Rainy Day

More of Eli.  I have to say, as much as this rain stinks it does make for good lighting - outside and in.

He was lining up Play Doh balls along the window sill.  He was very serious about it.

 

I think this one's my favorite.  SOmething about the way he is kneeling and you can see his whole body.

Derek always likes color better.

Porch light during a rainstorm

The light on the porch during the rain this afternoon was beautiful.  The little boy on the porch wasn't too hard on the eyes, either. 

He doesn't like to look at me with the camera anymore.  I was calling his name and making funny noises and you can tell from these that he wasn't really focusing on me.  I don't like the just-missed eye contact, but I kept these anyway.

Here is the real deal.  He's looking right at me because he's teasing Mama and he knows it.  Little stinker.

Here Eli is a few days ago watching TV in the family room.  His new favorite is Thomas the Train.  I don't understand the appeal, but he asks for it now every time.



First thing this morning, Eli came into the bedroom and climbed up on the bed with me.  He wanted me to wake up, and I was still trying to sleep a few more minutes.  He kept saying, "OK!  OK! You wake up now!"  His talking has come along way in the past few months.  He speaks in full sentences frequently, but he tends to use alot of canned phrases, repeating sentences that we say often word for word.  Neither Derek nor I can remember saying this to him (like when Derek gets him up in the morning), so I think he put it together on his own.  I realize he's almost 3 and still behind in his language, but this is great strides for him.

Mini Me

Awhile ago our family was standing around in the family room talking about something and Grace made a suggestion of what to do next - I have completely forgotten the context, but it was something that wasn't especially workable.  Charlotte wheeled around with this kind of bossy/didactic tone told Grace exactly why her plan was flawed.  I looked up and Derek and I locked eyes right at that moment and I said out loud to him what I knew he was thinking, "yeah, the kid does a pretty good impression of me." You probably had to be there but trust me, it was uncanny. 

It was not the first time or the last that I have been struck by watching Charlotte emulate me, often while talking to Grace or Eli or Kat.  Honestly, it's not always a reflection of myself that I find particularly flattering, but there it is.  She also loves to make detailed plans like I do and she and I have butted heads many times over our conflicting visions for some project or another.  Derek laughs about it and he is always the first to point out that she's just like me in these moments.  Then, I laugh too.  Sort of.  Through gritted teeth.

Eli isn't much into imitating others at all at this age, at least on purpose.  But I came upon him like this yesterday and went to grab the camera.  He's lying on the couch, looking at my phone and watching tv, in the spot and posture where I had just been a few minutes earlier.  Kid knows a good thing when he sees it.

Playing his Super Why game on the iPhone 

Glancing up to follow the action in Barney on tv 

Noticing the camera pointed at him.

Melting Mama's heart.