Blah Blah Blah

Brothers

2012-01-31T20:28:00.001-07:00

Sure hope they still like each other next year.

Adult Parties

2012-01-31T20:05:00.004-07:00

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

2012-01-31T19:52:00.002-07:00

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

2012-01-31T19:47:00.002-07:00

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

2012-01-31T19:41:00.002-07:00

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?

2012-01-29T19:56:00.003-07:00

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

2012-01-29T19:43:00.004-07:00

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

2012-01-29T16:55:00.005-07:00

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...

2012-01-29T16:45:00.003-07:00

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?

2012-01-29T16:43:00.002-07:00

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?

2012-01-29T16:33:00.004-07:00

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?

2012-01-25T20:01:00.008-07:00

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

2012-01-25T19:55:00.001-07:00

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

2012-01-24T20:50:00.002-07:00

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.

What, indeed

2011-12-28T16:30:00.003-07:00

Elias has been learning what to do in case of a tornado and what to do in case of a fire ever since he started at daycare. Every month they practice both the fire drill and the tornado drill. Recently, they must have been talking about it in class because Elias has been telling me that if there is a tornado, we go to the basement and if there is a fire, we go outside. Today he asked, "What if there is a tornado outside and a fire inside at the same time? What do we do?"...what, indeed.

August Smiles

2011-12-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Baby Greta

2011-12-16T15:08:00.002-07:00

Elias, Ezra and I got to visit baby Greta and big sister Alex back in September. What a cutie. Sadly, we haven't had a chance to see them since. Two small kids means no time for anything it seems. I vaguely remember having friends...

Traffic Jam

2011-12-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

One of Elias' favorite games to play.

Quilts!

2011-12-16T14:53:00.002-07:00

My friend Kat made this beautiful (and super fun) dog quilt for Ezra when he was born. It has been up on the wall for awhile now, along with two kids' prints we got from Shari, a quilt made by Great-Grandma Ruth and a quilt made for Elias by his cousins. The room looks great. How sad is it that Ezra is almost one, and I am only now getting around to posting about the nursery. Even if I manage no updates in between, I promise to let you know where he decides to go to college.

BUT...

2011-12-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

A Musical Life

2011-12-16T14:44:00.002-07:00

Music is a huge part of our lives. We have been going to kids' music classes since Elias was 6 months old. This fall we went to an outdoor bluegrass concert in Fraser, heard Elias' music teacher Mathew's band, The Dinosaur Squad, play at a few free concerts (I guess you could consider us groupies...Elias played the maraca onstage), and went to a Justin Roberts concert. If you had been there, yes, that was me screaming, singing and dancing...but we go for the kids....really.

Swinging Back in July

2011-12-16T14:42:00.001-07:00

How Embarrassing

2011-12-16T14:30:00.002-07:00

Back in July, I finally convinced Matt we needed cleaning people. My friend had a great recommendation, and so they were hired. Ana's crew of 5 arrived for the first, deep cleaning. Prior to their first visit, Ana had walked through the house to make an estimate and to talk about what they would do. A price was agreed upon (the 1st cleaning more expensive than the follow ups). While I don't know exactly when the crew arrived that first day, Ana said she thought they would come by around 10:30. When I arrived home from picking the kids up from school at 5:00 and they were still cleaning...well, to say it was a bit embarrassing is an understatement. We sent them some additional money since that first cleaning took longer than expected. Now that 3 ladies come every 2 weeks, it seems to be a bit more under control. Take THAT dust bunnies!

The 4th

2011-12-16T14:20:00.003-07:00

Since we were in St. Louis anyway, we stayed after the reunion to visit with Matt's family. David, Serena and Justin came by to play with the kids. Ezra wore his special 4th of July outfit made by Grandma Darleen. David took some wonderful photos.

Family Reunion #2

2011-12-16T13:51:00.017-07:00

In July, we flew back to St. Louis to get together with my Mom's side of the family at Pere Marquette. It was a whirlwind get together, but loads of fun. We stayed at a great lodge with swimming, picnic tables and hiking.

Ethan and Ezra

We ate out at a restaurant with live music. Jacob and Alison played shakers on stage, and Matt and I danced some swing.
We went on an epic "1 mile" hike that was really more like 3. Matt carried Elias on his shoulders almost the whole way. We were the last ones of the pack, but at least we managed to stop for the view the rest of the group somehow missed.

We had the mandatory group photos in our awesome matching shirts.

The goofy one

Or was this the goofy one?

For the afternoon and evening we played with the parachute, waved our flags, hung out under shelter because of the terenchal downpour, made balloon swords, saw Matt's parents, did crafts, had a talent show, and hung spoons from our noses. A rip roaring good time.

Even Ezra enjoyed it!

Everyone Just Keeps Getting Older

2011-12-16T13:17:00.006-07:00

Charlotte and Montessori teacher Katie

Luckily for me, Elias has been invited to Birthday party after Birthday party at school...and I LOVE them! Charlotte turned 5 back in June and we went to Heritage Square, an amusement park in Golden, CO. We started off watching the show "Billy the Kid". Each child in the audience got to be part of the play. Elias volunteered at just the right time. He got to save Nellie from the bad guy who was always so mean just because he had his shoes on the wrong feet. Because Elias kept Nellie from falling into the river, he got a big lipstick kiss on the cheek (and was very embarrassed).
Then we rode amusement rides for the rest of the the afternoon. Elias liked the swings, the balloon and the banana ride. He wasn't so sure about the big dragon roller coaster ride.

Elias and me on the Balloon Ride

Matt only took Elias on one train ride, and it was too much for Matt. Sick to his stomach. I'm surprised Matt can even take the elevators up to the daycare. At least he always manages to get his shoes on the right feet.

Encouragement

2011-12-13T20:13:00.003-07:00

Thanks for all of the thoughtful notes from everyone encouraging me to keep up with the blog. It is always nice to know that there are people out there who enjoy it. I have a ton of catching up to do, so my plan is to get back into it very soon. I'm just not sure it is wise for any mom with two small children to plan on anything.

The Human Vacuum Cleaner

2011-12-13T19:48:00.008-07:00

Ezra will find every piece of dirt, lint and food particle on the floor, put it in his mouth and chew and chew and chew. You got dirty floors? He's your man. Never mind that the sweet potato fries were spit out almost immediately. "But those aren't yummy paper pieces Mom."

Ezra is already 11 months old. NO WAY! What has he been up to? Here goes.

Ezra...

-dances any time a song is played
-cries every time we knock the block tower down
-loves to stuff his face with cherrios (and is getting pretty good at it)
-got his third tooth (finally) on Dec 10th (top, right, 2nd from center)
-has cheeks that are always red (Eczema just like his brother)
-enjoys playing "share" (handing a toy to you, but then expecting to get it back right away...not good when he tries to play with Elias)
-can now crawl down the stairs backwards (although usually halfway down he forgets and starts going up again)
-said his first word ("Hi") on Dec 7th
-dislikes chunky baby food (ex. Green beans just don't get smooth with the blender)
-loves riding on your shoulders (thanks for discovering that Grandpa Don)
-now has green (?) eyes (his blue eyes looked like they were turning brown, but now seem green. Who knows?)

Unhooked on Phonics

2011-11-06T20:07:00.002-07:00

Elias' teacher, Ms. Julie, is known for getting her students to read at an early age. Unfortunatley, I think Elias must have missed a key point. Last week as we are driving home he says:

"Ca. Ca. Ca. Car."
"Ba. Ba. Ba. Fish."

Almost 10 Months

2011-11-06T19:41:00.002-07:00

I'll explain the hat another time...as for the facial expression, I think it goes without saying that Ezra is a wild child (or "busy" if you work at the daycare).

At almost 10 months Ezra:

-weighs 17lbs 13 oz, 28 inches long
-splashes so much in the bathtub that he must be part fish
-got his 2nd tooth (Sept 24th) bottom, left, front
-has mastered going up the stairs (especially when Mom and Dad aren't paying attention)
-knows the signs for milk, more and all done
-loves to dig in my plants (messy!)
-has had cold after cold after cold
-loves to wiggle and clap to the music
-constantly drools
-chases Brooks around the room at school
-pulls off his bib every time he eats
-is the class clown
-is still breastfeeding 3 times a day (more like 2.5 times)
-grunts and makes fists when he is frustrated
-is getting pretty good at eating cheerios
-loves unrolling the toilet paper
-is the teacher's pet (Margie goes on and on about him every time I pick him up)
-stands up and claps without holding on (but seems too afraid to take those first steps)
-works with toys at school for a long period of time before moving on
-shakes his head no when you shake your head yes...and laughs (see class clown above)
-has started sitting on the froggy potty at home
-smiles at people he knows
-is beyond curious about EVERYTHING

Snaggle Tooth

2011-09-20T20:32:00.000-06:00

Snaggle Tooth is 8 months old!

-Got his first (and only) tooth (Aug 17th)
-Loves to clap (although he has been doing that for months)
-Does not like applesauce and only barely tolerates yogurt, but will happily eat green beans, broccoli and peas
-Has super sharp nails and scratches his face constantly
-Crawls through the tunnel at school
-Says ba, ba and ma, ma (but da, da is still his favorite)
-Already conspires with Elias to do no good
-Recognizes the Goodnight song
-Has found the electrical outlet in the floor (over and over again)
-Has taken a liking to eating my plants (he does seem to like vegetables)
-Still has a wonderful laugh

Is it Wrong?

2011-08-30T19:18:00.002-06:00

Is it wrong when a Mom laughs at her three-year-old taking a hit to the groin? He was in a little bit of pain, but I...ahem...the Mom just couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Luckily Dad was there to console.

Nillup

2011-08-30T19:15:00.004-06:00

Most days Elias makes up silly words, but every once in a while he tries really hard to get his point across...and it usually takes me a while to get it. A few days ago, it went like this:

Elias: I love chocolate and nillup.
Erica: Nellip? (I often can't tell what he is trying to pronounce)
Elias: No, nillup.
Erica: Nillep?
Elias: NO, NILLUP.
Matt: Vanilla?
Erica: Oh, vanilla!
Elias: Don't talk about it.

6:30...No Way

2011-08-27T20:44:00.002-06:00

Both kids slept until about 6:30 this morning. BOTH. That makes for a good morning! You kid-free readers may be thinking that is early, but 6:30 is sleeping in when one or the other is usually up at 5:00. I'm not counting on it happening again tomorrow, but it sure would be nice. Maybe I'll sleep with my fingers crossed.

A ME Day

2011-08-27T20:19:00.002-06:00

Back in June, my good friend Carissa planned a day that was just for me. It was a Friday where there was no music class, the kids were at school (a rare Friday), and I had finally found the time to be a bit carefree. We took Sumo for a walk, had a wonderous brunch, went to a movie, indulged in cupcakes and chatted the day away. I have only had a handful of days to myself since (really just by myself), but none of them have been quite as special. Great friends rock!

Show and Tell

2011-08-27T19:52:00.006-06:00

Since Elias has moved up to primaries, it has been a very exciting summer at school. They went on four field trips (Matt went on some too!) taking the public bus to the botanic gardens, the zoo, the art museum, and the library. Every month, Elias has snack day where he gets to bring one book and one treasure for show and tell (and I have to bring in snacks for his class). With much persuasion from me, he has taken:

The Bear Snores On and his bag of instruments (I tried to get him to take his guitar)
Of Thee I Sing (Obama book) and his camera
The Three Little Javelinas and the quilt Great Grandma Ruth made for him
Bugs for Lunch and a cow eraser

As you can see, I started off strong, but am starting to lose my coercion skills. A cow eraser? What next month, his dirty socks?

Elias' True Best Friend

2011-08-27T19:42:00.002-06:00

Julia is truly Elias' best friend from school. Sadly, she started at a new school just a few weeks ago. She has a new baby sister, Zoe, so she is going to school a little closer to home (and a bit cheaper too). Lucky for us she told her Mom she really missed Elias, so they came over for a play date a few weekends ago. I remember last year Mimi telling me that Julia was so mean to Elias, but he would wait for them to arrive at school every morning and run to open the door. He does love Jules. I guess Elias can claim he learned how to handle women at a very early age.

Conditional Best Friends

2011-08-26T10:23:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, Elias started telling me I was his best friend (often along with Olo (Old Yellow) and Sumo). I've decided he must be hanging out with the girls at school. Recently he has become more demanding:

"You can be my best friend if you eat your ice cream." (I'm down with that)
"You can be my best friend if you play with me." (Not quite as good as ice cream)

Yesterday it was:

"You can be my best friend if you poop in your pants." (Uh, no thank you)

I guess he must be hanging out with the boys at school too.

Seven (Plus) Months

2011-08-22T19:50:00.002-06:00

Thanks for the Duck, Duck, Moose outfit Posts (and cute little socks)!

A long overdue seven month Ezra update:

-Loves to be outside
-Would rather play than drink milk (Why do my kids hate eating?)
-Has the cutest giggle when he is tickled or attacked by Elias
-Has tried rice cereal, sweet potatoes (his favorite), avocado (really doesn't like it), bananas, peas
-Loves to chew on paper and cords (How do they know what they aren't supposed to get into?)
-Prefers food over milk any day
-Nods his head up and down over and over again (He is a yes man)
-Still says da, da, da
-Always crawls towards the doggie bowl (I thought they couldn't remember stuff at this age. How does he always know where it is?)
-Kicks when he drinks his milk
-Tries to roll over every time you change his diaper
-Was frustrated when he couldn't crawl. After he crawled (8/1/11) for a few days became frustrated that he couldn't walk (continues to be frustrated)
-Pulls himself up on everything he can (First time 7/14/11)
-Climbs the stairs at school (8/12/11)
-Will probably be walking by 9 months (God save us)
-Wants YOU to visit!

Dreadful Words

2011-08-19T12:47:00.002-06:00

This morning as Elias is crouched down in the dinning room, he says, "Look Mom. I found an ant hill." While Elias isn't usually 100% accurate, there is almost always some truth to his statements. Sigh. Anyone know a good exterminator?

What Has Happened to Me?

2011-08-14T18:59:00.004-06:00

Today I looked at my watch, saw 6:20 p.m. and thought, "Boy, it is getting late." Seriously? I never have been a late nighter (bed by 9:00), but kids are definitely making it worse. We went to hear Elias' Music Together teacher, Matthew, play music at a restaurant today. 7:00 is Elias' bedtime, so when I saw it was almost 6:30, it meant it was time to call it a night. Any bets on how soon until I start taking advantage of the Early Bird Special?

THE nap

2011-08-14T14:19:00.003-06:00

While we were staying at Marjie and Paul's for the family reunion, Elias' room was Paul's office. Little did any of us know just how much trouble an unsupervised Elias would be in a new place. Right after we arrived, it was time for a nap. We read books, sang our song, tucked Elias in and headed downstairs while he "napped". About an hour later, Matt found Elias with the metal innards of the file cabinet around his head, the rock garden sand dumped out on the floor and just about every cabinet within reach emptied. Needless to say, when we came back in July, Paul's office was pretty much empty....BEFORE it was time for Elias' nap.

Imagination Bites

2011-07-31T19:41:00.003-06:00

Sure, everyone thinks it is so great when children have such enormous imaginations (just don't ask their parents). Elias loves to pretend. I am forever wondering why we can't just PLAY the ladybug game? Why do we have to take the Aphid pieces and put them in a bowl to make pretend chocolate ice cream? Heaven forbid we pretend with the trains or the Little People toys or sit at the table and color. No, no. We have to move every toy we have (big and small) in front of the stairs because we are "doing construction." The dog's leash hooked over the door knob extending to Ezra's mat makes sure everyone takes the proper path while the work is being done. An extension cord becomes a microphone (never mind that we actually HAVE a toy microphone), the screws become batteries, the cookie sheets and Popsicle sticks becomes a fire...the junk drawer is Elias favorite place to find the next thing to play. Next time you are cleaning out your drawers and wonder, "What would I ever do with this?" Just send it our way.

Family Reunion #1

2011-07-30T15:53:00.010-06:00

At the end of May, we headed to the St. Louis area for our Kiefer family reunion. What fun to see everyone (we missed you Geoff and family)! A bunch of Kiefers live in the area, so most of us stayed with relatives. The youngest generation had a blast playing together.

I was glad there were so many folks dying to get a hold of Ezra.

Some of the highlights were: Water balloon fight, great food (I still need that BBQ recipe Paul), snowball fight (snowballs saved in the freezer from the winter), a trip to the zoo (Elias getting an ear infection cut that trip short), silly faces, wrestling with Uncle Matt, face painting, and an Irish festival

There is talk of a Disney cruise for next time. My only concern is how many Goofys can one ship hold?

Sooo Big

2011-07-23T16:12:00.003-06:00

Check out my tie (Thanks Grandma!)

A 6 month report:

Ezra has mastered sitting. Now he leans forward to try and crawl (not quite there), scoots backward, sleeps on his stomach and has even been known to sit up in his crib (crib was quickly lowered), loves to say "da, da, da", rubs his eyes constantly, weighs 15 lbs 5 oz, is 26 " long, pulls to standing at daycare and is ready to be TROUBLE.

Check out my bib (Thanks Kiefers and Winters!)

Even though he has no teeth (and is still super drooly), Ezra has eaten rice cereal, bananas and sweet potato. He doesn't always open his mouth to eat and loves to stick out his tongue and say, "pthththth" right after a big bite. Remember what I said. TROUBLE.

Sunshine

2011-07-23T15:46:00.007-06:00

Summers up in the mountains are wonderful. We have been enjoying the free concerts, beautiful weather and good company.

We have made use of our double jogging stroller to walk down by the river, played on the playground with Logan and Henry,

attended a chocolate festival (yummy!),

done crafts and hula hooping at Cooper Creek Square, listened to free music at Hideaway Park and enjoyed the outdoors and cool breezes. Loving Colorado - The Sunshine State!

Kahlua Fantasy Chocolate Cheesecake

2011-07-23T15:26:00.002-06:00

May 25th was Grandma Darleen's Birthday, and we were lucky enough to have her here to celebrate. I made Kahlua Fantasy Chocolate Cheesecake (thanks to Shari for the recipe). It was delicious! Who wants to celebrate their next birthday in Denver?

Lucky Robins

2011-07-23T15:14:00.003-06:00

Matt considers us lucky to have had a Robin's nest right in the eaves on our back porch. They have already laid their eggs, taught their young how to fly and left for bigger and better things. Some days I wish the raising of our young could go just as fast...and some days I can't believe Elias is already 3.

Purple

2011-07-23T15:10:00.002-06:00

Elias likes all things purple. He also seems to accumulate girls' rings and hairbands from school. Matt thinks he is a little kleptomaniac. I think he just likes to collect (and put all small items into boxes, bowls, bags, and sometimes, his hair). Well, we always were kind of hoping we would have a girl.

For the Record

2011-07-23T15:02:00.002-06:00

On May 20th, Ezra had his 4 month doctor's visit. He weighed 13 lbs 2 oz, was 25.5 inches long and his head was 16 inches around. Although it seems the only thing they can really accurately measure is his weight. He is on his own growth curve, at about the 10th percentile. That was also the day we donated a cooler full of frozen breast milk to the milk bank. Bye bye DHA tainted milk; Hello freezer space.

Jim is a Genius

2011-07-23T14:45:00.002-06:00

Just don't tell him or it might go to his head. Ezra had the same blood in his stools that Elias had. I tried cutting out peanuts and eggs since Elias is allergic to peanuts and was allergic to eggs. Those red streaks were still appearing. When Elias was little I tried cutting out dairy and soy, but neither of those helped him. I was on the verge of quitting breastfeeding when Jim suggested I stop taking my prenatal vitamins. Brilliant. Getting off the vitamins (and more specifically the Lipil DHA supplement) was all I needed. I suspect that would have worked for Elias too. Where was that idea 3 years ago? I guess Jim really is getting wiser in his old...ahem...older age.

An Easter Tradition

2011-07-23T13:33:00.005-06:00

Perhaps it is a bit too early to declare, but declare I shall. We have a new Easter tradition. This Easter was spent similarly to last year...

we dyed Easter eggs with Shari and Mika, hid plastic eggs and tried to find them, and

went to Winter Park for the kids' Easter egg hunt. It was a tiny hill with tons of kids let loose to find plastic eggs hidden with candy. Elias and Mika filled the basket he and Grandma had made to the top. We ate candy in the lodge and then

hit the train playground before riding the Cabriolet back to the car. The Easter bunny would have been proud.

The Galloping Goose

2011-07-23T13:19:00.006-06:00

Ahhh, to think back to the snow and cold. What a good time to recount the great skiing adventure. On April 16th, Matt took Elias skiing for the first time. He loved getting his hip yellow ski boots and skis at the rental shop. Size 6, the smallest they had.

Ezra, Elias and I walked to the bunny hill while Matt carried his and Elias' skis up to the lodge to get Elias a ticket. I got more than a few pity-filled looks as we worked our way from the parking lot to the Galloping Goose lift.

After a a bit of struggling, the skis were on and everyone was ready.

Maybe I would consider taking up skiing if Matt picked me up and helped me get on and off the lift...
And held me up as we came down the mountain. They did about 5 runs coming down pretty fast. Matt got quite the workout.
Only one minor injury when Matt pushed Elias to give him some speed, and instead of moving forward he bent at the waist and slid on his head. Why is it always his eye? We need to invest in a full face helmet.

They went back the next weekend, rode the magic carpet and even took a green run on the real mountain. I guess next year it's the half pipe.

First Day of School

2011-07-23T13:00:00.002-06:00

When I look through the photo albums of my childhood, there is always a picture from the first day of school. Such fond memories. On April 11th, Ezra started at the same Montessori school as Elias. He and Elias wore coordinated outfits for this momentous occasion. Getting back into the swing of things at work took some time, but now it seems like ages ago. We have a routine, and everyone is getting the hang of it.

Right when Ezra started, Elias started transitioning to Ms. Julie's class. It was a rough couple of months as he loved snugly Ms. Sholanda and seemed terrified of strict Ms. Julie. I am happy to report that last week Ms. Julie told me Elias has done a 180 and is now a big helper in class, telling kids to be quiet and has even declared himself Ms. Julie's boyfriend. Go Elias! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Thanks to the Stranger

2011-06-28T19:40:00.004-06:00

Thanks to the stranger who kept me calm as Elias, Ezra, he, and myself watched in slow motion as my keys fell out of my hand, bounced and glided ever so effortlessly down the elevator shaft at school at 4:10. They fell down where the doors open and close. I looked at him, panicky and said, "What do I do?" He told me, "Go up to G and find the security guards there. Tell them what happened." That was enough to snap me out of my frozen world (this building has security guards?) and into action.

Normally, not the best of circumstances, but not really all that bad. Unfortunately, this happened yesterday. Yesterday, at 4:10, Matt was at the airport waiting to take a flight to Florida for work. He has the only spare set of keys. Yesterday, I made a dog vet appointment for 5:00. I left work at 3:00, raced home, got Sumo, raced to school, locked all my possessions and Sumo in the car to run upstairs and "quickly" get the kids so we could make it to the vet on time. Yesterday, the only guy who had access to that elevator shaft left at 4:00. Yesterday, the vet's phone number, my phone and my wallet were locked in the car, and my keys were somewhere in the dark abyss of the elevators.

Talk about a bad day. Luckily, we found security, found the Operations Center (this building has an Operations Center?), and met Angela who was extremely helpful. She didn't laugh when I couldn't tell her which elevators it was ("The ones the go up to the school"...now I know these are the North elevators), or when I told her I was going to take the kids back up to school while we waited for them to find my keys, but that I would have to call her from up there because, "I don't know the school's number. It's in my car." She was very concerned that I might have to pay the $300 bill because they had to call the guy in after he had left for the day. At that point, I think they could have charged me $1000.

The kids and I went up to the school, Ezra got to eat, Elias got to play, I called Matt and he canceled the dog appointment, and in about an hour they had my keys. Next time you are out and see someone about to lose it, please do your best to be THAT guy. The one who is calming and helpful. The one who clearly says what to do to help solve the immediate problem at hand. The one who acts like a true human being. And may I suggest, don't get your keys out of your pocket until you are in the parking lot.

Three-Month-Old Ezra

2011-06-19T20:16:00.002-06:00

On April 9th, Ezra was 3 months old and weighed about 12 lbs. We went to sing karaoke at Will and Kathy's place (them having a party was just a coincidence). We had so much fun that we even had to drag Elias away from the microphone...the ABC song is cute for only so long. That Monday Ezra started at school in Ms. Lorri and Ms. Kate's room. He did great!

To The Rescue

2011-06-19T19:54:00.006-06:00

The daycare wasn't ready for Ezra until one week after I was ready to go back to work. My FMLA ran out on April 4th, but Ms. Lorri wasn't ready for Ezra until April 11th. What to do, what to do? Mom and Jim to the rescue! They came for a week and played, organized, fed, cleaned, changed diapers and cooked while I started back at work. During the week Matt and I went out (alone) for icecream, I went to book club, and Ezra started sleeping through the night.

We celebrated Elias' birthday with breakfast in bed (Grandma and Grandpa's bed, in fact):

And Ezra found his thumb. He wasn't sure at first, but boy does he have it down now:

Thanks for saving the day (or more like week) Mom and Jim!

The Loot

2011-06-19T19:17:00.009-06:00

With so many friends at Elias' birthday party, he got quite the load of presents (in no particular order):

Hot wheels
Dump truck
Monster truck
Truck book with toy trucks
Sidewalk chalk
Bubble wand
Puzzle
Sticker book
Take apart front loader
Crayola drawing glow board
Bubble gun
Thomas birthday game
Magnetic dress up boy
Dinosaur book
Tuesday book
Microphone
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Duck, Rabbit book
Camera
Train play mat with trains
Giant foam book
Little People stuff
Paper plate craft
Guitar

Since Matt and I gave Elias his guitar (and we know him best), I don't feel bad saying it was his favorite gift. Below is a link to hear the first performance of his soon-to-be illustrious career. Just think. You can say you knew him back when.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJCvMCH-HWE

The Art of Chewing Gum

2011-06-18T12:00:00.002-06:00

Perhaps we are not letting Elias experience enough of what the world has to offer. At Jack's birthday party, he got a goody bag of candy. One item was bubble tape. Knowing that Elias has never had bubble gum (I guess most other 3-year-olds know about gum?), I unsuccessfully attempted to explain that we chew gum, but we don't swallow it. After he consumed half of the roll of gum in a matter of minutes, it conveniently disappeared. Who knew that chewing gum was such an art?

He Rolls

2011-06-18T10:56:00.002-06:00

At 5 months Ezra is still saying the same things: "pthththth" and "ieeeeeeeee." He loves playing with his feet, and he is still sucking his thumb. In fact, sometimes he tries to eat and suck his thumb at the same time. Never works out. He is getting good at sitting on his own. He only topples over every 5 minutes or so. If he falls backward, that seems to work out fine...forward, not so much. He grabs at toys and smiles and shrieks. Super fun. It will be great to start feeding him solids in just a few more weeks. He has also learned to roll over from his back onto his stomach, where he hates it and immediately lets out a great big "ieeeeeeee." I had to flip him over 6 times yesterday (once in the middle of the night) because he can't roll back yet. Why is it we always do over and over again the things that wind up upsetting us the most?

Elias is 3 (Back in April)

2011-06-05T14:50:00.004-06:00

Matt and I were a bit wishy washy on what to do for Elias' 3rd birthday. He loves music class, but his favorite teacher doesn't do birthday parties. I'm glad we decided to go ahead and have a party there anyway. He had a ball.

Shortly after everyone arrived, we all sat in a big circle and sang songs. We sang hello to everyone, played egg shakers, ran under the parachute, played instruments and sang Elias Happy Birthday. Then the kids had snacks on a big picnic blanket on the floor (cheese sticks, fishies, fruit salad, yogurt, cupcakes, cake, and milk...coffee cake and coffee for the adults). After snacks, the kids colored on big paper, did puzzles and played the bean bag game. Before we knew it, it was time to go home. Let the present opening begin!

An Ecklund Tradition

2011-06-05T14:33:00.002-06:00

Ever since I can remember, my Dad has made special, out-of-this-world cakes for my sister and my birthdays. It is one of my favorite Ecklund traditions. Since this was the first time we had an actual party for Elias' birthday, naturally I had to make Elias a special cake. Having never actually done it before, but thinking back on all the neat cakes Dad had made, I figured, "How hard could it be?" HA!

Luckily, Elias' 3rd birthday party was right before I went back to work so I could devote my full attention to it. With his party being on a Saturday, I sent him to school on Friday (his usual day off) so I could prepare. I had baked the two 13 X 9 yellow cakes the night before to give me time to create a homemade guitar cake for Elias' musical birthday party. After about an hour into the assembly, with the sides all falling apart and needing more frosting, I almost quit. I managed to persevere, and about 4 hours later, the guitar cake was finished. Hooray! And so the tradition continues...

Party Like it's 1999

2011-06-05T13:53:00.009-06:00

It is Birthday Party Season. We have been to 5 parties (not counting Elias') since March. My cousin's two kids both had birthdays. We had hot dogs, mac n' cheese, cake and ice cream, cooked in the play kitchen, jumped in the giant bouncy ring, sculpted the playdough and chased the cat.

A stylish Carina sitting on her sister's new present

Angelina and Elias concentrating on the playdough

We went to the Denver Firefighters Museum for Dylan's party, Elias' best bud from school. The kids ran around upstairs, had cake and ice cream and then went downstairs to learn a little about firefighters. When Dylan wouldn't be the fire chief, Elias volunteered.

A slightly nervous Elias standing in front of everyone for the demonstration

The Birthday Boy driving the firetruck

Jasper, from school, had his party at a gymnastics center. The kids did an obstacle course, walked along the balance beams, slid into the pit, jumped on the trampoline and ran around like crazy. Ezra even hung on the trapeze bar and swung a little bit (that boy can grip). There was cake and ice cream too. When I asked Elias if he wanted help on the balance beam, he told me, "No Mom, they will help me, " and pointed to the cute teenagers who were running the party. And so it begins.

Elias in the pit

A very thirsty Jasper

Just yesterday we went to Monkey Business to celebrate Jack's 4th Birthday. We ran around in a big room full of giant bouncy contraptions: A giant slide, an obstacle course, a rock climbing wall. Yep, I did say "we". I got to play too. Matt hung out with Ezra while Elias, Joey (A friend from school) and I had all of the fun. As far as I could tell, I was the only adult playing. What is wrong with everyone? We ended with cake and ice cream, of course. Matt took a video of Elias going down the big slide. I'll see if I can post it later.

What I have learned about parties is no matter where you have the party or what you do, cake and ice cream make it official. Happy Birthday Everyone!

The Allergist

2011-06-05T13:41:00.003-06:00

Back in March, Elias went back to the allergy specialist for his yearly checkup. Good news - Elias is no longer allergic to eggs (but apparently all kids outgrow this allergy, so it isn't all that exciting). Bad news - Elias is still allergic to peanut butter...and bad enough that they don't think he will grow out of it. Bummer! We got him an Epi Pen for home and school because while we have the technology to fly to the moon, we don't have any way of knowing what kind of reaction Elias will have if he accidentally eats peanuts. So, what does Elias pretend to eat at home every chance he gets. Peanuts, of course.

The other bummer news is that the only help for his wheezing when he gets a cold is to do the nebulizer (better known as Fishy Treatment) every day...and twice a day when he gets a cold. Good thing he likes books! I am happy to report that with his first cold on the new plan, he didn't have a day where he had to stay at home from school. That's a win win for everyone. I sure hope it continues to work because if not, what's next? You guessed it, Fishy Treatment twice a day, every day. If that happens, we may very well open our own children's library.

Now That's a First

2011-06-04T18:35:00.002-06:00

We recently discovered that Elias likes carrots. When served cheesy pasta, peaches and carrots with ranch dip, Elias proceeded to eat all of the carrots (and nothing else) and declared himself done with dinner. And this from a kid who hasn't eaten a vegetable in over a year.

Minis Teachers

2011-05-19T20:15:00.009-06:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we made picture frames for Elias' teachers. Each frame we made contained a picture of the teacher with Elias. Minis is the first class where Elias got super attached to his teachers. I think it is something about going from 2 to 3.

Miss Dayna
She was the head teacher in the other Mini classroom and one of Elias' favorites

Miss Brittany
She is a floating teacher (moves from room to room as needed). She has been with Elias since he was an infant.

Miss Katie
Sadly Miss Katie left the school shortly after she started.

Miss Stana
Also known as Stana Banana and Stana Claus. Luckily, she has a sense of humor.

Miss Sholanda
Elias' favorite teacher ever. When Elias was upset at home, he would cry for Miss Sholanda.

Hopefully the picture frames helped these teachers see how special they truly are.

Grandparents Galore

2011-05-19T20:03:00.003-06:00

Back in March, a week after Grandpa Don went home, Grandma Marjie and Grandpa Paul arrived. Hurray for visitors! Ezra loved getting so much attention; he got rocked to sleep, watched the fan for the first time and got lots of snuggles. Elias got some awesome presents: a neat set of matching rummy cards and a great paint set...well, great for Elias (Mom isn't so sure). Actually, the painting came in handy as we used it to make some picture frames for Elias' teachers. It is a really cool set of paint sticks, but I am a mess freak so it makes me nervous. My favorite thing was a cool physics top made by Paul. When you spin it in the sunlight, different people see different colors. Neato!

Siete De Mayo

2011-05-08T15:48:00.002-06:00

Yesterday (May 7th) we celebrated Cinco De Mayo downtown. There was a fair down at Civic Center Park with booths, food, and music. Getting there right as it started was perfect. Elias got to kick a soccer ball, throw basketballs, toss bean bags, throw wiffle balls...all without waiting in line. He got a maraca, a pink balloon, free toothbrushes (his favorite prize), sample food, a hacky sack, a high five with a guy dressed up as a blue dog, and the free photo above. His favorite thing was seeing the Tecate girls dancing on stage throwing out free key chains (he loves his boxing punching bag key chain almost as much as the toothbrushes). We took the light rail downtown, brought a picnic lunch, enjoyed the 80 degree weather, and even had front row seats for the landing of 7 Navy Seals that parachuted from a plane. Elias wanted to do it all again today. Matt and I were still worn out.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:46:00.002-06:00

Waffles for breakfast. Yummy. Isn't every day really Mother's Day? Let's hope Matt thinks so. Maybe we can waffles again tomorrow.

Smiles

2011-05-06T20:42:00.002-06:00

When Ezra was a little more than 1 month old, he started to smile...well, it was more of a smirk. At 2 months he was really getting into it. This was the first picture I got of him with a true smile. During March he also saw the doctor and weighed 10 lbs 5 oz, was 24 inches long and went 6 hours between feedings at night (or at least one night).

Grandpa Don

2011-05-06T20:21:00.004-06:00

At the end of February, my Dad came to visit. We had a great time, and he was a huge help...who could ask for more? Elias had a blast with him. We went up to condo for Mardi Gras and got tons of beads (who knew cute kids were all it took?). We rode the Cabriolet, pulled Elias in a wagon to the base (Ezra was in his sling), watched some skiers, played at the train park and then headed back. On the way home we stopped at the playground where they have community sleds. Dad and Elias took a few runs on the tiny sledding hill. What fun!

As a side note, I can't believe this is true, but I took the kids by myself and did all of these same things (minus the beads) a few weekends before Dad arrived. It certainly doesn't seem possible, but it must have been back in my delusional days. Ezra and I even pushed Elias down the sledding hill, and then walked down to help him bring the sled back up.

Dad made us some wonderful dinners. He gave Ezra a bottle and babysat while I had a work meeting. He had pillow fights with Elias. Probably Elias' favorite thing was playing with playdough and pennies. Dad would hide the pennies in the playdough, and before Elias could get them all out he would hide some more.

When are you coming back?

4 Months

2011-05-06T20:11:00.002-06:00

Ezra is already almost 4 months old. Some of the things he is doing now:

He goos and gaas.
He has acquired two nicknames: Ez and Ezzy. Even Elias uses them.
He sucks his thumb like there is no tomorrow (and even has a red patch on it).
He blows raspberries with his tongue.
He loves to stand up (with help) and doesn't bend at the waist much.
He smiles at people. He loves people!
He has the loudest squeal/cry I have ever heard. It is ear piercing.
He sleeps 8 - 9 hours at night.
He could watch Elias for hours on end in fascination.
He is losing his first round of hair, but already has more in underneath.
He kicks his feet up in the air, but hasn't rolled over yet.
I think he is getting at least 2 teeth. Call him Captain Drool.

Must Have Been Delusional

2011-05-06T20:02:00.002-06:00

I just can't fathom that back in February I survived Matt taking a ski trip to Steamboat. He didn't think it was a good idea, but I insisted. He was gone from a Thursday night to a Sunday night. Ezra wouldn't have been even 2 months and was certainly still getting up at night to eat. I did send Elias to school on the Friday, and we went to a new music class on Saturday because I had a free coupon, but still. From the stories Matt told me when he got back, it sounded like everyone had a fabulous time. It is a good thing they went when they did, because now that I am sleeping better, I'm not nearly as delusional. Matt has no plans for a long weekend trip in the foreseeable future. He might just have to wait another 18 years.

Shipped 12/31/10

2011-04-30T14:03:00.002-06:00

The Netflix movie we just returned was shipped 12/31/10. Do you see what I mean about no time? But we finally made an effort and watched it. Sure, it may have taken us three nights to watch, "The Proposal", a lighthearted 2 hour movie, but we did it. And it was wonderful! It's not that the movie was so great (it's cute), but it was the return to being human again, taking some time for myself and finally feeling like at least one thing I was doing wasn't about the kids. Next movie of 2011 was shipped 4/26/11. Here's hoping we get to it before August.

Now Where Was I

2011-04-30T14:00:00.002-06:00

It is amazing how little time one can have. I don't know how anyone has more than two kids...there just isn't time. Even when I wasn't working, I barely had time to write in the blog. Now with work, I'm lucky if I can brush my teeth. I'm going to attempt to play catch up here on what I have missed, and also post about the here and now. It will be a big jumble...welcome to my new life as mother of two.

Toys

2011-03-16T09:19:00.002-06:00

Why is it that toys surround Elias, but all he wants to play with are the cookie sheets, the bucket of pennies and Mommy's important papers?

Unswaddled

2011-03-16T09:13:00.002-06:00

Ezra never seemed to like being swaddled, but it did seem to help him sleep. This week we begin unswaddled sleep training to prepare for daycare. It seems to be going OK...sometimes he sleeps well, sometimes not. I have a feeling Ezra is wishing he hadn't put up such a fight when we used to swaddle him. Oh, to wish for the things we used to hate. Welcome to being human.

Bottles

2011-03-16T09:10:00.002-06:00

Soon, I head back to work. Luckily Ezra has shown success with the two bottles he has been fed in his life. While he has a little trouble keeping up with the flow, I'm certain he will soon master it at daycare. Don't look so worried Ezra. Your brother won't be in your classroom. Promise.

Friendship Chain

2011-03-16T08:51:00.004-06:00

My Mom met Mike Buragas' Mom when she was teaching at Hazel Dell. Mike and I became friends in high school and continued our friendship through college. Now he is moving back to Illinois from Madison (too bad it isn't to Denver). We keep in touch via a card here and there and on Facebook. They sent a great book for Ezra (although Elias loves it) when he was born. Mike and Amelia have an adorable son, Alexander. When I was a baby, Mike's Mom made a green and white checkered blanket for me, and to this day it is MY blankie. When Alexander was born, I sent a stuffed monkey as a gift. It is Alexander's favorite animal. We shouldn't have expected less. The friendship chain continues.

Surrounded by Boys

2011-03-16T08:49:00.000-06:00

Bribes

2011-03-16T08:45:00.002-06:00

Does everyone bribe their kids? It sure seems like the most effective way to get cooperation, but it seems like it might just backfire on us some day. My most effective bribery is cheese (see previous post). If I need Elias to get a move on (usually to the car), I tell him a cheese stick is ready for him once we get all buckled in. It doesn't take long for him to find his shoes. How long before it takes $20?

The Petersons

2011-03-16T08:42:00.003-06:00

We had the Petersons over for dinner a few weeks back. It was a ton of fun. They have four kids, the youngest, Emma, is about Elias' age. Seven of us squeezed around our tiny dinning room table, and Elias and Emma sat at the kids table. Elias couldn't get enough of Emma, but she was not really interested. Get used to it Elias. The adults chatted, and the kids played. Deanna held Ezra most of the night, and Matt and Brendan checked out the basement. Made me feel like a human being again. Hope we can do it again soon!

Little Brother

2011-03-16T08:40:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I'm not too sure about this brother stuff.

Made of Cheese

2011-03-16T08:36:00.002-06:00

Elias may very well be made of cheese. It is by far his favorite food. When we buy a bag of wax covered cheese rounds at the grocery store, he always points to one and says, "I'm going to be that one."

Excuse #2

2011-03-14T06:58:00.001-06:00

Elias is great at sharing. He still gives hugs and kisses to "Baby Brother", and has even been known to lend him Old Yellow, if only for a moment. Unfortunately, Elias also shared his terrible cold with all of us (yes, even Ezra was coughing). My second excuse for not writing.

Excuse #1

2011-03-13T20:20:00.002-06:00

Ezra went 5 hours between feedings last night, but it was daylight savings so how long was it really? Only 4 hours. I can't seem to get him to do more than about 4 hours....give or take a half an hour. My first excuse as to why there have been so few blog posts.

Just Like Daddy

2011-03-02T16:39:00.002-07:00

Elias loves so many of the things that Matt does. He loves to go hiking, or at least to be carried in the backpack. He loves to ride his bike around the block, and he can't seem to stop talking about how Daddy is going to take him skiing in April. His helmet is waiting for him up in Fraser. The backpack, the bike, the helmet...these are all hand-me-downs from our friends The Posts. Let's hope Elias is lucky enough to have such great friends when he gets older...just like Daddy.

Pointless Paperwork

2011-02-23T14:37:00.003-07:00

Now I now most people think almost all paperwork is pointless. I, however, do not fall into this category. I usually do most paperwork without complaint, and even, at times, make my own paperwork to do in order to make my life easier.

But, FMLA paperwork is a complete waste of time. One month before my due date, but not earlier than that, I had to get the doctor to fill out a form saying my estimated time off of work. Ella, the paperwork woman at the doctor's office (a horrid job, I can imagine), filled in my due date of January 15th, and stated I would be out either 6 or 8 weeks depending on the type of delivery. This is standard, and I believe everyone involved in the process knew this is what the paperwork would state. After contacting my work Human Resources Department (HRSC), one person told me I might need a new form submitted because Ezra arrived 1 week early (because doing the math is too hard?). Luckily, a different woman said it wouldn't be necessary (I guess we will see).

Now that my 6 weeks is up, I have to get an "Authorized Return to Work" form filled out by my doctor's office. Now, I am not really going back to work for 6 more weeks, and my doctor's appointment isn't until late next week. I figured I would have the "Authorized Return to Work" form filled out after the doctor sees me...to authorize that I can return to work. Duh. No hurry because I'm not going back right away, right? Wrong. The HRSC said they need the form ASAP. Even though it seemed ludicrous to ask, I called the doctor's office to see if they could do the paperwork before I saw the doctor. No problem, Ella said. In fact, she called me today to ask me what day I wanted her to authorize that I could return to work. What? Why didn't I just fill out the paperwork myself. Or better yet, just skip it altogether.

Wedding

2011-02-15T09:51:00.002-07:00

On Saturday we went to my coworker Jennifer's wedding. It was a short ceremony, and we all packed into a small venue for the reception. We had a great time. Jennifer worked with me on my old job and now works at my current job, so there were people from both my old an new work lives. What fun to catch up with everyone while being out on maternity leave, and to get a chance show off Elias and Ezra. So glad you found the love of your life Jennifer!

Resourceful?

2011-02-15T09:43:00.002-07:00

Nah, just cheap. I get tons of address labels in the mail for different charities I donate (and don't donate) to. These have become an unending supply of stickers for Elias. In fact, I may have ruined regular, normal, kid stickers for him. He makes pictures with the address labels, pastes them on boxes, and loves to play doctor with them and use them as bandaids. Every "owie" is pasted with my name and address, but gets its final healing with a kiss.

Nice to Be Thought Of

2011-02-15T09:29:00.005-07:00

The presents are still rolling in, and it is fun to open each box wondering what goodies are inside...but just being thought of, people taking time to send us something, that is what really feels special. Even Matt's dentist office sent the fruit bouquet above to his work to say congrats. Mom sent some fun towels to brighten up our bathroom. Dad sent a silly dancing, singing valentine gorilla. Andy and Diane sent our first "Baby Brother" book, perfect for Elias and a gift card for Ezra. Chris and Andy sent some neat fair trade, all natural gifts: A paddleboat for Elias to play with in the tub and a teething blanket for Ezra. My new coworkers gathered an absurd amount of money and sent Matt home with a gift card we will be using for a long while. My friend Deanna made this beautiful blanket for Ezra to cuddle with. It is so soft that Matt wants one too:

Thanks everyone for remembering us, and taking the time to send us something special. It means the world.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the neat cards Serena!

Playing Together

2011-02-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sure hope they play this well together when they get older.

Fountains of Pee and Projectile Poop

2011-02-14T08:59:00.004-07:00

When you have kids, you spend a lot of time talking about what comes out of their bodies. Ezra has shot poop across the room, and has perfected spraying the wall with pee. Nothing too out of the ordinary. What amazes me are the gigantic boogers I suction out of his nose about every other day. Too much information? If you don't have kids but plan to, get used to it.

All Good Things Must End

2011-02-14T08:49:00.003-07:00

Last week was a great week: Elias was happy in the mornings, inventing all sorts of games to play on his own in the afternoons, really seeming so grown up. The three of us hung out on Friday, and Matt and Elias played most of Saturday. It was a wonderful week. By Sunday though, I think he was ready to head back to school. Matt was up skiing at Winter Park, and Sunday started off early. Elias woke up when I was feeding Ezra at 3:00 a.m. and the day went downhill from there. Even after Matt got back that night, Elias was still crabby. I sure hope seeing all of his friends at school turns him into his sweet self. Coming up is a four day weekend. Wish me luck.

My Son is Creepy

2011-02-14T08:39:00.003-07:00

Elias remembers everything, or so it seems (and yes, I do remember I already wrote about this a long time ago). We were looking at a magazine this weekend and there was a girl playing in a pink tent on the back. Elias asked if we could go play in the pumpkin tent with the balloons. He played in that at Halloween very briefly and didn't really like it. That was over 3 months ago. Creepy! I think the earliest memory I have is when I was 8, so he must get it from Matt.

Don Visits

2011-02-14T08:36:00.003-07:00

Matt's high school friend, Don and his son Liam came over for a visit this weekend (we missed seeing you Liz!). It was fun to catch up. They brought a cute little sweatshirt and pant outfit that will be perfect for the mountains, and a neat little crinkle book for Ezra. Thanks. Elias talked about the ball pop-up toy that we played with at their house. More on Elias' creepy memory next.

G U I L T

2011-02-14T08:22:00.002-07:00

Having two kids is a challenge in so many ways. Sure, it is hard to find time for yourself (thank goodness Elias is in daycare), it is difficult to keep him out of trouble when I am feeding Ezra, there is no time for sleep. But what I find most challenging is the guilt I feel over not having as much time for Elias. I used to do everything for him: Play, help get him ready for school, help put him to bed. Now, he plays a lot on his own, and Matt does a lot more with him. Even on Fridays, when it is just Elias, Ezra and me, I am often too tired to play much, or I am taking care of baby brother. I can tell Elias is having a hard time with it, and it makes me sad. I miss being with my little man Elias.

Hand-Me-Downs

2011-02-14T08:11:00.003-07:00

I know I write about this about every few months, but I just can't get over how awesome it is to get boxes full of used clothes, toys, books, and coats for the boys. We got out the bassinet that we got from Jeanne again for Ezra, I have a closet full of winter coats from Jillyn (and I just added some more, plus some clothes...awesome!), Elias still plays with the toys from Jamie and Ezra is using the crib, my sister sent a kid CD player that was the perfect potty prize for Elias (plus clothes!), my friend Joe gave us their car seat, clothes, play mat, bounce seat, exersaucer, and high chair, and a humongous box arrived from my cousin Amy just the other day (we got one when Elias was born too). Inside were the cute bookends above, shoes, books that Elias loves, clothes for Ezra. It is like Christmas all over again. I figure it is also a bit fun for the people giving because they get to see my kids wearing some of the clothes they remember their kids wearing. Provides a little trip down memory lane. If you ever need to pause to think, "Who might like all of this old kid stuff?", ponder no more. It's me, me, me! Thanks everyone.

Big Brother

2011-02-14T08:06:00.001-07:00

Elias is still a pretty good big brother. He loves to kiss and hug Ezra. More importantly, he loves his balloon shirt. Wears it any chance he gets. Thanks Grandma!