Singing, Reading, and a Curbside Find

This post is going to be full of randomness. That’s what happens when you blog at midnight after a busy day!  :)

First – this is from playgroup this week. We were at a park when one of my friend yelled for me to go see this guy riding with the kayak strapped to a trailer, connected to his bike. I grabbed my camera and ran, paparazzi-style to get a shot of this guy’s contraption so I could show Ben (since he is all about unusual ways to transport his kayak)… 

Here are some pictures of Charlie at the park. First – his yoga pose:

Laughing at the big kids:

And studying his hands – he learned how to clap this week!! It is the cutest thing to watch a new clapper, especially when he has extremely chubby hands :)

Happy to be crawling:

Then there’s Eli. Here he is, demonstrating that he likes his pb&j sandwich for lunch:

And this is what he does instead of nap – plays loudly with his animals and arranges them in all sorts of ways. On Friday, I went into his room after he’d had quiet time in his crib for a while, and he proudly announced, “I spelled Jesus!” and showed me how he had set up his animals to “spell” Jesus. He did this again on Saturday, and this time Ben was the one to get him from his crib, and Ben asked, “How do you spell it?” Eli replied, “Amen!” I’m not sure why he was spelling Jesus (we haven’t been practicing this), but I thought it was creative, since amen does sound like it’s using letters to spell. You never know what you’re going to hear out of a 2-year-old’s mouth!

One other random thing – lately Eli’s breakfast has consisted of a bowl of cheerios with a sprinkling of granola on top. He calls the granola, “gra-mommy” or “gra-mama.”

Couch potatoes – I know I have a picture similar to this one in a previous recent post, but it’s the only time I can get the two of them in the same picture. I’ve relented a little with the tv, so Eli can watch one show after his crib quiet time (it used to be only when he took a nap, but that rarely happens now). Charlie doesn’t stay on the couch for more than a minute since I can’t walk around if he’s up there.

And more Sunday pictures -

Almost out the door. We were actually early to church this week, which is VERY hard, but really nice when it happens. We even saw a great curbside find on the side of the road as we drove to church – a kid-sized basketball hoop that adjusts in height! I made Ben turn the car around so we could pick it up. I’m positive that I looked a little ridiculous, taking it apart in my skirt and heels. Eli loves having a basketball hoop in the back yard – and I love that it was free!

Here I am with Charlie, who seems a little dazed at first:

But there’s a smile! :)

And this is from today (Labor Day). We were outside doing yard work while Charlie was inside napping, and the neighbor’s cat jumped into our yard. Eli LOVES this cat. So he hopped into the raised flower beds and hung out with his furry friend for a while. After Charlie woke up, we picked up some tasty takeout and had a picnic at the park. Then I spent the afternoon/evening painting the basement (will it ever end????). I don’t know what I was thinking when I thought I could paint this space myself! I’ve made lots of progress, but I am ready to be done. Hopefully soon.

And now for the videos segment of this post… first, Eli singing like a princess:

Eli the Princess from Sarah on Vimeo.

And singing Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam (he was in a really silly mood):

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam from Sarah on Vimeo.

Singing If You Chance to Meet a Frown (in the video you’ll see he’s looking for the smiling hippo in the book and the frowning gorilla):

If You Chance to Meet a Frown (Part 1) from Sarah on Vimeo.

Showing the pictures in the book:

If You Chance to Meet a Frown (Part 2) from Sarah on Vimeo.

And finally, two videos of Eli reading his books. I love hearing him reading his books and seeing what he’s picked up on and remembers from when we read together:

Eli Reading "I'm a Big Brother" from Sarah on Vimeo.

Last one:

Eli Reading Out Loud from Sarah on Vimeo.