Elliott Learns How To Bowl

This past weekend, we had a houseful of guests. But that didn't stop Alina from taking Elliott to his first-ever birthday party. Our neighbor Sebastian turned 4 so his parents hosted a small party at the local bowling alley. Nana came along, too, and it was great because our neighbor's grandma was there as well so the two grandmas were able to spend time chatting and watching all the crazy/chaos which is a.k.a. a toddler's birthday party!

The kids were setup in a lane with bumpers and bright orange 6-pound-balls. They used a metal rack to send the ball down the lane. We have a ramp for HotWheel cars so Elliott picked up on the idea of sending the ball down the lane quite quickly.

Elliott was the youngest child there but probably one of the most excited about bowling. He did a good job cheering on the other kids and waiting for his turn. Alina stayed nearby as a spotter to assist him as he picked up the ball in his arms (which weighed about 25% of his body weight!). He would carry it over to the rack, barely able to see around the side, then heft it up on his tip toes in order to set it on the rack. One time he picked up an 8-pound ball. His whole body started to tip over to the side, like a tree falling! Luckily Alina was right there to grab him (and the ball) before they crashed to the ground.

Although the party started at 2pm which is in the middle of Elliott's naptime, he still had a ball and kept his cool the entire time! Looks like more bowling trips will be in our future. Below is a group shot of the kids. Elliott is in the front (age 2), Sebastian, the birthday boy is far left (age 4), Ann is next (age 4), Ann's brother Sam is next (age 7), Joaquin is last (age 7), who is Sebastian's brother. Not pictured is Amelia, Sebastian and Joaquin's younger sister who is about 8 months now. Rosemary was invited, too, but she really needed her nap! Maybe next time!