From the Mouthes of Babes...

Some of our Favorite Recent "Eli Prayers"...

July 4, 2009
A: Dear
E: Got
A: Thank you for
E: Momma, Dada, Nahnah,
A: and thank you for the fireworks
E: Puew!! Puew! Puew!
At this point, the prayer kind of veered off into a frenzied sound effect extravaganza. What can I say? My boy loved those fireworks.

August 12, 2009:
A: Dear
E: Got
A: Thank you for
E: Momma, Dada, Nahnah,
A: and thank you for
E: Mimi, Papaw, Gammah, Gammamah, an TUCK, an Mee Mee Duck. AaaaaMEN!
(Those last two would be Tuck and Ming Ming Duck, a la Noggin's "Wonderpets")

August 20, 2009
(Note that, despite the content, this was his BEDTIME prayer)
A: Dear
E: Got
A: Thank you for
E: Pizza, Hah dahg, an Nuhguts! AaaaaMEN!

The Perks of Being a Grandbaby

Unlimited Bluebell...

















...and the occasional Dr. Pepper.

And if you think the list ends there, you are sorely mistaken.

From the Mouthes of Babes...

Norah's response after careful inspection of her hands (post being informed that she had paint all over them...)
N: "Mommy, look! There isn't any paint on my insect finger!"

A: Norah, what movie would you like to watch?
N: Sleeping Beauty!
A: (Knowing that the suggested movie can, at times make N a bit uneasy) How about we pick a movie that's a little less scary, so Eli won't be afraid.
N: It's ok mom. I'll encourage him when Malificent comes.


Eli-isms of Late...
For the duration of our car trips, Eli has begun informing us of each and every "Truck!" and "Cahhrr" he sees. (Amazingly, in spite of the fact that they are virtually everywhere you look, his excitement at finding them doesn't ever seem to wain)

"Nuh-guts?!" Happily requested, without fail if we happen to drive-into (or past) a McDonald's. (Proving that the golden arches really are one of the most recognizable trademarks in the world...even to a 19-month old)

"Poo Poo!" Exclaimed (usually at a high volume) anytime Eli has to go to the bathroom, regardless of what type of business he really needs to take care of. I'm just thankful that he tells me, and waits until we reach the potty to act on his urges.

"Choo Choo!" Proudly declared each time he finishes going "poo poo", as he pulls up his undies, which feature Thomas the Train.

"Hah Dahg" One of Eli's favorite foods of late.

"Kye-it" His most recent request if I try to sing him a lullabye when he's too tired to listen. (Usually spoken while shoving his "insect" finger toward my lips)

"Tay-koooooo" Spoken, almost without fail if given anything, whether it be a compliment, favor or physical object. He loves saying thank you...I pray this is something that never changes!

Eli has also recently learned that a well-placed "please" is the key to most things his heart desires. When he forgets, all I have to do is say, "Use your manners", and he'll offer an adorable "Peeace" with a sheepish smile.

Oh yeah...the blog!

So...it's been a month...give or take. Busy, good times have been had.

Several of which have involved a standing fan.

In case you don't immediately see the movie reference, let me back up a little to give you the big picture...


Still don't see it? Allow me to help you out...blonde girl standing on the left is actually a red-headed mermaid lying a rock, with the wind in her hair and the salty, ocean spray in her face.

It seems the mesmerizing whir of the fan compels Norah to imitate Ariel (specifically, the part of the movie where she is singing, "Ahh Ahh Ahhhhhh....Ahh Ahh Ahhhhhh....",).



And what's even better, she's taught Eli her "song". The instant the fan is turned on, he races to do his best little mermaid impression. He's got the tune down cold!








One Saturday afternoon, Jason and Eli ran into Hastings while Norah and I hit HEB, next door. J and E finished a little faster, so they were waiting in the car when we came out. Norah had managed to sweet talk the balloon guy into giving her an extra balloon for her brother, and I thought his reaction was priceless!







Who wouldn't love a free smile this big?

I wish I could say this smile lasted forever...but unfortunately, the smile faded about the same time the balloon did. Thankfully, it doesn't take much to turn this little fella's frown upside down.






One of my favorite reasons, of late is seeing him in his "Choo Choos". (E's nickname for his Thomas the Train underoos). Nearly every time he puts them on, he says, "Choo-choo!!" (in high-pitched, train whistle fashion). And no, he isn't completely potty trained...but he is doing really well.


In addition to loving his big boy pants, E has a major love for shoes. (Not so much for the fashion aspects as for the "I must have shoes on my feet at all times" factor, which I'm told was the way my dad was when he was a child) The irony here is that E's feet are so wide, we only have a couple of pairs that he can wear. Flip flops seem to be his favorite right now. This photo was taken about 10 minutes after he woke up. The previous 9 minutes were spent getting into my closet and picking out a pair of heels for me to wear (with my pajamas), followed by taking Jason his shoes shouting "Shoes! Shoes!" until we put them on. Jason and I decided he must have wanted us to take him out for donuts. Shoes= leaving the house.

Another fun discovery during our hiatus...homemade "stars". Our living room gets a lot of sun in the morning, thanks to a skylight, and Norah figured out that if she put an open vegetable steamer directly in the sun...







Voila! Instant stars!
















Last week marked the final story time with the summer reading program at the public library. Norah turned in her second summer reading log and was awarded with a "gold" medal. She was so proud, she gave me a genuine smile! The lady in the photo is Ms. Bobbye, one of the wonderful, fun children's librarians. (Norah loves her because she always brings a banjo to story time and she sings LOTS of fun songs)







We had to stop by the downstairs desk to see Norah's best librarian buddy, Ms. Dorothy. Ms. Dorothy (whose name, I should add, Eli can pronounce perfectly) always takes the time to make N & E feel special, no matter how busy the library is. She is a precious lady.

From the Mouthes of Babes...

Norah is interested in all things princess. I've discovered this also includes interest in their respective princes. If she's playing Ariel, I, or Daddy are often asked to be "Prince Eric". If she's Sleeping Beauty, our role switches to "Prince Phillip". So, last night as we were driving in the car (where a great deal of deep thought and notable conversation takes place), she asks,

N: Mommy, what's Cinderella's prince's name?
A: Ummmmm Charming?
N: Ooooo, Charming. Good name.


Probably in light of the "every princess has her prince" thought process, Norah has pondered some as to who her prince will be. As a result, we had the following conversation.

N: Mommy, when I grow up, can I marry Daddy?
A: No, sweetie, Daddy is my husband. But he'll always be your Daddy.
N: Ok, then I want to marry Eli.
A: Well, Norah, actually, you can't marry your brother.
N: Oh. (With understanding, and then concern) Then who can I marry!?
A: You can marry another sweet, Christian boy.
N: Ok. Then I want to marry Cal. (A friend from church)

I happened to have an errands at Cal's house later that evening, so naturally Norah wanted to tag along and check in on her prospect. While we were there, they had the following exchange.

N: Cal, when I grow up, can I marry you?
C: Ummmm....sure.
(Then, after some quick consideration)
C: No, wait! I'm older, so I will marry you!
N: Ok.

Eli Edition

I will be the first to admit that I grossly underestimated how much I would learn from becoming a mother. Sure, I'd heard about it from nearly every parent I've ever met, but I suppose I'm one of those girls who just has to learn her lessons for herself.

For starters, I now understand how there can be room in one's heart to love a second child (or any subsequent children, for that matter) even after feeling that there is no possible way that a love could ever match the one felt for your firstborn. This was a concept that plagued me with doubt and worry while I was pregnant with our son.

Of course, the moment he arrived, I realized I had no idea of the capacity for love with which God designed a parent's heart. (And oh, the parallels I can draw between that capacity for love and His love for us as our "Father"!) I cannot imagine my world without precious Eli in it! I love him so deeply, it almost hurts. Do I love Norah less as a result? Not a chance. Do I believe my parents now when they say it would be impossible for them to pick a favorite child? Absolutely. (Sorry, Amanda) This post, however, is dedicated to my sweet, "little buddy", who, I've decided, was hurting for some press time in Robinson County.

Eli is also the child responsible for teaching me the meaning of the phrase "cut the apron strings". I never really understood that phrase until I felt that now, all too familiar tug behind my back, resulting in the need to retie my apron...again. It makes my heart ache to think that it will one day be my responsibility and duty to "cut" those strings (especially when I consider how quickly these precious, wonderful childhood days are flying by).

My little man loves to be in the kitchen, whether he's helping me "cuk", unloading the dishwasher (one of his favorite pastimes--and he says, "Thank you ma'am" for every, single, piece of silverware he proudly hands to me), or banging pots and pans in the play kitchen. Unfortunately, he is equally fond of raiding the kitchen trashcan...but hey, nobody's perfect, right?

He loves listening to music, and is quick to pick up lyrics. Often times, if I interrupt a song by turning off the car, he will attempt to finish it out as best he can. He loves to sing with us. His favorite songs to date are "Jesus Loves Me", "Night Night, Little Eli God Cares for You", "Thank you, God", "This is the Bible", "Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter", and "The Trees are Gently Swaying" (Notice a pattern? We have been blessed with WONDERFUL Bible class teachers!)

He also loves to "dance" (with the unfortuntate rhythm of his mother), spin, and stomp, and will happily perform one or all three feats on command. In spite of not opting to walk until he reached 15 months of age, he now moves around like greased lightening! And when he runs, his flaxen locks flop precariously atop his sweet head, no doubt reminding his paternal grandma and grandmother of another towheaded, blue-eyed, fair-skinned boy from days gone by.

As his vocabulary becomes larger and his words more clearly pronounced, his appetite increases, and his features continuously change, I am constantly aware that he grows less baby and more little boy with every passing day.

But then...there are times when I still catch tiny glimpses of my baby. These windows of time seem to appear most frequently when he's sleeping peacefully, or is feeling insecure and wants to be held close.

I love the person I am watching him become. He is such a content boy. He's obedient, helpful, and
I can already tell that he has a tender heart. (He can hardly take seeing his sister disciplined with even a stern word).

As much as I love watching him grow, I will soak up every remaining second I have with this precious, perfect, chubby cheeked, baby boy, and hope that in so doing, he will always feel his mother's love, even when those apron strings finally meet their day of reckoning.

From the Mouthes of Babes...

N: Mommy, do you know Samson?
A: I think so, what about him?
N: Jemima cut his hair and he wasn't strong anymore.