Last Day in DC

We woke up to the forecasted rain. Not too much fun in a walking city with two small kids, but we knew is was coming, so we planned on an indoor activity. We walked to the train stop (getting minimally wet along the way) and rode the Metro to the Smithsonian. Although it took a while between breakfast, the train, and maneuvering the weather, we all arrived with plenty of time before naps. The kids REALLY enjoyed the first section we walked through: mammals. The large elephant, giraffe, and tiger especially impressed the kids. We walked through a few more sections, but none were as impressive to the kids. Maddie and Eli each enjoyed riding on Daddy's shoulders though. We brought the single BOB stroller with us, so at any one time, one child was walking or being carried. Given that it was so wet and we were trying to move fast, one kid was almost always on Lehr's shoulders today. At one point, Mad Dog was up there in the museum. All of the sudden Lehr asked me to check on her because she sounded like she was gagging. I looked up to see her with her whole fist in her mouth, face red. When she removed her fist, she had a small piece of plastic (a wrapper from something NOT ours) in her hand. And Lehr's head, her hand, and now my hand, had a small layer of vomit-smelling saliva. Nice. (Also, Maddie's cheek is now more black/purple, and she has a similar hue under her eye. That trip into the wooden corner a few days ago is really starting to show up now.)

A little before noon we grabbed a quick snack and then went into the 3-D theater for a movie about the oceans. The kids have never seen a movie before, let alone a 3-D, so we didn't know what to expect. Due to fatigue and general ants-in-the-pants, Maddux lasted only about 20 minutes. Eli really enjoyed it, however. He was so funny, reaching out in front of him to try and touch the fish. He kept telling me, "Mommy, that shark is going to getchu!!!" We made our way home and both kids collapsed.

After naps, we tried to find some good food, but had to settle for Five Guys (not my fave, obviously). We walked around a little in Chinatown, checking out the Ford Theater and a few other buildings of interest. To finish out the trip, we played ball right near the capital building, where Maddux could run with her balloon and chase the ducks. Eli had a blast hitting the ball with Daddy, and Maddux could not get enough of the steps. Up and down. Up and down. She loved that she could maneuver all of them without holding a hand, without a handrail, AND while holding the big balloon. Both kids had a great trip...

Day O' DC

We woke the kids up just before 9AM this morning so we could have lunch with some family before they had to drive home. Both kids ate their weight in breakfast before playing some basketball on the hotel court. We then drove about thirty minute into the city to our next hotel. We stopped for lunch first, eating on a grassy patch right in front of the White House lawn. Eli thought it was cool that he got to play baseball in Barack Obama's front yard. From there, we walked to the Washington Memorial so Eli and Maddux could get a closer look at 'the big stick'. (Sidenote: We saw a boy about Eli's age throwing a monumental fit because his mother would not buy him a bomb-pop. She never gave in. Even though people were staring. She rocked. Eli asked why the boy was crying and I told him it was because he wasn't obeying. Eli told me "He sss-ould. I don't want to hear him crying.")

After naps, we drove the kids to Georgetown where we found a cool little fish taco restaurant. Sweet potato fries, broccoli, corn and fish tacos filled our bellies before we drove back to the capital. This time we walked along the Reflection Pool up to the Lincoln Memorial. Eli loved running up the steps. And both kids had a blast running along the pool. We even saw a few ducks in the water. Life is good.

A few new things for Maddux. She's in her 'independent' stage. She does not want to hold hands when crossing the street, she does not want to be picked up when she's walking, and she does not like the word 'no'. And she'll let you know by screaming and sitting down on the ground when you try to move her. It is rather cute, however, to see Maddux clasp her hands together when you tell her it's time to grab someone's hand to cross the street. She thinks holding her own hand counts. Maddux is still very animated in her 'thank you' gratitude also. She will yell, "Tank Ou!!" to express her thankfulness. Also, she will repeat numbers one through ten pretty well. Most of the alphabet too.

Big Old Birthday Bash

The morning started with a bang. I ended up sleeping in the bed with Eli, next to Maddux's pack-n-play last night. Our room is a suite, so we have a couch room and a bedroom. (Lehr slept in the couch room.) At some point after sunrise, I heard Eli get out of bed and go to the couch room. He and Lehr conversed quietly and I drifted back to sleep. I later woke up when I heard Eli crying in the other room. That woke Maddie right up too, so I grabbed her and opened the door to see what had happened. I found Lehr holding Eli, dressed only in his nighttime pull-up. Apparently, Lehr had left the room to use the restroom down the hall, telling Eli to stay in the room. Well, Eli had to use the restroom too, so he exited the same door Lehr had, thinking it was the bathroom. Once you leave the room, the door locks behind you and Eli found himself on the outside. He wandered around for a few minutes, luckily finding himself outside Aunt Megan's hotel room a few doors down. She returned him to the room just as Lehr got back. That's when Maddie and I woke up. Scary times....

The morning was tough for the kids, but after naps we had a great evening. Eli and Maddux had lots of fun at Rachel's Bat Mitzvah. Eli totally latched onto K from the beginning and followed her around most of the night like a love-sick puppy. Not that she minded; she took good care of him. Maddie did a lot of dancing, some exploring, some flirting with strangers, and finally some entertaining of others with her 'cheers' techniques and other party tricks. Of course, it's 10:50pm and Maddie is still awake in the other room, talking to herself.

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

We got the kids up earlier than the sun this morning to catch an 8AM flight to Washington DC. Eli kept asking, "Why is it still dark outside?" At the last minute (literally, in the park-and-ride lot at the airport), we decided to use the rental car's car seats in DC instead of bringing our own. That certainly helped immediately with the amount of lugging we had to do, and it turned out to be an all-around smart decision. Another bonus in the early morning was getting moved right up to the front of the security line due to our stroller. And then, from the moment we boarded the plane, two or three flight attendants were more than helpful with food, beverage and all-inclusive help offers. That good luck followed us through the flight. Having only taken long flights out west, lasting over five hours each way, this 'short' 90-minute flight went really fast. The kids BOTH watched a DVD for most of the flight, only getting fussy after we landed and had to wait to exit the plane.

That's where the good times ended. We grabbed a rental car and decided to drive through downtown DC before naps. The kids were exhausted though, so many tears and melt-downs later, we arrived at the hotel. Of course, once we got the kids settled in their room, they decided they were past the point of no sleep. They've never slept in the same room before, so this new experience riled them both up. It took close to 45 minutes to get them down. We then loaded up the car to meet some family for dinner. Only the car wouldn't unlock, open it's trunk, or start. Great. And the rental car agency was offering little help. In fact, they suggested that WE pay to have someone come jump start it. A few hours later, the situation was rectified and the kids had a great dinner with their cousin Rachel and her friend, K. In fact, Eli took a real liking to K. He appeared to have a bit of a crush. The evening ended with Maddux falling cheek first into a wooden corner, leaving her face purple right away. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt...

BO's House

In preparation of our trip to DC this weekend, we've been talking to Eli about what/where Washington DC is. First he told us Uncle J lived there. We had to correct him, telling him that UJ lives in Washington the STATE, not Washington the....district? Then he got confused about the airplane, thinking we were flying to NOLA (where we'll be in a few weeks for Jazz Fest). Eli was disappointed when he realized that was not the trip we were planning for the next 24 hours. In an effort to cheer him up, Lehr explained to him that we would be in the same city as the President. Eli is very knowledgeable about Barack Obama; between the Spearhead song and school, he seems to know a lot. He keeps asking us, "When are we going to Barack Obama's house?" I told him we'd walk by it, but most likely, we would not see Obama because he would be inside working. Then he asked if we could touch the windows. Not unless you want secret service on your six, son....

Music To My Ears

Several weeks back, Eli had the pleasure of receiving a Sunday School lesson by the head of our church's kids' ministry. She had glowing words to say about my boy, much to my pleasant surprise. She told me that Eli was one of the most engaged and he answered all of the questions correctly during the lesson (despite being one of the youngest in the class). Apparently the lesson had to do with God's gifts and how many people do work for God. The teacher had put together a book containing pictures of our church staff. Eli was able to correctly identify all but two people (who he's never met) and tell what their 'job' was for God. He then told the class about what his Daddy does for God on Sunday mornings. Very sweet. Given the issues we've been having with Eli at his regular school as of late, this story made my whole week.

Good Times

Eli amazes me almost every week with his ability to share with and care for his sister. While kids so close together tend to be best friends and worst enemies, all at the same time, we honestly have not seen much of the latter between the two ankle-biters. Maddux would pretty much lay down her life for her older brother; she shares before he even asks her to. And if he gets hurt, she is the first to run over and pat him on the back or give him a hug. Eli doesn't always reciprocate though. He's not necessarily mean to her, but he doesn't share as freely as one would hope. When he complains about her not sharing (which means he has seen that she has a toy he wants and he's asked her for it once only to have her deny him), I remind him that the best way to teach someone how to share is to share with them. I think it's finally catching on because this week he has shared a lot more than normal. Not in big ways, but in small little, hard-to-see ways. Today was the best by far. Maddie and I picked Eli up from school and found out he'd had a class birthday party. One of the little girls turned four and brought in gift bags and cupcakes. (I was SO happy to find out that the gift bags included pencils, erasers, stickers, stamps, bouncy balls and balloons. NO candy. And Eli loved pulling each 'toy' out and learning what it was way more than he's enjoyed seeing a bunch of sugar in the bag.) As we drove home, Eli opened his bag and started passing out the gifts. He gave me the pencil so I could 'write stuff' and he handed Maddux the kitty cat eraser. I didn't ask him to do this (I actually though he was entitled to the goodies)....he did it all on his own and BEFORE he picked out the things he'd keep. Maddux's face lit up like I've never seen it when he handed her that eraser. It was so precious. She immediately said, "Pank-ou!!"

Maddux received her own toy electric guitar this week. It is pink and white and plays "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Eli loves it. Of course. Especially since his guitar has a corroded battery 'area' and does not play music any more. Maddux has been more than generous with her new guitar and Eli has eaten up every moment of it. I remind him constantly that it is hers and until today, he's been pretty good about acknowledging that. However, before naps he got a bit high and mighty and refused to allow Maddux a turn on the guitar (HER guitar). I told him he was not allowed to use it for the rest of the day as a consequence. Before bed we were doing our usual song and dance routine and Eli asked to play with the guitar. Of course Maddux moved to get it for him, but I reminded him he had lost his privileges. We talked about sharing and how it's important to have a sharing heart. A few minutes later, he offered Maddux his guitar (a less superior one, but his guitar all the same). Even though he knew he wasn't going to be able to use hers, he still shared. And Maddie immediately started to hand him her guitar. I made sure Eli was aware that his act of sharing had caused her to want to share too. Warm and fuzzy feelings followed for everyone. Group hug.

Happy Easter!

The kids had a great time this morning, hunting Easter Eggs at church. They each had a basket waiting for them when they woke up this morning...no candy of course. Bubbles, windmills, eggs with fruit chews and puzzles were inside.

Dying Easter Eggs

No frills this year, but we did dye a dozen eggs with the kids. They were both pretty excited, but Eli definitely had more patience with the process than Maddux. (I realized after we started what a kid-friendly activity this ISN'T. You put the egg in dye and wait, then take it out and wait for it to dry....lots and lots of waiting around.) Eli got into picking the colors and assisting with the drop in and retrieval process. Maddie mostly just wanted to look into the cups of dye to 'seeeeee'. Eli was really excited to pick out which color eggs he and Maddux would eat tomorrow morning for breakfast too. He told me, "I'm gonna eat green like green eggs and ham."

Dress-Up Doll

That's my girl. I never felt I needed to have a girl because I wasn't really into the dress-up thing. God obviously knew that I might not accessorize my baby enough, so he gave me a girl who knows how to accessorize herself. She loves to play with the trains, and getting dirty is one of her favorite past-times. But she always has her beads on. 27/7. All of the time. Maddux is well-known around church and a few playgroups as 'the girl with the beads'. She finds them around the house and piles them around her neck. Then she plays baseball. Or pushes trains and makes bear noises. Maddie's dress-up is not limited to beads, however. She still loves to wear her tutu, and most recently she's taken to trying on Eli's clothes. When Grandma Cathie got Eli a new shirt (he calls it his 'Daddy work shirt') and tie for Easter, Maddie was quick to try it on herself.

Maddux is talking up a storm. She repeats almost everything she says, though it's not always easy to comprehend. And she rarely signs because of her increasing vocabulary. My favorite new Mad Dog phrases are "Thank you" and "I love you". Though when she talks, it sounds like, "Tank-Ou!!!" and "I of ouuu." Both said very fast. Video will follow soon.

Wild Weekend

Saturday mornings are always filled with soccer now. This one was the same. Eli and Lehr went to church for a few hours before hand (the game didn't start until 11AM) and Maddux and I stayed at home to clean. She helps very well while I'm vacuuming and dusting; I think she'll really come in handy in a few years! She also got really funny and goofy when I pulled the camera out. Lehr said Eli was equally as helpful at the church. He aided in taking down a huge structure that needed to be removed, and he kept asking how he could help.

The girls met the boys at soccer a few hours later, just in time for Eli to see his best bud from school finish his game. The two posed and played for a few minutes before Eli's team circled up to play. Then more people came to watch. And more.... Before we knew it, four or five separate families we knew had come to watch for various reasons. Eli was completely distracted! He still held his own until the end, but it was crazy. Maddux ran around and kept everyone busy and entertained, of course. I think she got herself more burned out than the players.

Saturday night marked the arrival of Grandma Cathie and Grandpa Jim. The kids were SO excited to see them....lots of running around and laughing followed. Even after we put them down for a late bedtime at 9PM, they were both in their rooms, talking and giggling until at least 10PM.

Lehr and I had to work at church on Sunday, so we left the kids at home with the spoilers, I mean, Grandparents. They went to breakfast and then home to play, apparently. It was just about nap time when we arrived....for everyone. That night we planned to grill out and walk up the street for ice cream. Weather prevented the outside activities, so we drove up instead. Eli milked his cone, which prevented him from finishing it when the strong storms came through. Maddux, on the other hand, ate her dish, some of Grandma Cathie's cone, and a bite of everyone elses. Life is good.

Easter Egg Hunts Galore

An action packed day, for sure. To start, Eli had an Easter party and Easter egg hunt at school this morning. The children got to look on the playground for eggs before going back to their classroom to investigate the contents inside of each colorful vessel. I was pleasantly surprised to find several of the eggs containing cereal mix or little cotton ball chicks or small toys instead of candy. Thank you, parents!!

After naps, D came over just before Daddy arrived home early for work. Our annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt takes place in our cul-de-sac and our yard, so we had to be up and ready to go by 3:30. Maddux and Eli had a blast in the jump-castle until some of the older kids got there. As rough and tough as Maddie is, it got too crazy and too crowded and she was not happy. Both kids really got into the hunt itself; Eli picked out only sports-themed eggs, of course. Eli got to decorate (and eat) a cookie...he was extra happy about that. Sprinkles for days..... The Easter Bunny made a visit and intrigued Maddie big time. She followed him (her?) around, but refused to get closer than 5-feet or so.

Once the festivities were over, Lehr and I headed out for a date and D stayed with the kids. He ended up taking them on a date also: The Flying Biscuit. D said the kids were very well behaved, but Eli did try to pull a few things over on him around bedtime. Lucky for us, D is pretty smart and caught on rather quickly.

Maddux Update

Maddux. Maddie, Maddie, Maddie. She is quite the little lady these days. She's going on two, but she acts more like she's going on 13. She has the full independent 'tude, and she is also learning to play up the drama a bit. On the other hand, she is so sweet and she loves to take care of people. We had friends over the other day and Maddux got to play with a 'baby' for the first time in a while. Maddie was in LOVE with baby Cooper. She rocked him (rather vigorously), she brought him toys, and she tried to pat his head several times. (Supervision is definitely necessary when Maddux is around small children.) Then, during lunch, she put on a FULL show of her acting skills when I asked her to show her self control before being excused. This is something the kids must do before they leave the table for every meal, but the way Maddie acted, you'd think she'd never heard of such torture. She cried, she said 'no', she pulled out the tears. And then she dried them up and pointed to her eyes, saying 'eyes' and smiling really big. "See how cute I am?" she asked me with her grin. We all know how this ends: Mommy won, but not without a battle first.

Last night the kids were ready for bed, so I asked Maddux to give her brother a kiss and hug and then head to her room. Eli was rolling on the ground, so Maddie went over to him and stooped down, trying to get some face-to-face before planting one on him real nicely. She LOVES her big brother.

Bathtime is swim practice for Maddux. She now likes to lie back and swish her hair in the water to wet it before washing each night. But she's too small to lie flat on the bath 'floor', so she is floating. And she loves it. And sometimes a little water gets over her eyes and disorients her, so she flops around like a goldfish dropped on the pet store floor. But she never complains.

Finally, Maddie is a future stunt-woman. She jumps off of everything she can climb, she runs down the driveway with her hands behind her back, and she causes herself to almost fall down the stairs every day. (No joke...she does it on purpose.) One thing I've noticed in the last few days: Maddux can jump up and down with both feet at the same time. I think Eli only mastered that last month.....

Kamikaze

Maddux is a Kamikaze. If you haven't seen her play, in her element, buckle your seat belt before you do. She tends to be a bit insane. She's a dare-devil and a risk taker. And I love it. She gets hurt, but it usually more out of frustration that she cries and less out of pain. This girl knocks her head on the table or the ground or something else hard daily and rarely flinches. But if she keeps falling when she's trying to run, or if she consistently overturns her bike when she's trying to ride, tears will come. Or at least some verbal complaining.

While I got baths and PJs ready the other night, the kids drove down the driveway on their highly unstable plastic vehicles. Since Maddie's accident last fall, we always put a helmet on her when a hill is involved. Watch as she navigates the driveway, hunching her shoulders the whole time. (Disclaimer: This video is a display of Maddux's fearless attitude, but not much in the risk department. This would be a tame day for my girl.)

2009 03 30 Maddux driveway from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Too Much

You know you spend too much time working (even if it's at home) when your kids recite 'work terms' back to you. We have a cheer at bootcamp that talks about "OBC" @ "TMP" (Operation Bootcamp @ Terrell Mill Park). Today Eli was singing his ABC's and he said, "...Q, R, S, T, M P, W, X...."

All Too Eager

Maddux really REALLY loves the bath. She usually cannot wait to climb in. Sometimes she gets overly excited and starts to climb in before we take off her socks or her diaper. The other day, I started the tub and then went into the other room to find her. Eli and Daddy were coming up the stairs, and the last time I'd seen Maddux, she was reading in her room. Well, she's obviously moved because as I left the bathroom, she wasn't there. So I checked the other two rooms upstairs with the same result. All of the sudden I heard Eli giggling in the bathroom. Maddux had somehow snuck by me in my search for her and helped herself to the bath I was preparing. Fully clothed. She didn't accidentally fall in either, because her hair wasn't wet. She got in carefully and deliberately. The last time she did this, it was more of a shock to her. This time she would have played in there all night if I'd let her.

Reverse!

And just like that, today we had an awesome day. I had a few conversations with Eli before school about what he was to do when he arrived at school today. He knew he needed to apologize to the little girl he kicked and ask for her forgiveness. When his teacher got him from my car this morning, I filled her in on the details, so she knew to watch for his fulfillment of the apology process. When Maddie and I picked him up, we were told he had a GREAT day. Music to my ears. Eli told me exactly what he told the little girl (it was just as rehearsed) and then he told me that she said, "I forgive you" after he asked for her forgiveness. Awesome. The kids played really well while I made lunch. Since we've had 427 inches of rain in the last two days, the back yard was filled with puddles. And it was still raining. Eli begged me to let him put on his rain boots and play in the rain. I couldn't see why not, so I dressed both kids and sent them out, watching through the kitchen window while I made soup and sandwiches. They had a blast. It was SO wet and soppy out there, and they couldn't get enough of it. They played really well and never fought at all. They came when I called them and I changed them into clean, dry clothes. Even Eli's underwear was wet - crazy!

After dinner, Lehr transformed a huge (HUGE) cardboard box into a mini house for the kids. They loved it and Eli even added a stove to his 'kitchen' inside.

Quite The Celebration

Yesterday was my birthday, and Eli got really into it. Tuesday night while I was out, Lehr had the kids paint birthday cards for me. He even had it all cleaned up by the time I got home, so I didn't suspect a thing! Of course Maddux tasted the paint a few times, and paint went a lot of places it shouldn't have, but the final product was precious. When Maddie gave me the one she made, she pointed to the front (where Lehr had written words) and said, "Daddy!"

Eli woke up and stumbled out of his room to the bathroom, eyes barely open, as he does every morning. But when he saw me, he immediately said, "Happy Birf-day, Mommy!!" He said it several more times throughout the morning, and he even incorporated the word 'birthday' into his breakfast prayer. (It didn't make a lot of sense, but the sentiment was very sweet.) Then after school, Eli and Maddux played in the back porch while I made lunch. Eli asked for the chalk so they could draw me a birthday picture. (Maddux sampled the chalk also.)

One of the best surprises came just before dinner. Lehr took Eli back out as soon as he returned home, running a quick errand. When they returned, Eli came upstairs and handed me a bouquet of yellow flowers. "HAPPY BIRF-DAY, MOMMY!! I got you dees dandelions!" They weren't dandelions, but he thought they were when he picked them out. Lehr said he talked about getting me flowers for days leading up to Wednesday. It was all Eli's plan.

The Note

It was planned to be a good day. It is my birthday so Lehr arranged a surprise baby-sitter for me all day. Eli had school for 3 hours, and Maddie and I planned to go to see my PCP while he was gone. Never a fun task, taking a 20-month old to a non-kid doctor's office. I was quite happy at the thought of asking questions and receiving information without having to chase after and entertain a child at the same time. After I picked Eli up, I was planning to visit with and photograph a brand new friend (4-days brand new!!). Once Lehr returned home, I was told the four of us had dinner reservations. These events still happened, but the mood was dampened by "The Note".

Eli was placed in my car with his bag, as usual, by a teacher other than his own. On the drive home, I went through his bag at the stoplights, looking over art work and reading any flyers from his school. There was a handwritten note from his teacher today. And not a complimentary one. I was informed that Eli has been a bit more 'physical' and 'active' with his classmates as of late. She then wrote that he had taken it as far as to kick (yes, K.I.C.K.) a child in his class. To make matters worse, instead of apologizing, he laughed. This is NOT the Eli I see at home. He is definitely a fan of wrestling and tackling, but it's all been done in fun. And the little bit of hitting issues we've had with Maddux have never been bad, nor recent.

I pulled the car over as soon as I read the note. I looked at Eli very seriously and told him he needed to start talking... He was immediately remorseful and seemingly ashamed. He knew exactly why I pulled the car to the side of the road. Eli told me who he kicked and we talked about how that made her feel. We had a good five minute conversation about why we don't do that (even if we're just playing around), and we went over again (and again) that it is VITAL to apologize if/when this situation presents itself.

At this point, I'm shocked. Not that he did this, because he is three and he is a boy and he is physical by nature. I'm shocked that it's escalated to him receiving multiple time outs at school. I'm shocked that he actually kicked someone (even though he assures me it wasn't because he was mad). I'm shocked that he didn't apologize. Mostly it made me sad all day. Part of it is the natural parental guilt/fear that I've done something wrong along the way for him to think that it is in any way OK to kick someone. The other part is that he obviously does not have the empathy at this point to put himself in his 'victim's' shoes. Yikes...too deep for a late birthday post. Good night!

Whirlwind Weekend

Yet another one!! Friday night we had dinner with our small group. The kids played much better than they did last time, though Maddux was especially tired due to the week's activities. Both Maddux and Eli ate a record-breaking amount tonight. They are hungry, growing kids, but tonight they ate two meals, and big ones at that! Before we left the house I gave them some yogurt, crackers and fruit. Then they had chicken sausage, apples, and sweet potatoes at our group dinner. Eli ate two sausages with a bun (each sausage was cut in half, but still rather large), then another full sausage without any buns (I cut him off). I don't know how his stomach didn't explode!!

Saturday was soccer day. Eli's team had pictures before the game, so we arrived rather early. The excitement started when he saw his best bud from school, Sanjit. Then we realized that the boys' teams were playing each other today. Laugh, run, play, chase. Once out on the field, Sanjit's team was short two players, so Eli switched jerseys and played with his friend. Everyone had a blast and Eli got a great goal at the beginning of the game, dribbling the ball all of the way down the field before shooting it into the open goal.

Our church had free (FREE) childcare for a few hours Saturday night, so we went to a nearby dinner with another couple while Maddie and Eli played with friends. When we came to pick them up, Eli didn't want to leave because he was having so much fun. I assured him we would come back to church on Sunday so he could enjoy himself again.

To wrap up, after church, lunch, naps, and some yard work, we went to dinner with D tonight. The place we picked had the biggest pizzas we've ever seen. Somehow we managed to put a huge dent in this pie; Eli and Maddux were key in that.

Lady Ma-Da?

It's too much. Too cute. I seriously cannot stand it! Maddux and Eli were very intrigued by a green wig I bought for Boot Camp last week. They each tried it on in front of the mirror the day I opened it, but they refused to put it on after that day. I just so happened to catch a few seconds of Maddie in the wig on video that afternoon. When I played the video for her today, she laughed hysterically. Then she pointed to the wig (still next to the computer because I was holding out hope one or both would eventually give in and I could get some pictures) and said 'peeeeee-sss'. (Please) I put it on her and she got all giggly. Then she kept it on for 15 minutes while she played, read books, and danced. Once or twice it fell off and she immediately came over to me and asked that I return it to her head. Having worn the wig myself, I know the fake hair is a bit itchy around the face. That didn't seem to bother Lady Ma-Da at all...she is going to be my dress up girl!!

Calling All My Single Ladies....

Maddux loves to dance, but she especially loves to dance when "Single Ladies" is played. Here is a short clip of Mad Dog cutting a rug when the first few bars are played. Keep in mind that by the time I pull the camera out, we've usually listened to and danced to the song once or twice already, so the video is pretty tame for her.

2009 03 Maddie dancing to some single ladies from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Just Another Monday

Despite a difficult weekend full of lots and lots of activities and whining, the kids had a great morning. Eli had school, but before school he and Maddie played pretty well. School time was spent playing toys (Maddux and I), which was pretty fun for both of us. And once I picked Eli up, he was really, really nice to his sister. We are having some table manner/food issues with Maddux now, so a lot of reminders come in to play during meals. Eli is learning to not tattle on his sister, but instead help her to obey because he doesn't want her to get into trouble. He gently told her to 'not pway wiff food' during lunch. Then he told me that he didn't want her to get into trouble, that's why he told her that. As soon as he finished his lunch, Eli asked if he could go outside and play basketball with Maddie. I told him he could, but he'd have to ask her if she wanted to play also. He asked her and, of course, she nodded 'yes'. They weren't outside for three minutes before she cried about something (she is very fragile these days...teeth, almost two...who knows the reason). Eli immediately asked, "You ok, Maddie?" Be still, my heart.

Sing, Sing A Song

Eli's class was spotlighted in this month's chapel meeting at his school. The 3 and 4-year olds attend chapel once a month and they rotate which class will sing each time. Eli was practicing last night, but he wouldn't give us a sneak-peak. As soon as he realized I was listening to him sing, he grinned and stopped. Today's concert was better than the Christmas one (where Eli did some really weird lip-synching); here is a short video of it:

2009 03 Eli sings at school from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Tuesday Re-Cap

Eli had soccer practice this afternoon. Last week was SO cold that Maddie and I had to bail on the last ten minutes or so; we camped out in the car due to the low temps. This week was the opposite; it was so warm that both kids had on light t-shirts and shorts! As always, Eli had a blast kicking around the ball with his friends and team-mates. Maddux really stepped up her game though. She is getting quite good at dribbling the soccer ball! I am so excited for next spring or fall when she is old enough to play! She stayed with the team for most of the practice, participating when she could.

Maddux has improved some other skills as well. Mainly her dramatics. She will sit in her crib and 'cry', but the second you come in to her room, she turns it off (no tears) and gives a big smile. It's easy to spot her fake cry: no tears and she gives a silly little eye-pout that is very different from her real cry.

I took the kids to the Botanical Gardens today. I tried a first: no stroller. Neither child needs the stroller at this time, but keeping track to two children (especially two that have strong wills if they decide to disobey) can be scary at times. That being said, I am getting tired of having to push a stroller everywhere and keep track of it when the kids are not physically inside of it (like I usually do at the Gardens). I'm happy to report they did great! I had to carry Maddie once or twice because she refused to walk the right way with us, but for the most part she obeyed. And they both had an absolute blast at the playground part of the Children's Gardens. It consists of a slide and tree house only, but the slide kept them both pretty busy. At one point there was another little boy there close to Eli's age. His grand-parents told me he has a baby sister Maddie's age at home. The three of them slid down, ran up the stairs, slid down, ran up the stairs, slid down for a L O N G time. I'm surprised neither of my kids fell asleep on the way home! Since I had no stroller, I also had no camera - no pictures to show our good time.

Soccer Video

Here are a few minutes captured from Eli's soccer game yesterday (He's white, #2):


Eli's First Soccer Game from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Non-Stop

That's what today was.... Last night we had the kids (and us) out late at a church retreat. Bedtime was after 10PM. Since Eli had his first soccer game at 9 this morning, the kids had to be woken up before 8. No grouchiness yet, but it was only a matter of time given what the day held for them. We arrived at the field and moments later Tyler showed up. The two boys changed into their new soccer uniforms (jerseys and shorts - both HUGE on the kids) and started kicking around the soccer ball. They take their soccer player status so seriously!! Of course, Maddie followed them around, kicking a ball also. That little girl is going to be good when she finally starts playing. Once the game started, Eli shifted into focus mode. He got very serious and intense about watching where the ball went and following it all of the time. He made a goal (unassisted by coaches) sometime in the first half... I ran down the field with my camera, but only got a shot of him throwing his hands up to celebrate. Sometime in the second half, Eli's friend Logan showed up to cheer on the game. (Logan plays also and his game was right after ours.) Then Noah, another friend, showed up also! Each time, Eli and Tyler got so excited to see their best buds on the sidelines. (The four boys are a bit of a chummy group.) The game ended and the four boys played together, chasing the soccer ball around the field. Eli let Noah wear his other jersey and they all pretended to be in a soccer game. Maddie ran around, chasing Noah. (He appears to be her favorite.)

From there, we packed up the soccer gear and drove to a nearby park to meet Tyler (and eventually the other boys) to play some more sports. Baseball was on the agenda first, which both Eli and Maddux were happy about. It was approaching noon though, and fatigue was setting in. Not long into the game, something set Eli off and he started crying and pushed his sister. Time out. He wailed and wailed and wailed. Only about five more minutes of game was played before we had to (once again) scoop up the kids and move to our next destination. Lunch. We had a pub run (5K-ish walk) to attend with friends at 2PM. We met them for lunch first at a nearby sandwich shop. The kids fell asleep immediately after lunch as we drove to the start of the race. They woke up as we pulled into the parking lot, just in time to see some their friends loading into their wagon. We had the double BOB, so there was some jockeying for seats: both in the stroller and wagon, but eventually we got settled. Maddux rode in the stroller for the entire trip, but the boys alternated stroller, wagon, and walking/running. It was a beautiful day, so despite how long it took us to walk, no one complained about being outside for so long.

When we got back to the pub, we went inside to partake of the free food and drink. The kids ate up all of the snacks brought by the other family, plus some free food. And then right before we were about to go (the tired eyes were once again showing on the kids), Maddux fell and hit her head on a table. Then the floor. It was actually a very good thing she hit the table first. Had she not, she would have landed (head first) on the floor only, causing major pain from falling so far down.

The kids fell asleep again on the way home. By now it was 5PM and only two hours from bedtime. Since tonight is daylight savings, we intended to put them to bed an hour earlier....a good plan given the day they had anyway! Eli wanted to change back into his soccer gear as soon as we got home to play some more. He takes such pride in that soccer jersey! Maddux was miserable, crying when she and I played with some bubbles outside. She cried when she tried to blow the bubbles. She cried when I blew the bubbles. She cried when no one blew the bubbles. Misery! A quick dinner and bath later, they were in bed and asleep. What a day!

MAH-MEEE!

Maddux has finally figured out that my name is not "Ma", but "Mommy". And she knows how to say it. When she does, it comes out, "Mahhhh-meeeee", and I love it! I was working on the computer before the kids got up this morning and I heard someone calling me. ("Mommy. Mommy.") I got up and walked towards Eli's room, convinced it was him. Then I heard it get louder as I passed Maddie's door. I walked into her room to see her sitting in her crib, legs dangling through the bars, smiling and saying, "Mah-mee!! Mah-mee!!" What a great way to start our day!! Though I don't mind the way the day usually starts: I enter Maddie's room and she asks, "E-i??" if he's not with me. That girl loves her brother!!

Other words she can say quite well (for a 20-month old anyway) now:
- Amen (Ah-mee)
- Lights ('ights)
- Bye-bye
- Bubbles (Bah-bulls)
- Duck (DAHK!!! - it is ALWAYS yelled)
- No (Some things never change!)

Brotherly Love

More often than not (though not exclusively), Eli and Maddux show love towards one another these days. I am still working with Eli on helping his sister 'in good works' (AKA - not tattling), but I really can't complain yet. They are two peas in a pod.

Today I got lunch ready while the kids went onto the back deck to play. Eli pulled his Hawks basketball from the garage to bring out with him. As soon as the two got outside, Eli went straight to the yard to find the other basketball for Maddux. Only after he gave the ball to his sister did he start to play. I must mention that in no way did I prompt him to seek a toy for her. Maybe some of that preaching about 'love your sister' and 'treat others as you want to be treated' is starting to rub off!!

One other area which Eli really excels is encouragement. He is so positive when trying to teach Maddux new things. This comes up daily when we practice self-control after meals. I usually have to tell Maddie, "Look at your brother....put your hands in self-control like Eli." Eli usually then makes eye contact with her and gently encourages her to fold her hands. Yesterday he also complimented her on eating neatly. He told her, "Maddie...look at how clean you stayed! YAY!"

A Weekend of Cold

Saturday night the whole family went out to dinner. I had a lot of plans last week that kept me from family time, so we decided Saturday night would be just the four of us. We went to a fun restaurant and then to a frozen yogurt place next door. This yogurt was a little different; no sugar, just plain yogurt 'whipped'. The kids loved it all the same, especially because we put a bunch of berries on top. About three bites in, Eli experienced his first 'brain freeze'. He did NOT like that. He grabbed his forehead and said, "Why I have a head-ick?" We explained that he had to take smaller bites to avoid the freeze....he learned pretty quickly.

Today we received our first real snowfall of the season. Given that it is now March, it will most likely be our last too. After church we ate lunch with our small group. The snow was too wet to allow the kids outside to play in it, but they did enjoy watching through the big windows while we ate. As soon as Lehr and the kids got home (I was MIA, again), they put on boots and coats and mittens and hats. One snowman, many snowballs, and four pair of wet mittens later, they came inside to nap. Lehr said Maddie's fingers were blue when he took the gloves off. He had no idea because she was so happy to be outside!

Pretty Much The Best Day Ever

The kids woke up in the BEST mood. Eli started off sharing and cooperating from the first few minutes of this morning. We all went downstairs after getting dressed and the kids played while I made breakfast. Instead of the standard argument over toys (Maddux taking and Eli complaining), Eli came into the kitchen and asked, SO sweetly, "Max, wanna pway cooking wiff me?" Then he took her hand and tried to help her come with him. The day continued that way. Lots of sharing, lots of sweetness, lots of obeying. At one point, Eli found a bouncy ball and started tossing it around downstairs. Then I heard him say, "Go get it, doggy!" I looked over to see Maddux running after the ball. I was tempted to stop him, since I don't want him to treat anyone like a dog. But he was being so sweet, and knowing Eli's love for the four-legged animals, I knew this was not a put-down in any way. The two played that game for quite a while. I wish I had some video tape of Maddux chasing the ball. It was really quite comical and her expression was exactly that of a dog waiting for her owner to toss a ball.

After naps, we played a little before Lehr got home. At one point Eli asked to go downstairs to play with his trains. I told him he could and Maddie and I stayed upstairs and read. Ten minutes later we went down to join him. Eli had built a great big train track, all by himself. Maddie ran over to it and started to play immediately. This scenario ALWAYS brings about loud, whiny protests from Eli, but he sat back and said, "Pweese be gentle, Maddie." That was it. (Can I just say, "WOW!!")

When Lehr got home, Eli and I left for our monthly date night. I decided to take him for sushi since he's recently figured out how to use chop sticks. (At least some of the time.) We had edamame, ebi (shrimp sushi), and chicken teriyaki. Eli used his chop sticks 97% of the time and even mastered picking up plain rice with them! He told me, "Look, Mommy! I not squeezing it too hard!" He tried a tiny bit of wasabi, but vetoed it immediately. The same thing with ginger. After our dinner, I had a few errands to run. One of those was going to Michael's for a particular sticker. Eli found some food stickers he wanted to get for Maddux, so I let him. He also picked out some pizza stickers for himself. When we were driving home he told me, "I gonna give deez to Maddie and let her have dem. She can rip them, or fold them, or do whatever she wants, cuz they're for her." That was cool to hear because usually Eli is the typical first-born, control-freak big brother that tells Maddux what to do and not do with her toys. We came home and he gave her the stickers. She immediately brought her hand to her mouth, thanking him in sign language. Life is good.