practice makes perfect

One early February day, I thought it would be fun to try ice skating.  I got Eli some skates last summer, so we dusted them off and headed to the Maple Grove Community Center.  Grandma Pat and Grandpa Dobie came along.  Eli was all smiles prior to the event.  He knows what hockey is, so I think he was imagining himself playing a game while we were there.

 He wasn’t real sure, but did get the hang of walking in his skates pretty quickly. 

 Saying ‘hi’ to his brother on a little skating break.  He is such a great big brother.  Another kid was talking to him here, and he wants to make sure everyone knows Si is his brother.

 Eli did well on the ice, but he was quite discouraged.  Grandpa Dobie and I held his hands, and he stayed up well.  He watched as the big kids whizzed by, and of course wanted to do the same.  Afterwards he said, “I just can’t do it.”  I told him, that he can do it, but it takes lots of practice.  I’m not sure he’ll be up for practicing more this year, but we’ll try again next year.  He did muster a smile at the end.

 Silas’ new hobby is playing piano.  He can just reach the keys, and LOVES to pound away on it.  Lucky for us, he usually heads for the upper octaves.  Maybe we’ll try lessons next year :0). 

 Concentrating hard.

 So proud.

Si’s other latest trick is drinking out of the sippy cup.  I hadn’t really given him one yet, and one morning I walked into the living room to find this.  Guess we can skip the starter sippys and just use Eli’s.  As you can see….Eli shares well most of the time.

 Eli got some practice painting recently.  He picked out a birdhouse to paint from Michael’s.  He worked hard on it, and even did some interior painting on it.  I think the birds will like it in the spring.

 The finished product.

 

 

let’s pretend

Lately Eli is into pretending to be different animals or characters.   He’ll say out of the blue, “Eli be a lion,” etc.  He will growl and crawl around pretending to be a lion, or beg to have Mike or I hold his hand and skip around the house singing, “We’re off to see the Wizard…”  He recently pretended to be a lion at a holiday gathering where he loudly growled in the face of a 14 month old.  That didn’t go over so well.  On this day, he decided he wanted to be a ‘dino.’  

 

Silas pretending to be a MN fisherman. 

A month or so ago, Eli dressed up as a pirate and then came running into the living room saying, “I’m scared!”  I said, “of what?”  He said, “that guy,” and took off running to the hallway wall to show me his shadow.  Of course my camera flash ruined the shadow, but this was him staring at his shadow.  He wasn’t sure what to think.

My cute little pirate.

Eli pretending to be doing a little “work” wearing my work badge.

 

This is a silly picture.  I think Mike took it…..I’m not sure what was going on, but you can make up your own interpretation.  He keeps us smiling.

leg warmers and glasses

Some of my relatives accuse me of trying to make my boys into girls.  Well….I may stretch things a bit, but I don’t put them in dresses.  Silas is getting so good at pulling himself up.  It’s a whole new world for him, and he loves it.  Here he is in the play room.  I love the proud smile he gives us when we acknowledge him once he’s standing. (The leg warmers make diaper changes so much easier when we’re just bumming at home).

A very excited Silas.

Eli decided he wanted glasses.  We found an old pair of Dad’s and popped the lenses out.  He wore them for 2 days straight until they broke.  He looked like a real scientist with his animal shirt and glasses on.   He’s such a joy.

The boys can finally play/fight together…here’s one where they’re getting along well…

fun in the tub

One –20 degree January day(I’m almost caught up), we got a plastic tub out and filled it with water for water play.  The kitchen got a little wet, but we had fun.  Eli had fun finding toys to throw in. 

Eli checking to see if his animals sink or float.

Silas did a pretty good job reaching the toys. 

Eli loading up the squirt toy…

to give Si a little drink.

winter days

These winter days get long.  The boys go to daycare 1-3 days/week(depending on the week), so the other days Mike or I are home with them.  We both enjoy being able to stay home some, but these winters are just too long and cold.  The boys get tired of the same things, so I try to switch out their toys and find new activities. 

 

Silas has been eating some real foods for a month or two now.  It was slow going, but he’s on a roll now, and likes lots of foods.  He has 2 teeth to chew with, and is getting really good at feeding himself puffs and other finger foods.

We’ve been playing with Christmas toys, and one of the boys’ favorites is the slinky.  It’s all bent up and doesn’t walk down our stairs well, but the boys enjoy stretching it out and pulling it around the house.  Of course, Silas uses it as a teething ring.

 

Eli is still on his“The Wizard of Oz” kick.  Here he is showing me his “Ozma of Oz” book that aunt Sarah gave him.  He spent lots of time paging through it, though it doesn’t have many pictures.   He especially likes the wicked witch and knows many of her famous lines.

 

Reading to Si.

Daddy and Silas have spent some time watching football together.  Silas likes the T.V. a little more than I’d like.  Hopefully it’s just the football he likes.

I caught Silas red-handed playing in Ollie’s water bowl.  Somehow the things that are off limits don’t get old like toys do. 

Eli got some new safari stamps.  He loves animals about as much as “The Wizard of Oz.”  These kept him busy for quite a while one day.  When he got tired of stamping, he decided the stamping ink pad made a nice stamper :0).

Trying out Mom’s boots.

This is Eli’s medal.  He was looking for ‘courage’ one day, so Mom made a medal for him.  He proudly wore it for a few days(even to daycare).

 

Silas and Ollie are becoming good friends.  We’re lucky to have such a gentle giant dog.  Silas loves to pull Ollie’s hair, but now that Silas is crawling, he doesn’t spend too much time in one spot.

Silas on his way to daycare.  He is a much more content baby now that he can get where he wants and play with toys.   He’s such a smiley guy.