Random Updates

Eli and Maddux are still enjoying the extra attention of Grandma "Caffree" and Grandpa Jim. Both kids have been extra tired even though most nights and naps they are getting their normal 'allotment'. This is proof to me that they are expending a lot of extra energy entertaining everyone in their world at any given moment!

Maddux is still clingy at times: yesterday I was called out of the service at church to get her. But then this morning she was happy as a clam, playing with Eli's train table by herself and then with Grandma Cathie while I made breakfast and did some other errands. At least 15 minutes went by where I was in the same room, but no where near her and she was fine. (It's usually worse if she can see me and I'm not holding her...like she knows what she's missing or something.) Max is a sit-crawl machine. She has totally mastered that technique (sitting up by herself from a crawl) and she loves to practice it often. We're still working on her self-feeding skills with solids (cheerios, dried fruit), but anything smaller than a cracker-size gets lost in her fist. She knows where it's supposed to go, but she's not sure how to get it there.

Eli is loving his big-boy bike. He doesn't seem to have a clue how to pedal, no matter how many times we show him, but he doesn't mind not operating it. He could spend all day sitting on it and standing on the pedals, like 'big guys do it'. We haven't had to fight over him wearing a helmet either, which surprised me. I thought he'd put up a fight, but we told him from the beginning that he had to wear it to ride and he never once uttered a 'no fank ou!'.

Maddux has displayed her loud voice for her grandparents in the last few days. She's always loud, but she has a REALLY loud voice she uses from time to time, especially during meal time. It comes and goes, and right now it's-a-comin! Usually she finishes her dinner before the rest of us and some out-of-booster-seat time is allotted. So far she's pulled several chairs, a cardboard 'oven' of Eli's, and a basket on top of herself. None hurt her, but they all scared her enough to cry.

Eli is very affectionate towards Max these days also. He still loves to wrestle her, and her new found mobility = more rough-housing to him.
But he also hugs and kisses her many times through the day. He always says 'good morning' to her and often that and 'good-night' are accompanied by a head-lock hug and a smothering-kiss. I'll take it.