Dear Eli...Nemo Came to Visit Us This Week!

Dear Eli,

What a fun filled week we had!  Blizzard "Nemo came through and stayed for 2 days.  I didn't mind though because daddy was home and we were able to spend some quality time together as a family.  We finished your "Big Boy" room with your help of course and you are enjoying it very much!  You ask to go play in there and you actually look forward to going to bed in your new bunk beds.  I think it feels so cozy and fort like under there that its fun and exciting now :)

 

We went and played out in the snow during the storm and you loved it!  There was about 2 1/2 feet of snow fall and with snow drifts it was way over 3 feet.  The piles of snow out front of the house are at least 5 feet and even higher out in the middle of the cul-de-sac.  You had fun climbing the hills and digging in the snow.  Some of the older boys in the neighborhood made a fort with a tunnel and you thought it was "so cool"  in your own words:)   Your friends Quaid and Aubrie came out to play with us (something you requested that morning).  The snow was whipping and blowing and was so very cold, but you loved it nonetheless.  You are an outdoorsy boy and I hope it stays that way!

Lately I have noticed you mimic a lot of what I say in your daily conversation...some of which I didn't realize I even say!  You often say "what the heck is that doing there" or "why the heck can't I figure that out."  You have come up with your own word instead of saying "bummer" or "oh shoot", you say "Oh bammers," ahaha! You tell me everyday, "I don't feel better...I really need some vitamins."  We buy the gummy ones from Trader Joe's and you love them.  I think you think they taste like candy:)  You keep me laughing and I never know what is going to come out of that little mouth of yours.

Some of your favorite things right now include:

• Building with your legos.  You use a hammer to pound every block together like you are really building with wood. 
• Using your hockey stick and hitting the puck or ball around the house.
• Playing with play-doh from Great Grampy and Grammy.  This activity keeps you busy for a while.  You love creating and making food for all of us to eat, but you get mad if we pretend to eat it and it goes missing.  You holler at us and say "noooo....you can't eat that.  It's not real, it's plastic."
• Painting or coloring.  We do this at least once a day!
• Cooking in the kitchen with mommy.  You are my little shadow and are right there to pitch in ALL the time. We make smoothies every morning.  They are your favorite and you look forward to being able to push the button when we blend everything together:)
• Playing games on the Kindle or watching Dora on there.  You know how to work it and find all the Apps.   From the beginning I said that you couldn't use it, however, I find that it keeps you focused for a period of time so when I need to get something done and I need you out from under my feet, the Kindle is our go to buddy!
• Anything tool related.  You bring your tools everywhere and try to fix everything :)
• Playing with your trains, trucks and cars.  You have quite the imagination now and it's so fun to watch you playing with them.

You love to sing and I catch you singing throughout the day.  If we catch eye contact however, you get this shy look and fall over on the floor with a big smile on your face.  Mommy loves to sing so it's not a surprise cause we sing together all the time.  When the little Eli comes to visit during the week we always do sing song time and you love doing all the motions to the songs.  It's so fun and you boys love dancing around the house to the music.

You are our little narrator.  No matter where we go in the car, you talk the whole way and you tell us everything you see.  You tell us when there is a red light and we need to stop or if its green and we need to go or if it's yellow and we need to slow down, ha!  You are very observant and you see the littlest details that I sometimes don't even see.  You also are an amazing GPS.  You have a keen sense of your surroundings and  often times know what direction we are going in and what turns to take.  Mimi says I used to tell her where to go when I was your age so I guess it runs in the genes :)

I love your giggle and sometimes I catch you laughing at something on tv or while playing in your playroom by yourself and it's the BEST sound in the world.  I want to bottle it up and hold it with me forever.  It is so genuine and pure.  It's contagious and once you get going sometimes there is no stopping!  You laugh at things that you probably shouldn't, like when mommy falls or trips or I drop something on the floor.  That brings out a gut giggle in you and I can totally relate.  It must be a nervous thing in us because if someone were to fall down the stairs my immediate reaction would be to laugh as terrible as that is.  I know you have a heart of compassion though so I don't take offense to your laughing at me, haha!  If we pretend to cry or be upset you get such a concerned look on your face and you come over and hold right on.  You say to whomever it is, "love you so much...its ok...I sorry."  I think you are catching on to our faking it thought because recently you have said "stop pretending...your ok."  You are so with it and nothing gets by you!

We are going to Florida next week and we made the mistake of telling you that we are going on a plane and going to see Mickey (Your favorite!)  Now that's all you talk about every day and have no concept of time frame.   You and I made a calendar this week so that we could count down the days to when we leave.  We cross out the day and count how many days we have left.  You put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse stickers on the week we are gone.  You are so excited and you said you can't wait to hug him!  I can't wait to see your face when you meet him in person...it's going to be priceless!

We have been working on saying "May I" when you ask a question.  You are getting really good at it and you have been asking me before you go get things out or try to do certain things now.  I like that you ask because it keeps me from getting frustrated and you understand more if you can't have it because I have a chance to talk to you first.  I can tell it makes you feel proud!  I forget that you are only 2 a lot because of your level of understanding and comprehension.  I can tell you to do something and you actually know what to do and can complete it semi-well.  Even though you are only 2, you actually get excited about helping out and I think it's a good thing to start a foundation of understanding responsibility and being a good steward of your things.

Last night before bed you were laying there looking through books and you said to me "mommy, Jesus is sitting right here next to me under the blanket, but I can't see him. There is nothing to be afraid of though because He is here with me."   And then this morning when I put my robe on before coming downstairs, you said, "you look just like Jesus.  He wears a robe you know." ahahaha....that gave me a good laugh! Whether you have seen it in a book or you truly have seen Him, I am amazed at your level of understanding.  You love Jesus and it fills my heart to the fullest!

You are the essence of joy and so full of life!  You bless me more than you will ever know and I thank God for the gift that you are every single day.  You are so special to me!

Love you so much!
Mommy