School updates and boy funnies

I don't have anything specific or huge to report. We have had a mostly good past couple days. The weekend was nice since none of us were sick! We went to see a movie at the cheap theater and we cleaned (exciting!), went to church and to the club and hung out at home. Elijah's sleep has been good and bad and as always, the challenging periods come in spurts and they are usually related to potty issues. I received a heartbreaking call from his teacher today. A few kids in his class conspired and put a HIT ME sign on his back. :( Another kid stood up for him and told the other kids to take it off. It sounds like it was a fairly big ordeal. Parents were called and kids were talked to. I talked to Elijah about it very gently and he seemed sad about what had happened. Other than that and a few minor things here and there, things at school are going well for him. I am constantly reminding myself how far we have come and how much progress Elijah has made! It's pretty amazing, actually. I tell BOTH of my boys how proud I am of them all the time and I think it confuses Elijah to hear that because it has become so ingrained in him that he makes bad decisions (scars from the past two school years). I constantly try to remind him how much he has learned and about the good decisions he makes now.

Sammy is doing great in kindergarten! His sweet teacher has told us that he is very patient and kind and a hard worker and good friend. His handwriting and reading have improved SO MUCH since school began! He could read maybe 15 words starting the school year and now he can read at least 50. He will actually come home from school and create work sheets for himself and complete them. He has his first class field trip on Thursday and I'm so excited that I'll be able to go with him! Last week he got invited to a birthday party for a little boy in his class and it broke my heart when Elijah read the invitation and excitedly said, "Can we go, Mom?!" :( Sammy was able to go to the party and he had a blast. Such a blast that he woke me up at 3:00 the next morning to tell me that he wanted to go back. Seriously. Elijah was upset that he wasn't able to go along, but we arranged a Daddy-Elijah date during that same time and they had a great time.

I'll end with some boy funnies that I've been collecting. Thanks for checking in!

One night Sammy didn't want to eat dinner and kept trying to get Dan to take bites of his food so he would need to eat less and still get dessert. Sammy grabbed a name tag that was lying on the table near him and that Dan had worn at a recent conference and that had his name on it. Sam turned to me, held up the name tag and said, "Send this guy over here!"

After getting mad at me because I ONLY got Sammy a cookie at Subway and not a cookie AND chips he said, "You are NOT my favorite person." I quickly reminded him that we always need to be grateful for every little thing and he was silent for a few minutes. Then he whispered into my ear, "The word 'not' was actually supposed to be silent. I meant to say that you ARE my favorite person."

After giving Elijah after-school snuggles today as I do every day (usually upon his request) he said, "You're the greatest woman in the world. You're like a little good person!" :)

Dan: Elijah, if you had to pick ONE of the following which would you choose...the biggest lollipop ever OR a giant pool of chocolate?
Elijah: Hmmmmmm....wellllll....normally I'd choose both. (long pause) But if I had to pick one...hmmmm.....I'll pick the pool of chocolate.

Sammy's bedtime prayer one night last week: Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Thank you for Earth. Thank you for life. Thank you for my faaaaaavorite person in this family, whoooo iiiiizzzz.......(long dramatic pause)......my sweetest brother Elijah. Amen.

Sammy (calling from bed): Mommy! My toenail is rubbing on my sheets. Will you clip it?
Me (wielding clippers): Ok, which one is it?
Sammy: Foot ONE! Toe ONE!
Me: Would that be right foot, big toe?
Sammy: You got it, clipper woman!

An important anniversary

Wednesday seems to be my day for updating! Another week has flown by. In the past week we have noticed some changes with Elijah. Certain behaviors are getting difficult to manage, so we have had to get stringent. It seems like this is necessary every few months or so. Sleep is still overall SO MUCH better than it was two months ago. There was a stretch of time during the winter when I honestly do not know how we all survived! We were consistently waking up FOR THE DAY between 2:00 and 3:00 am. Now it is more like 5:00 or 6:00. Sometimes earlier and sometimes later, but a MUCH better scenario overall.

Guess what today is?! It is the 7th anniversary of Elijah's second open heart surgery - the big one! Every year on this day I experience a host of emotions. That was such a huge, important, intense surgery that had an incredible outcome. If I could travel back to April 15, 2008, and tell myself what present-day Elijah is like...I don't know if I would have believed myself! Super-spunky, smart, friendly, huge vocabulary, great big brother, silly, strong-willed, great reader, snuggly, fun.. I don't know what it was I was expecting for him in the years that followed that surgery, but he is doing better than I ever could have imagined. I think in those early years we were so focused on baking the cake (keeping him alive) that it was difficult to imagine that we might be able to put frosting on top some day. And sprinkles and cherries and gummy bears.

The boys have been fighting more than usual lately. They both have such strong wills and they clash pretty often. MOST of the time, though, they adore each other. If they are apart for more than an hour they start saying, "I MISS MY BROTHER!!!!"

Ironically, Elijah has been super interested in Veggie Tales again. It's ironic because that was his FAVORITE thing during the heart surgery that we are remembering today. He saved up birthday money this year and bought a Veggie Tales sing-along CD. We owned it years ago but watched it (and played with it) so much that it got scratched and cracked. I couldn't believe how excited E was to get a new copy and how many times he wants to watch it...over and over and over. Sammy isn't as interested in it, but he knows the words to all of the songs (don't we all).

The boys also both love Captain Underpants books right now. Elijah has read every word of every one of the books. Dan and I have considered so many times taking them away because potty talk has definitely increased since the discovery of these books. But...he reads! A ton. He doesn't read any other book with such interest. There are days when he will literally read for two hours. Book time trumps potty talk. :)

As always, Sammy has a constant stream of hilarious material spilling from his mouth. I can hardly keep up! Here is a sampling (the ones I write down!)..

- We were running to the car in the wind one day and he yelled up to me, "I'm a natural kite flyer, kid!"

- Enduring my daily onslaught of hugs and kisses, he said, "Ok, ok, enough with the hugs and easy on the kisses!"

- I told him "Great idea!" about something and he said, "Yep. I'm always thinkin' in my head."

- Yesterday he said to me, "Mommy, I love you more than anything in the ENTIRE Univers......al Studios." :)

- A load of laundry was spinning like crazy in the washing machine. Sammy said, "Is it gonna blow? RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" When he realized no one else was alarmed, he calmly said, "I don't think so, Sweetheart."


That's about all for now! 

Week of words

The little boys and I are having a fun week! We miss Dan, but we are making the most of our quality time together in this BEAUTIFUL weather (finally!). On the drive home from the airport the other day, I looked into the backseat to see Sammy's head in his hands. I asked if he was ok and he sadly said, "Yeeeaaah. Just finkin' about Daddy." It sounds like Dan is having a great time showing kids around DC, so we are excited to hear all about the trip!

Elijah has been sooo interested in reading lately. He has always loved reading, but lately even more than ever. He gets up in the morning and starts reading right away and he reads for at least 20 minutes before bed every night. It's great! I suggested we take a trip to the library (our first ever, sadly), and the boys were super excited! Sammy picked out a silly book that he has carried around with him just about everywhere, and Elijah picked out a book about the caterpillar-butterfly transformation. He told me at the library in a hushed voice, "Mom! I love non-fiction books and learning about REAL things!" Yes! I love it! He has read the book front to back at least five times. He can tell you about every little part of a butterfly's development.

I chatted with Elijah's sleep doctor yesterday and she told me to increase the dose of his meds by a teeny tiny bit more. I THINK he has been sleeping a lot later in the mornings! I think. I'm pretty sure. This morning I didn't hear him until the 5:00 hour, which is a HUGE step in the right direction. So far, his full days back at school have all been in the "great" behavior category. Yay!

And he has started showing much more interest in his peers and what they think of him, which is awesome. There is one little girl who is not in his class, but who he sees at recess every day. He is drawn to her, and keeps approaching her out of a desire to be with and play with her. At first he told me that he was asking her if she would marry him, which resulted her in running the other way. :) Then he told me that he was showing her his "bunny dance." Oh boy. I have started coaching him a bit, telling him that if he really wants her attention that he needs to ask her questions that she would enjoy answering...and to say them clearly and loudly. He was proud to tell me yesterday that he had clearly and loudly asked her to play with him. But she still ran away. Today he said to me, "Mom, I don't think she wants to be my friend. I think she thinks I'm a preschooler." :( I am so excited for the day when he finds a little friend who loves and appreciates him and wants to spend time with him. In the meantime, I will continue to do social coaching! And I am SO thankful that he is showing genuine interest in wanting peer acceptance. This is huge! It's been a long time coming, and it's a big step for him.

Sammy gets to spend a few hours at daycare tomorrow with his sweet little friends so I can get a bit of work done. It is always amusing trying to work with him at home. He sits on my lap as I type and tells me story after story, while driving toy trains up and down my arms and legs. I love that silly boy!

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of your week! Thanks for checking in!

Sleepers, talkers, readers and a miracle!

Dan has been home a bit more this week due to the weather. He has been working most of today. The little boys and I stayed close to home today, making an Angry Bird pizza and homemade ice cream. Both were firsts for us! I will share pics tomorrow!

I snapped this photo earlier in the week. Isn't it precious?? Don't tell Dan it's here or he will make me take it down! :) Today was the first day I can say that Elijah was caught up from missing out on so much sleep last weekend, being with his Auntie and cousins. That boy needs his rest, much like his mother.

We were able to squeeze in a trip to the boys' favorite park before Dan left for work this morning.

A few highlights from our week so far:

Tonight Elijah once again showed his scary yet impressive memory. We were talking about how we might get to go to Uncle Phill's house later this summer, which is a very exciting thing for all of us (especially Elijah). He said, "Oh! Mom! Remember when Uncle Phill gave me a popsicle?! It was purple!" Mouth hanging open, I said, "Elijah, that was TWO YEARS AGO. How in the world..." And the color of his popsicle is a detail that I happen to remember because it was the first time our boy with major textural issues (especially at that time) allowed a popsicle to touch his lips. It WAS purple. Unbelievable.

Sammy is talking sooo much! He is now speaking in 7-8-word sentences, and he repeats pretty much everything that is said to him. Of course there are the handful of words that are so cutely spoken incorrectly, like "beddy bubbon" for "belly button." :) I love it. And I never correct him.

Elijah has been reading small words since about a year ago, but recently I have noticed that he will sit down with a book and read just about every word. He is officially a READER! I caught this on video tonight because it has great meaning. This is the same book I first read when I was a little girl! I have vivid memories of feeling so proud, reading through Dr. Seuss' Hop on Pop. Or as Elijah calls him, "Dr. Seusser." :)

We have a fun weekend ahead of us! We hope you all do, too, and that you are doing well. Thanks so much for checking in on our family!

Oh, and THANK YOU for praying for Lucy! Check. Out. This. MIRACLE! UNBELIEVABLE! A few weeks ago her parents were planning her funeral. Today? Lucy is cancer-free and as strong as ever! God is GOOD.

Tidbits about our Elijah

Elijah has been on a sassy kick where he will not allow us to call him anything but "Elijah," and sometimes not even that. I am realizing how many different names I call him, now that I have to censor myself so much. Here's how things go down when I forget:

"Good morning, Sweetie!"
"Not Sweetie, no!"
"Oops, I forgot. Good morning, Elijah."

or

"Elijah Daniel, please do not pour milk on your head!"
"NOT ELIJAH DANIEL, NO!"

Depending on his delivery and the amount of sass involved, it may or may not result in a time-out. I hope this passes soon. I miss calling him fun nicknames.

While I'm on the sass topic, here are some other sample conversations that can be heard in our house on a regular basis:

"Elijah, would you like to play outside or inside?"
"Inside!"
[I shut the garage door in preparation for inside play.]
"Go outside?"
"No, you made the decision to play inside for now. We can't change our minds every two seconds."
"GO OUTSIDE?"
[Silence.]
"GO OUTSIDE!??!?!?!?!?"
"Ugh!"

or

[Quick side note: Elijah loves milk these days more than ever before.]
[After dinner, I put his milk back in the fridge. Elijah hears the fridge close.]
"Milk?"
"I just put your milk away, Sweetie, I mean, Elijah."
"MILK?"
"Ok, but you will need to come sit at the table again."
[He continues playing.]
"MILK????"
"Elijah, what did I just say?"
"MILK??!?!?!!?!?!?"
"Ugh!"

Onto some more fun things! Elijah has always been a book lover, but lately he is more interested in books than ever before. He will sit in the middle of a pile of books and "read" through them on his own. He has amazing retention! If we have read a book together more than a few times, he remembers most of the words on each page (by sound, not sight). He has even started showing interest in the actual words (by sight), pointing at and asking what each one says. I can say a word out loud and he can tell me the letter it starts with (aside from the tricky ones, like "chair"). He does it the other way around, too. If I ask him to tell me some words that start with the letter M, he will rattle off four or five M words. Grasping letters and sounds (numbers, too) has always come really naturally for him. I think reading isn't too far off!

Although he adores books, he has a serious problem with book covers. If a book comes with a cover, he immediately takes it off and says, "Frow garbage?"

Lately he has randomly been fake sneezing and/or coughing. I don't have a clue where he got this, but he knows it makes everyone laugh so he does it a lot.

When Dan is at work, Elijah constantly asks about him. "Where Daddy go?" Then he answers his own question: "Daddy working dropzone. Jump airplanes!"

He is still super interested in sign language, so we continue to add to our signing "vocabulary." We are learning animals and colors right now. Every night before bed, while the two of us are snuggling in the rocking chair, we sing a song from one of his signing dvds. "It's time to eat, eat, what a treat! Eat, eat, eat. [insert food] I'm all done now, wash it down, with my favorite drink! [insert drink]" We cycle through the song a few times, while signing and singing, using different foods and drinks each time. He could sing/sign it a hundred times in a row without getting tired of it.

We still are not getting anywhere with potty training. I will admit that I start to panic whenever I think about it because I feel like such a failure. I ask myself, Am I doing something wrong, or is he just really really not ready yet? Or is he THAT strong-willed (this is very possible)?

I will end with a potty training-related conversation from the other night:

[I had just gotten Elijah out of the bath and his diapers were downstairs.]
"I'm going downstairs to get a diaper, Elijah. PLEASE do not pee on the couch."
"Ok, Mom."
[3-second pause.]
"Mom? I pee on couch!"