First "Big Screen" Movie

During my blogging hiatus, Norah partook in what I consider to be a small rite of passage-- her first "big screen" movie. We hadn't held out for so long intentionally, although I was super-picky about what I'd be willing to let my 3 year old daughter see, not to mention the expense...

That is, unless you hit the $1 Summer Movie...which is exactly what we did! There was a summer screening of the VeggieTales "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" in early August, so we decided to make a day of it. (Eli spent the morning with Grandma Robinson so Norah could have her "Big Girl Day", and he had a ball being the undivided center of attention )

N was so excited, she could hardly wait. She picked out her own outfit (especially the peep-toe shoes, which were completely non-negotiable.), and of course, Ellie's outfit had to match, too.

Heading up to the ticket line, Norah asked what we were doing. I explained that everyone had to have a ticket to get in to see the movie, to which she replied, "Oh, I got it. Just like the circus."

It felt pretty great only paying $2 to get in. Can't remember the last time Jason and I had a movie date for that cheap.




She wanted to sit "way up high", so we did. I sat down in my seat, but she just paused and looked down at me when she reached hers. "Mommy, my seat's broken!" she said with concern. I explained the operations of fold-up theater seating to the poor, deprived girl, and after that she perked up. I should also note that she refused booster seating because she wanted to sit on the "soft" seat. (Which, after the lights went out, turned out to be my lap.) I had wondered how she'd do in the theater with her major fear of darkness...and the answer was "great", as long as we were touching at all times.

Posing with her sweet friend, Shelby (and the original "Ellie"), beside whom Norah sat and swapped snacks throughout the show. (In the end, I think the experience for them was more about the snacks and less about the plot. But they still had a great time)







After leaving the theater, we stopped off at Chick-fil-a for some yummy lunch. The girls decided to show off their muscles for me, so I couldn't resist snapping one, last photo.

It was a great day, and I look forward to many more movies together. (I'll admit, I'm pretty pumped about the new Disney "Frog Princess" movie due out in 2010...it is SO fun to finally have a legitimate excuse to watch kid movies, and a girlie girl enthusiast to sit at my side...or in my lap!)

Fun with Grocery Ads

We've recently cut out Norah's afternoon nap (much to my dismay, but she was staying awake until 12am on days when she was napping, so it was time). Since Eli still sleeps 2-3 hours in the afternoon, I've decided to capitalize on the "alone" time if affords me with Norah.

Some days we bake. Other days, she helps me with chores around the house. We almost always read together. And lately, with many of our sweet friends starting back to school (and N feeling a little bit left-out), we've been having daily "lessons". It's been fun for both of us.

This week, while doing some routine blog scouring, I came across a great idea over at Likely Classroom. She recommended using grocery circulars to help foster critical thinking and fine motor (pre-reading) skills.

I thought it looked like fun, and I just happened to get a fresh crop of circulars in the mail, so we took it and ran with it. It was a huge hit with Norah, so I thought I'd share.

Her first "assignment" was to go through the entire ad with a marker, marking X's on all of the items she didn't like, and circling all of the items that she did like.






Next, I had her write her name at the top of a piece of paper, and I told her we'd be making a list together. The first list was of things that she liked (based on what she's circled in the ads).
She looked for the circled items again, and I circled the word, identifying the product (circling the word really seemed to help her focus on the single word, because there was SO much going on in the circular!). Then, I had her read the letters to me as I wrote them on her list. We stopped at three items (because she's three). Then we did the same thing with the items that she didn't like. (As a side note, N LOVES cucumber, but had drawn a big "X" over them. When I asked her why, she replied, "I ex-ed those for Daddy." She has been begging Jason to "please like cucumbers...they're good for you!" for months. I guess she finally decided her efforts were futile.)

Next, we turned the page, and I outlined the word "Green" in dot-to-dot fashion. N carefully traced the letters, saying them as she went along. Then, I told her we'd be making a list of green things. Again, she consulted the ad, and I circled the identifying words for the green items she chose and had her dictate the letters while I wrote them on her list.

We did the same thing with "Red", then decided to call it a day. I definitely think we'll revisit this exercise. She responded really well to it, and I'm all for sharpening those fine motor skills! Who knows, maybe I can con her into making my next grocery list!

The (Very Masculine) Shoe Fairy

Eli is my neat child. He is (usually) a careful eater (probably more in an effort to savor every bite and not waste than to stay clean, but the end result is the same). He is usually the first to respond (and happily sing along) when it's time to "Clean Up, Clean Up". Best of all, he just seems to understand that I like things neat, and does his best to comply.

Recently, Jason and I discovered that Eli has figured out where we keep his shoes, and has started putting them away. Sometimes this is done at our request, other times of his own accord.

It blew my mind the first time I discovered that I could hand my 20-month old a pair of shoes on one end of the house, and tell him, "Go put your shoes away", and he understood (and was obedient) enough to walk down the hall to his (dark) bedroom, open the bottom drawer of his dresser, put them inside, and close the drawer.

Norah, on the other hand, at age 3 and a half, has yet to embrace this particular skill. She is constantly leaving her shoes all over the house, and is often scolded for taking them off and abandoning them the instant she comes indoors. (I blame Cinderella. She didn't exactly set a good precedent for shoe cleanliness, and it helped her bag a prince)

Yesterday, Norah had been busted on multiple counts of shoe offenses. Eli, being the loving, protective brother that he is, decided to take matters into his own hands. As I was putting away the laundry, I discovered that the "shoe fairy" had visited Norah's bottom drawer. (Which, incidentally, doesn't house shoes--they're kept in pockets on the back of her door...but it's the thought that counts, right?)

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.