Long Days

Christmas is getting closer and Eli is getting excited.  This year he got an Lego Advent calendar and has been faithfully opening the doors each day.  He doesn't cheat like his brother does and open the entire box at once.  He likes putting them together and seems to be enjoying it so far.  

He hasn't figured out who Santa is yet though, so we finally got a picture with him and Santa taken.  He wasn't scared and hopped on his lap without any trepidation.  After the picture, he and Santa discussed some things in very hushed tones.  Guess what he wants must be a secret. Luckily there wasn't a waiting line so he could take as long as he wanted.  When he was done he got an "unassembled snowman" as a treat.  It looked and tasted just like Marshmallows.  Santa gave him one for his sister too.

Eli is getting a soccer ball chair that has a foot rest.  When I brought it home, we weren't going to wrap the big presents, so I wrote his name on it.  It took him days before he saw his name on it and couldn't figure out what it was for and couldn't read the stuff I marked out on the box, so he has no idea what it is or why his name was on it.  I had to tell him the story we were told growing up about the boxes being empty until Santa filled them.  Eventually, we wrapped the big ones and now he doesn't question it.  The large wrapped gifts have made a great seat for the cats though.

Yesterday was Christian's Lego League all-day tournament and Tori's gymnastics class.  There was also the million and one errands to run.  Eli went to it all without much fuss.  He took games to Tori's class and was well behaved on the errands.  He spent most of the afternoon with Tori at Uncle Dale and Aunt Annie's while I finished the errands.  They had a good time and were exhausted.  Eli fell asleep in his bed with the light on around 10 and didn't get up til 8.  Nice for his parents.  

Only a few more weeks until Christmas break and Christmas itself.  Hopefully the 2nd week isn't a long series of "I'm bored" from Eli.  He'll have all his Christmas presents to play with.  Guess we'll see.

What a Scream

There are a lot of Halloween things to do in Peoria, but we tend to stay away from them. This weekend, however, we took the kids to Wildlife Prairie Scary Park. Christian opted not to go, but Tori and Eli got into their costumes and decided to give it a go. We got there around 6 and set off on the trick-or-treat trail. It was fairly long, but there was a lot to see, including some tents with scary stuff, and the kids seemed to have a good time. Along the way, we stopped for s’mores, which Eli did not care for, as well as a short story. Then, it was time to hop onto the train.

The train ride started with a walk through the Troll Bridge, which stopped the kids hard. Some person in a wheelchair was the troll, and I have to say that person was scary with their mask and their wings outstretched. Tori and Eli weren’t sure what to do, but eventually, they made their way around the troll. We stood in line for 20 minutes before finally getting onto the train. By this time, it was pitch black and the stage was set for fright. The train ride took about 15 or 20 minutes, during which tons of volunteers jumped out in costume to scare riders. At one point, we had to stop to wait for another train, and a guy dressed like Jason made Tori his target. He walked up to her and stared and stared. Tori squeezed me tight and waited patiently for him to target someone else. Meanwhile, Eli just kept telling people they were not scary. He had no issues telling every scary person who came up to him hello.

We finished around 8 and went home. The train ride made it all worthwhile I think. Tori and Eli are already talking about coming back next year. Huts can’t wait to take them to a haunted house one day. Good thing Christian chose not to come. I don’t think he would have been too fond of all of the thrills and chills.

One Quarter Down

The kids made it through their first quarter of school. They all did well, even Eli. He has turned into a good speller and is improving everyday with math and reading. He also has been a good kid. Every day, he comes home with a mini report, and it is usually green, pink or purple, all good colors on the behavior scale.

Last night, Eli went to a birthday party. He was the only boy there but had a good time anyway. At first, he did not want to play with the girls, but once Huts left for a sandwich down the street, Eli decided it was time to join them. When Huts got back, Eli was having fun with Deja and the others.

Eli got his cast off a couple of weeks ago. He was given a splint for school but got it dirty at the party last night, so he went without it today. The twins noticed it right away in latchkey this morning and demanded to see Eli’s wrist. He showed it to them, they saw it was ok, and off they went to play Legos. Guessing he is nearly done with that splint.

Broken/Party

Eli had his party this year with his friends at Monkey Joe's bounce house.  He got pizza and to meet Monkey Joe and bounce with his friends in the place for 2 hours.  He had a great time and I realized we hadn't posted pictures of it.  So here are some of them.

Relaxing before the Party

His reaction to Monkey Joe coming in

Hug from Monkey Joe

The Loot

Big sis

The Daredevil

Speaking of Daredevil...Guess who broke his wrist!  He and another kid were climbing on the jungle gym at school and the other kid accidentally pushed Eli off.  He fell and tried to brace himself, but in the process broke his wrist.  

 Orange Cast
 
Showing it off

Shiner from last Friday

Eli's had his share of physical issues with his broken leg from 2 years ago and now wrist.  He's going to miss most of the rest of his soccer season, but he wants to play the last couple of games if he can.  It has only been 5 days, but he can move his fingers without pain and is learning to write with his right hand for the time being.  Hopefully this will be the last cast for a long time.

The shiner was from when he was playing freeze tag at school.  He tripped and hit the table.  Luckily he didn't break his glasses.  He was fine after that and was ready to go.  He's a sturdy kid.

School Days Are Here Again!

The kids start school on Monday, August 18, 2014. The only one slightly interested is Eli. He will be in first grade with Ms. Turk, a brand-new teacher fresh out of college. She and I have already exchanged emails, and we are hoping Eli continues to exceed.

Eli wishes the summer could be longer, but he promises he will not cry this year on the first day of school. He knows a few kids in his classroom, but not many.

Bigger Boy

Eli has had a busy summer just like Tori.  Eli took the trip with us to see all the relatives over the 4th.  He was pretty good other than asking if we had made it to Springfield, MO, the longest part of the trip, 70 million times!  He saw his cousins and seemed to have a good time at his grandparents.  He seemed to enjoy the zoo, but I think his favorite attraction was the mister's they had out at the zoo.  All the kids stopped everytime they saw one, even if they were 20 feet apart.  He also loved Dave and Buster's.  He especially liked air hockey and playing the penalty kick shoot out with the simulated goalie and Simpson's soccer shoot.  Maybe he'll be the one that likes soccer

Eli's party is coming up August 1st at Monkey Joe's!  We have 5-6 kids coming for sure, but he invited 20, so hopefully more will show!  He wanted an ice cream cake, but it wouldn't keep during the party, so we are having a regular cake for the party and will get a ice cream cake on his actual birthday.

Eli is enthusiastically looking forward to Kuk Sool Won tonight.  He's ready to try almost everything, so that makes it easier on me.  He's also going to be putting out mulch this weekend with the other kids.  He isn't getting out of it by crying and complaining that he's tired.  It isn't tough work, but I'm sure he'll complain about it anyway.

Tired Boy

We’ve had quite the summer so far. We’ve taken up carpet and put down new flooring. We’ve painted a lot of walls. We’ve done some yard work. We’ve helped Grandma move out. We’ve had a slumber party. We’ve gotten two kittens. And, we are just midway through summer. We still have another room to paint, bricks to put into our landscape and a trip next week. The sitter is also getting a pool, allowing the kids to get in a lot of time swimming. As a result of all of this activity, Eli is tired. We put him to bed early, but his perk just is not there. Maybe after this weekend and when he gets to sleep in at Grandma Marie’s. We are headed to Springfield, MO, next Thursday. Then to Pittsburg for the 4th and then to KC to drop off the younger two for a week. The next weekend is our 17th anniversary, and we are headed back to St. Louis to pick up the kids and have a little fun. We are going to the zoo first and then to Dave & Buster’s that night. 17 years, lucky us to have made it that long and still feel like newlyweds. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed that Eli gets some shut-eye before school starts in August. His party is August 1 at Monkey Joe’s bounce house place. 19 or 20 six-year-olds bouncing around for 2 hours. At least there is no slumber party.

Power

“Dad, was there power when you were born?” Eli asked.

We all burst out laughing before we could answer, and that, of course, upset Eli. He wasn’t trying to be mean. He really wanted to know. We must seem ancient to him because he also asked me if I rode a horse to school. After soothing his feelings, we told him about our great-grandmas who rode horses and used kerosene lamps. He must be learning about history in school.

Eli is moving more and more into Legos. He has them scattered all over his room. I haven’t been able to tell whether he turning them into anything or just tossing them around. He wants the Lego game for Easter and a couple of sets. If he gets really good at this, we may have to bring in some shelves for him like we have for Christian.

First Spelling Test

Remember how much fun kindergarten was? It is still fun now, but a lot more work. Kids are learning things a lot earlier now, and next week, Eli has his first spelling test. His words are: pink, said, this, that, read, seem, seven, eight and nine. He knows most of them. Eight is giving him the most trouble. I told him we would do a practice test this weekend and see what he knows. I am so proud of him. He can read and write, and he is learning to spell now.

Even though he is a big boy, Eli still misses his mom and dad. We had a few rough mornings last week, where he cried on his way to school and at latchkey. He kept telling us he was going to miss us. Poor kid. I think he had too many snow days and got too used to staying home. He seems to be doing better this week. Hooray!

Teary Mornings

Poor Eli. He has cried in latchkey two mornings now. He says he is going to miss me. All of these snow days have got him out of the routine. And, of course, the kids have Monday off for Presidents Day, so that is not going to help. Mrs. Sandy, the lead, has him sit beside her and gives him a hug until he comes around. Then, he goes play Legos and all is forgotten until the next morning.

Three months of school left. Thank goodness they have five weeks until spring break. Eli needs that time to get back into the swing of things. Tomorrow is his Valentine’s Day party. I don’t think he quite gets the meaning of the day and what takes place, so this should be interesting. I think Huts and I are going to pick up a stuffed animal for him and Tori. Christian has already put the kibosh on the idea.

Snow Day 2

We have had a bitterly cold winter, and the kids are reaping the rewards. To avoid anyone getting frostbite as they stand at the bus stop, school has been cancelled the last two days. Yesterday, the kids went to Sharon’s. They come home exhausted, so when we found out school was cancelled again, we decided to let them stay home with Grandma. When we left early this morning, they were all still sound asleep. We are hoping they get a good night’s rest and are ready for their half day of school tomorrow. Hopefully, there won’t be any more snow days. The more snow days they have, the longer the school year will be. Eli might like that since he adores his kindergarten teacher, but Tori and Christian won’t. The faster this school year ends for the two of them, the better. They have had enough homework.

Not So Little Anymore

My little Eli is growing up fast and spending less and less time with me and his dad and more and more time with his brother, sister and the neighbor kid. He has a lot to say and a lot of questions. He also knows a lot, that he is willing to share with anyone who will listen.

It is strange not having to get Eli as many snacks or help him as much. I kind of miss it. Oh well. I am sure he will need my help again next year when the real homework starts.

 Eli had a great Christmas. He says he didn’t get everything he wanted, but he can’t say what it was that he did not get. His room is packed, and he even gave up some old toys he was no longer interested in. Easter will be here before you know it, and he is starting his list for it already.

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!