Boy Bits

Head lock!

Noah's been loving bouncing Eli in the saucer.

Noah -
We are trying to create a series of steps for Noah to help him going to sleep. He does not have the easiest time relaxing and enjoying sleep. His steps are:
1. Turn you lights off.
2. Get in your bed.
3. Put your head on your pillow.
4. Close your eyes.
5. Go to sleep.
6. BE VERY QUIET! (which he usually yells during naptime)

The steps seem to be working and give him some system, similar to sheep counting, for going to sleep. If we stick with it he might just get it. We have a star chart so that he gets a star every morning when he wakes up. Once his whole chart is filled up he get's a Chuck E. Cheese reward.

My other favorite game he has been playing is called "Let's be bunnies." I told him that bunnies talk very quietly and whisper. We have been playing this game when Eli is sleeping or when things get to rowdy. I love this game!

Eli-
There's a tooth about to pop from the bottom gums. I can feel it, and he certainly has been very irritable. Could also be irritable from getting off schedule this past week with our traveling.

He has been doing some rolling from tummy to back, but not consistently.

I'm am enjoying hearing both boys in the backseat of the car laughing and cutting up together. Noah laughs, Eli smiles or laughs back. It's cute.

Texas Railroad

Train watching.

Relaxing on the train ride to Rusk.

We rode the diesel train to Rusk from Palestine last week. We thought it was going to be the steam train, but apparently they switch trains every month. We'll check on that next time we go.

It was a relaxing hour and a half train ride through the country side. Eli slept and Noah watched out the window. One woman even commented on how well behaved Noah was and how luck we were. He's tricksy that way.

The train has a concession stand so we ate some popcorn. And there is a hour or so layover in Rusk. We could have planned better for that as well. Apparently we could have pre-ordered our food, which we didn't, so we were left to eat hotdogs and expired lemonade. Next time we'll take our own food or preorder so that we can check out the train stop a little more. Most of our time was spent in line, which just isn't fun.

Then we went back to Palestine. Another hour and a half drive. We did pass the steam train on the way there and on the way back. It was a fun trip and definitely one we'd like to do again. Thou, we might consider different lodging. The hotel we stayed in was strange, it was more like a poorly designed apartment. It was fine, but Palestine is sketchy. I felt less safe there than in Houston. There was also a lot of in door smoking, something else I am no longer used to.

I'm becoming such a city slicker.

New Home

Foot injury.

Houston cousins munching down on some brownies.

After a grueling week of looking at houses, losing houses we liked, and then waffling between the final house decision, we did indeed find a house. Between two visits, we looked at about 30 or so different places to live in. This house is not perfect, but it has potential. It's a 1950s ranch house with a swimming pool. The pool will be the first thing we need to manage. We'll need to put up some sort of fence to keep the little ones out.

The neighborhood has a park and things for the kids to do. Which was what ultimately helped guide our decision in this direction. I wanted a neighborhood that was active and lively with kids. This place was very active when we drove around it.

It is done and decided. Now we need to pack and get over there. Our cousins there were very helpful. Maureen cooked us dinner twice and watched Noah one day so we could look at house. I don't know how to repay people who are so kind to us. I hope to pay it forward someday.

There was some stress, some relief, and the B and B we stayed in was great. Only one minor injury. Noah fell off the bed playing Nana Dinosaur with Mary and Catherine. They technically had permission because we weren't clear what Catherine was saying about their game. Sooooo...he's all better now. Must have landed funny and maybe he'll learn a lesson about the woes of jumping on the bed.

Anyone need a house to rent in Austin?

Go Fish

Making matches.

Tonight we taught Noah how to play Go Fish. We had to be very detailed with the directions but on his level. It was very successful and he had a lot of fun playing. We did have to play with all the cards showing for the first time. We were also explaining to him how he should ask for cards to match and what that would sound like. It was fun, and I could see his wheels turning and wrapping around the game. I think we'll be playing like this for a while.

I wonder at one point kids become competitive. We aren't pushing that, it's all friendly and helping each other when we take someone else's cards. Thus far, he doesn't have a distinction between winning and losing.

I was trying to remember when I learned Go Fish. I don't remember. It's just there in the brain. It's so neat to see him learning.

Last Music Class With Our Favorite Teacher

The closest Noah would get for the picture.

Music class action shot.

Today was we had our last music class with Walter. Noah has been doing Music Together with him for two years.

We decided not to sign up for the spring session because we will be gone for half of it but still have to pay full price....blardee blardee.

Hope we can find a good class when we move.

Bagel Fest

Runnin' the race.

Race Ribbon

Noah completed his first kids 1k today. We weren't sure if we should have gone or not because we woke up at 7:05 and the race was at 8:00. Luckily we got our act together in about 20 minutes and made it - sorta.

I say sorta because when we got there he had to go potty and I had to stand in the organized chaos line to pick up his run number. So while we were pinning on his race number the kids buzzer went off, and well we were about 5 minutes behind all the kids.

Noah was the last runner. This might have worked in his favor because everyone made a big deal about "the last kid runner." They race coordinators were talking on the walk-e-talkies to start cheering for Noah and make a big deal. He got many cheers as we were coming down the home stretch, which seemed to pump him up. I should have brought my video camera. I was laughing because of the amount of attention we were getting for coming in last place. How often does that happen?

Anyways, I hope he keeps running, and making him the super star who finishes last place is good motivation to keep him running. He got a ribbon too.

The HEB buddy shopping bag might have been faster than us, but that's no matter! Gotta start somewhere.

Swim Class Break

Today we went to Tom's Swim and Dive to get our money back for swim classes. It's just not a happy situation for anyone anymore, so we best take a break. I'm also really unhappy with the new teacher, she didn't even try to help. The place has not be jiving with Noah since Ms. Nikki left.

We are at that point were it is time for Noah to start swimming on his own, but he's not quite accepted the idea yet. We'll start again, maybe, when we move. In the meantime, Kyle plans to give him swim lessons to keep him swimming.

Rocketship

Rocketship to the moon. Retrieved edible moon pieces.

Today, when Noah was walking out of school, he saw a girl with a rocketship walking out of another class. He kept talking about wanting to make a rocketship. So we went home and made ourselves a rocketship. He did a lot of the work.

I like when the world inspires us to do something fun and make it work (as Tim Gunn would say). I've really been wanting to do some art, crafty thing with all our recycleables. Not sure what.

I think when we move I'm going to switch to Vox for blogging. It has more features that I am looking for in a blog. I still am not sure how to add video here. I'm not doing the switch till we move though. Finishing out our journey here first. Ahh, what a journey it's been, one I'm not looking forward to leaving.

5 months

5 months old

Happy 5 months Eli!

He's a good sleeper - in his swing. We tried to move him to the crib again. Again, we were not successful. He gets soooo upset. So he's back in his swing. We'll try again later. Sleep is hard to come by around here, and why try to force him to have horrible sleep patterns?

5 month highlights -
-still does not like baths
-likes toys Noah wasn't that into - like one with dangly ribbons and stuff.
-like being upright - loves his exersaucer
-eating solid food slowly
-smiles lots
-super sound sensitive, and gets really upset with loud noises, takes a while to calm back down
-already encouraging Noah's silliness, by smiling and laughing - for instance when Noah decide to get stuck in his chair at dinner - smiled a lot
-likes movement
-super sweet and cuddly
-always wakes up in the morning with a big smile.

He's growing up so fast! Hopefully next month he can start swim lessons.

Indian Food

Coloring at Torah tots

Noah loved the Chicken Tikka Masala yesterday. I'm happy that he likes a variety of foods. Probably gets that from both of us. We are foodies. It hasn't been easy to be foodies, with two kiddies around now. Frozen pizza, hot dogs, something crock-pot, pretty bland. I'm not the domesticated goddess I'd like to be. It is good to know that we can just buy the tikka sauce from Masala Wok and use this with left over chicken.

We had a good weekend. Torah tots today, children's musuem and Build and Grow yesterday. I did this month's calendar, and here we go again with another activity filled month. Exciting, tiring, fun? A combo. And I still find classes I'd like to do with Noah. I found a mommy and me Karate class. Wouldn't that be fun?

At the museum, I learned how to make shrinky-dinks.
Number 6 plastics (strawberry containers are usually number 6)
sharpies to decorate
325 on the toaster oven
Let the plastics bake - they will curl up and then lie back flat. When they lie back flat, they are done.

I still need to try this to see if it actually works. I loved shrinky-dinks, thought they were so cool. I had some Smurf Shrinky-dinks when I was little.

Purim festivities start this week. Looking forward to it.