A Boy

Eli will be four in two weeks. Lately, it's like his brain and body are having a little contest each day to see who can get there faster. Daily, Joel and I are updating and asking, "Have you seen him do that before? Guess what he asked me today? Did you know he could do that?"

He is a boy.

He climbs trees. In our backyard. He's a monkey you know, like Curious George. Which means sometimes, he will go an entire 30 minute without saying an actual word, while I decipher from his pointing, waving arms, smiling face, gestures, and "ooh-ooh-ah-ha"s as he communicates that he would like a drink, a banana, and a graham cracker. And then back to climbing. I may be taking him to the ER someday soon for a broken limb, but I'm okay with it. I think.

He is scared of things. He especially does not like going upstairs to go to the bathroom if no one else is up there. Today, he paused on the first stair, turned, and asked, "Are any sharks up there?" "Nope, they only live in the ocean." "Gorillas?" "Nope, gorillas are not allowed in the house." "Burglers?" "Nope, our house is safe." "Our house is safe?" "Yes, our house is safe."

He colors. Finally. For years, every marker or coloring crayon was nothing more than a drumstick. His preschool drawings were just scribbles, and he wasn't interested in writing letters other than his name. And then, one morning, after watching Blues Clues, something clicked, and he drew The Man with the Yellow Hat and Curious George and Huntleigh and they all had heads, eyes, noses, mouthes and arms. The man had legs. It was amazing.

His pull-up is dry more mornings than not.

He prays. On his bed last night, it went like this: "God, could I have a dream with two things in it? Little Einsteins and Curious George. And I want to be in it, not watching it, and ride in the rocket. And Curious George could ride in the rocket too. Amen." (He reported with some disappointment this morning that he did have a dream last night and got to ride in the rocket, but Curious George was not in it too.)

He jumps. Alot. When it's from the third step onto the sidewalk, it makes my heart do a little jump too. So far, he's been sticking the landing, but we just stocked up on Diego Band-Aids for those scrapes that come with being a boy.

He counts. Everything. And he prefers five. Like five more minutes please. And five chocolate chips please. And soon I will be four years old, and then I will be five.

But not yet mister. Right now, your just turning four, and that's big enough.

Twelve

Twelve beautiful hours.

As in, the number of consecutive hours that Beckett slept last night.

Days shy of 15 months old, and he is finally sleeping though the night. Which means that I am sleeping through the night...almost. I did wake up at 2:00 a.m. in a brief panic. If you're a mom you too may have experienced the "I have been asleep for more than four hours and he's still sleeping- oh, no what's wrong with my child!" phenomenon. But it took no time at all for the panic to subside, and sleepy gratitude settle in.

I could get used to this. Please.

Tubes

Tubes.

Another word that has entirely new meaning for me these days. A word that brings a whole lot of hope to many parents, like us, whose little ones are plagued with ear infections. The hope of quiet, restful nights, of fewer trips to the pediatrician, of less midnight doses of Tylenol or Motrin to ease earaches and cool fevers. The frivolous luxury of sleeping through the night.

B got tubes this morning.

It made us feel better to call it a "procedure" instead of surgery, but the idea of our 14 month old "going under" general anesthetic wasn't fun. We just kept reminding ourselves that this is simple as far as surgeries go...not the heart surgery that some parents have to face.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am. The original plan was for Joel and I to take B together and have friend come over to watch snoozing big brother. When E came down with a stomach virus yesterday, we thought it was best not to leave a feverish and vomiting 3 year old without mom or dad, so Joel stayed home with him while I took B for his "procedure."

The nurses and doctors were great. There was no dramatic moment of them wheeling a screaming baby away as I tearfully let go of his hand. Instead, I handed him, drowsy and sedated, to the nurse, who carried him to the operating room as the anesthesiologist wheeled the gurney behind them. I appreciate that. Within a few minutes, the Dr. came in to tell me that everything went well, and he gave me the post op instructions. Later, I heard Beckett coming down the hall, crying in confusion as he came to. And they placed him in my arms, where he gradually calmed down-it was the car keys that really did the trick. By 10:20, we were in the car, on our way home.

So, with one boy recovering from a procedure and the other a tummy bug, there is still Tylenol and Motrin to administer. It's been a long day. But I'm feeling hopeful that there is rest ahead.

now showing

I remember my mom telling me that everytime they finished landscaping their yard, they moved. And lots of similar stories from friends over the years. "We've finally got our house the way we wanted it, and now we're moving." Or, "We got our house ready to sell, and now we wonder why we didn't do this stuff earlier when we'd be here to enjoy it."

We get it. We've been primping our house for months now. It's not perfect, but we did get rid of all those "little" things that loom and linger. Baseboards are no longer scuffed, but gleaming white. That chip in wall at the base of the stairs from when Eli launched his Bobcat from the top stair, spackled and painted. The sidewalk, patched. Doors, painted. Windows, replaced. Staged, photographed and now, For Sale By Owner.

We put up the sign in November. Then we decided to replace the tragically-fake fiberglass false stone siding with white siding to match the rest of the house. So now it looks like this:

We bought an MLS listing November 17th, to allow agents to show it. Eight showings later, we got our first offer on December 23rd. This Saturday, 3 more showings, and today another "not the one" offer. But we're encouraged. And wondering if '09 will become "the year we moved."

Rats!

What's the first movie you ever saw in a theater? Exactly. I have no idea either. I remember E.T. and Star Wars, but I'm pretty sure those weren't the first. Technically, Eli's first movie was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. But he was only a two months old, and spent the entire time sleeping or nursing.

We decided to try another movie while Wehrenberg runs its Summer Family Movie Series since its free. I figured he would make it through 20 minutes, and then we could leave and I wouldn't feel guilty about wasting $20. But he loved it. He watched the whole thing. Snacking on colored goldfish, sipping apple juice, and trying not to let the seat fold up on his 28 pound self. Our neighbors joined us for the adventure. Owen had a great time. Beckett sat, and then slept, content in his car seat. Owen's mom and I shared a few tears at the end, as Charlotte breathed her last breath (spiders do breathe, right?), the credits rolled, and we soaked in the moment that our boys had watched, and enjoyed, their very first movie.

I wondered what Eli would remember of the movie, and what parts he would re-tell to Joel. He loved to see the eggs hatch and baby geese come out. And it soon became clear that he had a favorite character. The innocent, friendly pig? Nope. The gentle, wise spider? Nope. The spunky, rebellious, messy rat? Yep, that would be it. He's been climbing up the couch, jumping into the cushions, and rolling around with his feet up, saying, "Looook, Mama, I'm Templeton!" You just never know what will make an impression. Rats!

Independence Day

Guess what we're celebrating? Independence Day. I know the official holiday has come and gone. But we're celebrating in the Lindsey household because it was the first official day of potty-training, and we did it. I'm fine with adding the "we" in there, even though it is Eli who actually does the pottying. There's enough teaching, prayer, and patience on the parent side of it to make it an accomplishment for the whole family.
We kind of worked in lots of elements that Eli is interested in. He's very practical, so I told him when he woke up that we were out of diapers. "That's okay Mama, you can just go to Target and get some more." Okay, really practical. He was outside swimming in his little pool when I told him that I need him to water some plants with his potty. He did. Twice. That's when I knew he had a decent handle on his bodily functions. So, on the 4th, he was standing in front of the toilet, and I'm trying to get him to pee. "Eli, go potty just like you did when you watered the plants." "I can't Mama." I picked a leaf off of some plants on the window sill, dropped it in the toilet, and told him that the leaf needed some water. (I was hoping he wouldn't get too practical again and tell me it was already in water.) Presto! He peed. And he was off to a great start, collecting truck stickers, peeing and pooping his way toward golf clubs "like Tiger has" and a fishing pole, "like George does". As in Curious George.

So Eli is happily strutting around, declaring to friends and strangers alike "I am big now! I wear big boy underwear," swinging his new (plastic) golf clubs and catching (plastic) fish with his (plastic) fishing pole. We have plenty of birthdays to upgrade to the real thing if he's still interested. Diaper free birthdays.

IN-N-OUT

On Thursday we headed to Paso Robles to visit more family. We were looking forward to a stop in Salinas for the much loved IN-N-OUT burgers. Yum!

Beckett really wanted my milkshake, or at least the straw.

He had some issues, and I was too busy trying to take a picture of him to notice that he was busy gagging on the straw. Until I saw the women at the table across from us looking kind of panicked- they were speaking Spanish, but it sounded urgent. Then I noticed. Oops!
Eli made good use of his straws while we waited for our food. He really concentrates when he does this. Notice the flared nostrils.

Ta-Da!!! There's that big finish.

And here come the burgers. Drum roll please...

one less thing to talk about it counseling...

I finally made it to get some pictures taken of the boys. I was feeling a little stressed about it since B will be 6 months on the 21st and we hadn't taken any "real" pictures yet. I don't know why it's so overwhelming for me. But I am aware of the second child syndrome and am making an effort to document B's first year.

I'm sure he'll have lots of reasons to go to counseling when he's older, but this won't be one of them. He's got pictures.

First Swing

Spring is finally here. Here's Beckett...his first swing.

The Potty

After Eli's bath last night, he said, "I go potty."

I said, "Yes, you went potty in the bathtub. Now it's time to put a diaper and pajamas on."

"All creatures, " he said. That means he wants to listen to All Creatures of Our God and King on the CD player.

"Ok, you can listen to it one time."

He went into the office, turned on the stereo, and pressed play. Disc 48 began. He was as nude as can be, slowly bending his knees and standing back up with a big grin on his face

"I dancing." Pause. "Ah-yay-yu-yah." "I go potty."

And he walked over to his little potty chair, sat down, and smiled. This was a big moment, since he was actually sitting on it. I got the camera and took a few pictures. He wanted to see them of course. He was proud. Finally, since it was after 9:00, I decided it really was time for bed.

He stood up, and lo and behold he'd actually peed in the potty!!! I congratulated him, and showed him how we empty it in the big potty and flush the toilet. He loves to flush. We called Joel to tell him the big news.

I don't think we're anywhere near saying goodbye to diapers, but I'm certainly not going to keep him from trying if he's interested. We'll see how it goes...

Say a Little Prayer

About a month ago, Joel and I decided to start praying with Eli before meals, naps, and bedtime. We prayed with him sometimes, but there was no real routine to it. We realized he was definitely beginning to understand what being "thankful" was about. (When he says "thank you mama" it melts my heart.) Soon, he'd understand that there's a God who loves him. So, we began with prayers before "his" dinner, since we don't always eat when he does.

At breakfast on the morning of May 21st, he put his head down, eyes wide open and looking at us, and said quietly, "Thank you Jesus. Amen." It was the sweetest thing. Lately, when we forget to pray, he'll stop partway through eating and say, "Pay? Momma, pay?" "Do you want to pray Eli?" "Yeah" "Okay, let's pray."

Sometimes, he lowers his voice, babbles a bit, and then says, "Amen." Only God knows what he's saying, but I'm sure it makes Him smile.

When we were in Hilton Head, he said his first "big" prayer. The three of us sat down to dinner, and Joel led us in prayer, thanking God for our food, our vacation, the beach, the waves, etc. All three of us said "Amen." A minute later, Eli said, "Pay again? More pay?" I didn't think he would understand what I said next, but I thought it was a start.

"Eli, you can pray whenever you want. God will always listen."
"Yeah."
"Do you want to pray again?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, go ahead."
"Thank you Jesus for potty....(pause)....beach. Amen."

Eli doesn't actually use the potty (yet), but he LOVES to tear off a little toilet paper, put it in the toilet, flush it, and close the lid. The toilet at the condo was much easier to flush than ours at home, and he was thrilled. So I guess he understands a part of prayer- that we thank God for all blessings, big and small. Potties included.

First Trip to the Beach

We were tremendously blessed by an opportunity to go to Hilton Head, SC for a week over Memorial Day. We got to spend time with family, since Aunt Jen lives in Savannah, and Essie, Sarah, and Shane made the trip up from Adel, GA. It was a true vacation...a beautiful 2 bed/2 bath condo near the beach, weather in the mid 80's, seafood, naps, sand, waves, seashells, some golf for Joel, some bike rides, and lots of relaxing.

Some of our favorite highlights include Eli's first real prayer: "Thank you Jesus for potty...beach...amen." He loved to put the seashells "away" in the water. He loved the elevator to get to our room, the bikes with the "car" in the back, pushing a toy truck around on the beach, the birds, floating in his boat in the water, and watching other kids in the pool. I loved spending so much time with Joel, falling asleep hearing the waves, taking naps whenever we wanted, the king bed, the jacuzzi tub, the beach, and the ice cream.

The Four Lindseys

Our friend Diana took some pictures last week of the "four" Lindseys...

The First Kiss

It was a total surprise, and it came about in a very unexpected way. Until that moment, I never really thought about it. Joel and I wondered when Eli would first utter, "I love you" on his own, but I never gave a moments thought to when he would first decide, on his own, to give a kiss.

A few days ago, it happened.

Eli was full of energy after several days of being cooped up inside. As usual, he was running laps around the kitchen island, then made a quick detour to the living room. We heard a "thump" and looked to see him laying on the floor the width of the doorway. Somehow, he fell and managed to hit the side and top of his head on the doorjamb. He had that high pitched cry that we rarely hear, the one that means he's really hurting, not just scared.

With lump already forming at his hairline, Joel swept him up and headed into the living room to cuddle him and calm him down. Fighting the momma instinct to grab him from Joel to comfort him, I went to the kitchen to get him some apple juice. When I came back, tears were still streaming down his cheeks, but he was a little more calm. I sat down, offering Eli the apple juice.

Eli, still wimpering, looked up at Joel, took the binkie out of his mouth, lifted his little chin, put his lips together, and leaned in towards Joel to give his Daddy a kiss, as if to say, "It'll be okay." Then he turned to me and put his arms out, motioning for me to pick him up. Joel and I were both stunned. Where in the world had that come from? Was he trying to comfort Joel, obviously sad that his little boy was hurting? Was he doing it to feel close and comforted? How do we NOT read compassion and kindness into it? We'll never know what he was thinking, but it we're thankful just the same.

What a beautiful and special first kiss.