PUNKED! By a Three Year Old

Today we spent the day out and about, wandering Seattle. It was wonderful.

This morning we decided to head to Seattle to go to the Bodies exhibit. What an amazing exhibit. Eli was interested in many parts of it too, wanting to know more. Still, fascinating! Afterward, we wandered around Westlake, then had lunch at Fox Sports Grill. Yummm!

After lunch, we decided to head home because we could tell Eli was getting tired - and we were tired of carrying him around. The only other thing we had thought about was walking down to Pike Place Market and seeing what they had. Didn't quite make it there. We were only a block from the car and had to drop leftovers there anyway, so we decided to jump in and head home.

I started keeping a small camera in my purse for those spur of the moment pictures. Here we are having lunch together at Fox Sports Grill.

On our way home, we went across Lake Washington. Eli loves the "tunnel game" where you have to raise your arms high while you're in them (at least it's not the hold your breath game!). Every tunnel or overpass we came to, he would yell at me "Raise your arms Momma! Raise your arms." Being the good mom that I am, I would raise my arms. He'd have a huge smile on his face and laugh. So, we were driving across Mercer Island when he said "Raise your arms!" So I did. (There was no tunnel or overpass mind you, but I did it anyway) He started laughing really hard and said "I WAS JUST KIDDING!" Ohhhhhh. Ouch. We were all laughing pretty good by then though.

Hilarious Boy Story

Eli has been potty trained for a month now, no pull-ups, no diapers, just big boy underwear. Well, today, being the funny boy that he is, he kept pulling his pants a little farther down on his hiney. You could see those cute little Incredible character designed underwear hanging out the back - gangsta' style. I started chuckling to myself but thought, whatever.

Anyway, pretty soon I look over and they're just low enough for his 'boy goods' to be hanging out. I laughed and said, "What in the world are you doing?"

His reply? With the most serious of faces, "I just like it out."

Oh my gosh. The things kids say.....

And yes, he put the goods away before we left for the babysitter's house this morning.

MLK Day and the week that followed

On MLK Day, Eli and I got to spend the day at home. I love these special days that we don't often get together. Ok, they're much more frequent than other people can have with their kids, I know, but still. I really would like to have more of them! Anyway, on this day, we decided to go for a walk with our friends. It was kind of chilly when we left so I told Eli he could choose any coat he wanted for our walk. Miraculously enough, he chose this one! His puppy dog raincoat. I think he's worn it a small handful of times (is that really a handful then?) but loved it this day. Isn't he adorable in that little puppy coat?! I of course had to take pictures because anyone knowing of this coat would know he doesn't choose it often and probably wouldn't believe me if I hadn't gotten proof.

Later that day while I was cleaning up from lunch, he wanted to play in the sink with the bubbles. He loves the bubbles and didn't want to play in the big bubbles, aka the bathtub, so here he was playing away.

Wednesday brought another opportunity for Mommy and Me time. However, he really wasn't so keen on part of the reasoning in why we got to stay home. He had his 3 year well child check-up. Of course he's doing well, but didn't exactly have a very enjoyable afternoon. He ended up getting 3 shots, his last chicken pox immunization, flu shot and H1N1 shot as well. For the first time, our little boy went on a sympathy quest. After waking up from his nap, his leg was sore, totally expected! But he would stand there whining, "Mommy, pick me up. Caaaan't walk. My leg hurts!" Over and over. And Over. Oh...and over...

Anyway, after Grandma and Papa came over for dinner, all was well and he was a happy, chipper little boy again. Anyway, our little guy is 34.5 lbs (74th percentile) and 38.5 inches (68th percentile). He even learned his right from his left while we were at his appointment! :)

Yesterday Eli and I were just goofing around and took a couple pictures of ourselves. Here we are, saying hi to you and your family! Hope all is well!

It's Amazing: Look At All These Posts

Since Eli is wanting to watch a little Phineas and Ferb up here, I thought "What the heck, I might as well do some more updating!"

I've already shared our holiday festivities and Eli's wonderful news of working on potty training - which is going really well! We're starting to cut back on the car rewards for going potty in the potty. Now we only give them to him if/when he remembers and asks for one. He doesn't do it nearly as often, but about once a day he'll ask for his "potty car."

I snapped this picture today. There's something about it that I love. We tend to just get pictures during his adventuresome, playful moments, but there's something about this picture that I love. Maybe it's the bashfulness? The independence? The "leave me the heck alone, Mommy!" feel. I don't know. Whatever it is, I still like it!

Back in November I went to a training, my class was actually the model/demonstration class during the morning, for GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design). I have since been incorporating many of these strategies in my teaching. Our superintendent and building principals are very supportive in this teaching strategy/model (which is GREAT), and have decided to put 8 people in our district through the Tier II Training - training to become a trainer. I get to go through this training! It will be quite the time commitment, but I am so very excited for this opportunity! Having seen the impact on learning with my students, I am sold. Next year will be intense, but so worth it! I just have to get through the month of February. Granted, this month is short on school days due to Presidents Week off (Mid Winter Break), and being a short month as it is, leaving 15 days that school is in session. Of these days, I will be in an EIGHT day training. Thankfully I have a wonderful guest teacher that I can count on to continue to provide my students with high level thinking opportunities and continued learning.

Now for my next task: get my current Professional Certification assignment complete before Thursday's meeting, fill out the application for the GLAD training, get two required videos created before the first day of training (Feb. 10). Busy, busy, busy!

The Celebrations Continue

2009 came to a close with a few friends coming over for game night. After those with kids left a few hours before midnight, we were left with us, my brother, and Melissa. We were hooked on a Wii game so kept playing until shortly before midnight. (Eli was up until 11ish! That kid slept late the next morning.) I love games. I guess that is the kid in me that loves to come out. If I could, I'd play games every weekend, but that's just a little unrealistic. I didn't get many pictures from New Year's Eve, but here are a few...

Eli LOVES his Uncle Daryl. The entire time he was in town, if we mentioned going to Grandma and Papa's house, he'd ask about Uncle Daryl. When he had to go back to Texas, Eli brought up the airplane and that he had to fly there. It was awfully cute. All he wanted to do while Daryl was in town was play and read books together. Aren't they cute?!

To ring in the New Year, we decided it was time to buckle down and get this potty training thing rolling. While we still had time off, we jumped in full force and never turned back. I downloaded an ebook, 3 Day Potty Training. When Eli put his big boy underwear on for the first time, he also got to throw away all of his Pull-Ups. After three long days, he finally got it and has been going in the potty for 3 weeks now! He still has the occasional accident, but those are also becoming fewer and farther between. I know children often revert and go through phases where they have a lot of accidents, but so far, he is doing a GREAT job. We are so proud of our big boy!

He also ran across a bottle of tempera paint that I had at home. Of course he wanted to paint when he saw it. He put on his art apron and had a great time!

(I'm posting two posts really close together, if you didn't see the first Celebration post, be sure to check that one out too.) There's more to come, but it's time for Grays! Gotta run!

The artist at work creating his newest masterpiece.

Celebrations Galore Part I

All I can say is it has been ages since I last updated. So much has happened since the last update with Eli's third birthday, I'll just give it a whirl and see how far I get.

Christmas was wonderful. Between spending time with family, seeing my brother, celebrating the holidays, and having extra time off, what more could we have asked for? School went rather long this year, we didn't get out until the Tuesday before Christmas. There wasn't much time for last minute anything! Christmas Eve was spent at our house - my parents and brother came over and we had snacks galore and a pot roast. We were just going to have snacks, but then I felt guilty for not having an actual meal to go with the evening, so we threw a roast in the crockpot. Lets just say there was WAY too much food for our family.

We all stayed up late opening presents and setting up Eli's new train table. He has really gotten into trains lately. Don't read that as he's out of cars and now into trains, but rather he likes them both. Our little man is still addicted to cars, especially if they come from the Disney movie. I swear, he has probably 8 different McQueens...

Here we are around the Christmas tree - well as close to around as we can get.

Papa, Grandma, me, Eli, Jess, Uncle Daryl (Uncle Doozer)

I love his sweet little smile. It wasn't the cheeseball grin we so often get.

He's such a big boy!

Loving the trains! Little did he know what was coming!

I mean really! Look at him. He amazes me every day.

His new train table, clearly pre-assembly.

Uncle Daryl and the notorious train table.

Absolutely engrossed in a Thomas the Train video before going to bed on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning brought sleeping in (he's not old enough to wake up early yet!) then running downstairs to see if Santa had come, eaten his cookies, shared carrots with the reindeer, and filled our stockings. He had! Eli was very excited to dig through his stocking, but also ours. Santa was pretty generous with Eli, bringing him a few cars, candy, and games. Santa brought some well needed travel coffee mugs, and socks! LOL Santa is all for the necessities, I suppose.

He was so excited that Santa got the Ramone he had asked for. Thanks Santa!

After playing, snacking, and Eli napping, we headed out to my parents house for Christmas dinner and the traditional movie. This year we went with Happy Feet as we thought Eli would like it. We ended up having to take the movie home with us to watch a few times because he enjoyed it so much! My parents had Santa hats out and Eli really liked playing with them.

Our happy little Santa Eli.

I know...

Yes, it has been a while since an update. I have pictures from Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve, however whenever I am up here to update Jess is playing soccer with the guys on the XBox so the upload would slow down his game. One of these days it'll happen....maybe.