I come to write to our 2nd child, and I could fill up an entire page and feel like I still haven’t described her just right.  Elliana is the most tender-hearted child and loves to take care of her babies and stuffed animals and her brother, but she is also pretty strong and if you get in her way while she is doing any of the previously mentioned things, watch out.  Especially if she thinks Justus is in trouble or about to get hurt.  If little brother is anywhere close to being in danger, Elliana becomes a mama bear ready to do anything necessary, even pick the little guy up by his neck, to save him.

Els also is extremely creative and loves to live life outside of the box.  She always has a story to tell and a smile on her lips.   She can make even the most serious person smile or laugh, and her eyes can light up an entire room.  She doesn’t like to be the center of attention like Avery does; she would rather play with all the good toys while everyone else is worried about getting attention.  Most of the time, we say she has her own little universe that seems way more fun than the one most of us live in!  Life is a party for Elliana and wherever Elliana goes, she takes that party with her.

This summer, I have seen her grow up so much.  She went from not liking the water to doing tricks going down the slides.  She began the summer scared to try to swim in the deep end and now is swimming all over the deep end with just a noodle.  She has mastered riding the bike, even with all the uneven sidewalks around here!  She is also incredibly independent and prefers to do most things on her own.  She likes to wear clothes inside out or backwards because she likes the pockets that go on your bottom to be in front so she can put “treasures” in them.

Elliana, your tenderness towards others, your excitement towards life, and your love of all things adventurous is something to be admired.  I thank God he put you in our family and pray that you will come to know Him and have a relationship with Him.  Your prayers lately have consisted of things such as “Jesus, help me not to be scared when a bear comes at me because I know that you are always with me and will protect me from getting eaten.” Although the prayer made your dad and I smile, I pray that this understanding and awareness of the goodness of Christ will never leave you.  You are our sunshine, and I’m so grateful you are a part of our family.  Thanks for pushing your older sister out of her box, for taking care of your younger brother, and, most of all, for just being you.  We love you!!

Here’s a short video of Elliana over the past couple of weeks. I think min 4-5 show her personality the best.   Enjoy =)

Since this blog serves as a baby book for the kiddos, I thought I would take a few posts and remind myself about each kid over the past few months.  I’ll start with the baby since he officially turned 16 months old this past week!  Its hard to believe he’s that big already! =)

Justus:     Some of your favorite things this summer are: Reading with your sister (who is actually starting to read…a little…but we’ll save that for her post =) )And having tea parties with the other sister
You have also started making this face right before you have to go to the bathroom.  You come find me, scrunch up your nose, and start sniffing.  I’ll ask you “do you need to go poo poo?”  and you’ll shake your head yes.  I have yet to put you on the potty to go though.  You middle sister did the same thing at 15 months and anyone who knows her knows how that has turned out for us.  So you still go in your diaper, but usually as soon as you are done, you go and bring me a diaper and continually say “biper, biper, biper”  over and over again until I’ll stop and change you.  Your sisters never cared if they were poopy, but you certainly do!You recently learned to climb up that bunk bed ladder.  Mommy was quite surprised when I walked in the room to find you on the top rung of the ladder.  15 months is too early to learn such things!   But your motto is “anything your sisters can do, you can do too.”  Which means you have figured out how to climb to the top bunk, up onto the trampoline, on top of the computer desk, onto the couch, into the car and car seat, and so much  more.  But you do it all with a smile.  Sometimes that smile makes it hard to discipline you!You also are quite the cuddle bug.  You LOOOVE your white blanket and just giggle with excitement whenever I say its time to go get it from your bed.  You have to have it over my left should before you’ll lay down your head and cuddle before bedtime. I need to take pictures of this one day!

Overall, you are just our happy go lucky, free spirited, rambunctious little boy whom we love whole-heartedly.   We couldn’t imagine life without you!  Happy 16 month birthday little man =)Here is a little video of our little man at 15 months old!  Its just a lot of him playing with the things he likes.  Enjoy =)

Our trip to the pool was canceled due to little man’s slight fever when he woke up from his nap. The next best thing to a pool? A bath tub of course.The girls wanted the tub really full so they could practice their swimming moves.  They decided little brother should just play with mom during this “swim”.Little man was not putting up with  being left out of all the fun.  After a brief conference, the girls decided he could join them on two conditions.

1. He had to pretend to be a mermaid
2. He couldn’t poop in the tub.  I’m happy to say, Justus makes an excellent mermaid and all gross substances stayed in his body.

I took all 3 kids to the waterpark BY MYSELF this week. Three  kids who can’t swim and me.  I figured it would be a learning adventure for us all =) 
Luckily, friends were there as well and we were able to help each other with all the kids.   For example, I snapped the above picture of all 3 of my NONSWIMMING kids coming down a slide by themselves, and my friend so graciously picked up the 3 kids from the bottom of the pool at the end of the slide.  Great teamwork right?!

So we have turned a corner.  Last summer, Justus was too little to be out in the heat for long and so we made do with indoor activities and the baby pool in the back yard.  This summer, we have turned the corner and are sensing some freedom as we slowly creep out of the baby phase.

Turning corners is so good.

The conversation was revolving around Avery going to preschool next year.

I made the comment to Elliana: “When Avery goes to kindergarten, that’s when you’ll go to preschool.”Elliana started crying and said.  “But if Avery’s not at preschool with me, who’s going to take care of me?”

Even after explaining, she wasn’t convinced the teachers could care for her quite as well as her big sis could.

It was late in the morning and the sun was hot.  As we walked into the zoo, Elliana reminded me “I’m 3 now mom.  Don’t I get my own card?”  For a moment I was tempted to say, “next time honey” and just walk through the gate.  After all, we have season passes.  Will it really make that much of a difference if I pay today or next time?  Besides, we had limited amount of time before we needed to get back home for naps.  We were in a hurry. 

Luckily, the Holy Spirit didn’t buy my excuses, so I turned the wagon around and went into guest services.   Sometimes keeping your integrity is hard.

The zoo was a blast, as it always is.  When we walked through the gate, suddenly we weren’t in a hurry anymore.  Lazy summer days are upon us.

I gave the kiddos a choice of either a train ride or an ice cream cone.  Guess what they chose?  Momma was happy; ice cream was cheaper.  So we sat and enjoyed the ice cream while 3 cows danced behind us.  The perfect morning snack. We were on our way out when the Komodo Dragon called our name.  Elliana is my lizard and snake lover.   Avery just kept asking when it was going to breathe fire at her.  We saw “How to Train a Dragon” this weekend.  Sometimes the things they say are just so cute, I forget to correct them.  Maybe next time I’ll teach her all about the big lizard.

Els has been having bad dreams lately.  I mean really really bad dreams where she wakes me up screaming.  She gets scared during the day too.  Which brings me to last night.

Let me set the scene…Me and the kids eating dinner and Els starts to talk about her scary dream. In an attempt to distract, I said “how about you all go take the biggest bubble bath ever!”

This was met with lots of excitement, and I secretly patted myself on the back for coming up with such a great distraction.

Bath was going great.  All three kids were playing and laughing and having fun until….

“Justus, sit down.” He looked at me, smiled, and sort of bent over so his backside was over his oldest sister’s head as she was attempting to swim in the bathtub.  About the time I realized what was about to happen, it was too late.

“ahhhhhhhhh!!!  He pooped on my head!  He pooped on my head!!!”

And sure enough, he did.  As I’m trying not to gag myself, I grab all three kids out of the bubbles, put the older two in the shower with some soap and grab the youngest one and take him to his room to get him ready for bed.    Finally got him in bed, the girls out of the shower, and think to myself that Wednesday nights are supposed to be our fun nights so I need to redeem the night somehow.  This leads me to my second great parenting thought of the evening.

“Girls, while I clean out the tub, would you like to watch Clifford the movie?”

They wanted to watch Dora instead but I convinced them Clifford would be much better.  I figured there would be nothing in a Clifford movie that could trigger bad dreams, so I got them set in front of the TV while I went to go pick up the lovely present the little man left for me in the tub.  Everything in the bathroom was bleached and clean, and I walked back into the TV room to find both girls holding each other and sobbing.

“What’s wrong girls?” I asked as I picked them both up and put them on my lap.

“Clifford iiiiiiiissssssss lllllllooooooooossssst  and and and  heeeeee caaaaannnn’t fiiiiind hhhhisssss hoooooooooome.”

Ahhhhhh…Maybe Dora would have been the better option!  Needless to say, we fast forwarded to the end of the movie where Clifford and Emily Elizabeth were reunited so the girls could see that Clifford wouldn’t be lost forever.  The tears finally stopped, and I put them to bed.

I’m pretty sure that instead of eliminating bad dreams, I just added more bad dreams into her head.  Maybe next time I’ll just keep my grand parenting ideas to myself.

The way the 2nd born says “Ganana” instead of “Banana”When I think the girls are sleeping late but actually they got up at normal time,  went straight to the dress up clothes, and  came out dressed like this and ready to playWhen the girls play Cinderella but the whole game consists of the younger one chasing the older one around the house saying “Wait, come back.  I don’t even know your name. “  While the older one casually drops a shoe every once in a while so her sister has something to pick up while reciting her lines.The way J starts singing and dancing anytime he hears music.  He belts out in his singing voice while shaking his entire body.  Soo cute.A showing E “the neat trick” to keep from going potty in your panties.  It consisted of holding yourself, crossing your legs, and jumping up and down whenever you feel like you have to go.

How A always said “wikkers” for whisker and “pippow”  for pillow.The way little man starts playing with the hair behind his ears whenever he gets sleepy.The way the kids call everything “Spicey” if they don’t like it.  For example, the grass is wet and slimey…”it’s spicy”.  The first time they drank Sprite…”its spicy”.  The medicine is a little bitter…”its spicy”.  Everything but actual spicy things are labeled “spicy” by my kiddos.  Actual spicy things they love!The oldest’s version of “Jesus Lover of My Soul”    Jesus, lover of my souuul.  Jesus, I will never let you go home.

In honor of me being tired, we spent the entire day out of the house yesterday.  For some reason its a lot easier to not be grouchy when I’m not stuck inside my house with the kids! 

Early morning dance class followed by some time at the zoo.

Made a brief stop at home for some quick naps followed by a drive to Central Market to meet some family friends.  The kids played on the playground and then we all had a picnic dinner.

We got home right at bedtime, hosed the kids off and put them in bed.  A day spent almost completely outside…my dream day =)