Happy 40th Anniversary Mom & Dad

Christmas unwrapped

Everything has been unwrapped. Though Elliot has asked for more presents, there are no more.  Here you see his Christmas Eve pajamas and his green bath.  Hopefully there will be some video of the new train table soon. It occupied Elliot for LITERALLY 4 hours today. That made us all happy.  A special thanks goes out to the Ryan family for the new trains... New to us.

Green Christmas water

Want a way to make the Christmas Eve bath special? Put a little green food coloring in the water with some bubbles, and call it a Christmas bath. It works wonders for bath-resistant children. And unlike we had feared, it doesn't turn them green! 

It's Christmastime, mama?

The stockings are full, the presents are wrapped, the washing machine and dishwasher are running. We've been at the beach with Michael's family for a few days and returned yesterday to open a mountain of presents. Elsie got dolls and books and a horse to ride which activates the television to help her learn things. Elliot LOVES the horse and has ridden it seriously over 2 hours in the last 24 hours. 

Elliot got a new guitar and a violin. Michael has learned a song on the guitar and I'm learning the violin. Maybe we'll let Elliot play with his toys later. It's very strange to me to have flip flops on on Christmas Eve. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 77 degrees. I've seen palm trees with lights wrapped around them. Christmas in Savannah; it's a strange and wonderful thing.

More quotes

Elliot: It's Advent mama?

Me: Yeah, buddy. What's that mean?

Elliot: Jesus is coming.

Michael: And what's Jesus going to do when he gets here?

Elliot: Take the sin out of my heart. But he'll leave my heart in. He won't take it out.

Me early and grumpy in the morning, trying to get Elliot breakfast: Just a minute, Elliot.

Elliot: I want breakfast.

Me: Just a MINUTE.

Elliot: You need your coffee mama?

Simmons

Hey all. I thought we should include Simmons in our blog. If you ask Elliot, 'who's your best friend?' He'll say,' Simmons. She's my very best friend ever.' I think it's mostly because she's cute and she giggles at him a lot. She'll run around following him and in general is very sweet. I don't know that Simmons returns the affection to the degree that Elliot gives it. But he's 3. So I think he'll be ok. 

Quotes of the week

So I've been telling Elliot during the Advent season that Jesus is coming and that we have to look for him. This afternoon I was talking to a friend on the phone who is coming to stay with me during Michael's absence this next week. 

I said to her: 'You're coming!?'

To which Elliot replied: 'You talking to Jesus, mama?'

Me to Bug, pointing to our decorated tree:'That's our tree, Bug.'

Elliot:'No. That's a Christmas tree. Trees are outside. Only CHRISTMAS trees are inside.'

In training

When Elliot was about Bug's age, I started giving him small jobs to do to help me. He'd go get me a diaper, throw something in the trash, hand me a book, things like that. As he got older, I started thinking about how helpful he could be, but didn't think he'd be willing. Well, so far he hasn't figured out that daily chores aren't really fun. He LOVES cleaning the floor with me. And he really is helpful. I let him loose with a small sponge and he dips and wipes away. It makes up for some of the inCREDible defiance we've been experiencing lately. Wow. 

He also enjoys putting away silverware, throwing away diapers, and setting the table. He's for hire. Fifty cents an hour. No wait. I'll pay you...

Under the weather

 Happy Thanksgiving. And Happy Advent season! I love advent. Elliot opened the first window of his advent calendar this evening and found inside a piece of chocolate. Lovely. I told him we were waiting for Jesus. He thought about it for a minute, ran around the room, and then said, 'Is Jesus here yet?' I wish. I wish.

We all went to the doctor today to check on Elliot's skin - a strange case of ringworm we've been treating for over a week now. He also has just finished antibiotics for a case of bronchitis. While there we figured out that Elsie has an ear infection and a 102 degree fever. Poor Bug. No wonder she's been out of sorts. So now she's starting the antibiotics. I was thinking on the way to the pharmacy, what did people like Bug do in 1634? So we're thankful for drugs. And for advent. And for Jesus coming.