Before I forget

There are a few things I want to record about Eli at this age before they slip into the black hole of my forgotten memories.

He is such a fun-loving, happy kid!  He can wander around all day, finding things to entertain himself.

He starts some of his words with a hard G sound.  He likes to "gump" on the trampoline.  My favorite is when he brings me an orange and wants me to "goose it" for him.

No matter how upset he is about having to stop what he is doing at nap time, he will be giddy with excitement as soon as I whisper "two binkies" into his ear.  He loves his bedtime routine: song, prayer, and two binkies.

When he gets really mad at me, he spits.

He likes to snack all day long.  My mom calls it "grazing."  He will ask for a yogurt, eat two bites of it, then ask for toast.  After a bite or two of that, he's ready to move on to an orange.  You get the idea.  If I let him, he would do that all day!

He loves to count things.  "One, two, twee, four!  One, two, twee, four!"  etc. etc.

I love the way he switches around his sentences.  "Read it, book!" or "goose it, orange!"  You notice that everything he says ends with an exclamation point.  And if I don't respond correctly, he will repeat it indefinitely.

He will repeat anything his siblings tell him to say.  One of their favorites right now is "Gomp-eye!"  No idea what that means or how to spell it, but its what the minions say on Despicable Me.  His brothers think it is hilarious!

And you can tell he has older brothers.  He loves anything that has to do with bodily functions.  Toot and poop are two of his favorite words.

Nothing is safe from him.  He will find candy no matter where it is hidden, or how high up it is placed.  He comes out of a siblings room many times a day with his mouth full of candy.

He loves to swing on the "red swing" on the back porch.

He is definitely a boy.  He loves trucks, balls, and destroying things.  But lately he also loves to carry around these cute little stuffed puppies and take care of them.  Or when he's at his friend Anna's house, he will carry a baby doll in one hand and a car in the other.

He likes to cuddle with me.  Thank goodness!  I'm really going to have to fight the urge to treat him like a baby forever.

I'm so happy to have my sweet little Eli!

Qualumby

It's a new word that Josh made up.  It looks a little something like this:

The other day Josh and I were on the hammock, eating pecans and oranges, enjoying the beautiful weather.

I commented that it was such a great feeling- being outdoors, soaking in the beauty of nature.  Josh put it in more technical terms.  "It's actually vitamin D that you are absorbing from the sunshine."

Somehow, that explanation didn't fit the beauty of the moment for me.  "No, no,"  I clarified.  "It's more than good for my body, it's nourishing to my soul."

"Ya, mom.  That's because vitamin D makes you feel happy."

I told him that such a medical description just didn't describe what I was feeling.

"Ok," he finally relented. "We will make up a special word for it.  How about QUALUMBY?"

So that is what we have been calling it.  When I need a little time outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery, I need a little qualumby.

Thanks, Josh, for keeping it magical for me!

Life

Here is a little glimpse of what has been going on around here lately:

The Gilbert temple is finished!!  We have been looking forward to this for years!
We all went together (minus Eil, that is) for a tour during the open house.
It was so beautiful.

Becca went to her first formal dance.  It was "mormon winter formal."
Kami came to help her get ready, since I was directing a choir that evening.
Such a good-looking couple!  (Her date was Scottie Brown)

Savannah had her first club volleyball tournament.  She played amazing!!  The girl can jump!

Caleb is a dedicated scouter, and I love it!  I really, really love the scouting program.
He earned his Life this month, and has a goal to get his Eagle before he turns 14.

Josh, as always, taking his basketball very seriously!  It's so fun to watch his games.
I swear he improves from week to week!

Jonah's first pinewood derby!  He designed it himself, and did most of the work on it!
It was a lightning bolt, inspired by his recent love of "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief."

Simon turned 5 years old!  He requested that we all wear costumes to the party.

Cute little Eli.  I don't think any of the boys have escaped this.
Getting dressed up is one of the "perks" of having olders sisters.

Savannah had her first family photo shoot.  She got some great shots!
I think it helps to have such a darling family as your subject.