A quick update from least consistent blogger ever!

Eli just turned 8, and has reached a whole new level of maturity.  He requested dinner at Shogun, and he and Jaxon explained to the chef why he shouldn’t start fires and throw eggs at home.  This is the first time his request hasn’t been McDonald’s!  His wish was for Skylander’s SwapForce.  His birthday party plans are finally underway now that baseball, basketball, and soccer are officially over (until December).  Eli improved greatly over the past season.  He has so much strength and is finally learning to use his size to his advantage.  I’ve had so much fun at his games lately!!!  Baseball – he is a consistent hitter, but this season finally started putting some power behind his swings (he does pretty well on defense too).  Soccer – he is becoming a good defender.  Most kids avoid whatever side of the field after he runs at them the first time.  I guess seeing the equivalent of an 8 year old runaway freight train headed at you is a bit unsettling at their age.  Basketball is Eli’s favorite.  He has figured out how to rebound the ball and shoot it over his head so the other kids don’t have a chance at getting the ball.  He had a couple of fun spin moves that were fun to watch as well.   Academically he is doing great!  He reads on a 4^th grade level and knows a lot of multiplication already.  He is still really great with his brother and sister.  It is common for friends to comment on how good he is with younger kids.  Late note: on a rare moment alone with Eli, he decided to tell me of the bible story he learned at church… Joseph and the big fish J

Jaxon just completed his soccer season.  We absolutely love the team he is on!  He is very proud of his Most Improved Defender certificate.  At the end of season soccer party, he ended up eating dinner at a table with another family.  The mom and dad commented on how great his manners were.  When I told him how proud I was of his good manners, he responded, “Yah mom, I didn’t burp or fart.”  I’m so proud J  Jaxon surprised us all not long ago.  Eli was playing a game on the ipad and kept asking multiplication questions.  Jaxon answered each question correctly.  When asked, he explained that a child in his 1^st grade class had taught him… “Ken from Japanese”.  Jaxon was able to teach Eli multiplication in under 5 minutes from the back of the van.  Amazing!  Jaxon is doing well in school.  His teacher has learned how to he is able to hide and not complete his work.  He had his kindergarten teachers fooled, so I gave a warning to Mrs. Robertson.  So far Jaxon is doing amazing at first grade.  I don't know how many spelling words he has missed this year, but it isn't many.  It is very common for him to come home with a perfect score!  When he finally tires of playing video games with Eli, Jaxon loves playing with Alysa.  Sometimes his enthusiasm becomes too much for her.  Alysa was going through a biting stage for a week or so.  I got such a kick out of watching Jaxon run for his life with AJ chasing after him with her mouth wide open – clearly going in for the attack.  She didn’t have a chance at catching him.  It was quite a sight though.  Wish I could have caught that on video. 

AJ is such a girly-girl.  I’m not quite sure what we are going to do with her.  She loves to get dressed, put on shoes, and put bows in her hair.  When we traveled to Houston, we stopped at a Burger King.  The kids were passing around a crown, and once AJ put it on I called her a queen.  She shook her head no.  Her daddy called her a princess and she said “princess” with the biggest smile on her face.  She is already interested in potty training.  We’ve been slowly introducing the idea.  I’m guessing by the next time I remember to blog she will have been potty trained for months!  She is living up to her name.  She brings Joy to everyone.  I keep waiting for her brothers to get mad at her for getting into their things, but she manages to charm most everyone she comes across.  She just learned how to climb out of her crib (just shy of her 2^nd birthday) because Eli would always get her out upon her request.  She loves playing with the ipad, legos, soccer ball, basketball, putting on chap stick, and anything else she can get her hands on.  A while back I was running through the house gathering the things I needed to leave for work.  I noticed her running along behind me also grabbing things.  I realized once I got to the door that she had prepared herself to come with me to work.  She had a small lunch bag that she was carrying as a purse, a small toy, and a snack.  She often says things that make us smile: So happy, NOT happy, aw man, awesome, so funny, and she finally starting calling Jaxon by name (until now she called both brothers Li-Li)!!!!

Updates, Disney, and Krissy's Wedding!

I suck at this.  I get way too distracted with life!  Last night the boys wanted me to tell them funny stories from when they were really little and I realized just how bad I’ve been at this!

Here is a quick update:

Eli – he is still crazy smart.  His teacher literally cannot tell me what reading level he is on because it is higher than they will allow her to test.  His math and spelling skills are practically better than mine.  The first grade spelling words for this week are (apple, table, purple, circle, turtle, title, happen, begin, certain and the challenge words are comfortable, possible, fantastic, stubborn, and cancel).  Eli is doing really well in baseball and basketball.  He is also still the tallest kid around (maybe 54 inches or so) and weighs in at 100 pounds! 

Jaxon – This kid is our wild child.  Jax doesn’t ever stay still… ever!  He loves playing with everything and everyone.  His energy level is ridiculous.  He is going through a lovely phase of meltdowns.  We hope this phase ends soon.  Like his big brother, he doing very well in school.  I’ll find out exactly how well he is doing next week, but his reading and math are both above grade level.  Brian and I have gotten a kick out of Jaxon this year because he has had his first brush with young love.  Clara is a girl in his class.  She is happy to play with the boys (Skylanders, Zombies, or whatever).  She really is a great choice for his first girlfriend.  They want to get married, but know they have to wait until they are grown up.  Jaxon thinks he wants to have a house next door to Eli’s house.  Eli is going to be a chemist and Jaxon will be a police officer (or ninja) and a chef so he can make food for everyone.  They would like to keep AJ and Brian and I close by, but we weren’t specifically placed in the neighborhood plan J 

Alysa – AJ is our ragamuffin.  She hates having her hair pulled back so it is usually in her face until she wipes it away with her usually messy/sticky hands.  She loves her brothers every bit as much as they love her.  I am beyond thankful for the bond they have.  I tell the kids when they are fighting that they are the best gift I ever gave them.  They will always have a best friend and someone to lean on.  I think even at a young age they understand.  It doesn’t keep them from fighting, but it helps.  Alysa is really expressive. She can get her point across to anyone.  She can say some small sentences, she can eat with a fork and spoon, she is starting to jump, and is ready to do anything her brothers do.  At her 18 month appointment she was 33 inches (85^th percentile) and 25 lbs (70^th percentile).  She is ridiculously adorable, but has some diva tendencies. 

The kids LOVE music!  All 3 of them were singing at the top of their lungs in the car yesterday.  The boys love Crazy Frog, I’ll Make a Man Out of You, and Real in Rio.  Alysa is a big fan of Old MacDonald (E-I-O Mommy!) and Wheels on the Bus.  I’ve worked briefly with the boys on the piano.  I hope to do more of that this summer. 

We are really proud of their eating habits.  Like any kids they love junk food, but they know when we go out and eat, they must order healthy food.  I can’t tell you how many times friends, family, and restaurant employees have commented on the boys ordering broccoli or AJ stealing green beans off someone’s plate.

A couple of weeks ago we had our first family road trip (longer than a quick drive to Houston).  We drove to Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, and back again.  The kids were amazing.  The boys had maps of the United States.  They were able to see where we were and where we were going.  The counted the states we drove through.  We debated for a long time about flying or driving, but I really think the kids learned a lot.  Jaxon LOVED sidewalk art in Savannah!  We stopped in just in time to see the Annual Sidewalk Art Festival.  Eli really liked the “Old Man’s Beard” Moss on the trees.   

On our way to Orlando, we stopped off at Daytona Beach.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous.  The boys loved the ocean and playing in the sand.  AJ wasn’t a big fan of the cold water or the sticky sand. 

We all had a stomach bug attack us in Orlando and so we were only able to spend one day at Disney.  On one of our off days in Orlando we went out to eat.  The boys went outside the restaurant to play.  They started chasing lizards and had a run in with this cactus.  It has teeny tiny thorns.  I spent at least 30 minutes digging them out of the boys hands.

Brian will tell you now that he had a great time at Disney and he would like to go back when AJ is a bit older.  I wish I would have taken a video of him bellyaching!  His main concern was AJ was a bit young to participate in much of the stuff we were doing.  She wasn’t a happy camper for a lot of the day.  The best part of the visit to Disney for Brian and I was Space Mountain.  Brian took Jaxon first and I took Eli right after (thank you Fast Pass system).  The boys were so excited to go on the ride, but ended up being scared out of their minds.  Brian and I had a couple of chuckles at their expense.  The boys really loved Peter Pan’s flight and Splash Mountain.  After I took Jaxon on Splash Mountain, he told me his legs were shaking.  I asked if he was scared and he told me his legs were scared J  I got that on video! 

After Orlando, we traveled to Miami for Aunt Krissy’s second wedding.  Jax still asks why some people get married twice (extra confusing because Kristin married the same man at both weddings).  The wedding was beautiful!  The plan was for Eli to carry a pillow down the aisle and for Jaxon to hold AJ’s hand and get her up the aisle.  I knew the chances of Jax and AJ making it up the aisle were about 1%.  Sure enough, AJ made it maybe 4 steps up the boardwalk before falling down and crying.  I tried to get Jax to make it to the front, but he felt he was supposed to stay with his sister.  1 out of 3 made it…  People did get quite a kick out of all the kids though.  The kids had a great time in the kid’s area for the rest of the night.  We had them come eat with the adults and they couldn’t wait to get back to the fun kid’s room.