Haircut!

Ezra had his first haircut yesterday.  My back door neighbor has a friend named Kevin (pictured here with the clippers) who comes over and does her boys' hair every two weeks.  He agreed to do Ezra as well.  So, we all crossed the alley to our little kitchen barber shop, Ms. Thelma's house (better known as Ezra's black grandmother, as she calls herself).  The girl in the picture is Ms. Marsha, Thelma's daughter, Ezra's adopted auntie.

Ezra did well for the first few minutes, curious, quiet, looking around.  It was only when I asked Kevin to take it down a little bit more that he started to cry.  But it was short-lived.  And now we have a VERY grown up looking little boy, whose face looks fatter now that his big, puffy hair is gone.  Elliot cried all the way back to our house about how he missed "Ezra's fluffy hair".  Elsie decided she didn't like it either.  I kind of miss it, too.  BUT, I can actually see his scalp now, and it doesn't take 30 minutes a day of picking, lotioning, conditioning, etc. to get the kid ready to go every day.  It'll grow back, and maybe I'll be fully functioning by then!

Ezra's 1!

Here is a link to Ezra's one year birthday party!  And here area  couple of pictures.  The Gordon clan celebrated at a beach house on Tybee Island.  The three sisters made the bear cake - beautiful.  Ezra loved it all.

Lately

Lately Elliot has been saying funny things.  He said to Michael the other day, after (I'm sure) talking about Kwanza at his public school, 

E: Papa, did Ezra used to be African American?

M: Um, he's still African American.

E: Oh.  Well, when he was with his birth family, did he celebrate Kwanza?

Today on the way home from school, Elliot and Elsie decided to plan a party.  After some debate in the back which I couldn't hear, Elliot told me they had come up with the menu:
E: We're ready, mama.
Me: Ok, what are we having?
E: Cheese, buffalo, and beer.

Elsie, also has been imbibing the public school koolaid.  The other night we were praying, thanking God for things he had given us during the advent season.
E: Thank you for mama, and Ezra, and Papa, and me, and Elliot...
E: And thank you for Hanukkah.

The above is a hair styling chair Elsie got for her birthday.  Ezra fits in it nicely.  It's almost time for his first haircut!

Elliot quote

Elliot got a birthday party invitation in the mail today from Amanda.  He was VERY excited.  Then he started talking about friends and how he and Amanda are friends.
Me: So is Amanda your best friend?
E: Well, she is my best friend here.  We're friends.  It's a connection. ...(?)

Latest quotes, in no particular order

On the way to school Friday,
Elliot: Mama, mama! There's the Bud Light truck! Yay!
Me:  Why do you care about that? What's Bud Light?
Elliot: It's the official beer of the NFL!

While putting together a foam nativity,
Papa: Can you help me by getting Mary's dress?
Elsie: What is taking Mary SO LONG?

Before, during, and after

Here is what the corner looked liked before we started.

Elsie models her one antler.

We did the lights and they did the ornaments, mostly.

Ezra cheered us on with his antlers on.

Papa helped with the high ones.

And they finished up.  They LOVED it.  What is it about being a kid and decorating a Christmas tree?  Elsie told me that was the "Best day EVER."

Thanksgiving

These are some of the people I am thankful for.  I saw them over break as we drove the 220 miles to Griffin, then the 600 miles to St. Louis (yikes).  Michael gets the gold star and probably several more yet to be determined rewards in heaven for stopping and getting a HOTEL room for me because I was dry heaving into a bag while he drove somewhere in Tennessee. He let me sleep long enough to push through 5 more hours.  Then while in St. Louis I think I gave my stomach flu to the Ryans, who are now sick.  Fabulous.  

The kids had a great time, playing with new people, new toys, new places.  It was really good to see everyone.  I am thankful that we got to go home, though it was bittersweet.  I think St. Louis will always be home for me, no matter where I live.

What? You mean she's staying?

Sometimes this is how Ezra looks at Elsie when she talks, dances, yells, jumps, and does any number of outrageous things to get his attention.  We kind of look at her the same way - in wonder and disbelief.

For Tirzah

So, I'm still down from the hip surgery.  Long story, but I am now on 3 kinds of drugs and not standing or walking much.  So Michael bought me a Goodwill wheelchair last week.  Awesome. My very creative, artist friend, Tirzah immediately knew that such a chair must in fact be decorated, by my children.  So an envelope arrives, and the kids went to work.  Here is the result - the most beautiful, happiest wheelchair I have ever seen.  Note the flowers on the legs supports.

My confinement necessitated a visit from grandma, who graciously offered to fly down to help.  She just left this morning after catching up our laundry, feeding children, giving rides, cleaning up, and generally spoiling my baby.  Here is a big thank you to grandpa for letting her come down here - we really needed the help!

Between Yaya, Grandma, and our friends here in Savannah, we have gotten through the last 3 weeks ~ all of us alive, fed and happy.  Thank God for all of them.

Halloween

So I know Halloween was a while ago, but I've been down for the count since then.  So here are some pictures.  Elliot was a pink princess for her day at school, and transitioned into a purple princess for the night activities.

We walked down 51st Street for a bit before we went to the church party.  You should have seen people stopping to look at Michael.  Ezra was a very warm little pumpkin.  

Siberian tiger

One of my piano students' mom made Elliot this "Siberian tiger" costume.  You can't see it in these pictures, but it even has a wonderful tail.  He was a very happy little tiger.  I started mentioning wanting to get to a fabric store to look at simple patterns, but not wanting to drive because of the pain.  The next time I saw this woman, she has fabric and a pattern for me to "ok".  As they would say here, "bless her heart".  We love the tiger costume.

BIG Big Bird

Before we took the kids to the church for the Presbyterian version of Halloween last night, we walked a bit down 51st St. trick or treating.  You should have seen the cars stopping, honking, looking at my 6'2" husband as Big Bird.  Just part of why I love him.

Red Ribbon Week at Heard

Elliot has been wearing things all week  to show his solidarity against drugs.  He explained to us last night that he wore his Braves hat to school yesterday to show that he was going to help "put a lid on drugs.  Because we have to stop drugs.  We are AGAINST drugs.  Definitely.
...
Mama, what are drugs?"

Love it.  Now is obviously the time to indoctrinate the child.

Saturday

Why would a 3 day post-surgical person get in the car and go to the Bamboo Farms and Coastal Gardens?  The Pumpkin patch, of course!  And the Halloween festival.  And funnel cakes, really.  That's the real reason.  Hot grease and sugar with flour.  Who wouldn't get out of bed for that?  We all went.  The kids loved the pony rides, the food, the flowers, the rose garden, the huge bamboo.  I still think it's crazy that I live in a place where bamboo grows naturally.  Yaya bought us pumpkins on the way out.  The crutches about killed me; I think I'm done with them.  But it was a beautiful day, and Ezra got to sport his, formerly Auntie J's, Bama shirt.  Roll Tide.

More bamboo

This is what happens

when art students get ahold of your baby.

Hangin' out in the crib - literally

All the kids like Ezra's crib.  Elliot gets in it from time to time.  Elsie loves to jump in it.  Ezra's just happy to have the company.

Quotes

From this morning. Elliot and I were talking about Psalm 139 and how God knows everything, even before it happens. He commented, "And he knew that you and me would be 2 eyed winkers?" Love that kid.

Sometimes we dance on the weekends