High Five

Even though I swear up and down that I put bricks on your head each night while you sleep, you still keep getting bigger and older, Maddux. I officially call a 'time-out'.

Over breakfast yesterday you told me, "I can't believe I'm going to be FIVE years old tomorrow!" Well, that made two of us. The short journey that has been your life so far has absolutely flown by, much to my dismay. I'll try to recount this last year of your awesomeness now, so that I never forget.

Your fifth year started with a girls weekend: your dad and brother went to Florida to see the shuttle launch and you and I did 'girly' things like paint our nails and go to dinner. I'm not very good at girly things, but you keep teaching me that I may one day be a better representation. When we flew out west to visit my side of the family later last summer, you had a much better 'girl time' with Grandma Cathie and your cousin, Eden. I think that needs to be a more regular occurance than once every few years.



This year was your last preschool year; next year you will attend the elementary school with your brother. Big stuff. You had a great time attending Pre-K four days/week, learning about computers, spelling, 'monkey math', music, and many other subjects. Your class had many other 'alphas', so we struggled at times with self-control and first-time obediance, but at the end of the day, you were still a positive force in the classroom.

Softball, ballet and swimming were the sports you chose this year. You have yet to find one thing that you are truely passionate about, but that doesn't stop you from wanting to try everything, and enjoying every step along the way. You were too young to participate in my favorite obstacle/trail race this year, but you ran alongside of Eli and I, showing more determination for it than he did. I look very forward to future races with you, Mad Dog.

Another special trip you took was with your Daddy: the two of you went to Florida to celebrate Nana's 90th birthday. She was so excited to have you stay with her that weekend, and you proved to be great 90th birthday party entertainment. You went to the pool, the beach, and ate plenty of Drumsticks and birthday cake.


You continue to make friends everywhere you go, especially with older kids. Their age and/or size does not intimidate you in the slightest. I am constantly in awe of your social ease and confidence! It has earned you popularity everywhere we go. I have no doubt that when you start school this year, your name will be known by many 'upperclassmen'; you will be the name that someone mentions and everyone says, "Oh, I know her."

Right after the holidays, we took a trip to Disneyworld. One of the main reasons we chose to do that this year was your love for all things Princess. We surprised you with breakfast in Cinderella's castle, and you spent the morning seeing and talking to most of your favorite ladies of Disney.


You and I recently took our first girls weekend away; the two of us flew out west to visit your newest cousins, Boden and Ava. The trip was for the purpose of me helping with the babies, so even though we traveled together, you spent the bulk of time with Grandma Cathie. You handled it like a rock star, not getting 'homesick' or scared at all. As expected, you just rolled with the punches even though there was lots of car travel from Grandma to me and back again, and you did very well on the plane both ways.

February found you and Daddy going on a very special date: Father-Daughter dance. He bought you flowers, dressed up special, and spoiled you all night with hugs and kisses and attention. You ate it up and made the night a very enjoyable one for both of you that I hope you remember for years to come.

You gave us a scare earlier this summer when you required another (your fourth) ER trip; when you aren't smiling and being silly, we know something is wrong! Like a champ, you bounced back and have been healthy as ever since then. You must stop scaring us that way though, Maddux: you're giving your dad and I gray hairs!

As you enjoy your day today, please remember that we love you more than ice cream, all of the way up to the rainbows and down to the dirt. Happy Fifth Birthday, Maddux!

Sleepover

Eli had his first "real" sleepover last week. I say that with quotations because Eli has technically slept at a friend's house twice before. However one time was after bedtime when we basically threw him across the street to the neighbor's house as we raced Maddux to the ER and the other was with a friend, but Uncle D was with him. This time around it was planned in advance, and it was just Eli and Drew, his best friend. It sounds like the boys had a great time: Drew planned a special dinner and many activities for the evening. When I picked Eli up at swim the next morning he was quick to tell me about the pancakes they'd just eaten and that they were better than the ones we make at home. Perfection.

Florida

Eli and Maddux's great-grandmother went home to Jesus a few weeks ago, so this past weekend we went to Florida to celebrate her life with other family members. The kids have handled it very well, realizing that Nana lived a very long, FULL life and was able to choose to spend her final days at home with family and friends. They have many fond memories of her and randomly brought them up several times during our trip. A few were eating drumsticks at her house, Nana playing 'hoops' with Eli at our house, playing in Nana's pool and reading books before bed. We are so glad they were able to share so many special moments with her!

After a service at Nana's church on Saturday, we went to the beach with family. The kids had a great time on boogie board and playing in the ocean. Eli loves the water and can't get enough of body surfing and chasing the waves. Maddux does ok with the water, but prefers the sand for castle building and seashell hunting. After several fun hours they were worn out so we showered off in preparation for dinner. On the way, we stopped at Ron Jon's and each of them picked out a Florida souvenir. Eli got a skin board (to use on Sunday) and Maddux picked a sparkly palm tree necklace. (That was very fitting because Maddux totally associates palm trees with Florida. On the drive back home, both kids were totally engrossed in movies. After the first one finished, Maddux took her eyes away from the screen and asked, "Are we in Georgia yet?" Then she saw palm trees out her window. "Oh. Never mind...we're still in palm trees. We're not in Georgia.") Dinner was with 15-ish family member and long, but the kids did great. They kept themselves pretty well entertained talking to relatives and whatnot. Eli and I split a crab dinner - that boy loves his seafood! All of Nana's family met the kids for the first time this weekend and loved them; most even commented to me how well-behaved they were.....life is good!!

Sunday morning we woke up and went right to the beach. We started at 5th Avenue, a place Lehr and I frequented in our high school days. Eli had SO much fun practicing with his skin board and the weather was amazing. After a few hours we walked up to the pizza place we grew up with and ate an outdoor lunch. Awesomeness.... We then drove back up to the Cape to go to the beach with Grandpa Ed. The kids were still totally enthralled with the ocean and the sand....they could have stayed all night. We took Grandpa Ed to a birthday dinner at a fun outdoor restaurant and watched the boats. After dinner we parted ways; it was already close to 8PM. We told the kids to close their eyes and try to get a snooze so we could go for a fun treat. They complied and both fell asleep (HARD) on the hour drive to our favorite ice cream stop. We woke them up as we pulled into the parking lot; they were zombies! We all enjoyed a sweet treat to end our trip and then went home to bed.

Blues Across The Board

What a Swim Season it's been! Maddux has really blossomed into a swimmy little fish; she even does back stroke by choice sometimes! And when we go to the pool outside of swim practice, she brings the flippers and moves around the pool like a mermaid - so fast!

Eli is enjoying a very fun year. Just as he was at the top of his game in baseball, he is doing very well being one of the oldest kids in the 6-and-under age category for swim team. This week he earned three blue ribbons: one for each race and all in heat 1! Quite the 6 year old year he's having...

CYT

Maddux just finished her second session of Christian Youth Theater Summer Camp. Last summer she was on the young side, so she only had the option of a half-day Veggie Tales camp (which she loved). However, as a rising Kindergartner this year, she was able to be with the big kids and do the full-day, "Little Mermaid" production.

Each day last week we packed a lunch and snack and Maddux went to church with an older friend from the neighborhood. Six whole hours each day - WOW! She did great though... Even though she was a little tired around dinner time, she held up very well! Every morning they would sing and dance and do crafts related to the theme and production. And while she didn't have any solo parts, Maddux did get to sing and dance in two sections of the final product; SO exciting. Eli and I were able to see her performance on Friday afternoon - she was ecstatic to see us in the audience!

Still Swimming

Maddux is still trucking along, starting off each Meet with a lap of freestyle; she only got a ribbon after that first one, but she is still very interested in 'racing' each week.


Eli is getting faster and faster. He LOVES practicing with the 7-8 group; they learn Butterfly and Breast Stroke as well, and he feels very 'big' now that he knows those strokes. In his racing category, he is killing it - HUGE advantage of being at the older end of the group. Last week he easily won all three of his races and brought his 25Freestyle time under 30seconds. I love my little fish! And I love that I get to take pictures of the whole team each week :)

Weekend Staycation

This last weekend Lehr and I slipped away to celebrate our 13th anniversary. Aunt Megan and Aunt Liz were happy to help out by coming to our house to watch the kids for two nights. Eli and Maddux had a blast; they went to a pool downtown, they got ice cream, they rode in a Jeep, they played games, and they were spoiled the whole time. The kids were so excited to tell Lehr and I all about it, and they were quick to ask when it would happen again.

Maddux: Social Ease Personified

Lehr and I comment on it very often: Maddux is so social able, aware, and competent. We know she didn't get it from us, so we're baffled. Once again this week she proved that she knows how to handle herself in social situations, without any help from us.

We were at the pool and Maddux was playing with her friend, Davis. She saw an acquaintance from school (Mac) playing in the baby pool alone. After a moment she made her way over, chatting and laughing with Davis the whole way, and entered the baby pool as she said, "Mac, this is my friend, Davis. He's a goofball." (She and Davis were being especially silly that day.) So calm, so nonchalant, so easy. She knows how and when to introduce people in the most perfect way....all of that even with a mom who is slightly socially inept.

Boys' Trip

The whole family planned to drive to Florida last weekend, but with Maddux's last minute illness, she and I had to skip the trip. Once we realized Maddux would be ok with a few days of rest, Lehr and Eli hopped into the car and headed south.

Nana has been ill for a few months, and Lehr and I thought it was very important to get down to see her. We prepared Eli for the possibility that Nana may not be the same talkative, active Nana he knew, but you never know how kids are going to react with seeing loved ones sick. Even though Nana spent most of her time in bed while they visited, Lehr said that Eli hopped right into bed next to her for a snuggle when he saw her, and chatted her up when she was awake. The boys did slip away for a quick trip to the beach, but most of their time was spent hanging out with Nana.

First Swim Meet

Tonight was the first Swim Meet of the 2012 season. It was *only* a practice meet (meaning we didn't swim with another team), but the kids did the same thing(s) they would do at any other meet, and it was timed, so it was real to them!

Since she's still four, Maddux isn't allowed to compete yet, but she does still get to practice with the team and swim the first race at each meet. Since she is the only four-year-old on our team, she did that 'race' solo this week. Before anyone else entered the water, my girl climbed up on the blocks, dove off and swam a 25-meter freestyle. Awesome. She did pause halfway to look around a few times, but in all fairness, they'd practiced 'starts' that morning (meaning that several times that morning she dove in, swam a few strokes and turned around). After that she was done for the night, free to hang with her friends in between their races.

Eli doesn't turn seven until August, so even though his peers are all competing in the next level up and even though he practices with them, he races in the 6-and-under category. This is proving to be very beneficial for him. He did REALLY well in all three of his events (25Freestyle, 25Backstroke and 4-man-100Freestyle-Relay). Summer is here!!

4th ER Visit

Not sure how it's possible, but we've been to the ER four times between the kids and every trip has been for Maddux.

Mad Dog woke up last Thursday vomiting and very weak. If you've followed her timeline you'll realize that the only real blemish on her wellness in her four years has been through a few 'episodes' such as this. Lehr didn't even think to call me at camp as this is usually a very routine thing that runs its course within a few hours. Unfortunately, this time she continued to get sick once/hour and couldn't keep even water down. At the twelve hour mark I decided to call the doctor. I'd been researching 'stuff' all day and had determined that outside of treating dehydration, there wasn't much to do for her other than let the illness run its course. (She had no fever.)


As usually happens, the questions the nurse and then doctor asked me caused me to be more concerned, so off to the ER we went. While she wasn't dehydrated, she couldn't do anything other than lie flat (even cradling her in your arms caused vomiting), so the ER staff immediately gave her a Zofran (aka miracle pill!). It cured her nausea on the spot. She was then able to sit up in a bed and drink 8oz of gatorade without any problems at all. After about an hour (to make sure it stayed down), they released her and gave us a few pills for the road.

She took a few days to fully recover, complete with several ups and downs, but by Monday morning, she was back to being Maddux again.

School's Out For The Summer...

Maddux, The Graduate

Maddux graduated from Pre-K yesterday. Unbelievable. That little baby with a not-so-little personality is ready to start "real" school....

Lehr and I spent the morning at Maddux's school watching all three classes of preschoolers sing many songs and receive "diplomas". Maddux has been walking around our house singing all of the songs for weeks, so I'd heard them before but I was still impressed. The kids did a great job, paying attention to their awesome music teacher and doing all of the right hand motions with their lyrics.


As expected, Maddux was most excited about 'punch and cookies' after the main event. She was happy to share her cookie with Daddy, of course.

Swim Team

Summer is here! Well, almost. But the best indicator that summer is near in our house is the start of Swim Team practice. This week kicked off the first few practices after school. Eli has gone through a season before, so even though he's going to have to work up to the level he finished at last year, he has the experience to know that the first week is hard, but it gets better after that. Poor Maddux gave me a look at yesterday's practice (her first) that said, "What have I gotten myself into?!?"

Eli is going to practice with the 7-8's this year, even though he has to compete with the 6U group. (Most of his friends and classmates are in 7-8.) Both kids are even more excited than usual because our head coach is one of their former baby-sitters, "Mr Michael". It's going to be a great summer!

Mothers' Day

The kids treated me right, each making me a cool card and showering me with love, breakfast and flowers. (Eli made me a cool book at school, as well.)

It was a very rainy day, so after church we came back home instead of hiking or biking somewhere fun. I had many organizational things that needed to be done, and as 'un-fun' as that sounds, being able to do them uninterrupted was all the gift I needed that afternoon. Lehr took the kids out front and played in the rain for an hour or so. And since he is the best dad ever, he also created a very functional, slippery slip-n-slide. He cut up some old ground cover and pulled out the soap...the rest is history. The kids ran up and down the hill time after time, slipping, sliding, and having an absolute blast.

Maddux's Last Game

This morning was Maddux's last softball game of the season. The weather was not very compatible; it was raining when we arrived at the field. Unfortunately, the game got cancelled. Fortunately, our team was already there and the rain was minimal, so we turned it into a practice/pick-up game with adults and kids. The girls had a great time playing with dads, me and Eli, and it was a perfect way to end the season. Maddux got a trophy and a snack, so she was happy. Our schedule is now cleared up a little more, so Lehr and I are happy.

Eli's Last Game

It's been another great baseball season for Eli, but this morning it came to an end. There was a game earlier this week that got postponed due to rain. Unfortunately for the boys, it was rescheduled for Friday night. Eli's team is especially young, with the majority of the kids having their 5th birthday just this spring. That usually means that Friday games, after a week of school and whatnot, do not find the Blue Jays focusing and playing well. So we ended up losing last night. The next tournament was scheduled for this morning, just over twelve hours after their exhausted loss. They put up more of a fight, but not enough to continue in the quest for the final game. So Eli is now officially NOT in the Shetland league anymore. As excited as I am for him to move up, I am also sad to say good-bye to the younger league, where the pants never fit right and the jerseys are always way too big.

Maddux's Ballet Recital

Maddux has been participating in a short ballet class once/week after school. She's learned so much and for the past few weeks she's been dancing around our house in a somewhat organized manner, practicing for her end-of-the-year recital. This afternoon, we got to see her and her class in action. It was a glorified ballet class, complete with costumes (just borrowed - what a great idea!) and tiaras (pipe cleaners). She had a blast and Eli, Lehr and I loved watching her so focused on her performance. After she finished, Lehr gave her a special bouquet of flowers...life is good.

Maniac

Maddux is officially a biker. She doesn't ride her bike often, but when she has, it's been on training wheels. About a month ago Lehr and I stuck her on Eli's bike (sans training wheels), just to see. She kinda got it, but only rode for a few minutes. But we got busy and it got cold and rainy... Fast forward to last week when Lehr pulled out Eli's bike again and voila. The video below is from her 2nd attempt that day.

NOLA Jazz Fest 2012

Where to begin... This year's Fest was one of the best ones we've attended. Just like last year, we had three days at fest and NO rain! (No other years since we started going 12 years ago can boast that.) We also had no meltdowns by Eli (bonus!), and we had some new travel companions.
The four of us hit the road early on Thursday morning. On the other side of the country, two grandparents boarded a flight at the same time. Somewhere around 4PM we all met in New Orleans and the kids got the surprise of their lives. We took a trolley to one of our favorite restaurants and spent the evening making Fest plans. The kids could not contain their excitement; sleep did not come easy Thursday night!

Friday morning we woke up with plenty of time to spare, so we drove to Metairie to visit Morning Call and partake in some beignets. Our temporary residence was well within walking distance to the fest, so after breakfast we loaded up and made our way to the Fairgrounds. We wanted to be there when the gates opened so that we could see The Revivalists at the first show. What a way to kick off the weekend :) From there we moved from stage to tent to stage to tent again, stopping here and there to get more food, do a dance, or take in a 2-minute parade. The four of us met up with some local friends for dinner that night; Maddux caught a nap in the car on the way. Everyone fell asleep a little quicker this night.

Saturday morning we opted to head to Jackson Square for some sightseeing before Fest. We took in a Muffuletta, some art, and the boats in the river. It was just after lunch by the time we hit the Fairgrounds, but we still managed to fit in a full full day. Maddux fell asleep promptly on my lap while we sat in the Blues tent, mid afternoon. By the time we hit the Soul Rebels show to end the day, she was full of energy for dancing.

Sunday morning we went to Fest even earlier; Trombone Shorty was playing the second show on the big stage. That stage is one we usually avoid, but the kids wanted to see Shorty, so we gave it a shot. Maddux slept through the first act while the rest of us held down our front row spots. Just about the time Shorty's show was finishing up, Eli and Maddux were both asking to leave. (That stage puts you in direct sun and forces you to stand and watch.) We hit a few more tents, a few more stages, and ate our way through the rest of the day. Our final stop was Tuba Tuba where the kids danced their feet off. No problems sleeping this night, and the kids even slept until 8AM the next day.

Golf

Eli loves sports...all sports. He gravitates towards baseball most consistently, but when the wind blows, he'll pick up a new one and stay focused on it for months at a time. Right now, the sport de jour is golf. Partially fueled by Masters weekend, he's picked up his hand-me-down clubs again and has taken to swinging in the front yard. Lucky for him, Grandpa Jim breezed through town this weekend for 24 hours. Just long enough for he and the kids to enjoy one of the most beautiful afternoons at the driving range.

Maturity

I'm not sure when it happened, but there has been a definite shift in Eli's maturity. For the better.

It's the little things that I noticed first. He'd be up later than normal and NOT have a meltdown. We would have a day of errands or other not-fun stuff and things wouldn't necessarily go his way, yet he was able to express his frustration without totally losing it. I realize I just called those occurrences "little", when they are really big for us, however, when they are not meltdowns, they aren't so big.

This week I've noticed some bigger things. Eli and Maddux have definitely made strides in their sibling relationship in the last year or so, but lately Eli has taken even more an interest in his sister. Two specific events come to mind.

• Maddux made a paper plate craft at church on Sunday. Later that day, Eli walked by the mudroom and saw it on the counter. He said, "Hey Maddux. What is this? Tell me about it..." Very cool, because it wasn't something that was particularly eye-catching; Eli was just trying to engage her.
• Tonight Eli had a baseball game. I didn't know ahead of time, but Maddux drew a picture and put it into Eli's ball bag. After the first inning, Eli came out of the dugout to get his water bottle just as Maddux and I were walking by. He found the picture and said, "Hey Maddux...did you put this picture in my bag? Cool...Thanks!"

To say I'm excited about this new level of sibling relationship would be a huge understatement.

The Bald Eagle

Eli was assigned his first research project just before Spring Break. He was given over two weeks to learn about, compile data on, and prepare a poster displaying information regarding his chosen animal. He did not choose a shark, as I would have guessed. Or even a dog or whale or cheetah, which are all also animals of interest for him. Instead he chose a bald eagle, randomly.

Lehr spearheaded the beginning stages of this project, helping Eli research characteristics, eating patterns, habitats, etc. We were given very little direction with this project, so most of what we did, we chose to do. Along the lines of being only as much work as we wanted it to be. (Pretty cool.) This last week found us doing a little bit on the actual poster each night. Eli typed out six lists of information from the research he'd done. He printed, colored and cut out a picture of a bald eagle. And then he asked if we could make the poster look like the American flag, due to the obvious ties to the eagle. All of this was done by him which is really cool. So even though it took probably 14-ish 'sessions' of working, his poster was done with no arguments, no work by Mommy or Daddy and passed off as work by Eli, and no stress. (Sidenote: I stopped by the school today to see the display of the posters and I was so glad to see the broad spectrum of presentation. Some posters had a scribbled picture and a few words, some had glitter and glitz, some had no words and lots of pictures, and some had toys taped to the paper instead of pictures. Eli's fell very snugly in the middle of all of it. Sooo glad his first experience of this nature was a good one, and I'm so glad that his peers, the work he's probably comparing his to, was all so unique.

Easter Weekend

This weekend was a full one! The kids wanted to take me to SkyZone for my birthday last month, but at the last minute, Eli came down with a fever. We pushed off the plans until we could find a day with an opening, but unfortunately it was this last (busy) Easter/Spring Break weekend. We had a great time, but the crowds meant that we could only jump for an hour. Eli mostly stuck at the Dodgeball area, dodging balls at the back of the back rather than risking jumping out in front to actually THROW the ball. Maddux stuck with me and alternated between stunt jumps into the pit and open jump. We had a blast!

On Sunday we attended church and then played in the front yard; the weather was amazing! The kids were excited to find that we'd made 'fancy dinner' reservations too, as a birthday redo/Easter celebration. We took the kids to Sotto Sotto, one of our long time favorite restaurants. We ordered a few appetizers and a few entrees and shared it all. Even though my kids both love southern Italian food best (aka red sauce 'stuff'), they tried everything and definitely enjoyed the risotto and mussels.

Spring Break, Part II

While the first part of the week was spent in Kentucky, the second half was equally as full, even though we were 'only' at home. I had several errands to run on Wednesday, the first day after we returned from our trip. Unfortunately for the kids that meant a lot more car time. However, I did mix it up a little and they had some fun things here and there. Plus, the game "War" was rediscovered recently, so they played that in the car between Costco and the bank and all of the other boooring places I had to drag them to.

Thursday morning we ran a quick errand and then headed out to DACKids, which both Maddux and Eli love. We brought our lunch and spent about three hours there. The kids played in the sand, on the wooden structure, with the nerf-ball blasters...it was a blast! Maddux and Eli really had a great time playing with just each other; we weren't able to coordinate schedules for anyone to join us, but the two of them didn't seem to mind at all.

On Friday we ended our week-o-free-schedule with a trip slightly north to visit the Tellus Science Museum for the first time. We walked through exhibits on the evolution of transportation of all kinds (including shuttles!), exhibits on gems and fossils, and many 'bone' exhibits. At the end, we watch a movie on space in a planetarium and got to dig for our own fossils. Eli found a shark tooth and was so excited. This week was a great preview of our summer!

Spring Break

What a week, and it's not even over yet! This week was Spring Break for both kids, so we decided to take a trip. Good friends of ours moved to Ohio about a year ago, so spur of the moment we decided to meet them at the halfway location for a few days of fun. Cumberland Falls, Kentucky is where we ended up!

We arrived at the cabin just after lunchtime on Sunday. The family we were meeting had three of their four kids with them: a second grade boy, a first grade girl and a three year old girl. Our kids all played together very well in the past, but they hadn't seen each other in so long that we were not sure what would happen. They took all of about one minute to reacquaint and then hit the ground running. The girls all played in one of the bedrooms and Eli and Titus (the boy) went outside and found rocks and mud to play in. We went for a short hike at the falls and then came home for dinner and a fire. The kids were having so much fun that we had to separate them at bedtime just so they could sleep.

The next morning we got up and had a big breakfast before heading out to the river for some kayaking. Maddux rode with me and Eli went with Lehr. They all enjoyed having their own paddle and helping. We had to stop at the grocery store before dinner, so our car went into town while the other family went back to the cabin. Eli and Maddux were sleeping in their carseats not three minutes after we left the river.

Once we returned 'home', we quickly changed and then drove up the street to a horse farm in hopes of getting a quick ride before dinner. Horses are not something I have any experience with, but I thought the kids would love it. All five kids got to ride the pony by themselves for a few minutes and then we saddled up on the real horses. The BIG horses. Eli went with me and Maddux went with Lehr, but the saddles were not big enough for two, so Eli was very squished and uncomfortable the whole time. There were a few kinda crazy moments on the horses, and about ten minutes in, the other mom asked if we could turn back. I was relieved! Eli and I and the mom and two girls went back and got off of the horses. Maddux and Lehr stayed though, and enjoyed a whole ride.

We finished the night with s'mores and this time the kids fell right asleep. One more big breakfast and the kids played all morning before we got on the road back to Atlanta. Maddux absolutely LOVED having two 'sisters' to play with. She adored taking care of Leah (the three year old) any way she could, and playing with Bekah (the 1st grader) made her day. Eli and Titus spent a lot of time playing catch and running around outside. It was a trip they won't soon forget!

Another Gem

It's almost over the top....Eli and Maddux get along so well most days that I KNOW it's gotta to move to a new phase of not liking each other soon. Until then, I'm loving every minute!!

Eli had two baseball games slotted for this weekend, so this last week there was much conversation about the 'schedule'. The last game we went to, Eli requested bubble gum and I told him if he wanted to bring a nickle for the game, he could buy himself some gum. So while we're driving somewhere this week, Eli asks (again) if he has a game on Friday night. When I answer affirmatively (again), he says, "OK, then I need to remember to bring ten cents." When I inquire about it, he says to Maddux and I, "Maddux, since you're so good in going to all of my games with a happy heart, I'm going to get a piece of gum for you and me on Friday." Pretty awesome, even if it was borderline 'bossy'.

Siblings

Many times I have commented on how much I LOVE the phase Eli and Maddux are in, as siblings. For so long (so it seemed), Eli wouldn't give Maddux the time of day, and sibling playtime was non-existent. Not only do they play together now, but they really seem to enjoy each other's company and Eli even seeks Maddux out!

Recently we had a great weekend example of this. Saturday mornings usually find Eli waking around 7AM because his internal clock is used to getting up at 6AM for school. He and Maddux will sometimes play together or come and 'bug' Lehr and I to get out of bed. One particularly awesome morning, Maddux later told me that she woke up (around 7:30) to find Eli lying in her bed with her, kinda snoozing. He was waiting for her to wake up and play. (BTW - on this particular day, he did NOT come to our room first.)

One afternoon before our small group came to visit, I gave the kids the task of tackling the secret room for a solid five-minute clean-up effort. I expected much moaning and groaning from Eli, but instead, I heard him divvying up the work: "Maddux, you do the front part and I'll work on the back." It was really cool to hear them talking it out and working together.

In the same week, I was getting dinner ready and told the kids to go out front and start playing, and I'd join them in five minutes. As they were getting shoes on in the mudroom, I watched them negotiate what they wanted to do.

• Maddux - "Should we do the same as yesterday where you throw the ball to me and I'll throw it to you?"
• Eli - "Yes, but we need to work on grounders and pop-ups."
• Maddux - "OK, so you throw me a grounder and I'll throw you a pop-up. Like 'grounder, pop-up, grounder'?"
• Eli - "Exactly"

I couldn't smile any more if I tried.

Two Peas In A Pod

The weekends bring all sorts of new traditions for us as time goes by. Now that Eli is in school, he often still wakes early on Saturday mornings. He's usually pretty good about staying in his room and creating Lego masterpieces or drawing pictures and lists. A few months back, the two kids started getting up and playing together, which is cool. Some mornings we hear them playing chess or cards, loudly whispering to each other their protests with the other's move. I often hear Eli wake up and go rouse his sister so they can start playing immediately.

This morning was a new, awesome installment. The kids woke a little early; we had ball games, so that was just fine. We heard them playing quietly so we got up right away and got them moving in a productive way. Later this afternoon, Maddux randomly brought up something about the morning to me. I asked her, "Did you wake up on your own, or did Eli come in and wake you up?" She told me that she woke up and saw him lying in her bed, sleeping next to her. So she snuggled him and then they got up and played. If that's not awesomeness, I don't know what is!

Faith In Action

The kids joined us for another Faith In Action this morning. As usual, they worked with Lehr while I wandered around taking photos. The three of them started outside, working landscaping by pulling weeds and raking. After an hour or so, Maddux grew tired of it, so I took her and a friend to the gym to play with the other kids. Eli hung with Daddy for another 30 minutes and then he walked around with me. When we next saw Lehr, Eli re-joined him, just in time for mulching. This was a difficult task, but Eli loved it. He shoveled and shoveled the rest of the morning. Later, Eli commented that he was going to be sore the next day because his arms were so tired. I love that they have been so involved in so many FIAs!

Game Two

Maddux had her second softball game yesterday morning. She was so excited because she was playing her friend, Anni's, team. We got all suited up and went to the game as a family, which tickled Eli and Maddux both. (Eli had a scrimmage at the same time as Maddux's first game, so he missed her in action last week.)

Maddux did great, hitting by pitch once and off of the tee the next time. She played several positions, including pitcher, which allowed her to throw to first a few times. (Throwing is her strength; she's still a bit stand-offish when the ball is thrown in the air to her.)

My favorite part of the morning was how into it Eli was. He knew a boy at the field and the two of them played football for most of the softball game, but Eli did stick his head in the dugout a few times to converse with and encourage Maddux. I didn't notice the best part of this until later when Lehr and I looked through my pictures. When Maddux was up to bat the first time, Eli stopped throwing the football to focus on Maddux's chance at the plate. Love it!

Season Opener

Eli had his first game of the spring season this afternoon, after Maddux's game this morning. (Busy day!!) It was sunny, cool and absolutely perfect for baseball. Eli played short stop and 1st base. WOW - talk about excitement for him! Lehr and I both agree that his strengths keep him in the short stop/2nd base range, but every kid wants to play 1st base at some point. He hit a couple of good hits, but got thrown out at second base one inning. Eli is still the happy-to-play kid that doesn't get upset by an out here or there; life is good!

What-What!?!

This is Maddux's favorite expression. Truth be told, I use it, especially with the kids. Just cuz it's fun. As of late, I've heard Maddux use it on many occasions, most of the time, appropriately.

• (After making three matches in a row during a game of "Rememory" with me.) "Three, Mommy! WHAT-WHAT?!?"
• "Rock-paper-scissors-shoot! Paper covers rock..What-what!"
• "What's for breakfast, Mommy?" "Pancakes." "WHAT-WHAT!!?"

Love that girl.

Mad Dog's First Softball Game

What a spring this will be. We got both Maddux's and Eli's ball schedules this week and it pretty much filled our calendar up until May. Yikes! Tonight Eli had a scrimmage at the same time Maddux had her first game. Lehr is assistant coaching Eli and I'm assistant coaching Maddux, so it was a night of divide and conquer. The good (?) news is that Saturday they both play, but at different times. So while we will be spending all day at a field of some location, at least we'll all be together.

The league we put Maddux in is very basic and 'loose'. Her game tonight consisted of each team going through their lineup completely while the other team practiced some fielding work. Then we switched. We did that twice by the time our hour was up. I got to lead the team tonight in the head coach's absence, which wasn't as scary as I thought. But that may be because I was on the field and not in the dugout while our girls were up at bat :) Since Maddux is one of three girls who can throw the ball with some distance and accuracy, I put her at pitcher for the second inning and she loved it. Even though she didn't hit any balls pitched to her tonight, she played well and had fun. Life is good.

Food Drive

It has been quite a week. A few months ago, we decided (as a family) to head up a neighborhood food drive to help a local ministry with their dwindling pantry after the holidays. Due to spring sports schedules, we weren't able to get as much help with the food pick-up as we'd hoped, but since we'd already planned on this date for the drive, we decided to just make it a full day event.

Eli's best buddy and family helped us out with a small amount of grocery bag distribution, but that was definitely the biggest job of the whole thing. The kids and I put in just over an hour Tuesday afternoon, but that barely touched our big neighborhood. Maddux and I still hit a handful of houses each day the rest of the week, before she went to school, and I ended up distributing about 100 on Thursday morning after I dropped her off at school. We WILL plan better for that portion next time.

The morning of the food drive was supposed to be rainy, but we were blessed with a little wind and lots of sun. We tackled the neighborhood starting at 10:00AM and were done before noon! Combined with Eli's friend's family, we collected about 100 bags, which we were able to drive to MUST Ministry immediately. The kids did a great job with loading and unloading the bags, and Eli was excited to be working with his friend (even though they were in separate cars). Hopefully this will be an annual event for us!

Teach Them As You Expect Them To Go....

For the last six months or so, we have had a verse displayed in the kitchen that we've been working on it. Each week (or so) we let the kids take turns picking the verse and the intent is to recite the verse throughout the week as well as look for it in action in their daily lives. The kids have enjoyed it and (at least for the week) they have done a great job of learning and remembering new verses.

This week it became obvious to me that they even understand the application of the verses, more than I'd imagined. Maddux and Eli were playing on the back deck while I was making dinner one afternoon. Eli got the basketball and started playing. Even though Maddux wanted to play, he told her that he wanted to play alone. She then grabbed the ball away from him and ran away. He asked her several times (in a voice I wouldn't call 'nice', but definitely not in a mean tone) to return the ball. When she refused, he came in and (calmly) told me, "Mom, I got the ball for myself to play and then Maddux took it. I asked her to give it back to me, but she won't so I'm coming to you."

This is exactly the way we've asked them to approach such a situation (basically, try to work it out between yourselves first), so I was super excited because Eli usually struggles with all of that AND calmness. I thanked him and then called for Maddux to come in and have a chat with me. I reminded her that taking something from a friend is not a good way to make them want to play. Then we quickly reviewed our current verse: Love your neighbor as yourself. She agreed that she doesn't like it when others take toys from her, so she shouldn't do that to Eli.

Off she goes, back outside. I hear her ask Eli again if she can play with him and he declines, a little harshly. She huffs and looks at him as she says, "Eli, you just gave me that red balloon today and that means you're nice, so you can't be mean to me. Love your neighbor as yourself." As solid as her delivery was, Eli was not convicted to share his basketball.