Mad Dog

Maddux is SO into books these days. She's always loved to flip through them, but she's been 'reading' them more lately. I took her to the library the other day and she had a blast. We read through books and did puzzles for close to 45 minutes (at which point she pitched a fit because we had to leave). We checked four books out and now she reads them all of the time. Her version of reading these days includes her flipping to a page and reading (in a mommy/teacher voice), "So you have a .....", and she fills in the blanks with whatever she thinks that page includes. For one farm book we got, she fills in the words "cow", "hay", "pig", or "apple". On one page, she was at a loss the first time she read it, so now this is what she says, "So you have some teef." Good stuff.

Cubs In Town

What a week!! Thank goodness it was Spring Break, because I don't think we could have possibly fit in all we did otherwise! It was opening day for the Braves, but in the Eliason house that translated to opening day for the Cubs. We had tickets for all three games this week, with the four of us attending all at different times. Monday found us all in the stands. We were in the shade and the game started at 4PM, so it was perfect. Except for the fact that the Cubs lost.... Eli had a blast, of course. Maddux had a fine time, but she couldn't care less abut the game. She was way more interested in the kids sitting behind us. Or the peanuts. Or D and Uncle Tom. At the end of the game, Lehr took Eli down to the kids' field to hit and run around a few times. From the footage, it appears he had a blast. (Eli has picked up a new 'bat-twirl'...you'll see him do it in the 2nd at-bat. He almost takes 3 or 4 kids out during this time...good thing it was a foam bat!)

Thursday night Lehr and Eli went with a few friends. The four guys had a great time and Eli had many stories to tell me later. They ate hot dogs and cotton candy, and they participated in every kid activity available. Life is good!

2010 04 Eli Braves Game from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Visit to the Dentist

When I registered Eli for Kindergarten last week, it was brought to my attention that Eli was due for a trip to the tooth doctor. Since this week is Spring Break, there were plenty of openings a the dentist, so we had an appointment first thing this morning. Eli has never been afraid of the dentist, so it wasn't difficult convincing him to go. And the great thing for Maddux is their waiting room: oodles of toys she doesn't have at home. We spent most of our time reading books while Eli got his teeth cleaned. He had a great visit, clean bill of health, and no cavities. When he finishes, he is allowed to pick a sticker, a small toy, and a toothbrush. Eli asked if he could pick out a sticker for his sister first. When he came into the waiting room, he held out a princess sticker for Maddux and told her, "I got this for you, Maddie." Love that boy!!! His favorite part of the visit was picking out a new toothbrush.

Frick-n-Frack

Seriously. The definition of sibling relations. Especially when Eli pulls the whole switcheroo on her. What are they disagreeing about? Ab-so-lute-ly NOTHIN!

Kids Swing from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

HAPPY EASTER

Game Ball

Last night was Eli's last baseball game before Spring Break. I already had a commitment, so Lehr took both kids with him. As luck would have it, Maddie was in one of those potty-every-five-minutes moods. So Lehr did a lot of shuffling back and forth to the restroom. Unfortunately, during one of those trips Eli had the at-bat of his career. He smacked it down the first base line, PAST the first baseman. He may have done that before, but this time his little legs carried him all of the way to third base (something he had never done before). For that, Eli earned himself the game ball. So so so proud. And he was so proud of himself... He was in the bath when I got home and he could not stop grinning as he told me about it.

It broke my heart that I missed this. Lehr texted me at my function when the ball was awarded; my heart dropped. I know Eli probably didn't give it a second thought, but for the first time ever I had a 'missing-mommy-guilt'. Working or not, we all have felt or will feel it at some point. Last night was that night for me....

Kids Spring Performance

Lehr didn't have to go into the office today, so we had a big day planned. The kids had their Spring performance and Easter Egg Hunt at school just before 11AM, and Daddy and Maddux has a breakfast date. The kids all filed into the social hall with their classes, silly smiles on their faces. Maddux ran over to us a few times, but always rejoined her class. First the preschoolers performed their poem (which Eli had already recited for me at home). All of the students knew it very well. Then they sang an alphabet song that took quite a while, but all of the kids stayed focused until the end. After the other classes performed, all of the students (including Maddie's class) stood up together and sang a medley of songs they'd learned in music class. Maddie was quite into it, dancing all along the way. She especially likes the Chicken Dance, when she gets to sway her hips.

2010 04 Kids' School Performance from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Afterwards, we had an Easter Egg Hunt on the playground. Both kids found plenty of eggs, but Maddux had reached her end...she was totally whiny and clingy. We managed to throw down a piece of pizza for everyone before heading home.

Mad Dog's Zoo

A few weeks back, it was just Lehr and the kids one morning. The weather was rainy and cold, so they opted for some indoor fun. If we're upstairs, that usually turns into cuddling or snuggling at some point, due to the proximity to the couch and special blankets. This particular morning, Maddux wanted to include her animals in the snuggling. She got her "Mommy Blanket" (the one I knit for her when she was born), and covered the animals up. One by one. She was careful to not cover any of their heads, and she made sure Daddy stayed quiet while they were 'seeping'.

Maddux Mix-Up

My two favorite words of Maddie's, by far: ba-man-ah (banana) and pah-may-toe (tomato). I hope she never learns how to pronounce them correctly...

Easter Egg Hunt

What a day! Grandma Cathie left early this morning and the kids and I fell right back into our routing. Eli went to school while Maddux and I played and then went to the gym. Eli earned himself 'blue' at school, capping off an awesome week. I urged the kids to take a nap because we had our neighborhood Easter Celebration right after the elementary kids got home from school. Of course they didn't listen. Maddie maybe got one hour and Eli didn't snooze at all. When the jumpy castle was dropped off in our driveway, he was quick to come outside with me to set it up. No hesitation there! Of course it helped that his friend from school arrived with the inflatable... As soon as we had things under control I went inside to get Maddux, who was singing in her crib.

So kids arrived, cookies were iced and eaten, and all that was left was the Easter egg hunt. The main one (3-6 years old) is held in our yard each year. (Eli and Mad Dog love that because it means we find random eggs for months to follow.) Both kids put their toes on the line, ready for the all-clear sign to be thrown. I think Eli collected 18 eggs (the max) and Maddie got about a dozen. Both were very happy with their findings.

More jumping and general playing followed. Maddie stuck in the jumpy castle a bit longer than Eli because the little girl from up the street (maybe just two years old?) was in there also. Maddux felt she had to protect her, especially when she started to cry. Never mind the fact that she was upset was probably due to Maddie's suffocating presence.

The Easter Bunny made an appearance at some point also. This would usually cause major issues for Maddux, as she is not a fan of masks, wigs or other disfiguring costumes. This year she silently followed him (her) around for a while, encouraging other kids to go hug him/her, but keeping her distance. I coaxed her to give the bunny a high five at one point, and less than five minutes later, Maddie hugged him/her! Big success!

Before the whole afternoon started, Eli and I were in his room for room time. He was gazing out the window, checking things out, even though nothing was happening yet. Then Eli looked at me and said, "Mom, you know what's funny about this? I can't find any eggs in our yard! I guess they never put the eggs there, huh?" Funny stuff....

Be Still, My Heart

Oh Maddie. How I love thee and how you love others. My sweet girl is still in the business of caring for and helping those who need comfort. She has helped out with kids in her class at school when they have a rough 'missing-Mommy' day, and now she's taken that role to the gym with her too.

When Maddux and I went to the gym today, I dropped her off in the toddler room, as usual. I then had ten minutes left before my class started, so I went downstairs before coming back up. On my way up the stairs, one of the childcare workers (who has been in there since I first brought Maddux at six or seven months) stopped me to tell me how wonderful Maddux is. (DUH!) She said that another little girl comes in every day for about an hour and cries almost the whole time. No matter what they try to do to console her, she ends up staying near the glass, sad. This woman told me that Maddux has gotten her to play each time she's been in there with her (about once/week). She consoles her, brings her toys, and gets her to interact and stop crying every time. She then told me what a gift Maddux has. It was SO wonderful to hear this! I know Maddie has a gentle heart, but how cool is it to hear from other people. Especially when it's displayed so freely and without request.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

The kids were SO excited about my birthday. Not sure if it was the promise of cake, or the chance that a present might be for them or what, but they were so ready for this day to arrive. Eli has been telling me for days that he was going to make me a sign and get me a 'bup'. (A cup/bowl, like the one Lehr got me for Christmas, since it's all I use to eat the copious amount of cereal I consume each day.) I know he wasn't trying to ruin any surprises; he was just too excited to keep it in!

The day was challenging, with Eli throwing a major tantrum right around lunch time, and more errands to run than anyone should have to add to a to-do list in one day, but we all made it to 4PM alive. Once naps were out of the way, we planned to party. Lehr brought home Doc Chey's (my favorite) around 530 and we all enjoyed our meal via chopsticks. The kids made a sign (with help from Grandma Cathie) for my birthday that hung in the dining room. Eli was sooo excited to show me how he wrote "Eli" and "Maddux" and "33". (He actually told his teacher the next day that I turned 13...good stuff!)

After dinner I opened my presents. Eli's was first since he could not contain himself. (This week he reminded me of the suprirse lady on SNL.) Even as I was opening it, he said, "Mommy, look! It's a...." and then he covered his mouth because he knew he wasn't supposed to tell me. So cute. We then moved back to the table for cake. Chocolate madness is the best description. The kids were in heaven.

Since Lehr, D and I were leaving right after baths to go to a concert, we tried to burn off some of that sugar with a family bowling game. The kids had a blast laughing at the adults - most of us could barely hit the pins! A GREAT day for sure: I think each child sang "Happy Birthday" to me at least eight times!

Baseball Fever

What a season already! Unlike the fall season, we have not had any rain-outs yet. This means that we have had a VERY manageable one or two games per week schedule. What a difference! Eli is loving his new team too; he seems to get along very well with all of the boys already. And coach has put him on the clay a few times: second base and short stop, specifically. Our game last weekend was one of those perfect spring days. We had sun, 60-degree weather, and great ball-playing by all of the kids. (Both teams got a grand slam.) I think we won in the end, but our coach was so awesome about taking the focus completely off of that. Some of the older boys on the team notice the score and told the coach a few times, "We are CRUSHING them...we're winning, Coach!" To which he reminded them that the score didn't matter; all that he was focused on was how great everyone was playing. Good stuff.

Eli usually gets out at first; combination of running slower and hitting it near the first baseman. At this game he almost made it to third once. He got a single, advanced to second, and got out at third, but just barely. He was so excited!

The coolest part for photography-minded me? The eye-black the kids wore due to the sun. LOVE IT!

A Phrase A Day...

Grandma Cathie has been visiting for a few days and Maddux has given her much to laugh at. One thing Mad Dog has been trying to make sense in her head the last few weeks is relationships. She often refers to Lehr as my daddy, or Grandma Cathie as Grandpa Jim's mommy, so on and so on. She has done that several times this week.

Also, she loves to talk about 'when I a baby', or 'when I a mommy'. I believe she means to ask about "When I'm a baby/mommy", because she always follows the statement up with a question about what she'll be able to do. For example, the other day she asked me, "When I a mommy, kin I drive in the front seat wiff you?" So she's changed this up for my mom; she has asked her about "When I a big lady/little lady..." Good stuff.

Baby Girl

Maddux has had two swim lessons so far and she LOVES them. Her instructor is "Coach Meg", and there is only one other student (girl) in her class. She wears a turtle back the whole lesson and alternates between swimming with a noodle and the turtle back and just the TB. Her favorite part, by far, is jumping in each time Coach Meg asks her too. I got a quick video yesterday, but we're having issues with our upload process, so the clip is a bit choppy.

2010 03 Maddux Swim from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Glug, Glug, Glug

The kids love bath time. And even though they occasionally enjoy a solo bath, they love taking a bath together the most. Play time could go on for hours in there. It totally gets out of hand and water gets splashed everywhere, but it is all worth it. The other night Lehr came back into the bathroom to see Maddie pouring a cup of water into Eli's mouth (yuck) through a funnel. I asked Eli what they were doing and he said, "Maddux was filling me up like a car getting gas."

Book Worm

Maddux read several books to me yesterday while we were playing. She wold turn the page and (regardless of what pictures she saw) tell me, "And dis and dis is...." Every page. In a very motherly, calm, story-reading voice. When we went upstairs, she then read a book to me, 'for real'. It is a book that only has one word per page, but she did it from memory, all the same. My baby girl is growing up!!

Spring Baseball

Eli had his first baseball game of the season this afternoon. He was all excited, getting dressed in his pinstriped pants before we left the house. His team this spring is the Braves, which is an easy one for him to relate to (obviously).

Maddie and I watched as Eli played outfield in the first inning. He got to the ball first one time and threw it, but the play was done already, so no defensive points. The next time the Braves were in the field, Eli was placed at short stop. WOW! By far the biggest position he's ever played. I did worry about it because the other team had quite a few sluggers. (I wasn't sure Eli would know to hold his glove over his face or drop to the ground if a line drive came for him.) This time around a ball came right for him (on the ground). Eli dropped down and trapped it with his glove, hand and knees. He stood up, ball poised to be thrown to second. Once he saw that the runner was already there, he whipped around to third, but that runner was safe as well. So no play, but he stopped any further play....I'll take it! For the third and final inning, Eli was behind the plate as catcher. He was in this position several times last season, but today he was just not feeling it. There was some new equipment to wear, so I think part of the problem was Eli couldn't see very well, nor could he bend down with the leg protection. Mostly he stood there and the ball went right past him. Who knows...maybe the excitement of short stop ruined him for a more stationary position.

Eli hit the ball (from pitches) all three times at bat, but he also got out at first all three times. He and his new coach have not yet found a good connection; sometimes it takes Eli all five pitches to get a hit. And at home, he always pulls to short stop or third base when I pitch, so I don't think there is necessarily a magnet for Eli at first base... Either way, he either needs to learn to hit to a different spot or run faster if he wants to make it on base. The great new is, every time Eli came back to the dugout he had a HUGE smile on his face and he told me, "Mommy, I crushed it!" Life is good.

Like A Fish

Maddux had her first swim lesson yesterday afternoon. The only other lesson she's had was when she was about six months old, and I was in the pool with her. Today she got to go into the pool with the teacher and other kids, all by herself! She's been watching Eli at his lessons for the last six weeks, so she knew what to expect, which helped. There was no fear and no tears. She jumped right in and did everything the teacher asked of her. The only issue was Maddux holding onto the side of the wall when she was not working with the teacher. (Coach Meg had to remind her several times to 'hold the wall'.) She got out once to go to the bathroom, which I was excited about; I told her about two hundred times before we got there that we do NOT go potty in the pool. Eli did great, watching and cheering her on. It was fun to watch her and the other little girl, both in turtle backs, swimming the length of the pool. Maddie insisted on wearing her goggles, but they fell down her face several times. She never complained though! I promise to bring the video camera next week!

Proof Positive

Ups and downs, yes, but in the last month or so we have had some really cool breakthroughs with Eli. He is entering a cool new phase of make-believe, prayer, compassion, and overall awesomeness. Room time (what he does during part of Maddie's nap each day), starts and ends with a little Mommy-Eli time with books and playing. He loves to read his BOB books to me or create lego cars. He reads the instruction books, but mostly he has memorized them, so he just tells me what to do.

Here are a few short stories from the last little bit:

• We had a really good room time today, and Eli and I were especially cuddly and lovey. Before I left his room to get Maddux, I asked Eli, "Who loves you more than Mommy?" Lehr and I do this with the kids all of the time and the 'correct' answer is "no one". Eli got all wise and answered "Jesus." Touche, little man.
• Eli has shared so well with Maddux in the last month. There are still battles over his legos and his drum/cymbal sets that he creates, but at least some of the time he is very eager to share. This was very evident yesterday when we had our jam session before naps. I let each child pick a song; when it was Maddux's song, Eli said, "Here, you can use my drums." as he stood up and offered her his thrown. And when she accidentally knocked down his paper cymbal (a HUGE offense in his eyes), he just shrugged and said, "It's ok...I'll just pick it up when you're done."
• Recently Eli's favorite thing to do is analyze the pictures he sees in the house. In his room we have two pictures of him as a newborn (less than a week). One of them is on his bookshelf and he can reach it. It was taken the day we came home from the hospital; Eli doesn't even have casts on yet. After room time one day this week, Eli asked me about it. He LOVED hearing about when he was that small.
• As I uploaded some pictures the other day, Eli pretend-made me some food. When it was done, he brought it to me and asked "Are you ready to say the blessing now?"
• Last night the kids and I ate together. At the end of the meal, Eli took a drink of water and then stretched his hands, very slowly, over his head. He said, "Look!! I'm a flower and my leaves are grooooowwwwwing!"
  

More Maddie-isms

We just can't get enough of these this week!!

• Last week the two of us drove through our old neighborhood on the way to Eli's school. We moved when I was about seven months pregnant with Maddux. She asked why we were driving through there and I told her that we used to live in one of the houses before she was born - when she was still in Mommy's tummy. Later that day she told Eli we went to the old house: "Our house when I was living in mommy's belly button."
• Maddux loves to sing the days-of-the-week songs. I use the tune of Frere Jaques and we do English, Spanish or French. Before naps today I asked Maddux what song she wanted to sing. She told me, "Monday, Tuesday", so we sang in English. Then in Spanish. Then it was time for naps and she asked if we could sing the other one next time. I told her sure and as I left the room I heard her sing this: "Loooon-ess, Mart-esss, Looon-esss, Mart-esss, Weeeh-ehhh-z-day! Weeeh-ehhh-z-day! Loon-ess and Mart-ess. Loon-ess and Mart-ess. Sabado, Domingo. Sabado, Domingo." Nice compilation, Mad Dog!
  

Super Saturday

Great, crazy day!! We kicked off the SUNNY day with a 1-mile family run at Eli's soon-to-be elementary school. Eli ran the whole thing with me (walking a few times) and Maddux rode in the stroller with Lehr almost 100% of the mile. It was a great time all-around. Before the run we checked out a few of the festivities they had in the parking lot. Eli found a baseball game that he became obsessed with: the tee was air blowing out of a hole to suspend the ball in the air so you could hit it. He actually hit the ball in one of the outfield holes. All of the kids watching at that time said, "WHOH!!!" He was happy. Then we lined up for the race and the kids found friends from our neighborhood. Eli and Virginia even worked out some stretches so I could snap a few pictures. The best part for me was when we got to the end of the race: we were asked to cross the finish line in two separate corrals, but Eli wanted to hold hands when we finished. Love it!!

After the race we played in the parking lot a little more; Maddie in the jump castle and Eli at the baseball game. Then we went home to change and head out for lunch. We went to Antico, which is pretty much the coolest pizza place ever. The kids love going there because we eat IN the kitchen, next to all of the fire-y ovens. And we eat on prep-tables, if the staff isn't busy making pizza dough on them. (Mommy and Daddy love going there because it is SO good and the ingredients are crazy fresh.)

This is when the day started to get interesting....130PM and fatigue is setting in. However, the They Might Be Giants show was on the schedule for 2PM...no rest for the weary! We got to the show and found a spot on one of the ramped side-wings. This allowed a pretty good view of the stage, even for the kids. No opener, and TMBG started only a few minutes late, so before we knew it, both kids were dancing, air-drumming, and singing. Maddie went in and out of sleepiness (she loves to cuddle with Daddy when she gets this way!), but Eli was pretty locked in the whole time.

Next stop: Eli's baseball scrimmage. It took us just over 30 minutes to swing by the house before the game; both kids fell asleep in that time. I took Maddux inside and she napped another 15 or so while Daddy and Eli went on to the field. No problems getting the kids to sleep tonight!

Maddie-isms

It's been quite the week for them! This girl has no filter and no inner 'maybe-i-shouldn't-say-or-ask-that' gauge. (Not that she should, at two.) But it is always interesting to hear what she says. Here are the reader-friendly ones from the last few days:

• "I work at school and MOPS": Lehr helped Maddux go to the bathroom one morning before he left for work. When he put her back in bed, they talked about hanging out together and whatnot. She told him she didn't want him to leave, but he told her he had to go to work. Lehr then asked, "Do you want to come to work with me?" Maddie furrowed her eyebrows, shook her head and said, "Oh no, Daddy. I work at skoohl and MOPS."
• Baby: Maddie is going through a new thing right now where she wants to do what others are doing. She sees Eli ride a bike and asks, "When I a big boy, i do dat?", or she sees an adult wearing something she likes and asks, "When I a mommy, I wear dat?". Her latest is about babies; she obviously is unaware of the order of life. Maddux walked into the kitchen, pointed to a picture of a baby friend of ours (sucking a pacifier in the picture), and asked, "When I a baby, I have one of dose?" And she now asks something about being a baby every day.
• Bedtime: Maddux does not have a hard time going to sleep on her own, but she does love to cuddle and be held, especially at bedtime. Often times when Lehr or I are putting her down she'll get all cute and sentimental. Last night, when I was reaching into her crib and rubbing her face, she told me, "Mommy, I wanna keep your hand wiff me." Life is good.
  

Gravity

Eli had his last swim lesson today. He did great...lots of 'splashy toes'! Now that baseball season is started again, that will be the end of any other lessons or classes for a while. Maddux will start HER swim lessons next week though. So excited.

When we walked back out to the car, it was freezing. Seriously freezing. Eli got in on his side, as usual, and I took Maddie around to hers (which is also mine). As I was buckling Maddux in, I asked Eli to pull his door shut so that I didn't have to go around the car again. He tried for a minute and then told me, "Mommy, I can't close it...cuz of gravity."

He was right. The car was parked sideways on a slight hill. And gravity has come up once or twice in conversation, but NEVER in the context of a car door or a hill.... this kid just may have picked up on a concept before it was formally taught! That, or pure coincidence. Either way, it gave me a big laugh!

Tick Tock

Music Music Music....how many times do I post about music and my kids!! I remember (back in the day) when I was impressed by Eli's ability from a very early age to identify songs within the first few notes of a song. Sure, as adults there are songs that we all know: Stairway to Heaven, We Will Rock You, Don't Fear The Reaper.. But these kids have untrained ears. But these kids don't have years of music-listening in their repertoire. But these kids are BABIES!! Regardless, they love their music and they have an ear for it.

Eli is back on a Kings of Leon kick. He dabbles in Satellites and Sirens, Foo Fighters and Outkast, but his go-to is usually KOL. Maddie has a more diverse, pop taste these days. Not sure how I feel about it. Recently the song "Tick Tock" (which I despise) came on the radio. Before I could change it, she shouted "Dat my song, Mommy!!" Apparently she heard it as a ringer on some one's phone and fell in love. And she is a HUGE fan of Lady Ga Ga. She knows "Paparazzi" and "Poker Face" pretty well, but even if "Bad Romance" comes on the radio, she lets me know it's "Poker Face song". The good news is she still likes KOL, she still likes Fee, and when 'Sweet Caroline' comes on, she can't stop herself from dancing.

FIA

The four of us served at Faith In Action for the first time today! Last time around, Eli helped Lehr a little, but Maddux was still too young. Turns out, Maddie is really still too young, but Lehr kept her with him for a little while anyway. The kids and Lehr started in the gym where they chipped gum and other things off of the bleachers before cleaning all surfaces. Then they moved on to painting, but by that point, Mad Dog was too much to handle, so Lehr checked her into a more kid-appropriate area. Eli, however, stuck with Lehr all day, even after Maddie and I left so nap time could still happen. He did great. He ran around a little with another boy from the church, but he did a lot of painting and managed to stay pretty clean!

Tinkering Around...

While I was running this morning, Lehr decided to take advantage of free labor and change the oil in his car. The kids 'helped' him under the hood and (for the most part) stayed out of harm's way. Astonishingly, he got the oil changed in a decent amount of time, meaning the kids may have actually helped. Good thing he pays well in special treats and quality time :)

Woodpecker

For months, Eli has been plagued with pecking noises outside of his room. Every day, especially during room/nap time, a woodpecker (or two?) camp on the exterior wall right around Eli's window and go to town. This is a problem as we now have several holes in the front of our house. It also disturbs Eli. Or at least, peaks his curiosity. He has been very happy to 'help' Daddy fill the holes outside with crazy expanding foam though....such a lovely sight....

When I'm in Eli's room and I hear the pecking, I gently knock on the wall and say, "Go away, woodpeckers! Leave Eli alone." So now Eli does the same thing. Many days I'll hear yelling from his room. Startled, I'll jump up and run towards the stairs only to hear his voice more clearly, "GO 'WAY!! I SAID, 'GO 'WAY'!!" Last week, Lehr got the great idea for Eli to make a sign. It says, "No Birds", and Eli drew a picture of a woodpecker on it (in case they can't read). He has it hung in his window as a warning to woodpeckers in our yard.

Baby Of Mine

Rock Out!!

Lehr had to sneak out to a meeting tonight, so the kids and I were on our own for the last hour before bed. That meant only one thing: our version of "Rock Band". Eli and Maddux alternated picking songs for me to load up in iTunes and they sang, played guitar and banged on the imaginary/make-shift drum set. Good stuff.

Eli started with some "Counting on God"...he's in a bit of a holding pattern with that song right now. And it's so cool to watch him play the drums to it because he has all of the little off-beat licks down and everything! Maddux chose some Lady Ga Ga, as she usually does these days. (Maybe "Paparazzi"?) Then Eli moved on to Foo Fighters' "Everlong". He changed from drums to guitar at this point and REALLY rocked out.

Before we started tonight, Eli was quite concerned about a microphone. Lehr put one together for him over the weekend, but it was hard for it to stay on the stand....the weight was too much for the tape to hold. So I told Eli that often times drummers and guitar players wore head set microphones. So we stuck a pencil (which is usually a drumstick) into the side of his baseball cap and he was set.

Sandwich Head

The four of us call each other names all of the time, but it's always in an endearing way. No really...it is!! Lehr often calls Eli a 'knuckle-head', and a day doesn't pass without me calling each of the kids 'goofy' or 'goofball' or 'coo-coo for cocoa puffs'. They love it and they get that we are just joking around. Eli tells me I'm a goofball too, to which I agree. Then we talk about how fun it is to be a goofball and the credits for our after-school special run....

Today Maddux called me a new name: Sandwich Head. Eli was at school and we were folding laundry for her room. Out of nowhere she smiled at me and said, "Mommy, you a san-wich head!!"I laughed, but asked her "What?" She repeated herself and then it clicked. She has heard (and been called a) 'knuckle-head' before, and from time to time Lehr will respond with "A knuckle sandwich" when one of the kids ask what is for lunch or dinner. She got both of them blended together in her head and came up with a new nickname for Mommy. Good times.

In the midst of the laundry (and Neil Diamond background music - check her rocking out around the one-minute mark), Maddux was dancing around and started to move her eyebrows at me. I grabbed the camera as quickly as I could. She also spent about 40 seconds trying to get BOTH hands to sign 'I love you'. Cute stuff.

2010 02 Maddie Eyebrows/dance from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Night and Day

That has been our weather, our schedules and the temperament in our house. Last weekend was snowy and cold. Winter jackets, gloves and boots cold. And this weekend is warm and sunny. Shorts and flip-flops warm. Go figure! The great news about that is we have been able to be outside almost every day for the last five or so. Eli's been back on his bike, Maddux and I have been pushing her 'car' down the street, and baseball season has begun again. That has meant our schedule has been crazy again though. Eli LOVES playing on a baseball team, which means we love baseball too, but it does mean we spend a lot of time running around, back and forth between the house and the fields.

Finally the temperament. Eli is the determining factor for harmony between the kids. It is rare (if not impossible) that Maddux refuses a play request of Eli's. But Eli often does N.O.T. want to play with, by or around Maddie. When he does though, the two play SO well together. Lately it's been one extreme or the other. The good news is, I can tell right away what kind of day it's going to be!

Maddux was under the weather for about twelve hours this weekend. She ran a short fever and acted very "not-Maddie-like". At the end of it, I was talking to her about food for the week. I said, "Maddux, we have lots of bread, so maybe we'll make french toast one day for lunch." She furrowed her brow, shook her head and said, "No.....I not like fwench toast." I said, "Maddux, it's just like pancakes...you DO like it." She then pushed her eyebrows way up and nodded, saying, "Juss like pancakes...yes?" It was all one fluid motion and hilarious.

Out Of The Mouths of Babes

I recently noticed that I had less of these posts because I've been using twitter to share the quick one-liners instead of compiling them in a blogger draft. The problem with that is no 'proof' of these cute verbals for the blog book. So here are some from the last month or so, all compiled, so that they still make it into the book at the end of the year:

• Maddie woke up to 'go potty'. When Lehr put her back in bed, he said, "Daddy has to go to work now." She said, "But I want to keep you!"
• Both kids tell me, daily, "Mommy, I LIKE being a 'goofball'!"
  
• While playing (somewhat nicely), Eli yelled out, "Maddux, I'm MAD at you!!!!" when she took his car.
  
• During room time, Eli asked,"Mommy, can I take a sleep for a little bit cuz i'm tired and when you come to play with me, I'll wake up."
• Maddux was in blanket time, reading a book to herself: "See ladybugs spell, "M-A-D-D-U-X"
• We had a conversation over breakfast about 'work' (aka job) and when Maddux asked where I worked, I replied, "Here." She laughed and said, 'Dis not work...you silly!"

"I Not 'Kiddo'"

This is Maddux's newest phrase. When I say to her, "Hey, kiddo" or "Time to eat, kiddo", she promptly (and sweetly) tells me, "I not 'kiddo', Mommy." I love it. Every second of it. I love it even more when I say, "Oh, you're not? What are you then?" She gives me a variety of answers, but the most common is, "I 'sweetheart'." Complete with a flirty smile. That girl knows she's cute!!!!

Earlier today she asked me, "What 'knucklehead'?" I said, "YOU!" She giggled and said, "I not 'knucklehead'; I 'goofball'!"

Let It Snow

As predicted, we got snow yesterday afternoon. All week long there had been rumblings about a big, several-hour span of white fluffy stuff falling from the sky, but we know how that usually goes. For this reason I didn't even tell the kids that they should be expecting anything other than the usual cold weather on Friday. Lucky for us, the predictions were right and just before I put Maddux down for her nap, the sky filled with cotton and started to drop. Of course they got all excited and asked if we could go outside. Since the map showed blue all of the way from Atlanta back to New Orleans, I promised them that more was to come and it would be MUCH more fun if we waited until after nap time so that we could make a snowman. Eli happily watched the snowfall during his room time; he alternated lying on his bed to watch it and pressing his nose up against his window.

By the time we got all bundled up, it was 5 o'clock. Many mittens, hats, and layers later, we were ready. Neighbors joined us outside to make snowballs and, eventually, a snowman. Daddy got off of work early, so he was able to enjoy in the fun with us. The snow was amazingly perfect; Eli and Maddux even ate it after some encouragement by their friends. Maddux told me it tasted like ice cream!

Since the snowfall started so late in the day when the temperatures were on the way down, and it lasted until at least midnight, this morning was a beautiful winter wonderland again. The sun was out and the neighborhood looked like we were living anywhere north of Atlanta. More snowballs, more slipping on ice, more fun with friends.

Hey Ya!

The kids LOVE to dance. Every day, usually before and/or after nap time, we turn on iTunes and get down. For the last month or so, their song of choice has been "Hey Ya" by Outkast. They like watching the video, but even more, they like dancing to it and imitating Andre 3000's dance moves. Eli is pretty good at imitating the wild choreography (or lack thereof), and he knows how to hold his fingers when it's time to 'shake it like a Polaroid picture'. Good times!

Chef Maddie

Maddux loves Wednesdays. And Fridays. But mostly Wednesdays. When we don't have MOPS (which is at least 50% of the time), it is full-on Mommy-n-Maddie time. No other plans. No other friends. Chick-fest for us. Today we did run two errands, but they were to grocery shop, which she loves. In between those two places, we came back to the house to prepare turkey chili for our Community Group. Maddux pulled over a chair and got ready to help Mommy cook. We both donned aprons, and then Maddux found this crazy feather clip thing that she wanted to wear. The kicker was, it totally matched her shirt! For Maddie, helping meant mostly shaking the spices (most of the time they were closed) and stacking cans and spices, but she was helping and involved. When it came time for her to dump something or mix something, she was in heaven. We ended our day with a quick stop at the bagel store for lunch (on the way to pick up Eli after our second errand). She said, "We havin' 'pecial date wiff Mommy and Maddie?" Good times. I love my special time with that crazy girl!

Little Boy Blue

Ah, blue. What a beautiful color. Especially when it arrives home in Eli's school bag on his behavior form for the day. Last week we dabbled in yellow, which is TWO notches down from blue. This week's blue status could not have been more anticipated! Eli lost the privilege of drums AND legos on Friday due to his yellow status, which meant a looong three days for the lad. Obviously it had an impact because when I picked him up from school on Monday, the teacher brought him to my car (blue-behavior chart in hand) and told me that Eli was "perfect" all day long. Angels sing. Sun shines through the clouds. Life is good. We've been down that road before though, only to follow it up with a green or yellow. That is why I was ecstatic when I picked him up today to find more blue in the bag. YAY!!

Perfection

Today we had a rare case of that at the house. The day had some ups and downs, but once naptime/room time finished, a picture perfect afternoon followed.

Eli and I read some books on the couch before we woke up his sister. As soon as she got up (in a good mood), the two kids played together in the big room. Then in Eli's room. This always leads to Maddie touching Eli's toys and him freaking out. Then that leads to Maddux taunting him by taking more toys and running away. From there, Eli read Maddux a book. Totally unprompted. Totally kind. Totally awesome.

Eventually I had to start dinner, so the three of us went downstairs. This is another area where we usually run into trouble. The kids are ok for a few minutes, but then they get frustrated that I'm otherwise occupied, and fights and bad moods rear their ugly heads. Instead, I was pulled away from my dinner prep by sounds of laughter, conversation and happiness. Maddie and Eli were pretending to be dogs. Then snakes. Then they were dancing to music. Then they were putting on socks and slipping in the front hall. This was the best part because it included Eli helping Maddux put her socks on. And her letting him. Then they pretended to cook food. TOGETHER. (Have I mentioned that they were playing together?!?)

From 3:45-7:30PM, there were no squabbles, bickers, or disagreements in our house. Serious good times.

Pockets

Quick Eli funny. The other night we went out to dinner and Eli was very hungry. He was ready to order some adult entree (as usual), and we asked him if he was really that hungry. He said, "There's lots of room in my belly! It has pockets in there!" This is just one of many examples of Eli's wit lately. He seems to have the perfect response used at the best times. Good stuff.