Brothers

Sure hope they still like each other next year.

Adult Parties

We went to multiple parties this summer, mostly for friends from work. Out friends Noah and Carissa had a beer brewing party. The highlight was Carlos taking Elias high up in the tree. Maybe he'll like climbing trees as much as I did as a kid. I loved picking apples.

A co-worker of mine from my old job moved to England, so at her going away party I got the chance to catch up with people I used to work with from my last project. I was talking to Rich about how my new job was OK, but it just wasn't the same. He said that a work group like that only comes once in a lifetime. Sniff, sniff. I miss you guys!

Surprisingly, this was not at the beer brewing party, but at a party thrown by one of Matt's co-workers. They had a bouncy house and awesome food. Who could ask for more?

Field Trips

During the summer, the school takes the kids on field trips. Elias went to the library, zoo, art museum, and botanic gardens. Matt went with to the zoo and the library and said he was surprised all the kids made it out alive...not to mention the parents. 20+ kids is a lot of kids to keep track of outside of school grounds. Luckily, Elias loves his new red field trip t-shirt. It has the school's number printed right on the back. Hmmm...guess we can't shake him that way.

Being a Baby

For a while there, every time we were up at the condo Elias would play, "Being a Baby." He would climb into the Exersaucer to play. Whenever I mentioned it was time for the baby to take a nap, he was instantly done with that game. Strange.

Flash Back

Still trying to catch up with the blog:

Back in August, we stayed an extra long weekend up in Fraser for relaxation and so we could listen to the free bluegrass band Spring Creek on Tuesday night. They played outside at the Schoolhouse Park in Fraser. It was the perfect setting. Elias played on the playground, and while I pushed him on the swings, I could hear live bluegrass music. Ezra clapped along, Elias had a free Popsicle, and I got to hear a little bit of pickin' and singing. Just think how happier everyone would be if every playground had this going for it.

Is It Really That Unusual?

I admit I must be a bit naive about how conservative people are in regards to their children and the gender roles we have created. It doesn't bother me that Elias' favorite colors are pink, purple and gold. I'm not concerned that I knew he would love a dollhouse for Christmas (and I was right). He loves to put clips in his hair, and his best friends at school are girls. He is only 3 and a half. What does it hurt? And if it's the same as he gets older, so what? Are parents really worried about these kinds of things? How do they have the energy when there is so much else to worry about?

Elias has a great dentist. There is a castle inside with toys where he plays while we wait. They give out prizes for a good checkup and for opening your mouth wide. Luckily, Elias has always done a great job, never crying or fussing. We have also done great with his brushing, or he has good teeth (or a little of both). This last time, he got the chance to pick out a t-shirt because his teeth were brushed well for two checkups in a row (shouldn't I get the prize?). When the dental hygienist opened the cabinet where the shirts were, she said, "There are blue, yellow, green and orange t-shirts. Which one would you like?" Elias paused for a moment, looked in the cabinet, and said, "Pink." That's my boy.

Inside joke

Grandma Ruth, 92

My Grandma, Ruth, turned 92 in January. We wanted to send her a little something special, so when Elias and I were in Michaels, we found just the thing. Elias wanted to do some sewing. I looked around for a sewing kit for kids, but came up empty handed. I asked a woman who worked there, and the only thing she could think of were the plastic needles and plastic mesh that you can use to put yarn through. Elias and I scoped it out, got 2 needles, chose a packet of plastic circles and some multi-colored purple-ish yarn and headed home. Elias had fun looping that thread in and out of that plastic mesh until it was ready to send (I helped quite a bit too). Now only a handful of you will truly understand why it was the perfect gift to send to my Grandma. Let's just say, Elias must have at least a few of my Grandma's genes. I'm just hoping he got even more of Aunt Serena's.

Elias' 1st sewing craft

Growing Up

Elias is growing up. He has started coloring inside the lines. He traces numbers and words at school, practices his sounds and says the Pledge of Allegiance (his version anyway) every morning:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Under God indivisible with liverty and justice for all."

Elias has snack day once a month and brings one show and tell and one book. Here are some more snack day items:

Show and Tell
The Dancing Gorilla we got from Grandpa Don for Valentine's Day (too bad it didn't get lost)
Guitar
PawPaw (Build A Bear from Grandpa Don)
Ole

Books
Tuesday
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
The Best Mother Goose Ever
Go, Dog. Go!

He has also started repeating those childhood rhymes we all remember so well (his version anyway):

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by his toe. Let him holler let him go. I pick the very best friend and it is Daddy and Mommy and Ezra and Sumo."

At least he tries to include everyone.

A Blessing and a Curse...

The internet. Ezra isn't eating many finger foods these days, and he has given up eating a lot of the baby food he used to eat before he turned one. His doctor hopes it is just a phase. So do I. I decided to do a little research online to see what I could find. There were many articles and many questions posted about this same issue. I found one blog in particular that a woman wrote about her 7-month-old not wanting to eat solid food. Many people wrote in comments saying they were experiencing the same thing with their children. A blessing to find this blog and to know that we are not alone. As I read on, this woman continued to blog over the course of 2 years about her son. Her child drank nothing but formula and chewed on the occasional piece of finger food before spitting it out (this is what Ezra does) until he was 2 and a half. Only then did he begin to want to eat solid food. What? 2 and a half! Curse you internet. Curse you.

Smaller?

I didn't even think that was possible. Are they really smaller than before? Now maybe it is because they were so much bigger for so long, that they just seem smaller? Either way, for the record, it is simply not fair.

Swedish?

Old Yellow and Baby

You bet. Elias' favorite stuffed animal in the whole world is Old Yellow (received as a hand-me-down from my cousin Lisa). Now Old Yellow's name got shortened awhile back to Olo. It took me some time to be on board, but now it's definitely Olo. Except for a few weeks ago, when it became Ole. You do your Swedish ancestors proud Elias. Gotta love Ole. I'll be sure to let you know if Ole's last name becomes Olson.

Who's Already One?

Ezra! Hard to believe. Here is what he has been up to:

-Didn't want to eat his birthday cupcake. Preferred Os.
-Likes to quack like a duck.
-Pulls his own hair (often out!) when drinking his late-night bottle (8:30 p.m.).
-Mostly refuses to eat finger foods. Often chews on stuff for a while, and then promptly spits it out. Still hates chunky food. Would rather eat Kleenex.
-Walked on 1/6/12, but only walks when it suits him. He's much faster at crawling.
-Has a funny mannerism of titling his head to one side. He usually does it when he is unsure about something.
-Tried whole milk but seemed not to sleep through the night, so back on formula for now. I quit breastfeeding right at 11 months.
-Really loves the dollhouse couch and the pretend phone that play tunes. He loves to boogy down.
-Says Hi, Here, Pop, All done, Off (when turns off the light).
-Refused to even try a piece of pear, but later that day was found with a piece of dog food in his mouth that had been there for who knows how long. Is he trying to drive us crazy?
-Got 2 more teeth (top, front left on 1/2/12; top, front, right on 1/5/12).
-Really likes headbutting the wall, Elias, your head (ouch!)...
-Really hates getting strapped into his car seat.
-Dances to the music in Toddlers (the next door class at school) when in his crib for nap.
-Weighed 20 lbs and was 30" tall on 1/20/12.
-Loves to get up and sit on chairs all by himself (he often climbs up on the table too).
-Can't get enough of water. Loves baths, splashing in Sumo's water bowl, putting his hands in the toilet...and he can now open the lid (joy!).

Anyone want to babysit?

Deep Thoughts by Elias Kiefer

Remember when Ezzy (Ezra) was sick and jumped out of a plane, and he was sad because you and Dad wouldn't jump with him?

Ezra Walks

Ezra started walking just a few days before his first birthday on 1/6/12. This is him walking shortly thereafter. I always seem to hold the camera the wrong way. My apologies.