Computers and a Birthday

So, I’m more behind than ever now.  Right after Eli’s birthday my computer decided it had had enough and was no more.  After a day of stressing (it crashed Saturday night so Sunday) thinking I had lost all my pictures and music.  The music I was frustrated about because I knew how much money we had spent buying songs on iTunes but I know about a free download that would let you retrieve your music; so I just knew it was going to be a hassle.  But the pictures- I would have cried if I lost all of those!!  So I was so glad to find a local repair guy that was able to retrieve all my data off the hard-drive.  He even thought he could fix the old one but it wouldn’t be worth it.  We bought the new computer and a new printer- the old printer had trouble “talking” to the old computer so I knew it was not going to “talk” to the new one. After setting up the new computer and printer I am finally back where I had started about 2 weeks ago!!!

Happy Birthday Eli!!!

With the computer crashing after Eli’s birthday it made me think of how much I enjoy looking back at those pictures of the kids and remembering my blessings.  I really can’t believe Eli is two years old.  I remember when they first put him in my arms I told John I think he has the chubbiest cheeks of them all.  Two years later his chubby little cheeks and sweet smile still light up my day. 



Chubby Cheeks at 1 month

All my kids start their terrible two’s I swear once they turn one and seem to go until their 3- then we get into triple trouble 3’s.  Eli I have to say may be  in the terrible 2 stage but it's not all that terrible now.  We had a rough start but I think he is starting to figure out he doesn’t like being in trouble.  He will tell you “Boo Boy”- aka “I’ll be a big boy now”.  Also he has learned how to pass the blame again trying hard to stay out of trouble.  It’s a little funny because he will blame anyone and everyone- a friend down the street, aunts and uncles (who are not visiting at the time), the dog and of course his siblings!  My favorite is when he blames Makaela.  He just looks at you with this “its true mom” face and says “Sister did it.”  Now giving him some credit Makaela is very mobile now but she can be napping or nowhere around and gets blamed.  In his mind its poor me, mom and dad don’t ever believe me!

Most of our kids are really close but Eli and Ian are 22 months apart, almost 2 years!  Okay may not sound like much but the others are 18, 14, and 15 months apart so 22 months is a break!!!  J   I think it is because of this break that Eli tries even harder to catch up with his big brothers.  He knows (notice I didn’t say thinks- he KNOWS) he can do anything they do and gets frustrated when he can’t.  When he gets frustrated he usually starts blaming them for whatever he can’t do and we have to remind him he’s not big enough yet or keep trying depending on what he wants to do.  He is also copying everything they do and say.  The older boys will get upset with him but I just tell him that he wants to be just like you.  Since they can be a little vain a lot of times they are flattered and leave Eli alone.  Other times it’s a continuous “leave me alone Eli, stop copying me Eli”- I know they will miss each other when they move out; but for now I get to listen to the symphony of tattle-telling and whining about each other.

Eli’s second birthday was a small little family birthday.  We made his cake and open presents then went outside to play with his new four wheeler.  One of his gifts was a push four-wheeler that he loves! We got it because the big boys are always riding bikes and Eli is stuck with nothing.  He tries the scooters or old bikes but he is just not able to get the hang of it.  So the four-wheeler puts him back in the game with the big boys. 



Cool dude!



Makaela helping Eli ride his new four wheeler



Eli enjoying the music and lights



Ian checking out the four wheeler

Caleb has a puppy pillow pet that Eli kept swiping from Caleb so we decided to get Eli one for his birthday.  Keeping true to his nick name "chunky monkey", we got him a monkey.  He was excited to have his own!  The other night when I was putting him in bed he saw Caleb's puppy on his bed and looked at me with such a face and a grunt that could only be interrupted as "This is NOT mine- and does NOT go in MY bed".  Glad he likes his monkey!



Eli and his pillow pet monkey

 

Makaela thinks it's cool too

I think one of my favorite things about his birthday is the fact that he kept singing “Happy birthday to you”.  Most of the time when you would ask him whose birthday it was he was say one of his brothers, but every once in a while he would smile and say – ME!  Also cake was called – Happy birthday.  So the days after his birthday when we still had cake he would ask for a happy birthday to you.  Oh so cute! 


Eating- Happy Birthday to you


I pray that he keeps this oh so cute stage, but I know the terrible two’s will pass and then we will get into the teens where cute might not be the word any longer- at least I will have my pictures to look back and remember sweet Eli.