Christmas and Birthdays

I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around Zach turning 5 years old!  It just doesn't seem possible.  But somewhere in the midst of family-Christmas-craziness Zach did indeed turn 5.

Christmas preparations

This year for Christmas we found a local tree farm that lets you come and tromp through their fields, find the 'perfect' tree and cut it down.  We all enjoyed searching for the one tree that would be great in our house.  I had every intention to pick out a small one this year, since the house was on the market, but what looks small in a wide open field and what looks small in a 1200 square foot home are two very different things.  Oh well.  We came home and decorated our perfect (and rather large) tree and it was "the most beautiful tree ever!"

The boys and I also decorated a ginger bread house, which turned out much better than I anticipated.  (Linds, you will appreciate that while doing a cool activity one of the boys is still in his pajamas!  I won't tell you what time of day it was.)  Zach informed me that I was responsible to do all the frosting bits and he and Eli would handle the real decorating with the candy!

Williamsburg Birthday

In November, my extended family all gathered in Williamsburg to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday.  It was wonderful to all be together but it was our first time gathering since my grandfather's death this past August.  He had stressed before he died how important this birthday celebration was but we all wish he could have been there with us.  My grandmother is amazing and not acting her age at all!

Catching up

I hate trying to catch up on months worth of blogging and pictures that I haven't posted, but here we go...

This fall we found out that we are expecting another baby in early June!  Which has prompted us to put our small house on the market and see what happens.  So in the midst of first trimester fatigue and nausea we have been trying to keep the house clean and ready to "show".  It has been a challenge trying to keep up with all of the demands on my time.  

                                   

 We did manage to squeeze in a quick trip to the Baltimore Aquarium with the Caslers.  The boys loved seeing all the fish and sharks.  I thought that Eli would get bored quickly and need to be carried but he eagerly pressed his face to the glass of each tank!

Fall pictures

Eli has decided that posing for a picture means putting one
hand on your head and leaning the opposite direction.

Halloween

 Zach was very excited about Halloween this year.  He wanted to be a pirate and couldn't wait to dress up!!  Eli didn't really understand what the dressing up was all about but he enjoyed seeing his bucket fill up with candy.  (Unfortunately for him, most of his candy got emptied out once we got home and replaced with peanut-free options.  As he becomes more aware it is getting trickier to keep him happy with having different food choices than everyone else.)

The text

The other day I was laying down with my eyes closed while the boys played nearby.  My cell phone started ringing and I knew it was Steve by the ringtone.  Zach picked up the phone and carried it over to me. 

Zach: "Mommy, your phone is ringing."

Me: "It's daddy, you can go ahead and answer it."

Zach slid the phone up to answer which automatically puts it on speaker phone.  Steve says hi to Zach and they exchange a few words.  Then...

Steve: "May I speak to mommy?

Zach: "She's sleeping."

Steve: "Oh. I'll call her later."

Zach: "You can send her a text at 888-99."

Zach's field trip

Yesterday, I went with Zach on his class field trip to the pumpkin patch.  He got to ride the school bus for the very first time!   The kids each got to pick out a pumpkin, meet Zorro the long horned Watusi, complete a 'corn maze', feed the goats and go on a hay ride.  We had a great time.

The many faces of Eli

Here are some recent pictures of Eli that we have enjoyed.

Eli's 2nd Birthday

Eli turned 2 years old at the end of September! He has grown up so quickly and within the past 6 weeks is suddenly talking non-stop. The most common question we hear from him throughout the day is, "Now, mom?" repeated about 20 times in a row until you want to give him whatever it is he wants right now! It is very effective.

Eli continues to be interested in trains, especially Thomas and Friends, as well as baseball, football, soccer and any other sport he can get you to play with him. I've been surprised at his ability to pretend play already both with the boy's kitchen set and other small animal figures. It has been a lot of fun to see the differences in personality and temperament between he and Zach.

PreK

 Today was Zach's first day of preschool!  He is going three mornings a week.  I have very mixed feelings about seeing him grow up so quickly, mostly I feel desperate to find a 'pause' button so that I can remember these wonderful days with him.  It is all going too fast.

 You should all be proud of me because I didn't cry at all when I dropped him off.

Puddle fun!

Every time it rains our street temporarily floods leaving behind wonderful flowing puddles as they drain away.  They are perfect for floating a boat down the street!

 Just in case running and jumping didn't provide enough wetness, there is always crawling....

 

 Or better yet, laying down!

 

Which usually ends with a different sort of water-play!