just like his dad

Sorry...

This is just too cute to not share. Check our our friend Lindsey's blog (on our links) for a cute Nate story.

Titled: another small note, jan 27

hooked on phonics

I don't remember 'quiet time' as a child, probably because I was forced to take naps until a very old age, during which I do recall watching the numbers on my mom's not so digital digital clock flip and trying to teach myself how to tie shoes, braid hair--- anything to make the numbers flip at little faster til they read 3:00.

Nate is at the age of "quiet time" and has found that writing notes will help the on-going challenge of occupying this seemingly endless amount of time.

Last Sunday Ben and I were trying to take advantage of this time when we hear the pitter-patter of little feet up the stairs. He tip-toes into the room because he knows he's not supposed to be there and asks, "Daddy, how do you make the /ih/ sound?" Ben says with an i. This satisfies Nate and he's off. We return to relaxing when a few moments later we hear pitter-patter sounds again. "Daddy, how do you make the /wi/.../wi/.../wi/ sound?" He asks this with a extra-cute quizzical look to avoid getting into trouble. It works. Ben says with a w. Nate leaves to apparently add this new letter to the note that he's writing. He's gone for but a few minutes when we hear him again. We humor him because we're both sure that our child is one letter away of being a prodigy. This time he asks Ben how to write the /qwi/ sound. Both of us are slightly amused by this, wondering what kind of word includes the letters i, w and qui. Is he thinking about a quilt, a quill... we're stumped. Finally ben asks him which word he's trying to write.

Nate replies with a big-eyed innocent look, "I'm trying to write 'Maiwry Quwistmas'.

Hmmm... I guess instead of advanced classes, we should be thinking speech therapy.

Really, it was just plain cute.

This is what not watching TV has done to me...

I looked out the window the other evening and it was snowing (not unusual). But this snow didn't stop, it just kept coming harder and faster... and continued throughout the night so that we were awakened at 5am by snowplows.

This is the stuff Minnesotans live for... the stuff they hype up in the seven-day, talking it up a week before it happens... the minute by minute of where the snow is, and how much to expect by morning.

And nobody told me.

What was even stranger- I really liked the surprise.

Our little Ava Jane made her big debut into solids this afternoon. The word "solid" in this context actually meaning dry rice flakes mixed with water into a runny, gloopy sort of consistency (mmmm...).

Eli threw a new spin into the 'feeding the baby solids for the first time' event and decided that, although he despised the stuff as an infant and is an incredibly picky eater as a toddler, he wanted to give the whole rice flake thing a second chance.

For every bite that Ava took, Eli demanded an even larger bite. It was obvious by his grimace and choked smile that he hated the stuff, but he still matched Ava bite for bite. He tried to throw me and Nate into the mix but was repeatedly denied.

This could be the solution to all of Eli's eating issues... next in the line-up-- mashed peas.

As I sit and wait for Ben to drag the VERY dry Christmas tree outside, I might as well procrastinate sweeping up all those needles...

Some fun things about Christmas 2005:

~My sweet Ava Jane has become a pro at sitting up and she got her first tooth (although the fact that she was even teething escaped us...)

A mere look can get her giggling, but mostly her brothers are the best at keeping a smile on her face. The best is when Eli decides that he and Ava are playing a game. Eli would speak to her in half jibberish and half english and then he'd bust up laughing and Ava would join in... (probably thinking...I don't have a clue what you're saying- but I'll go with it).

~On Christmas Eve eve Ben and I had wrapped all the presents and by Christmas Eve day they were all under the tree waiting to be unwrapped. Eli's newest catch phrase is "I dooo" (-meaning I do want this, or I do want that). So that day I was waiting to walk into the room finding Eli ripping into all the gifts. Instead he would bring me one at a time at various times throughout the day saying "I dooo?...I dooo?" with this sweet, expectant look on his face. We only lost one bow in the process.

When we were finally allowed to open gifts Christmas day, Eli would hover over Nate with wide eyes as Nate unwrapped a gift. With every new gift no matter what it was, Eli's response was OOOH! WOW! With huge, shocked eyes... like he'd never seen anything like it before. Way cute.

~One evening on the way home from a harried grocery store stop... busy shoppers getting last minute things... snow coming down by the buckets. I'm trying to concentrate on the road and not take out any of the shoppers dashing out of the store with no heed to the crosswalks whatsoever. Over the radio is playing one of about a gazillion Christmas songs of the evening. Maybe it was because of it's peppy tune, I don't know, but this one ("It's a Holly Jolly Christmas") seemed to capture Nate's attention.

Out of the darkness in the back seat I hear- "Mom, when I close my eyes I think I can see the man that sings this song. Do you know what he looks like?" (Here I was waiting for the response of a big jolly guy with a long, white beard and a red coat...) Nate responds, "When I see him he has brown skin and a brown face all around except for just a little red on the tip of his lips. Don't you think that's what he looks like?"

At first I was shocked... what was he saying? Then I realized that he's not saying anything... just that he likes this song and he thinks that he knows what the guy looks looks like. Kids actually say what they mean... no hidden anything.

Wish it could be that easy for us, adults...

~We were also able to see Ben's mom and dad over New Year's. I think they needed a little snow over the holidays. We played alot of Euchre. Girls dominated-- this is a huge feat as I didn't know it was possible to beat Timm in cards (he's got an abnormally amazing memory...)

Anyway, if we were missing anything at Christmas, it was many of you all. I know that sounds so cheesy... but we really did (just saying what I mean). We love you so very much!