Waterfalls in the Bathroom

My dearest, sweetest, oldest child is incredibly creative. The other day Eli said he wanted to take a bath/shower. He has been taking bath/showers on his own for about 6 months now, and until this time had done a great job keeping the water in the tub, only a few minor spills here or there. (You can see where this is going, can't you). He also takes REALLY long showers, he likes to let the water run over him and he of course likes to play with the bath toys, so if he is in there for 10-20 minutes I usually don't concern myself. Well this particular day, I was doing a lot of packing and my mind was on the millions of things I needed to do before we moved...So there is my disclaimer. Anyway to the story...So Eli is taking is usually long shower/bath and after about 20 minutes comes out, and proudly exclaims "WOW, that was fun!" It was then I noticed that the bottom of his towel was sopping wet, but not enough to raise any red flags in my mind. So me being an attentive mom (well some of the time) asked him "what was fun". He then proceeds to tell me the following: " I made waterfalls in the bathroom, and I learned how to swim." Now the red flag is FLASHING and WAVING FRANTICALLY!!!! So I then ask Eli what he means by waterfalls and if there is water on the floor in the bathroom. He then says in a calm but reassuring manner "Yeah there is water on the floor". Of course I rush to the bathroom to find about 2 inches of water on the floor, now I know what he meant when he said waterfalls. Apparently he realized that if you pull the plug up to make a bath and keep the water going then the bathtub can then fill up with water and overflow down the sides, thus creating a waterfall effect, how fun and ingenuitive of him! I was able to soak up all the water using the recently washed towels that I hadn't packed yet, and borrowing some from our neighbors. Boy what an adventure!

Out of the mouth of Eli

Here are a couple of conversations that Eli, Isaac and I have had recently. They gave us a chuckle so we thought we would share:

Yesterday at dinner we were discussing listening and trying to better explain why he needs to listen ( is this familiar to anyone???) So here is how the conversation goes:
Isaac: "Eli what type of listener do you think you are?"
Eli : " Um, I think a little bit bad listener"
Britt: "Why do you think that?"
Eli: " Um I don't know."

Today we were taking a walk to the store and back, it is about a mile there and back. On the way there Eli was full of energy and running and jumping, but on the way back he got a little tired. About 1/2 of the way home, Eli tells me that he is sweaty and wants to take off his shirt, so I let him and we continue on at a snails pace. Then about 3/4 of the way home Eli stops and sits down under a tree. I stop with the twins in the stroller, and look at Eli.
Britt: "Eli, what are you doing?"
Eli: " My heart broke"
Britt:" You heart broke?
Eli; "Yeah, I am tired"

I just thought it was funny. We did eventually get home, but it took a while cause his heart was broken.

Addicted to Cheerios

Oliver and Emerson have embraced food in all shapes and forms, some they aren't ready for yet, but that does not stop them. When Isaac, Eli and I are eating anything they quickly crawl over (yes they are full on crawling now) to see if we will share. Their Favorite by far though, is Cheerios. All they have to do is hear the crinkle of the bag or see the box and the whine with glee ( I say whine because they are a little bit in the impatient side when it comes to getting their Cheerios). Anyway it is kind of cute. They are also getting a knack for eating bits of bread, bananas, and an occasional apple bit, when big brother isn't looking.
In other news the boys have discovered the balcony and how to open the screen door leading to the balcony. They love being out there exploring, finding the occasional stick or leaf to chew on before mom rescues it from their mouths.
Since they have mastered the crawling thing (they are only 7 months old!!!!) they have decided to focus their learning to the sitting on the knees (mastered last week) and now trying to pull to a stand ( it is still a work in progress, thankfully). This continual learning keeps mommy on her toes and constantly kissing boo boos from faulty execution of the new still. (Oliver is now called "scar"because of a cut he got under his eye when he was being a daredevil and connected squarely with a toy. Bad toy, how dare you get in the way. Emerson also has his fair share of bruises from his explorations)

They have also begun to explore their vocal abilities. They have become masters of the "ba ba ba" sound and recently began saying "da da" (which of course makes Isaac feel like a million bucks) At cute thing they do, espcially Oliver, (Heather B will get a kick out of this) they blow rasberries with their lips when they are angry.
Overall it is fun to watch our growing twins explore their world and embark on new journeys. I can't believe how fast they are growing and learning, but I am trying to enjoy every minute of it!

OLIVER EMERSON

It's a Bird, It's a plane...

So, Eli and Isaac went to the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL last weekend and came back all Supermanized, ( I don't think that is a word), Anyway, they left Madison Thursday night, despite the pouring rain and the continual blaring of the tornado warning horns, and advisement to stay off the roads. Needless to say they made it out safely. After stopping over in Springfield to see the parents/grandparents the two boys arrived in Metropolis a little before noon on Friday.
What is so important about little ole Metropolis, IL you may say? Well, it has been named as the official Metropolis the fictional comic book place is based on, so every year they hold a huge celebration commemorating that distinction and of course the man of steel. This year was special though, they celebrated not only it being 30 years since they were given that distinction, but the flying Kryptonian turned 70 years old as well, so it was HUGE!!!! While there Eli and Isaac got to meet three very special celebrities in the Superman world: Allison Mack (AKA Cloe Sullivan from Smallville), Noel Neill (AKA Lois Lane from the Adventures of Superman Series) and Ned Beatty (AKA Otis from the Superman movie). A few cute stories to go with the meeting.
In order to meet these stars and get their autographs you had to wait in line to get tickets, and then wait in line to get their autographs, so needless to say, Eli was a little bored, but he survived. So Isaac and Eli approached Ned Beatty first, where Ned said to Eli " Hello Sir! How long have you been a sir?" Eli then rightly held of four fingers. Good boy. Next in line was Allison Mack. Here Eli flashed her, to his credit though she egged him on by asking him if he was showing her his belly button. Only could a kid get away with that! Isaac was very happy to have a kid in tow because of course he got special attention from his crush (Allison).
Isaac was very impressed with the Chamber Of Commerce ladies. On Friday when it was pouring rain, Isaac and Eli camped out there. The ladies gave them water and found candy for a bored little four year old. Apparently they were extremely nice (Isaac only told me that like 10-15 times). The Superman was also very nice and gave Eli a cool button for taking his picutre (he was really Hot too). Of course whenever you have a gathering of this caliber you are of course going to see those that enjoy indulging their childlike fantasies and dressing up. Eli and Isaac met the Flash, several Supergirls, Clark Kent, Batman( this is southern IL we are talking about, so it was hot) and a Storm Trooper, a little different, but to each his own. They also were able to gather with fellow members of theSuperman homepage for the event this included the creator Steve and his very sweet sister (she brought Eli a little Kola) who flew in from Australia for the event. They all met at the Superman Staue for a meet and greet and to take a photo.
Anyway they enjoyed themselves, despite the down pouring of rain on Friday and the endless requests for this and that from our oldest child. My boys came back EXTREMEMLY tired, but happy and with memories that will last a life time, or at least until next years celebration.
Below are several pictures from the big event.

Isaac looks good as super girl don't you think?

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

Well the snow ended and the rains began. We are so waterlogged here in Wisconsin. All around the area there are floods. Rest assured though we are high and dry, on the second floor, but others aren't so lucky. Please keep those in the area in your thought and prayers. We love you all.

Outdoor fun

The other day we went over to a friend's house for a playdate (she has an almost 4 year old and a 20 month old). It was a nice day so we decided to play outside. The boys had fun playing with bikes, rakes, sticks, and going in and out of the house. They then decided to be "Men" and take off their shirts. After about a hour or two, the boys found the hose. It was still a little cool, so we told them that would have to wait, and disconnected the hose. Well our boys are smart, and they figures out how to reconnect it. Again we said "no" and moved the hose away. Well very determined, they moved the hose back, reconnected it, and finally the mommies said "yes". So here are some pictures from their outside water fun.
Another funny thing is that I of course forgot the sunscreen. Did the boys get sunburned? Nope, but mom sure did. I have the most amazing tan on my knees now. Go figure.

American Idol, Umbrella, Giggles and More

So Eli, like his parents, loves American Idol. Tonight we were watching the top three perform, and Eli in his infinite wisdom, told us that he felt that David Archuleta and David Cook were going to stay. I thought it was cute. His favorite is of course Archuleta, and he only wants to watch him perform. I guess we will find out if he is right tomorrow night.In Other news Oliver and Emerson are 6 months old now. I can't believe it. It has gone by so fast!!!! They both have their two bottom teeth, and Emerson's top tooth is starting to come in. As for moving around, they are on the move, each day coming closer the the big C word (Crawling). Both can push up on all fours, and rock back and forth. Oliver tends to flop forward and do a nose dive into the carpet, but comes up smiling. They are also VERY VERY ticklish, it is so cute to hear them giggle, A LOT!!! I will try and get it on video. They can sit up, but are still unsteady.

Together at their 6 month mark (Oliver in red)

Oliver on all fours

Emerson holding his bottle

They recently went on their first airplane flight. We had to travel to Oklahoma for my grandfather's funeral. Despite the 4 hour delay all my boys were still all smiles. Eli did get tired after arriving in Wichita, but found comfort on the floor while we were waiting for the rental car. Despite the sad reason for gathering, and being sick the boys got to meet their uncles, aunts, and cousins. It was nice to see my family again although it was only a short and sleepless trip.

Kids truly think of the darndest things. the other day in the car, Eli found the umbrella and promptly opened it in the car while i was driving. After we arrived at home Eli got out leaving both the window and the umbrella open. I just wanted to get the twins upstairs and in bed, so I promised I would come down later and close the front window, Eli's window and umbrella. As it usually happens I forgot, and of course it rained. When I saw the rain, i was reminded of my forgetfulness. So I ran down to the car and closed my window and tried to dry off my seat. Then I went to Elis window, and behold the umbrella was placed nicely over the seat so all the water had gotten on it instead of his car seat. I had a nice chuckle to myself.

Anyway that is the recent happening with us, Hope you enjoyed the stories!!!