At the Playground with Papi

 

 

 

 

 

We had a beautiful Sunday afternoon and headed to a great playground not too far from us.  We sure enjoyed the family time!



And off he goes...

Big Boy Bed

Sigh....we got Elliot his big boy bed so that Baby can have the crib.  Elliot really likes it and I am warming up to it because I can now sit on his bed with him and pat him before he goes to sleep.  Don't get me wrong, I like the bed we picked out, it is just the fact that our little boy isn't so little anymore.

His new mattress

Pound, pound...

 

 

He just looks so tiny in his bed...

Socks and Playmais

After his bath yesterday, he wanted two different socks.  After trying to talk him into a pair, I just gave in.  There are worse things than wearing two different socks.  He is also pretty vocal about what he wants to wear sometimes.  Hmmmmm......

Through a Bible class teacher I came in contact with this stuff called Playmais.  Really neat.   Just moisten the little puffy things and they stick together!

Talking

It seems that on Mondays, Elliot makes a huge jump in his language skills.  Why Mondays?  I have no clue, but it is totally amazing.

Last week he melted my heart.  We were in a very little second hand store.  He could not see me around the corner from where he was playing and I heard this, " Mama, where are you?"

His best question so far....."What can we do now?"
 
And his answers are getting more sophisticated.
     Andre:  What do you want to do?
     Elliot:   Nothing, just watch Peppa Pig. (A British cartoon that you can find on YouTube.)
All I can say is OH BOY!

Yesterday morning, I just had to bust out laughing.
     E:  It fits in the box! 
     Me:  It does?  Wow!
    E:  It fits in the box.  That's amazing!
     Me:  That is amazing!  (Actually meaning his vocab!)
And amazing is his new word.  The yellow house is amazing.  The red house is amazing.  And on we go!

And make me proud (I think), he said "uff da" yesterday.  And it was in the right context.  Wonder from whom he got that??????  Those little ears are everywhere!

And since he has started talking, he has started asking for specific Bible stories.  That is so amazing, wonderful and awe-inspiring to me.  Two and a half years of reading Bible stories are paying off.  We have started using a children's Bible that we got him for Christmas recommended from Aunt Amy--that is our favorite.  His favorite stories are Jesus healing the lame man, Jesus healing the blind man (he asks for the story with the mud and spit), Jesus going up, up, up (the ascension) and stories with Peter and John.  And today he asked for the story of Pentecost.  I asked him what happened on Pentecost.  His answer?  "I don't know."  But he knew the word Pentecost.  And I find that awe-inspiring.

Every new development is really neat, but this speaking one is FUN!!!

Sorry, if that was too much Elliot, but I have to keep records somehow!

At the End of 28 Weeks

We are at the end of 28 weeks.  I sure am ready to meet our little guy, but I know he has to stay in a little longer.  11 weeks to go!!

Sorry about the arm--taking the picture myself.



Our little sunshine

A Few Videos from the Past Week

 

 

 

Just a Few Pictures



Wanting to look like Papi...

The New Wardrobe

We don't have closets here built into the apartment like apartments and houses in the States.  You have to buy a wardrobe if you want to put your clothes somewhere.  Elliot and Baby got their first wardrobe a couple of weeks ago.  I have been keeping Elliot's clothes in a cubicle system that has worked great, but it is now being used for all the toys.

Andre worked hard for about 4 mornings putting the thing together before he went to his late shift.  His little helper was right there along with him.  I tried to distract him by baking things and playing with cars, but nope, he had to help Papi. :)

 

 

 

The finished product



Still need to optimize things, but you get the idea!

Cut the top off diaper boxes to make containers for the drawers.  Works great!

Just Pictures

Just a few pictures from the butterfly exhibit at the botanical gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

Just a picture with my love.

Winter came back--April 2, 2015.  So glad I had not put his bunny suit away yet!

Little blue flower with snow.

 

Little blue flower without snow.

Lining all his cars up this morning.

Jesus Loves Me

 

At our senior citizens' dinner at church, I talked the boys in my Bible school class into singing Jesus Loves Me.  I was so proud!!  They did sign language for the chorus.

Just Pictures

Elliot got ahold of the camera.  About 30 pictures of blur, but this one actually is not too bad.

"Elliot do it."  And Papi is letting him do it!

Just hanging out with their favorite people!

Just Pictures

 Elliot and I are at our little park where there are beautiful crocuses.  He really wanted to wear his summer hat....

 

 

 

The butterfly exhibit has opened.  Maybe I will get the name of it some day!





My primrose that Andre got me.









Bunte Flecken

Bunte Flecken is translated as colorful spots.  Elliot has discovered painting and that is what he likes to paint--bunte Flecken!  Papi paints rainbows, Peppa Pig (a British cartoon character) and trains at Elliot's request and then he "paints" them.

Brave Papi  and a happy Elliot

His Double Decker Bus

Elliot enjoys playing with his Papi's matchbox cars and there are a few favorites--the busses.  It took me a few minutes to figure out what he was saying, but now I have it.  He was talking about the double decker bus! :)

Bath Tablets

Elliot loves having his bath water colored.  I always let the tablets dissolve in the water before he is allowed to get in.  This time he was in the bathtub under the supervision of my big boy and he got to stick his hands in the water while it was still dissolving....I must add that at least 5 tablets were dissolving.

We are at 24 hours and it is still not all off. :(

 

 

 

 

My loves--Elliot decided he wanted all of his blankets on the floor to wait for Papi to come out of our bedroom.

The Booger Cake

"No, boogers do not go in the batter.  We are not making a booger cake." 

Elliot had just asked me if boogers go in the batter.  He was stirring with one hand and his other little hand had a finger in his nose.  NEVER, NEVER in my wildest dreams did I think I would say that! 

Alas, our booger cake.  It is actually an apple buttermilk crumb cake.  And it turned out really good, minus the boogers.

Apple Buttermilk Crumb Cake

 

For the batter:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 apples

 

For the crumb part:

3/4 cup of softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

a little cinnamon

 

For the batter, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Mix in the buttermilk.  Add the flour-baking powder combo a tablespoon at a time.  I used the mixer and that worked great.  Put the batter in a 9x13 inch greased baking pan.

 

Peel, core and cut your apples.  I did thin slices.  Lay them on the batter.

 

For the crumb part, mix all of the ingredients until it starts forming crumbs.  Put on top of the apples.

 

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes.

 

Enjoy!!

The Weekend of Firsts

It was an absolutely beautiful weekend and we were outside quite a bit.  Don't think we can run around in t-shirts though!

We had our first ice cream cone of the season.  Last year, Elliot just took about two licks on his scoop and then he was done.  He ate the whole scoop plus cone this weekend!  He has decided he likes ice cream!

 We went to a playground for the first time this year!

 

We went to the botanical garden and walked around.  Maybe we have gone before this year, but I just can't remember.  They had a terrarium and flower exhibit. 

I just can't get enough of these spring flowers!

 And the first bubbles of the year!!  Elliot loves bubbles!