 2008 - April 2008

Well, the last few months for Eliza have consisted of mostly gambling, playing, looking for Easter eggs, saying "MINE!" and "NO!" as loud as she can, and one birthday party after another. She's had so many birthday parties, you'd think she was 5 years old already.

There's a set of pictures labeled "Mood #1 - #4". These were all taken in less than 1 minute. She's got a dynamic personality... I think doctors call it "bipolar".

"Come on big money!"

Just a five?

Nana and Eliza

Eliza contemplates the dandelion

Not sure what this was...

I found it. It's my pine cone.

Mood #1

Mood #2

Mood #3

Mood #4

Easter dresses

Easter again

Little old church lady

Easter egg hunt in Laurel

Ahh... there's nothing like Spring

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Birthday dinner at Zia's

Birthday wishes

Hanging out with BaBa

a day at the zoo

Not sure about this either

Yo.

Nana and Eliza

July 2007 - December 2007

It's the new year, and I've finally scraped up enough time from work to sit down and update these pictures! You wouldn't think adding a few pictures to a website would be that hard.

Eliza is now quickly approaching 2 years old! She's running, talking a little and giving her big sister a lot of grief. She's got some anger management issues occasionally, but she's such a delightful little girl. Her hair hasn't grown much, and she's not growing very fast... but she's happy and healthy (most of the time).

If you're wondering why there are pictures of animals on Eliza's page - it's because we went to the zoo and Eliza really liked these animals. I took pictures of them for her, so here they are. Also, I don't yet have a page called "Animals" to put them on. Thanks for wondering.