Eli... My Little Stinker!

The other day while picking the Red's up from school, one of the teachers wondered over to me and said "I have a story for you".
With a *sigh*, I said, "alright, let's hear it".

Laughing a bit she tells me that While in class that day Eli was a bit squirrely and so she had him some and sit on the floor in front of the class with two others that had gotten in trouble.
After a few minutes passed, she walked up to the first two students and asked them if they were ready for their second chase.  They both looked at her and said "yes". 
Then she made her way over to Eli and asked him if he was ready for his second chance.  Eli looked up at her and said "no, not yet".
She said it completely took her by surprise and she had to turn her head so she could laugh.

Guess you never know what Eli might say.....little stinker!

Eli at the Ballet Coppelia

Just an update to the Ballet Coppelia field trip with Eli's class.

Eli was so excited that he woke up himself bright and early and came and asked if he could get dressed.  So I got up and fixed his breakfast and then we assembled him nicely in his "handsome" clothes.

Then he asked if he looked like his daddy...too sweet!  Since he looked so handsome and dressed like his daddy, they wanted a picture taken together....both in their ties!

Sissy Lou saw the camera and came running....and had to have a picture too with Mr. Handsome.

Andrew was feeling a little left out so he jumped in for his picture moment as well!

I sent Eli on to school and told him I'd meet him at the Ballet later that day. 

When I arrived at the Fine Arts Center downtown, I walked out to meet the buses as they pulled up.  Out poured kids and I was handed the four that I would man for the day...3 boys and 1 girl. 

We marched inside in a straight line and headed straight for our seats.  Once seated we began our wait of 30 minutes until all the other schools loaded in.  By this time my rowdy boys were getting anxious and wiggling a lot!  One even told me that if they didn't start soon that he would be leaving. So of course I asked "how exactly are you going to get back to the school?", and with that he looks at me and says "on the bus" (Why didn't I think of that?) HA! 

Then it was time, time for the Ballet to begin and the roars of the children could probably be heard for a mile!  They were whooping and hollering and so excited!

I have to say, the Ballet Coppelia was very entertaining and captivated everyone in the room!  Eli even wants to go back and see the whole production.  We only saw Act II. 

Eli did decide that while he likes to watch the ballet (the girls in short skirts and tight, tight, tights) he would not like to be in the ballet....WHEW...close one!

However, I think he will be my artsy fartsy child...and I LOVE that!  He loves to sing and dance....at least I might have a chance of one of my children doing what I love to do....maybe......

This past weekend I sang at our church and the Red's were asking me why I did that and if it was hard.  I told them that I sang because that is the gift God had given me and I needed to use my gift to serve Him.  When I said that Andrew responded: "What's my gift?", and I told him that would be something he needed to figure out.  He then told me that he hoped God gave him the gift of being a scientist?

Eli got up and was walking off when he said "I want God to give me the gift of being a transformer". 

So maybe I will hold out hope a little longer for my little artist to appear ; )



Ballet???

Eli's kindergarten class will be attending the Ballet tomorrow for their field trip.  They were suppose to go in December to see the Nutcracker but we got snowed out.  So to make up for that missed trip they will now be seeing Coppelia.
I have assigned myself as a chaperon for this trip and I have to say I am pretty excited. 
I had the most awesome experience to perform with the Alabama ballet in the Merry Widow Opera when I was in College.  Singing wise...not dancing and background at that, but it still was so amazing to be part of such an amazing production.  I had a wig, costume and a "short" dancing scene with a lead character *gasp*!  Here's just a quick peek at what my outfit looked like...wig, makeup and ballgown.  Scene was set for Paris early 1900's.

This totally isn't what this blog was about, but I digressed!  Any who....Eli is so excited and the ballet has been all he could talk about since he got home from school.  He even helped me pick out his "handsome" outfit to wear and then questioned me on my attire.  So I let him also help and meet his approval with what I am going to be wearing.  At first he didn't like what I had picked and asked me if I had a princess dress to wear : )
Then he looks at my shoes and notices a pair flats that resemble ballet shoes (I guess).  He picked them up with such excitement and said "Mom, this is what the ballet people wear". 
From there he followed me from room to room explaining things about the ballet to me *chuckle*...it was very cute and amusing.  They have really been discussing this a lot in class so they would know what to expect.
Next he started with the ballet dance moves and had to show me each one.  He jumped up in the air and turned around and said "see mom, they do the Mario move".  It was then that he said it....what every Mother/Father....um......never wants to hear......
"Mom, am I the best ballet dancer you've ever seen?"
So I swallowed my pride and answered: "yes son,.......just don't tell your daddy".  ; )
So here he is my handsome ballet dancer:

Up on his toes and everything! Hopefully I'll get a story out of this field trip tomorrow! 

The Dentist...

Yesterday was Sissy Lou's 18 month checkup and since she was sick I decided just to take her and just not get the shots.  Good thing I did because it turns out she has an ear infection.  Anyways, if you can remember from yesterday's post, the school had called off school due to snow, so I had all three kids with me..and that's what we call a NIGHTMARE!  Eli loves to be right in the middle of everything so I was constantly trying to deal with him, talk with the doctor and manage Sissy Lou.  Andrew was in a zombie like state of his own with his DS so I didn't have to worry about him.
Every time I leave the doc's office when I have the three of them with me I feel like I've been run over by a truck.  This time was no different!  I headed to the pharmacy to pick up Sissy Lou's meds and then we all went home.  I had forgotten however, that I had made dentist appointments for all three of them for that afternoon and it was way too late to cancel!  Not only did I have to stress through the doctors visit, now I had the added stress of the dreaded dentist visit!

Let me let you in on a little secret.....Eli hates the dentist, mainly because he is an extreme gagger.  He has a horrible, horrible gag reflex!  If the consistency on mash potatoes are just so, he gags with a mouth full.  Brushing his teeth he gags, too much in his mouth he gags....he is a gagger!  Which is never fun when you go to the dentist.
That afternoon we headed to the dentist.  Andrew was up first and ran right back and jumped in the chair and did his exam without incident.  Then it was Eli's turn....and I held my breath when they said they wanted to get some bite wing x-rays on him.  He went over to the x-ray machine and they tried repeatedly to get him to bite down on the x-ray film....and he gagged everytime! Poor little guy, he had tears streaming down his face! I guess you know that we didn't get those x-rays!

They bring Eli over to the dentist chair and you can tell he is dreading this. He begs me to hold his hand and right at that exact moment (just like on cue) Sissy Lou blows out her diaper (she's been sick remember so it's not the good blow out...it's a blow out that I have to take care of that instant).  So I tell Eli I'll be right back and head to the bathroom with her and when I return the dentist is almost finished cleaning his top teeth and that's when the gagging began and didn't stop until....HE THREW UP!  Oh yes, he threw up, from the tooth paste getting too far back in his throat. Nightmare!
I have to say that I was laughing, the dentist was laughing and the assistant was laughing. We couldn't help ourselves..the drama that Eli had created was almost too much to bare.  They even commented on the fact he was one of the worst gaggers they had ever seen..NICE!
Eli is absolutely having a melt down about the fact that he just threw up and they still have to clean his bottom teeth!
Finally I was able to calm him and the dentist was able to finish...and have him rinse out often!

I told the dentist that I wish I had a camera to record everything that happened in those ten minutes because there was no way I could retell it like it happened! 
The good news is that at least he didn't have any cavities, so we can wait 6 months before repeating the process ; )

I Have A Dream....

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As you are all aware we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day on January 17th.  Schools were not in session this day so when they returned the next day the teachers at the Red's school wanted to share the story of this special man and why we celebrate him.  Eli's teacher knew that it would be difficult to express to  kindergartners the greatness about Martin Luther King Jr. and how important his role was.  After she told them them about him, they all drew pictures and wrote something about him...or a dream they have.  Then to finish it up she showed them a short movie about Martin Luther King Jr. that was made just for kids.  At the end of the movie it told the kids about Dr. King being shot.  So this is Eli's recount of the events:

When Eli jumped into the car after school he was so excited!  He said "Mom, I had the most awesomest day today".  I replied "really, well tell me about it".
He was so happy to tell me the story he learned about Dr. King and he started with:
Eli: "We learned about Dr. Martin Loser King today"
Me: "Who did you say?"
Eli: "Dr. Martin Loser King, mom"
Me: "OH....Eli, it's Dr. Martin Luther King"
Eli: "No mom, it's Dr. Martin Loser King", "Yeah, he had a dream and someone didn't like it so they shot him".
Yes, I laughed, not at the story...but at the recount by Eli...and the fact that he couldn't say his name right.
Okay, well at least he kind of understood.......

Later that night he retold the story to Jesse and then said "I want to pray for Dr. Martin Loser King and ask Jesus to bring him back to life".  We told him that he would get to meet Dr. King one day in heaven. 
I have to say, it thrilled my heart to know that my son is color blind, and how that's how it should been for everyone.  How exciting to know that this generation is living Dr. King's dream!
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oh My Pancreas!

**Don't forget only TWO days left on the GIVEAWAY!  Contest ends on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.** http://thesargeof4.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-1st-giveaway.html

The other night while I was cooking supper, Eli decided to provide entertainment to me by jumping around and trying out some break dance moves.  As he flung himself into the air  I see that there is no way for him to land this outrageous move.  When I hear his body hit the hardwood floor with a thunk I gasp and asked him: "are you alright?".
He stands up, grabs his side and says in Eli style: "OH, MY PANCREAS!" 
I have to say this completely caught me off guard so I follow up: "......What did you say???"
Eli looks a bit puzzled by my question and says again "oh, my pancreas".....that's when the laughter hit....that's what I thought he said...but figured my ears were playing tricks on me!

Please keep in mind....He's only FIVE!

Eye Doctor....

The other day I had to take Eli to the eye doctor to get his eye exam for school.  I thought it best to schedule the appointment for after school so I set the time for 3:00. We arrived at 2:30....I figured early is good right?
Here's a few things you should know before I get into my story:
a) Sissy Lou missed her nap that day
b) please try and remember the eye drop story (http://thesargeof4.blogspot.com/2010/08/eye-drops.html )
c) I had all three kids with me without any help

Aren't you all feeling my pain....and at the same time wondering what the heck happened at the eye doctor to warrant a blog......and give me grey hair, wrinkles and a need for anxiety meds.....well then I will continue:
Arriving 30 minutes early turned out to be a mistake.  For some reason the Optometrist was backed up and we sat in the waiting room for 50 minutes.  Let me see if I can break things down...Sissy Lou was ill because...no nap, Andrew didn't want to be there because....it wasn't about him, and Eli was scared to death of the eye doctor because....of the blog above about the eye drops (http://thesargeof4.blogspot.com/2010/08/eye-drops.html)  you really need to read that one if you haven't, it will put things into perspective!
So Sissy Lou is pitching fit after fit, running around pushing every magazine on the floor that she can.  Andrew is whining..can we go now, and Eli is crying and putting himself in a frenzy about the eye drops.
We finally get called back (around 3:20) and get put into the little room.  Eli starts freaking out about not wanting to get into the chair, Sissy Lou wants to destroy my purse and Andrew is still whining...and wants to go. 
I put Sissy Lou on the floor with my wallet (her favorite thing to play with), I give Andrew my iPhone to play games (which the battery was almost dead) and I get in the chair with Eli.  The nurse does her little test and we are left to wait again while she gets the doctor.  The doc comes in and does his thing and now it was time for the dreaded eye drops.
*NOTE*:  It's probably a bad idea to tell your kids that your eyes will fall out and not work if you put eye drops in your eyes....here's one of those times that a previous statement comes back to bite you in the buttocks..AGAIN!
The Optometrist made a very wise choice and got the heck out of there (wish I could have joined) and left the dirty work to the nurse and her helper.
They leaned Eli back and tell him what they have to do and guess what Eli did......

SCREAM....and close his eyes so tight that they couldn't shove the eye drops in!  After a few attempts they exit and tell us we have to wait for 5 minutes to see if they eye drops got in.  Eli's crying, Sissy Lou's getting restless again, and Andrew is now upset because my phone has just died.  So to occupy his time Andrew jumps up and starts pressing the buttons on the chair that Eli is in.  It was right about that moment that I realized what it was like to be out numbered!  Up until this point I had never had all three kids acting like fools at the same time!  I couldn't help but think what the office staff thought about me and my parenting skills.  I felt doomed!!!!  They finally came back and decided to send us to another waiting room (I can't imagine why).....to wait to see if any of the eye drops made it in.

Sissy Lou is pitching her fits again, Andrew is still whining about wanting to go and Eli is still crying!  After I explain to him that we can go as soon as we can get the eye drops in he agrees to sit still. Fifteen minutes later they attempt to put another drop in and Eli sat so very very still!  Then.....we had WAIT again!!!! 

 Fifteen more minutes passed and now I'm ticked, frazzled, tired, and wanting to GO!  What in the world is taking so long I wondered?  They weren't busy, and they weren't friendly or sympathetic to my plight. And then it happened....the thing that always happens when you're not prepared, frazzled and feeling like the world's BEST parent....SISSY LOU POOPED!!!! That was it, I was done!  So I found the nurse and I said..."I've got to go"...it was now 4:15!  I think she saw the vein popping in my neck, eye twitching and realized that I WAS ABOUT TO BLOW!  She found the doctor and they finished the exam quickly and we got out of that place ASAP!

I can say that without a doubt...I will never, never, NEVER, take on the eye doc with all three of my nutty kids again!
The End!

Oh Where Is My Night Gown?

If any of you are Veggie Tale fans then you will know what song I am talking about immediately when I say: "Oh where is my hair brush" (you can watch the Veggie Tales clip here if you have no idea what I'm talking about and this whole thing will make a lot more sense!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm7r8RHfzeM&feature=player_embedded).  So for this blog I thought I'd change the lyrics a bit to suite the story......to...you guessed it..... "oh where is my night gown". 

Narrator: "Now it's time for silly songs with The Red's. The part of the show where The Red's come out and sing a silly song.

Our curtain opens as Grandma, having just finished her evening bath, is searching for her night gown. Having no success, Grandma cries out..."Oh, where is my night gown? Oh where is my night gown? Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where oh, where ... is my night gown?"
Narrator: "Having heard her cry, The Sarge enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of Grandma in a towel, Sarge regains her composure and reports ... "I think I saw your night gown back there on the bed!"
Grandma: "Back there is my night gown. Back there is my night gown. Back there, back there, oh, where, back there, oh, where, oh, where, back there, back there, back there ... is my night gown?"
Narrator: "Having heard her joyous proclamation, Grandman enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of Grandma in a towel, Grandman regains his composure and comments ... "Why do you need a night gown? You can sleep in the buff!"
Narrator: "Grandma is taken aback. The thought had never occurred to her. No night gown? What would this mean? What will become of her? What will become of her night gown? Grandma wonders ... "No one cares for my night gown. No one cares for my nightgown. No one cares, no one cares, nowhere, no one cares, no one cares, no one cares, no where back there, no one cares... for my night gown."
Narrator: "Having heard her wonderings, Eli, one of the Red's, enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of Grandma in a towel, Eli regains his composure and confesses ... "Grandma, that silky pink night gown of yours ... Well, Sissy Lou was cold and you don't really need it. So, well, I'm sorry ... I didn't know. But I gave it to Sissy Lou 'cause she's got no blanket!"
Narrator: "Feeling a deep sense of loss, Grandma stumbles back and laments..."
Grandma: "Not fair! Oh, my night gown. Not fair! My poor night gown. Not fair, not fair, no one cares, not fair, nowhere, no one cares, not fair ,not fair, not fair! My silky pink night gown!"
Narrator: "Having heard her lament, Sissy Lou enters the scene. herself in a towel, both Grandma and Sissy Lou are shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of each other. But recognizing Grandma's generosity, Sissy Lou is thankful ..."
Sissy Lou: "ysajdll atlke bloow suej"  baby talk for: "Thanks for the blanket/night gown."
Narrator: "Yes, good has been done here. Sissy Lou exits the scene. Grandma smiles, but, still feeling an emotional attachment for her night gown, calls out ... "Take care of my night gown. Take care, of my night gown. Take care, take care, don't dare not care. Take care. Some one cares. No fair. Take care, take care ... of my night gown."
Narrator: "The end!"


Okay, if you are completely lost....here's the story in a nut shell:

Grandma and Grandman came up to visit for Thanksgiving.  The first night grandma was getting ready for bed and pulled out her silky pink night gown and robe and laid it on the bed (she's old school and has to sleep in a night gown every night).  She was distracted and ended up staying up a while longer talking.  I had put Sissy Lou to bed earlier and the Red's were running around playing.  When it was time for everyone to go to bed Grandma couldn't find her night gown.  She swore she had laid it on the bed with her robe.  The robe was still there...well it had been thrown around a little, but it was still there.  So the search was on for Grandma's night gown.  I searched every where...behind the bed, under the bed, closets, drawers...every where.  Finally I decided that I would question the Red's....because we all know they are sneaky little boogers.  I pulled Andrew to the side first and he looked clueless so I moved on to Eli....who didn't look so clueless....but also looked a little confused.  I said "Eli tell mommy the truth...you are not in trouble....we just need to find Grandma's night gown". He still looked confused and it was then that the thought occurred to me...it was pink....I bet he thought it was a blanket...so I follow up with "you know, the pink blanket that was on your bed".  With that he tilts his head to the side (signature Eli) and says "OH YEA...I gave it to Sissy Lou". 
So I went into Sissy Lou's room (the one place I didn't look) only to find the night gown lying over the sleeping Sissy.
And that is the story of the missing night gown...mystery solved!

A Day At The Farm!

On Sunday we decided to take a drive out to one of the farms Jesse hunts to check on the ponds.  Thanksgiving day is opening season for duck hunting around here and most of the ponds are low.  Jesse wanted to check out the prime locations to see how they were doing.  So I gathered all our gear (boots and camera) and headed out the door. 
When we arrived Jesse pulls up to gate and says "you're going to have to open a few gates for us to drive through". 
Something happened at this very moment that I like to refer to as a brain fart.  You know when you just can't get your brain in gear....like it's working a good minute behind you.  A task so simple all of a sudden becomes mind boggling......
I look at him and say "well, how am I suppose to get through the fence?"...and with a chuckle and a smirk wide across his face Jesse looks at me and says "I guess you will have to do some problem solving".

So with my brain still working a good minute behind, I jump out of the truck, walk over to the fence, unlatch it, watch Jesse drive through, and then I shut the gate behind him.  Only problem is that I am still on the opposite side....so I did what he told me too...I problem solved by climbing the fence....BRAIN FART!

Yes, yes I realized as I was in mid straddle that I could have just walked through the gate and closed it on the other side....but I was already half way over and committed! 

I hung my head low because I knew the minute I got back in the car the blow was coming.  So I swung open the door and before I could be made fun of, I made fun of myself (best defense ever)!  Jesse was doubled over laughing with disbelief at what he had just witnessed! His pour blond wifey!

We managed to press on and drive up to the next gate (which I mastered)

but there was something blocking the road:

and they weren't budging!  Finally after honking and driving up close to them they started to dis ban! 

It was at this point that I turned around to realize that I had indeed forgot something...something very important!  ELI IS TERRIFIED OF COWS!  Don't ask me why...but they freak him out!  At least he didn't do the ugly cry......so I urged Jesse to move on quickly!

We arrived at the desired pond only to realize that it was down about 3 feet. 

We jumped out of the car and the kids (including Jesse) strapped on their boots.  I grabbed my camera and we walked down to the waters edge.  Eli ran ahead with Jesse, but Andrew stayed with me and became fascinated with a very large stick. 

He stuck it in the water and stepped forward to smush it down good.  This is about the point that he realized that his right foot was STUCK! 

 Being the good mom that I am I began snapping away pictures.  He turns and says "mom, I'm really stuck"...so I should have put the camera down to help right?  Well I didn't because I was too busy CRYING LAUGHING!!!  The harder he tried to release his foot the more he got stuck.  Then he completely lost his balance and made a huge step with his left foot and was now lodged in the muck almost doing the splits!  

So did I help....nope, I couldn't see because of the tears and snot laugh that had taken over my body!

When I went to help him out finally I noticed one thing...guess who forgot their boots...ME!  It was only when the mud started seeping through my shoes that I realized my error!

So because Andrew looked like this:

I made him stripe before getting into the car.....I mean come on....I know what that mud is....cow poop!

He's going to kill me for these pictures one day!
So that sums up our day at the farm...brain farts, gates, fear of cows, mud sinking and of course SNOT LAUGHING!!!!

The Truth And Nothing But The Truth

I was out the other night and left Jesse on kid detail.  I have said this before and I'll say it again...I can always count on a blog after Jesse watches the kids.  Don't know why, but it never fails.  So below is the recounted story from Jesse to me:
Jesse was upstairs getting Sissy Lou ready for bed when he heard a loud crash.  Immediately he knew that a window had been hit.  He jumped up and ran downstairs only to find the Red's scampering away.  Jesse looked at the windows to make sure they were still in tact...and they were, but there was something lying on the floor next to the windows.  I'll give you a guess...I blogged about it a few weeks ago....A SMALL WOODEN BASEBALL BAT!

I'm assuming that the talk we had with them on that day had slipped their minds!  Anyways, Jesse looks over at the Red's and says: "Alright, what happened?".
Andrew: "Eli did it"
Jesse: "Eli, what did you do?"
Eli: "I didn't do nothing daddy"
Jesse: "Eli, I heard something and I know you did something....so what is it?"
Eli:  "Um, maybe it was a bird that flew into the window?"
Jesse: "Eli, you need to tell daddy the truth"
Eli: "Um, maybe the bat flew itself over and hit the window"
Jesse: "Eli, you had better tell me the truth right now, when you lie you get into trouble, but if you always tell daddy the truth you will not get into trouble...do you understand?"
Eli: "yes sir"
Jesse: "Alright then, tell me what happened"
Eli: "well....I threw the bat and it hit the window"
Jesse: "thank you for telling the truth...because you told the truth you will not get into trouble"

This all has a point...just bare with me a moment!

A little while later.......
Jesse tells the Red's to come up and get into the tub.  After a few minutes he goes into the bathroom to check on the progress of them bathing themselves (which usually takes forever)!  When he opens the bathroom door he sees that they have indeed washed everything but themselves.  The bathroom was drenched in water....it was all over the floors, the walls, the vanity...EVERYWHERE!
What you have to understand is that we have had this same conversation with them a million times... "DO NOT SPLASH THE WATER OUT OF THE TUB"!  I even quit letting them take a bath together for a while to remedy the problem.....now back to the story:
So again Jesse looks at the Reds and says:

"Alright...WHO DID IT?"
and with that Eli jumps up and raises his hand as high as he can and says
"IT WAS ME DAD, I DID IT"

Don't you hate when previous lessons come back to bite you in the buttocks! 
Smart Boy!

Mr. Casanova!

Today was the first field trip for Eli's K-5 class and he was so excited.  It was at the pumpkin patch and the kids were running like crazy!  There was a corn maze, hay ride, pumpkin picking, and a petting zoo.  We had so much fun....but Eli had a little bit more fun than most.

At the end of the day we made our way around to the petting zoo.  After the kids were tired of feeding the animals they started acting like animals.  Eli zoomed past me to catch up with some of his buddies that were hanging out in the gazebo.  I was busy talking with his teacher to pay attention to what he was up to.  All of a sudden he calls out "Hey mom" and I turn to look and this is what I see:
Eli has his arms around a girl in his class and the girl has her arms around Eli.  They looked almost like they were slow dancing.   Eli's look on his face said it all, and it pretty much read "mom, check this out"......and with that the little girl laid a big kiss on my sweet little innocent boy (well maybe not so innocent, but still).  He didn't seem to mind so much, but the shrill scream of "ELI" that came out of me scared the fire out of his teacher.  I regained myself and said "Eli, I don't think that, that is such a good idea".  His teacher looks over and realizes what was going on.....my boy was making out with a girl in a gazebo on a K-5 field trip.  Good thing she has  a good sense of humor and went to break up the love fest. 
I just was.....shell shocked.....
First Andrew feeling up the teachers and now Eli making out with students in kindergarten...we will be kicked out of school for sure!
FYI.....It really wasn't that bad...and I may have elaborated just a bit (there was no love fest or making out, just a little necking...see I just can't stop).....but it sure was funny!

Eagle Eye's Jesse

 We had our Worship Team Renewal this weekend so I was not home Friday night or most of the day Saturday.  Jesse was home three-deep in kids and trying to maintain the house at the same time.  There is one thing that I can count on when I am away for an extended amount of time and that is....my next BLOG POST.  It never fails, whenever Jesse is home with the kids, there will always be a story to write!
When I returned home late Saturday I was pooped.  I was emotionally drained from a great renewal time with the Worship team so all I wanted to do was crash out on the couch.  When my feet hit the doorway Payton ran over to me with a black marker in her hand.  I took it away and asked where she got it.  Jesse looked puzzled and said he didn't know.  I was too tired to investigate any further so I let it go.   Jesse immediately grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen and started pointing out what he had done while I was gone.  "See.......I did the dishes and unloaded the dish washer, aren't you so happy with how wonderful I am *grin*".  I thanked him for what he had done and made my way to the couch.

Only when I sat down my eyes were immediately drawn to something etched on the couch cushion.  I looked at the cushion then glanced back at Jesse and then back to the cushion.  Then I asked "so......have you been watching the kids?". 

Jesse:  "YES Joy, I have been playing with them all day, they haven't left my sight". 

Joy:  "Then did you see that Eli wrote his name on the couch cushion with black marker?"

Jesse:  "what?  You're kidding......where?"

Then I showed him Eli's name that he had printed on the couch cushion in BLACK MARKER!

While we were looking at it somehow my mom sense kicked in and my eye caught another "Eli" printed on the ottoman:

Then......I started looking for them, and somehow they just kept popping up:

Jesse was laughing a little and he kept saying "I promise, I was with them all day, he must have just done it in the last 5 minutes". 

As I'm looking for more "Eli's" Jesse calls Eli in the room.  When he appears I see more of his artwork on...HIM!

He even managed to write "E  l   i"  across his face.....E on one cheek...l on the other cheek and i on his chin.

So much for crashing on the couch....it was time to get busy scrubbing "ELI" off EVERYTHING!

Attack of the Hummingbird

The other night Jesse and the Red's were out side playing and left the garage door open.  It had gotten dark so Jesse was trying his best to corral the Red's inside.  He got them both in the garage and was just about to shut the garage door when I spotted two hummingbirds trapped inside the garage.  I yelled out for him to stop so we could try and get these things outside.  I decided the best idea was to get the Red's inside because they were yelling so loud at the hummingbirds and scaring them to death....not to mention Belle jumping around trying to snag one out of the air.

I manage to get Andrew inside and we were working on getting Belle and Eli in when Jesse grabs a broom.  Jesse then starts to tap on the railings for the garage door trying to scare the birds down.  Eli had just about made it to the landing of the top of the stairs when all of a sudden the hummingbirds start flying toward the door.  I knew what a nightmare it would be trying to get these birds out of the house so I made the quick decision to shut the door.  What I didn't factor in was how much Eli was going to freak out because of this tiny little bird.
All of a sudden I hear this loud deafening scream...AHHHH, AH, AH, AH, AH!!!!!!!  So I open the door and Eli is standing there hands full of his toys, hands clinched tight around them, tears streaming, and eyes closed screaming as loud as he could.  I looked at him and asked, "Eli, what's wrong with you?".  He replies: "THE BIRDS ARE GOING TO GET ME...SOB, SOB, SOB!!!".

Yes, the hummingbirds were going to attack Eli.......hummingbirds....the smallest birds on the planet......yep......that's what induced so much fear that caused a major freak out for Eli!

As I am dealing with him I happened to look up in the hall way and see that one of the hummingbirds managed it's way inside our house and now we had to make sure it didn't get out of the hallway.  Eli looked up and saw the dangerous man eating bird, dropped everything in his hands and ran away as fast as he could screaming like something was going to get him.

Laughing, I called Jesse inside because he was still trying to get the other bird out of the garage.  He grabbed his fishing net and we were able to successfully extract the bird. 
Whew, another life saved at the Richardson household!
Unfortunately, Eli will be forever scarred by a......HUMMINGBIRD!

Happy 5th Birthday Eli!

Five years ago today we welcomed Elijah Lon Richardson into this world at a whopping 5 lbs 3oz and things have never been the same since! 
My pregnancy with Eli was the hardest pregnancy out of the three kids.  Early on I started having bleeding and contractions.  When I went to get this checked out we learned that Eli was in fact a twin!  The twin did not survive and we lost the baby early on, but Eli thrived!  Can you imagine two of Eli running around...wow...that's a thought!
At that same time they also noticed that I had a Septate Uterus which means that my uterus has a septum in it that makes it two uterus.  (My goal in this blog is to see how many times I can type uterus).  This means that my babies only have half the room to grow and explained why Andrew was born so early.  Also explained my miscarriage of Eli's twin.  Anyways, enough of the uterus lesson...now onto Eli's life!
So because of this complication it caused me to contract all the time and eventually at 20 weeks I was put on permanent bed rest because things had started to change down there : )
A pump was placed in my leg that pumped continuous drugs into me to prevent me from contracting.  Add to that a weekly shot in my rump and monitoring twice a day with Andrew running around and you have a picture of what my pregnancy looked like.

At 37 weeks to the day I was allowed to remove the pump and at 2:00 that morning I went into labor.  Jesse told me to go back to bed that it was all in my head, so I went to the couch and timed my contractions.  At 5:00 I went and woke him up and told him I was really in labor and off to the hospital we went.  When we arrived I found out that not only was I in labor, but I was already 6 cm dilated...yikes!  No wonder I was hurting...stupid Jesse ; )

After a long hard pregnancy on bed rest we were greeted with Eli after 1 1/2 pushes!  That's why I like having little babies ; )  He has added so much to our lives and makes us laugh daily!  We love you Eli...HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

The Cut Shirt

Okay, I have to be really careful typing shirt over and over!


Yesterday while sitting in the carpool line at school, I was greeted by the art teacher who came to my car.  She wanted to tell me what had happened that day in art class with Eli.  She said that she had introduced scissors to the class and they were cutting out shapes and gluing them on a collage.  Eli is no stranger to scissors.  He was in pre-school last year and he has scissors at home (which I have confiscated because he likes to cut bags of chips open).


She went on to tell me that Eli did a great job with cutting out his shapes and she gave him much praises for this.  However, when she turned her back to help with the other children Eli decided he was bored with cutting shapes from the paper and moved on to his shirt.   I was thinking that it was no big deal, maybe a little slit in the bottom of the shirt.  Only when I turned to see Eli sitting there in his seat I noticed his belly showing.  Yea, it wasn't just a little cut...it was a GAPING HOLE!  He's an artist, what can I say?

So, Eli got his first note home yesterday for his actions that I had to sign and return so it could be put in his permanent folder.  It's going to be an interesting year!

Eli and The Busted Lip

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Eli.  Eli was a very active boy who loved to play.  He would play anywhere he could.  In his house, outside, at school and even in the bathtub.  Eli's mommy and daddy warned Eli about playing in the bathtub though because it could be very dangerous.  Sometimes Eli didn't listen and would play in the bathtub anyways. 
One night after Eli and his brother Andrew were done with their bath they decided to play in the tub.  Eli's mommy came into the bathroom and told them that they were going to get hurt if they played in the tub.  She then got Andrew out of the tub and started drying him off.  Next it was Eli's turn, but before his mommy could get him out he had decided to do a funny trick.  When Eli started acting silly to do his trick he slipped and fell.  Eli hit the side of the tub with his mouth and busted his lip.  It hurt really really bad and he cried and cried.  Eli's mommy could tell that his tooth had gone all the way through his lip and she knew she had to take him to the doctor.  Eli was very sad because he thought he was going to have to get stitches.
Eli didn't understand why his mommy couldn't go to the doctor store and buy stitches and do the job herself.  After seeing the doctor though he found out that he didn't have to get any stitches.  He was very happy about this!
Eli decided after busting his lip that he wouldn't play in the bathtub anymore.......until the next night at least!

Mr. Elmer...the glue

They're BACK....The Red's are back....feeling 100% back...and ready for TROUBLE!

Yesterday evening I was trying my hardest to get everything done....you know...dishes from supper, baths for kids, getting clothes set out for the next day.  After supper things get a little crazy around here.  Anyways, as I was walking from the bedroom to the kitchen I see Eli dart and scamper around the corner.  I know my kids well....so I follow to find him, knowing he has done something or has gotten something he wasn't suppose to (a.k.a. Candy).  I called out for him and he stepped out into the hallway.  I asked what he had in his hands that were behind his back and he pulls out a HUGE bottle of Elmer's glue.  My heart skipped a quick beat and a little panicked I said "Eli, what did you do?".  With that he walks over and points to the fridge:

Eli has a girlfriend "Macy" who he adores.  They have been an item for a couple of years now and his eye has not strayed.  At Christmas, Macy's family had sent us a Christmas card and Eli confiscated it.  He has kept that card with her picture on it this whole time.  I didn't realize he still had it until I saw it GLUED to my fridge!!!  Yep...GLUED!  He couldn't have asked for a magnet or even tape...nope, he used GLUE!

So I chuckled under my breath and made him clean it off (which surprisingly he is very good at).  I get back to work trying my best to get everything ready for the next morning when I pass by Jesse's shoes in the hall way.  Upon walking in the door everyday, Jesse kicks off his dress shoes and leaves them by the back door.  I just happened to see a familiar white substance puddled inside the shoe. 

Again, my heart skipped a beat and I called for Eli. 

I asked "Eli, did you put glue inside daddy's shoes?".  He said "yeah"....like no big deal mom.  So I engage him more..."Eli, why did you put glue in daddy's shoes?".  He looked up at me with these big puppy dog eyes and said "because I didn't want daddy to go to work".  Yeah, I couldn't punish him after that line!  Little Weasel!

 I sent him on his way and started cleaning up the glue in the shoe...then I lifted up the shoe to get inside it.  This is when I just laughed out loud! 

 He had glued the shoes to the floor...he really didn't want his daddy going to work...that or he just played the best prank EVER!

After cleaning up ALL the glue I went into the boys room and said "Eli, is there anything else that you glued today?".....and with his simplicity he answers "yeah, right there"  and points to his wall.  He glued his picture that he had made in school to the wall! 

So now,  Elmer the glue has joined his buddy super glue in his hiding place, never to be seen or found until they have both dried up!

Relentless

I know that the last few post have been about Payton, but the Red's have been down and out.  They both had a fever virus last week and so they haven't gotten into trouble!  Payton on the other hand has been filling their shoes quite nicely.

Right on the heels of the fever virus, Eli also caught the stomach bug that has been going around.  So the other night he started throwing up like crazy plus another fever.  He was really hurting and crashed out on the couch.  Jesse got him something to drink and decided to put it in one of Payton's sippy cups so he could just lay there with it. 
Payton had followed Jesse into the kitchen and saw him with the sippy cup in his hand.  Then she saw him fill it up.  Pure joy filled her soul and she started smiling, dancing around and holding her hands in the air grabbing for it.  Jesse walked right past her and handed the drink to Eli.  When this happened Payton's world collapsed.  Her face immediately turned from the happy smiling baby to mouth open wide, tears streaming and a flop to the floor.  She then collected herself and ran over to the couch where Eli was lying (sick as a dog) and got as close as she could to him.  Then she started yelling at him....right in his face....and trying to steal his sippy cup.  She was relentless in her pursuit.  She pulled herself up on the couch and tried to dive bomb him.  Try to imagine Eli just passed out and Sissy in his face screaming AAHHHH, AAAHHHHH, AAAHHHHHH!!!!  After getting her another sippy cup she finally calmed down, but she still wasn't happy that Eli had one of her cups.  Little Stinker!

And just to let you all know.......we had to call poison control for Payton again the other night.....this time it was sun screen.  She was fine, but the bottle said to call if ingested...so we called....again!  This makes #4!