Ditch The City

Not quite the fun it was last year, unfortunately...

Eli seemed to be excited for this race; he was to run the kids' version of the trail race with obstacles that I signed up for. And Maddux was excited to come cheer us along, for the last time (next year she'll be old enough to participate). Eli talked about the race, excitedly, last night, and he seemed eager in the car on the way over. Once we arrived and got our numbers, he was even leading the stretches and warm-up runs for the family. He still wanted me to run with him (when the kids ran), but he in no way appeared to not look forward to the race. We started and he ran pretty well, moving to the back of the pack early. We were still holding our own though, running and going through pipes and over hay barrels. When we got to the other side of the lake, however, he wasn't as excited. The kids had to walk/run through the water just on the shore of the lake, and then walk through inner tubes in the water. I'm sure it was fear, but Eli turned very sour and angry. I tried to help by letting him know that he would be better off putting his feet in the water (inside of the tubes) because he would most likely slip if he stepped on the tube (and avoided the water). It didn't help: Eli tried to step on a tube and ended up sitting inside of one, getting a little wet and muddy. That was it - he was done.

Eli's been struggling with anger and 'fits' lately, and they are way worse when he's tired. Add to that his fatigue factor for the last week (probably still fighting off whatever virus had him on Sunday and Monday), and this morning's mood should have been expected. He didn't really finish the race because he cried a bit and whined a lot the rest of the course. Maddux was a rockstar and ran the rest of the way back with me; she will own that course next year. (On a sidenote: I LOVED the course this year and had my best race in recent memory. It felt good and I was rewarded with a 3rd Place in age-group finish.)

Eli turned it around and was pleasant during and after my race, and he fell asleep almost instantly when we got back into the car (around 11AM). The kid has some serious growing pain stuff going on!

First Lost Tooth!

Sometime towards the end of summer vacation, the kids and I were at the pool practicing kick-turns when Eli, somewhat nicely, complained that Maddux had kicked his mouth underwater and that his tooth now hurt. Nothing appeared to be wrong that day, but a few days later we noticed it was a little loose.

Since then, Eli has played with that tooth non-stop, and yesterday it was full-fledged 'fleeing'. He could bend it all of the way down. I didn't see it yesterday when he showed me that trick, but today, when he got off of the school bus, Eli was missing a tooth, but he'd gained two new ones popping through behind the baby teeth. His bottom front two adult teeth both seemed to have broken through overnight, and with that, they pushed the loose one out.

Eli tells us it happened as he was running on the track at school (they run for 10 minutes each morning). He didn't even notice it fall out, so it is lost somewhere on the track. In my book that meant no trip from the Tooth Fairy (especially because he never even brought that up), but what it did mean was a special trip to a local, fru-fru cupcake shop for a special after school snack to celebrate. Eli is already working on the other front tooth...

Boosterthon 2011

On Thursday, Eli and his classmates (and the whole school) participated in their biggest fundraiser: Boosterthon. For a week leading up to the event, the students were asked to request pledges from friends and family; this year the money is intended to help build a S.T.E.M. lab at the school (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Eli got a decent amount of pledges and even ran a few times at home to 'train'. He was very excited to run his full 35 laps. Last year he ran the whole time, only pausing briefly to grab water a few times. Even when they had the 'stroll lap', he ran through it.

This year it was hot. Even at 8:15AM, the humidity had all of the parents and families sweating on the sidelines. The poor kids were hot and sweaty after the warm-up, but they were great sports and lasted the full 45 minutes. Eli ran so fast...I think it was a game for him to run fast each time he saw Maddux and I, rather than stop and give us a high-five. He did slow down once to tell us, "Maddux can go play on my play-ground if she wants." That was unexpected, but still awesome. After the event, we were allowed to walk one lap with our students; Eli even held Maddux's hand for a few seconds. The remainder of the day, I had Eli stretch his legs and calves every hour or so. Last year the kid was so sore that he could barely make it up the driveway the next day. He learned the hard way that not training and then running for 35-40 minutes straight requires some maintenance :)

Book Worm

I know there are many first graders who read faster and 'better' than Eli, but he's come a long way, even in the last few summer months. Each day he reads to me for at least 10 minutes, and then I read to him. The words he needs help on are becoming fewer and farther in between, and I rarely have to help him twice with the same word. Love that boy!

Suffocated By Sweetness

Wow. Two days in one week. Not sure I can handle all of this obedience and niceness. I don't think the kids realize that by showing me they *can* act this way, they are raising my expectations for them...

Maddux and I ran to Harry's this afternoon for a few groceries. They have a small wagon near the exit for kids; they get to choose one treat from it on their way out. Usually there are juice boxes, fruit bars, organic gummies and organic lollipops in there. In the past, if they've behaved well in the store, I've let the kids pick anything but the lollipops for their lunchboxes. When Maddux and I finished today, she put her little cart away and stopped by the wagon, just as I told her she could. When she came back to me, she held up two lollipops. "Mommy, I got one for Eli too cuz I know he would really want one." How can I argue with that logic? Especially because I hadn't mentioned Eli at all. That girl's heart is big.

On to Eli... I went to his school today to get some work done for his teacher. I got there much earlier than planned and finished everything a full 40 minutes before Eli's lunch period. Even though I'd told Eli that I would try to be there at lunch with him, I just couldn't justify staying with the to-do list waiting for me at home. I wavered back and forth several times because I knew it would be the only day this week I could eat with him, but in the end I left.

When Eli got off of the bus he was in a great mood. Maddux ran ahead with her friend, Virginia, and Eli and I chatted about his day. I stopped suddenly and looked him in the eye as I apologized for missing lunch with him. I explained and he said it was OK. Then he told me, "You know what mom? I was drinking my milk as I was watching for you and I drank so long that I finished the whole thing." THEN he told me, I didn't even eat my brownie until the very end because I was saving it for you. I knew you'd want something special to eat when you came to my lunch table." The sweetness of that boy's heart when he stops guarding it is enough to take my breath away. I hugged my little man right there in the middle of the street. I cannot wait to have lunch with him next week!

Day of Greatness

I know I'm jinxing it, but I have to record the awesomeness that was today.

We've had some struggles with Eli again. Bad struggles. The good news is they are isolated incidents; they don't last for days on end, or even a whole day at a time. However, they are severe and difficult to work through. He has such an explosive anger/frustration if he's tired. At all. We are working as best we can to love him through these while still maintaining our rules and expectations for how we expect to be treated. Sigh.

Today was amazing. Seriously amazing. As a Monday, we are back in school, so after school can be a struggle due to the surprise fatigue, but Eli rose above. He had a great morning with Lehr (even though they woke up late), and he came off of the bus very happy. Once home, there were a few things I asked him to do (reading and thank you notes), and I got nothing but obedience. Amazing. Then we had a short room time during which I had to tell Eli 'no' a few times. (He lost some privileges during his outburst on Saturday and he wanted those privileges back.) I couldn't believe it, but he accepted my 'no' and moved on. Shock. Awe.

Around 4PM we came downstairs to do some thank you's and then play. Eli worked quickly and Maddux did some 'work' at the same time. (She loves to work on letters or numbers when he's working!) Eli was incredibly complimentary and encouraging to Maddux. He praised her letters and even showed her how to do a few things. ALL without any prompting from me. Wow.

Maddux does not have school on Monday, so it's usually a fun day for us. However, we had two lengthy errands to run, including one trip to the mall (which we have seriously maybe visited three times in her life) so I could go to the Apple store for a laptop fix. I was anticipating the worst: driving most of the morning, in and out of the car a few times, followed by a trip to an electronics store where she'd have to sit still for an extended period of time??! She was amazing. Very good all morning, even holding my hand voluntarily when walking outside (which is sometimes a struggle). When we got to the Apple store, we ended up staying for about an hour. Not one problem. I'd packed a few small things for her, but she got on one of the kid computers there and worked the whole time. She hasn't used a computer before; they haven't used them yet in her class and we don't do computer games at the house. But I showed her a few things with the mouse and she took off. Really, really cool.

After a very nice, peaceful dinner, Lehr and I decided to pull some ice cream out of the freezer as a way to reinforce the day-oh-greatness. Quite a big treat in our house, and it was well received :)

Family Date Night

We've only intentionally 'named' a few family date nights in the past, but I hope our schedules allow us to keep this in the rotation. Last night we did not have a formal date night, but we had a night open, so we chose to do a few fun things together - very low-key.

We drove to Doc Chey's (a fave of ours and a dinner spot that Eli has been asking for a lot lately) on the early side of things to allow for plenty of time at our next location. Due to a later than usual lunch, the kids actually didn't finish their food, but I think that also had a lot to do with the insane amount of effort they were putting into their artwork at the table. You'd think after going to the same place with the same coloring menu for 5 years, they'd be tired of it, but they weren't/aren't.

From there we drove to Piedmont Park to check out a new section that recently opened. We'd heard they had some 'spray grounds', so I brought my camera and the kids dressed in swim clothes. What fun (and free!). There was a huge flat, grassy area in front of a wide-open spray ground. Plenty of room to run, plenty of room to splash, and all within our sight! Eli and Maddux had a blast alternating between running through the water and then doing laps around the grassy area. Eli challenged me to more than one race, Maddux did lots of somersaults and pseudo cartwheels, and no one got lost. At one point, the kids were in the water and I was shooting. I couldn't believe what I saw through my lens so I stood up and then looked at Lehr in disbelief: Eli and Maddux had their arms around each other and were just 'being'. I got as many pictures as I could before the moment passed, but it honestly lasted a good minute or so. Life is good.

Kids Slumber Party

Last night each child slept at a friend's house for the first time. How did we get here? Lehr cooked up a great idea to try and get a few house errands done (You know the kind. The ones you *try* to do with the kids but end up arguing and getting after the kids the whole time, accomplishing nothing but putting everyone in a sour mood.) While our original plan of a baby-sitter at the house with the kids for about 24 hours so we could knock out our list didn't pan out, one quick errand and a late dinner was still possible.

Eli went to Bryce's house. So fun. An added bonus was D's presence, which always makes it more fun. It sounds like the boys had a great time, great dinner (and dessert), short sleep, and a good morning before Lehr picked him up at 9:30. Maddux stayed with Finley and family. Even though the girls are close in age, they take on very opposing roles when they play: Maddux likes to be the 'mom' and Finley is happy to be the little girl. This translates to Maddux doing everything for Finley and probably bossing her around a bit. Oh joy! It sounds like the girl had a great night as well. Neither kid appeared to even give us a second thought as they spent the night away from us. That's a good thing, right?

Maddux's First Day

It's here - Maddux is four and today she went to her first day of Pre-K. Crazy! Sad too, not just because of the obvious. While I wrestle with the fact that my baby has grown to this 'big' stage SO quickly, some of the milestones aren't made as big a deal of, mainly because they're not new ones to our family. Total bummer for her. And every other kid who is not the first born. I did try to make the day special though: we talked a lot about her first day last week, picked out a special outfit to wear, let her get a special snack for the afternoon, etc. But in all honestly, I had to remind myself to do about half of these things. So not fair that just because I've been through the first day stuff already with Eli, and already this year, that she should not get the big fanfair. I kept telling myself that last year was good, and next year will be even better. I think the fact that there was only one week between Eli's start and Maddux's first day was the main reason for my lack of enthusiasm for her. Last year we had about 3 weeks, and next year they'll be at the same school (so they'll start the same day). Enough of that....I can already see the email from Lehr reminding me to keep it short and sweet...

This first week I get to walk Maddux into her classroom, as I did every day last year; next week we start carpool. It was nice to be able to walk back there with her, but she totally didn't need it. When I asked for a hug and kiss, Maddux told me, "Mommy...I'm makin'!" (She was playing with the kitchen stuff already.) I then had to wait three hours to go back and pick her up. She got a great review, was full of stories, and even had clothes clean from any paint or food! From what Maddux tells me, she obeyed very well and was quite helpful to the teacher (that I don't doubt). Her class has 5 or 6 friends from her class last year, and 14 students total. She told me, "I meeted new friends today!"

On Your 6

That's what I feel like time is saying to me. How are you already six years old, Eli? I can remember rocking you as I read you bedtime books during your first year of life as if it were yesterday. And even though watching baby home videos of you shocks me because of how small you were, the memories haven't even had time to fade yet.

This last year has been a growing one for sure. You completed your first year of Elementary School, definitely with some ups and downs. But you came out on top and you are a better person for it. Your dad and I have seen you become a bit more assertive in your social interactions, and we've seen you focus more than ever on the sports that interest you. This last spring you had an amazing baseball season where you grew as a player and displayed awesome sportsmanship. We couldn't have been more proud. And over the summer you participated in the neighborhood swim team. SUCH a big commitment and such a cool experience for you. Not only did you get to hang out with your friends each morning and each Wednesday night at swim meets, but you took your swimming to a whole new level. You learned how to dive, back-stroke, and improve your speed significantly.

Just after your 5th birthday you learned to ride without training wheels, you ran a trail race (with obstacles), and you completed a Boosterthon race/event at your school. The last 12 months have found you interacting more positively with Maddux, and the two of you often play together by choice. Your interest in music continues to grow exponentially. In the last year you've acquired a drum set, and you've accompanied Daddy to several rehearsals where you got to show off your skills. A trumpet has also found it's way into our house because of your admiration of Trombone Shorty. Most adults don't even know who he is, but you could 'sing' most of his songs from memory.

Now, just a week before your birthday, you started first grade. Wow. You're on the bus again, buying lunch again, and showing all kinds of 'grown-up' responsibilities and choices. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm going to put bricks on your head so you will stop growing!!

It Takes A Village

We celebrated Eli's birthday with a friend party today. As Lehr likes to say, "We learned a lot today."

Lehr and I let Eli have an indoor soccer party, ran by us, complete with a more extensive guest list than we're used to, chosen by him. This was the first time we let him dictate the list 100%, and it was also the first time we didn't include all siblings. That would have been fine, but Lehr and I decided to complicate things by making take-home shirts for all of the kids. Sounds great, but in reality, it was difficult to get the shirts ordered in time with the guest list responses, and then a few last minute changes threw us off. Not a huge deal, but it made me sad that a few kids didn't get tee-shirts (though they were probably fine with it.)

The party was to start at 11AM. We arrived just after 10:30 to find a locked door. This didn't shock us too much, as the venue is not a party place; it is a large warehouse-ish soccer field that is used almost exclusively by adults in the evenings. We rented it out for a few hours, but we knew that they would be just opening it up for us, so 11AM might be the time the doors got unlocked. 11AM came and went and a few families had arrived by this point. Now we're all baking outside in the hot, sunny parking lot. Somewhere around 11:15, a man comes and unlocks the door. Not that it was much relief because (as we knew) the inside was obviously shaded, but not under AC. The kids didn't care. We got everyone suited up in a shirt and let them loose with 5 or 6 balls. Several moms and dads stuck around, so there were plenty to keep the kids occupied on the field. Several moms helped me quickly assemble a make-shift table that was not nearly big enough to house all of the kids. I put the finishing touches on the cake and then we were all able to join in the game. The kids played each other first and then we had an adult vs. kids game. So fun. The only 'injury' I know of was Maddux who took a ball to the face right out of the gate, but after one kiss from D, she was fine. All of us worked harder and sweat more than we though possible at a kids' birthday party, but we loved it. We quickly transitioned to the over-crowded table for lunch and cake and then it was over.

Eli had asked his guests to bring money for soccer balls instead of gifts. Several still brought gifts, but we were so excited to see many of his friends dropping coins and a few bills into the box Eli had made. (Our church sends a group to Kenya each year to work with a specific orphanage we partner with: Tumaini. Soccer is a big part of the 'community' time they share, and they always bring a bunch of balls over. Eli wanted to buy some balls to send to the kids in Kenya, so that is what the money is going towards.) It was really cool to see Eli making the box this morning and getting into the spirit of HIS gift to the kids in Kenya. And even cooler was the generosity of Eli's friends: he has enough to get at least a dozen balls.

So what did we learn?

• Better communication when it comes to less 'birthday-type' venues.
• More forks (or spoons). We anticipated 18/19 kids so I thought a 24 pack was enough. Not so.
• WAAAAY more water. When you have kids (and adults) running around in the heat, you cannot have too much water.
• Skip lunch/dinner time birthday party if possible. Heavy snacks and cake are always better, and easier. Lehr wanted something other than pizza, so we did sandwiches and almost none of the kids ate them.
  
• If we do special order anything (i.e. shirts), indicate so on the invite so that we can get correct ordering done in time.
  

All in all it was a great party; Eli had a great time. I am so thankful for the parents that were there to help set up, do tattoos, fill water cups, assist in food distribution, and PLAY. The party would not have been successful without them!

Picture Perfect

Eli had a great day. Seriously. This is a big deal for him, especially since it's the first week of school and fatigue makes him not so fun to be around.

Before I got home from camp this morning, Lehr had already sent me an email:
A+ morning. One of best ever.

I didn't get to hang out with Eli until he got off of the bus, and that is always a touchy time because he's been going going going all day and post-bus is prime time for melt-downs. We walked down the hill, helped a neighbor move something, and then went inside and had a snack. (I've found that snack right away helps his mood tremendously. As it should: the boy eats lunch at 10:45AM!) The kids and I then went upstairs for room time. I put Maddux in her room and then Eli and I sat on the couch to go through his backpack. We looked at all of the papers and then talked about homework. Following that, we started his school-requested reading time (homework). Our 30 minutes together was REALLY calm, and really nice. Then he went (without a complaint) to his room for a 20-minute room time while I took Maddux out and did some reading one-on-one with her(even though she'd had the whole day with me).

Twenty minutes later I got Eli out and the three of us went downstairs to get some outdoor play in before our small group arrived. On the way out the door, I realized the dishwasher needed to be emptied before our friends showed up. I asked both kids to help which normally would send Eli into a tizzy, since we'd just decided we were going outside. Instead, both kids helped happily and we finished lickedy split. Amazing. We played with neighbors for about 30 minutes and then returned home as our first guests arrived. Eli played really well with his friends and obeyed our rules all of the way until the end, even though he went to bed 45 minutes late. Crazy perfect....

HUGE success!!

Back To School

Eli started first grade today. Woah. When did I get a 'grader' in my house. Last year was big with Kindergarten, but it was still Kindergarten. Not 'real' school, right? That's what I told myself, but there is no denying I have a full-fledged Elementary-aged child in my house now. Frownie face, for sure.

Eli slept through his alarm, but sprung right out of bed when Daddy went in to get him at 6:15 this morning. (I stayed home from camp so I could eat breakfast with him and walk him up to the bus stop.) He had a huge smile on his face that never faded the whole morning...gotta love that enthusiasm! After getting dressed quickly, he made his bed and came downstairs to eat the fresh waffles Lehr was preparing for him. Big time. Maddux slept through all of this, so I waited until 10 minutes before we walked up to the bus to wake her. She was super excited too. We barely made it up the hill before the bus driver rounded the corner...looks like the bus is even earlier this year!

Then he was gone. Then Lehr left. And it was just Maddux and I. No biggie...we ran a bunch of errands and made lunch and part of dinner. Then it hit me. Loneliness...still more than an hour to go. A few dance parties and some Maddux 'homework' got us through until 2:20.

Eli's best buddy gets off at the stop before us and his mom brought popcicles for the kids to enjoy on the walk home. What a treat! He then proceeded to happily walk home, second-line-ing with the umbrella Maddux brought.

Once home, Maddux absolutely needed a nap, or at least some solo down time, so I got her squared away in her room and went to play 20 Questions with Eli. As expected, many answers were, "I don't know." or "I don't remember." but he was excited and happy and obviously had a great day.

All Grows Up

I know I've titled blogs like that before, but this time I REALLY mean it.

This morning I made the kids pancakes for the last mid-week pancake breakfast before school starts and then we went to the river. I packed their bikes in the back so they could ride the flat trails along side the water while I walked/ran with them. The last time I did this was probably late May, and the rocky, uneven ground was too much for either of them. Today, Eli had no problems whatsoever.

Eli took off from the second we got on the trails and looked like a pro. He had no problem handling the rocks and he was able to turn on a dime. I told Eli he could ride ahead, but to check back with Maddux and I periodically. He was amazingly obedient. Not only did he keep swinging back around to check on us, but I never had to remind him of it. And a few times we caught up to him; he had parked on the side of the trail and waited for us. It was like I was dreaming.

My favorite part of Eli's experience was at about the halfway point. He was really enjoying his freedom, you know the kind you can only find on your bike as a kid, and he got ahead of us. He waited just around a corner by a big-ish field of weeds and crickets. As I approached, he looked at me (still on his bike, with just a leg supporting him on the ground) and said, "Mommy, listen to those grasshoppers. That's beautiful. It's like they have their own rhythm." Then he tried to imitate it. All of this was done with a face full of contentment and wonder. I thought my heart would overflow.

I did fear I'd 'lost' Eli towards the end of our trip. Maddux and I hadn't seen him in a while and I was starting to get nervous. We passed a cool wood bridge that both kids really loved, so I took the girl and paced up and down it a few times, calling his name. No luck, so we returned to the main trail and picked up our speed. Just as he was supposed to be, he was turning back to find us a moment later. My heart took a while to calm down after that one. It's a real internal struggle when they are growing up and you know you need to extend their boundaries, but it's oh-so hard...

Maddux did not fare so well on this trip. Her bike is harder to maneuver due to the training wheels, even though she's a speedster on it. Add to that the whine factor that has been her existence for the last two weeks, and it made for a pretty miserable time. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the great experience Eli had, the trip would have been a wash. Maddux and I agreed that next time we'll bring the BOB so I can push her while Eli rides.

A Day In The Life

Here we are...only one week before school begins for the second time. Eli will be in first grade this year (WHAT?!?) and Maddux is starting Pre-K (4-days a week for a few hours). Seriously...how did I get here? It seems like just yesterday that I had one baby with me, 24/7. And maybe it was just a few hours ago that I had both kids, baby and toddler, under my feet and in my arms all day to cherish and hug. Now they are away from me more hours than I'd like each day and I'm left wondering how I managed to stay home with them for this long, and now how will I manage to have them away from me for a chunk of the day, more days than not....

I often hear the question, "How do you stay home all day with your kids? What do you DO all day?" The brave ones admit that they honestly think it's all bon-bons and tv. I assure you, I have never eaten a bon-bon, and my kids view TV as a huge treat as it is not often on in our house, even though they're now 4 and 5 years old.

When you have kids at home with you, especially those under 4, your every moment is utilized and spoken-for. If you're not cleaning them, you're feeding them. If you're not feeding them, you're hugging them. If you're not hugging them, you're disciplining them. If you're not disciplining them, you're dressing them. If you're not dressing them, you're teaching them. If you're not teaching them, you're kissing them. If you're not kissing them, you're disciplining them (again). If you're not disciplining them, you're napping them. If you're not napping them, you're reading to them. If you're not reading to them, you're cooking for them. And if you're not cooking for them, you're trying to catch up on laundry, or a shower for yourself.

And I have loved every minute of it. Even when I've had a rough day, even when my patience has run thin, and even when I have 'the worst day', it is still something I would choose for our family, one million times over.

Before we decided to have kids, I swore up and down that if I ever did have kids, I would still work. I was too smart, too career-driven, too 'above it' to stay home and baby-sit all day. Wow...how arrogant was I? Not only can I not imagine not being the main influence on my young children, I also can't imagine how I ever thought any differently. I am in no way perfect, but I am glad that I get to be the decision maker about what my kids eat, what is read to them, the toys they play with, the language used around them, the amount of love given to them every hour...

That may sound like I just want to control them; it's really not that. I just want to make sure that what they are being fed, literally, spiritually, educationally, is in-line with our family morals and beliefs.

And I love knowing that I was able to decide these many decisions for them their whole young life, both small decisions like reading to them 4-5 times a day when they were babies and big decisions like what style of discipline is used with them.

And thinking of all of those small moments that I could have missed if I'd not been home with them makes me cringe.

Back to the question, "But what do you DOOO all day? It must be a constant vacation....much easier than a job, anyway." While I do not view staying at home with my kids as a 'job', it is a responsibility, and it is hard work (even though I choose it over a 'job' every day). A typical summer day for us a few weeks ago looked like this:

• 4:30-7:00AM - Bootcamp for Mommy
• 7:30-8:00AM - Kids wake up - snuggle with Mommy while I finish bootcamp emails
• 8:00-8:45AM - Work with kids to do their responsibilities (get dressed, make bed, etc.)
• 9:00AM - Breakfast (a melt-down for Maddux results in a time-out)
  
• 9:30-10:30AM - 'Homework' - we do handwriting, math, reading, coloring 'work' when we can.
• 10:30AM - Load kids in the car to run to Target for lunchboxes. While we're there Eli sees a toy he wants, so we discuss cost, translate into quarters, and how he'll save for that. Math lesson done!
• 11:15AM - Dentist appointments for both kids
  
• 12:15PM - Home for individual reading time - 15 minutes
• 12:30PM - Lunch (Eli complains about his food to the point where he ends up being asked to empty most of the dishwasher for me to learn about appreciation for others caring and providing for him.)
• 1:30PM - Pool time. I work with Maddux on diving and Eli on flip-turns at the ends of the lanes. Two time-outs for Maddux for pulling on her brother while we're in the pool. Eli earns some reflective time sitting on the side with me when he decides to not share with his sister.
• 3:15PM - Home for 'room time'. Read a book to each of the kids in their room first. (Both kids in their room for 30-40 minutes to read, play quietly or nap.) I catch up on editing for nep.
• 4:15PM - The kids and I read books together on the couch. Eli reads every other page as we make our way through the stack. Maddux answers random comprehensive questions. Sometimes her answers are even correct.
  
• 5:15PM - Dinner prep. No clue what we had because most nights it's random as I don't plan well in this area. The kids usually help me a little or play in the back-yard/back porch where I can see them from the kitchen.
  
• 5:45PM - Kids grumble and argue over setting the table. Dinner is served. (Lehr is home at this point.)
  
• 6:15PM - Play outside - baseball, bikes, yard stuff...
  
• 7:15PM - Bathtime/shower time
• 7:40PM - Books
• 8:00PM - Lights out for the kids
• 9:30-10:00 PM - Collapse in a heap in my bed

Many (many) encouragements, reminders, struggles, 'teaching moments', and corrections were left out of the summery, but for the most part, that was one of our relaxed days this summer. No major schedule or errands to work with, so fitting in the fun stuff was easier. No TV, no bon-bons...lots of hard work, lots of in-the-moment decisions, and lots of learning, both for me and the kids.

And I love every minute of it. I don't wish the role of a SAHM on my worst enemy. But I do wish it on my best friend.

Younger Cousins

Eli and Maddux haven't had any younger cousins until now. Eden, their one and only, was born over a year ago, but we didn't get a chance to meet her until this trip. I knew Maddux would be instantly attracted to her, but I was unsure how Eli would handle it.

Maddux was in full mommy-mode/care-giver status/nurturer-extraordinaire. She loves taking care of kids younger, or seemingly younger due to size or behavior. She hopped right in and tried to pick Eden up, hold Eden's hand when walking, feed Eden, and basically not give Eden any breathing room. Eden tolerated her pretty well, but when Maddux pushed it too far, she let her know. I think Maddux's favorite part was feeding Eden a bottle and cereal...she felt very grown-up when she was allowed to do that.

For the first day or two, Eli didn't pay Eden much attention; he just seemed to tolerate her. Somewhere around the end of day two or three, Eli showed her some love and then he never looked back. In fact, one meal he was rather distraught because he really wanted to sit next to her, but those seats were taken. He also picked Eden up, gave her toys, and tried to entertain her. I got a few cute shots of them the day before we left....it was great to see my boy in more of a caring role with a younger child. Especially now that there are two more young cousins on the way!!

Camping

A few days before we left Idaho, the boys went camping. We all gathered at a beautiful camping area that my family used to frequent when I was younger around 3PM. The kids played in the water as we watched from the beach, and we all swatted away enough flies to fill a bus. Once we'd had our fill of the beach, we made our way back to the campsite for dinner. Hot dogs, fruit and s'mores were on the menu. The kids tried to cook the dogs, but the teens and adults had to take that over. Immediately afterwards we started on the s'mores. (The girls were not staying overnight and it was already 7PM at this point.) Personally, hot dogs weren't enough to lure me anywhere, but s'mores are, so I was fine with getting to the good part that quickly. The marshmallows were the biggest I'd ever seen....they could have been halved and still been big. Maddux and Eli loved that part, of course. A tasty treat and fire? The perfect combo for them!

Once we finished dessert, the girls all headed back to the house to sleep. Maddux and I slept together on a blow-up mattress, which she loved. Eli and the rest of the boys played a few card games until it got dark and then went Snipe hunting. Eli had been soooo excited about this. Treis, Cole and Uncle J really played it up, and Eli would have walked over hot coals to be included in the 'hunt'. Lehr tells me that Justin did a great job creating the scene for Snipe hunting, and Eli was into it, 100%. Once they finished (Eli was disappointed that they came back empty-handed), they hung out around the fire a little more. Lehr said that Eli asked twice, very seriously, to go to bed. On the second request, his wish was granted, and he slept later than anyone the next morning.

Sleepover

From the time we planned this trip, my mom has been promising the kids that they would all have a sleepover at her house. Five cousins in the same city at the same time calls for nothing less. Last night was that crazy night and it lived up to the hype.

Most of us played a game of croquet outside, pretty high stakes. Then a few select naps took place, due to a sleep shortage caused by camping the night before. Once the kids woke up they went bowling. I don't know the details, but I'm sure it was mayhem and fun, all at once. Dinner was at Red Lobster, a new restaurant to my kids. They loved it and were stuffed by the time they got back in the car(s) to go to Target. Oh yes, there must be a Target Toy Run.

Once home, they all agreed on a movie to watch; Tangled was chosen. (Did I mention it was about 10PM by this time?) Lehr and I were out on a date until 11:30, so we came home to find all kids awake, playing with legos and other things, watching a movie. I was shocked my kids were able to keep their eyes open, but they did. All of the way through the movie which was over somewhere around 12:15. Eli slept in the living room with the boys and Maddux opted to sleep in her regular room on the mattress (she didn't want to sleep with Grandma - I think she was just too tired). It is now 9AM and they both just woke up. Not nearly enough sleep, but the latest they've slept in longer than I can remember.

Brave

That is the word of the day....

It started out fine. We planned to rent a pontoon boat on Lake Coeur d'Alene for all eleven of us. The kids were excited to 'tube' behind and jump off when we found some coves. We woke up to some rain though, so our boating adventure was backed up until noonish.

At that time, the sky was totally clear and the temperature was awesome. I even noted several times how glassy the water was (read: FLAT). Eli and Cole went back on the tube first, then Cole by himself, then Maddux and Cole, then Eli by himself, then Treis (who was the only one to fall in because of his daredevil tricks). The beauty of the boat is that it couldn't' get enough speed up to really scare the kids or put them in danger of falling off unless they stood up.

Maddux showed her bravery by asking to go into the inner tube by herself. However, just as we were puling her in after her ride, she got another brave streak and stood up. Of course that resulted in her toppling in. No biggie - she's wearing a life vest AND she can swim. However, the water was cold and she fell in by surprise, so she was spooked. Lehr and I tried to calm her and coax her into realizing she was fine. And she was, but it was hard to see her scared. Lehr did a great job of locking in with her and convincing her to swim with her arms, which ultimately got her to us. (This whole time she was maybe 15 feet from us.)

All kids had a chance to drive the boat, with Grandpa Jim in control, of course. Maddux assured him, "I really know how to drive!! I drived Daddy's car home from the pool." Just as they all finished up their turns, the water got a bit choppy, out of nowhere.

Then choppy turned into very bumpy and rough. Then the splashes came on board. The next thing we knew, all people up front were hiding under towels because of the 'spray' as we hit the waves. Stop. Remember that we're on a pontoon boat in a SMALL lake. There shouldn't be spray or waves.

Things got ugly quick and everyone was soaked...it was unavoidable. We made our way to a private dock to get out of the mess so we could figure out how to get back to our marina. Eli was spooked. Really spooked. If you know me, you know i am not a fan of open water anyway, but I did not put that fear on him..I swear! Most of us got off of the boat for a breather and the decision-makers made a quick plan. We were getting back onto the boat and sticking close to shore to try and limp back in. I'm not sure how he found the strength, but Eli went back on needing very little persuasion from me. (That was a good thing because I could not have brought myself to force him back on.)

This time around I stayed right behind the captain's chair with my arms around Eli to reassure him. He was so scared, and that was the best place to be to avoid the spray. Actually, it was almost the only place to be.... We said a few prayers together and then braved it out as Grandpa Jim kept us in as many 'flat' places as possible. We made real progress but then it got really bad again. Eli's level of comfort disappeared completely and he asked me if we could talk to God again. He even cried a little at this point. (He'd been holding it in really well the whole time leading up to that point.) We made it to another private dock, much less smoothly this time, and we all got off of the boat for good. The great news was we were only 4 road miles from the marina, so we called in and got a bail-out. (We were not the only ones in need of rescue that afternoon; a few other boats called in as well.) Once on dry land, Eli was fine. The dock, however, was getting blasted by the wake; part of it was even coming apart. And ten minutes after we'd secured and emptied the boat, one of the rougher 'swells' came through and ripped the boat away from the dock on one side, taking the dock that was connected to the boat by a rope with it. And when we got back to the house there were potted plants and trash cans blown over and down in the yard, PLUS a tree knocked down in my parent's grass. Awesome....at least I'm not exaggerating how crazy the wind was...there were white caps, for goodness sake!

What about Maddux, you ask? She was none the wiser. She spent almost the entire time with Grandma Cathie, playing with Eden and laughing. The only times she showed any distress was when she got hit by a big splash. True to her character, she was happy-go-lucky and unphased by chaos.

Once again, if you know me you may be thinking, how did Nicole make it through that without a heart attack?! Totally because of the kids. I couldn't lose my cool or show any fear, mainly because of Eli. So even though I held it together to help him, his fear was the only thing helping me to keep it calm.

I talked to Eli afterwards about it, and reminded him how proud I was that he stayed so brave during the whole thing. Once we got home I asked what his favorite part was: the driving, the tubing..... He said, "Pretty much nothing." Even after that stress, he was still in good enough spirits to joke about it. Life is good.

Birthday Celebration

What a day! We'd planned to celebrate Maddux and Eli's birthdays today, and what a celebration it was. To start the day, Grandpa Jim made the requested pancakes (for the second day in a row). We then headed over to Spokane to meet the rest of the gang at an outdoor aquatic center. So so cool. There was a huge water slide that could be traveled on with or without an inner tube, a 'lazy river', a smaller kids area, and many opportunities for water splashes. Eli and Maddux wanted to ride the big one right away, of course. They had to be accompanied by an adult, but we had plenty of us that were willing, so all they had to do was ask.

After about an hour we grabbed a quick lunch and got back into it. Eli and Cole were attached at the hip, going down the slide and pretty much owning the whole park, while Maddux seemed to enjoy the smaller kids area better. She could go down a smaller slide, pull water down on top of her, and feel totally independent and comfortable, all on her own. We had to cut the fun short though, because we had much more planned for the day.

A quick clothing change later we were back in the car, heading to a trampoline center. This. Place. Was. Awesome. For two hours the majority of us (Yes, us - the adults were more than welcomed.) jumped our hearts out. There were three sections: open-trampolines, dodge ball trampolines and trick trampolines. Eli had a blast trying to hang with Cole and Treis and the adults in the dodge ball games. Maddux went in too, but didn't even pretend to try...good stuff. Both kids tried their hand at the trick area. Eli did some flips while Maddux mostly stuck to cannon-ball-type jumps. I can't even say which was my favorite because they were all so much fun. And as tired as I was after just five minutes, I was very sad to see the two hours end.

We grabbed some pizza near Uncle J's house and then stopped by there to enjoy amazing dessert: chocolate souffle. A perfect ending to a perfect day!

We're Here!!

After minimal delay, we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house last night. The kids were exhausted by the time they got home and to bed, as it was 1AM for them, but they held up really well. This morning they were up with the sun, ready to play with everyone and everything.

Uncle J, Treis and Eden came over as we were all outside playing a bag-toss game. Eli pulled out the bats and balls and golf clubs immediately at that point and went to it. Maddux had a blast chasing Eden around, trying to "mommy" her. We had a quick lunch and walked down to the beach at the river. Maddux hung out mostly at the shore, but Eli walked out on the dock in preparation to jump off. I reminded both kids that the water would be colder than the pool, but their ability to swim remained. Eli jumped a few times, but very hesitantly and close tot he dock. Maddux eventually jumped in, but only after Daddy did.

Before it got too late, Cole and Ingrid joined us and we walked back home for dinner. Grandpa Jim (with very little help from Eli) had prepared homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. We squeezed all eleven people in the kitchen/dining for a big feast. After dinner we were back outside; Eden needed a bath and photo opp. My parents have a big copper tub that we used to take pictures of Maddux in during bath time three years ago. Tonight I got photos of all five grand kids in the tub (individually). Good stuff. We ended the night with a game of croquet, the first time for Maddux and Eli. A short tantrum by Maddux followed a small injury, and off to bed they went :)

VBX 2011

Wow. Another amazing year of VBX. Eli really really enjoyed his second year with the big kids and Maddux had a blast leading the pre-schoolers around again. Lehr led a kindergarten group (and I hopped in to help when I could), and I toured the whole scene, snapping as many pictures as I could. The kids did sack races, sponge races, ropes courses, tug-o-war, and science projects. The theme was "X-Periment" and the kids' goal all week was to discover what the "X-factor" was (Jesus). As always, the creative team came up with awesome dramas and amazing teaching moments through the science lab.

My favorite part was the worship sets. Both kids learned all of the songs and corresponding movements and we practiced them each day, at their request. Their interest in the music was never ending...they couldn't get enough of the CD's I made for their room! I love how much my kids love God and all things about Jesus!

Maddux Talk

It's time for another update because this girl just keeps them coming. It's like she has no internal filter; she just says everything that comes to mind without fear of how it will be perceived by others. And I admire that. Many of her 'funnies' have come in the way of prayers this month. Love it.

• I took this kids to an indoor play area about a month ago. The kids played with each other and other kids awesomely for about two hours before I gave them the 1-minute-warning. Maddux replied, "Oh, OK. I better go find another friend." And that she did..immediately.
  
• Maddux prayed before breakfast one day: "Thank you, God, for desserts, for Halloween, for birthdays and for marryin'. Amen."
• Just a few days later, she prayed before dinner, (eyes squinched up): Thank you, God, for spaghetti, cheese, and toilet paper. Amen"
• Since turning four a few weeks ago, everything she does revolves around how big she is. "Mommy, those shoes won't fit me now: I'm FOOOOUR!"
  

A Whole New World

While Eli has been reading for about a year now, we've recently asked him to read out loud to us more often in the last few months. And the books we've been picking have been ones usually saved for US to read at bedtime. I love, love, love how well he reads and how it's opening his eyes in a new way. He pauses a little more often because I see him reading ahead now, and checking the sentence out before he verbalizes it. And it is my favorite thing when he chuckles at the words, context, or pictures. It's funny because these are books we've read as a family no less than two thousand times. But you'd think from his reaction he'd never seen the books before. And I think it's so cool that Eli can now read totally LONG and non-sensical books like Dr. Seuss that really test his reading ability. No sight-words there, just plain old sound-it-out nonsense! Here is a quick clip of him reading last night.

Sports Camp

The kids attended a Sports Camp at the YMCA for a few hours each morning this week. It is a camp they wanted to participate in last summer, but it booked up too fast. I made sure to get them on the schedule early this spring so they wouldn't miss out again. Eli and Maddux ended up being in different groups at the camp, even though they weren't grouped by age. This allowed me to get very different stories about the day's activities each afternoon. I do know they played basketball, roller hockey (I can't quite believe it), tennis, racket ball and soccer. And on the last day they got to swim. One day when I picked them up, one of the instructors, Eli's group leader, actually, came out and asked me if Eli played any sports. I told him baseball and he responded that Eli has been a bit 'obsessed' with hockey. I told him that Eli's grandfather had played and it really piqued his interest. That day Eli had drawn a picture of a hockey game during the camp. Awesome.

Trip With Daddy

Eli got to do something this last weekend that will hopefully be long-lasting memory for him: he got to travel to Florida with only Daddy to see the final shuttle launch. For the last nine-ish months, Eli has been a bit obsessed with shuttles and all things surrounding them. He has a few shuttle/space program/shuttle program books that he's basically memorized, he drew shuttles at school almost every day, and he even made his own book at home with his drawings and writings about the process a shuttle goes through when it lifts off.

When the date for the final shuttle launch was released, Lehr and I looked at our calendars to see what could be done. A trip for all four of us would be difficult due to plane ticket prices and my weekend 'job', but a trip for two was do-able. The only catch was a scrubbed mission, which happens often. The good news was that the launch was scheduled for Friday, so if it was scrubbed, there would be at least one more opportunity over the weekend. And in the event it was scrubbed for the whole weekend, at least Eli would be able to see the shuttle on the launch pad, and he'd be able to tour Kennedy Space Center (basically Disney World for NASA).

We kept it a surprise from Eli until the last second, packing his backpack on the sly and using the pretense of a 'date night' with Daddy for me to get him downtown to meet Lehr. Once inside Lehr's car, on the way to the airport, Lehr broke the news. He was ecstatic.

I wasn't there, so the rest is just from the stories I've heard from Lehr and Eli. They stayed with Nana all weekend, they surfed, they hung out with family, and they got more than their fill of the shuttle. I know it was by far the coolest thing Eli has ever done.

The morning of the launch they all rose early to go 'get a seat'. Eli is very fortunate to have a grandmother who works for NASA, so in addition to all of the cool paraphernalia she's given him over the last few missions, this time around she got him special viewing passes. Lehr and Eli were able to sit as close as humanly possible to the shuttle (3 miles away). They were seated right next to the big clock that you see on TV. The area around them was mostly made up of press...unbelievable. And this launch estimated one million tourists; they shut down a few causeways so people could just stand and watch. Yet the area Lehr and Eli were in had plenty of space to walk around, sit comfortably, and be very UN-crowded. Special privileges......

After a minor delay, the shuttle took off and Eli cheered like crazy. He still tells me about the look, the sounds, and the events of that morning. It left a definite mark in his memory. There was some surfing later that day. As Eli tells it, he did a really cool trick on Russell's board. I do know he actually stood up on the wave, but beyond that, I'm thinking it was all just chance.

Saturday found the boys at Kennedy Space Center. Lehr said it was a good test for a possible upcoming Disney trip because it was SO crowded and SO hot and SO long lines. And Eli did great. Lehr said he waited patiently and didn't whine or complain. That really does not shock me because I know how into it he all was. So even waiting in line, he could look at and talk about all shuttle things around him.

Before the boys flew out on Sunday they woke up early for the beach. It was close to empty except for them. Lehr really misses the beach and seeing his boy out there, enjoying it with a board the way he always did was pretty cool.

Maddux missed them like crazy. Seriously. Even more than Daddy, she missed Eli. When I told her (around the same time Lehr was telling Eli), she said, "I'm sad...I'll miss Eli." And she must have asked 4 or 5 times each day for us to call them and see what they were doing , or what they were eating for breakfast. They did have one conversation on Saturday. So sweet.

Mommy-Maddux Weekend

Lehr and Eli went to Florida to see the final shuttle launch this last weekend, so Maddux and I had a girls' weekend. I wish I'd had more flexibilty to take her somewhere also, but with a few shoots lined up before Lehr made their plans, we stayed put.

Thursday night we met a new friend of Maddux's for sushi. She and the little boy are similar in age and get along really well. They both ate lots of rice, steamed broccoli, and edemame. Her friend brought a present for her, in honor of her birthday the week before: a beautiful dress.

Friday we ran a few errands, played at the pool, and then ended up meeting CC for dinner. Maddux had a great time entertaining her with her silly songs and coloring skills. We ended up staying at the restaurant well after our meal was finished.

Saturday morning I had a shoot, so one of Maddie's favorite babysitters came over to play for a few hours. They totally 'girled it up', playing ponies and princesses. When I came home we went back to the pool and swam the afternoon away. After a few minutes of down time at home, Maddux got dressed up in her new dress and we went to a new location so I could do a mini-shoot with her. As expected, she accessories plenty, adding sunglasses and a few necklaces. We finished the night with a dinner of pasta (per Maddux's choice) and a little bit of Olivia. The boys returned after church on Sunday...all in all a good weekend.

Melt

Lehr and Eli left for Florida yesterday; we wanted Eli to see the final Shuttle launch. We kept it a surprise until Eli was in Lehr's car on the way to the airport. I told maddux about the trip just before she napped. She took it ok, especially when I told her about all of the cool stuff we'd do this weekend. She napped, she woke up and we drove to dinner. Almost as soon as we got in the car, she asked if we could call Daddy and Eli. I dialed and handed her the phone. On my end I heard, "Hi Daddy! (pause) Yes. Can I talk to Eli? (pause) HI ELI! (pause) I miss you. I wish you were here.' Click

Be still my heart.

Fish, Fish, Everywhere

Yesterday I took the kids to the Aquarium. We've been 3 or 4 times before, but this was our most lengthy and worthwhile trip ever. The line to get in was longer than usual, and there were way more people there than we are used to, but the kids did great. They stayed with me, obeyed pretty well, and didn't complain (until the end when Maddux's feet were tired).

Eli has been intrigued by sharks this summer due to his Swim Team (their mascot is a shark), and both kids have been interested in most marine life because of the National Geographic specials we've been watching each week. They were both very excited to see the dolphins and whale sharks, and of course the spider crabs, which have always been their favorites.

We arrived just before lunch and had a quick snack. (I snuck a few granola bars in. Not really 'right', and I didn't make it obvious to the kids that I was bending the rules. After the pricy ticket to get in teh door, I couldn't justify overpriced food.) Eli and Maddux poured over the map while we ate, pointing to each section and shouting, "I wanna go there!" each time they saw something they liked. We went through each section except the River Scout, only because we'd already been there so long by that point. Eli got all into the huge tank with the whale sharks, pointing out each shark and verifying their name with me. Maddux loved the colorful fish, and the big 'ugly' grouper. The dolphin exhibit wasn't that exciting, and I didn't get tickets for the show because they were sold out until much later in the afternoon. Eli and Maddux did put hands in the shark and ray tank this time, both with success. They've dunked their fingers before, but only as a faux attempt. Eli caught one dorsal fin and a two-finger swipe at a ray, and Maddux touched a little bit of shark skin. Very cool.

I did something that I've never done before: I let them each pick out one souvenir. (Yikes!) I was a bit picky about what they could choose. A plastic container of candy shaped as a fish was off-limits, but a dolphin necklace was allowed....you get the picture. Eli picked out a bag of hard plastic sharks; 7 different kinds. Maddux picked a container of small plastic sea animals, similar to the large ones she collects. They both played with them the rest of the day and named most of them correctly. Very good day!

Independance Day

What a weekend! You'd think by now I'd be used to the weekend surrounding July 3/4: the craziness of Maddux's birthday followed so closely by a fun-filled holiday. This one was a doozy!

I left the house well before 6AM to get down to the race on time. Lehr and the kids got up just after 6 to pick up breakfast and head down to 'spectate'. As usual, Maddux and Eli had a blast eating bagels and yogurt as runners passed by most of the morning. They saw plenty of costumes and patriotic headgear before I made it to them on my own route. D and Bryce were with them also, helping the fun factor, for sure.

After the race we headed home for lunch. A quick nap and family game later, it was approaching dinner time and it was raining cats and dogs. Since the weather was threatening to cancel fireworks, we ate inside. We'd already planned to have Family Movie Night if the storms cancelled fire works, but we were hopeful as the sky cleared. Just as we pulled out of the neighborhood, the rain started again, harder than before. We turned the car around and texted some friends to come over for FMN. The kids watched most of "Up" and ate all of the popcorn I'd popped for the fireworks. They had a blast and never even mentioned sadness over the change in plans.