A great idea...

Yesterday was errand day. John and I had been hyping the boys up all morning to go to the grocery and the bank. I was tying Isaac's shoes and the conversation goes:
Me: Are you ready to go to the grocery?
Isaac: And the bank?
Me: Yes, and the bank (enters Eli, running around in excitement)
Eli: We are going to the bank! Is that where you get money?? What a great idea!!!!

I assume that you got the memo from the banker (on Eli's train table) that the bank was giving away free money on Tuesday...

Blind leading the blind

I love it when the boys try to explain things to each other. It is like neither one of them has a clue as to what is going on, yet they both have an opinion on things. They are both sitting there, pooping in their pants, shaping each others thoughts. I especially like it when they disagree on things, like one has more intelligent thoughts then the other...

The Agony

It is official. We are a pacifier free house. Eli never really used one. Isaac, however, has been a different story. In fact there were times when I would catch him with two in his mouth.

For 2 years the pacifier has been his sleep aid. So much so that he has had a permanent red mark above his lip (observe the Christmas pic below). We were fearing permanent lip and teeth damage, so we decided to end the era. I kind of feel bad that we didn't warn him. We didn't let him relish his last night with the friend. We just put him down for a nap on Sunday and said - you are a big boy now and big boys don't need a pacifier. We were definitely met with some resistance. The first night we put him down he flailed around for about 3 minutes crying - I felt so bad for him. But we persevered through and only thee days later he is pacifier free. He hasn't asked for it since Tuesday at nap and has actually gone to bed happily the last two nights. Kind of crazy that a two year habit can be over in 48 hours, huh?

I hate that my baby days are over, sort of. It is kind of sad to see that era gone, but at the same time... I sure love the matchbox cars, hallway basketball games, and wrestling matches. I think a new, more fun era has begun!

Dear God...

We have started letting Eli and Isaac pray at the dinner table. Eli babbles for a full 2 minutes. Most of it does not sound like English, but today I am positive I heard him thank God for Donald Duck and Huey, Duey, and Louie.

Sharing the Baby Grand

I am available on Wednesday's and Friday's if you would like me to teach your children how to share too.

Vintage Eli & Isaac

Merry Christmas!

Christmas with kids is just fun. Everything about it is fun. The family events, the food, the presents. I think kids are really what make the holidays great. Well, at least that is how I feel about my kids. My family members who saw my kids running in circle for literally 1 hour may not have felt the same way - but that is what stuffing cookies in them will do.
So - of course they did some funny/cute things...

• On Christmas morning John and I sat out a couple of the boys gifts. We only got them three things each since they have a family that LOVES to spoil them. (Also we got them a train table and we were waiting for the train accessories that they were getting later in the day.) Evidently our "pile" of presents was not impressive. They did not even notice them in the morning. In fact it was about 9:00 PM before we opened them - and John and I were the ones that instigated it. As a side, they LOVED their "Buzz Lightyear" and "Woody" dolls.
• After the boys woke up in the AM and had some milk we were getting them dressed to go to nana and pops house for breakfast. I was putting Isaac shoes on and he said "Where we going?" I said, "Pops and Nana's for breakfast." Isaac said, "Hum, fun."
• Every time, and I mean every time, ANYONE opened a present Isaac would hover over them and way "What's it going to be?" although it sound more like "Wha i gona be?"
• When Eli opened a present he would squeal and say "Thank you berry much - it is AMAZING." Although one gift he opened up and he said "Oh neat" and I said "What is it Eli" and he said, "Hummmm, have no idea..."
• Eli and Isaac delivered their present to their cousin Gracie - and she took it over to Laura (her mom) to read the tag. Laura said "This one is from Eli and Isaac." Gracie then threw (literally) it back at them, still wrapped. I think she misunderstood that it was FROM Eli and Isaac and not TO Eli and Isaac.
• This one is kudos to Mamaw. We stopped by mamaw's to drop off her present and wish her a Merry Christmas. While Isaac was unwrapping his gift her scissors fell out. That is right - she wrapped her scissors in the gift. Classic.

It was a great day. I hope to have some video up later. They got a "My First Grand Piano" from their aunt Judy. Playing it became an impressive wrestling match.

Colors

John and I routinely bribe the boys with crayons after they finish eating so we can have family time around the table. Last night - after the meal was done Isaac was working his way through the box of crayons naming the colors. After being 3/3 in naming his colors. I thought I would quiz him a bit. John's entire family was in for Christmas so I obviously needed to display his genius. Holding up a white crayon, I said, "What color is this, Isaac?" Without missing a beat he said - "Milk".

Monkeys

Have you ever been to the Louisville Zoo? There are several great monkey exhibits. The monkeys play around the exhibit swinging from ropes. So a few things I should tell you before you view this:
1) This was not staged - the boys concocted this on their own.
2) I know this is a choking hazard and should only be done with supervision.
3) I don't believe in evolution, but sometimes I think my kids just might be a little closer to monkeys than humans...


The bananas at the end were just an added bonus that they threw in.

Sunday was Eli's day..

I "teach" one of the two year old Sunday school classes at our church. Actually, calling myself a "teacher" may be a little degrading to actual teachers, so I will call myself the head play person. I chose not to teach Eli's class, because every parent knows you can't teach your own child's class and give everyone else's child a fair shake. However, due to low attendance on Sunday we combined the 2 two-year old classes. So Eli was in my class. About 10:15 we do our Bible story, although I am pretty sure the kids have no clue what I am talking about. Anyway, I had laid the craft out and was starting to tell the story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. Eli, interrupted me and said - "Enough with the story mom, lets get to the crap." Craft, Craft, Craft.

We also went to the Southern Lights display on Sunday evening. After the lights and the toy train exhibit we quickly walked through the horse museum. There was a ceiling display in the museum of a horse drawn carriage. Thinking Eli would like it we made it a point to show it to him. He started laughing hysterically - and said "Oh my gosh mom, look at that horses butt, it is so funny."

A Shark Crap

Uncle Joe is going to get the title credit on this one...
So, Uncle Joe has lunch with us on Sundays and does his laundry. He comes after church and changes into shorts when he gets here. The boys have been walking around pulling their pants up to their knees and saying "Look, I'm uncle Joe."
Today - we were in the van and Eli said "Look, I'm Uncle Joe" (pants pulled up into the shorts position). So that sparked a conversation about Uncle Joe and if he was going to be at our house when we got home. I said, "No, Uncle Joe is in school right now" (he is studying at UK to be a Physical Therapist). Thoughtfully Eli said "I bet Joe is making a Shark crap. I bet he is using sparkles and glue." (Crap is craft in Eli speak). Clearly Eli is well challenged at "school" - his preschool is a well known for their college prep curriculum.

Near Disaster

Ok not really. But, we took our Christmas pictures yesterday for our Christmas card. Thirty minutes after we finished Eli gave Isaac a black eye. Thankfully our picture will look nice and sweet and not like two members of a hockey team.

I have included some of the goofball ones below.

Somehow they manage to be cute even when they are sick.

Illness - it is in the air

So in the past week we have spent $100 in co-pays for this nagging illness that Eli and Isaac have been passing back and forth. Eli had Bronchitis, Isaac had bronchitis. Conveniently Isaac came down with his on Saturday - so we got a fun weekend trip to the doctor, which was interrupted by a wet snow, which resulted in a 2 hour drive home. Since he wasn't getting any better John took off yesterday while I was in DC to take Isaac back in. Yesterday Isaac was diagnosed with pneumonia. And, last night Eli did not sleep due to a 102.2 temp - Lexington Clinic is loving us. I on the other hand, would like a break from their fine staff.

In the past 48 hours I have ...
- Flown to and from Washington DC for a meeting
- had 12 hours of fantastically interrupted sleep (10 episodes of screaming/sweating children)
- administered 8 rounds of antibiotics and about 12 of Motrin

I look like I have been hit by a train. Feel like it too, consequently.
And... it is only Tuesday.

Feeling the love...

So I have noticed lately that when I kiss Eli on the cheek he promptly licks his hand and "wipes it off."

The Hard Seat

Eli has this new trick with his booster seat to really tug at the heart strings. When he is tired of eating dinner, or needs a change of atmosphere from his booster seat at the dinner table he will get this real pathetic look on his face and say "Mommy my seat is so hard, it hurts. I need to sit on your lap." I fell for it once and of course as soon as I unbuckled his booster seat he was gone. At the next meal I but a blanket in the seat so he couldn't pull that one. He said "Oh, mom - this is amazing (his adjective for everything)".
So yesterday he sat in his booster seat WILLINGLY for 3 hours. THREE HOURS. While I was cooking dinner he wanted to play with beans. About two weeks ago I emptied three old bags of beans (black, great northern, and black eyed peas) in a plastic container and gave them spoons and other small containers to play with (thanks parenting magazine for the idea)- it has served us for HOURS of fun. So for about an hour he played with beans. We then ate dinner. Then he wanted to color - so he colored for about 20 minutes. Then he asked to play play-doh, which he played with for an hour and a half. If you don't have a toddler this is significant for several reasons:
1) toddlers attention span is usually about 5 seconds
2) Eli was occupied HAPPILY for THREE HOURS!! I made dinner, Isaac played without the threat of an older brother, and John and I watched the Florida and Alabama game.
It was a lovely, lovely evening. I am writting about it to cherish this - because I know the chances of it happening again are slim to none.

Lately

So life has been busy, and blogging has been non-existent. So I will catch you up a bit.

• The breakfast of choice is: "shiny raisin bran" (translation - Raisin Bran Crunch)
• The boys favorite past time - playing with dried beans and plastic containers
• Eli and Isaac both think they can blow the lights off (like a candle) on the Christmas tree.
• Eli identified one of our family members (who shall remain nameless) as "kind of a bore."
• Isaac has started saying, "wa ka do do" which means "Whatcha going to do?"
• We have to tell Isaac to tickle his eyes, nose, neck, cheeks, etc to keep him from playing with his poop when we change his diaper.
• Eli "can't take a shower because it turns him into a wild man"
• Eli is getting smarter and intuitive - I think he will be outsmarting us soon :)

never a dull moment.