2 1/2 Year Post

Mommy has reached a new level of posting late.  Here we are six weeks late, but this is my last Eli update in this form (I am going to change it up for the three year post), so I hated to skip the last one.  I know it's a little ridiculous, but Mommy is a creature of habit, and old habits die hard.  I actually have had the whole thing written, it was just a matter of getting my camera cord out of my school bag to actually upload the photo!  Better (six weeks) late than never I suppose!

Eli, Mommy and Daddy never thought we could love you more, but you tighten the grips on our hearts a little more each day.  You make us so proud, and we love your curiosity, laughter, and spirit.  We pray each day that you will love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that you will be bold for Him in your life.  I pray that you are always as loving towards others as you are now!  We love you, Eli Taff!

News headlines: North Korea and their nucs,  crazy man in Mommy's hometown shoots a bus driver and takes a kindergartener hostage for a week in his underground bunker, Lance Armstrong admits to doping while competing professionally, a meteorite hits Russia.

Milestones:  You are semi-potty trained (at school anyway).  Very little interest in that at home...there's no peer pressure here!  You are learning your colors.  You will pull/push anything you can to climb up and get whatever you need.  You know where all of our extended family is (Ginny/Pops and Katie-beach, Nana/Puddin-Dofan, Tia/Clark/Mannie-Texas, Z-Carolina, Uncle Brian-Jersey, Jam-mama-With Jesus).  You have an incredible memory from past events.  You think anytime we go to Publix we are going to your friend Abigail's house (she lives near Publix).  You point out where Santa Clause sat when we go to your friend Kherington's house. You know the way to church and to "Eli's church" (what you call your daycare).  You like to brush your own teeth, pick out your own clothes, and attempt to dress yourself. 

Measurements:  Size 5 diapers, size 2T clothes (although some of the pants are a little loose/long), size 7 shoes, 34" tall, 29ish lbs

Favorite toys/games: You still love a good game of chase.  You love to run and jump.  You love sotter, football, and bassetball.  You love trains (you will put various objects in a line and call it a train).  You love reading.  Mommy tracks while she reads to you and you've started to do this.  You love your safari animals you got for Christmas.  You love stickers and singing songs.

Words:  Yes!  You are very conversational, although you take a little bit to warm up to new people/places.  You also know and sing several songs!  You know your ABCs, and recognize some letters.  You can count to 14 consistently, but often have trouble with 15, 16, 17.  I love to hear you say your name, "Eli Charles Taff!"

Challenges: Potty training and you've been known to throw a tantrum or two

Our Days:  We wake you up at 7am on school mornings, and this has become such a battle.  You are a sleepy head and fight us on everything - getting dressed, brushing teeth, breakfast, shoes, etc.  We are out the door no later than 7:30.  If Mommy picks you up, I get you you no later than 4:30.  If Daddy doesn't have soccer then he gets you no later than 3:30.  After school we have a snack and play.  Then when Mommy starts to make dinner I get the stool out, and you cook ABCs on the counter and mix things in bowls!  You have a bath about every other night, and usually it's Daddy who does this.  Bedtime is around 9.  You still nap at least 2 hours a day at school.  On the weekends you will sleep until 8, sometimes even 9 am!

Funny/Favorite Moments:

Mommy's Favorite:  Living life with you!  I love to watch you play and explore.  I love the questions you ask.  I love to watch you run through the house.  I love that you love to snuggle with Mommy at the end of each day.  It's our time.
Daddy's Favorite:  I haven't said much about this on the blog, but on Christmas Eve we lost Wesley's grandmother, "Jam-mama", as Eli called her.  Of all of the great-grandparents Eli has known in his life, she was probably the one he was closest to because she was in town and we saw her multiple times a week.  Eli knows that "Jam-mama" is in heaven, and if you ask her where she is he will tell you, "with Jesus."  We haven't used the "d" (died) word with him, but "with Jesus" seems to be in acceptable answer for him.  A few weeks ago, we went to "Jam-mama's" house to unlock it for a cousin who was going to take her washing machine.  Eli ran through the house looking for "jam-mama" and calling her name.  It was very bittersweet for us.  We want Eli to remember her and how much she loved him, so we happy to know that, for now, he does.  At the same time it was a little sad because he didn't quite understand why he couldn't see "Jam-mama".  She would have LOVED that he ran through the house looking for her (and then would have told EVERYONE about it)!  We are certain she is telling everyone in heaven about Eli! : )

Upcoming Events: a lot of "hometown" activities coming up, Spring break trip to the beach, and Easter!

I love looking at the growth pictures side by side!  I can't believe how grown my little man is! : )

1 1/2 to 2 1/2

And,
 1 yr, 1 1/2, 2, and 2 1/2

Ditto (A Link to Read)

My sister is 18 mths younger than me and lives way too far away.

My sister and I with our babies in Auburn - October 2011.

Madelyn and Eli

She is also smarter than me.  I told my sister to blog yesterday, and I was really hoping for some cute pictures/stories of my niece, Madelyn (still waiting on that post, Cait).  She said this instead (seriously, go read it).  Can I just say, "ditto" (because what took her, I'm sure, only a second to type out, would have taken me most of the evening...in fact, this post took way too long too).

I'm really just hoping people go back to the random stuff they post on Facebook soon so that I can once again enjoy my cyber stalking! : )

Pompano Beach - Day 2

 Day 2 in Pompano wasn't quite as warm, only in the mid 70s as opposed to the upper 80s, but it was MUCH LESS windy.  It was nice to be sand blasted while playing on the beach.

Daddy and Eli played in the water and jumped some waves.

What's a trip to the beach without someone getting put in a hole?

 After hours of playing in the water and digging holes, Eli decided he was ready to G-O!  He led us back to the room for lunches and naps.

After nap we went back on the beach and played some "sotter".  Sotter on the beach, doesn't get much better than that for my boys.

 I loved Eli's new little spring/summer outfit and tried to get some cute pictures of him before dinner.  This was as good as it got.

Pompano Beach - Day 1

After my Color Me Rad 5k experience (and a shower), we hopped in the car and made the long journey down to south Florida.  We made it to Pompano Beach about 11 p.m. that night and went straight to bed.  Wesley's mom and sister also have the same Spring Break, so we're doing a big family vacation this year!

Sunday morning we got up and Eli was anxious to check out his new surroundings.

 Sunday was definitely our warmest day for the week - highs of 89!  The cold front that is attacking the rest of the country is definitely affecting south Florida too.  Sunday was a gorgeous and warm day, but it was also VERY breezy.  30+ mph winds make it difficult to truly enjoy the beach, but we sure tried!

Loving my new monogrammed baseball hat...thanks Ginny!

Check out Wesley's awesome PE coach tan.

Love my boys!

Strong boys!

Eli had a busy day on the beach.  He enjoyed digging holes,

eating lots of 'nacks,

 and taking advantage of all that wind by flying a kite (thanks Puddin"!).

What a handsome guy!

Eli was very serious about learning to fly a kite! : )

The wind had blown sand EVERYWHERE, so a bath was definitely necessary before nap and supper.

 For supper, Eli went with Momma and the girls to get pizza and ice cream, while Daddy and Pops went to the Miami Heat game in town that night.  It was such a fun day and we all definitely slept well Monday night!

Color Me Rad 5k

Yesterday was the first official day of Spring Break 2013!  Instead of sleeping in, we got up about the same time as a typical work day so that I could run the Color Me Rad 5k in Columbus with a group of friends from church!

Our group ranged from serious runners to first time 5kers.  I feel somewhere in between.  We also got together one night last week for pizza and tutu (or three-three as Eli says) making.  If that doesn't sound like an awesome girls night, I don't know what does!?

In case you're not familiar with 5k races like Color Me Rad or the Color Run, you begin the race (with 4,500 other racers in my case) in a plain white tee and awesome glasses to protect your eyes.  At each kilometer marker you're pelted with pink, purple, green, blue, and yellow color.  Just before crossing the finish line you're given your own color bomb to blitzkrieg your friends with.

Note:  All of my pictures are snagged from other people's iPhones.  I didn't bring anything with me, but some people, cleverly, had their phones in Ziploc bags while they ran.

Here is our group around 7 am in downtown Columbus.

Jenna, Amanda, Mallory, and I BEFORE

And, now, the AFTER shots!

This definitely goes down in the books as the best 5k ever.  The atmosphere was so much fun, the course was really beautiful (and flat) through historic downtown neighborhoods and finished along the river,  we got to get dirty, and although it wasn't timed, I'm thinking it was probably my fastest 5k.  Right around 30 minutes.

I think this is my favorite picture from the day.  It sums it all up.

My teacher friends and I!

 

 Wesley and Eli came to the finish line and Eli was NOT SO SURE about all of the chaos.  He stayed in Daddy's arms.  He just stared at Mommy...wouldn't talk to me, kiss me, or even hold my hand!  Later (after a shower), he told I was a mmMess!

Color Me Rad was the perfect way to kick off Spring Break 2013!

Thunder in the Valley Air Show

 We had a very fun few days over the weekend.  The party started early when Nana drove up to let Eli play hookie on her day off (more to come on their activities).  On Friday Puddin' drove up after work, and Coach got another victory with his team.

Saturday morning Wesley and I ran the SMA Eat 'n Run 5k.  Wesley ran this one with me at my pace, and I'm so glad he did.  We ran around a bunch of neighborhoods near Columbus State University and the hills there were a BEAST.  Around 1.5 miles I was really hating myself for volunteering to do such a thing.  But, we made it.

My Garmin time was actually 33:17.  Despite the satanic hills, I shaved about a minute off my time and have a new personal best (I know, I know...not really very fast).

After the 5k we got ready to head to the Thunder in the Valley Air Show.  We had a really great time!  Eli's opinion of the airshow was it was LOWD!

 Of course we had to take pictures in front of the "Aubie airplane"!

We're walking around looking at planes and hear shouts from high school girls of "Coach Taff!"  Those soccer girls are everywhere!

This pretty much sums up the show.  Dad took pictures.  Eli snuggled up to Mom and kept his hands over his ears! haha!!

This lady is cRaZy!  No amount of money would have gotten me up there.

We had a terrific time, and after so much cold, wind, and rain, it was really nice to have some sunshine!  I think I'm even one shade less pasty.

The air show ended with fire and fast cars.  Wish I had pictures of that.  It was awesome!  : )

 

It was a fun weekend, and we loved spending time with Nana and Puddin'!