Baby

Baby came out today during room time, and then proceeded to be our companion for the rest of the day. Baby has gone to recess, brushed his teeth, played outside, eaten dinner, had his diaper changed, listened to stories, played swords, and much more. Elijah and he have done a nice job taking turns eating the food and riding the "horse."

Hugs

I have lots of cute pictures from August visits with cousins on both sides of the family--more will come eventually (but you should see my syllabus, lesson plans, and kitchen!). Here's Elijah with Teddy up in Fresno:

Impromptu Photo Shoot

Elijah pulled out the camera tonight to get a picture of his "horse" and "rocket" pajamas--two very important things in his life! He was definitely posing.

18 Months

We are continuing to find toddlerhood quite fun and entertaining

Elijah loves to talk. Last night, he was experimenting with whispering, but his laughter was getting in the way. My quick word count was over 150 and he consistently puts together 2-3 word sentences. Everything comes with a running commentary. "Airplane. Up high. Bye, airplane. More airplane please?" When he wants something, he often asks for it "back." And lately, he likes to suggest who should come over: "Ella play? [To]day?"

Riding his "horse again. Fast."

He's starting to pretend play. The little duplo people get put to bed with a kiss and music and sometimes a story. The other night, he imitated his daddy going off to work by gathering his container (like Dustin's lunch bag) and telling me, "Kiss. Bye. Open door. Open gate. Car. Keys."

He loves being his daddy's shadow. During the remodel, he was always ready with his screwdriver to help.

He likes to test his physical abilities, especially experimenting with balance. He thinks falling over is pretty funny!

He likes to carry stuff around. When I get him in the morning, he has to gather his blanket, lamb, cup, and 3-4 books before he's ready to be lifted out.

First Day of School

School started this week, and our first day with the new group was delightful. (Although my dear students are missed!) This Elijah's second time in first grade--we're hoping that he only needs to repeat it three times. Creating cave paintings for ancient history is a happy way to start!




And here's my little one on his first day of first grade:

At Aunt Sheri's

Dustin's sister and her family are in town from Arkansas, so Dustin's aunt hosted an extended family dinner. Always fun to spend time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins!

Elijah and his first cousin once removed

Joel, Teddy, Elijah, and Dustin

Dustin, Elijah, Grandpa, and Grandma

Beach!

Tuesday afternoon, Heather and I loaded up the boys and took them to the beach.