Weekend Wrap-Up

Busy weekend. Friday night I had a bootcamp graduation 'party' at a local restaurant. Since we had a friend who completed camp that month, Lehr decided to come and bring the kids for a little bit. It's a crazy atmosphere and it was made crazier by the amount of kids in attendance this month. But they all had a good time. There ended up being live music on the back porch towards the end of the night, so Lehr and the kids stayed out there and watched until well after bedtime. Saturday we had our typical yard-work morning. Eli opted to do a lot of edging rather than mowing this time. He dragged one of Lehr's edging tools all around our yard and our neighbor's, edging the extra grass away.

After nap time we had a pool party to attend. The kids were very excited to jump and swim with their friends. A quick 'dinner' fell in there somewhere and then back to swimming. Maddux has become all too likely to do her business while wearing a swim diaper as of late, so we had that whole issue to deal with. (It just may push me to potty train her now even though she is only one week on this side of two years old!) Three nights in a row of late bedtimes, but what is summer for, if not fun, right?

Lunch Date With Daddy

After breakfast, I made a packable lunch and loaded the kids in the car. We didn't have any formal plans for the morning, so I decided to take them down to Piedmont Park. I used to take Eli all of the time, but Maddux has provided a little more of a challenge in large, open spaces of the like: she has no fear about being out of my sight. However, as of late, Eli has proved to be very good at keeping an eye on me, allowing me to focus more on Mad Dog in such a setting. Given the amazing weather we've had this week, today seemed like the perfect day. Especially since Lehr said he could break away for an hour to meet us for lunch. We walked up and down a few green pastures in the park before Lehr caught up with us, surprising the kids. From there we walked over to the newly renovated pool in the middle of the park. Amazing. Small lazy rivers, beach entry, and lifeguards. We will definitely be visiting during non-member hours sometime soon! The kids played around on the playground equipment for about thirty minutes before we walked to the picnic tables for some lunch. Eli and Maddux (and Daddy) dined on PB sandwiches and dried fruit. Eli wanted to feed the squirrels, of course, who were hovering closer than they should have been. We chose to walk back to the car through the softball fields and 'retro' playground. Eli had a blast telling us which base was which, but Maddux started to get tired. Not that we were surprised; she had walked quite a distance up until this point. A few trips down the slide later, we walked back to our car and headed home. Needless to say, they are both napping as I type.

More Video

Here are a few more videos of the kids in the last week. The first is Maddux showing off her ever-emphatic vocal skills. (Check out the 'yesssss'.) The second is a display of something I taught the kids on a rainy day: "Don't Make Me Angry!!" (AKA The Incredible Hulk) There is a little boot camp plug in there too, as Eli tries to do an OBC chant with me about feeling good.

2009 06 Maddux talks it up from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

2009 07 Kids Hulk from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Pool Video

Here is a quick compilation of what the kids have been up to this summer. Of course I only caught a few seconds of Maddux demonstrating her underwater fish-like moves, and less than a minute of Eli swimming sans turtle-back, but you get the idea.

2009 06 Kids Pool from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Happy Independence Day!

What a weekend! I guess the crazy busy-ness of July 4th weekend is something we'll experience for years to come. With Maddie's birthday the day before, the whole week gets nuts!

As usual for the holiday, I woke up early to ride the train downtown for the Peachtree Road Race. Lehr woke up the kids only slightly later to come down and watch. This was the first year he didn't need a stroller!! The fam (and "D", who IS fam) camped out in front of the High and cheered me along as a friend and I passed by. Lehr caught it all on video and Eli seemed confused when I left. ("Why is she still running, Daddy?") We then met up after the race to grab some breakfast.

2009 07 race on Vimeo.

Upon returning to the house, my sickness from the early morning caught back up with me and I was down for the count. I napped on and off as the kids slept. We had plans to meet our small group for dinner and fireworks, but after trying to do anything other than lie on the ground for a few hours, it was obvious I wasn't going to make it. I was REALLY bummed because, in addition to the rest of the fun, I had been looking so forward to experiencing the fireworks with the kids. We planned on sparklers and everything.... Around 8:15 I started to get ready to meet them, but felt sick again. Luckily it passed and I was able to pull into the park just before the show began. Eli loved the sparklers...he and his friends all stood very far apart and had a blast. Maddux watched, but I wasn't ready to let her hold a fire stick just yet. The fireworks held her attention for about five minutes, but after that she was all over the place (of course). Eli enjoyed them, but he really wanted to get back to playing baseball. What can I say....

Maddie did wear her red, white and blue tutu, but I didn't get any photos, for reasons already mentioned.

Madddux's Party

To celebrate Maddie's birthday, we had a day full of fun. Although we have yet to throw a formal party, we always do a small get-together with a few friends. To prepare for that, we had a grocery run after breakfast and then we gave Maddux her gift from Lehr and I: a small trampoline. Maddux has used the springboard at other friends' houses before, so I knew she would love it. As soon as she pulled off the wrapping paper, she started jumping. Of course Eli got in on the action too, and the two took turns until it was time to go to the pool. Both Eli and Maddie swam with Daddy for an hour before we went home for naps and lunch. The birthday girl showed off her under-water swimming skills and Eli demonstrated his ability to swim without the turtle back. (Video to follow later.)

As soon as the kids woke up from naps, our friends arrived. Lehr set up a slip-n-slide, water balloons, two sprinkler toys and a few buckets of water with super-soakers in the front yard. The kids went to town, soaking themselves and anything in their paths. The slip-n-slide didn't work as well as we might have hoped, most likely due to the kids not weighing enough to propel them down the runway. We had a quick dinner of chicken sausage 'hot dogs', fruit kabobs and pasta salad before the kids went back to playing. Maddux's cake was a flower made from cupcakes, and all of the kids got to pick a different color. Presents and more playing followed before everyone said good-night. Right before we turned off the water, Lehr and a neighbor tried out the slip-n-slide also. Not as much fun as they'd remembered.... After the fact we saw the label towards the foot of the toy: "Not intended for children under five! Not intended for adults!" So no one that used it today was legal...perfect!

Happy Birthday, Mad Dog!!

Two Years Old. How did that happen? It seems like only yesterday that you were still in my belly, kicking up a storm. I remember the day you were born: Eli came into the hospital room and was not at all sure about your entrance into the family. And now the two of you are best friends. The first thing you do when you get out of your crib in the morning is high-tail it to Eli's room. And if Eli takes a trip to the store with Daddy, you call "E-I?" the whole time he is gone. I love that you and your brother have such a strong bond.

Maddux, you make my days so interesting and you keep me on my toes. Never before have I had a hard time keeping a straight face while disciplining. But you are so audacious and so cute (and you know it) that keeping you in line has proven to be difficult. You act like a clown and an SNL character in everything you do, which makes everyone laugh right along with you.

Speaking of that laugh, you love to laugh. You love to giggle. And all is right in the world when I hear those sounds come from you. You beg to be tickled and you perform to make yourself laugh. In recent weeks you've also taken to singing along to music. But when you're sleepy, you sing to yourself. It's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.

You already know how to swim at least as well as your brother and most of it is because you taught yourself. You are fearless around the water in a very good way. And even when you're not at the pool, you're jumping off of ledges and curbs and chairs, just practicing your diving board skills.

Your favorite thing to do STILL is to take a stack of books to your rocking chair and flip through them. I've asked you to go to your room to read while I put Eli down for a nap, and in the past week you have done just that, for at least five minutes! It brings a smile to my face to turn the corner and see you sitting so quietly, totally engrossed in your books.

Today, as we celebrate the day you made us a family of four, I try to imagine life before you and it's difficult. You demand to be noticed just by who you are. You brighten all of our days and we love you to pieces. Happy Birthday, baby girl.

July 2007

One Year

Two Years

Shout Out to KOL

If you know the Eliason family, you know that we're not big on music that is specifically made for kids. Unless it's They Might Be Giants, we probably don't own it or play it. But we are big on music. And the kids have really taken to it also. What this means is Eli and Maddux usually sing along with songs you might not expect. Eli used to ask for me to sing "Ruby" before he went to bed. Maddie dances to "Single Ladies". And both kids love Michael Franti. As of late, the kids have been on a Kings of Leon kick. I have a few CD's in the car, and they are getting played a lot right now. Maddie will ask for 'keenleon', and Eli loves "Use Somebody". The other night, as the four of us sat down for dinner, Mad Dog looked at Lehr and said, "Donn knock-kit!!" Lehr and I burst out laughing. That little girl picks up on lyrics as quick as Eli does. (KOL's song, "Notion" repeats "Don't Knock It" in the chorus.)

A few verbal gems from Eli today. We were playing baseball outside and I told Eli I'd pitch to him if he helped me find some whiffle balls. He started looking for them and said to me, "You're a nice mommy." Then after lunch, he and Maddux were running around their train table, being goofy. Maddie was wearing a pair of shorts that is still on the big side. As they were halfway down her diaper, Eli pointed to her and said, "Your britches are falling down! Lemme help you." He got her to stop so he could pull the shorts back up to her waist. What not-yet-four-year-old do you know that uses the word 'britches'?? Those kids are something....

Easy as A, B, C....

I mentioned a while back that Maddie is into singing the alphabet these days. It was intensified when a neighbor gave us one of those Leapfrog magnets for the fridge. The kids have it and all of the letters on their magnetic easel on the back porch. Whenever I'm fixing a meal and they're out there playing, Maddux can be heard pressing the button over and over again to hear (and sign), "A. B. C. D..."

One day the kids and I were in the car and Maddux started reciting in the back seat. As usual, she didn't start with "A". I think this time it was "Geeeeee!!" So Eli picked up right where she left off: "H, I, J, K". And then Maddux chimed in, "elemenopeeeee!" The two went back and forth like that for about five minutes. It was really neat to hear! Maddie's recitation of the letters is not always intelligible, but Eli was able to decipher which letters she said and fill in the blanks. Again and again. Even though the ones he was responsible for changed every time. So, in his head, he had to keep up with what had been said and what came next.... When did Eli get so smart?!?

Eli received a new drum last week when Grandpa Ed came to town. After a long morning of playing at the pool, the kids came home on Friday and made a beeline for the new AND old drums. By the time I had the car unloaded, this is what I saw; they had formed their own drum circle! Eli and Maddux love music!

Swimmy Swimmerson

Today was an unexpected pool trip for me, so I didn't bring a camera, as I usually do when Lehr is there with us. I really wish I would have had the video camera though because Maddux was showing off her new skills in full force. She can (with a turtle-back still) tread water REALLY well. Enough so that she treads from pool end to pool end. It's her means of swimming. And she is SO calm through the whole thing...I love it!

Eli can now touch the bottom at the very shallow side...just enough so that he feels like a real big boy. And since we had two parents there (and since Maddux wasn't needing any assistance at all), when Eli asked to take off his turtle back we let him. He swam unassisted for about five minutes. And the summer is not even half over!!

Good Mommy = Good Day

About a week ago, Eli randomly told me, "Mommy, you're a good mommy." Of course that made my whole day, regardless of what tantrums, time outs or tit-for-tats followed. This morning Eli woke up soaking wet, as he does from time to time. (I think he is just a REALLY deep sleeper at night.) I was in the process of changing his sheets and he stood near the door, watching me. Out of nowhere Eli smiled and said, "You're a good mommy, Mommy." Of course I stopped and told him, "Thank you. You're a good big boy!" I'm surprised I'm even able to type this without getting a stomach ache from all of the sicky sweetness of the exchange!

But these glimpses into Eli's spontaneous self have become more and more frequent. And I never get tired of that. He regurgitates life lessons back to me at random times, and often they fit the situation. Like when he is telling me why we shouldn't touch the grill, or why it's important to share. In recent weeks Eli has been playing nice with Maddux and even offers to help her with shoes or toys when he doesn't know I'm watching. Despite the days when I feel like everything I'm doing is in vain, Eli is growing into a young man whom I am very proud to call my son.

Warming Up In The Bullpen

Last night the boys went to a make-up Cubs game at Turner Field. The make-up game was almost rained out, but luckily the skies cleared just in time for the first pitch. Eli and Lehr had a great time eating hot dogs, shelling peanuts, and cheering on the boys in blue. The highlight for Eli came when Lehr took him to the pitching cage. Here is a quick video of my boy in action:

Bringin' the heat from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.