Our God

Eli loves this song. Absolutely adores it. He plays it over and over again in his room, and when it comes on the radio in the car, he stops all activity and sings along until it's done, including air guitar and/or drums. He's written the music for it a few times - the drum parts - using whole notes, half notes and quarter notes. Last week he wrote out the lyrics one day. And he did it when there was no music to listen to! Eli lost the priviledge of his CD player the day before, so he did all of this by memory. And he did it in (literally) five minutes....crazy! Below are the lyrics he wrote, so you can translate his aweosme 'sound-it-out' words captured in the picture.

Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

He'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain When He Comes....

Little by little, Eli is starting to actively choose to play with his sister. He's even showing signs of (gasp) caring about her! The other night, when the two were alone in the bathroom, I overheard such kindness. Maddux had just lowered herself into the bathtub, only to discover her fresh knee scrapes burning. Eli assured her it would go away soon. She continued to complain; Eli said, "Maddux! Maddux! It's ok...just think about princesses and it won't hurt anymore!"

Clothing

Maddux loves to help pick out her clothes. Sometimes I let her totally pick the outfit too, which she goes ga-ga for. Since we get our clothes ready the night before, Maddux is used to them being somewhat laid out already. However, she takes it to a new level. For months now, I will go into her room to find a 'bodyless person' on the floor. She will have the clothes laid out as if they were on a person, all of the way down to socks in the shoes. Love it!

Astronaut

Eli is really, really, really, really, REALLY into space shuttles and shuttle launches these days. It started a few weeks ago when Discovery launched for the last time. We watched some footage online and the boy just soaked it all in. Since then, pictures, legos, construction paper crafts, paper airplanes/shuttles have been all created around shuttles and boosters and fuel tanks. Eli is all about when the boosters and other 'stuff' disconnects and drops off of the shuttle. He even had Lehr print him out about 15 color/story pages from an online site; the boy has the story memorized and can read words like 'atmosphere' and 'external'.

When Discovery came back last week, I tivoed the landing so that Eli could watch when he got home from school. Of course he's seen it about five times since. He is convinced he will be an astronaut one day, even though we've kinda told him about the future of the shuttle program. It is really, REALLY cool to see how certain things turn these kids into absolute sponges, eager to soak up any information they can. Life is good.

Eli's First Baseball Game, 2011

Eli is back for another season of baseball. This time around he's on the Twins, and he's just as into it as ever. Tonight was his first game and the team did really, REALLY well. Eli smashed three balls: the first near the center for a single, the next two, he got out at first. However, the second ball was hit near the center and thrown to first causing a very, VERY close play at the bag. So close that the first baseman and Eli were both going for the bag at the same time resulting in Eli getting totally knocked off of his feet. My boy jumped back up and brushed himself off, earning applause from the stands. I high fived him for running like heck, even when he knew he'd probably get out.

No major plays in the field to speak of: Eli played Center Field and Second Base. He has it in his head that he wants to play first, but Eli has yet to show the type of focus and skill needed to play that position safely. He has done really well at second in practice, but he never got his hands on the ball during his time there today.

All in all a great game, and they walked away with a "W". I can honestly say that the way the team played today reminded me of how Eli's teams have played in the past, but during the playoffs. If the boys are this on top of things already, this should turn out to be a really fun and exciting season!

Don't Stop, Baby...

Maddux so loves to dance. Especially when I turn on some songs from Zumba and show her the 'real' dance that goes with the song. This dance is part of Maddux's interpretation of what the 'real' dance is for this song. Good stuff.

Slumber Party

For the first time we allowed the kids to sleep in the same room/same bed last night. We came home from a family dinner date and the kids were playing really well together. One of them brought up both sleeping in Maddux's bed, and since we didn't have anything pressing in the morning that would require a good night's sleep, we decided to give it a go.

As expected, Eli fell asleep instantly. They were both quiet in her room right away, but when we went in twenty minutes later (so I could take a picture), Maddux was still wide awake, just gently stroking Eli's hair and watching him while he was passed out. Another twenty minutes went by and she was asleep as well. Around 6:30 this morning they both came into our room, at which time we put them back to bed, in their own beds, but I'll chalk it up to a successful night, for sure. Eli did tell me today that Maddux kept talking when they went to bed. He said that he had to tell her, "Maddux, be quiet!" four times.

Drummer Boy

Eli's been back at it again, full force, since the holidays. In recent weeks, Lehr set up Eli's smaller set that he received for his birthday from Grandpa Ed. What a blast! Both kids enjoy it, and Eli has really started to keep a good beat on his own. Quick video from Lehr's phone here:

The Topic Of Marriage

NO clue how it came up, but one day last week the kids and I were enjoying a lazy breakfast, thanks to our Winter Break from school. Either Eli or I said something about being married, and Maddux chimed in, "Yeah...married. (Pause) Mom, what's 'marry'?"

I wasn't really sure how to define it in 3-year old terms, but I basically told them both (even though Eli didn't ask, I know he didn't really know either) that being married means you promise to love and have a family with another person, for the rest of your life. I tried to cover topics that have been in our house lately such as always being kind, always working together, and always thinking about the other person first.

So that moved us to who the kids would marry. I told them it would be a long time until they got married, but God was growing up a person for each of them to marry. Maddux wanted to know where she would live in our house; I told her that when you're married you move away from your Mommy and Daddy and live with your husband or wife and maybe kids. Eli asked if Maddux would move with him when he got married. I told him that she could maybe move to the same street, but she would probably live in a house with her husband, not actually with Eli. He thought on that for several moments. Then he grinned and whispered, "Mommy, I'm gonna marry Bekah." So cute. He then told Maddux that she needed to marry Titus (Bekah's brother and Eli's friend), but Maddux stood firm that she wanted to marry Owen. Such a funny conversation to have with a three and five-year old!

On-Time

This morning I got home from camp a few minutes before Eli's bus arrived. I met him at the driveway as he and Lehr were 'scooting' up. (Eli's driven his scooter up to the bus stop this week.) I rolled down my window to chat with him for a second, as we always do when I make it home in time. With a huge smile on his face, he said, "Can't stop to talk, Mom. We're running late!" And with that, he was off. Even when he's blowing me off, he's cute!!

Shoes

I've been trying for several months to teach Eli to tie his shoes. One main obstacle is his refusal to be open to teaching in this area; he's a *little* stubborn like his mama. So when I sit down with him to work on it, regardless of how patient and 'gentle' I am, he never wants anything to do with it and he basically fights me every step of the way. For whatever reason, that changed last Wednesday during Maddux's ballet class. As I've done many times in the past, I suggested we bring the shoe-tie book and practice board to work on during he class and for the first time, Eli happily agreed!! It was not all smiles and giggles; he was very frustrated many many times, resulting in him sulking for a portion of our afternoon. However, he tied his own shoes once before we left ballet and he did it again the next day for Lehr. Even more exciting was when I went to school today and his parapro teacher told me she'd offered to help him when his laces came undone, but he'd told her, "Nope. I got it." All grows up!

On The Stage

Maddux is at it again, singing up a storm. Today's selections were a Valentine song she learned at school and "Just The Way You Are".

Bikers

I took the kids to the park to ride their bikes yesterday morning. They had a BLAST and did really well. Eli needs to work on his 'start up' with his bike, and the flat trail provided many opportunities for that. Maddux doesn't need help with anything on her training wheels; she's an animal! Later that day when Lehr got home, he took them into the cul-de-sac and practiced more, catching some video at the same time.

The Best Sunday Ever

We had an awesome day yesterday. It started with FIA and only got better. After we finished our morning of service, we went home to ride bikes, eat lunch and catch a few winks. Once Maddux woke up, we headed west to grab some dinner. There was a particular area I wanted to scope out for some photo shoots, so we picked a casual restaurant in that area. The kids loved the food and had a good time hanging out with Daddy while I ran in and out, trying to get a few shots before the sun left us. There just so happened to be a Yoforia a few doors down from the restaurant, so you KNOW Lehr was pushing for a 'special treat' after dinner. I caved and everyone cheered. While we were eating our yogurt, the kids were being really sweet to each other, and they even posed for a few pictures for me. In the midst of all the wonderfulness, Maddux calls out, "This is the BEST family ever!!" She said it later, in the car, also. I couldn't agree more.

Faith In Action

As we've done before, we brought the kids to Faith In Action this morning with the intention of them participating. Since I'm always running around shooting pictures, that means they work with Lehr, if possible. Maddux usually has to end up in childcare at some point, due to her boredom or the 'danger factor' of the job at hand, but Eli hasn't been in childcare during an FIA in a long time....he has been helping at all of them for over a year now. This one proved to be the most enjoyable for him yet. Lehr was able to work with a friend to build some big, sturdy wooden tables for the football team...I think for water coolers. Eli got to use a drill, measure the wood, get covered in sawdust, and hang out with Daddy and some big boys all day. Maddux had a good time with her friends in the gym also; her favorite part was worship at the end, of course. Dancing around in a gym with hundreds of people watching? Right up her alley....

Today was especially great because of Eli's attitude; he has had a rough time lately, especially in heart matters concerning the family. But today found him happy, grateful, caring, and giving. Life is good! (Here is a short segment from the news that light, featuring Lehr's back :) )

Ups and Downs

And down and out. These last few weeks have been challenging to say the least. We're going through a very 'fun' phase with Eli involving sneaking to do things without permission and mouthy disobedience. Our house is not exactly what I'd call 'enjoyable' at this time...I'm sure Eli and Maddux are wondering what happened to their parents, because the drill sergeants we've become are unrecognizable, even to us. One of the main consequences Eli has earned lately is the tried-and-true 'sit on your bed'. Twice in the last five days he's had to do that for an entire afternoon. After dinner, he was released for a short amount of time before baths. And after that storm, the rainbow came out, brighter than ever...

Both of the most recent occurrences have resulted in Eli using less than respectable verbal jabs. He does a lot of "Weeeeeell, YOU don't get to make the rules" and (we all know this one) "You're not even a nice mommy". Once dinner rolls around and we talk about his time-out time, he's somewhat calm and we have a great dinner. Then comes the best part. He plays with Maddux so nicely and so attentively that I can hardly believe it. This is the exact conversation between them last night, as they were running around and playing with stuffed animals together:
M - "Eli, I love you!"
E - "I love you too."
M - "Are you my best friend?"
E - "Of course I'm your best friend, Max."

I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes. But why does it have to take him sitting out for hours to then be so kind to his sister?!

Just The Way You Are

Never were words more true....Maddux is so this song...she is amazing, she is perfect, she makes my world go round.

Recently we were in the car, listening to music and singing along as always. When we got to this song (Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are"), Maddux asked some questions and since they she's sung along. She will even sing on her own when playing in the house. Usually while she's wearing one of her many princess dresses....of course.

It really hit me as I heard her singing, "Dere's not a thing I will change" (cuz you know she changes words around sometimes)...that song is so how I feel about my daughter these days. She is silly and funny and challenging and happy and beautiful and headstrong and social and confident and amazing. Amazing. I hope she always has the confidence in who she is as she has right now.

So Girly

Maddux loves to comb her hair. Here, she is, as always, paying attention to what is going on in the other room (Eli reading "Cat and the Hat", while also focusing on making her locks silky and smooth.

Trust

Buckle up. This one is bound to get long and rambly.....

Starting a few weeks ago we started becoming aware of a few trust issues where Eli was concerned. With each one, we felt we dealt with it swiftly, calmly, and very fairly. However, things kept happening, and he continued to break our trust. That culminated in this week when, twice in two days, Eli was MIA, out of our house. The first time it was as easy as he was in the front yard when I was looking in the back yard and vice versa, but he was being sneaky and disobedient. Big talks, removal of privileges that depended on our trust in him. The very next day (not 24 hours later!!) Eli left our house and walked close to a mile away. Let that sink in, because it still hasn't with me. He is FIVE. He wasn't running away. My very methodical and practical child had a plan of action and an end place in mind. However he and I had just discussed this plan (the end point, not the walking) an hour earlier and the answer was 'no', mainly due to the previous day's actions. Thankfully I became aware of his absence almost immediately and was able to drive to his end location and pick him up before any harm was done. But there were no words...there are STILL no words to describe the fear and helplessness I felt in that time. And it got worse once I had him safe at home and realized that he had done this all on his own.

As much as Eli is a regular kid who disobeys (as obvious in this post!), he is very Type-A, he is a rule-follower and enforcer, and he likes boundaries. He is the child who will still come ask me if he can use the bathroom in the middle of the night instead of just going. He is the kid who doesn't leave our side in large public places for fear of getting separated from us. So now Lehr and I are thrust into the world of parents who have been made aware that they actually DON'T know their children as well as they think. That was a club I was hoping to avoid joining until at least Jr. High....

So, consequences, removal of privileges, many many many many talks and lectures. This morning gave me hope. On the way to church, the kids and I were talking and having a great time. Lehr was not with us because he went in very early to prepare for the worship set he was playing. Eli kindly told me, "Daddy said I could go early with him next week." (Eli usually does go in, but that is a big kid privilege, so it did NOT happen this morning.) I reminded Eli that as much as Lehr loves having him go in early with him, it probably wouldn't happen for a while because he (Eli) had broken our trust. Then I talked a little more about what that meant and how long it takes to build that trust back up again. (This was really a conversation and not a lecture; I promise!) I reminded Eli that it takes several times of trusting someone to build up trust, but just one time to break that trust. This morning Eli got up from bed, went to the bathroom and then went back to his room to play (as we expect him to). I told him that his actions this morning showed me that I could trust him, and that type of behavior would help build up trust again. Not a minute later from the backseat I hear, "So I need to build up like blocks to a building."

Hello, God...Thank you!!

"Yes!! That's exactly what I'm saying, Eli! Each time you show me I can trust you, you build up one more block and we need to build a big building of trust to do the 'big kid' stuff. And when you do something that shows I can't trust you..."

"...I knock the whole building of blocks down."

Wow. I'm so not the one in control of this conversation...it is taking all of the right turns and I am utterly amazed at the work God is doing.

So so so excited that Eli is (hopefully!) understanding this now. These past few weeks have really scared me and I'm hoping we build that building up again soon.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

That girl is full of life. And full of words. The things that come out of her mouth crack me up on a daily basis. I end up posting maybe 1/4 of them via Twitter, but so many slip through the cracks and I forget them by the time I sit down at the computer. Here are just a few from the last few days:

• We have many 'dance parties' in our house, usually mid-day when it's just me and one or both of the kids. The other day Maddux told me (mid-spin), "You dance better if you have these pants and this shirt on."
• Walking into the YMCA the other day, I asked Maddux to hold my hand and keep it warm. "Just put it in yer pocket." she told me. "But, I don't have any." "Welllll.......try to get one, Mommy!"
• We play a lot of music in the car, and the kids learn lyrics pretty fast (that is not such a good thing these days). After about a week of a particular Beastie Boys CD playing almost exclusively, Maddux yelled out "What! What!!!" mid-song one day, all on her own. She has arrived.
• We got another dumping of snow last night. Today when we were driving out of the neighborhood, Maddie asked, "Mommy, when are the penguins comin' out?" Took me a minute to even ask her what she meant. "When it snows, the penguins come." I love three year old logic!!
• More dance parties. More music and dancing. And Maddux is the biggest dancer, wiggler, mover of them all. She will not stop for anything. Last week she told us, "I dance to all these songs, cuz that's my job. I'm tired, but I still have to do it."
• When things get particularly 'ugly' between Maddux and Eli in the backseat we have what we call "silent car". No talking for some set period of time. Lately when Maddux has become frustrated with Eli's need to control everything she does, she'll give an emotional, "Don't talk to me that way! I want a silent car!" Then she'll cross her arms and turn her head towards the window. 3 or 13???
• This morning I told Maddux, "God gave you a beautiful heart." Her response? "I know! I wanted Him to make it pink and He did!"
• The other day the three of us walked down the hill after picking Eli up from the bus stop. I noticed a small scratch on the bridge of his nose that wasn't there the day before. I asked him if it happened at school and immediately Mad Dog chimed in with, "Did you cry or were you tough as nails?"
  

All It'll Cost You Is Your Voice!

I woke up with a scratchy throat today and over the course of the day it developed into almost total laryngitis. Eli hadn't heard my voice progressing throughout the day like Maddux had, so when I picked he and a friend up from Brainy Builders today, it took him by surprise.

"Mommy, did the Sea Witch take your voice?"

Eli was totally grinning at his joke (based on The Little Mermaid, which he and Maddie watched for the first time a few weeks back). He was being funny and he knew it.

Perfect

Maddux and I were hanging up her clothes and listening to music. Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are" came on and Mad Dog started to sing along. As usual, she stopped and asked me about lyrics.

"Mommy? Why does this boy not want her to change?"

I explained that he loved her just as she was because God made her perfect and there is no reason for her to change that. We talked a little more with me giving not-so-subtle hints that she should NEVER put up with anyone asking her to change for their benefit. Later in the song I asked her if she needed to change anything about herself.

"Nope. God made me perfect so I don't hafta change."..... "But I still change my clothes!!" Can't take the goofy out of that girl...

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

In the car last night I told Maddux that her friend, Sam, would be coming over for dinner this week. Her response?

Smile. "I gonna play doctor wiff him, Mommy..."

My Love

It's always interesting to me the things that I end up doing with one child, but not the other. Eli knew "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" pretty much by heart when he was just two because I would always sing it to him before naps and bed. (I know...odd 'lullaby' choice.) Maddux knows the song, but I rarely sang it to her. No real reason; it's just the way it worked out.

One thing I have found myself doing way more with Maddux is a specific declaration of love before bed each night. I'll say to her, "I love you all the way up to the moon, all the way down to the swimming pool drains." Then she'll respond to me with "I love you all the way up to the birds, all the way down to the grass." And so on.... It wasn't even intentional on my part, but I love that it is a staple in our relationship. A few weeks ago I also said to her, "I love you more than ice cream." and a similar trend followed. That girl loves to love, and that makes my world go round.

Date Night

Crazy schedules have been the norm since we returned to school this month. Because of that, we've not been able to start back up our individual date nights with the kids yet. It seems that each night finds one of us home with the kids and the other at an appointment or rehearsal. Saturday night we had nothing planned, so we opted for a group date night: a Family Date Night. We picked a fun restaurant that the kids haven't been to in at least a year and played it up big. Lehr even took Eli to Harry's during Maddux's nap and bought flowers. Eli wanted to wear a work shirt, so we all got dressed up as well.

The evening started off great, but Eli tripped coming into the restaurant, landing hard on his knee. Since he'd been going strong all day, his fatigue set him off into a bit of a whiny spell. Luckily, the restaurant is loud, so his complaining as we waited for a table was totally unnoticed by anyone else.

Once seated we ordered quickly and then just enjoyed each other's company. We were sitting at a high table, so I worried about Maddux and her potential for injury. (She tends to not sit still. Ever.) However, she was great the whole night! She ate cleanly, sat pretty well, and behaved wonderfully! Both kids got hamburgers and we split some zucchini fries for the table. The venue we chose is known for their small specialty milkshakes, so we all had a little. The Nutella shake was topped off with flame-charred marshmallows. That made Eli VERY happy!

Scoot!

Eli and Maddux received razor scooters for Christmas and they are still a HUGE hit. More so with Eli, as Maddux has really taken to riding a bike recently. This weekend Lehr shot a few minutes of video as the kids enjoyed the sunshine and lack of snow and ice on the ground.

Swim Lessons

Last year I enrolled the kids in one swim lesson over the cold months, just to keep their swim 'skills' in their memory. Since it seemed to work pretty well, I did the same this year. Once a week the kids take lessons, back-to-back, so they each get to watch the other. So far so good.

Maddux loves the water. She can kick pretty good, but struggles to remember that her arms are supposed to come out of the water. And something she's done the last two weeks is stopping halfway down the lane to grab onto the side for a moment. Maybe she's getting tired? The video is pretty cute because it shows her working so hard to keep her eyes in the water, but she alternates that with throwing her head completely back to wipe the water and hair out of her eyes.

Eli is a fish. He loves the water even more than last year, and his progress is obvious even inside of a lesson. This last week the coach advised the boys to turn their heads to the side to breath...not a stroke passed after that without Eli moving his head to the side.

One area Eli has always struggled with is the kicking. He never seems to keep his legs together, moving them like a water polo player instead. This is very easy to see when it comes time to use kick boards. Without his arms helping him, Eli falls to the back of the pack quickly, pretty much swimming in place. One area he may have a knack for is diving. You can only see part of one 'dive' on the video, but over half of the time that he's asked to jump into the water, Eli leads with his hands in a stretched out dive/flop. No formal instruction has been given on that yet, he just sees it and mimics.

2011 01 Swim Lessons from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Winded

This is Maddux's newest term: "winded". She doesn't use it in the context most people would, however. She uses it to describe something that has had wind go through it. For example, yesterday we were driving down the street and she asked why some trees had leaves and some didn't and some trees had MUCH leaves. I went through a quick winter temperature explanation for her, reminding her how the leaves fall in our yard each fall. She responded by telling me that the leaves that fell off of the tree in our cul-de-sac were due to her climbing on and jumping on the branches, and NOT because they were dead and fell off of the tree when the wind blew.

"Mommy, I climbed up the tree and jumped on the branches to shake it. I make the leaves fall off.....they didn't get winded."

All-American Man

Eli loves the American flag. Why shouldn't he, really? I'm not sure what started his adoration of it, but for months (at least six months now) he's been obsessed. He draws it, he wears clothing with it, he points it out every time he sees it... At one point over the summer, he wore the same flag shirt a solid week. (Since we were displaced at the time and living out of suitcases, I barely noticed.)

This Christmas I knit most of my gifts: hats and scarves mostly. Sometime around Thanksgiving, Eli asked me to knit him a hat. I was hesitant. I've knit him a blanket, two hats and two scarves and he uses NONE of it. But he kept insisting that he wanted a red, white and blue hat. So I told him after the holidays I would. We were iced in all week, so I had some time to make said hat. Eli loved it. Outside of the goofy stars, I'm happy with it too. So far, Eli has worn it 75% of each day, whether he's cold or not. I guess that makes up for the other projects that have gone unused!

Bobsled?

Eli went to rehearsal with Lehr this morning. This week Lehr was only playing in one song, so there was plenty of downtime before the service started. Our church parking lot was a huge flat surface of ice all week, but most of it has melted away. The shady spots, however, still have some frozen areas. Eli and one of his idols, Ashton, found a big icy section this morning. Skateboards, recycle bins and shoes were used to play on the slick surface. At one point, Ashton convinced Eli to get in the recycle bin and bobsled around the corner....good stuff.

2011 01 Eli and Ashton on Ice from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Defrost

For the first time in a week, we were able to go outside today and PLAY! No big jackets, no three layers of gloves....just warm sun, temps above freezing, and a whole lot of energy to burn off. The kids had a blast with their bikes and scooters...they've been unable to use those for a full week due to the layers of ice over every surface. I was working most of the day, so Lehr was on full-time Daddy-duty. He tells me that angels were singing: the kids played TOGETHER for quite a while without arguing at all. They interacted without yelling, complaining, or bossing each other around. Of course that would happen when I'm not around, right?

Snow Days!

As predicted, we got a huge dumping of snow late Sunday night, resulting in no school for the kids on Monday. It was so much snow (for Atlanta) that we also had no boot camp, no work, no swim lessons..... The city basically shut down. The precipitation stopped around noon Monday, but the cold air lingered, freezing everything up last night leaving us home-bound again today.

Yesterday we went outside to sled first thing. A few boogie boards, some rain boots...we were set. After about an hour, Maddux was done, so I brought her back inside. Eli stayed out long enough for his fingers to get seriously numb, but he had a blast. We colored, played with new bead-crafts I bought the day before, listened to music, and read books all day. When the temps were the highest, we took a short drive up to the store, just to check out the rest of the world.

Shortly after dinner the snow/slush turned to ice and everything, including the snow, froze over. This morning we woke up to many many sheets of ice as far as thee eye can see. Eli still wanted to sled, so I took him back to the main hill we'd used the day before. Unfortunately many people had driven on that road at this point, so it was ice mixed with patches of just road, which was starting to rip up his board. After about 15 minutes I suggested we go back to our hill, which gets less traffic. The hill was not too great (TOO much snow coverage), but one of our neighbor's driveway was perfectly iced and sloped. Also, the hill in our yard worked, as long as you weighed less than 60 pounds. Eli and I spent a few hours outside before Maddie joined us. She lasted approximately 6.5 minutes. Just long enough to go down the driveway and yard hill one time each. And just long enough to fall, touch the ice, and fall again, resulting in tears each time. After the snowball that we found lodged in her boot yesterday, I think she's been 'scarred' by the snow. My girl does not enjoy the cold!

More reading, coloring, dance-partying, and bead-crafting today. We made bagels when the kids go up...blue, red, pink, purple, all in a tie-dye fashion, due to the way the kids 'mixed' the color in. In a few we will turn on a movie...we're about stir-crazy though!

2011 01 Snow Sled from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

That One's A Keeper!

Haven't blogged yet this year and I thought this was the perfect reason to start. We've been boxed up in the house for two days straight with no school, no boot camp, no work, no photo shoots, no swim lessons.... My last 'fun' idea today was to paint Mad Dog's nails. Eli declined, but Maddie and I spent a good 20 minutes in my bathroom being all 'girly'. At one point she pointed to the trail map on the counter.
"What's dat, Mommy?" I told her it was a map from the last time Daddy and I went snowshoeing, before she was born. I told her she may have even been in my tummy. (Upon further thought, she wasn't.)

Maddux asks, "Was dere toys in dere?" I could barely stop laughing long enough to answer her. She didn't get it, so she then asked me, "Well, was my blanket in there? No??? Then what did I do?"

I told her she was just growing, but she grew so fast she didn't have time for anything else.

"Well, how about clothes...was I wearing baby clothes?" I told her she was naked but it was roasty toasty in my belly, so she wasn't cold.

"Yay!! Roasty Toasty!!!" That girl makes sure I never go a day without a good laugh.

Eli's Heart

I know it keeps coming up, the kids' heart 'conditions', that is, but we've had some moments lately. And as much as I wish sometimes that Eli would care more about his sister and friends in moments of unexpected hurt feelings or physical discomfort, what I've seen out of him in quiet moments this month blows me away.

About a month ago I started talking to the kids about Christmas gifts. We talked about why we celebrate, and why we may want to give other people gifts, even though it's a birthday for Jesus, not us. The main point of our conversation was for me to get the kids thinking about what the friends and family in their life might find joy in. I reminded them that they've seen me working on knitting projects and photo projects for our family, because I was trying to make something that they'd enjoy and remember. Also we talked about how most of our friends and family have so many things that they don't really need 'stuff'. So we brainstormed some ways to give. It came up that people like Pkemei, the little boy we sponsor in Kenya, would enjoy anything we could get for him: clothing, toys, books, blankets... But people like our Grandparents and friends at school already have all of those things, so something handmade, some time spent together, or something picked out that signifies a bond would be a better choice. Then I told them that we wouldn't be buying anything for at least another week: I asked them to think about the people they would be giving to and what those people would cherish.

Eli had already made a gift for both Grandmothers at school, he made something for Grandpa Ed and Sandy in Art, and we'd made small magnet crafts for most of our friends already. For the remaining gifts, Eli and I set out on a Saturday with him leading the way. We went to Target first because he really wanted to get Maddux a Hello Kitty toy. He didn't know specifically what, but he knows how much she loves Hello Kitty, so he was set on something in that arena. What he picked out was perfect; she loves it and has already misplaced the pieces several times due to overuse.

Originally he wanted to get Lehr a Christmas Tree shirt (because he doesn't have one), however, no holiday shirts for men were to be found. Midway through our Target run he found a replacement Christmas themed gift, which was great. But my most favorite thing was what he thought of on the drive to Target. From the back seat I heard, "MOM!! I know what I need to get Daddy! A drum key, cuz he lost his!" Apparently the previous time they'd worked on drums together, Lehr found himself without a key; it had been misplaced. I thought it was so cool that Eli remembered that and realized that was something that Lehr definitely needs and would value. So even though it added another store in our errand list, in the totally wrong direction of course, to the drum store we went.

The final gift that Eli chose was for Grandpa Jim. While my parents visited over Thanksgiving, Grandpa took Eli ice skating. When I asked Eli what he wanted to get for Grandpa Jim, he immediately told me, "A hockey ice skater ornament." As cool as that sounds, we couldn't find exactly that. In fact, for the longest time we couldn't find any kind of ice skating or hockey ornament at all. Finally, the day after we mailed out our gifts, we found a solitary ice skate ornament hanging randomly in a Target store.

Eli really enjoyed wrapping all of the gifts he picked out, especially the drum key for Daddy. He wrapped it in a large box full of Lincoln Logs, to try and trick him. When I put Eli to bed on Christmas night, I asked him what his favorite gift was that he gave and without hesitation he told me "Daddy's drum key", with a HUGE smile on his face. I think Eli really enjoyed the giving part of this holiday season.

Sing It, Girl!

Complete with a repeat refrain or "coda" (please correct me if I'm wrong, music people), here is Mad Dog giving her new microphone (and dress up clothes) plenty of use.

2010 12Maddux sings again from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Snow Day!

What are the odds?!?! I lived up north for many Christmas seasons and often did not have snow on the ground for Christmas day, let alone falling from the sky. This year, in Georgia, we had snow for Christmas! It snowed late in the day and continued for the next two days. Unfortunately, the first half of the snowfall turned to water and/or slush when it hit the ground due to some warmer temps the few days beforehand. The kids didn't care though, they were just happy to see white stuff. When enough had accumulated, we bundled up and headed outside. Eli was the first to run through the yard, picking up snow and throwing it as he went. It wasn't the greatest snowball or snowman making material, but we made it work. Maddux liked it a little less, not wanting to have any snowballs thrown at her. After much running and playing we ventured over to our neighbor's yard where their new trampoline was covered in ice and snow. Once all sharp edges were removed, the boys jumped like crazy. (Maddux was thoroughly cold at this point and i had to bring her inside to 'put fire on her feet'.)

2010 12 Snow Day from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Puppets

We are really enjoying this break from school and 'schedule'! Another thing I've been wanting to do with the kids is take them to the Center for Puppetry Arts. October ran a great show, but we had no days off, and November's show may not have held the kids' attention. This month was Rudolph, based on the old-school cartoon/clay-mation we've all watched for years and years. Even though I could not secure tickets online, I figured we'd give it a shot. When we arrived, all of the box office windows had signs reading 'Sold Out'. But I had to ask anyway. The attendant informed me that they were indeed sold out, even all of the way through the end of the week (3 shows a day too!). I had a back-up plan for the day, but we really wanted to see the show. The awesome attendant told me that from time to time they have a few unclaimed tickets, so if I gave her my cell phone number and stuck around the lobby, she'd call me if that was the case. We still had thirty minutes until the show, so we did just that. And as luck would have it, five minutes before curtain, my phone rang. Three tickets were ours!

Eli and Maddux loved the puppets, the show, and the songs. And I could not get over how well-done everything was. The puppets looked EXACTLY like the cartoon, only better! The show lasted about an hour and then we got to go upstairs and make a craft. The craft for this show was a reindeer puppet. Although I did 99.4% of all constructing, the kids got to decorate their own reindeer, which was so much fun. Maddux, of course, tried to glue 34 pieces of foam on her reindeer, all using a pound of glue each time. Eli, on the other hand, matched each side, making sure they followed a pattern. He even asked me to help with hooves and antlers when we got home.

Like A G6....

So the kids and I have been dancing to this song (thanks to Zumba) for a few months. Recently the song about an airplane came on the radio while Eli and I were running errands. Of course I started car-dancing and Eli began his air drumming. He told me that when he had room time later that day, he was going to write the music for the song on a piece of paper so that we could dance and sing and drum it later. He even told me the parts where I snap to each side would be shown on his music with "X".

If you haven't heard the song...it's pop-y, it's kinda annoying, and it talks about partying, but it's a FUN dance song, so we go with it. Eli was true to his word and 'composed' this music when he got home. (If you don't know the song, the chorus goes, "Like a G6, like a G6, na-na-na-na-na...".) Eli obviously got the words down fine and even wrote in the snaps (with arrows!) for me. Love it!

Christmas Day

What a blast, but it went way too fast. Eli woke up around 6, but Lehr got him back to sleep until about 8AM. We went down and turned the tree on and then let the kids come down to see what Santa had left. Their three gifts were in a corner (unwrapped with only bows) next to the fireplace: each got a kid's umbrella, a book and a board game. Maddux was ecstatic about the umbrella, of course. Actually both kids really enjoyed that; they'd been asking for one for quite some time. Eli went to see if Santa had eaten the marshmallow, and he saw the Coke and the note. When we went to start the fire, he saw the glitter..... Eli was totally into the awesomeness of Santa this year and I love it. (Speaking of which, I asked him this morning if he remembered me in his room last night: negative.)

We opened a few gifts and Jesus stocking notes and then had a delish breakfast of Dutch Babies. A few more gifts and then I ushered the kids upstairs to get dressed. Matching reindeer shirts (by choice) and they were ready to come back down. I told them to wait for a minute because Daddy and I wanted to give them our gift now, but it wasn't wrapped. When Lehr gave the all clear, we came down and the kids saw their razor scooters. Eli was soooo excited. Maddux was, but she seemed confused. "I didn't ask for a scooter though" was one of her responses. However, as soon as we got outside and she rode it, she turned around, looked me in the eye and said, "Thank you, Mommy, for getting me a scooter." That is my awesome, grateful girl. I do love her heart!! Eli couldn't get the smile off of his face; he LOVED the scooter, of course. He kept riding over bits of carrot left over by the reindeer...the magic continues....

More gifts, more Jesus stocking. Eventually we opened our stockings, which held a few small gifts the elves had slipped into Santa's pockets. The best part for me was Eli's gifts to people. He got Lehr a drum key and he helped Daddy wrap some PJ's for me. He was so excited to give those gifts.

Dinner was homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, and we had a birthday cake for Jesus, which Maddux helped me make. The hits of the day were the scooter for Eli, TWO chests of dress-up clothes for Maddux, courtesy of both Grandmothers, and legos for Eli. Those kids are certainly surrounded by people who love them!

Christmas Eve

Such a great time had by all. Mom-Mom visited all week, so she was able to join us for Christmas Eve service and waking up the next morning with the kids. Early on in the day, the four of us ran a few errands for dinner the next night. We knew it would take long, so Lehr and I decided to make it special for the kids by popping in a Christmas movie in the car. That is something that is strictly reserved for long car-trips, so Eli and Maddux loved it. We chose the Grinch (Jim Carrey version), which they'd never seen. They had a blast.

My favorite part of the day was before church when I asked the kids to pose for a few quick photos in their fancy clothes. Maddux wore the same dress she wore last year and Eli wore a spiffy red 'work shirt', jeans and his Vans. He was pretty good about standing still for a few pictures; that's not something he usually does for me. And when I asked Maddux to kiss him, Eli avoided it totally. The funny part is, he was more than happy to plant one on Mad Dog's cheek.

Our church does the service on the early side and the kids are included. Thankfully the service is no more than an hour and includes much music and media. Eli and Maddie did great, not even requiring the paper and pencils I brought along to entertain. Maddux wanted to dance in the aisle each time the music started. That would be fine except after a minute of dancing she usually wanders up towards the stage, so we had to keep an eye on that.

After church we drove by several of our favorite holiday houses and snacked on some pretzels. When we got home we changed into our matching PJ's, courtesy of Grandma Cathie, and had a quick hot cocoa while we followed our tradition of letting the kids open their gifts to each other. Maddux loved her Hello Kitty play set from Eli, and Eli was over the moon for the match-box car holder-truck that Maddux picked out for him. They even hugged for a few pictures.

We then set out a few things for Santa. Eli wanted to roast a marshmallow for him, so we had that and a few treats given to us by a neighbor. (We ran out of time to make cookies.) We asked what they wanted to leave SC to drink and Eli replied "Coke". He said he'd seen Santa drinking Coke when we went to the aquarium (the Coke Museum is right next door), so he must like it. Luckily we still had a few Diet Cokes in the fridge leftover from Grandpa Jim. Finally it was time to put food out for the reindeer. Eli wanted carrots, which we luckily had a whole bag of. Off to bed!

Lehr and I poured some coke in the glass, ate the marshmallow and broke up a bunch of the carrots and scattered in the driveway and front porch. Then I sprinkled some ash and glitter around the fireplace and dropped a few pieces of white cotton ball fluff nearby. I also wrote a quick note from Santa, mainly to help Eli cope with a possible disappointment. He had it set in his mind that Santa would be bringing him a razor scooter. Eli assumed if you asked for it, you'd get it, and that's all he had really been asking for. While Lehr and I did get the kids razors (from us), we weren't going to 'unveil' them until after breakfast, to allow for the Santa gifts to have their place, and because we knew the kids would want to rush outside as soon as they saw the scooters. In the letter we told Eli that the scooter was too big for his bag and sleigh (which is the story I'd already been telling Eli all week).

One last thing, since Eli was hook, line, and sinker for Santa this year, I wanted to play into it one more way. Even though our boy is a heavy sleeper, I wanted to wake him up in the middle of the night with jingle bells. My plan was to get him a bit woken up (loud noise or something) and then shake the bells outside of his room. Of course that didn't work the way I'd hoped. First I went into his room and banged around a lot, planning to ask him, "Did you hear that?" when he woke up and saw me. No go...the boy snored and snored, even when I shook his bed. So I finally jostled him as i made a noise and he opened his eyes. I asked, "Did you hear something? Were you making noise?" He yawned and shook his head. I left and we shook the bells loud. Lehr saw Eli sit straight up, so he high-tailed it back to our room in case Eli came out and questioned us. Not a chance. Eli went right back to sleep. Guess we'll have to try this on Mad Dog next time...

Myrrh

Lots of talk over the holidays surrounding Jesus, the manger, and of course, myrrh. Maddux can correctly tell you the three gifts from the wise men every time. However, one day last week she got a little confused.

Since Eli loves to read all types of informative, non-fiction books, we have learned about many things from hurricanes to dinosaurs to Native Americans. Since our trip to the aquarium last week, Maddux has pulled out a few of our penguin books. The other night we were reading about the waterproof-type fur some penguins have. The next morning when the subject of myrrh came up, Maddux said, "Myrrh, like on the penguins." Gotta love that girl!

Bagels!

About a month ago Eli started asking for candy cane bagels. Last year or the year before, our usual spot for Sunday bagels had 'candy cane bagels', which were regular old bagels, but dyed red and twisted with regular (white) dough in the shape of a candy cane. After two failed trips to score said bagels this year, Eli and I asked if they were just sold out. Apparently they were not big enough ticket items to warrant a return. Given our new, fancy dancy kitchen, and some help with childcare this week since Lehr is working less, I told Eli that we'd make our own bagels the week before Christmas. As fun as this sounds, I am not always the best with baking. Cooking I can handle, but I don't have a lot of confidence where baking is concerned. Nevertheless I found a recipe and this morning my boy and I set out to the store to get the necessary goods. Eli helped me mix the dough and roll it out. We divided it in half and mixed in some red food dye (that's when Maddux entered the equation). After some more rolling, we had 16 long 'snakes' that soon turned into eight candy cane bagels. So much easier than I thought and they turned out pretty good!

Maddie

I could post one of these 'thoughts' at least once a day.... That girl is just full of one-liners and quick-witted stories; she keeps everything interesting! In the past month, it has been rare for the house or the car or the bath or her room to be quiet. Every second of every day has been filled with a Christmas soundtrack, consisting mostly of tunes she learned at school for her concert. The most common songs were (are) Rudolph, Chipmunk song, and I Saw Mommy Kissin' Santa Clause. She never ever stops. In fact, when she does, I take pause because it takes me a moment to figure out what's 'wrong'; the music is such a part of our day that when it's not there something feels off.

Mad Dog loves to care for her babies. Right now she has a few that she drags (literally) around a lot. She will put them in a suitcase (since her stroller was destroyed long ago), in my BOB stroller, or in a small little baby bjorn she received as a gift.

Maddie's clothing is something to be admired. I have a lot of fun dressing her in colorful and 'loud' outfits, but in case I forget, she always accessorizes to make up for my shortcomings. If she does her hair, no less than four clips will be used, and if she dresses herself, mismatched socks and scarves and mittens are always included. On the flip side, around bath time, or morning dressing time, some outfits LACKING in appropriate amounts of coverage are also common.

And what a Dancing Queen she is. Maddux loves to twirl around to music playing, whether it's in her head or on the computer. She spins and sashays and shimmys up a storm...no matter the tune.

Finally is her temper. She is really coming into her independance. Matching that with her need and desire to be loved and to show love is a struggle. She'll fight me, but then bow her head and sob until I hug her and reassure her. Maddux is also still a bit 'insecure' at bedtime. If I'm not 'working' outside of her room (in the computer room) when she goes down, she is all kinds of upset. We're working through it, but it is quite the process. What a fun time we are having with that (insert severe sarcasm).

Mermaids!

The kids hadn't been to the Georgia Aquarium in about a year, so I figured it was a good time to return. A few weeks back I caught wind that the mermaids of Weeki Wachee would be 'performing' for a few weeks in December. DONE! We had company in town this morning, which I hated to tear my kids away from after lunch, but I knew they'd love it once we arrived. The mermaid 'show' had already started when we arrived, but we then found out another would happen an hour later. So we walked through one exhibit before heading back to the huge tank. The kids really got into the animals this time, asking about their names and what they ate. When the mermaids joined the fish and sharks in the tank, Maddux got all giddy. She couldn't take her eyes off of them! Eli asked me about their feet inside of the fins...I told him they had bones in there - no legs. He doubted me, but I kept a straight face and tried my best to convince him that mermaids were real. What fun is being a parent if you can't have fun at their expense some time, right?

We finally left several hours later. This was by far the best trip to the aquarium yet. Both Maddux and Eli got very into the exhibits and the animals. Both really enjoyed the penguins, especially when they got to peek their head through a glass 'pop-up' inside of the African Penguin area.

Merry Christmas

I totally meant to post this about a month ago and forgot. Yikes!! Please take a watch...it's how our family has grown to love to celebrate the holidays...wanna join us? :)

Big Brother

Eli is so cool. No really. He warms my heart a lot these days. He's become very cuddly and 'lovey', as of late, and he even includes his sister in that sometimes. There have been several weekend mornings that have found the two of them playing REALLY nicely; one in particular the day my parents were coming to town. Lehr and I were trying to get some last minute things done around the house and the kids played together, HAPPILY for over an hour before we had to intervene and help.

Recently Lehr pulled out a bike he'd purchased for Eli that wasn't needed. He and Eli put it together so Maddux could use it. When she woke up from her nap, I brought her outside to see what they'd been working on and Eli go so excited. "Congratulations!" he yelled at her when she saw the bike. Not sure where he got that, but it was so sweet and funny at the same time.

My favorite moment lately surrounded Maddux's holiday concert. It took place at noon on a school day. I didn't hype it up too much at home, but from the moment Eli heard about it, he wanted to go. I told him it would be during the school day; he insisted I come take him out of school so he could see his sister perform. Never before have we seen this type of love or loyalty from Eli.... I planned to follow through, pulling Eli out of school, until I found out that his class was making gingerbread houses on the same day at the same exact time as the concert. I was crushed, but I wanted to give him the choice. The gingerbread was a big deal too, and it was planned to be a neat class activity. When I first asked Eli, his face fell, but then he said, "Well, I'll just make another gingerbread house at home, Mommy." I almost cried when I realized what he was willing to skip in order to see Maddux. I really wanted him to have fun with his class though, so I told him to think on it for a few days, and I also reminded him that I'd videotape her concert. In the end he did choose the gingerbread activity, but what a heart on that kid!

Rudolph....Or Maybe An Elf...

Eli has gotten SO into the Christmas spirit this year. The day after Grandma and Grandpa left, Eli and Lehr were going outside to edge or play soccer or something. Lehr got sidetracked in the laundry room while Eli played in the driveway, waiting patiently. When Lehr emerged, Eli had constructed a wooden shape in the driveway with the leftover pieces of wood trim we had stacked up. He said, "Look, Daddy!!" Lehr wasn't quite sure what it was, so he asked. Eli told him it was a reindeer, and I have to say, he did a REALLY good job with no guidance! Lehr grabbed a few nails and stuck it together so we could use it as a decoration. A coat of brown paint later, we have Rudolph (whose name has since been changed to "Olive").

The next day we set up our tree and I got to work decorating it. This involves many many (MANY!) plastic totes full of decorations for the tree and house. Lehr just loves this. (Not so much.) Eli, however, fell right into it, helping me with everything and getting so excited each time a new decoration was unveiled. Decorating used to be my absolute favorite thing to do...maybe this little man can help me enjoy the process again too.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

On the last day of Grandma Cathie and Grandpa Jim's visit we took them to one of our favorite pizza spots: Antico. If you haven't been, you ARE missing out...it's delish, quick, and kid-friendly. It just happens to be down the street from the rental place I frequent for my favorite lens, and I just HAPPENED to be renting it that day for a few weekend shoots. Put the two together and you've got a grandparent photo shoot in the parking lot of the camera store. Although they were hesitant to 'pose' in a random, dingy parking lot, I think the end result was good. Eli and Maddux did a good job of coaching them through it, having gone through many a random, spur-of-the-moment photo shoots themselves.

Fa La La La La, La La, La, Laaaaaa

Maddux had a Christmas Program at her preschool today. She and the other three-year-olds sang (and did hand motions to) about eight songs. It was VERY entertaining, as one might guess. The most impressive thing was how well all of the kids did! No crying, no running off stage, no real 'stuff' in the middle of the program.... Maddux and the boy behind her were tickling a few times, but she managed to not cause a scene on stage this time, so it was all good. The clip is long; unless your a grandparent or me, you may get bored after the first 20 seconds.

2010 12 Maddux Christmas Program from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Girls Day Out

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Grandma Cathie visited us and I thought that would be the perfect opportunity for us to go get 'mani/pedis' with Maddux. She enjoyed them so much with Anni, and I knew GC would enjoy it as well. Unfortunately the day we planned to do that and then go to lunch, Maddux woke up fine, but quickly showed signs of being sick, the way she was a few times in the last year. She took a little longer to succumb to a hard nap this time, but when she woke up she eased back into the land of the living and we were still able to follow through with our plans. Maddux chose pink and purple alternating fingers and toes, and little white flowers on thumbs and big toes. She was in heaven and the women at the salon loved her.

Another Trip to the ER

Same child, third time. The first one didn't really count since she was only a month or two old, and it was ultimately nothing more than a false RSV scare, but the last two trips count for sure.

The morning started out fine; we all got up and got ready for church together. Lehr and I were both scheduled to work in the children's area which meant Lehr would be working in Maddux's class and I'd be right across the hall with the babies. We got set up, started receiving children and then I heard Maddux's 'hurt cry'. I stood up to see if I could see her across the hall. No such luck, but then I remembered that Lehr was in there with, so I returned to what I was doing. About a minute later Lehr appeared in the baby room door way, Maddux in hand, a compress against her head. He told me that he had to take her and go. Then he pulled back the compress and I saw a deeeeeep gash in the side of her face. (Apparently Maddux had been running circles in her classroom and hit the side of the chalk tray with her face.) I started to fumble for her insurance card and then we both realized that this would be a two-parent job. We attempted to spring Eli from his room, but one of our friends would have nothing of it; she insisted we leave him and she'd take over if we weren't back in time.

As fast as my heart was racing, Mad Dog was fine. Of course. She was in the backseat with Daddy, talking up a storm...not a care in the world. More importantly, not a hurt in the world. The hospital we took her to has a separate pediatric ER, so we got right in. The ER doctor on call saw us immediately. She assured us that the stitches she would use would be the same as a plastic surgeon...that any 'damage' would not be able to be determined until she was older, and that it should heal with no problems due to her age and the spot of the trauma.

So they cleaned it and applied a topical numbing agent that would take thirty minutes to work. "Beauty and the Beast" was popped into their DVD player, and Maddux was happy as could be. Lehr left at some point to get Eli. While he was gone they came in the stitch Maddie up. She laid very very still and didn't even flinch when they pulled out the needle. They were so impressed with her! Six stitches later they applied a band aid over top and handed her a blanket and a Popsicle. What a day!

Merry Christmas, Y'all

I get a chuckle EVERY time I watch this; seeing Lehr's facial expression as he's clappin' his hands and boot scootin' across the floor is just too much....

A Few Of My Favorite People

I did a REAL quick shoot with my parents and the kids outside of the place I rent my latest favorite lens. I know they thought I was nuts for shooting them in a parking lot, but they are by far the best pictures I have of them together.

All Grows Up

About 80% of the time, Lehr gets Eli on the bus in the morning. I'm not typically home in time to see him off, but I do make it back before Eli climbs aboard at least once/week. However, Lehr is always the one to get him dressed, fed, and ready for the day. In the last few months this has included Eli making his bed. Even though I see his bed made neatly each day, I always assumed it was more Lehr than Eli. Not so. Lehr has that boy making it all himself, and with great attention to detail. I watched Eli make the bed a few weeks ago, all on his own. It looks better than MY bed!!