Fire, Fire!

Today was such a warm day for January so we decided to meet Ryan for lunch on campus. It is always funny to go to lunch on campus, as there are never any children around so the boys always get a lot of attention. We tried out Firehouse Subs today for the first time, and Eli was in heaven. He got his own fireman's hat and really thought he was going to see a fire. The boys were so good during lunch! Unfortunately, when we told Eli we had to leave, he started to cry. He really thought he was going to see an actual fire and did not want to leave until he found one. He was sobbing so hard, it was rather sad! We looked for one on the way home, but didn't find one either. Eli did take his new hat to bed with him, so that made him a happy boy!

Wanna play baseball, Mommy?

This is the phrase I hear most of the day. Or, "do you want to play football, Mommy?" "Soccer?"

Today was so nice that we were able to go outside and play all of Eli's favorite sports! He had so much fun and when we came inside, he said, "This was a great day!!" It was a great day! I feel so blessed with the life that God has given me.

Fast Asleep!

This is how Miles looks every Sunday after leaving Church. He is always so tired in the nursery because the service starts right at his nap time, and he is not one to sleep anywhere but his crib, or in a moving car. He tries so hard to stay awake the whole ride home, but he never wins.

Miles James

Miles loves to do whatever Eli is doing. He begs for Eli to acknowledge him, and sometimes Eli does, and sometimes he does not. Miles loves when Eli is asleep and he can play with all of his toys in the playroom. Today, he was having a lot of fun playing with some cars that usually Eli hogs to himself.

Our little musician!

I can't remember exactly when Eli started to love music, but I remember it was at an early age. You could turn on music, or even just a commercial on the t.v., and Eli would start moving to the beat. This hasn't changed since he has gotten older. In fact, his love for music has gotten stronger. His favorite thing is to play the guitar, which he does quite well! We were jamming to some music today, and he ran to get his favorite guitar.

Walking on Water!

Eli could eat snacks all day if I let him. He gets a small snack in the morning, and again in the afternoon after his nap. I gave him an assortment of things in his usual bowl and walked in the laundry room to fold some clothes. When I returned, this is what I found:

Eli quickly explained that the crackers were boats, and the fish were jumping in and out. His exact words were: "The fish are jumping in and out of the boats, and then Jesus walked on the water!" I love his creativity!! 

School time!

Eli and I do a little school time every morning. Well...we try to do it every morning! Eli loves to learn new things and soaks information right up. At two and half, he knows all his letters, numbers, colors, and most shapes. It's not like we sit down and I drill him about all of these things. We work until he's bored, and then move on to our next activity. Sometimes this is 15 minutes, sometimes it's 5.

Trash Day!

Tuesday mornings are exciting around our house, as this is the day our trash is picked up! There are several different trucks that pass our house on Tuesdays, and Eli loves to stand at the window, and watch each one pass by. Now, Miles is getting in on the action as well. In this photo, you'll see Eli is even holding his own garbage truck that Mamaw bought him for Christmas.

Funny story about garbage trucks: Eli had a foam sword we bought in the dollar bin at Target back in November. Over time, the sword got ripped up and the bottom handle fell off, making it dangerous for Miles. I threw the sword away without Eli knowing. Just this week, he asked where his sword was, and I told him the truth. So, today when the garbage truck passed our house, I heard Eli say: "Give me back my sword, trash man!!" I was laughing so hard!!

A walk in January!

This morning the sun was shining brightly through the windows and the thermometer was reading a warm 54 degrees. I decided it was too nice to stay indoors, so I threw the boys in the jogger, and headed out. When we stepped outside, we nearly got blown away from the high winds, and I thought for a second that we should just go back in. Then I thought of my cousins in MT, and how they exercise all the time outside...even in the freezing cold. I'm so glad we went. Getting outside and breathing in fresh air is good for the soul! We took our time and went a little longer than usual, just because we can.

I'm not sure why Eli wouldn't keep his eyes open for the photo, but he insisted on smiling and closing them at the same time. Miles was all bundled up and stayed nice and cozy!

Gone Fishing!

Eli and Daddy were playing a game of "Go Fishing," this afternoon after naps. Eli loves to play games, his Daddy lets him play any game he wants. (even if it has tiny pieces and Mommy has already said no!") He knows exactly who to go to, if he wants something!

Saturday Fun!

I love Saturdays! This is the only day of the week where we can hang out in the mornings with Ryan. Sundays, I have to wake up earlier than everyone else to get us all ready for church, so Saturday is our lazy day. The boys love having their Daddy home all day, and so do I! It is so nice to have another adult in the house all day to talk and laugh with! I had several pictures from today that I couldn't narrow down.

First off...Eli loves all sports and is amazingly good at all of them. I'm not just saying that because I am his Mom either. I haven't seen too many 2 year olds who can throw a ball like Eli can. If the boy has a football in his hand, and asks you to catch it, watch out! Run far back, because he can throw it hard, and far! Just recently he has started kicking the football, and we were in shock at how far he could kick! I've always said I didn't want my boys playing football when they get older because they might get hurt, but if he really has this skill when he gets older, I might just have to.

As I said, Miles and Eli LOVE their Daddy! They love to wrestle with him and hang all over him. I caught this photo of them climbing all over him while on the couch.

We ended the evening by running to a few stores. We went to Ryan and Eli's favorite store, Dicks Sporting Goods. We had not been there for probably 5 months and when we walked through the doors, Eli said, "I want to hit the golf balls!" Ryan and I looked at each other and could not believe the kid remembered that he did that last time we were in. The putting range was nowhere near his sight to remind him. The boy has an amazing memory, I must say! He gets that from his Papa! 

He had so much fun playing golf! So much, that there might have been some screaming when we exited the store.    :-)

Play time!

As I mentioned yesterday, Eli and Miles are really starting to play with each other on a daily basis. Today they were having so much fun playing cars. I heard lots of laughter from these two little ones...

Then came the tears. Miles does not understand that hitting someone on the head causes pain. He took the little red car he had in his hands, and started beating Eli in the head with it, as if it was a hammer. The first time Eli just laughed. The 5th time, he started to cry. He's a fast little booger!

This last picture is a bonus. Miles loves to do facetime on the phone or even just look at himself. He was sitting in my lap, so I grabbed my phone to snap a photo. I thought it was too cute not to post. Hey...it is my blog, so I can post as many photos as I want! :-)

Computer time!

I captured this photo today of Eli and Miles playing on their laptops. They were working hard! I love how Miles is sticking out his tongue. A true McDonald trait! He is obsessed with his tongue these days.

Choo, Choo!!

Eli loves trains. Actually, he loves anything with wheels, but he especially loves choo-choo's. One of his favorite activities is to line up all his vehicles and act as if it is a train. Miles joined in on the train action this morning, even though Eli probably wasn't too happy about this! In just the past week, the boys have really started to play with each other, which just melts my heart. It is so fun to see their brotherly bond already forming! 

Row, Row, Row your Boat...

I was changing Miles' diaper this morning when I turned around, and found Eli in the newborn tub in the middle of his room. He was acting as though he had a paddle in his hand, and was singing the song "Row, Row, Row your boat." He then got out of the boat to get some water, and sat back down. It takes very little to entertain him!

Baby, You're a Firework!!

The cousins LOVE to have dance parties in Grammy's basement. In the picture below, they were dancing to "Baby, You're a Firework!" I thought it was hilarious that they all had their hands up in the air, dancing away! Eli is going to be sad to head home today, as it is always entertaining around here! 

I-lie and Soapie

Eli has difficulty saying the p-h sound, so he calls his best buddy, Sophie, Soapie! I know one day he will grow out of this and I'll be sad, as I think it is so cute, and will be a fun story when they are older. I remember I used to call my cousin, Ben, "Bean" growing up and sometimes still do! Sophie Mae calls Eli something like this: I-lie. Haha! I think that is just too cute as well! They have really turned into great play mates, and were having so much fun playing all day together!

Sisters!

Today we spent some time with our nieces/cousins. We are so thankful to have so many cousins for the boys to grow up with (even though they are mostly girls!) :-) The older girls were all snuggled up on the couch watching a new movie, and I snapped this sweet moment between Hannah and Sophie Mae. Love them!!

Swimming!!

Miles found these goggles in the toy box and was trying so hard to put them on his head. I thought it was rather comical seeing that he's never seen anyone wear goggles before...how did he even know they went on his head? I helped him out, and he thought it was so funny when they were good and on. His big smile always melts my heart.

Ho, Ho, Ho!!

Eli found this santa hat today in a drawer in Miles' room. He was so excited when he found it, and said "Santa's coming!!! He's going to bring us presents!" He wanted to put the hat on (as well as the booties) and act like Santa Claus. Whatever entertains him....

Target!

Oh, how I love Target!

Luckily, the boys love Target just as much as I do. It is free entertainment on days that I need to get out of the house. Eli is happy in the stroller eating snacks, and looking at all the items in each aisle. It takes about 5 minutes (if that) to arrive at Target from our house, which I love!

Chair Pusher!

Miles can take several steps on his own, but for the most part, he is still getting around by crawling. However, when he is not in the playroom, he can manage to make it around the entire house by pushing furniture. Because we have hardwood floors, all of our furniture have felt pads underneath, and can be easily moved. Miles loves to push the chairs around to get to where he wants to go!

 

B.B.!

Eli (also known as Big Bud) is getting so old! His vocabulary grows daily, and he amazes me all the time with the words that come from his mouth. He makes us laugh all the time, and I love his sweet little heart!

New shelves!

My parents came down today to install some new shelves in the playroom. I can't believe that I am at the age where I would be so excited over an organized playroom, but I am. It makes such a difference to have all the toys up off the floor. Thank you Dad, for installing these puppies! Love them!!

Park time in January

The past few days have been warm and sunny. Perfect for a trip to the park! I love that we can walk about 7 minutes from our house, and arrive at a great park for the boys. Eli LOVES to play at the park and Miles loves to swing. I know in no time, Miles will be running around the park as well!

January 6

It was an usually warm day in January, today! In fact, Eli exclaimed, "What a nice summer day!" while we were outside playing. I came in early to fix the boys their lunch, and captured this cute moment of Eli and Miles looking at each other through the door. 

January 5, 2012

A ride on the merry-go-round makes any day brighter!

January 4, 2012

We snapped this photo of ourselves while we were waiting for Daddy. If you are a stay-at-home Mom then you know exactly what I say, when we were counting the minutes until he arrived! Eli loves to use the self-timer function on the camera!

January 3, 2012

Eli received this 10 feet long puzzle from Mamaw and Poppy for Christmas, and he absolutely loves it! After making the ABC train, he then hops on each puzzle piece exclaiming what letter it is. He also loves to hop along and sing the ABC's. 

January 2, 2012

Eli has his moments where he absolutely can't get enough of his baby brother, Miles. Most days, he doesn't really show any interest in him, except when yelling at him not to touch his toys. This day though, he was loving on Miles big time, and I was happy to get it on film!

January 1, 2012

No better way to start off the new year than re-organizing the pantry! Feels so good to walk into every time!