Summer days...

We spent 10 days of July in Colorado with Scott's family and had a great time, as always!  Eli just had to do the train ride, again.  That's all the boy talked about after we landed until we actually did it.  Then he got a nintendo 3DS for a birthday present, and bam, we don't hear a peep out of him at all...or his sister, which is always quiet nice,  I mean quite nice.  But we do not bring them into restaurants now.  No electronics at the table anymore when it's just us as a family.  I feel they are now old enough to be a part of it all, dinner, conversation, constant nagging to quit whining, it's all very enjoyable. 

We are now truly Floridians...we have a pool!!!   While the construction of it was long and torturous (mostly for Scott) we are so happy to finally have one of our own.  Even if the kids only had 1 week of summer enjoy it!  The first weekend, I thought I'd let the kids just swim as long as they wanted...they were outside for 10 hours!!!  At 10 hours, I finally made them come in!  I made them take a snack and sunblock break every couple of hours but I obviously didn't monitor their fluid intake (not counting the pool water!) and Eli woke up very dehydrated the next morning!  And I mean severely. He has always been good about drinking when thirsty I didn't think about it.  So now my mother of the year award has been stripped!!!  Lesson learned!




Since turning 4, Eli has become very vocal.  Scott says he's found his voice.  All of a sudden he is very boy.  Making noises, saying silly things.  A trip to the potty is entertaining to watch from a distance.  He is making noises and talking the whole time. 
 

He is over being told how cute he is and how people love his curls.  The curls have become a very sensitive subject.  After trimming Scott's hair the other day, we jokingly told him it was his turn, thinking he would get nowhere near the clippers.  He fooled me! He jumped right up on the stool, ready to have "flat" hair like his daddy.  I almost cried and he was very disappointed when I wouldn't cut his hair.
Evi wakes and wants to swim.  She is so excited to finally have her own pool and no longer has to look at our neighbors with puppydog eyes while they enjoy their pools.  I told her the first time she complains of boredom I'm throwing her in fully clothed! 


The humid Florida weather is finally affecting Eli and his "avocados" as we call them.  One day while outside, I noticed he couldn't seem to leave his 'stuff' alone so after a potty inquisition I asked if his avocados were sticking to his leg.  He was impressed with my assessment and said "YES!"  Scott asked him to come up stairs to take care of his weewee problem and he asked, " you going to cut if off?"
Now the boy is love with baby powder.  Evidently it tickles...

our view out the back door

The Big 4!!!!!

Evi-rina

Eli is now the big 4!  And I swear he has changed!  He now has attitude, and I don't mean positive!  He's developed a little fear all of a sudden too.  Which in some aspects is a good thing.  While as of December he could swim, he has since decided some pools have "sinking water" and has taken to always swimming in a life jacket.  But he is so damn cute, and still super sweet.  He is a rule follower and looses it if I even look at him sternly.  But I know he will make us pay for his sweetness 10+ years from now.  I'm no fool!

We have gone kayaking twice now at Weeki Wachi, a river about 30 minutes north of us where the manatee can be found in the winter.  Luckily this last trip, we saw 5 manatee! It was pretty neat to watch these big shadows glide under us.  We almost missed the first one, but Evi spotted it while being my kayak's figurehead and watching over the front of the kayak.  We can't wait to go back in the winter and see more!  This last time we went with one of my very close girlfriend's family when they came to visit.  Their son and Evi are the same age, so we broke the news to them that we have already decided on an arranged marriage.  They took it well.

The future couple Evi & Liam

Floating the current

We have started the process of burying our retirement in our back yard in the form of a pool.  Just kidding! But we are getting a pool.  It truly is a must while living in Florida.  We just finally got tired of watching our neighbors enjoy theirs!  Plus we wanted to get it while the kids will still enjoy it! I can predict that I will come home to find Scott floating like a big raisin in the near future.
Eli thoroughly enjoyed watching all the construction.  The digger, bobcat and dump truck were a real treat.  He pulled up a seat to the back door and just enjoyed the view. 

Capt. Eli

Eli & Mila Monster Danger Tolle

Post father's day we met with the Dude and Marni & Mila to go out on the Dude's boat.  Eli was perfectly happy playing in the boat while it was parked in the driveway, but absolutely loved getting to drive it once we were out on the water.  A little rain shower spoiled some of the day but not before the kids had a great time on the tube!

A little behind...

ARRGGGGHHH!

Eli & Carter

So I have created a monster!  Once, when Eli hugged me and he was naked I called it a "naked hug" and said, "oooo, I love naked hugs!"  Now it has become an obsession, if the boy is naked on the top half, the bottom half or both he wants "a naked hug."  And recently he added a new element by saying, "my weewee is touchin' you, and it's big!"  Yes, I am waiting for a visit from child services after he tells his teacher this!
He is almost to my favorite age of Evi's, 4.  She was so stinkin' cute at 4.  They say the greatest things and are just so damn sweet, I can't wait!

Evi & Bella

 I am not leaving Evi out of this post on purpose, I just don't have any good stories.  She has been her regular emotional Evi self and it has just been school, dance and gymnastics.  Although, we have decided to drop gymnastics for a year.  It was a hard choice because she is good at it and she loves it.  But at the same time, she hates all the conditioning they do, and they want a lot of dedication on our part that we are not ready for at 7.  It takes a little of the fun out of it for her.  So, we are having a break, and we will reevaluate next summer as to what she wants to do then.  Now she thinks she wants to take piano, violin, horseback riding lessons, hip hop, tap and art, not necessarily in that order...

mother's day tea

She had her recital recently, which was incredibly cute.  I couldn't stop crying watching her.  She is so deliberate in her moves and takes it all very seriously.  

Eli's first pre-school class

Eli-isms:
Eli noticed a lovebug and said,
"hey, there's 2 of them.  It's coming out his hynie!"
(did I mention he was trying to kill it prior to these observations?)
 Eli's jam: Poppin' Tags  &  I Don't Care

snow bound

  We had a great time at the Nease Family Circus Vacation at Lake Tahoe, NV.  Evi is a professional skier...well almost.  She really enjoyed it and was once again brave enough to try jumps.  She also asked me to get off the bunny slopes, which is where I prefer to be if I have to ski.  As soon as we got off the lift and I saw the way down, I was petrified!  I did the one run and told Evi and Scott they were on their own.  I'd like to claim that most of my fears are based on the fact that I'm the bread winner at the moment and we'd be a little screwed if I got hurt!  Yea, that's the ticket! :-)

Eli took lessons with Mila one afternoon, which was totally hilarious! They were like marshmallow puffs and would fall over with the slightest provocation.  Let's just say that they didn't learn much, but we sure enjoyed the show!  Eli did ski with Scott on the bunny slopes a few times and totally loved it.  He would giggle the whole way down but never quite got it enough to be let loose completely.  Next time I know he'll be right behind Evi and not missing a beat.
Now the sledding, that's where the fun was at!  The kids LOVED it. And the adults enjoyed themselves maybe just a little bit too much too!
Eli has learned so much at school already.  First off, with a class full of boys, he is making up for all his girly tendencies from always being around girls.  (except the painting of the nails, if Evi's getting her nails painted, he's in line and won't take no for an answer...I at least use blue and green for his nails) He's learning to play fight, shoot guns and of course all potty talk is hilarious and he tries to say the word poop as many times in one day as he can.  Thanks boys.
He has also learned his alphabet (or his version of it), to count to 10 and the pledge of allegiance. The pledge is highly entertaining and so cute.  The last line goes like this " and justin for all". HAHAHA!!
He has learned to write his name.  At first every time he wrote it, he would shake his hand the whole time he was writing it and we couldn't understand why.  UNTIL we realized Ms. Flo (who is a lovely OLDER white haired assistant in his class) was helping him and you know how old people sometimes shake when they write...;-)





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School Boy

this is how we nap

1st day of school!

My baby boy has started school!  And he LOVES it! He had the complete opposite reaction as his sister, who cried for a year at drop off.  His first day, Eli walked in and had no problem when Scott said he was leaving. He just looked at Scott like, leave already Dad.  There are days we still have issues with Evi!  His teacher is Miss Brenda, and his class is all boys.  And he has become so much more a "boy" since starting.  He has also become a master at Super Mario Bros on the Wii and his sister's DS.  It's ridiculous how quickly this boy catches on to games on the electronics.  And shameful to his mother that he plays them better than she does.
His sister is going through another emotional phase.  But what's new?!?!  I don't even know where to begin with her.  I only hope that her sensitivity, her ridiculous amount of sensitivity will benefit her in her future...somehow.

I wish I had more to share, but it has been life as usual...school, dance, gymnastics, and drama.  We should have our own reality series.
 

Convos with the kids...

Gaspirilla - Pirate Parade

One evening we were playing in Eli's room, which is pirate themed.  He was at his steering wheel directing Scott and I onboard, and from the bathroom we hear Evi call out "I'm on the poop deck!". It was a riot!

Eli's big thing right now is responding with a thumbs up when he likes something or when something is good (shocking I know). So one morning Scott asked Eli if he slept (thumbs up), Eli said, "no, I slept (folded his hands like a prayer against his cheek and closed his eyes).

All I want for Christmas...

riding Thunder Mountain with Tuti

Finally Evi has lost BOTH her front teeth! The first one to fall out was knocked out while tossing a football with cousin Lucas.  And it wasn't the really loose one.  How that ball didn't get the one right next to it hanging by a thread, I have no idea.  But it was very traumatic.  Then I had to torture her for over an hour to get the second one out!  It was so gross and just hanging there.  I was trying to get her to pull it but she would barely touch it.  Finally I held her down and I tried (Scott is NO help in the holding down department, I have to do all the dirty work).  Well, I ended up turning it around backwards, but couldn't get a grip on it.  And boy was the backside nastier than the front!   Finally I chased her around the house tapping her mouth with my finger as she cried until it fell out.  Yes, I am a great mother, I know.  Just giving her stuff to work with her therapist with when she's older.  So when she was leaving it for the Tooth Fairy, she said she wanted to keep it.  Since she was already in bed, I left a note for the Tooth Fairy asking if she could.  The Tooth Fairy responded in teeny tiny handwriting, "Yes, she can keep it, it's pretty yucky!"  Evi loved it! Man that tooth was nasty!  But she is so cute with that big whole in her mouth!

getting ready for some renfest action

We have started at a new gymnastics school closer to our house, and have moved up to a "team" level.  And while Evi is learning a lot, she is stressing out a lot too.  She has nightmares about gymnastics now.  I think while she may be physically ready to move up, she is not emotionally ready.  She is such a "pleaser" and just wants to do things right to make the coach happy.  I think it might be taking some of the fun out of it.  We'll see. 
Eli is sensitive in his own way.  He gets very mad when he gets embarrassed.  He doesn't like it when we laugh at him.  Poor guy, he better learn to get passed this, because his mother can't help herself.  If he falls, gets in trouble, does something unintentionally funny and we laugh he scrunches up his face and gets very upset.  Then, he boohoos.  Oh, the emotional ups and downs of a 3 year old.

his mad face

Kelf, the Elf on the Shelf, is back this year.  The kids have so much fun locating that damn elf each morning. And Eli is raring to go on the present front.  He was a little hesitant when it came to pictures with Santa, but since his cousin Mila had done it no problem, and his sister was with him, he man'd up and did it. 

Aunt Tuti FINALLY came to stay with us.  And Eli was up her butt.  Even when I came home from a trip, he cuddled with his Tuti and followed her everywhere.  We showed her how rockin' Tampa is...from the comfort of our couch!  Other than a trip to Disney, it was rather boring for a college girl, I'm sure.  But we loved having her.  

One night Eli slept for over 12 hours.  When he finally awoke Scott asked him if he a grown a foot overnight, and Eli looked down at his feet to see if there was another one.  It was too cute.

7 Years Old!

My sweet baby girl is 7!!! It's like someone is stabbing me with a knife, 7 sounds so old. So pre-tween!  This will be the year her big front teeth come in, which, to me, has always meant that the baby years are over.  She's sleeping most nights in her own bed. She reads books to herself and her brother at bedtime.  All things I've been waiting for, but it makes me sad just the same.  But she still likes to cuddle and pulls my arm hair every chance she gets, which proves in some ways, she's still my baby.
I was a failure as a mother and never organized any kind of party.  Luckily she was happy just having her two BFF's go bowling with us.  And since Eli's used to being the only boy, he was right in the middle of it all.
She came into some cash for her birthday. I took her to target to buy what she wanted for herself. We came home with one $6 box of easy bake oven mix because she couldn't pull the trigger on anything when it was her own money being spent.  She had me take pictures of all the things she wanted so she could look them over and decide.  She definitely doesn't get that quality from me!  But I hope she keeps it!
Our Disney passes expire at the end of the year, so we had a last hurrah weekend in Orlando.  Everyone greatly enjoyed themselves.  We had to all share a king size bed, which posed some challenges, but we all survived, and were exhausted upon our return home.

Here are two sentences Eli said one right after the other, and when taken out of context sound, well, just read for yourself...
"HEY, I SEE A HOLE. I GOTTA GET MY WEEWEE OUT."
And he proceeded to actually try to do just that.  While it's not like it sounds, it is pretty funny.  He has recently learned that he has a hole in his manties meant for retrieving his weewee. We honestly think the word 'hole' just led him to remember that his underwear had a weewee 'hole'.