Sculpture Garden

So we finally made it to the Sculpture Garden today. It was so nice to finally see and feel the warm sunshine. We packed a lunch and off we went. Eliah didn't understand where we were going and asked if there were rides or playgrounds there...was disappointed when I said no. But, he really got into it and didn't want to leave! The ducks swimming in the pond by the Spoon Bridge and Cherry were a hit. He also asked to see the glass fish again. The highlight was probably going up all the steps to the walkway that goes above 94 just before the tunnel. That was VERY cool! And loud! Afterwards we met Henni for ice cream for a short visit...we had gone WAY into nap time!

Here's the big fish Eliah loved! He also though it was amazing palm trees were in there!

Picnic lunch....

Looking at the ducks with Spoon Bridge in background.

Walking bridge just above the tunnel.

Busy days

Well, we are keeping busy and trying to fill our days the best we can. We've had some fun the last few days doing a play date with friends at the Y on Friday. Kids swam like crazy, then we came back to the house for lunch. This meant a very good nap for everyone! We finished the day with McD's playland for dinner.
This morning we got up and went to Ikea and then to the MOA for some ride time. Kids had fun....we'll leave it at that! Ha! Then we were invited to our friends house for dinner and playtime. Wow....big day! Eliah was more than exhausted by bedtime.
The weather actually looks to be nicer tomorrow...maybe a trip to the Sculpture Gardens since we never got there a few weeks ago. Who knows...after our last two busy days...a quieter one may be better.

Here's Ava....this time I grabbed the camera in time for the shark goggles!

I also caught her feeding her GlowBaby (glow worm) a sippy cup! Playing with a doll TWICE now....hmmmm, looks like we may have a little princess on our hands! Ha!

Today at the MOA.

Oh this was fun! Very fast...he had to hold on tight! Big smiles!

Wild River State Park

We spent the weekend at Wild River State Park on the St. Croix River. This is a beautiful park! The trails are great and the campsites are private, shaded, wooded...just gorgeous....all except for site b2...."partially shaded" my #*%! Oh well. Another funny was the prediction of fabulous weekend weather...only a 20% chance of a passing shower on Friday ....somehow that turns into 5 hours of steady rain....which also means getting 5 people and a large, furry dog in a tent for dinner. We sent the kids to bed early and Aaron and I sat in the tailgate of the van and laughed at it all. Saturday made up for the horrible campsite and rain the previous night. We had a great hike and found an awesome swimming beach along the river. The boys had a blast digging in the sand and wading in the water. Oskar fetched sticks and was thrilled to be in the water. We were all a sandy, wet mess, but the long hike back had us dried off and sand-free in no time. We all slept well last night. This morning was another yummy breakfast of pancakes and hashbrowns (breakfast is one of my most favorite things while camping). Crazily it ended up raining again, but we were able to pack up and go for a little hike without too much trouble.

Here is Ava who got out of baby backpack to walk for awhile.

Oskar was in heaven splashing, chasing sticks, rolling in sand and smelling other wet dogs. He slept well last night too!

We decided that "partially shaded" must only be during sunrise or sunset....

Oh how cute!!!!

Ava went to bed. Apparently she wasn't ready to settle down yet as she found the zipper next to her pack and play for the window. I hear a little voice say "Momm-y!!!" and see this little face peeking out from the screen. What a silly girl!

4th of July

We had another great picnic and Aaron's Annual Family 4th of July Extravaganza. The morning was drizzly and we got rained on for a little bit but then the sun came out and we had a spectacular afternoon. Eliah had a BLAST playing with cousins, riding on the golf cart, exploring in the woods and setting off fireworks. Ava was taken in by a couple of the girl cousins and for the first time ever....I saw her play with a doll! Of course, this isn't just any doll...it makes noises when you put the pacifier in its mouth and it closes its eyes. Very cute! So, apparently she just needs a doll that's interactive and a little friend to show her how to play with it! So funny!
After the picnic we went back to Grandma's house and watched the fireworks in town. A very fun weekend.

Lots of games to play....

Lots of golf cart rides

Ava checking out the garden...

Ava putting the pacifier in the baby's mouth...

Wow! Playing with dolls can be just as fun as trucks!!!!

So, we had a great day at home today. After our busy weekend I just wanted to stay put and we played and played. Eliah was fantastic and is still excited about earning his stickers on his chart. Ava is my creative little girl...she loves to color and playing with play-doh. I found her today with a handful of markers....and a very colored in face...especially around the eyes. It was quite the look! I somehow failed to get a pix of her like that. I also failed to get a pix of her walking around the house with swimming goggles on her face...she is such a funny girl!
Then just tonight, I had finished giving the kids baths. I went downstairs to talk to Aaron for a minute and Eliah was supposed to be upstairs getting in his pj's. I hear the little boy next door talking to Eliah and I heard Eliah's voice from up on the deck responding. The next piece I hear from the kid next door is "Eliah....why are you naked?" Ahhhh.....Eliah....get back in the house!!!!!!! Seriously....my kids have kept me laughing all day today.

Tomorrow we have a play date set up with some friends for a picnic at a park. Should be fun!

Keeping Busy

We have been busy this last week! We started the week out celebrating my 33rd birthday on Monday and I had a great day. I took the kids to Como Zoo with a friend and her kids. It was perfect weather for being at the zoo...cool and cloudy! Later Aaron took us out for dinner and then home for gifts and ice cream cake. Fun! This is what I found in the large mystery box from my parents. Knitters....you may start your ooh's and ahh's now. The tan and cream twist is a fabulously soft organic cotton and is screaming at me to be made into a little cardigan for Ava. The two shades of green....something felted perhaps? And then do you see that enormous puff of white? That, my dear knitting friends, is 100% Alpaca. But not just any Alpaca...it's over 16 oz.....1200 yards of the most heavenly, gorgeous and simply yummy yarn I've ever laid eyes on. That's right...1200 yards.....the possibilities are endless.........joy...pure joy!

Here Eliah and Mahdi are looking at a poisonous frog! Cool!

Ava and Linah with the lions in the background.

After the Zoo we went to Como Town and hit some rides. What a great day!

This one made me giggle. Eliah and Ava got these little sleeping mats from my friend Jen. They've been playing sleep over in the living room all week. Ava actually will lie down quietly and pretend to sleep....Eliah is always fixing his covers and never quite gets to the sleeping part.

Happy kids are kids that get outside. So, we went for a long walk up to a park. Ava was all about this slide and Eliah stepped up to the big brother role and took position as "catcher" at the bottom. It looks like she's holding onto the sides but she's really cruzing along here! Make the pix bigger if you can to see her smile.

The long walk home. Eliah rides his bike and Ava helps walk Oskar.

A couple other fun notes....my kids LOVE fresh pineapple. They both pulled chairs up to the counter to watch me cut apart the whole thing...Eliah ate it up like candy.

Ava's vocabulary and word recognition are growing like crazy. Her new funny is saying Ta-Da!!!! At dinner the other night she stuck her finger in her green bean piece so it was stuck to the end of her finger...she put her finger in the air and said Ta-Daaa!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I am starting a Good Boy chart for Eliah. He suddenly seems to be whining ALL the time. So he'll earn stickers for not whining and can lose them for doing so. I don't know if it will help, but what I've tried so far hasn't had an impact, so I try something else. Maybe it's just the age, a phase or whatever...but it's driving me nuts!

Also tomorrow I am taking all 3 kids to the Mpls Sculpture Gardens. Maybe pack and picnic lunch and finish the trip at Sebastian Joe's.....for those of you unfamiliar.....i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m!!!!!

Children's Museum

After a long string of hot days and starting to get bored playing in the back yard (did I just say "bored" two weeks into summer vacation??!!!!) we decided to go on a field trip to the Children's Museum yesterday. I have a feeling Wednesdays will become field trip day just to break up our weeks a bit. We had a great time and it was fun to see Ava exploring everything. I'm sure I've mentioned my frustrations at child/parent behavior while out and about, but I'm always shocked with what parents let their kids do while in public. Now, don't get me wrong....my children are FAR from perfect and I have one child, in particular, that can get rather emotional and has created quite a scene on more than one occasion. With this being said, I feel I most often follow thru with a time out or a consequence or we leave altogether! The last one is always hard to do...but I think it's sunk in now and I can now use it as leverage....and he knows I'm serious. Anyway, I'm just shocked how parents will stand by and let their kids grab supplies out of another child's hands and not do anything about it. I know there are times when you can't control a child's outburst, but for pete's sake...if you're out doing something FUN...your kid should be in control and if they can't...then you should take them home! Phew....I feel better after that!
So, we had fun exploring the different areas of the Museum. The Clifford Exhibit was open and that had some fun stations. The WaterWorks was fun with water tubes and bubbles. Eliah loved the construction station and crawling in the enormous ant hill. It was a good day!
Today we were supposed to go to the beach to go swimming with some friends but Eliah woke me up at 4 am saying that he threw up in bed. Lovely. He's been struggling with funny tummy most of the day, poor guy. Leaves me wondering how we'll handle camping weekend....plus, it looks like possible thunder showers on Saturday. Hmmmm, we'll see......Eliah obviously needs to feel better to even go at all. So, hopefully he'll have a speedy recovery.

Here's Ava playing with a ping pong ball at the water tubes.

These bubble-makers are awesome! Ava got very excited at this station.

A grocery store made kid-size!

Looking for produce....

Working together....

Ava is the check-out lady....

Turtle...

Drive

I forgot to post a funny about Ava. Yesterday I found her sitting on the floor of the Gator...sort of fussing as it looked like her head was stuck under the steering wheel. So, I go over to help her out...she only fusses more and she's obviously mad that I'm interfering with her "fun" of being under the steering wheel. So I back off only to see her take off in the Gator! The reason why she was sitting under there was to use her HAND to press the gas pedal since her foot doesn't reach! So, I had to take off running and stop the gator before she hit a tree or the fence. She, of course, was all smiles at this new find! Oh my.....she's quite the smarty pants for sure! Here she is riding like a responsible young lady.....

Mine!

So, Ava has some new words that she is VERY fond of using: Mine! and No! She has been using them quite often lately. Yesterday she was determined to tuck Oskar in with her blanket. Keep in mind it's over 90 outside....the last thing I'm sure Oskar wanted was a blanket on him, but he just stayed put and let her tuck him in. I caught these pix just at the end. However, once Ava got him tucked in, she stood there and looked at him for a moment as if satisfied with doing a good job...then grabbed at her blanket and yanked it away and yelled "MINE!" So funny!

The heat of the last two days has apparently caught up with Eliah. Yes, I turned the air on the other morning and we are enjoying the cool house, but we spend much our day outside splashing in the pool and playing with the hose. I called everyone in for dinner tonight which was a huge bummer for Eliah as he and Aaron were involved in a massive water fight together outside. So, he comes in completely in tears and not wanting to get out of his swim suit. I try to calm him down and here is our conversation:
Me: Eliah, why are you crying? (No answer from him...just more crying)
Me again: Eliah, stop....why are you crying? (He pauses for just a moment)
Eliah: I don't know Mommy.....Can you tell me why I'm crying???? (Followed by hysterical crying again)
Eliah: Mommy....you tell me why I'm crying.......

Aaron and I laughed and laughed as I held him and let him cry it out. Hmmmm, think someone was tired?? Ha!

So, for a twist to our week...and also a break from the heat, we are going on a field trip to the Children's Museum tomorrow. The Clifford event is there, so that should be fun. Thursday we're going to a local beach with some friends.

This is what the kids have looked like the last two days....swimsuits and sunscreen have been the attire..fun, fun!

Happy Father's Day!

What a good weekend we had! Levi came up on Friday and spent the night. Good quality time for sure! Eliah loved having him here and showing off all his toys. Saturday was a gorgeous day outside...hot in the sun, yet comfortably warm in the shade. The kids played and played in the pool, sprinkler, squirt guns and garden hose. Everyone was very tuckered out by the evening!

Today the weather was not as fabulous....sort of gray and drizzly. Aaron did get to sleep in and we had a nice breakfast. Later Eliah and Aaron went off to Menards to get some things along with some more sand for the sandbox....funny how it just sort of disappears! Finished the day with Chinese take-out.

Eliah requested "movie night" which basically means one of his live-action videos and popcorn. So, he and Aaron watched his Trains video....this is what I came upstairs to find:

So cute!!!!!

Earlier today Ava put on the glasses from my old Cabbage Patch Kid doll...she thought they were so funny!

We also have dug in our heels and not turned on our air conditioning yet. I hate having the windows closed in the summer time. So, we got out our old black fan...the kids thought it was fabulous! They sat here on the couch and just laughed and laughed as the fan blew on them. Temp looks to hit 90 tomorrow and 95 on Tuesday....hmmmm, I think I'll have to cave in and shut the windows.

Ava and Linah

Ava has pretty much dominated this blog for some time but I have to do one more all girls post. Today we went to the park with our friends and the boys, Eliah and Mahdi took off running all over the playground. Ava and Linah spent some time getting to know each other. We had to laugh at their interactions...or lack of them anyway. They just sort of stood near each other but were in their own little worlds. It was so cute! What fun seeing these little girls together...Linah was the premie who was supposed to be born a month after Ava...she arrived 3 months early! Here they are playing together at the park....so, so sweet!

Ava LOVES slides!

The girls....

While Ava looks a little annoyed...she lauged just after I took the pix! So funny!

More pix from the park on my Rakso Pix Link to the right.

Sundress

Hands down......baby girl clothes are a million times cuter than boys clothes. Yes, yes...there are cute baby boy clothes out there, but what can be cuter than these little sundresses??? Not much in my book! Now, just because she looks simply adorable and girly as ever....this does not mean that just because you wear a dress, you can't drive a John Deere!

Summer Knit Dress

I knit this little dress last year for Ava. Was hard to imagine her being big enough to fit into it...fits great with room to grow!

We got a new pool. Looks cooler on the box...water sprays out of the giraffe mouth...but it's too harsh and loud. Slide doesn't quite "slide" so they sort of inch their way down it. Oh well. They aren't complaining and think it's great fun!

Camping #1

We had a fabulous camping trip to Nerstrand State Park over the weekend. Friday night started out cool and damp, but the rain stopped in time for us to set up camp and get dinner on the fire. It was a chilly night and I think Ava got too cold so she woke up crying a couple times so I pulled her into my sleeping bag with me. That did the trick as she slept soundly the rest of the night.....I however, not so much.
Saturday we woke to completely clear sky and PERFECT weather. We got out some of the new lawn games and Aaron made us yummy scrambled eggs and sausage. Then we went for some play time at the park and for a two hour hike down to the Hidden Falls.
Later that afternoon we were surprised to see our friends Kelly, Troy and Morgan! They came to our site a few times and Morgan and the boys hit it off immediately playing in the woods sword fighting and general chasing each other all over camp.
This morning Aaron made the best pancakes and sausage...what is it about camping and having breakfast outside? It's just the best! We went for a little hike and then packed up camp. We are all tired, but so pleased with how the weekend went. We did end up with Ava getting scraped up knees and Eliah burnt the top of his foot from the tip of a marshmallow stick, but they don't seem to mind and Eliah already asked when we're going again.....success!

Velcro ball was a hit!

Lots of bean bag toss games....many without rules....

Love her pigtails...eating something yummy...that blur of a boy in the background is Eliah.

Our family pix here turned out much better last year....at least we try!

My girl....

Just look at those two! Love it!

I love how sweet he looks...and that dimple....

Ava likes to play with Army Men...just like the big boys!

He went the entire way like this....such a boy!

Fine dining in the woods!

Weekend fun

We went to Grandma H's house the other weekend. Grandpa was in from China, the chainsaw was used to cut down a tree, Oskar was off leash and stayed in the yard (mostly), entire weekend spent outside in perfect weather.....a great time!

Sweet Ava doesn't have much of a chance being "girly". Obviously her big brothers have already had an influence on her. Here she is with Davis....hmmm, is that a stick sword sweet Ava? They are chasing Eliah....who LOVED being in the chainsaw box.

After cutting down the tree it was time to haul the stumps...
with the wheelbarrow....Eliah's idea.

If Grandma's windows didn't need to be cleaned before....they do now.

Big smiles!

Joy

When I need to smile and need a little extra Joy in my day...I'll just look at this pix. Clearly Ava loves her sweet "Bub-py"....and I think he loves her too!

First Pig Tails!

I have waited so long to put pig tails in my little girl's hair. She's just what I had imagined!

Christine and Brian

My best friend Christine married her love, Brian, yesterday afternoon and they had what was most likely the most amazing May day in MN ever! Everything was perfect for an outdoor wedding. Everything was beautiful....the bride, the weather, the Garden, the wedding and reception. I am so lucky to have such a friend as Christine and words can't describe the joy I felt for her yesterday. I wish Christine and Brian joy and happiness as they begin their lives together.

Here comes the bride.

Father and Daughter

Are these just not the coolest shoes worn by a bride EVER??? Notice they match her flowers!

Had to get one of me and Aaron too!

Think they are Star Wars fans??? Check out the cake...friends Kelly and Jennifer made this wedding cake for Christine and Brian.

Married....Christine is wearing her shawl she knitted.

Cowles Conservatory. What a fabulously unusual and beautiful place for a reception.

I love my dear Christine!

For more pix of Christine's wedding, go to my RaksoPix Album on the right side of blog.

OUCH!!!!!

So yesterday I picked up Eliah at daycare and stopped at his mailbox before going out to the playground to get him. In his box I found an Incident Report explaining that he tripped on a soccer ball on the playground and scraped his nose, forehead, arm and leg. So, this is the little Rudolph that greeted me as if nothing was wrong! Can you believe it? He basically used his nose to stop his body...ha! His poor nose is sort of raw/rug burned looking. He says it doesn't hurt....crazy kid! He wouldn't let me near him with a camera...but I was able to sneak this one in during story time. Thankfully, he's just oblivious to it all....I'm sure the kids at his friends birthday party tomorrow will have some questions as to what happened to his face!

Then there is the little lady....The little lady who clearly needs to work on her table manners.....

BBQ

We had our family over for a bbq yesterday afternoon. What a beautiful day for sitting outside and getting the grill going. Ava was a little cautious as first, but then warmed up to these new faces.

Here is Ava with Auntie Lena

Ava and Uncle Arne in a very cute moment together. So sweet!

And here are a couple more from a few weeks ago...Ava wearing goggles in the tub......and silly girl....try sleeping the other way, Ava! :-)

Henni and Rich

My sister got married yesterday and it was a beautiful wedding. We had SO much fun, what a special day!

The day begins......

Pictures...this one is cute....

Family pictures with the Swedes. From left to right:
Mom, Sten, Arne, Henni, Dad and LenaDinner....Uncle Arne playing his clarinet with the band....they sounded GREAT!First Dance....

aren't they just the cutest??!!!

Off they go.....

Wild Women...

....on the Wild River! What a fabulous weekend celebrating my dearest friend's upcoming wedding. 10 amazing women camping for the night and enjoying fire, food, drink, good company, the beautiful outdoors and lots and lots of laughs. Spending time like this with girlfriends is simply therapy for your spirit. I am so lucky to know such an amazing group of women. Thanks Christine for giving us a reason to get together and celebrate!

Here's the crew from left to right, Front: Christine and Amy. Back: Maranda, Rebecca, Jennifer (with River), Kelly, Nichole, Katie, Wendy and Katri

Oh, camping will never be the same since Wendy introduced Jello Shots to the camping world!

A nice little hike before dinner.

The bride opening her gift from all of us.....a sparkle body puff!........

....and the rest we can't show! ;-) Oh, what fun!!!!!!
(Isn't the backdrop for all this girlie-ness just too fabulous??!!!!!

For anyone not into tent camping or if you want to camp when it's cold, the camper cabins are AWESOME! Cute little cabins that sleep 6, electricity, table/chairs and heat source. No kitchen so cooking is done outside like regular camping.....so fun!

On a different note, I came home today to a clean house! Hooray! But also to a very quiet four year old...Eliah has a bad sore throat and is basically afraid to talk. I went thru the same thing about 2 weeks ago...not fun! So, we snuggled for a bit and watched a movie. He started to feel a little better and went outside to play for a bit before bath time. Hopefully it isn't as bad tomorrow.
Eliah made another funny. He crawled into bed with us Saturday morning and snuggled for awhile. Then he put his hand on my face, got about 6 inches away and said: Mommy, did you know that worms are really good recyclers? Laugh!!!!!! Oh my! Where did that come from? Apparently I have a little composter on my hands! Too fun!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! Hope you had a wonderful day!

Art Night

Okay, I have to show off some of my kids art again. The show this year was a huge success! Not only did I have the kids art up, but also had 3 demonstration tables set up with a few of my top 5th grade artists. Here are some of the highlights:

Fauvist Tree by 5th....isn't it just beautiful???!!!!

O'Keeffe Pastel Flower - 5th

Portrait Scratch Art - 5th....she made my Masterpiece Wall

Op Art - 5th

Woodland Indian Painting - 5th

Impressionist Seascapes and Escher Lizard - 3rd

Self Portraits with mirrored reflection - 2nd

Scratch Art Demo

5th grader explaining scratch art to other students and parents

Pastel Flower Demo

It was a crazy night, but the feedback was so positive! Aaron came with the kids and went to some of the engineering activities. They made PlayDoh and then had fun drawing on the whiteboards in my room. Ava had fun running down the long hallways!

It's nice to be done with the long hours preparing for the show...now I can actually see my kids awake! Ha!

Eliah made a funny last week. We were talking about our birds returning to build their nest above our front gutter. I asked Eliah if he thought there was a baby bird egg in the nest. Eliah said: "Yes, the mommy bird will gently take the egg with her feathers and CRACK it on the side of the gutter and the baby bird will be borned....just like people!" Oh for real.....this kid cracks me up! Never a dull moment around here! Ha!

Heifer International

We just completed a week long drive for Heifer International. What a great program! The idea is instead of giving a "hand out" you are giving a "hand up". Originally started by a doctor delivering powdered milk to malnourished children, he thought...why don't we give them a cow or goat? The offspring is then shared with others in the community. That's the basics of it anyway. So, we really pushed it this week and knowing that each class could PICK which animal they wanted to buy was just too exciting. I forgot all the numbers, but we raised $3,590 and were able to buy one Heifter ($500), 2 Water Buffalo ($250 each), pigs, bees, chickens, goats, etc. All these will be giving to communities around the world. A pretty amazing thing to be a part of. I helped organize the staff drive and my student council kids made the banner. We had a school assembly today and you could just feel the pride and energy in the room. A great way to end a very long week.


Here's the teacher who led it all. She's dressed up as Helen Heifer...the kids LOVED it!And just in case you ever wondered what 550 kids looked like (the number of kids I teach each week).....here they are......Last week Eliah and I made a SuperMan cape. It was his idea while we were at the craft store getting some other items. He was SO excited to us the sewing machine and helped make his cape...but he won't wear it. So weird. Ava had it on the longest, but I failed to get a pix...maybe someday!

Also, Happy 6th birthday to my first baby, Oskar. We sang to him tonight and he got a new can of tennis balls. We let him have them in the house for just a little while...until he started to push them under the couches for fun...that leads to "digging"....not good in the house! Ha! Happy Birthday my sweet Oskar!

Kids and Art

I've been flying this last week. Tonight I actually made it home for dinner...while it was still light out. The 82 temp was a bigger kicker to get me out of the school. It will be so nice when the art show is all over.
Caught this one of the kids tonight. They were cute sharing the scooter.
Now I have to post a pix of some fabulous art again! I predict a very creative future for Cousin Megan! This was from the Northtown Art Show for our district. Each art teacher from the elementary schools send about 2 pieces from each classroom to be on display for one week...so it's a big deal! It was fun to take pix of my kids art and also hunt for Megan's! Eliah had to have his pix taken in front of it too. Beautiful job Cousin Megan!

Little Viking

So, I got these most fabulous shots of Ava last night right after her bath. She put on the Viking helmet and pulled the soup ladle from the kitchen drawer....I could hardly contain myself as I scrambled for the camera not wanting to miss this perfect Kodak opportunity! She's looking out the window for Oskar (Bub-py). She is such a character....just pure joy and she makes us laugh every day. Tonight she and Eliah were in the tub and she started to say over and over Eliah's name. He was quite pleased to hear that! Here's my little Viking.

We are having a stretch of nice weather...today was 70 and I sent Eliah off in shorts and t-shirt today. I have a list of things to get Eliah like new sandals and a new bike. He is simply WAY too big for his old bike and I think learning to ride on two wheels is actually more difficult with it being so small. So, a trip to Target is planned for the weekend.

Tonight I had conferences with Eliah's teacher and what a great report! She said there isn't much to go over academically since he's proficient in everything. She is very impressed with all of his word recognition. I had more questions about his social skills and behavior but she said he fits perfectly with his age group, has appropriate reactions to friends and teachers, always says please and thank you and asks for things politely. She said he is well liked by all the students and plays well with both girls and boys and is a good leader. It makes me so happy to know he is learning so much and has so many friends.

We went to the park tonight and here's Eliah on the swing. He's figured out how to pump his legs and tipping back was great fun!

Is that a face of joy, or what??