It has been hot lately, so it is nice to remember last November when there was still some snow around.
We had visitors:
Matt's parents.
Grandpa Don came and we made a gingerbread house,
and went to Build a Bear and got PawPaw.
Stella came with Grandpa Don and played with the kids up in Fraser.
My birthday came and went. I asked for and got these kid's chairs from Mom and Jim. Matt got the "privilege" of picking them up from Ikea. Elias loves using his as a drum.
Elias did more skiing. His current favorite sport.
Elias has a giant imagination. While I remember complaining about it in the past, I am just now starting to appreciate it. He can play with just about anything and turn it into something fun. He is also good at playing by himself.
Elias playing pirate
Elias being goofy
Elias has really gotten settled in at school. He is often the first kid to arrive, so he gets a little more work time in with his teacher, Ms. Julie.
Elias and Ms. Julie
He finished his first set of sounds and can tell you what sound a particular letter makes. He hasn't mastered sounding out words yet, but he can do a few here or there. He has moved from sounds to math. He can write his name, write numbers, do addition (with beads), and draws people with heads, arms, legs, eyes and mouths. Soon, he starts learning to read. I can't wait.
Elias' math schoolwork
In general, Elias is very helpful. He helps set up and clean up at school, cleans up at home, and is generally very good natured. Unfortunately, his favorite person to pick on is Ezra. I suppose once they aren't brothers anymore, that will lighten up. Oh, wait.
He loves to cook with Matt, paint, sew, do crafts, and read books. He often staples papers together to make his own books. He loves getting new clothes. At bedtime, instead of getting up 16 times, we just have "talks". Here is how they go.
Elias: 5 talks.
Me: OK. 5 talks. Talk 1.
Elias: I want to paint pink, purple and gold (his favorite colors).
Me: Talk 2.
Elias: I want to paint the vacation (meaning the place where we stayed on vacation).
Me: Talk 3.
Elias: I want to paint the condo.
Me: Talk 4.
Elias: I want to paint the home.
Me: Talk 5. Last talk.
Elias: I want to do the toothbrush painting (I have no idea) and the dot painting. And when Ezra wakes up, I will wake up. When someone puts Ezra back to sleep, I will go back to sleep with my Olo, Ronald (thanks for the new addition Grandma Marjie), 2 doggies, PawPaw, and Elmo (I have to say Elmo with him).
It is the same EVERY night, but I'll take it over getting up 16 times. Awhile back, if you had told me there was a time Elias would go to sleep without much trouble, I never would have believed you. I guess they do grow up.
Elias still loves music and loves playing his guitar. He is getting too old for our usual music class, so instead he will be going to school on Fridays. It works out well because in the summer, they have splash day at school, and he really enjoys the water. Once he turns 5, he can do the big kids music. Check out the reason Matt and I are retiring early:
I Like to Play Guitar (as far as I know an original)...and no, you don't have to listen to the whole thing.
When the Sun Comes Out (another original...hard to believe I know)
So, I know, I know. The kids are basically in college. Here's a bit about Ezra now, at 17 months.
-He finally has some teeth: 7th tooth arrived March 28th (top, left, 4th from center), 8th tooth May 12th (bottom, left, 2nd from center), and 9th tooth June 4th (bottom, right, 2nd from center). Soon it is to the dentist!
-He continues to throw his food on the floor, dump it out on the table, and pretty much just drive me crazy. Sumo loves him.
-Doctor's checkup April 20th:Weighed 21.2 lbs, was 31.5 " tall.
-Has been sleeping through the night for awhile now. We quit the 8:30 feeding a long ways back. Ahhh. It is nice to have evenings again.
-Often talks to himself in his crib for an hour or more at bedtime. At school, they say they have caught him sleep walking more than once. Talking in his sleep?
-Is obsessed with shoes (must have gotten it from Matt). He always wants to put his shoes on at home, says "shoe" a ton, and takes off his right shoe and sock every time we drive somewhere (but only the right one). Is basically crazy (also must have come from Matt).
-Ms. Coleen cut his hair on May 12th. Surprisingly, it was quick and painless.
-Loves to play peak-a-boo, especially while eating.
-Hates getting his nails trimmed and his face wiped.
-Enjoys climbing up on chairs and sitting, sometimes by himself, sometimes next to you on the couch, sometimes in your lap.
-Continues to love water.
-Has lots of words: bye-bye, quack, all done, more, shoe, off, open, wa-wa (water), baby, up, Mama, Dada, Li (Elias).
-His favorite comfort is to grab his sleeve and suck on it with his thumb. He is out-of-luck this summer; short sleeves don't stretch far enough. Lucky for him he can still get at his thumb.
In early May I went to a contra dance weekend in a small town a few hours from Phoenix with my sister, her oldest son and a longtime friend of hers (Mike, Dave...whatever). Even though I only knew a handful of people at the weekend, it was like getting together for a family reunion. Why? Hard to explain.
Impossible to describe to someone who doesn't know what Contra Dancing is...this is not your elementary school square dance. In fact, I don't think it can be adequately portrayed. When lining up with my partner (Steve) for the next dance (he was probably in his 60s), we chatted about family. He said he had a daughter and son. I asked if they danced. He said they had both been dancing, but it wasn't their thing. His daughter said attending a dance was going to a place where a bunch of weird, old guys touched you. She's right, and this weekend was no exception.
There were sweaty, mostly older men who loved to give you a twirl and swing you around to the music. A handful of them were creepy (like Jesse), some wore skirts, others had you lost in their eyes (like Erik and Ned...I mean Brian). But I believe she didn't give it long enough to really understand what it can be all about, or maybe she just didn't grow up doing it like my sister and I did.
She clearly had never experienced a moment where everyone moves together and ends up just where they should at exactly the right moment. She didn't get a chance to feel the music in her bones. She certainly didn't share a genuine, having fun smile with her partner (or corner), a stranger just hours before she wouldn't have even noticed when passing on the street...who after the dance now has some unique bond with her, and she with him. She didn't laugh uncontrollably when her partner barked like a dog and howled like a wolf during the Birdy in the Cage square. She didn't get a chance to dance with Steve, who was smooth and pleasant, not creepy and weird (OK, I guess she probably did dance with her Dad, but that doesn't really count). She didn't stare in amazement when the caller took up his trombone and started playing with the band. Didn't ask afterwards if he was a part of the band, and exclaim, "That is so cool!" when he said yes. She didn't think how much better the world would be if everyone got to do a contra dance with everyone else in the world. Didn't get saved by her partner when she mistakenly accepted an invitation to the "Chaos" line. She hasn't ever gone to bed so exhausted and dreamt all night of dancing, only to wake up glad to do it all again. She hasn't heard exceptional musicians playing fiddles, oboes, guitars, pianos, trumpets, drums, diggerydoos, singing, and more, and more, and more...feeling blessed to be hearing more talent than she had ever heard before (or at least heard in a long time).
When my sister had a coworker of hers watch a video from a previous dance weekend, her friend responded, "That's it? That's what you were so excited about?" You have to do it...and I mean really do it (not just try it here or there), to get it. You learn to look past the crazy, silly, off-the-wall behavior of these often-time strangers, and feel the music, move together with a room full of enthusiasts and dance.
At the kid's last visit to the doctor, she said we should start talking to Elias about strangers. This is a near to impossible task.
Me: "Elias, do you know what a stranger is?"
Elias: "Yeah. A stranger is someone you don't know. I know everyone in the world."
Great...
How do you explain stranger danger to a 4-year-old? It makes no sense.
If a stranger tries to get you to go with them, run away and find...who? Another stranger (because THAT makes sense), and tell them you need help. Elias says he will just find me. Yeah, if I'm there, how likely is it a stranger will try to grab him.
Let's not forget that adding to the confusing is the fact that every time we are at the park, we insist Elias go play with other kids, introduce himself, make friends...all with people that he doesn't know.
If a stranger tries to get you to go with them, run away and find a policeman (that you don't know), or a fireman (that you don't know), or anyone else that can help....whom you most likely WILL NOT KNOW.
This is insane! It seems entirely too subtle of a concept for a 4-year-old. I'm sure it is just the beginning of many a dreaded "talk."
At the baby shower we had for Elias, Marjie gave us this picture of Matt when he was 9 months old and the hat from the picture. So fun! Below is Ezra's 9 month hat photo. Unfortunately, Ezra was basically snot-nosed for his whole 9 months.
I went out three nights in a row this week. I have started to get back into climbing, so I went to one climbing gym on Monday and a different gym on Wednesday. On Tuesday, I headed to a wonderful book club and hung out with my dear friends. This having a life is making me tired.
Today I head to Phoenix, BY MYSELF. I KNOW. CRAZY! I am going to a contra dance weekend with my sister in Arizona. We are both beyond excited. I think I have always had at least one of the boys sleeping just down the hall for over 4 years, so this is big, wonderful, awesome, relaxing (in it's own way) news. Better start sending Matt some luck right now.
