Loose Tooth!

At 4 and a half years old, Elliott has a loose tooth!  I didn't even know you could lose teeth this early!?!?  I think I was in the first grade before I lost a tooth.  I have heard the earlier you get teeth, the earlier you lose them, and Elliott did have four teeth at four months old. 

He discovered his loose tooth at breakfast this morning.  While eating a bagel, he said, "Mommy, my tooth hurts."  I looked in this mouth and the offending tooth was a little wobbly.  My little man, being the sensitive guys that he is, was very concerned.  I, of course, explained that it was all totally normal and that it is actually so cool because these are baby teeth and that soon he was going to have GROWN-UP teeth, just like Mommy and Daddy!  Then I told him all about the tooth fairy, and how you put the tooth under your pillow, and how she leaves you MONEY.  I thought I was doing a pretty good job explaining it all when I notice poor Elliott has tears in his eyes!  So, I just hold him and assure him everything is going to be ok, and he seems better, but he refuses to eat any more of his bagel.

Fast forward to later tonight:

E: "Do monkeys have teeth?"

Me: "Yep, sure do."

(Elliott sits thoughtfully for a couple of minutes)

E: "So, do they stick them in bananas and she just takes the banana?"

Me: (very confused)  "What?!?!"  (realization hits) "Ohhhh, monkeys.  Yeah buddy, I don't think the tooth fairy goes to monkeys."

E: "Why not?"

Me: "Eat your dinner."

WHERE DO THEY COME UP WITH THIS STUFF???

Trick or Treat

Halloween was amazing at our house this year.  Not surprising to those who know him, Elliott was a construction worker.  And Lily was the most adorable little elephant I have ever seen!  This was Lily's first year trick-or-treating, but you would have thought she had been doing it in utero!  She never let go of her pumpkin and actually outlasted Elliott.

 

One of my favorite parts of the night was during trick or treating, many people told Elliott what kind of odd jobs around the house that needed to be done.  Each time, Elliott gave them this blank stare, as if saying, "Uhm, why are you telling me?"  Another highlight was when one elderly gentleman dared to put potato chips in Elliott's bucket.  Elliott, in typical 4-year old fashion says, "But that is not candy!"  Ironically, that was one of the couple things he chose to eat when he got home.

 

 

Elliott, the construction worker, complete with hard hat, safety vest, and toolbelt - with tools, of course.

Before trick or treating.  Lily was eager to get this show on the road and did not understand why we would stop to take pictures.

Our sweet Elephant trick or treats.  Don't give this elephant peanuts - just candy or pretzels please :)

Enjoying her spoils.

The family!

A sticky mess by the end.

Elliott going door to door in the neighborhood with some buddies.

Tidbit: French Toast

I made delicious apple french toast for the kids the other morning, which Lily loved.  Elliott, on the other hand, said, "I don't really like this french toast... but thanks for trying."

So, here is the question.  Sincere?  Or has my four-year old mastered the art of sarcasm?

Proud Mama

I'm not always the best at looking at my kids and physically seeing myself in them.  Some days I'll look and see my nose; another day, it might be my husband's, or I might wonder where on earth did that nose came from!

Despite this, I see myself in their personality quirks every day, every minute.  With Elliott, it is his anal retentiveness, his close adherence to the "rules of life."  Some of these are wonderful, like the totally exaggerated way he looks both ways before crossing the street.  Or how everything in playroom has it's own place - not that he puts things away on his own accord, but God forbid you put something away where it doesn't belong!  Other rules can be frustrating, like how we don't go in bathrooms with hand dryers despite the million times I have told him they are "just loud, not scary."  Or that vegetables are gross (btw, did you know that french fries are not potatoes?  Potatoes are gross, but french fries are delicious, ergo, french fries are NOT potatoes).  But no matter how frustrating Elliott's Type A can be, I GET IT, because I am totally that way.  And if I am completely honest, I kind of love it, because he gets it from ME.

Lily, on the other hand, is this sassy little spitfire who lives to torture me with her total disregard for authority.  When you tell her not to do something, she grins this cheesy smile as if to say, "You don't really mean that... I am far too adorable to say no to," and she is pretty much right on the money.  Every line is meant to be challenged, no wall too high to climb, every closed door just means look for a different door.  She's not afraid of anything or anyone.  No one is going to push this girl around.  She knows what she wants and will run over any obstacle.  While I cringe and apologize to the parents of the crying little girl at playgroup who tried to take the ball Lily wanted, secretly I cheer for my little Miss Independent.  Because she's a girl after my own heart.  We know what we want, and there isn't anything wrong with that (although Lily's ruthless methods might need a little shaping... I didn't say she was perfect!)

My two little stars.  So different.  But so me.  And I love it.

A Summer in Snapshots

Now that the summer has come to a close and fall has officially descended, I think it is a great time to look back at all the things I wanted to blog about and never had time to.  A summer in snapshots...

The summer of the tractor.  The new neighborhood is the perfect place for Elliott to ride his John Deere tractor and man, oh man, did he!  This is right before we had Lily on an 80+ degree day that Elliott thought it would be fun to ride his tractor in his chicken suit.

Lily, about a week old.

Another picture of Lily, about a week or so old.  We were actually at an outdoor concert, and Lily slept through the whole thing.

Brother checks out the new arrival

Lily's first bath

The family at Aunt Kelly's wedding.  Elliott was the ring bearer and Lily was the flower girl (one month old - that has to be the youngest flower girl ever!)

Building sand castles with Daddy in Ocean City

Posing after the wedding with Mr. Frog

Being flower girl is hard work

Surrounded by ocean and sand and fun, and all Elliott wants to do is play with Mommy's iPhone.  Seriously??

At Ocean City.  Elliott was pretty much miserable, but I made him take this picture with me.  How can a kid hate the beach????

After Lily's first photo shoot.  Love this dress, and doesn't Elliott look so handsome in pink?!?!

Holds rattle successfully for the first time

Although Elliott refused to take a pacifer, Lily is a big fan of hers

We sometimes lovingly refer to Lily as Baby Pterodactyl.  Caw, Caw!  Guess you have to be there...

Elliott equates fun with screaming at the top of your lungs, much to our neighbors' delight.

Chunky Monkey

The girl can rock a bow

Siblings, and already best buds.  Elliott is such a loving and affectionate big brother.  My favorite is when he talks baby talk to her.

Elliott helps Daddy build his big boy bed!!

Lily at play

Peek A Boo!

Pumpkin Picking 2011

Our family loves Fall!  Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and found ourselves a couple of goodies.  We can't wait for Halloween!

Elliott finds a pumpkin, just his size!

Not sure why he makes this face when we ask him to smile for the camera... he looks like he is in agony.  He was pretty concerned that we weren't going to be able to find the car.

Off to find the best pumpkin ever!  Bringing the wagon was a great idea.

Lily enjoyed the beautiful day, just looking around and taking it all in.

My pick of the patch

Lily at 5 months

At 5 months old, Lily is utterly lovable.  So squishy and round, I just want to eat her up.  Lily is a very laid-back baby - very go-with-the-flow, much like her Daddy.  She loves to cuddle and to laugh at her brother's crazy antics. 

Other things she loves: her paci, putting EVERYTHING in her mouth, including up to 3 fingers at a time, Mommy's iPhone, Taylor Swift, music class, her bouncy chair, being outside.

Things she dislikes: cold weather, wind, being fed with a spoon, other people sneezing, socks, waiting (Princesses do not wait!!)