Eli's Escapades

Dallas Arboretum

2011-10-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

The last 2 years Eli and I have gone to the arboretum in the fall. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pumpkins everywhere!! This year Josie came to visit and went with us. They spent well over an hour playing in the Jack in the Beanstalk house and decorating it for a Halloween party. We also rode the tram around for a tour and "explored" new paths! Even though it was a fairly chilly day the day ended playing in the water fountains. And where there is Josie and Eli and water there are WET children!! Lala even got in on the action when she walked in front of a frog they were squirting!! They were sort of like popsicles by the time we got to the car =)

Spring Break!!

2011-04-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Oklahoma for Spring Break. Eli's one request while we were there was to go to Incredible Pizza. We took Grandma and spent a few hours there. He and Josie ate LOTS of pizza and played LOTS of games and had a great time! They loved the dancing games and the driving games. They even managed to get Grandma on the carousel and the roller coaster simulator ride. My pocketbook is glad we don't have an Incredible Pizza close to us!

Just Goofin' Around

2011-01-14T12:08:00.001-08:00

Eli LOVES to get the camera out "pose", take goofy pictures, look at then, and then pose again. These are from our latest "photo session." They make me laugh!!

The Colony Light Parade

2011-01-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

Every year at the first of December, The Colony does a nighttime light parade. It is one of my favorite parts of the holidays! This year Josie and Angela and our neighbors Anne and Ida joined us. It was SOOOOO cold that night, but the floats were worth it! We bundled up and enjoyed watching. Santa came at the end on a firetruck. FUN! FUN!

Six Flags Holiday in the Park

2011-01-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

Eli, Mommy, and Daddy ventured to Six Flags for the first time this December. We were there for Holiday in the Park which was TONS of fun. It was very, very cold the evening we went...but we were all bundled up, so it was OK. The lights were beautiful and the park wasn't too crowded at all. We didn't have to wait in line for anything. Eli was brave enough to try all the rides. He liked all of the EXCEPT the big pirate ship that rocks back and forth. He said, "that hurts my tummy!" He still talks about how much he DIDN'T like the pirate ship! He loved the bouncing boot ride, the red ride in the pictures. He also liked driving the trucks, but it was very dark by then. My favorite was the train ride because we all got to ride together and sing carols through the park. I am hoping we can make this a December tradition at our house!

Eli's Recliner

2011-01-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

My mom and dad got Eli the CUTEST OSU recliner for Christmas. It has a cup holder and leans back just like a recliner! He and Josie enjoyed it at my mom's house. Now he sits in the office with Daddy and watches sports in it! I have to laugh every time I walk by and hear Will explaining the Mavs defense or the call the ref just made! Of couse Eli has to get a drink in the holder and popcorn to have the "full experience!"
**Other thing that cracks me up...inside the cup holder is printed "NOT AN ASHTRAY". Really??? Do people small enough to fit in that chair have a smoking problem?

My Little Chef

2011-01-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Eli LOVES to help me bake. Eli LOVES to eat and I think this is why the passion for cooking =) Everyday that we are home all morning, he is sure we should be baking something! I asked him if he was going to be a chef when he grew up. He cried and said, "No, I just want to be Eli!" Regardless, he is going to be a great help to someone in the kitchen one day! These pictures are a weekend morning when he woke up and wanted to make cake. He got all of his supplies out and spread on the table and called his daddy in to come see. He reads the box to me and tells me what we should do next. All I do is pour the things in the measuring cups and put it in the oven. The rest is ALL ELI! I am a bit worried about how much baking we are going to have to do this summer when we are home everyday!!
One of his funny recipes was "stars." The directions were to add 3 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, and a slice of bacon. You baked it for 13 minutes and it made stars!
This summer he came up with a recipe for "boomba"...it included water, sugar, and a little bit of BENADRYL!!
Love, love, love cooking with my boy!

Pumpkins

2010-10-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

Eli and I spent our Fair Day at the Dallas Arboretum. I have never seen more pumpkins in my whole life. It was incredible!!! It was a beautiful Texas fall day, so we were cool in the morning and spent the end of the day splashing in the fountains!! I think I will always choose my pumpkin patch on the basis of whether or not they have a splash park. We also got to see a very fun kids' concert and eat a picnic lunch while we were there. As soon as we left Eli said, "I want to come back here and bring Ida and Josie!"

**Sorry the pictures are in no particular order...I have a hard time getting them to load the way I want! The top pictures are by the tub of pumpkins he spent half an hour rounding up and arranging. He was "tending" they were apples! The sleeping picture is on the way home, basically right out of the parking lot=) Most of the other ones are some of the beautiful views and the pumpkin village houses.

Album 08\13\2010, by Angela Turner

2010-08-13T09:12:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walmart Digital Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

4th of July

2010-07-24T15:10:00.001-07:00

Watching fireworks!

Hot dogs for dinner!!

We started the day off fishing with Grandma!

We spent the 4th in Nowata with Grandma and Papa and WaWa and Josie. It was a VERY cool and rainy July 4th weekend which is VERY rare in Oklahoma! However, it was all clear for the fireworks!! Eli LOVED them this year. When we sit in my mom and dad's driveway they go off literally right above our heads. It is an awesome display! Mom made homemade ice cream, MY favorite!!! I think Josie is on the way to becoming a homemade ice cream fanatic too though!!

Eli's 3rd Birthday!

2010-07-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

Eli turned 3 this week! He has been SOOOO excited about his birthday. What he wanted was ALL his friends in one place and a Buzz Lightyear cake. We were able to deliver on both things! I only had pictures of the cakes and the table on my camera...I ran out of batteries!! However, Stefani, www.stefanimarcus.com , took pictures of the party for me. I will post them once I get them from her =)

Eli has asked me every day for WEEKS..."am I free yet?" And I answer, "no, you are still 2." He responds, "I have been 2 for wots and wots and wots and wots of days!!" I have assured him that he will be 3 for just as many days.

The people who he wanted at his party (and who all showed up!!) were Mommy and Daddy, WaWa and Josie, Anne and Ida, Paige, Allie, and Baby Jack, Miss Anita (his babysitter who he LOVES as much as his family!, and his friends from Miss Anita's house...Aiden, Raegan, and Kennedy. We had the party at a splash park, which was SO much fun! Everybody got a bucket to play with in the water with water toys. Eli picked each person's bucket and filled it for them. He was so excited to get everything ready for all his friends.

He also wanted a Buzz Lightyear cake which we got from a friend in Nowata. It turned out fabulous and he LOVED it!! He and I made alien cupcakes to take to Miss Anita's and to the party. He put the eyes and horns on each of them. He picked out all the plates, napkins, juice boxes, etc. This was the first year that he was very involved in his party.

I have decided next year we are having his birthday the minute he wakes up though. I answered the question "is it my party yet?" a million times on Thursday!! Luckily Anne and Ida went to the park with us and played for 3 hours to pass the LONG day!!

More pics to come soon!!

Family Pictures

2010-05-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

I WANT to be one of those people who blogs on a (close-to) daily basis...I really do!! BUT, I am NOT! So, here are our family pictures from February! Love how they turned out. Thanks Stefani!

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T11:45:00.001-07:00

Our engine for the day was appropriately named Puffy! Puff he did, LOTS of smoke, ALL day long!!

They waited all day for this picture...love the tongues sticking out!!!

Eli and his bestie Ida!!

Sisters and Cousins!

My favorite picture of the entire day. Josie had just kissed Eli, thus the smug look, and Eli was trying desparately to wipe it off!!

For Mother's Day, Will and Eli made breakfast while I stayed in bed and watched TV. It was very nice!! However, when Eli found out they were not making pancakes, he quit his job as sous chef and went and played in his room while Daddy cooked! Nonetheless, Mommy got to stay in bed! =) After breakfast, Eli and I, Angela and Josie, and our neighbors, Anne and Ida went to Grapevine to ride the train. Eli LOVES train and he was so excited, although he was a bit confused about why this train didn't have a face like Thomas! The train went from Grapevine to Fort Worth and back. We were SUPPOSED to be on the train for 1 1/2 hours to Ft. Worth, spend a couple of hours at the stockyards, and then be on the train for 1 1/2 hours back. Our day did NOT go as scheduled. We left Grapevine at 1:00 and arrived back at Grapevine at 8:30 that night. However, the kids had a great time. The mommies were a little tired by the end of the day! We rode in an open-air train car and Eli picked the seat right by the popcorn machine...OF COURSE!!! Although it was a bit chilly we all loved the open air car! They all snacked on popcorn, and everything else, the whole way there and back. I guess all that fresh air makes you hungry! We ate on a patio restaurant in the stockyards and watch the "cattle run" as we were eating. It was cool to see the Longhorns all pass by! Although it was a long day, we all enjoyed it and I know for sure Eli would do it again tomorrow! Here are some of our pics from the day.

SPRING!!!

2010-04-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Summers in Texas may be long and hot...but springtime in Texas ROCKS!! These are pictures from a park in Frisco where Eli and Josie LOVE to go play. However, Eli leaves in a diaper every time because this water is just irrestible and he ends up SOAKED!! We have gone here since before he was even walking and he loves it every time we go! Speaking of walking...I was walking Ginger the other night and Eli wanted to go with me. We were talking about our favorite places, he was torn between Grandma's house and McDonalds! Then all of sudden he says "This is my favorite!" I said "Walking with Mommy and Ginger is your favorite" and he said "YES!" Just melted my heart. I explained that we had been making this walk since he was in my tummy. He got very offended by that and said "Daddy hold me when I was little. I NOT walk in your tummy!!" But indeed, Mommy and Ginger have been making that walk before Eli, with Eli inside my tummy, with Eli in the stroller, and now he walks right beside us!! He stops to examine every bug, rock, leaf, and stick, so our walk takes a little longer...but I wouldn't change it for anything!

A Day Out With Thomas

2010-04-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Eli and I got to go spend a day with Thomas the Train. They had bounce houses, train tables, petting zoo, videos, and of course THOMAS!!! He spent most of the day playing with the train tables and trying to see how many train cars he could snag before having to share them! For lunch he chose the biggest corn dog I have ever seen in my life and ate the whole thing! He loved the train ride and hearing the conductor say "All Aboard" and "Tickets Please!" Eli is obsessed with trains right now, so this was a perfect day out for him!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend with Grandma, Papa, Lala, and Josie. It started Friday evening with taking the kids to see Disney on Ice. Eli and Josie were both mesmerized through the whole show. Josie about waved her arm off waving to all the characters!! Eli just kept asking "Where Mickey Mouse?" Saturday morning we dyed eggs. When Josie asked if we could eat them and we said yes, when they dry...Eli immediately took one out of the dye and put it to his mouth...shell, dye, and all!! They made beautiful eggs =) Sunday we got up and went to church. On the way in Eli kept complaining about his sandals, which he didn't want to wear. He said they were hurting his toe. When I asked which toe, he said my "thumb toe!!" We had lunch at a restaurant called The Angry Catfish, which Josie kept referring to as The Mean Fisherman =) The kids loved hunting eggs in the backyard and Eli wanted to make sure that Josie's bunny, Sparkles, got to see them. After they got all the eggs gathered, they sat on the porch to open them. Eli "sorted" all the "chwocolate eggs" into his pile and gave Josie everything else! When asked what he favorite part about Easter was, it was the "chwocolate eggs!!" Grandma Evelyn gave Eli some money in one of his Easter eggs. He decided to spend the first dollar this morning at....THE DONUT SHOP of course!!

Texas Snow Day

2010-02-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

On February 12, 2010 Texas got record amounts of snowfall! Lucky us!! We played outside several times in our 12 inches of snow. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, Eli or Ginger! Eli's neighbor friends Ida came and joined us to play and we went to our little park and slid down the "snow slides." Daddy helped Eli build a snowman because Mommy wasn't very good at it! Eli brought toys out to the snowman and insisted that he have a horse toy for his eye. Oh well...his snowman!! I am keeping these pictures in hopes that this is most snow Eli sees for several winters to come =)

Christmas Eve

2010-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve it sleeted and slightly snowed most of the day. Once there was enough accumlation on the ground to see it Josie and Eli couldn't wait to get out in it!! It was still pretty slick, but that didn't stop us! I am SO glad I live in Texas and don't have to bundle up my child every day!!!!

Huggin' Cousins! So excited to see the snow!

Eli would get so mad because there was a patch of ice that was the perfect ice skating "rink." Josie could do it and he would slip and fall EVERY time he tried!

Eli did NOT like the ice hitting him in the face. Mommy didn't either-it hurt!

This is how Eli felt about his Oklahoma snow storm!

SNOW!!!!

2010-01-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

I am WAY behind in blogging...but this is what we woke up to on Christmas morning at Grandma and Papa's house. Josie and Eli were way more excited about snow than presents! We bundled up and went outside and played before we even started Christmas morning. For 2 Texas kids this is the best present!

Random Funny Things!

2009-12-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

Last night Eli got the laundry basket and dragged it into the living room. He climbed in and squatted down inside. Then he kept jumping up saying, "I Jack in Box!"

Eli and I were talking the other day about the kids at daycare. I asked him what Aiden's mom did all day. He said, "work at school like you." I asked what Reagan's mom did all day. "work" What about Shahil's mom. "She work." Then I asked him what Granny (his sitter) did all day. His response..."She put me in time out!"

Eli LOVES all the Christmas lights that are out right now. We have a huge tree in front of our public library that he sees every day on the way to the sitter's and talks about. We went to the library the other day and he got to inspect the tree close up. He talked about the big ornaments and lights. On the way out of the library he asked, "Mommy, can I climb that tree?"

Speaking of Christmas lights...he thinks that all the light-up deer that people have in their yards are cows. He moos every time we drive by one!!

Talking to his Grandma on the phone last night, she asked him what he wanted for Christmas. His answer, "A new puppy!!" We have a 90 pound lab, a cat, some fish, and some frogs. I think we are all set in the animal department! She said, "you have a puppy, Ginger." He said, "I want another puppy!"

I am sure I will think of more...that will be another post =)

Great Wolf Lodge-Part 1

2009-11-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

**Funny of the day...Last night Eli said "Quit being Ashy Mommy!" I said "what?" "Quit being ashy!" I said, "Eli do you mean quit being SASSY?" "Yes Mommy!" Gee...heard that much lately Eli???

We went to Great Wolf Lodge for my and my mom's birthday weekend. It was SO much fun! Definitely something we will do again! Josie called it the big, big lodge all weekend and Eli thought the great wolves were puppies...but oh well =) It took me 37 years, but I finally got to have a swim party for my birthday!! The pictures from today are all from the pool area. It was HUGE!! Eli and Josie swim like little fishies!! They had slides in the kiddie area they loved, a wave pool, a lazy river, and a fort for them to climb. Angela and I got to ride the big "scary" slides! They were so much fun, 2 of them spin you around and around a big funnel...much more fun than it sounds!! Eli wore his life jacket the whole time because the life guard told him to! He also ate corn dogs at the pool each day, perhaps his favorite part!

Too Fast!!

2009-11-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

I have heard a saying about motherhood "The days are long, but the years are short." I am understanding more and more what that means. My days with Eli are precious, but some of them are very long! However, my baby is now running around and carrying on conversations with us! It's hard to believe that he is only 2 sometimes. We spend many hours each week at parks, we are fortunate to live in a town that has several great ones to choose from! He picks up every stick he can find and says "I got cane like Papa's!" Eli loves watching sports with us, particularly the "Go, go Cowboys!" "Go, go Mabericks," and the "Go, go Pokes!" Daddy taught him to throw the Horns up recently as well! He will watch the Mavs and say "Go, go Cowboys!!" until Daddy finally says "Go, go Cowboys" and then Eli says, "No Daddy, they the Mabericks!!" He also LOVES going to his babysitter's house. He often asks on the weekend to go to Mrs. Anita's house!! I am SO glad he has a place where he is SO loved (and spoiled rotten) and that he loves to go while I am at work! These are some things that have happened recently that I want to remember:

*Walking my 90 pound lab and VERY active 2-year-old Saturday morning...Eli saw a cat he wanted to pet...needless to say the cat was NOT into this idea! I said "that kitty isn't going to play, it doesn't know you." So, Eli shouts, "KITTY, I WILSON ELIAS FEGANS!!!!" Even after the formal intro the cat didn't come running over =)

*Last night at 9:30, after intently reading the Toys R Us Christmas catalog for 10 minutes, Eli jumps up and says "I ready go Target!!!" Apparently he has his list ready =)

*My sweet baby boy says "Thank you for yummy dinner Mommy" completely unprompted!! Melts my heart =)

*Heard Eli at 1:45 this morning...found him raiding the kitchen for chocolate chip muffins!!! It is so sad that boy never gets fed =)

*6:30 this morning...standing in my bedroom door with his blankie wrapped around his shoulders...Eli says "Pancakes!!" I said "right now?" and he says "YES!!" =)

*My birthday is this week, "Eli keeps asking when you party Mom?" I kept assuring him that I won't let him miss it!

*We left Target after dark the other night and the Pharmacy and Grocery words were lit up. He said "Look it says Wilson Elias!!"

*Favorite phrase of the moment..."I don't wwwwwwwant to!!!"

Yes...the days are LONG, but the memories are precious!!

2 Year Pictures Part 2

2009-09-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

2 Year Pictures Part 1

2009-09-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Eli's Expressions!!

2009-09-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

Eli says so many phrases, with so much expression, that absolutely crack me up!! Here are some I can remember off the top of my head:
**"Oooooohhhhhh Maaaaaaaaannnnnn!!!!" Said often and with MUCH expression!!
*"Here ya go!" Said EVERY time he hands you anything!
*"Oh My GOSH!" Said to irritate Mommy who corrects it to Oh my goodness every time!!
*"All Aboard" He spends lots of time playing with trains =)
*"Cuse Me" Let me just say he is ALL boy and needs to say this A LOT!
*"Holy Cow!" "Good Heavens!" "Good Grieb" We get exasperated a lot at our house =) He has also started sighing loudly...don't know where he learned that!
"Go Away!!" Said when he wants to do something he knows he's not supposed to and thinks he won't get in trouble if we don't see it!

Funny things he has done lately: The other night I could NOT get him to go to sleep. His aquarium on his crib plays Twinkle, Twinkle. This is what I heard (to the tune of twinkle, twinkle) "I no wanna go asleep, MOMMY!! I no wanna go asleep!"

We were reading a book about pancakes and they were talking about where all the ingredients come from. When we got to the eggs and I asked where eggs come from Eli said "Target!" and then when I asked where milk came from (there was a picture of a cow on the page) Eli said "Kroger!!"

The other night there was something on TV that made Will and I laugh. Eli joined in laughing and then looked at me and said, "What's so funny?"

After trying new yogurt the other night..."You yucky! You go time out! You yucky!" I guess he didn't like that kind of yogurt =)

We were drawing on his magnetic board last night and drawing pictures. After erasing several of mine, he drew something and said "No mess it up Mommy!"

Stillwater

2009-08-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

OK...I am posting this a little late, but better late than never! When we went to Oklahoma for 4th of July we took a day trip to Stillwater. I walked around Oklahoma State University campus with Eli. We went to Eskimo Joe's and ate cheese fries. And Mommy told Eli all day how great it would be for him to go to school there =) He told me "I play big basketball with Mommy!" It was so much fun to show him the campus and to think about college memories. I think I spent more time in Gallagher-Iba arena than I did in class!! BIG basketball supporter =) It was also great to see how much Stillwater has changed and how the football stadium has grown twice as big! Here are some pictures on campus and at Joe's.

Birthday Party Pictures

2009-08-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

We had Eli's birthday party at Hawaiian Falls on the Friday after his birthday. He was a little overwhelmed at first with everyone singing to him, but he got over it! We had to eat cake first thing because the sun was melting the icing!! The kids played at the water park, snacked, and Eli opened his presents. It was a very relaxing party considering there were 5 2-year-olds and Josie involved!! All of his friends are girls, so his party was all girls and Eli, not that he minds=) His friend Shahil, from daycare, joined us there as well so he had one boy to play with. We had a great time!

My Baby Is TWO!!!

2009-07-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Eli turned 2 this week, so hard to believe! He knows that this was HIS Happy Birthday and was so excited all week. The morning of his birthday when he woke up I sang "Happy Birthday" and asked him how old he was now. He held up all the fingers on one hand and said "FIVE"! We had his favorite, chocolate chip pancakes, for breakfast. That afternoon we went to check the mail and he said "It my Happy Birthday, I have card." Thank goodness Grandma and Papa's card was there!! He opened it and I asked him what it said. His response "Happy Birthday MINE!!" All day he said "It my happy birthday" and "I five" or "I only one." We're working on the "I'm 2." I know he knows because he has told a few people, he's just ornery like that! We made blue buttercream frosting that he ate half of from the bowl! Josie and her friend Katy came over that evening and brought cupcakes for the blue frosting. We went and played at McDonald's and ate chicken nuggets. What a day for a 2 year old! I will post party pictures soon!

Grandma and Papa's House

2009-07-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Eli and I spent the 4th of July weekend plus a day or two at my parents house. He did NOT want to leave Grandma's house and come back to Texas. But he also did NOT want his Mommy to go to Texas without him!! We had such a good time. There was an incredible fireworks display right over my parents driveway. Once Eli decided the "booms" weren't going to blow us up, he LOVED the "colors." "I see nother purple color." "I see nother green color." We had about an hour of gorgeous fireworks! We also got to hang out with my friend Lindy and her kiddos. Eli had such a good time hanging with the big kids. After they left he kept saying "Where my friends go?" Lindy and I also got to hang out at the movies with NO kids one night...what a treat!!! We played at the park a lot, swam a lot, and "helped" Grandma a lot. Same thing we do in Texas, but it's all better at Grandma's!

Sunday Funnies!

2009-06-28T19:14:00.001-07:00

**I was talking with Eli this morning. He said "Ginger is a puppy dog." "Scout is a kitty cat." I asked "What is Eli?" His response...CUTE!!!

**We have a story in my family that my grandmother always told us. She was painting one day and up on a ladder. She asked one of the boys (my dad or my uncle) to go get her a drink of water. They did and as she was drinking this nice cold water she realized the only place they could reach water was the toilet! Well... tonight after we came home from our walk, Eli was standing in the kitchen with a full cup of water having a drink. I begin looking around to see where he could reach water. GINGER'S BOWL!! I asked him if he filled his cup up out of the dog bowl and he said "YEAH!!" YUMMY!!! And the story goes on...

**The pics at the top are from Hawaiian Falls. The little girl that is not Josie is our new neighbor and friend Ida. She went swimming with us last week but they left before we did. We were in the lazy river and some little girls were calling for their friend Maya. Eli kept saying "NO! It Ida!!"

**Josie calls me Chelle and we have been with Josie a lot lately. Eli and I were reading a book about the beach and asked "what's that?" and pointed to a seashell. I said "that's a shell." He then pointed to a starfish and asked "Josie?" "Wawa?"

Things I Don't Want to Forget...

2009-06-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Eli does things every day that make me smile, I am thinking of a few of them that have happened in the last day or two that I want to remember:
*Ordering a purple flush (grape slush) at Sonic
*Singing "Where Oh Where has My Paci Gone?" to the perfect tune of where oh where has my little dog gone!
*Marching down the hall in his duck towel after his bath saying "march" "march" "march"
*Hearing "goo gin Mommy" (do it again!)
*Asking for pokcorn for dinner...and NOT sharing it!!
*Picking out a matching stocking cap the last 2 Sundays for church. Yes, it is JUNE and 100 degrees here!! (That's what the pics are above.)

Popsicles Anyone??

2009-06-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Weekend in Oklahoma City

2009-06-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

My goofy boy!!

Josie wasn't wearing hers head to toe when she finished!

We stopped and got fried pies in Davis...right outside of Falls Creek!

Eli and Josie's dirty little piggy toes at the party!

Feeding the ducks at the birthday party.

Beautiful Metne!

Grandma, Papa, Josie, and Eli!

As we were walking along the river, Eli would say "I HOT!" and sit and rest every chance he got!

Josie and Eli on the boat in Bricktown.

This weekend was my Mom and Dad's 39th wedding anniversary. We met them in OKC to celebrate. Had a great time in Bricktown and the hotel pool! Eli and Josie are both part fish. They were jumping off the wall, swimming to us, and enjoying every second! I was able to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial for the first time. I am so glad I finally got to go. It is beautiful! We also got to meet my sister's best friend's new baby girl Metne and celebrate her 1st birthday. It was a very fun weekend with lots to celebrate!!

SUMMER!!

2009-06-09T19:53:00.001-07:00

This is how I spend at least some part of every summer day. At the water park...with my boy...splashing around!! It is too HOT in Texas to do much else from June to August=) I love the time we spend there and I am amazed at the new "tricks" he does every day!!

Tank you Momma!

2009-05-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight while I was rocking Eli he kept pointing out bug bites for me to kiss. He found several, many that I couldn't even see! Each time I would kiss one he would say "tank you, Momma, tank you." Melted my heart! That's why his craziness doesn't drive me completely over the edge=)

Other funny things he says right now:
"I Don't Know"-his answer to EVERYTHING, even when he DOES know!! The other night he was playing with one of his toys that asks where is the circle? where is the bird? etc. He kept telling it "I don't know!!"
"My Mankie"-for my blankie
"My Faci"-for my paci
"hunder"-the noise it makes when it is storming!! The other day it started drizzling and he started saying "hunder, Mommy, hunder!" Tonight when the thunder started the dog was outside. Eli ran to the door and said "Good Girl outside, no, no it hunder!" We hurried to let her in!! =)

Yesterday when we got home Ginger had had an accident in the house...it was NOT her fault! As I was trying to mop everything up Eli kept saying "Why Good Girl do that Mommy? Yuck!"

Songs he sings now:
Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
Jingle Bells (!!!!)
ABCs
The Barney Song and every time he says "a great big hug" he has to give one!

Name Tags

2009-05-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

The church we go to has labels that you print out when you check the kids in. One label goes on their back (so they don't mess with it!), one on their diaper bag, and one stays with you so you can "claim" them after church. Yesterday after church when I took Eli's name tag off he wanted to see it. He was asking about it and I told him was Eli's name tag. We looked and he spelled E-L-I. Then he stuck it on me. I told him Mommy couldn't wear it because it said Eli. We kept talking about it and he kept spelling his name until the sticky wore off. During lunch he went to the fridge and pulled off one of his creations and tore off the corner that had his name on it. He went and laid it on Ginger's back and said "Name!" "Good Girl!!" We are all marked now=)

Last night during his bath, Eli was being a wild man. I said "Eli you are a nut!" His response "No nut Eli, Mommy nut!!" OH MY!

Just Pics

2009-05-11T19:47:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Eli knew JUST what Mommy wanted for Mother's Day. He is taking a nap that is now approaching 2 hours=) SWEET BOY!!!
Angela kept Eli yesterday and I got to go have lunch at Glorias (one of my favorite places) with 2 of favorite girlfriends! Grandma and Papa were here today and we had lunch at On the Border (another favorite!!) It's been a great weekend.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU FABULOUS MOMMIES!!!

Singing and Dancing

2009-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

These are Eli's renditions of the Wheels on the Bus and Ring Around the Rosie. YES, my child has clothes, he usually chooses NOT to wear them. AND, no children were harmed in the making of this video...he never fell off the kitchen chair!!

Things That Make Me Laugh!!

2009-05-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

This week has been a rough week...sick kiddo, sick babysitter, sick Mommy...all on different days!! So, I have been in and out of work all week. My first graders told me today that I was FIRED!!! However, in all the craziness Eli has kept me laughing like always!
**Tonight he was spinning around the kitchen singing Ring Around the Rosies and then would stop and try to focus his eyes and say "WHOA!!!"
**We made muffins because he is obsessed with Do You Know the Muffin Man song right now. He sang that song the whole time we mixed, baked, and ate our muffins!
**He is obsessed with wearing flip flops right now (maybe because Mommy is too) however, he calles them "fleep flops"...cracks me up!
**He made a "pizza" in his sand/water table on a round, flat, cork plant thing tonight. After he got it all situated he was holding it and said "Inside please." I asked why he needed to go in..."Cook, Oven"!!! After he cooked it he served it with his sand shovel.
**He loves to pretend to cook right now (again, Mommy's influence??). The other night while mixing sand in his bowl he made "ketchup," "ot dogs (hot dogs)", "cookies", and "cake."
**Eli never calls his toes, toes...always calls them "my piggy toes!"

Remember I haven't been feeling well, so these may not be as funny to you. However, they have gotten me through this week=)

Pacis, Flip Flops, and Elephants!!

2009-04-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

My kiddo keeps me in stitches most of the time! Sometimes I just have to laugh to keep from crying because he is so high energy ALL THE TIME!! These are the funny things he has done in the last few days that I want to remember!

***PACIS
As you can tell from pictures on my blog, my son is VERY attached to his paci. Not just any paci, but the GREEN Soothie pacis like they give babies at the hospital. I have bought him a pack or 2 of the blue Soothie pacis that are for 3 months and up, but he won't take them (he used to, but now he won't!). In fact he has thrown them at me several times yelling "GEEN PACI!!" The other night we were laying in our bed playing and I kept taking Eli's paci and saying "mine" and he would grab it back and say "mine"! I finally said, "where is Mommy's paci?" Eli says "right back" (which means I'll be right back) and takes off running down the hall. He comes right back with the blue pacis and says "Momma blue paci"!!! Problem solved!!

**FLIP FLOPS
We often go shopping with Josie (my 3-year-old niece) and "LaLa" (my sister). The other day we were in Target and they had the Converse All-Star canvas tennies that actually fit my child's extra wide feet. While I was trying to decide which color I liked to try on him, Josie was trying on the purple, sparkly flip flops that were at her eye level. When I found black tennis shoes in Eli's size I called him over and asked him if he wanted to try them on. I heard, "NO, I flip flops." Apparently the purple sparkly flip flops were much more attractive to him. I tried them on (against his will) and bought the black shoes with a white star. The next morning I put them on and said "Eli, look at your new shoes! Do you like them?" He looked down and said "NO!" This morning I let him pick his own shoes. I heard "I flip flops Mommy" fortunately his flip flops are orange, not purple!! We gotta stop shopping with Josie=)

**ELEPHANT
Last night Eli got his green blankie and put it over his body with the corner point hanging over his head and down his nose. He starts crawling around the floor saying "I elpant" "I elpant". I said "Eli show Mommy how an elephant moves" and he does this very slow, very exaggerated crawl. It cracked me up!!

HOPPY Easter!!

2009-04-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Josie's Birthday/Easter Weekend

2009-04-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Josie turned 3 the day after Easter...hard to believe! So we had her birthday party the day before Easter and spent Easter at their house as well. Of course Grandma and Papa were here with FULL Easter baskets. They somehow decided not to give them to the kids until they were LEAVING!! HMMMMM... Eli had 3 egg hunts this year. He carefully stepped over and around the eggs at the first time. By the third hunt he did pick up some eggs, I'm thinking he made the egg=chocolate connection =) He and Josie had much fun together and have enough candy to last for a few weeks at least!

First Sentence

2009-04-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Eli spoke his first complete sentence last night. Any guesses??? Yes, it was "I WANT MORE CHOCOLATE!!!" He may look just like his daddy, but he is mommy's boy at heart=)

The pictures are him eating Grandma's homemade fudge at Christmas...last year and the year he was 5 months old...he has always liked his chocolate=) Look how happy he is with that fudge all over his Joe's shirt!

Making Me Laugh

2009-03-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

Eli does things all the time that keep us in stitches. It's a good thing he's funny...makes up for some of the naughtiness!! These are a few things that have happened this week:
KITE
While we were at my parent's for Spring Break, the wind blew non-stop. Angela got the kids kites to fly and they loved them. After we had flown kites and were back at the house Eli saw my Mom's wooden bear holding a little plastic flag. He said, "Grandma, kite" pointing to the flag. Mom said, "no that's a flag." Eli repeated "kite" and she told him again it was a flag. At that point he ripped the plastic flag off the stick, threw it up in the air, and watched it sail away and said again "KITE"!!!!
BUTTER
We ran into the grocery store Sunday for butter and milk. I figured 2 items, one baby, we can do this with no cart...ha, ha! I was carrying Eli (no small task now that he is over 30 pounds!!!), he carried the butter, and I carried the milk. As we were walking toward the checkout he saw a lady pushing her cart. He said, "BASKET" and hurled his butter into HER basket!! She was a little startled but thankfully thought it was funny. Lesson learned...ALWAYS get a basket no matter how few things we are picking up!
WORKING OUT
Eli has decided he loves "working out" in the garage with his daddy. I think it's the loud music and shiny weights! When Daddy works out he usually takes his shirt off. Now Eli can't wait to get home, pull his shirt off, and "play in garage"!! As long as he will wear clothes elsewhere I am OK with this=) However, today as soon as we got to the gate in the backyard he started trying to get his shirt over his head. Oh dear!!

These pictures are "Daddy's Shadow" helping him vaccuum the living room! Notice their legs in the last pic, they are in an identical position!

Famous Phrases

2009-03-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Eli has picked up a few new phrases over Spring Break. He is putting more and more words together! Today he asked for "monkeys jumping on the bed" song!! These are the phrases I have heard over and over this week...
"No Mama!!" Self explanatory and the answer to EVERY question!!
"What's that sound?" This started at my mom's house with her grandfather clock that chimes every 15 minutes. Every 15 minutes we heard "what's that sound?" He now does it with every unfamiliar sound he hears!
"I need Keenixxxx" He has a very runny nose right now and this is a plea for a Kleenex.
"I play basketball" It is March Madness after all...we watch a lot of the games around here!!
"GO, GO POKES!!!!" Again, March Madness time and OSU is in the tourney. They won today and I KNOW it was because of Eli's cheering!! During the Big 12 tourney it was "Go, Go Chokes"...so I am glad we got the pronunciation taken care of!
Eli has had a cough to go with his runny nose, so after he coughs I ask "are you OK?" and he always says, "NO!!" Poor baby!

Spring Break

2009-03-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

We spent the first part of our Spring Break with Grandma and Papa in Nowata. Eli and Josie had a great time playing together for a few days. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there, so we spent LOTS of time outside. I was fortunate to be able to see some of my friends and have play dates with their kiddos too! It's so nice to get to catch up!! Here are some pics from the week.

Josie's choice at the gas station on the way to Nowata was powdered sugar donuts...Eli asked nice enough that she shared!! Actually he cried and she felt sorry for him and fed him hers!! What a great cousin!

One of the parks we went to had an antique fire engine. Eli LOVED it and spent lots and lots of time climbing and playing on it.

He also liked the see saw. Josie may be 15 months older, but he already outweighs her!

A rare sight indeed...both kids sleeping at the SAME time!! And NO, that is NOT my son's PINK carseat...he likes sitting in Josie's seat and she likes sitting in his!

We met my college roomie and dear friend, Kim, at the zoo in Tulsa. These are her 2 kiddos with us. They walked like this through quite a lot of the zoo.

Zoo buddies!!

One of my oldest, well not quite as old as me!!, friends Lindy came over. These are her girls with Eli and Josie on Grandma's golf cart! When she told her daughter that we had been friends for over 20(!!!!!!!!!!!!!) years she said "then she knows EVERYTHING!!" We have been through lots and lots and it is ALWAYS good to hang out with her. And there is NO WAY we are THAT old!! =)

The wiggle warts and Papa before we left. Eli said "Bye bye cup" before he said "bye bye Papa." My dad keeps a huge cup of ice water by his chair and Eli LOVED that cup!!

We also got to hang out with my good, good friend Allison and her little girl. Those pics are on her camera though...I'll add them when I get them!

Comments!!

2009-03-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Eli is scared of statues. Don't know why, but he is! This weekend we went into Old Navy. If you have seen their ad campaign, it is all mannequins. So when we walk in the door and he is greeted by at least a dozen mannequins he takes a step back and says, "I SCARED!!" I wasn't sure we were going to get in far enough to shop=)

This morning we walked out the door to go to school. Because of daylight savings time it still looks like it is night. He said, "IT DARK." I am sure he was wondering why I was taking him to Mrs. Anita's in the middle of the night!

Last night after completing some sort of task we hear, "I DID IT!!" Followed by...a bow!!!

Counting

2009-03-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Eli is now consistently counting to W! It goes like this..."one, two, pree, por, pibe, six, W" and then he is finished! Sometimes 8 gets in before W. I guess the teacher in me will have to start working on what is a number and what is a letter=)

I knew there was something else I wanted to add to the things he is saying right now. He says "help you" all the time. He actually wants you to help HIM, but I am sure it is from hearing do you want me to help you?

We have been playing outside all morning in his sand and water table. I love that it is warm enough to wake up and go outside!!

Spaghetti, Spaghetti!!!

2009-03-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

My Little Chatterbox

2009-03-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

Eli's language is absolutely exploding right now. It seems like everyday he has more new words! I want to start documenting or I know I will forget. Here are some of my favorites at the moment:

Good Manners:
"Please" usually followed by "chocolate." "Please chocolate please!"
"Thank you" used EVERY TIME you give him something. Melted my heart the night he said "tank you" after I tucked him in!
"I'm Sorry" said after he hurts HIMSELF. I finally figured it out one night in the bathtub after he had stubbed his toe. I am sure it's because I tell him "I'm sorry" when he falls or bumps!
"Hewre" when is trying to hand you something. The first time is fairly polite, the second time is rather loud, and by the third time he is yelling and shoving something for you to take in your direction.
"Excuse me"...oh yeah, he doesn't say that as he thinks burps and toots are hilarious and is laughing too hard...BOYS!!!

The Songs:
He loves to sing, his current songlist includes:
"Twinkle, Twinkle" the first song he ever learned
"The Wheels on the Bus" the favorite at the moment, we sing, listen to, or read the book MANY times a day!
"If You're Happy and You Know It"
"ABC Song"

The Commands:
"No, no, no" to everyone for everything that is not OK. Hmmmm wonder why he is so familiar with those words!
"Sit Mommy" is what he tells me when he wants me to sit and read, sit and watch him take his bath, sit on the other swing at the park, and what he told me the other night after I had been taking pictures of him for 5 minutes already.
The next command is a story. We have a big, yellow lab (Ginger) who likes nothing more than to swim. Eli has called Ginger Good Girl since he could talk because that's what I told her every morning (with Eli on my hip) when she brought the paper in. Ginger is allowed to swim at the duck pond but NOT at the park we go to every day because the water looks like sewer water and smells about that good! The other day Ginger just couldn't contain herself and jumped in the water at the park. This scared Eli because he was too little to remember her swimming last summer and then infuriated him because she scared him. So Eli gets right in Ginger's face shaking his little finger and says "NO, NO, NO Good Girl. No yucky paboat (Eli's word for water, no idea why!). NO NO!!!" This conversation continued for the next half hour we were at the park. The next day he told her "No, no, no Good Girl. No yucky paboat" as soon as I took her leash off. The next day (and everyday since) he gives her the warning before we even leave the house. Poor Good Girl!!

The Random Things:
"I Did It!!"
"Right there!"
"JosieWaWa" He seems to think Josie and LaLa (my sister) have to come as a package!

I know I will think of more and I WILL post them. I don't want to forget!!

New Clothes!

2009-02-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Old Navy had a great sale going on AND free shipping!! SO, I have started on Eli's summer wardrobe...mostly swim trunks! He couldn't wait to "model" his new clothes last night.

Melmo House!!

2009-02-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight while Eli was taking a bath and jabbering away (as is his custom in the bathtub!) he started asking about all his friends. He met a little girl Katy at the park tonight, so he said "Katy? Home?" I told him yes, Katy had to go home. "WaWa (my sister, Angela or LaLa)? Home?" "Yes, LaLa is at home." We went through Grandma, Papa, Zoey, and everyone else he knows! All of a sudden he lights up and says "Melmo! House!" Melmo is what he calls Elmo. I asked him what he was talking about and he said "Melmo! House!" again. I asked him where is Elmo's house and he jumps out of the tub and starts running down the hall. In our entry way we have a little cupboard where we keep some of his stuff and his shoes are in the bottom. One pair of shoes is a pair of Elmo houseshoes. He throws open the cabinet door and points to the houseshoes and says, "Melmo! House!" I was laughing so hard, apparently he thinks Elmo lives in our cupboard=) Too bad we don't have an Elmo Live that would have talked to him when he opened the door!!

Lub You!

2009-01-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

Eli finally told me told..."Lub You." Sweet words to Mommy's ears! Technically he said it for the first time yesterday, but he was talking back to his green John Deere cell phone toy!! It says several phrases and one of them is I love you. Today he was actually talking to ME! I said, "Eli, I love you" and I got back immediately "lub you!" What a sweet boy!!

It was BEAUTIFUL outside here today, about 70 degrees. I am posting some pictures from the park where we spent hours! Only in Texas are you out of school for a snow day 4 days in front of a 70 degree day!

Random Things I am Thankful For!

2009-01-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

*Snow (well technically ICE) days...because it's perfectly acceptable to stay in your PJs all day!! This is a picture of last year's snow...however, Eli's in his PJs for it too!!

*When Eli falls asleep for his nap cuddled with me on the couch. He so rarely holds still long enough to cuddle at all anymore!

*Overnight Huggies Diapers...sounds crazy, but it's the best $10 we spend all month!!

*Southern Living Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites Cookbook. I got it for Christmas, have made dinner out of it every night since then, and we have loved them all!! The recipes are quick, easy, and have normal ingredients. I HIGHLY recommend this book!!

*The dog, Ginger, and the cat, Scout that make our home complete!

***That Eli LOVES books and loves to be read to!!! (yes, part of that enthusiasm is the teacher in me!)

*And lastly, speaking of books, I am reading the Twilight series right now...lots of fun, even if you think you don't like vampire books. I thought the same thing. Also, Karen Kingsbury is a Christian fiction author who writes phenomenal books. She has several series that have really made a difference in my life and are very enjoyable to read!

Hilarious!!

2009-01-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

The other night it got very quiet at our house...not a good sign when Eli is awake!! We went to see what was going on and found Eli in his room laying on the mat on his changing table. He had climbed up the shelves and laid himself down. (He learned to climb out of his crib over Christmas!) As we started to fuss at him he looks up as serious as can be and says "I Stinky, I Stinky"!! And he was... Now if we could just get him to tell us ahead of time =)

Other funny things he is doing right now:
*Bending clear down and jumping all over the house
*Doing the splits
*"Happy Feet Dance"-when we say "happy feet" he moves his feet as fast as he can
*Push-Ups-he likes doing these on Daddy's back best, but he will attempt them on his own as well

I only wish I had HALF his energy!!

Mommy's Met Her Match!

2009-01-13T18:52:00.001-08:00

Keep this sweet innocent face in mind as I talk bad about him=)

Oh my! My sweet boy baby is turning into a full-blown toddler! I may have met my match=) First of all, since Christmas and spending a week with grandparents and cousin Josie, he started calling me Chelle instead of Momma (Thanks Josie!). This week he has added Baby to my list of names (Thanks Will!). I told him if he calls his mommy "Baby" at school his friends will make fun of him! Second, he has said nothing but NO to me for the past 48 hours...and NO means NO!! Lastly, he has a head as hard as mine ever thought about being and is strong enough not to get MY will imposed upon HIM!! If you think I'm kidding come try to put the kiddo in his highchair, stroller, or carseat when he doesn't want to be there.

My very opinionated toddler NOW!

My very sweet baby boy THEN!!

Aquarium Pics Part 2

2009-01-03T20:03:00.001-08:00

The "touch tank" with the rays...AWESOME!

Eli wanted to "swim with the fishes"!!

Our cousins JC and Mason met us at the aquarium. Although Josie, JC, and Eli are about a year apart in age, they are close to the same size!

Baby Mason slept through his WHOLE first visit to the aqarium!

Aquarium

2009-01-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

While we were at my parent's house for Christmas, we took the kids to a very cool aquarium in Tulsa. Eli was in awe of all the fish and watched and watched. I think he would have stayed there all day! As you can see from the photo above, my baby looks a BIG BOY now!! They had an enormous shark tank...and we were there on the day they were feeding them, which is only every 4 days!

Thanksgiving

2009-01-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am posting Thanksgiving pictures on New Year's Day! I have to get caught up! My family (about 60 of us!!!) all met in Oklahoma City for Thanksgiving dinner at my uncle's house. We had a fabulous time seeing everyone and catching up. The day after Thanksgiving about 20 of us went to the Oklahoma City Zoo which was also a blast. I am going to try to figure out how to get some of Mandy's pics over here as well. For now, these are the ones I had.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Okay

2008-12-31T19:27:00.000-08:00

Eli's "new word for the day" is OK. This is the conversation we had in the car on the way to meet our friends Amy and Molly at the mall.
Me: We are going to go to the mall to play with Molly.
Eli: OK
Me: But first we have to stop by the store.
Eli: OK
Me: After we play at the mall we are going to take Ginger to the park.
Eli: OK
Me: Eli, I love you.
Eli: (Of course!!) OK!!!

It made me laugh=)

2008-12-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

OK, OK I'm In!!!

2008-12-30T06:24:00.000-08:00

After having a million reason I DID NOT want to blog, I decided this morning I did. Eli is saying and doing so many things I want to remember and I'll be honest...I don't run and grab his baby book or make a scrapbook page every time one of them happens! I want him to have memories of all the funny things that happen in day to day life and so do I!! I have tried scrapbooking and get so bogged down, I think it's the million sticker choices for each page!! So, here it goes...our adventure in the blogging world...