Eli turns 2 today!!!

Practical and prudent, ambitious and disciplined, Patient and careful, Humorous and reserved...

Traits of a Capricorn...

hmmmm.....as I look back at past entries, I realize it has been since Mac's birthday that I last posted!!! So, it seems fitting that TODAY of all days, I should get back in the saddle and start blogging once more...ELI'S BIRTHDAY!!!

So far today, he has blessed us by sleeping in until 8am! That is a true feat for him, as he is usually like clockwork, waking around 6:45 every morning. He also "blessed" me this morning by starting a new bad habit...sucking his thumb!!! He couldn't find his "ba ba" (pacifier), so he found the next best thing, and BONUS...it is attached to him, so he can never lose it! And right this very moment he is "blessing" me by screaming bloody murder in my ear and grabbing my hands as I try to eek out this posting. Crying and screaming is, unfortunately, a trait of our Eli. He can cry for hours. :)And I can almost hear him thinking..."and there is nothing you can do about it Mom!" But, I do count even those stressful crying fits as a blessing because I have him here to be a crying, fit throwing baby! There are so many people today suffering in Haiti after the earthquake who lost there two year olds. I have mine. And I am so lucky that he is a happy, healthy, fitting-throwing TWO year old!

Nathan decided that we are going to continue with our tradition of trying to scare the bejeebiz out of our birthday boys by going to a Hibatchi grill for their 2nd birthday! Why not I say. Let's see just what he's made of. We already scared him to death last weekend by going to Disney and meeting the characters Mickey and Minnie. Oh Boy! ...Mac has become used to them, even hugging Mr. Incredible. But Eli...oh my...he is terrified still. WHat a great start the birthday scare!

So...now I must attack the house, get it picked up because MeMe and Poppy are coming today, and we are having...you guessed it...a Mickey Mouse birthday party for Eli! Oh, and did I mention he has had a fever for the last 3 days! Happy birthday, son!

Mac is 4 today!!!

My big boy just got bigger today! Nathan went into his room this morning and said "Happy Birthday Mac. You are 4 today!" Mac shot straight up out of bed like he had just missed Santa Claus. He has been anticipating this day for over a week. Last night, he told Nathan that he couldn't wait to be 4 so he could run faster than Evi. This morning after he walked out into the kitchen, he was holding his night night and sucking his fingers (as usual) and suddenly said to himself, "Let me see..." Then he took off running through the house, into the office, back into the kitchen. "Yep. I'm 4." I said, "How do you know you're 4?" "Because I am faster Mommy." I love the logic! Tonight we have a big pool party planned at the clubhouse with 70 of our closest friends and neighbors to celebrate with Mac! YIKES!

He started his pre-K school this week on Monday, and being the youngest in his class, his nerves got the best of him. The first 2 days were pretty rough. Sunday night, I told him he could have any breakfast that he wanted on Monday morning. After I steered him away from his first choice of McDonalds (In the restaurant), he picked pancakes. At 4:30am, Monday morning, Mac was standing beside my bed. "Mom, can we make pancakes now?" "Uh...No. It is still the middle of the night. Let's wait a few more hours." Then when he did wake up at the right time, he helped me make the pancakes which then sat on his plate untouched. I noticed him walk quietly into his room. When I went in to check on him, he was lying in his bed very pensive. I asked him what was wrong, and he said he didn't want to go to school. We had had a few tears about it the night before, but I was hoping the pancakes would smooth things over. Not so much. More tears. When we finally got to school, it started again. I had to have the teacher's aid physically take him from me. OY! Rip my heart out. But, when I got back to school at 11:00am, he was playing cheerfully outside with his buddies Evi and Elle.

Tuesday, was similar to Monday. Lots of tears. "I don't want to go." Actually, that was the day he came out of his room and said "Mom, I already went to school today." ; ) Tricky little guy. Then when I said, "No you haven't." He said, "Mom, I think I will skip school today." Huh??!! "Where did you hear 'skip school'?" "Papaw told me that if I didn't want to go to school, I could just skip it." "Really?" Papaw has sinced denied this conversation, but stated that it sounded like the advise he would have rendered had he been asked about what to do if you didn't want to go to school. Thanks Papaw!

Wednesday, Mac woke up and said "Mom, I'm not going to cry at school today." "OK" I said. "Sounds good to me." And Vois la, NO TEARS!!! The teacher, Miss Rachael, came and wisked him away and got him occupied with some blocks. Then yesterday, we were a little early and his teacher wasn't in the class room yet, but the aid was. Mac said, "Where's the other teacher?" I think he loves Miss Rachael!!!

Today, school drop off was a breeze! Birthday boys get lots of special attention in Miss Rachael's class! Plus, he loves having his friends in his class and making new friends like Lily (another Lily!) and Nicholas.

Time to get ready for the big party tonight!

Growing Up With A Village

I have vivid memories of growing up with a "Village" of family members throughout our town. My parents' friends and their kids were a vital part of my upbringing. I am sure my sisters feel the same way. I liked having older and "other" siblings in my extended family. I hoped that when we moved to our new home that we would be able to provide that for our boys. After last night, I saw that we had.

I have previously commented about how great our neighbors and their kids are. We are so fortunate to have such a warm and friendly neighborhood. My boys don't feel the slightest bit shy about walking right into our neighbors garage and punching the punching bags or knocking on their door to see if they are home to solicit a special snack. Mac even has a secret hiding place in their pantry for his own treats!!! And Eli...I have to really watch him so that he doesn't just walk right across the street to our other neighbor's house when they come outside with their girls.

Last night, during our weekly "Aloha Friday" festivities, we headed to the pool for a cookout. It was a great and new experience, because there were new friends there who aren't normally here on Friday evenings. What is so great about having these get-togethers is, it seems like their are always new people there, and everyone brings with them their own "flavor." The kids, subsequently, get new friends to get to know.

Well...as I watched the kids swimming in the pool, I see Eli playing with Ella, Mac on Drew's shoulders playing a game of Chicken with some other boys. The girls are getting to know each other and prancing around the pool. Suddenly, a group of kids run over to the pond to check out the gator. And then it hit me...This is how I grew up. All different ages of kids hanging out. The older ones leading the way, the younger ones trying to vy for the attention of the older ones. It was great! I had flashbacks of vacations to Kentucky Lake, Fourth of July parties, Halloween gatherings in our basement, and Caroling parties at the Dwyers'. And this neighborhood is reminding me of my neighborhood growing up.

How blessed are we to have such a wonderful group of friends. In fact, tonight, I am heading out with all the ladies of last night, plus another 10 or so from another street for a Girls' Night Out, while the boys hang out here at our house for a Fish Fry.

Too FUN!!!

"The Golfball Show"

Of course it would make sense to a 3.5 year old that if you have "basketBALL" and "footBALL" and "baseBALL", that you would have "golfBALL" too.

Nathan came home from work last night and asked Mac if he wanted to go use his putter at the golf course. On the way over, Mac asked Nathan, "Daddy, when are you going to be on the golfball show?"
N: "What do you mean Mac?"
M: "You know. The one with Tiger Woods. When are you going to be on that show?" (Meaning tournaments like the Open and the Players' Championship."
N: "Oh....well...It will take Daddy a while to get on that show. I would need to practice a lot more to be on it."
M: "Oh."
N: "...but if YOU start practicing now, and you play golf a whole bunch, then you could be on the golfball show like Tiger."

I fear the Earl Woods Complex.

Last week, Larry's family was here celebrating Grandma's 80th birthday! So much fun!! Lots of beach and pool time. Found my first shark's tooth. It was blazing hot, but by the ocean, if felt great! One evening we were at dinner and Mac was trying to say something to or about Laura, Larry's niece. Now Laura is in her early 20's, not yet married and enjoying single life. That said, while Mac was trying to figure out what to call her, because he clearly had forgotten her name, he referred to her as the "Mom in the blue shirt." I cracked up!!! So Laura, for the rest of the trip, and possible for the rest of her single life, was the referred to as the "Mom in the blue shirt." I wonder if that is anything like the "Devil with the blue dress, blue dress on. Devil with the blue dress on." (Laura, you may be too young for that musical reference."

Christmas is May

It is May and Mac woke up this morning and said he wanted to watch "Rudolph, the Red Nosed ReinMoose." :)

"...it's soup corn..."

At lunch time today, I put the boys at the table with their food and went around putting away laundry. I heard Mac say "Do you want some? It's soup-corn (creamed corn). Do you yike it? You do. I'll give you more."
Eli has started using a spoon. He is having fun trying to figure out how to keep the food on it! ;)
He is also getting really funny with his facial expressions and communication. I swear he yelled "hi" to our neighbor when he saw her, and I think he said 'hi' to the checkout girl at Publix today after she said "hi" to him.

Mac is riding his bike with training wheels and still climbing to unknown heights around the house. (YIKES) Pictures to come. There was a red paint incident! He is also very much looking forward to going back to IN in a few days. He really wanted to go the airport and get on a plane this past Tues. There were tears involved.

Eli's allergies

About a month ago, Eli broke out in a full body rash. His eyes were pink and swollen and he was covered in hives. I had had his 15 months shots recently and lots of things were blooming. So I was worried that he had a reaction to the vaccines, but I was hoping it was an environmental allergy. After a round of Prednilosone and a return of the hives, we went in for a blood draw to test for food and environmental allergies. We found that he is allergic to egg whites, peanuts, shrimp and cockroaches. (Good thing I have my friend Victor from Bug Out!) :) The egg and peanut allergy is mild-moderate. But the shrimp allergy is considered High (Only by a few points though.) I am hoping he will outgrow these, but we are being cautious until he does.