Sound Bites and Scenes

• Feeling lots of love these days. I think love is in the air....and just in time for Valentine's Day, which is right around the corner. Some may remember Eli's funny quote from the beginning of this school year when (see blog sidebar) about falling in love. And despite the feelings of love, he had promised me that he wouldn't kiss a girl until he got married. (yes!) He has become good friends with this precious little girl in his class, and friendship has blossomed more than love.....until the other day. Eli came home with a rekindled spark for his sweet friend. He told me they had planned to get married. That week. Ahhh! Did this mean he was ready for his first kiss???  Well, I am pleased to announce that Eli is still a single. He told me that they kept forgetting to wear their fancy clothes, so the wedding didn't happen. The moment passed, and the two are still incredibly cute friends. Whew. That was a close one!

• Scooter and bike riding love are other new things around here. With both boys getting bikes for Christmas, and Eli getting a scooter too, we have been riding a lot. Jude frequently requests to go ride bikes, and Eli enjoys scootering to school now and then.

• Santa finally followed through on his promise to bring Eli a new bike, and now he is more determined than ever to learn to ride his two-wheeler. We went to the park last week on the hard, packed grass to get some practice in with a safe, softer place to land in case of any tumbles. I helped him a bit, but eventually it was a little too much for my back. That didn't stop Eli from trying and trying and trying. I was impressed with his determination. I look over, and the boy is riding. A little wobbly, but he's riding...in a circle for what seemed like a minute before losing his balance. He dropped the bike and sprinted over to me with one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen on that kid's face and threw his arms around me in a hug. Mommy's eyes were full of happy tears as I clapped and cheered for him. What a moment! After that, he couldn't find his mojo again, but now he knows that he can do it and has a new found confidence. He just needs more practice.  

• Jude is working on his mastery of language. He is speaking in more complex sentences and is in a stage of over-applying a word or phrase that he has had success with. One of my favorites is his use of "very." As in, "This is very, very hot." or "That is very, very big." And then there is the not quite accurate, but hilarious use when eating soup a friend had made us for dinner, "This is very, very soup." I think I need to modify the blog side bar to *My Kids Say the Darnedest Things* and start adding some of Jude's because he is bound to say many more funny and memorable phrases in the coming years.

• Not too much Mommy creativity or energy these days, but at 36 weeks, I think I have a little  excuse....especially when there is still so much to do before baby comes. Nothing like a little procrastination. I always seem to wait until the last minute, but what needs to happen will get done. I'm not worried. But when I do have a little energy, we whip out a fun craft or activity. The go-to lately has been Play-Doh, so to mix things up a little, I made the boys a batch of snow dough a week or two ago. They love it, but it is messy. Thankfully, I'm not afraid of a little {or not-so little} mess. It stores well in a zip-lock baggie, so we have been playing with it quite a bit. 

A little finger painting action too.

• Jude has recently become incredibly clumsy. I am not sure if it is because he is fearless yet still not as agile as he wants to be, but I'm sure that has something to do with it. He got this lovely cut/bruise/bump playing at a friend's house. He tripped and fell, hitting his head on a door frame. Since then, he has hit his head in this same spot 3 more times. The scab is gone, but a bruise and bump remain. Such a mess, but a "very, very" cute mess.

• Eli has officially graduated out of the Tiny Tigers program at karate and into the full-blown kids program. He is one of the youngest, if not the youngest, to ever move up. He has been working hard and is taught regularly by Sensei Morris, a 9th degree black belt. What an honor! Eli proudly received his first stripe and is on his way to becoming a yellow belt after saying the school's pledge for Sensei Morris yesterday. 

• Jude has decided that he doesn't need to take naps everyday. Mommy is not OK with this and has not given up hope. We moved him to a toddler bed around his birthday to prepare him for the transition to a big boy room with Eli very soon, but this has led to lots and lots of getting out of bed to get more books and toys to play with during nap time. More days than not, I have to go up and lay him down repeatedly. Like for an hour, sometimes 2. Some days there are tears and squeals of, "I go downstairs!!" With an emphasis on screaming the "I." He seems to believe that if he squeals the first word of a sentence, it will happen. Nah. Other days, he sweetly asks me to lay down with him (he does this at bed time with Daddy too.) We are happy to lay down with him to help him settle for a minute or two. Just this week, he has begun to request that I "cuddle his back"....or tummy....and this means he wants me to tickle his back. It is so sweet. Usually, after a fight, he ends up asleep. Too bad we have to go pick up his brother at a specific time, so I typically have to wake him up after a shorter than needed nap....but then there are the days that he fights the entire 2-2 1/2 hours and never gives in. Those days are tough...especially from 5 o'clock on. Big sigh.

• Lots of pretty weather as the temperatures fluctuate between cold and hot. Usually the best times to get out and enjoy the sunshine is when it is right in between....like this weekend. A beautiful MLK weekend to get out to the Jr. Museum and some parks. 

• Jude and I stay busy on our mornings together. He has decided that he likes my {decaf} coffee and is always looking for one last sip. He also is asking me to take his "pit-chur" more and more. He loves to pose for me.

Never a dull moment, though Mommy might secretly wish there were a couple here and there so that she could rest a teensy little bit more.