Eli is 18 Months! (I know a month late but I started this post that same day)

I can't believe how time has flown and how big he is! The day he turned 1 1/2 was a Sunday so he got to legally go to nursery (although he has been going with me for quite a while since I work in there). He is not very clingy and I think he will do great even when I am not in there. The next day we decided he should look like a little boy. Since my sister-in-law was unexpectedly here and she is great hairdresser, she did it for us. Here are some before shots:

Come on! I think he makes a very cute little girl!

Eli froofy head excited about the calf at the dairy.

The Haircut!

he was a very good client and hardly fussed at all.

The next day:

I had a hard time getting his attention, he was having too much fun beating the flowers with the sticks.

Well, at least he is smiling! And is still cute even though he is closing his eyes.

I don't think I would have been able to bring myself to do it. I have been crying every time I look at him for the past week, he is just too big!

Eli is so much fun and we are so glad that he is part of our family. The girls (especially Kyla) take such good care of him and have a great time playing with him.

Just in the last month he started trying to say some words. One of his first was HOT. He also says CHEESE, BUH-BUH for bye bye, BOO for book, BALL, AH DUH for ALL DONE, and a few others. He is still not a parrot and doesn't like to repeat back what we say too much (unless it is his idea and not ours). He has started using sign a lot more than he was and does several all on his own. He caught on the sign for "treat" the very first time I did it.

Eli has also gotten to be a handful to keep track of somedays. Like I said before he is not very clingy so during the day it is common for him to wander downstairs when I am upstairs and start exploring. He is tall enough to reach things off the counter and one of his favorites is getting down the guinea pig food and feeding the guinea pigs (and the floor). He also enjoys spreading oatmeal when the cupboard is not latched. Eli has gotten to be quite a good climber and can haul himself up on almost anything.

Books have become a favorite for him and he feels left out if he doesn't get a book at night like everyone else! He does quite a good job at sitting and listening too. He is very good at throwing and kicking balls and is even trying to catch. He is a good eater, a good sleeper, and mostly easy going (especially when we are out and about)! We are so grateful to have our home blessed by such a sweet little boy!

Last Week (Sept 13-20)

Last week was our first full week of school and we barely made it through. It was such a big change to be up and going every morning and going nonstop till bedtime. I must say things have improved since last year when Daniel was taking them to school. I am able to have everyone up and out of the door (maybe not completey dressed!). I was so proud last week we were not even late once, actually early most days AND I rode them to school on bikes with the little ones in the bike trailer behind (except one day it was rainy).

Hooray! We are all up and dressed and rode our bikes to school, definately doesn't happen every day but glad that it happens more often than it used to.


Nora seems to really like her teachers (she has two, one works M, T, and every other W and the other works TH, F and every other W, kind of strange but she seems to really like them and I have heard really good things.)

Kyla is a good student but is not excited about school this year. I think the teacher she got may not be a good match for her personality. We will probably consider moving her if it is a ongoing problem.

We decided to keep Myka in preschool this year. She was so excited to start preschool so that she didn't have to "work" anymore. I guess she isn't excited about helping around the house. She loves her teacher and is doing a much better job at making new friends than last year. Technically she would make the cutoff by two days to go to kindergarten but since the cutoff is so late out here (Dec 1) and she is kind of small we decided to let her be little for another year. I am really happy about our decision. I cannot imagine having to get her up and going every morning and then her being gone ALL day. I am sure she will be more than ready next year!
Notice the cute strawberry shortcake bag. It was mine when I started kindergarten. Myka used it all last year with my name on it. It was not until the day before preschool started that I managed to get her name on it! I am just excited that I finally did it.

Enrichment was Tuesday. It was super fun and we had great attendance. We packed boxes to send to the troops and then did a service exchange. I was in charge of the service exchange and I think that it went pretty well.

Soccer started for Nora and Kyla last week and they seem to be enjoying it, although they aren't on Ryan and Caden's team who are always so nice to them. They do have some girlfriends from the ward on their team so that is nice. I am trying to be a good mom and not get too involved. It is very difficult!

We did have a splendid surprise on Monday. Kai called me from the Buffalo, NY airport saying that they were getting ready to board the plane that would layover in Detroit before getting on the next to SLC. Unfortunately, the layover was only 45 min so we knew that seeing him wouldn't work out. A couple hours later Daniel got a call that they had missed their flight and were stuck in Detroit! WooHoo! We had a fun evening chatting and Kami cut Kai and Eli's hair (another post). I got to hold the baby, who is sooooo beautiful and good. Someday I am going to talk them into staying a day or two at least so I can take them to the village and the museum!

The rest of the week was full of soccer practice, scouts, preschool meeting, babysitting for date night, and a BYU football party. This week looks even worse, I am starting to dream of the evening when we don't have anything planned. It is not going to happen in Oct. but maybe Nov.