Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Practical Gene

The new baby is definitely mine...HE is already being practical, just like his Mom. That's right, we are having another boy in January. We can reuse the clothes, the boys can "play", and we already know what boys are like. How very practical of you new baby boy. Glad I could pass along some genes.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Scared

Elias is scared of everything. Any noises he can't place, and even some he can. The train whistle, the fan in his room, the lamp, the futon that used to be up at the condo that isn't even in his room anymore. He has started sleeping in his bed at home fairly consistently (knock on wood), but sleeping up at the condo has been a nightmare...literally. We plan to get a bed for the room up there sometime this week or next in hopes that this will help naps and bedtime go more smoothly. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Magic of Dust

In the mornings, the sunlight shines into our front hallway. When Elias and I are home on Fridays, we usually end up in the hallway looking at the dust dancing in the rays of light. When do we lose the awe of childhood?

I guess once we have to start cleaning that dust.

Enormous Pregnant Lady

By request...

Mega Hikes


Last weekend we went up to the mountains and went hiking on Saturday (I forgot the camera, which is probably just as well). We planned to do a 4 mile hike, but ended up trying a different one. Nearly 5 hours later (and about 7 miles) we got back to the car. Matt carrying an extra 30 pounds on his back and me carrying an extra 10 pounds in the front made for a long and tiring hike. That, along with the fact that we weren't really sure where we were, inspired Matt to get a trail map at REI.

This weekend, we planned to do a 5 mile hike, but ended up hiking to the top of Bottle Peak (11,581 ft) which was probably a 6 mile hike. This time we were better prepared with a map, extra food and some inspiration to reach the summit. Our hard work paid off.

Elias planning our route

Matt carried Elias the whole way

We wore out Sumo

We made it!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

I'm Enormous

apparently. Four people have asked me if I was expecting. Now I'm not sure I would ask a 6 month pregnant lady if she was going to have a baby, let alone a 4 month pregnant lady. I guess I am so big already that it seems apparent to most people. Gee...thanks.

I Need a Hug

Just recently, Elias has been saying randomly, "I need a hug." It just so happens that I also need a hug at that exact moment. It just works out.

Baby # Last

It has been officially announced, Matt and I are having a baby in January. It will be our second, but I really like to refer to the baby as our last (just for any of those hopefully Grandparents out there). In just a few weeks, we get to find out if the baby will be a girl or a boy. I can hardly wait!

Waiting on the Edge of Your Seat

I'm sure everyone has been dying to know if Elias ever got over his terrible 2 episodes from last week. I am happy to report he has. He is back to his happy most of the time self. In fact, he has started saying, "thank you" quite a lot. Thank you Elias.

Friday, August 13, 2010

A Revelation?

Or maybe just a "Duh" moment. I've complained more than once that I just don't feel inspired to do any house cleaning anymore. It is really hard to crack down and clean, so we seem to be letting it go more and more. I don't like coming home to a dirty house, but that is apparently not enough to get me to do anything about it. I think I just figured out why. I am forever picking up Elias toys, cleaning out his lunch box, washing the dishes, wiping his hands and face, etc. Just maintaining the house at its dirty state takes a lot of time every day, so putting extra effort into cleaning just isn't happening very often. At least now it makes a little more sense why I feel a lack of motivation. Or maybe better stated as, "Duh".

How is Elias Like an Elephant?

He never forgets...anything. Or so it seems. He remembers how most of his books go (unless he can read too). He somehow knew that one of the 5 purple beads was missing. There are 5 other colors of beads, so how did he know one of the purple ones was gone? Can he count now? He knows that we see a clock when we go in the tunnel, which we do once every few months. He points to a postcard on the fridge and says, "Wendy." Sure, her picture is on it, but we haven't seen Wendy for months (she lives in Durango, and has been to visit maybe 3 times). Not that Wendy isn't so much fun that no one would forget her, but still...I can't seem to remember what I did yesterday. Little kids' minds are amazing. Too bad we all have to grow up.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Just Being 2?

Since we got back from vacation #2, Elias has been super duper crabby. He doesn't want to do anything...is hitting, pouting, whining, and just down right not a pleasure to be around. I'm wondering if it is because he still has a bit of a cold, he learned some bad behavior from all of his cousins (none of them seemed THIS bad), or if he is just being 2. He was born in April, which means he is 2 for quite a while longer. Ugh.

This is My House

Near our house there is one of those clothing donation bins that is shaped like a red barn/school house. If you drive by it with Elias, you can hear all about "his house."

Accident Free Monday

At Elias' first day back at school since vacation, he had no potty accidents. Way to go Elias!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Cooking


Elias new favorite thing to do is to cook. He creates a magnificent fishy, O, pretzle delight. Perhaps it will be on the menu when you next visit.

My Mommy

Matt and I are now referred to as My Mommy and My Daddy. As if there were other parents around, and we might get confused. Where do kids get this stuff?

Family Reunion


Less than a week after our trip to Kentucky, we were headed out again to Illinois for a family reunion. Judy planned a wonderful trip where we stayed a resort with a super fun water park, amusement park, and lots of state parks only a few miles away. Elias had fun playing with all of his cousins...and frankly so did I.

At the amusement park, the only ride Elias could/would ride was the carousel. Matt rode with us once, but got a little sick to his stomach, so Elias and I rode it by ourselves a few more times.

We went on a few hikes. We went down into a canyon and found caves and a waterfall. It was beautiful.


We had a progressive dinner with wonderful food and a good chance to catch up with people. Luckily for us, some of our cousins dropped by in the evening after the kids were in bed, so we could really get a chance to talk. The young kids played games like duck, duck goose, and simon says right outside our villas. Everyone had a great time, and now we just count down the days until we get together again...unfortunately, 2 years is a lot of days to count.

Cumberland Folk Week


Let me start by saying, it was no Berea...but then, my last post might truly explain why that wouldn't even be possible, even if we had been at Berea. It was a long trip to the middle of nowhere Kentucky, to enjoy a week of dancing and fellowship at a family folk camp. The morning began with a community dance, followed by dance classes and daycare for Elias. It took Elias a while to warm up to his "school", but eventually he was telling Matt or me to go to our classes. We enjoyed a too short time of sharing songs, magic tricks, and stories at the fireplace just before lunch. After lunch the three of us napped, then it was back for more dancing and daycare for Elias. After dinner, there was another community dance and then an evening dance. Elias went to bed before the evening dance, and Matt and I traded off enjoying the music and people at night. They had hall monitors, but Elias wasn't too sure about sleeping in our room by himself.


It was a little hard eating because by the time one of us got through the lunch line, Elias was finished and was ready for trouble. Luckily, Elias made a great friend, Kyra, who was a saint of a girl. She would entertain him while eating, play with him while we finished, and then convince him to go with us when it was time to leave. I was ready to hire her as our full-time babysitter.


Some of the highlights were hearing Elias ask for more banjo playing, more fiddle playing and watching the accordion player with great interest (he played during both fire alarms...awesome!). He wanted to know when it was time to dance and was always excited when one of us left in the evening to go to the evening dance. He played the harp, made a crown, planted seeds, and played with playdough. It was fun, but I think overall Elias was still a little too young. I envyed the families whose kids sat at the kids table, had adult conversations during meals, and stayed up late on the porch rocking and talking. We just need a few more years.

Vacations

It seems like we were tricked as kids. Vacations meant leaving town, putting your cares behind you, meeting new people and having a blast...sometimes pretending to be someone you never could be at home. These days vacations mean planning, barely getting a chance to talk with adults, taking care of over-tired kids, and really needing a vacation once you get back home. Of course, it is still fun to get away, but I guess I just need to change my view of what taking a vacation means now. Next time I'll just remind myself ahead of time that it will be a lot of work, but how else will Elias get the true experience of vacation?

Big Bed


Ever since we got back from Florida (end of May), Elias has had his big bed in his room to sleep on. No more crib mattress on the floor for him. Unfortunately, sometimes he likes to sleep in it and sometimes he doesn't. I guess the floor is a comfort to him when he is having a hard time getting to sleep. Luckily, more and more he seems to get on his stool and climb up into bed on his own. Let's hope he starts to realize just how comfy it can be. Ah...if only I had time to climb up into my big bed.