Playtime!

Oh, where to begin? We've had so much fun playing with all of the great Imagination Box items and other Christmas toys! We have played a ton with each and every toy!
Kiran has one great imagination! It is super fun to play with him!

Football Time with Daddy!
What a Tall Tower!
A Fire station!
Cooking soup with Mommy!

Dinner Time!
Building a House - Ellery loves blocks, too!
" Ellery and me are going for a ride in the truck!"
Check out Ellery's face! She's ready for this!
It is so sweet - Kiran loves to include Ellery in just about everything!

As it goes, the best toys are not purchased! Kiran's "truck" (a.k.a. smoker box) hung around for several days. You can see that many of the imagination toys did make it inside, though!

Our Baby Boy is Not a Baby Anymore

We seem to be witnessing lots of growing up around our house these days. For a while, as any parent knows, you can see small steps of a child getting older. But then, there are those huge leaps that happen occasionally. That's where we are with Kiran. About two weeks ago, I was helping wash Kiran's hands in the bathroom and accidentally rubbed a boo boo on his hand. I said, "Oh no, let Mommy kiss it." His response was, "That won't work!" I asked, "What will work?" in a sort of desperate voice. Then, he broke my heart. "Medicine, I guess." He didn't really break my heart; just left me with mixed emotions of wow, how cool and oh man, this is going way too quickly.

Kiran is getting very independent with words and decisions! He is amazing with new reasoning skills everyday! He asks lots of questions. He has asked a lot about Lois lately - where she is, how she got there. We are learning and growing with him.

He still loves Mommy and Daddy, but sometimes he's not so into hugging anymore. However, the exchange for this one is too sweet. When we're not even expecting it, Kiran will come over and ask for a hug and kiss and say, "I love you." He still likes sucking his thumb and holding Mommy's hair just for a moment at night.

We decided last night to end napping unless we've had an unusually tiring few days or if Kiran is sick. If Kiran takes a nap these days, he is up 2 hours past bedtime, asking for drinks, asking to go potty, asking for one more tuck, or telling us he sees cars going by. After a month or so of this, it's time to let go of that nap even if it seems he's tired in the day. Instead, we started a rest time. Here he is today during rest time. I put 2 of Ma's pillows side by side, added a Cookie Monster blue sheet from Amanda and Kurt, let him pick blankets, and added a puppy, some books and soft music. He really seemed to like it and followed the rules of staying on his mat well, at least for day one!

We had a fun day today! Kiran was supposed to go to school (Parent's Day Out), but the county school system was closed due to illness. So, we came back home. Kiran was disappointed. He really looks forward to school now - another big sign of growing up! So, we did a couple of extra fun activities. We "raced" all of his cars through the kitchen to see which was the fastest! It was fun and interesting. We were a little surprised by the winner. This activity kept Ellery entertained, too! Kiran thought it was a blast!

Then later, we went to the park down the street and called some friends to meet us. It was super fun! We took Kiran's football from Uncle Keri, and there was a basketball already there. He is really into playing ball now and using gross motor skills! He is all over the playground equipment. He and his friends went up and down one of the slides probably 20 times! The best part was when we got home. Jeff was already home, and Kiran exclaimed as he took off his coat, "Daddy, we went to the park. We had a lot of fun! I went on the slides, . . . " He gave a whole narrative with no prompting. We loved it!

Ellery at 7 Months

Ellery loves playing with Kiran!
She is good at attacking him already!
First Cracker!
Caught getting brother's trucks during his nap!

Our little Chunky Monkey!


Ellery is growing and doing so well! Last Friday, I took her to the doctor for what turned out to be just a cold, but we got some stats on her. She weighed 15 lbs. 12 oz. and is 25 3/4 inches long.

As far as activity these days, her newest and biggest 3 things are crawling backwards, waving (which is absolutely adorable), and some clapping! Crawling backwards is not adequate to describe all of her movements, though. She has been crawling in circles for about a month, but now it is at lightning speed! She can almost crawl forwards - it's like she knows what to do but just can't quite get her left knee up. So, after she tries for a while she stops and goes back to kicking like she's swimming. Oh yeah, she can flip over like a crocodile! We have to be really quick at diaper changing and clothes changing time. The waving is definitely my favorite! It is so obvious what she is doing, and the best part is how she smiles when she realizes her accomplishment! She loves that she is able to communicate with us! Sometimes, we really think she is saying, "hi" or "hey!" She always makes a sound like this when someone is entering the room, and she is usually waving. Is it possible? Anyway, we are having a blast with her!

She can grab anything so quickly - it keeps us on our toes! Ellery has incredible fine motor skills! I love to watch her moving objects with her fingers!

Ellery's hair just keeps changing. It has gone from a little puff at the back of her head to almost a fauxhawk. As her hair grows, the spot keeps getting taller! Today, her hair was taller than Kramer's!

My Day that Deserves a Blog!!!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Plan to leave house at 10:00 for shopping and returns.
Kiran has a rough morning.
Kiran falls down 4 stairs at our house! (He was fine, but of course it freaked him and me out.)
Ellery is happy.
Finally leave home around 11:30.
Already time for lunch when we arrive in Knoxville.
I had told Kiran we could go to Chick-fil-a.
We went. He did such a great job eating. He had fun playing. Then he had a meltdown in the bathroom.
We got in the car at around 1:15. I decided it was naptime. I drove. (Sometimes, unfortunately, we have to do this if we are in Knoxville around naptime. ) But, I did run 2 errands - went to the post office and to Goodwill. Managed to do this with both kids sleeping. Stopped and parked. Talked on the phone to Sal and someone else.
Headed back toward the shopping area. A car in front of me pulls over into the turning lane. All seems fine, then suddenly, they stop half-way! I looked very briefly and swerved. Not the best choice, of course. I didn't hit anyone, but scared a poor family to death, I'm sure. They were in the lane next to me and barely missed me. Yikes! So sorry to that family out there.
Drove to Sonic when I knew it would be okay for the kids to wake up.
Both kids woke up around 3:00. Yea! A Good Nap!
Drove to Wal-Mart. Had told Kiran he could pick out a gift in Walmart (He and Ellery had gift cards from Christmas.)
Go to get both kids out of the car.
Know in the back of my mind Ellery will be hungry soon, but this will be a quick purchase, so we'll hurry and I'll feed her before Target.
Oh no, Ellery has had a huge blowout! Everything is a mess! Oh, all will be well, thank goodness for my newly organized system in my bag! Go to change her. Look for her change of clothes in Ellery's red pouch in my handy dandy organized bag. Discover a handy dandy organized bag only works if you restock the clothes in baby's pouch. Hence, no change of clothes. Oh well, we're at Walmart! We'll buy new clothes. Put baby in seat of Walmart shopping cart dirty! Shame on me!!! Tell Kiran he must be very nice through this process. He agrees. Go toward back of store to find baby clothes. Not much luck, but a cute onesie and some jeans will do. Ask attendant for a closer bathroom than front of store. Oh good, there's one in the back. Get to bathroom. But, oh yeah, I need to pay for the clothes. The electronics department will do. Okay, we're on our way to the family bathroom. Wait several minutes for bathroom. Okay, here we go. Pull down changing table and lay Ellery down. Discover the mess is bigger than imagined - from midback to left big toe. Start cleaning process. Somehow, new jeans get a touch of mess on them. Oh well, wipe it off! Still working. Someone starts banging on the door frantically and I hear a male voice and he is talking to what sounds like a young boy. I say "Someone's in here." He doesn't seem to hear. Then, I hear gagging sounds. He keeps banging! I am still in the middle of a huge mess! "Someone's in here!!!" Okay, I think they left. Whew. Poor kid, hope he made it to the bathroom across the hall. Finally, a clean . . . AND HUNGRY child! We are outside the bathroom now, and I have to make a decision. Go out to the car and feed Ellery and start this whole process over. No way!!! But, we have some shopping to do, and though it is against my usual ways, I decide I can shop for everything at Wal-Mart and avoid going to 2 stores if I go ahead and feed Ellery. I see lots of nice chairs outside the restroom and decide this is as good a place as any. Kiran is being an angel, and I think he understand we've had some challenging circumstances, so I think this will do. Start feeding Ellery with my basket right in front of me and Kiran inside - this blocks my view from a teenage boy who is sitting right across from me playing some sort of game. He keeps laughing and smiling. Is he smiling about me or about his game? I don't know and I don't care. Sometimes in life, it just doesn't matter! Just then, I get a phone call. It's Jeff. I say, "It's been a crazy day. I am nursing Ellery in Customer Service at Wal-Mart with 3, no 4 video cameras watching!" He laughs . . . hard. He acknowledges my crazy day. Now for the next question. What should we do about tonight? Jeff is leaving work a few minutes early. We are supposed to watch a movie together and have a mini date. But, the shopping isn't done. His work isn't that far away. He will meet me, we'll finish shopping, and go get dinner. Things are going more smoothly now. I get a little shopping done before he arrives. We finish up with no problems. We decide to eat Mellow Mushroom. He'll go order while I do a return to Old Navy, then he'll come back and pick me up. Okay, everything's great. Then, he gets in his car to go get the pizza. I'm almost home and call him. He's just leaving!!! When he went to get the pizza, they couldn't find it and thought it hadn't been made. Turns out, it was sitting there all along without a ticket on it! Then, he decided to stop and get a drink at Walgreens. He grabs Jujyfruits for our movie. He's in the car, opens the package of candy, bites into a quarter-inch thick crust, and realizes the expiration date was December 2005!!!

We eat pizza late, throw the kids in bed, and watch the beginning of a movie. Then, finally make it to bed! Oh my bed feels so good!

Things I learned from or remembered or realized more after this day:
1. Things usually work out fine.
2. Prayer is important!
3. Laugh and smile when I'm having a bad day because it makes a challenging day a lot more fun.
4. Be flexible. On some days, I just have to let go of the 10 things on my list!
5. I love my kids - Kiran is so sweet and kind and willing to help when it really counts (and usually when it doesn't). And, Ellery's sweet personality and patience will help me get through any moment!
6. I have such a supportive husband who is willing to help at the drop of a . . . dirty diaper?!
7. Put those extra clothes in the pouch!
8. Check expiration dates on Walgreens' candy.







A picture of my newly organized bag, that really does work well on most days!
Every family member has his/her own pouch. I love it - I'm goofy that way, just had to share!

And The Winners Are . . .

Congratulations to the Beach House Team! Members were Jeff, Kirk, David, Amanda, and Cindy. Good job!

The runners up team included Kurt, Ninny, Karen, Kade, and Rick. Great job to you guys also!

Like I said before, everyone worked well together and worked very hard. Thanks to everyone for entertaining our idea and for participating. We hope you had fun. A special thanks to Mom - she had no idea her kitchen would be turned upside down that day! She was a great sport about it.

Thanks to everyone who voted!

I'd like to throw in my own judging. I had the opportunity to observe and take pictures, so I am a neutral party.

Most creative: Beach House
Most able to Overcome an Obstacle: Winter Wonderland - they had one side of the house that kept trying to cave in, and they worked really hard to keep it intact.
Best Teamwork: Winter Wonderland - they all worked together on the problem spot!
Best Use of Edible Items: Beach House

FYI: The only questionable edible items were cancelled out because each team had one.
Winter Wonderland - used a touch of hairspray to do something (Kurt - help me out) to the roof
Beach House - use of fire (It has been pointed out to me that the peppermint oil used to make the fire was edible) :)



Sammy Jo is very excited about the contest!

6 Months of Great Joy!

Our family has been so blessed by our spunky, beautiful and loving Ellery Abigail! She amazes us with her wonder and curiosity. She smiles and the worries of the world disappear! We are incredibly thankful for each moment we have had with her, and are thrilled to share this great life with her and see who she will become and what amazing things are in store for her.
Ellery had her 6-month checkup on Jan. 3rd. She weighed 15 lbs. 1 oz and is 25 in. She is doing great!
Ellery is a super happy baby! These days her preferred position is sitting up so that she can view her world and reach for anything in sight. She loves playing and seems content to "study" her toys and new objects. Ellery is making lots of good noise, but her favorite lately comes in the form of a growl. Yes, it really sounds like a growl. It's hilarious! She likes for us to growl back, too. Ellery is eating lots of different foods, and really seems to like everything! Ellery can get around pretty well considering she hasn't made it up on all fours on her own yet. She can make a full circle in no time just by moving her arms and has crawled backwards a few times.
One really endearing thing about her is her incredible kicking abilities that have been around since birth! Ellery will kick with both feet while she's just hanging out, and she will kick in rhythm (as much as possible by a baby) with one foot. Pretty much everyone notices it as well as how strong she is. Believe it or not, like brother like sister, Ellery also loves to drum! She especially enjoys drumming on her high chair at dinner time. We say "boom, boom, boom" and that just encourages her to do it more. So, she really has a blast with her new bongos. She also loves Kiran's ukelele!
Ellery still loves being with Kiran constantly. She always turns to his voice! She rarely gets upset, but when she is, Kiran comes to the rescue! Right now, we just can't get enough of Ellery's spunky hair to match her spunky personality! Jeff calls it her "tuft." It gets a friendly comment wherever we go. We love our sweet little girl, Ellery, Elle Belle, Elly Belly.

Gingerbread House Contest!!!

To all who view our blog in the next week, please take a moment to vote on the right side of the page!!!

This year instead of having a large exchange of gifts, each family prepared an activity in which everyone could participate. Our activity was a Gingerbread House Contest. Two team captains drew names for team members. The rules were as follows:
1. 20 minutes for planning
2. 30 minutes for completing the house
3. house can be any structure team decides (not limited to houses only)
4. any edible thing in house can be used, but if edibility is questioned, a team member must eat the thing in question
5. have fun!

The teams did so well. Everyone did a great job working together! We had hoped there would be someone available to judge, but when that didn't work out, we thought it would be even more fun to get everyone involved and put it on the blog! That's where you come in! After the vote, we'll post pics of the teams working on the houses. Thanks for voting!


Beach side Cabana

Features: Functional Firepit, Lifeguard Stand, Tiki Bar, Surfer, Palm Trees, Thatched Roof


Winter Wonderland House

Features: Multi-room house, Stone Walkway and Roof, Christmas Lights, Snow