Tap-Tap-Tap

Eli came home yesterday with a new screw in his glasses. Apparently, Ethan, a kid at school, taught him how to tap, tap, tap on the lenses and make them fall out. So, that is what Eli did, which, of course, ended in the loss of a screw. The secretary inserted a new screw, but it is too long. We told Eli to be careful and we would get the right screw put in this weekend. Tap-tap-tap. Thanks, Ethan. We told Eli that he probably should not try any more of Ethan’s ideas. Hopefully, he listens.

Eli’s class turned in the most Labels for Education, and we are having a party for them tomorrow afternoon. They are going to paint rice crispy gingerbread boys and girls with flavored ice cream syrups using paintbrushes. The kids do this at Joe’s Crab Shack every time we go and really love it. I am hoping Eli’s class does too. I really don’t want to do an ice cream party. That seems so much messier. (The kids absolutely loved the snacks. They were all very good and scarfed down everything, even the ugly leftovers from the shapes we cut out in the rice crispys.)

I signed up as the coordinator of the Labels this year. So far, it has been interesting. We’ve had kids turn in labels without writing down their full name on the bag. I had to go through the directory to figure out that. Then, there were all of the labels from last year that did not get sent in. I had to go through all of those, toss out the expired labels and get the rest ready to go. We ended up turning in over 4,000 points. That gives the school 12,000 points to spend as they wish on school supplies. Way to go, kids of Charter Oak.

 We also just found out that Eli grabbed $18 in the grab-for-cash cube. Good for him to grabbing it and holding it! He got to do it because he sold so much Fannie May candy. Not sure how Tori did.

Happy Boy

Elii is my happy boy. He comes home from school happy and gets up happy. The little fits he used to throw are becoming far and few between, and he is learning to compromise and be content with what happens. He is growing up and turning into a very nice boy. Miss Marjorie at latchkey calls him her good boy, and he strives to meet her expectations.

Eli is exceeding expectations now in language arts. He still needs to work on his fine motor skills, but he will get there. He is such an eager beaver. He wants to practice everything, including Tori’s spelling words. Sometimes I think I should just teach the words to him now.

Thanksgiving is coming, Eli wants everyone to know. Hope you have a happy one filled with good food and friends. Eli will be busy putting up the Christmas tree and adding to his list, I am sure. Some people in our neighborhood have already decorated for Christmas, and Eli is getting excited about it. He is looking forward to all of the fun and the festivities. Hopefully, this year, we do not get sick.

Thanksgiving

My sister’s dad is coming up the weekend before Thanksgiving because Annie has it off. They are celebrating the holiday then, and Frank, Darin and Dale will also be there. Lucky us, we get another year off cooking. Annie and Dale want to spend the actual Thanksgiving Day at home, so it is going to be just us. We asked the kids last night if they wanted the traditional dinner, and they all three shouted No! This weekend, we are looking at recipes to see what to make in lieu of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, most of which Eli would have probably just shoved around his plate.

Last night the question was why turkey is served at Thanksgiving. Eli wanted to know. Christian explained that may have been what was served at the very first Thanksgiving. I don't know that Eli understands there was a first Thanksgiving, but he might learn about it more at school this year. He is a sponge right now, soaking up everything he can!

His teacher is amazed with all of the progress he has made. He knew no letters or sounds at the beginning of the year and knows 51 right now, in less than two months. He can read a bit and knows some math. Eli is getting there, and he must delight his teacher because all she could do was laugh for the first five minutes of the teacher-parent conference. She says she keeps Eli close, and the only thing he needs to work on is crying less. Apparently, he is a crier and tears up at the slightest things. We have been talking to him about not crying as much and just going with the flow. He told me yesterday that he has not been crying; hopefully, that is true!

My sister’s dad is coming up the weekend before Thanksgiving because Annie has it off. They are celebrating the holiday then, and Frank, Darin and Dale will also be there. Lucky us, we get another year off cooking. Annie and Dale want to spend the actual Thanksgiving Day at home, so it is going to be just us. We asked the kids last night if they wanted the traditional dinner, and they all three shouted No! This weekend, we are looking at recipes to see what to make in lieu of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, most of which Eli would have probably just shoved around his plate.

Last night the question was why turkey is served at Thanksgiving. Eli wanted to know. Christian explained that may have been what was served at the very first Thanksgiving. I don't know that Eli understands there was a first Thanksgiving, but he might learn about it more at school this year. He is a sponge right now, soaking up everything he can!

His teacher is amazed with all of the progress he has made. He knew no letters or sounds at the beginning of the year and knows 51 right now, in less than two months. He can read a bit and knows some math. Eli is getting there, and he must delight his teacher because all she could do was laugh for the first five minutes of the teacher-parent conference. She says she keeps Eli close, and the only thing he needs to work on is crying less. Apparently, he is a crier and tears up at the slightest things. We have been talking to him about not crying as much and just going with the flow. He told me yesterday that he has not been crying; hopefully, that is true!

Big Boy Now

Eli has been in kindergarten for just two months, but what a change. He no longer whines about everything, and he has become very polite, thanking everyone profusely and apologizing immediately. He is going to bed without much complaint and getting up smiling. He has memorized everything he needs to for school, and he is working on tying his shoes. He reads more, does his homework and practices his flashcards willingly. “I am a big boy now,” he tells me. He most certainly is.

In Love with School

Finally I have a child who loves school. Eli tells me he loves his teacher and his school every day. He sings school songs in the bathroom and gets excited when we read to him. He loves to work through the flashcards, especially the color words. He is my eager beaver!

Eli has also developed an interest in soccer. He likes going to practice now, and he likes playing in the games. He has one practice left tomorrow and three more games. He has even mentioned playing again later.

Who knew my uncooperative child could be so cooperative and be named Student of the Week.

Soccer Game

Eli had his first soccer game on Saturday, and it did not go well. They lost, but that wasn’t what bothered Eli. He hated being on the field. The kids went too fast for him, he couldn’t get to the ball and he spent most of his time on the field crying. I pulled him off and he stayed off until the second half. Then, Huts put him back in and he cried again. Huts tossed him out and he stayed out the rest of the game.

The other kids on the team did a good job for the most part. They tried their best and subbed in and out with ease. It wasn’t easy for them, and one got mad when the other team scored, but it seemed to go ok. If only Eli would get past the fact that not everyone gets a chance at the ball.

Getting There

Eli is the youngest and it showed on Monday morning, his first day of kindergarten. He got in line ok, but soon started crying. I hung around as long as I could and then I had to leave. No parents could accompany their child inside. Picture him with a quavering lip, a sad face, tear-stained cheeks and a tissue in hand. He got through it and came out smiling—with a yellow card. Seems he did not behave as well as he could have. He scribbled rather than try to write his name and would not sit still on the mat. We had a little chat that night about him losing iPad privileges and he has had a green card since then—green for good.

This was the first time Eli has ever had to deal with a cold lunch and he came home with quite a surprise. They don’t get a lot of time to eat, and on the first day, Eli shoved everything into his lunchbox, opened drink and all. He came home with a wet backpack, lunchbox and folder. Huts explained to him that he needed to toss all of his trash and so far, he has listened.

We got to the second day, the first day of before care for the kids at the school, and there were more tears. Tori was hoping to see Ms. Lynn, but she was switched to another school. So, Tori started crying and then Eli followed suit. Luckily, there was a woman working who got Eli interested in the Legos and started chatting with Tori.

Finally, Friday came and Eli got up, got dressed and went to school with a smile but told his dad he wished he could stay home. It has been one long week for that kid. He has done a good job and is even getting more involved in soccer. He has his first game tomorrow. Wish us luck.

Birthday boy

Eli turned 5 today. Seems like yesterday I was at the hospital stunned to find out I was carrying a 9 lb., 14 oz, baby. I remember them holding him up in the delivery room and remarking how big he was. We brought him home, and like most babies, he dropped down to 8 lbs. quickly. Then, he grew and grew and grew, and now, we have a happy, loves-superheroes-of-all-kinds boy.

Eli used to be our wild child, and in some ways, he still is. He has grown up a bit this summer and settled down. He still hates to eat nutritional food, and he still whines a lot, but he has become much more self-sufficient. He is taking care of his bathroom business, dressing himself and letting us know when he is tired. He is stocking Hugs in the refrigerator and getting his own snacks. He is inching his way toward kindergarten in two weeks.

Tonight we celebrate Eli turning 5 with dinner out, cake and presents. Happy Birthday, my big boy!

Sleeping In His Own Bed

Eli sleeps in his own bed, but he does not fall asleep there. He lies in our bed and watches TV, then we move him to his bed after he has fallen asleep. Huts has warned him that this is going to end with school nearing. When Huts returns from his brother’s wedding this weekend, Eli is going to start going to bed at 8:30 in his own bed. This should be interesting, as Eli has yet to latch onto new foods in spite of our efforts. He is in for some big surprises here very soon!

Repeat

Eli did not pass his swimming test. We knew he was not going to. He was too busy playing around in the water and too young to really catch on. Oh well. We’ll wait a bit and try again later when he is older.

So, we finished the school shopping this weekend. Hooray for us. Eli got some new dress clothes—uniforms—and loves them. He thinks he looks handsome and can’t wait to wear them. Good attitude, but we will see how long it lasts. Betcha not too long before he has had enough of the clothes and the schoolwork and wants to return to summer.

Still Hates Hot Dogs

Eli is a very picky eater, and in spite of our efforts to change that this summer, we have failed miserably. He will eat a few more things, but not much. We tried hot dogs again this week, and he detested them. So, I guess he is not going to be a hot dog eater. He does not eat much meat at all yet, and veggies, well, he is not into those that much either. He likes carbs, of course, but only certain ones. Juice and yogurt he likes, real fruit not so much. So, what does this all add up to? A very hungry Eli this fall. If he doesn’t give things a try, he is going to be eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at school. He may eat the chicken nuggets and pizza, but he won’t go for the tacos or hot dog or much else. Oh boy is he in trouble!

Lucky for Eli, there will be snacks in kindergarten. Each kid is assigned one day a month to bring snacks. “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit,” so who knows how many snacks Eli will and will not eat. He will also get a snack in after-care, but only one and there will be no drinks. I am guessing he is going to come home starving!

Bummed

Eli’s reaction to starting kindergarten? He is bummed. We were talking about it the other day in the car when Eli said, “Not me,” to which I said, “Yes, you.” Uhhhh—the same sound he uses when he does not want to eat what is in front of him. We have been trying to get him to write his name and learn his letters, but he is not interested. Maybe his teacher will have better luck. Fortunately, there are four kindergarten teachers, and they are all experienced, really experienced. Hopefully, they will not have too much trouble with Eli, and he will catch on fast.

Almost

Eli is the last of the three to have a birthday. He has watched his brother and then his sister and his friends have parties and get cake and gifts. Finally, it is his turn in August. He cannot wait! Pretty soon we will have to order his cake. Cars, this year. As for the gifts, he is wobbling between us picking them out and wrapping them or doing his own shopping. He showed us what he wanted from Wal-mart when we went to pick out school supplies.  I'm sure there are more things that he'll have his eye on from Toys r us.  He's been clamoring for his birthday and now that its close, he doesn't know what to do.  I'm sure it'll be fun for him.

Got It

The kids all have to demonstrate they know how to tie a shoe in kindergarten. One by one, they have passed the test, but by no means does this mean they can tie a shoe. We have worked with them on this, and they are shaky at best, or so we thought. At the beginning of the summer, Christian demonstrated that he knew how to tie a shoe. He did it quickly and he did it well. Surprise, surprise! Why he still chooses to wear Velcro shoes is beyond me. I guess it’s just faster and easier.

Tori has been wearing shoes with shoestrings this summer to the babysitter’s, and she is getting better at tying shoes. Of course, just tying the shoe once is not enough for her. She wants a double knot. Huts has been working with her each morning, and she has almost got it.

Now, Eli. Boy oh boy. He has got down some of his letters, but I have not worked with him on tying a shoe. With any luck, it will come easier to him. If not, he will get it, at least enough to pass the test. As he gets older, his dexterity and coordination will improve, which will make the task a snap.

Fourth of July Fun

So far this year, the kids have been to Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield—all over Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. The trips are finally over, and now we can all enjoy some time at home. Not sure what this holiday weekend holds in store for us. We’ve got some dirt being delivered, and Eli is supposed to be the stamper. Huts and I are planning to move the dirt into all of the holes into our yard, and Eli is going to stamp it down. Tori will help, too, I am sure.

We’re also hoping to take in a movie or two and spend some more time on the bikes. Christian is finally ready to take a real stab at it. Huts has a few techniques in mind for him to try so maybe that will help. Athleticism is certainly not his thing.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend.

Mommy! Daddy!

Eli is our youngest, and he seemed to be the one who missed us most last week while he was at his grandparent’s house. He had a very big grin on his face and gave us both big hugs. Then he was ready to hop back into the car and go home. He couldn't wait to see his room and his toys. Lucky for us, he didn’t fuss too much about grabbing a bite to eat before we left.

He also came home a changed boy, eating more than usual and eating different stuff. He actually told me he liked the boxed macaroni and cheese and ate two big bowls of it. The whininess is starting to seep back in, but for now, he is good.

Thanks to Marie and Steve for rearranging their lives for the week and taking on our kids. Thanks to Tony, Lucy, TJ and Paul for visiting with the kids and helping out in numerous ways. The kids had a great time, and it is all because of you. We hope life gets back to normal this week and you are able to catch up on your sleep.

Missing Us

Christian, Tori and Eli have been at their grandparents’ house this week. We have skyped with them nearly every night. Christian usually gives us a detailed report of the day’s activities, while Tori and Eli weave in and out of the picture. Christian seems fine. Tori seems more than fine, avoiding us for the first couple of days because she was too busy to chat. Eli, well, he’s our baby, and he is missing us. He misses me, his dad, his toys, his room. Lucky for him, he gets to come home tomorrow. Huts is looking forward to the grin that will no doubt be on his face. Years ago, when we picked up Christian after a week away, he was grinning ear to ear. Huts says it was the biggest smile he has ever seen on that kid’s face, and we are wondering if Eli is going to do the same. Christian was quivering in excitement at the sight of us. Maybe Eli will too. Awww!

Birthday Coming

Eli’s birthday is in August, and he has started planning for it now. He has figured out how to find toys online, and he has been showing us several he is interested in. The only problem? They could be old toys we can no longer find with ease. He has got his eye on several Batman things, which look like they might have come out some time ago. Ugh. With any luck, Eli will want to go shopping on his birthday and pick out his own gifts from what is available rather than have us look around online for things he has spotted.

Last night Eli fell asleep early, around 6. We decided to wake him up rather than let him sleep and get up at 4 a.m. I tossed him into the bathtub, thinking the water would wake him up. Wrong! He lay down in the tub and went back to sleep. It was a funny sight! We woke him again and got him out and got him dressed. I thought he was going to stay in bed but he surprised me. He got up and stayed up until 9 or so. Whew! Now if only he would sleep in on the weekends and get up early on the weekdays.

All Mixed Up

With school coming to a close for the summer, Eli is having a hard time keeping up with what day it is. We had a long three-day weekend, and today school is over. Tomorrow the kids are going to the babysitter’s, which makes for a confusing time for Eli. He keeps asking me what day it is and when he gets to stay home. With any luck, he will know the days of the week by the time school starts.

We’re also working on his letters, and it is not going well. He knows his numbers, but letters just are not coming to him. Huts and I are going to work hard with him, and so is Tori and the girls at the babysitter’s. Wish us luck. 

High Maintenance

While his siblings have taken steps forward, Eli has taken steps back. He has been very whiny lately, always wanting something. This is not looking good for kindergarten.

Saturday was a rotten day. I had spent most of the weekend fulfilling his requests, which made me crabby. I went outside to mow, let him know and told him to come get me if he needed something. He came outside and played. Then he decided he wanted to play in the sprinkler. I told him he had to wait until I finished mowing. He tried to wait, but got antsy, so when the gas ran out, I gave in. Tori and he went inside to change. Little did I know he was tromping up the stairs and on his nearly new carpet with muddy shoes. They came out, I set up the sprinkler and left them to it. Midway through weeding, I hear him screaming. I went around back and found him with a bloody nose and screaming he couldn’t do anything. I am dirty and tired, so I picked him up and took him inside. I washed him down, got him a snack and went upstairs for clothes. That’s when I found the muddy mess. Ughhhh!

I lost my temper, dressed him and told him to stay inside until I finished the yard. Lucky for all of us, Huts came home and cleaned up some of the mess, while I scrubbed up the footprints. I finally got back outside and finished all of that. Then, feeling like a heel, I came in and explained to Eli about not going upstairs with dirty shoes on. We’re pals again, but he is still clingy and whiny. I am not sure what this phase is, but it is killing me and Huts. Let’s hope Eli is better for his grandparents in a few weeks.

Cranky

That’s how Eli described himself the other morning. He hadn’t slept well and he was making a fuss about everything. He yelled at me several times and told me he was cranky. This morning went better. He was still tired, but he managed to get downstairs without yelling. He is a typical kid. He wants to sleep in on weekdays and gets up early on weekends. Booger!

Lately, Eli has been getting his dad to take him on bike rides. If you go by foot, you basically have to run the whole way. Huts likes to take Christian’s bike. I am sure he looks rather funny riding a kid’s bike. If this keeps going, it may be time to purchase Huts an adult bike.

Toy Story Kick

Lately Eli has been on a Toy Story kick. He dressed up in his almost too small Buzz costume and bounced around on the trampoline this weekend. He zoomed the Pizza Planet truck and Buzz cars all over the house. He watched the movies about five times in the car. He flew Buzz all over. He even got new Toy Story tennis shoes. Woody and Buzz--how can you beat them?

Last Thursday night Eli went to kindergarten registration. We filled out some paperwork and got some tips, while Eli sat criss-cross applesauce in a kindergarten room. Tori went down with him and told us that he was very good. Amazing. The only time tears came was when he had to leave and did not get a turn at the SmartBoard. He asked his dad the other day when he was going to get a turn. Soon, Eli, very soon!

And, now that school is so near, Eli has started eating better. He ate regular macaroni and cheese the other day, not the microwavable cups, and scarfed down everything we put down in front of him yesterday. Now, if he would just take care of his business in the bathroom himself.

Tucked Away

Eli stayed up late last night. When I went up to bed at 9:30, he was wide-awake playing with his trucks and cars. I told him it was time to lie down, and we snuggled. He must have fell asleep pretty quickly because the next thing I remember is Huts coming in. At first, he could not see Eli and thought he was already in his own bed. Apparently Eli was hidden on top of me! Once he realized that, he moved Eli to his own bed and we did not hear a peep from him until this morning. He was a happy boy this morning, tickled to discover that he had fallen asleep on me.

Busy Weekend

We didn’t go anywhere this weekend, but we wore out the kids anyway, Eli and Tori, especially. The fun started Friday night with Dale coming over and watching the kids for an hour while we used his truck to haul some mulch home. Huts and I put out the mulch on Saturday morning, while Tori and Eli played in the yard. Then, that afternoon, Huts put up new exterior lights while I raked up a couple of trashcans of leaves. That night, we ran some errands. Tori and Eli were a ball of energy and stayed up until 11:30. They got up early on Sunday, which turned out to be a beautiful day. Huts finished the lights, while I painted the porch posts and the screened-in porch. He also played with the kids on the trampoline. Everyone had a good day, and by the time nighttime fell, the kids were exhausted. Tori and Eli were both out by 8. They seemed ok this morning, but I am sure they would have preferred to sleep in.

BORING!

Eli used to be like his sister, reluctant to let go of anything. But, now, he has a new philosophy. If it is boring, it is out of there and in the sale pile. And, he is now an expert on what is boring. Before, I could not take his SpongeBob cake topper because it came with his birthday cake. Now, he informed me it was really boring and to take it. He definitely knows what he wants, and last night, he pulled what he wanted from the sale pile and left everything else. I guess he had a lot of boring stuff.

We are trying to get Eli ready for kindergarten, encouraging him to put on his own shoes, clothes and coat. He can be pretty independent when he wants to be. We are still working on the bathroom hygiene, but he is getting better about flushing the toilet and washing his hands. Wiping his butt, well, he still prefers we do it, but that is going to have to change. There will be no one to do that for him at school!

Eli’s diet still lacks. He likes very few things, but Huts has told him that he is eating what we are this summer. That should make for some really fussy dinner times. The ironic part is that he eats whatever the babysitter puts in front of him, so maybe he will do the same at school. Maybe he won’t come home famished because he ate nothing at lunch.

When He's 5

Eli will be able to do many things. He will be able to go to school. He will be able to take a bath all on his own. He will be able to eat a real dinner. He will be able to dress himself, tie his shoes and so forth. What a hoot! Little does he realize that he has started to do a lot of this on his own already from dressing himself to taking care of his bathroom needs. The worst change for him will probably be the meals at school. He has a very narrow range of foods he likes, mostly cereal and pasta, and I doubt he is going to want to eat a cold lunch everyday. He is going to have to get used to PB&J, chicken nuggets, sandwiches and more.

Despicable Daddy

One of the kids favorite movies is Despicable Me.  Christian can recite most of it, Tori loves the girls parts in it and Eli loves the minions.  They watch this regularly in the car.  Unfortunately, this has caused some confusion for Eli.  He thinks the movie is about his daddy.  

For instance, if I ask him if he wants to watch Despicable Me, he responds by saying, I want to watch Despicable you daddy.  While telling Christian and Tori about the movie, he tells them "In the movie Despicable Daddy...".  He even thinks I'm Gru.  He'll tell me, "Daddy, you just blew up the game and got a unicorn!".  

Next time you see someone walking down the street with 3 girls and yellow minions, you'll know it is Eli's Daddy.

Batman

Tori got dolls for Christmas and Eli got loads of Cars and Batman. He now has enough structures for his own town. He has a jail, Gotham city building, a huge helicopter and the bat cave. He also got a Joker set and some Spiderman things. So, now we have one big city and a whole box of superheroes. We found a place for everything, but it is tight. Good thing his birthday is in the summer.