Elijah is 11!

We celebrated Elijah's 11th Birthday with a few friends today. He chose a Minecraft theme, a video game that he is really into. We bought an X-Box as a family gift for Christmas from my Dad and Elijah had been saving up money to buy a Minecraft game for himself so after Christmas, I took him shopping to finally buy it.

Elijah is a pretty easy-going kid. He likes to tease his siblings and make lots of noise by singing, humming, drumming on things or just about anything to let us know that he's in the same room--but other than that. He's a really easy-going boy. He goes with the flow of whatever is happening around him as well as able to focus on a game or book or homework or puzzle no matter what other things are going on around him. It sure helps him be a good student at school!

Every year, I really enjoy making a BIG DEAL of him on his birthday, partly, because of all that, he's just so easy-going, sometimes it's easy for him to be overlooked. If any of the kids have to "give in" for the wishes of another...Elijah is usually the first one. He's a little peacemaker and I enjoy that about him.

It's pretty fun to love on him and make him the center of attention because he sure enjoys it and the rewards of hugs and kisses and thank-yous are pretty amazing to his Dad and I.

At school this year, he ended up in a class (that we chose for him) separated from most of his "friends" that he's had classes with since Kindergarten. It's been a joy to watch him choose new friends--Kevin & Michael--both really great kids, and just lean in to new friendships. From the very beginning of planning his party, they were the first two on his list. I like that.

So he created some world and game within the Minecraft video game for the party, which they all played and enjoyed. We also bought some perler beads for making Minecraft characters and surprisingly, the boys all enjoyed making them!
 

Baseball

Elijah has been playing baseball this Spring and it's been fun to watch him. His team are the Detroit Tigers (same as last year, although it's a different Coach and team of boys). I don't think that we've won a single game, but it's been fun to watch the kids as they understand more and more how the game is played.

This is the first year of "coach pitch" but really, it's a pitching machine. The boys get three pitches off the machine and if they miss all three, the move to using a tee. Most of the times at bat, Elijah ends up using the tee but he has had one game so far where he had 4 times up to bat and 4 times he hit off the machine. Good hits too! That was a fun game...seems like all the kids were in to the game that day. They played the required 3 innings and added a quick 4th because they were all doing so well! It was fun!

Elijah's favorite positions to play are first base and pitcher because he says you get the ball most. It's true too! The boys are starting to realize that you can also get the other team out at second, third and home plate as well but they're at the stage of trying to run them out instead of throwing the ball. They'll get it though! ;)

 Getting ready to run home!

 

Grandma & Grandpa came over for last Saturday's game. 

Abby, Caleb & Hannah spend the game time playing with the other siblings there. Thankfully, there is lots of grass to run around in!

4 Loth Theeth!

Elijah has lost FOUR teeth since the beginning of this school year! Every lost tooth has been cemented in my mind because of the timing.

His first tooth came out when I was in the hospital with Hannah back in September. He was home with Joel and called me to say his tooth had come out. I snapped a picture the next day when he visited us in the hospital. The new one had been growing in behind the baby one so it was already visible once the baby one came out!

His second one came out while we were driving home from Grandma & Grandpa's house at Thanksgiving. We were in the van and he ended up accidentally pulling it out and it started bleeding. It worried him just a bit but in the end he was fine.

He pulled his third one out the other day (Thursday). It was good and ready! It had been hanging there for quite a while by then. It's amazing how much their smile changes as the front two teeth loosen, putting more room in between the two, then off to the side, then off to the other side. It's interesting to watch the process of them loosening and finally coming out!

 Then his fourth tooth came out yesterday after church. He was playing on the playground and jumped over a swing and his knee bonked his mouth. Joel yelled over to me, "Amy! We have a bleeder!" ; ) He was leaned over, spitting blood out on the ground so I came over and excitedly asked, "Did your tooth come out already?!" and he motioned and tried communicating that no, his knee just hit his mouth as he jumped over the swing but when he opened his mouth...his tooth was gone! We looked but never found it. Hope some poor unsuspecting kid doesn't find it at recess this week. ;)

So now he's wearing that cute little toothless grin! I think he was feeling a little self-conscious about it last night (thus the awkward smile above...he didn't want to smile for a picture, which is rare for him!) but today he's back to smiling and joking like normal. Little toothless cutie!

Soccer!

We've got our first soccer player in the family! Elijah started soccer this fall and is really enjoying it. Last Saturday was a fundraising Soccer Jamboree with raffle tickets for winning prize buckets, some of which were really good! There were fun carnival games and food to eat and he played his first soccer game. He did great! I was happily surprised he knew as much as he did! I fully expected the little team to be kicking the ball into any goal they could find, but they really did stick to their own! :)

Joel is the team's Assistant Coach this year and enjoying it. I know he's enjoying that special time with Elijah especially. :) It's fun for both of us to watch our son doing something that he's finding that he enjoys and is learning how to be good at!

Elijah scored his first goal today and was pretty excited! I asked him what he thought about it and he said, "I just looked at the field, because I didn't want anyone to see my face." Not sure what that meant...I think he was proud, excited and maybe a little embarrassed and wasn't sure what to do about it all at the same time! :) I was too busy cheering him on that I forgot to take pictures of it! :)

I like this one...Aubrey is taking charge of the ball and field and I'm not quite sure what Elijah is doing. It's cute though! ;)

 Caleb Frederick is on his team...they're pretty good buds, so they're having fun together!

Hannah is enjoying all the practices and games as well! She's getting the idea of soccer down pretty good! At practice the other night, Hannah took a ball and kicked the ball the length of a football field and halfway back before abandoning it for the playground! I think by the time she's 4, she'll be ready to play for real! ;)

The practices and games are all held at a Grade School's facility. So there's a great playground that the kids all make great use of during practices and games. I need to snag a few pictures of that happening! There are quite a few families from church all participating at different levels in the soccer league, so we're seeing a lot of friends, multiple times a week! It's filling up a lot of my (mostly deficient) ;) social needs as well as Abby's and Caleb is happy to go along as well! ;) It's fun to be out of the house as a family, doing and watching something fun together!

Day 1 of Preschool

Today was a much anticipated day for Elijah! It was the first day of Preschool! (A first for our whole family actually since Abigail didn't go to preschool before Kindergarten.) He was ready and excited for it all to begin, packed lunch and back pack ready at the door by 7:20! He was ready to go before Abigail was ready for school and his starts 1/2 hour after hers!

So the celebration started at breakfast, setting the table special for the little man, feeding him some beloved bacon for breakfast and chocolate banana muffins, of course! A very well-rounded meal for a preschooler! ;)

 His note says, "You're one smart cookie!" which he is! His Mother, however, is not as I put the "ABC" blocks, A-C-B! Haha! Apparently I was a little tired last night as I prepared the table!

 I love this picture of the two of them...I love that Abigail is as excited for him as she is/was for her first day of school!!

 "First Day"

 He wanted a picture of his backpack...which I have to take back to the store! The zipper is already splitting apart and it's his first time to use it! Bummer! I called the store and they only have "Mater" ones left. Elijah is such a happy-go-lucky kid though that his response was, "Mom! I was hoping for a Mater one!" He's so sweet!!

 First day of Preschool

 Elijah Thomas, 4 3/4 years old. ;)

 He set right to work with the magnets! What a great idea to use a cookie sheet, holds them all in!

 He was pretty excited, it was hard to keep his attention long enough to get his eyes on the camera!

My little man! I love him!!

Dreaming in the fast lane

I've had my eye on this bed for Elijah for quite awhile now. Saw it on Craigslist last spring and have been watching prices for it since then. Finally took the plunge this week and got a good deal and a happy, happy boy!

After it was set-up I asked him, what do you think of your new bed and he said, "Cooool!" I'm pretty sure it was the first time I've ever heard him say that word and I loved it! He is only three, right?! ; )

It's Quiet....

Where's Elijah and what is he doing?

This morning, this is where we found him after realizing it was quiet...really quiet after breakfast and it was just Abigail, Joel, Caleb & I in the kitchen. We searched everywhere and Joel finally found him in our bathroom...putting on my mascara! Really??? My son??? Expected that from Abigail...but from Elijah??

So I took his picture but then told him not to do it again..we'll see!I told him, "mascara is for girls...for Mommy's" so he grabbed Joel's deodorant and said, "this is for boys." Uh, yeah...

Rocky Balboa

We were at a picnic on Sunday--more on that later--and Elijah was stung by a bee, twice actually! On his eyebrow!! Youch! Right away it started swelling and after some time, his eye was swollen shut! It happened shortly before his bedtime, so we gave him some medicine and put him to bed for the night. The next morning, most of his face was swollen, but we could see a sliver of his eye. Slowly...slowly, the swelling is going down and today we can almost see his whole eye.
This is his 4th & 5th bee stings since Abigail's birthday, which wasn't even a month ago! We always knew he was a sweet boy, but this confirms it! Seriously though, we're hoping for break from bee stings for the little guy, because each time, his body has reacted more and more severely to them. Everyone has been saying that the bees are out in full force this summer...hopefully we can keep them away from Elijah in these last couple days!