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.