Happy Trails

I took the kids for a hike this afternoon, just the three of us. (Lehr had to work late.) Maddux is WAY too heavy for the bjorn, so she's been upgraded to the backpack carrier. She's still too heavy to do any major hiking, but it allowed me to get on the trails with Eli. The highlight for him, of course, was throwing rocks into the pond. At least once a week I take the kids to the river (Cha-tah-hoooo-tseee, as Eli calls it) for a walk. If Eli is well-behaved, he gets to walk/run the last quarter mile and throw some rocks into the river. Knowing that, I knew taking him to Sope Creek last night would be a hit. (There is a large dock on the pond from which rock throwing is quite easy.) The little man did a great job trail-running and walking through the woods. He remembered falling down several times the last trip, so he watched out for the 'wr-ooots' this time. He pointed out trees, rocks, water, leaves, and the 'people' bridge we walked across. Maddux enjoyed the backpack, but I'd forgotten that my hair is a source of entertainment. Eli used to pull my hair too, so I normally wore a hat as a rule. Max took advantage of my memory-lapse and had a blast.

Speaking of Maddux, she is so so so mobile. She loves to pull up on anything and everything. After I put her down for her nap, she plays in her crib for at least 15 minutes, pulling up so she can play with her aquarium. Eli went through this same phase...it seems like just yesterday. The only trouble she's gotten herself into is downstairs. Maddie typically finishes her meal before Eli and I (breakfast and lunch), so I often let her out of her high chair to play while we finish up. Once yesterday and once today she pulled a chair down on top of herself. Our 'small table' chairs are very very light and fall over at the drop of a hat. She wasn't hurt either time (it's unlikely she could get hurt, given the weight), but it scared her pretty bad.

Eli has been using some new phrases recently. While constructing a tower out of legos this morning, he told me "E-I's busy, M-ah-m" when I informed him it was time for breakfast. Where did that come from? He also learned the concept of 'empty' and 'full' at school. 'Empty' means 'nothing', according to Eli, and he is quick to show you things that are empty. During lunch he ate the orange off a rind and then told me 'empty'.

We are still working on Eli's 'hitting' issues with Maddux. I am glad to report that he has yet (in my presence) to hit her out of anything more than excitement or playfulness. That being said, we don't want to allow it in any capacity at this time. Eli had three time outs today for hitting, one of them causing him to miss most of bath time. (I yanked him out of the bath three minutes into it after he playfully slapped her on the head.) The good news is Eli knows when he hits her it is wrong because he immediately looks at me, like his behavior took him by surprise. Like everything else, this will be a process...