Ah.... life as a 4 year old.

This is an Elijah update.  Might be fun for Grandparents and those interested in 4 year olds, but possibly pretty boring for anyone else?!?  Who knows?   :)

The question I hear the most from our friends is "How is Elijah adjusting?"  These people obviously know Elijah well.  Change is not his thing.  As a matter of fact, when I dropped him off at preschool this morning, his teacher pulled him aside to prepare him for the fact that she bought a new rug for the classroom.  As he ventured inside she told me "As soon as I bought the rug, I thought of Elijah.  He's not very good with change."  I was happy to see that she is in tune with our precious 4 year old.  :)

Moving has been tough for Elijah, but he is actually doing really well these days.   He talks about our Colorado house and his Colorado friends, but has lately ventured out and is trying to make friends in Oregon.  A big step for him and I'm so very proud of him.

Here are some of the things he has been up to, starting with some photos taken in January.

He REALLY wanted a shovel for Christmas and thankfully Santa came through on that.  He loves to shovel the driveway, BY HIMSELF.  I think it might hurt more than it helps.  But it does keep him busy for a while. 

No idea what is going on here.  Something must be pretty interesting. 

Chillin' with G.

Great.  Milk bubbles.  I know Marty took the photo, so I blame him for encouraging it. 

Check out the sweet bike we were checking out.  We could add a seat in the back for Gavin.  Elijah LOVED it.

Until we get something different.... he is in the trailer for longer bike rides.  A little small for him, but it works.

Patiently, allowing G to check out his structure.  He LOVES to build things and literally builds a new "house" daily.  Literally.  His favorite word regarding the houses is "stabilize".  He got that word from his dad.  The goal is that if you do a good enough job "stabilizing", Gavin will not be able to destroy it.  He even made up a song about it (it is in the video at the end).   Side note is that he also made up a song about Mommy.  It goes something like this "Kids play toys and leave them out.... Mommy's job is to clean them up.... <Repeat above words about 7,000 times>"  Love that song. 

Moving on from photos and we have a collection of Elijah stories over the past week or two.  I'm typing them mostly for myself so I remember them.... but maybe others will enjoy them too.

Story #1 Markers:
Scene:  I'm in the bedroom folding laundry.  Gavin is napping, Elijah is playing.
Elijah:  "Mommy, are these markers washable?"
Me: "Yes, why?"
E: "Uhmmm.... I accidentally colored on the floor."
M: "Accidentally or on purpose."
E: "Uhmmm.... on purpose."
I go out to the kitchen to see about a 2 foot area colored in a lovely blue.  Needless to say, the markers, crayons, coloring books, and paints spent a week locked in a cupboard.  


Story #2: Hair
Scene: Driving home from preschool.  We had been to the park the day prior and E had played with a little boy with a blonde mohawk.
Me:  "Did you play with any new friends today?"
E: (excitedly) "Yes!  I made a new friend, Amanda.  We need to have a play date with her!"
Me: "Okay, can you show me who she is so I can meet her Mommy and set that up."
E:  "Well, she has hair."
Me: (giggling) "All kids have hair, that doesn't really narrow it down much."
E:  "Not that one kid at the park.  He had crest hair."
M: "Crest hair?  Where did you hear the word crest?  Who taught you that? What does that mean that he has crest hair?"  (I'm knowing full well that he is describing the kid with the mohawk and am thinking - wow, a crest, that is a great way for a 4 year old to describe a mohawk and who taught him that word?)
E:  "No mom, CRUST.  Like PIZZA CRUST.  He had CRUST hair."
This made me laugh out loud and proceed to call Marty to share the story.  He describes it not as crest hair, but the kid with the mohawk has hair like a pizza crust.  Creative.


Story #3:  New Words
Background:  All day long Elijah likes to ask "What does that word mean?"  To the point that it makes me crazy sometimes, but he does now have a pretty big vocabulary.  This day we are hanging out, eating lunch.
Elijah "Mommy, what does TUR-QU-LIZE mean?"
I then go through a series of questions attempting to figure out what he is trying to say.  "Who said that word?"  "Where did you hear it?"  "Say it in a sentence" (which was the wrong thing to say b/c I was then trying to explain to a 4 year old what a sentence was).  At this point, Elijah is annoyed and frustrated and just keeps saying louder "TUR-QU-LIZE, that is the word!"
Finally, amidst his frustration he says.  "Miss Pam says it!  All the time!  When she is holding up the color blue.  I don't understand!!!!"
Me:  "Oh, turquoise.  It's a color.  A light blue/green color."
Problem solved. 


Story #4:  Daddy teaches Elijah inappropriate things.
Story of our lives.  Marty teaches Elijah things that are kind of funny, but not the most appropriate.  So, as I making lunch one day and Elijah is coloring at the table.  He screams out:
E:  "Mommy, come here really quick!"
M: "What do you need Elijah?"
E: (in a panicking voice)  "I need you here quick!  To pull my finger!  I have to toot."
Thank you, Marty.


And last of all!  We have a video of E from December & January!  Enjoy!!!!