My New Favorite Photos

It was mid-December and I was bustling about in a feverish attempt to tie up loose ends on my many sewing projects, in hopes of making my Christmas deadlines. The house was quiet. Too quiet.

I paused and listened for the usual commotion that accompanies the children playing together, but to no avail. So, I stalked down the hall, assuming I'd find them buried in a heap of some dismantled closet, upended toybox, or amid a parade of stripped bedding.

But, as I neared Eli's bedroom, I heard it. The gentle, soothing, precious sound of a child (MY child!) reciting a beloved nursery rhyme, which just happens to be Eli's absolute favorite book right now.

Quite certain that Norah wouldn't be reading aloud to herself, I crept back down the hallway, retrieved my camera, and in-so-doing, captured my new favorite photos of the kids together.

They were so engrossed in their book that they hardly noticed my presence at first.(Giving me the opportunity to bask in the overwhelming joy of having two children who are best friends and love each other...at least for this perfect moment)


Norah read with so much expression, and Eli hung on her every word.

And then, the rhyme was over, and the official camera mugging began. Sure, I might have missed the rare opportunity to sew, uninterrupted for 5-10 minutes...but that would have been a lousy trade for the memory I'll always have of Norah and Eli reading together, at will.

Thank you, God for the blessing of two, precious children, who love each other!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Eli!

Happy 2nd Birthday, handsome, Eli! (I had some great photos of you with your Santa Claus birthday pancakes, but thanks to a computer crash, they may be lost forever. Thankfully, I did at least have some on my camera of you in your birthday pads and crash helmet )

According to Dr. Ransom, you are in the 50th percentile for weight and height. You are solid as a rock and 100% boy. (And you've had more than your fair share of bumps and bruises to prove it!)

You are our resident comedian, making us laugh daily with the creative sentences and words you string together. (You have recently taken to saying, "Hi Grandma" to any elderly women we see in public)

You love riding your tricycle (or "my bike" as you call it), playing with trucks, trains, and are extremely adept at making a phenomenal mess in a very short amount of time. (You're also a great helper when it comes time to "Clean-up, clean-up")

You have inherited your father's love of technology, and manage to navigate the computer, telephone, and tv remote with ease, in spite of the fact that you aren't supposed to be touching any of these devices.

Your favorite foods are meat, cheese, and chips. You despise bread (even cinnamon rolls!) and usually find creative ways to eat around it, even if it is part of the main course (such as pizza or quiche). You ask for a "hog dog" for lunch nearly every day, but thankfully will eat most anything I give you. You love fruit, especially oranges and blueberries.

You have been potty trained during the day since you were about 18 months (and it came even easier for you than your sister, despite the rumors that boys are harder to train). You are very proud of your "Choo-Choos" (Thomas the Train undies).

You love your big sister, "Norwah" with all your heart, and want to be with her almost all the time. (Unfortunately, she seems to value her solitude more than you do on some occasions, but you take these instances in stride, and play very well by yourself). You cannot stand to see her punished (even if it is for hurting you), and you beg for her pardon often times when she is in trouble.

You love sleeping in a deep, dark room...but will forsake your own, dark den for Norah's bright bedroom when she's afraid in the night and wants someone to snuggle with her. (She often relies on you to protect her from darkness, scary sounds, or simply the throes of loneliness)

Your favorite books are "The Tale of Tricky Fox" and "The Three Little Kittens". You've requested them so many times that you can pretty much recite them to yourself, but prefer to have company when you read.

Your favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31 (thanks a song Norah taught you), and you like to say The Lord's Prayer at bedtime.

You have the most kissable cheeks in the entire house and you love to cuddle. Nearly every time you take a nap or go to bed you implore me or your daddy to "Cuddle me...please!?" (And I am thankful to be able to hold you in my arms for a little while longer.)

You are extremely obedient (most of the time), and can stand in the corner better than most 5 year olds I know. Your personality is very much that of a people-pleaser. You seem more injured by disappointing us than by any other form of punishment (though you still see your fair share of those) you receive.

You have a naturally gentle and hospitable spirit. You (without fail) invite company to "Please have a seat" and are always sad to see them leave. If our company happens to leave while you are sleeping, the first words from your mouth when you awaken are, "Where's ________ gone?"

You seem to grow even faster than your sister did and if I weren't so proud of the kindhearted, big boy you are becoming I would probably shed a lot more tears at how quickly you are leaving your infancy behind. Happy Birthday, sweet Eli. I love you!

From the Mouthes of Babes: Eli Edition

I've been told by several friends that Norah is an endless supply of funny quotes, and I agree. Here lately though, little brother is giving her a run for her money in the quick quip department.


Case in point, yesterday, during Sunday morning worship, a baby was crying on the other side of the auditorium. Eli's response:
"Momma, 's that baby Jesus?"

Last Christmas Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige gave Norah a little, red tricycle, and it has been a favorite for both kids all year long. Eli has recently really taken to it, as evidenced by the following declaration, overheard yesterday:
E: I wuv you. You my best friend, bicycle.

Tonight, Eli got in trouble for climbing on the back of the couch (a big no-no in Robinson County). After being corrected, he cried in protest, while at the same time exclaiming "HAPPY!" in a miserable voice, as if willing himself to cheer up. And within a few seconds he was back to his normal, smiling self (probably,in some part due to the fact that we were laughing so hard at his "get happy" tactics)

(The photo, by the way, is just one of MANY great shots the amazing Jenny Livingston managed to snap of my uncooperative little man.)

From the Mouthes of Babes

Eli's speech has been growing by leaps and bounds in the past few weeks. He's starting to speak in short, choppy sentences, and he repeats almost every word he hears (even 3-4 syllable ones), whipping his new vocab words out at the most hilarious moments. He has several new expressions that I wanted to record before he outgrows them.

Some of our current favorites:

"Cud-dowl me!" (Requested each time he goes to bed...and I will take it for as long as he offers!)

"Hungwee, eat!" (Pretty much all day, every day. He is, after all, a growing boy)

"At's dange-wuhs" (Usually in response to my telling him not to touch something)

" I hep you!" and "I do it!" are also big favorites.



Overheard at dinner...
Norah: Mmmmmm! Mommy, I LOVE the chicken!
Eli: Mmmmmm! Kitten!
(I should mention we were having BEEF tacos on this particular night. I have never served my family kitten.)

Overheard while Norah and Eli were playing together:
Eli: Like big trucks!
Norah: You wanna be a big truck driver when you grow up?
Eli: Yes!
Norah: When I grow up, I'm gonna be a mommy and go to Bunko!

We've noticed that Eli is ALWAYS in tune with what is going on in our house, whether or not he's included in the conversations/planning. Case in point, last week, we were planning for a camping trip and it was a popular conversation topic between Jason, Norah and me. One night that week, Eli woke up around midnight and we had the following exchange:
E: Hi Momma.
A: Hey buddy. What's wrong?
E: Hungwee, eat!
A: Ok, you can have one little snack and then you're gonna go night night.
E: Otay.
A: Alright, so, you're gonna get one _______...
E: Spanking?
A: No, buddy. One SNACK. And then you're gonna go ________...
E: Camping!

In route to the camping trip...
N: Daddy, I think our campsite is in a far away land.

'09 Costume Reveal

For the two of you who eagerly await my annual Halloween Costume Reveal, the wait is over!

Eli was a Garden Gnome, Travelocity Roaming Gnome, David the Gnome... or if you asked him, a "Hi Ho, Hi Ho!" We've been watching a LOT of Snow White around here, so I couldn't blame him for thinking he was a dwarf. (Norah also referred to him as a "Garden Wizard" before she got the hang of the word "gnome"...I think the pointy hat threw her.)

I think this is my favorite costume I've made to date. (Ok, never mind. I can't choose. I loved the Baby Mermaid, King Kong, and Madame Peacock, an aweful lot, too). And of course, the late night sewing sessions with Gramps in preparation for Trunk or Treat are always something I look forward to!

Please notice his super-cute leather pouch...and those crazy fuzzy boots...Jason was about ready to strangle me for this one. But I figured it was the last year I could get away with it. I'm quite sure E will have a strong opinion by next year, and it's likely to be very masculine, so Jason needs not fret.


After a lengthy affair of waffling between Ariel (which I shot down because I don't like doing costume "remakes"...mean mom, I know), a flamingo, "Martigan" (her favorite of Uncle Grant's goats), a ballerina, and a princess, Norah finally decided on "Little Bo Peep". I thought it suited her to a tee. She is all about ribbons, lace, and most importantly, PINK.

Papaw bent her her very own shepherd's crook from some metal pipe, and Jason painted it white. (I added the bows, because everyone knows that pink ribbons on a shepherd's hook are as completely practical as a tiny shepherdess bedecked in ten yards--yes, I said TEN yards of lace)







The kids had a BLAST at A&M Church's Trunk or Treat. The weather was beautiful (not a scorcher like last year) Eli kept his entire costume on for the duration of the afternoon/evening with nary a complaint. (I think once he figured out costumes= lots of attention and candy, we were golden)

N LOVED checking out what all her friends' costumes were, and she was very quick to compliment them all. ("I LOVE your cape!")

Here she is with "super" friends, Isaiah and Phoebe.

She also "LOVED" Zoe and Shelby's pink fairy costumes (which Shelby informed N was "actually a BUTTERFLY...See the wings?")













Jason caved some pretty awesome pumpkins to decorate our trunk.

Tinker Bell for Norah






And "Mee Mouse" for Eli




















Eli LOVED the fishing booth. (And doesn't it just LOOK like something a little gnome would be doing?)


But the favorite activity of the day was definitely the bounce house.

After about 10 minutes of trunk or treating, Norah said to Jason. "Dad, I really think I have enough candy." I looked at him incredulously--was this MY child? Doesn't she know there are people giving free CHOCOLATE away out there!? Jason, seeing my disbelief, smiled and said, "All she cares about is bouncing."

Eli loved the Bounce House too. It was his first time in one. For the first few minutes he was just fascinated that he could see me from inside, but still maintain his freedom. Then, he cut loose and bounceed to his heart's content.







My favorite quote of the day was from Norah.

A: Norah, who had the best costume at Trunk or Treat?
N: Me!

Ok, so maybe we need to work on humility a little... but it still made me pretty happy.

From the Mouthes of Babes

Jason went hunting out of town last weekend the kids really missed him. Saturday night, Norah had the following conversation on the phone with her Daddy.
N: Hey Daddy. I miss you.
J: I miss you too, honey.
N: Dad, can I sleep in your bed with Mommy since you're not here?
J: I guess so, sweetie.
N: Yay! I get to be the husband!

Then later that night...
N: Mommy, which one is my sweet tooth? (grinning a wide grin and running her fingers across her teeth)
A: (slightly distracted after being interrupted from reading) Ummmm...I'm not sure, hun.
N: Oh, come on mom. Just tell me.
A: (Puts down book and begins a brief lesson on figures of speech)

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I do hope to post the "Big Reveal '09" Halloween costume pics early next week, so hang tight!

Fun with Shaving Cream

I'd been wanting to work on writing upper and lower case letters with N, so I decided to pull out a trick from my personal memory of elementary school.

1 unassembled card table+ 1 bottle of shaving cream= good times!

While she's posing in the first picture, I loved Norah's expression when I whipped out the can of Barbasol. It looked something like, "What in the world are you going to do with THAT?" And then when I informed her that SHE got to use it, her expression changed to one that seemed to convey, "Seriously? Me? In THIS house?"

She definitely enjoyed herself, and had a lot more fun practicing her letters than she seems to when we just go old school (pencil and paper)


The only downsides for me were 1) the mess factor (which, honestly was pretty minimal...but still a little more work than throwing away a sheet of paper) and 2)the short lifespan of the shaving cream. It definitely needed to be "refreshed" after about 2-3 swipes, so it was hard not to feel a little wasteful ( even if the whole can did cost less than $1). Then again, I guess it's no different than spending money on blowing bubbles, and it's all for the sake of learning, so no harm no foul, right?