Trombone Shorty

Over the weekend we had a rare opportunity to include the kids in a musical event they would normally not be able to attend. Eli's current favorite N'Awlins talent, Trombone Shorty, was performing downtown Saturday night. Even though it was a late (10PM-ish start) show, it was all-ages. We offered it up to both kids, but Maddux voiced her preference to stay home with a babysitter and have a movie night instead.

I personally guaranteed that Eli slept a GOOD nap that afternoon (read: I 'rested' in the bed with him) before we had a quick snack and headed out. We planned to eat with some other friends attending the show: I even let Eli have a milkshake. (Crazy, I know!) We got to the show just as the opener was finishing her last song or two. Not much later and Shorty took the stage. Eli got so excited when he walked out with his horns....his smile was enormous! Eli stayed with Lehr and I, alternating who held him up to see, for the first half of the show. Fatigue was definitely setting in at this point (11PM), so Eli and Lehr went back to sit down and watch from the seats for a handful of songs. They came back up front for the end, and Eli was totally impressed when all of the band members switched instruments for the last song. Especially because Shorty took over the drum set.

Shockingly, Eli even stayed awake for the drive home, meaning he didn't sleep until 12:50AM. I'm not sure how we managed to not have a meltdown the next day, so I'll just chalk it up to a great experience!

That Boy Of Mine

How many changes can take place in such a short time once a baby starts going to school... Last year was his first year on the big yellow bus, and we saw the introduction of 'specials', the cafeteria, report cards, and many classroom procedures. At home we saw Eli start to read a little better, start to write a little better, and towards the end he even took an interest in drawing. This year, however, those changes are capitalized, to say the least.

Eli's favorite thing is to make books in his room. He draws, he writes, he cuts, he pastes. In addition, Eli has a few small notebooks that he always has in his room and/or backpack. I recently bought him a new one from the dollar bin at Target. Within a week it was halfway full. If I were even more obsessive about recording daily life with the kids, I'd take a picture of each individual page... The book is full of math, shark pictures, Star Wars pictures and lists. Yes, lists. Lists of dangrs animals (that's his spelling), vlnt storms (what 6-year-old uses the word 'vlnt'??) and dedly sharks. Awesome.

Last weekend the kids woke up a little before Lehr and I were ready to rise. Eli entertained himself very quietly, making a Darth Vador costume out of a backwards t-shirt, a black hoodie, and a red boom wacker. Love it.

Finally, every time I mow the yard, Eli asks to help. I usually let him assist me in the backyard, which usually results in a Roomba-esque pattern of mowing. The last few times, he's concentrated on making straight lines like I do. And now I'm proud to say that Eli mowed the whole backyard by himself last weekend. I was a great supervisor, encouraging from the side-lines and not lifting a finger.

Oh, Baby Girl...

Where do I start.... The reason for this post is nothing new; Maddux is, has been, and always will be crazy, unpredictable, and awesome. At least once a month I'm just reminded how unique she is....

Mad Dog's two latest loves are homework and singing.

Homework:
This is what Maddux calls any project we do at home, especially if it comes out of a work book. I'm sure it started over the summer as I attempted to keep the kids from losing any pre-learned knowledge as they swam away their free time. At least a few days a week we'd pull out some workbooks and do 'homework'. Well now she is obsessed. She often pulls out the book (one of the big thick ones which is almost complete now) and asks me to pick out some 'homework' for her. Of course, because she is Maddux, when I tell her what the intended 'assignment' is, she often says, "Hmmm....well can I just (x, y, or z) instead?"

Singing:
This one is not something Maddux would admit to, but I think it is because she doesn't realize just how much she sings. In fact, just the other day I asked her to repeat the words to me and she innocently asked me, "The words to what?" as if she HADN'T been singing for the last five minutes. Maddie will sing as she is brushing her hair, making her bed, dressing her magnetic dolls, coloring, riding her bike, putting on her seat belt...you get the picture. And I love that half of the time the songs go like this: "Where is the green crayon oh it is right in front of me..."

Mini Shorty

Eli is VERY excited about seeing Trombone Shorty this coming weekend. He listens to his music and memorizes it immediately. And when he does get to see him (on the computer or in person), I swear he memorizes his mannerisms as well. In this video, you'll hear Eli hitting each of the notes in tempo (not in pitch). You may also notice him 'wiping' his mouth around :30 - EXACTLY like Shorty does. Oh, and don't miss Maddux dancing so hard that she kicks off her shoe around :12...crazy girl

Artist or Author?

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way, Eli because a very focused author and illustrator. I remember 'way back' when Eli was in Pre-K; I could barely get Eli to color a picture of something he liked, let alone draw something. And writing? It was sometimes a struggle just to get him to copy the words "Happy Birthday" onto a card for a friend. Nowadays, you can find the boy working diligently at his desk on a book or three. Sometimes they're fiction, but usually they're non-fiction, based on something he's interested in for the day or week or month. Sometimes they are word for word from a book he's already read, but they are never copied - they are always from memory.

Eli's latest books include:

• Lion King
• September 11
• Shuttles
• Sharks
• Sharks (another one - this one may have had 'dngr' in the title)

Only one or two of the books are actually complete, but I have no doubt they'll all be in publication soon.

Friends, At Last?

More often than not, I'm seeing Eli and Maddux interacting positively and by choice. It's not just a Maddux-driven relationship these days, and I'm overjoyed. In the last week, Eli has asked to eat next to Maddux at dinner, read books with her in her bed, play in the front yard with her, and have room time with her. In addition, last Saturday morning found Lehr and I awoken by the kids around 7:30. Then nothing until about 8:30. In that time, Eli and Maddux played really well TOGETHER and Eli voluntarily read his sister several books on the couch. And during our after school snack time, which we talk about each of the kids' days at school, Eli has actually been showing interest in his sister. Just yesterday I asked her about a song they sand in music. She couldn't remember the words, so Eli asked, "Maddux, can you remember it tomorrow so you can sing it to us after school?"

Last night was the best...they ran around the front yard for a good thirty minutes together, bouncing the ball off of each other and running into one another on purpose. They they wanted to take a bubble bath together and snuggle during books. I must say I'm loving this new phase!

Buckle Up

Eli has a friend that lives one street over. They are almost exactly the same age, and they seem to get along great, though we've never really had the boys get together to play. Just two weeks ago my world was rocked when said boy rode his bike over to our house one Sunday afternoon and asked if Eli could play. The boys rode bikes in our cul-de-sac for about ten minutes before riding through the yards to this boy's house. Gulp. Playdate, but I didn't set it up.

New stage. Hold on, Mommy.

Late last week the same little boy came over and asked, but we had just taken dinner out of the oven, so it was a no-go. When he came over and asked if Eli could come to his house today, our Community Group families were pulling into our driveway. I told him that Eli couldn't go to his house, but he was welcomed to stay here and play with Eli and the other kids. He smiled and said, "Sure, I just have to go home and ask my mom. I'll be back in a jibby."

So scary for me that I am not longer in control of setting up Eli's 'playdates'. So sad for me that Eli now has a much more appealing offer after school than hanging out with Mommy. So not ready for this change.

I will say that this friend is a great kid, so I am not at all apprehensive about Eli's time with him. And he is every bit as polite as I could hope for when he knocks on our door and looks me in the eye while he's talking. (The fact that he said "jibby" makes him just a little bit adorable too.") But I'm still going to need a moment or five to adjust to this next new grown-up era....

Girls

Eli has two friends that are girls that live within a stone's throw of our house. He plays with them often enough and he really likes them both. I never see him get nervous or giggly about them though, even though at various times he's told me that he will marry each of them. There is a girl in his class, however, that I suspect may be his first crush. "E" was in his class last year and he had a bit of a liking to her then, as well.

The fact that she is the only repeat classmate he has this year was definitely good news to Eli. They even sat at the same desk-cluster for the first month or so of 1st grade. And often times when I go to eat lunch with Eli at school, he'll be sitting with or very near her and her friends. The main reason I think Eli like-likes her is his attention to her details. He'll tell me randomly, "Mommy, "E" has pink shoes with purple laces and a little white line down the side.", or "Yesterday "E" had carrot sticks in her lunch too.", or even, "Some days "E's" hair is really curly, but usually it's just a little curly." And when she sweeps the floor in the lunchroom after she finishes her lunch (apparently it's a privilege to do that!), Eli always sticks his feel out so she has to sweep them. (This is a detail she told ME the last time I went to school for lunch. Strangely, she had a silly grin on her face as well...)

It seems as though nothing is too insignificant for Eli to notice about this girl. And when I ask him if he likes her, he grins really big and says, "Nooo." Yeah, right....you're not fooling anyone.

Money Talks

In the past few months Eli has requested he be allowed to buy legos at Target with his own money. Two times he's been granted permission and fun math and savings talks have followed. We've also discussed tithing several times, and Eli has even participated willingly. But we had yet to really dive into savings and how to manage money as it comes in yet. And with Eli's last birthday and some recent extra jobs for Daddy, money has been exchanged more than usual.

So tonight we talked to the kids during dinner about how our family manages money. For them it meant setting up three piggy banks in each room (not a problem because they've received plenty over the years): one for tithing, one for savings and one for spending. We talked about what each bank was used for and we also let them know that any money put into savings would be matched by Lehr and I. For us, savings is not saving for a week to buy a set of legos, or even a month to buy a bigger set of legos, but more of saving for several, many months, maybe not even with a specific goal in mind. That bank is not to be touched without Mom or Dad present.

The conversation was great and the follow-up activity was even better. Both kids went to their rooms to get all money and banks. Lehr helped Maddux and I helped Eli as we then counted it all (hello, math!) and sorted all coins into dollar piles. Then we talked to them about how they wanted to divide it. I'm not sure of Maddux's strategy, but they piles seemed somewhat even. Eli wanted to split it totally even, three-ways. His bills lended themselves to one pile being a little larger, so I suggested he put that pile into savings, which he was happy with. I feel really good about the direction we're hopefully leading them in with money. So far Eli has been so willing to tithe when he receives money....hopefully it will continue, especially when he's able to see how much money God is still allowing him to use at his own discretion.

Good, Good Day

Lehr and I drove separately to church due to conflicting schedules today, so after church, Eli rode with me to his baseball practice and Maddux stayed with Daddy for a meeting and to get a break from the fields. Most Sundays find us struggling to extract from Eli what was discussed in church, or what his memory verse was. He loves church, he loves C3 (the kids' ministry area he attends, complete with a worship band, basketball, video games, and a drama each week), and he loves God, but he does NOT love talking when he doesn't want to. Regardless of how we approach it, the fatigue, the hunger, and the mood get the better of Eli and he tends to shut down when either Lehr or I inquire about his morning.

Today was so different and I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I did so that I can do it again each week. Not only because of our discussion about church but because of our complete absorption in a conversation the whole time from church to baseball (about an hour). It was unprecedented!

I started off in the car asking about his verse. We've been working on verses at home so I asked if he learned a new one this morning. (They usually tackle one verse per month and this morning was the first Sunday of the month.) He couldn't remember it, so we moved on. When I asked about the 'sermon' topic, he couldn't remember. I dove right into the adult sermon. I told him how interesting and exciting it had been and then I just filled him in. I hadn't planned on doing that, but it just worked so I went with it.

Our sermon dealt with anger and how to deal with that in our lives, as believers. Since this is something we struggle with so much where Eli is concerned, I hoped to plant a few seeds in his head. Because I hadn't planned on delivering a sermon myself, much of what I said sounded like a retelling of the sermon to Lehr or a friend, with lots of, "Oh, and then...." and "but before that..." Eli seemed to track it all really well, which is amazing due to my poor attempts to recount things. We talked about how easy it is to get out of control when we are angry, and how getting out of control leads to bad consequences. I told him about a video we'd seen of some parents and coaches being out of control at kids' sports activities. There was even some, I informed him, that ended up fighting, physically. At this point he looked at me and said, "Mom, that's just crazy!" (Amen.) By the way, at this point I'm basically in shock over the level of participation in the conversation. Eli is SUCH the child that internalizes things and doesn't always participate, especially if the topic is scary or overwhelming or just not to his liking.

Towards the end, I was able to pull out of my poor memory a portion of James 1:19 from that morning: "....be quick to listen and slow to speak..." I then gave a scenario to Eli of the different outcomes rendered from the same situation handled in anger (quick speaking, no listening) versus grace (quick listening, slow to speak), using myself as the person in or out of control of my anger. Eli interacted with that part really well, which tells me he got it, even if only for the moment. It was awesome.

Once at our quick lunch destination the conversation changed to friends and what that relationship should look like. Eli brought up something that happened in C3 that showed less than friendly treatment of Eli by someone he counts as a friend. I reminded Eli that he was perfectly made by God to be treated with respect and kindness, and while he should love his friends gracefully, he should not surround himself with those who do not show that they value him or his friendship. We talked about how it feels to be on either side of his interaction that morning and to my relief he agreed that it was wrong what the other boy had done and he hoped he (Eli) never did the same to anyone else. This was really cool because of how Eli brought the incident up to me: it was without prompting or prodding of any sorts. PLEASE let this confiding be a trend that continues!!

Finally we talked baseball and the relationships on the field. Anyone who has been a part of sports has seen some kids who are better teammates than others. Unfortunately Eli has recently witnessed several examples of how to NOT be a team player. So far, he's done a good job of staying true to his character and I wanted to encourage him that he was on the right path. I also wanted to remind him that not everyone thinks the same way as our family, and while that's ok, we shouldn't change our values to follow others. I know how hard it is for me to swallow some of the choices other families make about handling things on and off of the field, and I'm sure it's even harder for Eli to wrap his little brain around any way other than what he has been taught.

Whew....that is a loooong retelling of a short hour. But it was a FULL hour, and I don't want to forget a second of my fully engaged, unplanned but intentional time with my sweet, keeps-his-thoughts-to-himself boy, so this post will be my reminder :)

SIlly Girl

Maddux is known for waking up before Lehr returns from the bus stop in the morning. Nowadays she often wakes before the boys leave, earning her a ride up to the stop in Daddy's car in her PJs. However, when she is still sleeping, he hesitates to wake her. Since naps are a thing only reserved for busy weekends, the girl needs her morning sleep. And as of late, more times than not, Lehr will return from the bus stop to find Maddux standing in the hallway or garage, crying and maybe screaming "Daddy!" or "Mommy!" Awesome....especially when the neighbors hear it.

We may have found the answer though. Lehr has turned on Maddux's music before he walks up the street the last few days and he's returned to silence. We're not sure if she goes back to sleep or not, but so far, so good. When I asked Maddux about it today she said, "The music made me not scared." (We've talked to her three million times about what to do (and NOT do) if she wakes up in the three minutes Daddy is gone each morning....it just doesn't seem to sink in though.)

Silver Lining

Besides the OBVIOUS silver lining of last night's events - the fact that Eli is 100% ok - a great sibling development came out of Eli's run-in with the ball.

I say it often: Maddux worships Eli and he often doesn't pay her much attention. They have played much better together, starting some time over the summer. But overall, she is much more concerned for his well-being, his happiness, his everything than he is with her. However when we got to the game early, we stood in the outfield seats to catch some batting practice fly balls. Eli did not catch one, but the guy in front of us did and he promptly handed it to Eli. Even though Maddux couldn't care less, and was not even watching BP, Eli immediately told her, "Maddux, if I catch a ball in the game, I'll give it to you so we both can have one."

As awesome as that was, it got better. We watched the game, we started to leave, Eli caught a ball with his eye and the ball bounced into my lap. When we were in the First Aid office, finishing up, Eli realized that we got the ball that hit him. He again reiterated that now Maddux would have one for her room. He restated this a few more times while in the car on the way home. Maybe we're turning a corner here?

More Gray Hairs

And not even because of Maddux this time! We all went to the Braves game tonight. Mom-Mom was in town and so were the Phillies - a no brainer. Eli brought his glove because we were sitting near the bullpen along the third base line. We saw no action all night until just as we were gathering our things to leave. Eli was still at the wall, watching the outfielders and waiting for us. Lehr was right next to him and I was in my seat, putting the kids' water bottles in my bag. A ball came for our seats and Lehr reached up for it. I tracked it with my eyes until it was going past Lehr and then looked down. I then felt the ball land in my lap (after a bounce). Cool...the kids would love it. I picked up the ball and then saw Eli holding his face and crying. Gray hair #1 of the night. Lehr didn't see it once it went past him, I didn't see it....we didn't even know how bad the ball hit him - I think that was the worst part. The immediate good news was Raul Ibanez (Phillies) was on the wall and he wasn't leaving until he knew Eli was ok. He even gave Eli a high five.

Quickly we took him up to the top and a medic came to check him out. His cheek was red and starting to swell a little, but nothing else appeared to be wrong, which we were very grateful for. Ice, another medic and then a trip on the golf cart to the first aid office. By this time Eli was fine, just tired. They checked him out a few more times, as did I, but it appeared to everyone that he would just have some swelling and bruising. He even perked up enough to play a quick game of baseball in the kids' field on the way out.

Once we got home we found a few pictures and a video of what happened. Holy moly. The ball went right through the guy above Eli's hands and landed straight on my boy. Thank God he was wearing a baseball cap and the impact was slightly lessened. Thank God the ball went through the guy's hands first and it was slightly slowed down. Thank God Eli was standing where he was and not 1 or 2 inches to the right; as it was, the ball grazed him on the way down instead of stopping movement as it would of had it hit him square. Gray hairs....they're still growing tonight... (Another link to a video showing Eli and Raul interacting briefly.)



Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Weird Day

Those are the words Eli used to describe the day. A wonderful, eventful, long and FUN day....

Eli had a great day at school, double PE session and some cool weather stuff. To finish it off, Eli lost his second tooth. This one has been pretty loose since he lost the first one, and just like the first time around, the tooth came out at school. This time he managed to keep it until he got to his teacher. She gave him a larger plastic tooth 'keeper' for him to hold it in until he got home. We celebrated very quickly and then left for a birthday party. The kids jumped and climbed walls and did all sorts of other fun things for an hour or so. We had to rush out because Eli had a baseball game.

I honestly thought tonight's game was going to be a wash for Eli given how tired he was. But we got to the field and Eli switched it straight into game mode. He played short stop twice, pitcher once, and second base once. The coach and I laughed about Eli's preference for second base; no matter what position he is put in, if the ball is hit near him, he scoops it up, and runs to tag second like he's a magnet to it. It paid off in the first inning; he got a friend out at second. Then, in the third, Eli got the ball as pitcher and threw it to first for another out. At bat, he was a maniac. He hit three strong hits to the grass, earning two triples and a double. The double should have been a triple, but he turned around over halfway to the third bag. His second at-bat found Eli standing at the plate with two pieces of bat in his hands: it broke when he tapped the plate.

To finish out, Eli earned the game ball. Awesome ending to an awesome game for Eli. On the way home he recounted a few things, referencing the day as 'weird' several times.....

One-On-One Weekend

A few months back, Eli got to fly to Florida with Lehr to see the last shuttle launch. Maddux and I had a great time, but of course a trip alone with Daddy (on a plane!) is a bit more exciting. This past weekend she was able to accompany Lehr on a Florida trip as well. The kids' great-grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday, and since we couldn't all make the trip, Lehr and Maddux represented.

This meant 3 days of one-on-one for Eli and I. I was very excited since the two of us don't get a lot of that quality time together. I had many things planned, but I knew we'd only get through about half of my list. Saturday we played some board games, planned our dinner date, and ran to Target for new tennis shoes. (The shoes are apparently the main thing he remembers about the weekend; he ran around at church yesterday telling EVERYONE, "I've got new shoes!!") Eli had a game Saturday afternoon, so we spent a good portion of the day at the fields. Eli played well, running the ball to first base once to make an out.

After the game, we rushed home to get ready for our sushi date. When faced with the choice of many restaurants for our dinner date, Eli chose sushi immediately. When we got home, we watched a new "Oceans" DVD that I got Eli for his birthday. He was in awe the whole time, watching all of the animals and marine life on the big screen. The movie ended just before the FSU game started, so I let him stay up a little later to watch the first quarter. Eli now knows the FSU cheers and a little bit about how the game works.

Though Eli slept in his own bed Saturday night, he did creep into mine around 7AM on Sunday. Though he stayed quiet, he did not appear to be tired when he first came in, but 15 minutes later, he was snoring again. I obviously closed my eyes as well because the next thing I knew, I woke up and the clock said 9:20. I guess we wore each other out on Saturday! We rushed to eat breakfast and get to church. Eli and I had to then grab lunch on the way back to the field: 1PM practice. It was a GREAT practice for Eli. The coach gave Eli some great tips about things and even let him try his hand at first base. Eli has been able to stand at first before, but he has never been 'schooled' properly in what to do, how to stand, etc. He got that opportunity yesterday, totally to his delight.

After practice we came home and practiced more. Eli loves to play baseball, so the thought of an afternoon still open was too much for him to pass up. We drilled some hitting points and then went into pop flies. Eli does so well at home, but game time often flusters him so much that he misses fly balls that are hit right to him. One day... From there we went to the back yard to make a few tie-dye shirts. We bought the stuff to make them just before school started, but time hasn't allowed for us to complete the project. Eli was so excited to make two shirts. By this time it was close to dinner. Eli had asked for pancakes for Sunday breakfast, but our sleeping in had prevented that. So we ate them for dinner instead!

The last piece of our weekend together was a bike ride. I'd planned on a few of these, but Eli turned me down each time I suggested it until last night. We rode to the pool and back - about 2 1/2 miles by the time we were done. Very hilly (for his little legs) miles. He did great; he never complained about getting off to walk, or run, his bike up the hills. Finally, bedtime. I let Eli sleep in my bed as a special treat, and (of course) I took the opportunity to snuggle with him as he drifted off. It took all of four minutes before he was lightly snoring. I do love that kid!!

Baseball Is Here!

Eli has started his last fall season of baseball with the Shetland (read: ity bity little kid) league. His team is a small one, much smaller than any others he's been on (he is the 2nd or 3rd largest kid, and he ain't big!). The cool upside to this is the opportunities Eli will have. He's never been big enough to hold any major spots on the team, and only 'broke into' second base a few times last season. This time around he's one of three kids that goes through BP and other drills quickly and moves on to be support staff for the coaches in the field. That means extra practice in areas Eli can use it, and that means more fun in the long run. He's really enjoying this new role, and since he doesn't know any of the younger kids on the team, he's even more focused than usual, goofing around less and learning more. Don't get me wrong; I want him to have fun, but he's still loving every second of it even though he's not dragging his feet through the chalk lines and making piles of dirt during downtime.

The team, The Hooks, had their first game last weekend. Eli played second base twice and short stop once. He made two great plays, one almost resulting in an out and one preventing a run. His at-bats were solid, but nothing major to note. I have no clue if the team won; this first game was the first ever game for many of these boys, so it was less about scoring runs and more about the logistics and flow of a game. We're looking forward to a great season!

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.