Eli's Nine Year Old Interview

Eli, NINE years old!?  I can't believe it.  In nine more years you'll be celebrating while away at college!  Mommy could cry thinking about that.  Don't think that doesn't mean you'll be celebrating without me though!  I'll come wherever you are!  It seems like every year goes by more quickly than the last.  You bring everyone who knows you so much joy.  You're so well-rounded.  You love Jesus, your family, friends, soccer, reading, school (especially math), Auburn, sports, and just being outside.  No one brags about my cooking more than you!  You make me look good!  : )  I don't know that we could love you more if we tried!  Happy birthday, buddy!  We love you big time!

How old are you?  9

Favorite color(s)?  Blue, orange, and red

Favorite book(s)?  Who Was/What Was book series

Favorite toy?  Army vest

Favorite sport?  Soccer, futbol

Favorite movie?  Aladdin, live action

Favorite show?  Dude Perfect

Favorite game:  Life

Favorite Bible story?  Moses

Favorite verse?  John 3:16

Recites our family verse *Psalm 25:4-5*

Favorite drink/snack:  Dr. Pepper and chips

Favorite candy?  Blow pops

Favorite animal?  Tiger

Favorite song?  "Oh ... this is the greatest show!"

Favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  waffles

Favorite thing to eat for supper?  meatloaf and banana bread for dessert

Who are your friends?  Abigail, Evan, Cole, Levi, Levi, Jack, Titus, Thomas, Dax, Drake

Favorite number?  78 and 11

Where do you go to school?  LES

Teachers?  Jones, Wilson, Masuoka

Favorite subject?  math

Favorite thing to do at school?  PE (break people's ankles at soccer) and lunch

Favorite thing to do with Daddy?  Play soccer

with Mommy?  snuggle

with Landon?  Watch TV

with Jude?  3 brothers will be wild.  I'll have to share the TV.

Will you call your new brother Jude or Jet?  Jet

Nicknames?  Squirmy Bug, Squirmy Wormy Doodle all Day, Squirmy

What'd we do for your birthday?  Swimming pool

Favorite Auburn tradition?  Tailgate and watching them win!

What do you want to be when you grow up?  PE coach

Favorite dance move?  *Eli flosses, hits them folks, and dabs.*

Eli's 8 Year Old Interview

Eli, you are E I G H T today! It seems like yesterday you were the little baby on my hip. Seven was a big year for you: you accepted Christ as Lord, you won that soccer championship you’d been wanting, you broke your first bone (wrist), and you gave us quite a scare with your head injury! Through the highs and lows we’ve seen you lean on Jesus. And that’s all we ever want for you - to always lean on Jesus! So, happy 8th birthday to the boy who lights up the room with his smile! We love you so BIG and hope 8 is full of good things for you!

 How old are you?  8

What's your favorite color?  red and blue

What's your favorite book?  Notebook of Doom and Project Droid books

What's your favorite toy?  table corn hole

What's your favorite sport?  soccer and kickball

What's your favorite movie?  Incredibles 2

What's your favorite show?  Phineas and Ferb

What's your favorite game?  Scrabble

What's your favorite Bible story?  Any Jesus story

Recite our family verse:  "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."  Hebrews 13:16

What's your favorite drink/snack?  Salt & Vinegar chips and Root Beer

What's your favorite candy?  lollipops

What's your favorite animal?  dogs (Bailey)

What's your favorite song?  "Good, Good Father" by Chris Tomlin

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  doughnuts (Krispy Kreme or Golden Doughnut)

for supper?  Mommy's chicken and wild rice casserole

Who are your friends?  Abigail and Anna, Levi and Ivalea, Jackson T, Jackson H, Jack, and Evan

Who's your girlfriend?  NO ONE!

What's your favorite number?  78

Where do you go to school?  LES

Who are your teachers?  Mrs. Ownes and Cutt

What's your favorite subject?  Science

What's your favorite thing to do at school?  Lunch, PE, and free time

What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy?  play outside

with Mommy?  nuzzle

with Landon?  play with him

Nicknames:  Squirmy, Squirmy Bug, Squirmy Wormy Doodle All Day

What did we do for your birthday?  Eat Fuji's and went to the Phenix City Pool

What's your favorite Auburn tradition?  Play with the football

What do you want to be when you grow up?  a PE coach

Who's your hero?  MLK Jr (kinda), Daddy, Mommy, and Jesus

Show us your favorite dance move.  (Eli does The Floss and hits them folks)

Eli's Birthday Interview (Seven Years Old)

Eli, S E V E N years old!!  That seems SO grown!  You're so tall, your clothes are big, and you stink after you play!  : )  BUT, you are so kind, you are one of the most loving people I know, you love quality time with family, you are fiercely loyal to your friends, you are always making people laugh, you love God and our church, you are Auburn through and through, soccer is your thing, you love reading books, and though you may be big, you still love snuggling and playing with my hair!  You might be a big kid now, but you are still my baby.  As you are getting older, we pray that one day soon you would acknowledge Jesus as Lord.  And not because you are pleasing man, but because your love and fear Him.  We pray every day that as you move to the left and to the right, that you would hear the Lord say, this is the way.  Walk in it.  Happy birthday, Squirmy Bug!  We pray 7 is the best year yet for you!!!

How old are you?  7

What's your favorite color?  red/black, and orange/blue

What's your favorite book?  Magic Treehouse books

What's your favorite toy?  Nerf guns

What's your favorite movie?  the Lion King

What's your favorite show?  the Lion Guard

What's your favorite game to play?  Scrabble

What's your favorite Bible story?  Jesus, Genesis/creation

*Recites our family verse for 2017 - James 4:7*

What's your favorite drink/snack?  watermelon and water

What's your favorite candy?  Smarties

What's your favorite animal?  horse

What's your favorite song?  Hakuna Matata

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  pancakes

What's your favorite thing to eat for supper?  chicken and wild rice casserole

Who are your friends?  

Jackson Hall, Jack, Jackson Tidwell, Abigail, Levi, Macen, Brentley, Issac

Who's your girlfriend?  (laughs)

What's your favorite number?  1,800

Where do you go to school?  Lakewood Primary

Who is your teacher?  Mrs. Stamp, 2nd grade

What's your favorite subject?  Science

What's your favorite thing to do at school? P.E. 

What's your favorite thing to do outside?  soccer

What do you like to do with Daddy?  play outside

With Mommy?  play games and nuzzle (snuggle)

With Landon?  nuzzle

What are your nicknames?  Squirmy Bug

What did we do for your birthday?  jump (Launch Trampoline Park)

What do you want to be when you grow up?  P.E. coach

What's your favorite thing to do in Auburn on game day?  play football (on Samford Lawn), Tiger Walk, Puddin's "camp out" (or "work camp," as you sometimes say, when referring to Puddin's work tailgate), and tailgating

Show us your favorite dance move. - Too many to choose from

Eli's Birthday Interview (Six Years Old)

First off, we won't even talk about how long it's been since I've blogged.  Embarrassing, I know.  Though I made some serious progress this summer, I'm still behind on blogging and photo books.  Insert hashtagworkingmomlife.

I can't believe this kid is SIX.  I was just on maternity leave with him the other day, right?!

I am SO GLAD we do these.  Prior to making this video, we sat down and watched Eli's 3-5 year old video interviews.  We all loved them so much.  It was so sweet to hear that baby voice (even on his 5 year old video!), and to notice some of the same mannerisms Landon has now!  I know the older he gets the more we'll cherish these!

This video couldn't be done without little brother.  It will be obvious why we call them Pete and Repeat ..... or as Eli says, Peter and Repeater. ha!

How old are you?  6

What's your favorite color?  blue, red, and orange

What's your favorite book?  Fly Guy

What's your favorite toy?  Legos

What's your favorite movie?  Lego City

What's your favorite show?  Nick Jr.

What's your favorite game to play?  Hide and Go Seek

What's your favorite Bible story?  Anything about Joseph

*Recites our family verse for 2016 - Colossians 3:12*

What's your favorite drink/snack?  watermelon and watermelon juice

What's your favorite candy?  blow pops

What's your favorite animal?  doggie

What's your favorite song?  Whip Nae Nae

What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  Soup .... he means pancakes

What's your favorite thing to eat for supper?  Soup

Who are your friends?  Brentley, Abigail, Levi, Grace

At school - Evan, Jackson

Who's your girlfriend?  No one

What's your favorite number?  300

Where do you go to school?  LPS

Who is your teacher?  Mrs. Sawyer

What's your favorite subject?  Science

What's your favorite thing to do at school?  Lunch

What's your favorite thing to do outside?  Play soccer

What do you like to do with Daddy?  Play football with him outside.

With Mommy?  Play games.

With Landon?  Watch TV.

What are your nicknames?  Eli, Squirmy Bug

What did we do for your birthday?  Ice Skate (Frozen/Olaf party)

What do you want to be when you grow up?  A soldier

What's your favorite thing to do in Auburn on game day?  Play football with Daddy

Show us your favorite dance move. - The Dab and Hit Them Folks, like Cam Newton

PTA

In January, several kindergarten classes participated in a program at PTA.  Here are some of the one's from Eli's class.

There were three or four adorable songs, about love and MLK.  Students also had speaking parts in small groups.  Eli didn't even tell us he'd be speaking!

To remember the man!

We have since laughed about this and it's become like a family joke.  : )

We're so proud of you, Eli Taff!

100th Day of School

Back in January, we celebrated the 100th day of school!  100 days of kindergarten, 100 days smarter!  At Eli's school, it's a huge deal.  EVERYONE dresses up, and there are tons of activities involving the number 100.

Eli had to bring in 100 of something, and after a total Pinterest-fail, we went simple:  100 Hershey kisses.  We numbered the bottoms with stickers, stuck them in a Ziploc bag, and declared the project done!

January 24 we put our Squirmy bug to bed, and on January 25 we woke up Paw Paw to get ready for his 100th day of school!

It's hard to tell, but we put baby powder in his hair to gray it, and Eli borrowed his great-grandfather's cane.

There were lots of laughs that day seeing all his friends (and teacher and principal) dressed like little old ladies and old grandpas!

Eli - 5 1/2

Squirmy, I can't believe you're 5 1/2.  I miss my little boy.  If I could take you to Never, Never Land, I might be tempted to, but I'm so proud of all you've done and the big kid you are becoming.  It's happening so quickly!

Favorite toys/games:  You LOVE board games!  Monopoly Jr. and Sorry are some of your favorites right now.  It's not uncommon for us to play a board game every night.  You also are still really loving sports, especially basketball and soccer.  You tell us you're going to play for Auburn in college, and then go play for the Columbus Lions.  : )  You still like playing anything Ninja Turtles and super heroes too.

Books:  You have really taken off with reading!  I hope you'll always be a reader (like me!).  You're good at it and so motivated to.  You're favorite book right now is, "Go, Dog Go! by P.D. Eastman" (as you say).  You've been taking AR tests for a few weeks now, and have about ten points!

Challenges: You are a pretty easy going kid.  You're rarely a "challenge", but when you are overly tired things become dramatic complicated.

Our Days:  You wake up about 6:20 on school mornings, get dressed, and brush teeth.  You eat breakfast at church school, as you say (we're usually there by 7:05).  You then ride the bus to LPS (and sometimes you eat breakfast there again too).  In the afternoons you ride the bus to Mommy and Daddy's school.  You BEG every day to stay and play with your friends Jackson and Sam.  Daddy usually goes to get Landon and you stay a little later with Mommy.  We try to get out of there by 4, and head home so you can get your homework done.  Here lately we've been going to run at the lake, about two miles, and you run a mile of it with us before getting in the double stroller with Landy.  You're a greater eater (always hungry, in fact) and you help out around the house too.  Lately you've been more into showers than baths.  You especially like to use Daddy's shampoo and then I smell your hair and make a big deal over how much you smell like Daddy.  You like it.  You still love your shows, but you crash HARD every night.  We hardly get through singing and prayers (and sometimes don't) before you're asleep.  You played soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and are playing your fourth season of soccer this spring.  Like Daddy, you love being active!

Funny/Favorite Moments:

Mommy's Favorite:  I love seeing how much you are thriving in kindergarten.  You were so nervous about a new teacher and a big, new school, but you've done great!  Everyone there seems to know who you are.  I love seeing how hard you work at all you do, whether it be school or sports, you have such a strong work ethic, and I pray you never lose it.  I also like watching the big brother that you've become.  I was worried about the age difference between you and Landon, but the two of you have become big buddies!
Daddy's Favorite:  Watching you learn to read.  You've gone to only knowing 20 words to reading books in such a short time!

*Really, all the moments are our favorites.  We just love life with you, Eli Taff!

Upcoming Events: Kindergarten graduation (what?!?!), Disney this summer (Landon's first trip!), and lots of beach time planned for this summer.

You bought me flowers from a flower sale your school had around Valentine's Day.  You even brought them on the bus and were so proud when you presented them to me.  I was so surprised!  I hope you never quit wooing your Mommy, even as you grow up and it's not necessarily "cool" or "cute".

Teeth Cleaning

Eli had his second teeth cleaning today.  It was such a breeze compared to last time.  There was hardly any wait.  No x-rays this time, so no tears!  : )

We got a great report.  The dentist was surprised that he'd already lost a tooth already!

Is it just me or does he look so old here?

Ice Skating

Eli's friend, Katie, had a birthday party the week before Christmas.  We went ice skating!  It was so much fun!  Watching Eli in the beginning was akin to what I imagine it's like watching Bambi learn to walk, but he definitely improved!

Christmas is Jesus

This Christmas, Eli participated in the children's choir at our church.  They practiced of the weeks and months leading up to Christmas, and performed Christmas is Jesus on a Wednesday night.  We've been singing these songs for weeks.  : )

Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy!

Check out that form!

Aunt Jan, Uncle Lamar, Nana, and Puddin' were all able to come and see Eli sing.  We took up a whole pew!

We're so proud of our little guy.  He did a great job!

The video...

Turning FIVE

Being at the end of August, Eli's birthday always coincides with the beginning of a new school year, which is a big time of the year for us, and is the reason I'm just now blogging about his birthday, four months later.  Sorry, bud.

We decorate your room after your fall asleep.  You loved it.  This all stayed up until Halloween I think.

You had to go to school on your birthday, but we took cupcakes and drinks for your friends, and you had a great day!

You also got to be Top Dog that day at school!

For Eli's 5th birthday party, we went back to the church playground that we rented for his 4th birthday party.  This time we did a super hero theme and the kids (and some adults) all came dressed like super heroes.  It was a fun day.  And I didn't forget the forks for the cake this year.  : )

The cake turned out amazing, as usual!

We went with Iron Man because he's your favorite super hero (because he's red and that's your favorite color).

You have several super hero costumes, but went with Iron Man for your party.  Mommy and Landy dressed in our Iron Man t-shirts, and Daddy wore his Super Man shirt.

Nana and Pudidn' (Spiderman Duo) were a big help getting ready for the party.

Ginny, Pops, and Grandma Francie came!

So did Grandmama and Grandaddy.  They'd had knee and back surgeries (respectively), so we weren't sure they'd be able to make the trip, but they did!

Landon had as much fun as anyone else at this party.  He thought he was big stuff!

Girl power!

Juice break with your friend from school, Jack.

Aunt Katie came too, cape and all!

Some of the kids at the party.

This is a special group of kids.  You've all been together since your 3 year old pre-k class.  It's a little different you all not being together for kindergarten, but fun to have the gang back together again!  The moms agreed we're going to recreate this picture when you're all seniors.

Present time.  The kids kept creeping closer and closer!  : )

CAKE!

Such a nut!

Big stuff, remember?  Gets his own drink (or tries...no Sprite for you).

It didn't matter to Landon that I remembered the forks this year.

Turning five was a big deal and so much fun.  You bring us so much joy, Eli Taff.  You're kind, smart, funny, love sports, and are a loyal friend.  We know Jesus will do big things in your life!  You'll always be our Squirmy Bug!

Upward Basketball

Eli is playing Upward basketball at our church this year, and it's been so fun to watch him try something new.  From the time the uniforms were handed out, he's been wearing it around the house!

Here the little rascal put on some silly glasses and said he looked like Puddin'.  It was too cute.  I couldn't resist getting his picture.

The first night was really exciting getting to run out of the tunnel and having your name called over the loud speaker.

Eli finally managed to talk Daddy into coaching one of his teams.

The only pictures I have of him playing are all blurry.  The boys is all over the court!