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.