I've recently been reminded that I do, indeed, have a blog. Thank you, Mom. And that Kara updates her all the time! Thank you, Kara. :P And while yes, this is true. I defended myself with the fact that Kara (my lifelong friend who recently moved to Nashville) lives out of state and stays in touch with her family and friends better this way. While I, on the other hand, tend to see people fairly frequently. And let's face it. I just don't do that many interesting things these days. Don't get me wrong, I'm ALWAYS busy it seems. But I don't think it's exactly breaking news that Eli and I read books for an hour, played with blocks, played with cars, made an entire mess of the house, cleaned up the whole house, and probably ate somewhere in there. Throw in some errands, a random sickness, and work, and you've got my typical week. And while I LOVE my life and all it entails (well most of it anyway;), it doesn't exactly make for an interesting read.... Hence my long breaks between blog postings.
Recent things that have been going on with us that actually are noteworthy:
Thanksgiving. We went down to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. The whole family (minus my brother Brad and his family) celebrated the holiday at my grandma's house. It was a typical Thanksgiving filled with lots of food, kids, football, and card-playing. A Wells family tradition has always been playing Pinochle after we've stuffed ourselves. It's funny bc we all know what type of player each other is (who is always the gambler, who plays it safe, who would cheat if they could;) and so we tend to choose the same partners year after year. My oldest brother, Macey, and my Aunt Janna are typically the ones who end up gambling big and it either pays off or they're 800 points in the whole from overbidding repeatedly. (sidenote: if you've never played pinochle, it really is a fun card game) Anyhow, we all enjoy ourselves and it's a good way to spend time together while football is on in the background. We do have to keep the celebrating to a minimum, however, as Grandpa Kip gets mad if he can't hear the tv :)
We also had a fun Thanksgiving meal that weekend with Aaron's family. Not all of them could be there. But we at least got to see the immediate family and also Aaron's cousin, Jenn and her two boys. It was so much fun watching all three boys playing. Eli followed around his cousin, Jackson, like he was the coolest thing ever. And Jackson had a great time leading Eli in made-up games and talking to him like he was 4 too. It was really cute.
And finally, my husband is officially old now. As he celebrated his big 30th birthday on Sunday. We went to dinner and had drinks with some friends on Saturday night (thanks again for coming all that way Ali and Ross!). And then Aaron and I went to the Chiefs game on Sunday. Neither of us had ever been to a game before, and his parents got him tickets for his birthday. We had such a good time! It was VEEERRRYYYY cold! But I'm proud to say that I toughed it out better than Aaron. For once! It helps that I had on more layers and a better blanket. But hey, I say that's just good planning. He wasn't making fun of my spandex tights, knee length skiing socks on top of other socks, and knee high boots at the game. :P It's funny bc everyone keeps saying what an ugly game it was to watch. And even though I would've thought so if I were watching it at home, I really didn't think the game went that slowly. And in the end, we beat the stupid Donkeys! That's all I can really ask for! All in all, great day and I hope a great birthday for Aaron.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Random Thoughts
* Is it better to have Eli snot on my *ahem* chest? Or my butt? Because while changing my pants yesterday, I couldn't decide what was on the seat of my pants. Then I realized it was snot... So I ask: is it better to have it on my chest- more clearly visible and gross? Or on my butt- where no one should be looking anyway? But it could possibly draw a stranger's eye to that area and cause unwanted staring. :/
* A daily reminder of why I love children (often more than I love adults).... Every day on our 5 minute drive to work, we pass a train that is parked on the tracks. And EVERY DAY Eli gets really excited and exclaims: "Choo choo! Choo choo! Bye bye! Bye bye!" as he kicks his feet excitedly in his car seat. Now, I can not think of a single thing that I encounter on a daily basis that evokes that much excitement from me. Yes, I love every day that I get to spend with Eli. And my favorite part of the day is getting him up in the morning when he's happily crying "mama! mama!" and then smiles really big when I come in the room. But I certainly don't jump up and down with excitement every time this happens. If only we could keep that child-like enthusiasm for life as we grow.....
*Random funny statements from a 5 year-old: He is coloring at the table and starts writing some of his numbers. He writes a "5" and sings, "down and around, put a hat on top!" then turns to me and says, "that's a great song" :) Yes, yes it is.
* A daily reminder of why I love children (often more than I love adults).... Every day on our 5 minute drive to work, we pass a train that is parked on the tracks. And EVERY DAY Eli gets really excited and exclaims: "Choo choo! Choo choo! Bye bye! Bye bye!" as he kicks his feet excitedly in his car seat. Now, I can not think of a single thing that I encounter on a daily basis that evokes that much excitement from me. Yes, I love every day that I get to spend with Eli. And my favorite part of the day is getting him up in the morning when he's happily crying "mama! mama!" and then smiles really big when I come in the room. But I certainly don't jump up and down with excitement every time this happens. If only we could keep that child-like enthusiasm for life as we grow.....
*Random funny statements from a 5 year-old: He is coloring at the table and starts writing some of his numbers. He writes a "5" and sings, "down and around, put a hat on top!" then turns to me and says, "that's a great song" :) Yes, yes it is.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Life Update
Seems like we've been busy around here lately, so I thought I'd just give a quick update.
* Aaron was in San Diego this week for work, so I went home to my parents' house and had a lovely time. It was very relaxing to actually have some downtime while home, instead of running around trying to see as many people as possible. Definitely a more low-key visit. Got to see family and church family, so it was nice.
* In honor of Aaron turning in his rough draft of his master's thesis (thank GOD it's done!), we're going to take a weekend trip next weekend to St. Louis. We haven't really taken any road trips as a family yet. And we wanted to stay relatively close since it's just for the weekend, so St. Louis seemed like the best option. We're excited!
* I went to the Renaissance Festival last weekend with my Emporia friends in honor of Sumre's bday. I hadn't been in years, so it was fun to go again. There were definitely some interesting parts to the day, seeing as how one of the performers picked me up (without my consent) to take a picture with me. I couldn't quite figure out how I was being the least obnoxious one, yet I was the one targeted... Oh well, it was pretty funny if I do say so myself.
* We've really been enjoying the fall weather lately, especially Aaron and Eli since they both seem to sweat at the slightest temperature increase. I'm really not exaggerating either. Eli starts sweating while running around our living room in the evening - when the thermostat's set at 71.... He's totally gonna hate that specific trait his daddy passed down to him as he gets older.
* I recently finished "Freedom", Oprah's latest book club selection. I was NOT a fan of the book, nor did I find it to be the "masterpiece" Oprah raved it to be. But I finished it, by God. All 562 pages of it. Never again will I blindly trust someone else's opinion and ignore my own hesitation when I read the inside cover of a book. I'm usually not into Oprah's selections either. But I figured how could you go wrong with such high praise? And I was really needing a new book..... Needless to say, next time I'll go with my gut and not make a hasty purchase again.
* Aaron was in San Diego this week for work, so I went home to my parents' house and had a lovely time. It was very relaxing to actually have some downtime while home, instead of running around trying to see as many people as possible. Definitely a more low-key visit. Got to see family and church family, so it was nice.
* In honor of Aaron turning in his rough draft of his master's thesis (thank GOD it's done!), we're going to take a weekend trip next weekend to St. Louis. We haven't really taken any road trips as a family yet. And we wanted to stay relatively close since it's just for the weekend, so St. Louis seemed like the best option. We're excited!
* I went to the Renaissance Festival last weekend with my Emporia friends in honor of Sumre's bday. I hadn't been in years, so it was fun to go again. There were definitely some interesting parts to the day, seeing as how one of the performers picked me up (without my consent) to take a picture with me. I couldn't quite figure out how I was being the least obnoxious one, yet I was the one targeted... Oh well, it was pretty funny if I do say so myself.
* We've really been enjoying the fall weather lately, especially Aaron and Eli since they both seem to sweat at the slightest temperature increase. I'm really not exaggerating either. Eli starts sweating while running around our living room in the evening - when the thermostat's set at 71.... He's totally gonna hate that specific trait his daddy passed down to him as he gets older.
* I recently finished "Freedom", Oprah's latest book club selection. I was NOT a fan of the book, nor did I find it to be the "masterpiece" Oprah raved it to be. But I finished it, by God. All 562 pages of it. Never again will I blindly trust someone else's opinion and ignore my own hesitation when I read the inside cover of a book. I'm usually not into Oprah's selections either. But I figured how could you go wrong with such high praise? And I was really needing a new book..... Needless to say, next time I'll go with my gut and not make a hasty purchase again.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Animals
So I'm not really sure if Eli's latest accomplishment is impressive or not. Since I can't be in his classroom at school (bc he does NOT do well with me in there), I have no idea what the other children his age are capable of. That being said, I find this to be pretty impressive. Eli can correctly identify 57 animals from his books that we read.
Now I'm not being generous here and giving him ones that he's pointed at once or twice. These are the ones that he points to every single time when we ask him where it is. For example: we'll say "Eli where's the elephant?" and he'll point to it on a page where there are at least 5 or 6 other animals. Again, maybe this is normal for his age. But all the same, I'm proud of my little boy and his obsession for learning about animals.
For those of you who can't believe that any normal kid can name 57 animals, that there just aren't that many commonly known animals, allow me to list them for you...... cat, dog, cow, sheep, goat, horse, pig, piglet, chicken, chick, rooster, donkey, camel (he makes a hilarious spitting noise for this one), panda, koala, kangaroo, bear, seal, polar bear, dolphin (also funny sound effect), bird, butterfly, grasshopper, bee, ladybug, rabbit, mouse, guinea pig, goose, duck, turkey, giraffe, hippo, lion, elephant, zebra, cheetah, leopard (I'm sure he'd be able to distinguish between the two in side-to-side pics, but he knows both their names and recognizes them on the pages when asked to point to them), gorilla, monkey, rhino, crocodile, flamingo, owl, fox, penguin, tiger, snake, frog, seahorse, turtle, eagle, fish, mokey, and ????? I can't find the last couple (they're in other books that I don't have currently sitting next to me).
But I'm still proud of my little smartypants boy :) It's definitely proof that taking the time to read books with your child- no matter what age- is good for them!
Now I'm not being generous here and giving him ones that he's pointed at once or twice. These are the ones that he points to every single time when we ask him where it is. For example: we'll say "Eli where's the elephant?" and he'll point to it on a page where there are at least 5 or 6 other animals. Again, maybe this is normal for his age. But all the same, I'm proud of my little boy and his obsession for learning about animals.
For those of you who can't believe that any normal kid can name 57 animals, that there just aren't that many commonly known animals, allow me to list them for you...... cat, dog, cow, sheep, goat, horse, pig, piglet, chicken, chick, rooster, donkey, camel (he makes a hilarious spitting noise for this one), panda, koala, kangaroo, bear, seal, polar bear, dolphin (also funny sound effect), bird, butterfly, grasshopper, bee, ladybug, rabbit, mouse, guinea pig, goose, duck, turkey, giraffe, hippo, lion, elephant, zebra, cheetah, leopard (I'm sure he'd be able to distinguish between the two in side-to-side pics, but he knows both their names and recognizes them on the pages when asked to point to them), gorilla, monkey, rhino, crocodile, flamingo, owl, fox, penguin, tiger, snake, frog, seahorse, turtle, eagle, fish, mokey, and ????? I can't find the last couple (they're in other books that I don't have currently sitting next to me).
But I'm still proud of my little smartypants boy :) It's definitely proof that taking the time to read books with your child- no matter what age- is good for them!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Belated Weekend Post
We had a great Labor Day weekend. Nothing too big and exciting, just some time with family and friends. We got some stuff done around the house; had some family time with the Andersons; and went to Deanna Rose with my good friend, Ali. She came up and visited on Sunday and we spent the holiday together - feeding goats (Eli loves those little guys!:) and enjoying the rest of the farmstead and all it has to offer. Here are just a couple pics from the outing.
We're finding that it's impossible to get a good picture of all 3 :P
Eli laughing after feeding a goat. He found this to be absolutely hilarious- after chasing the goats around the pen for about 5 minutes bc they were all distracted by other people feeding them.
Auntie Ali showing Eli the ponies! Too bad he's not old enough to go for a ride...
Sidenote: I should really start finding more places to take Eli around the KC area. He LOVES Deanna Rose, Monkey Bizness and the zoo, but I know there are tons of other options if we would just explore a little more...
We're finding that it's impossible to get a good picture of all 3 :P
Eli laughing after feeding a goat. He found this to be absolutely hilarious- after chasing the goats around the pen for about 5 minutes bc they were all distracted by other people feeding them.
Auntie Ali showing Eli the ponies! Too bad he's not old enough to go for a ride...
Sidenote: I should really start finding more places to take Eli around the KC area. He LOVES Deanna Rose, Monkey Bizness and the zoo, but I know there are tons of other options if we would just explore a little more...
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Fun Times
We've had quite a few fun family outings lately. Last weekend we went to the KC Zoo. And earlier today we took Eli to Deanna Rose. He loved both and we had such a great time. His love for animals is infectious :) How can you not think that goats are cool when Eli's laughing hysterically at feeding them? Or running up to the fence and saying "HI!" to each and every one of them... Such a personality for a 17 month old. Anyhow, I thought I'd post a couple pictures from our adventures since I tend to take way too many pictures.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Busy Busy
Aaron and I have both been working a lot this week. I was filling in at work in the preschool room several days. And Aaron is apparently working with some short deadlines this week and has been at the office more than we'd all like him to be. But we're very much looking forward to the weekend and some quality time together. We might take a trip to the zoo tomorrow since it's FINALLY going to cool off a little. No more 100 degree weather- thank goodness!
Some highlights of the week:
*Ali came up and celebrated her birthday with us last night. Ross and Randy were here as well and we had a fun evening. Cheesecake Factory always puts a smile on my face :)
*I'm reminded why I love working with children when I'm with the preschool age. For example, we were talking about feelings this week. I took each kid aside one at a time and had them tell me what makes them happy and sad and wrote it down for their parents. Some of the funnier ones include: "I'm happy when I'm in a corn maze" "I'm happy when the rainbows don't disappear" "I'm happy when.... flowers!" The sad ones were, of course, less funny because the children were truly sad in these situations. One little boy actually told me that he's sad "when my mommy isn't so nice to me" :( If that isn't a reminder that our children are people too - and can tell other people what their mommy's and daddy's are like at home - I don't know what is! Definitely made me sad and made me give Eli some extra loving that night.
*Not-so-fun news is that Eli got bit twice by friends in daycare this week. It's obviously not the end of the world. And he initiated one of the incidents. But still not so fun for him.
*And finally, I forgot to post earlier that we went down to my parents' last Saturday for a birthday party and had a marvelous time. We took Eli to my grandparents' pool during the day and had lots of fun with Uncle Macey, cousin Brooke, and cousin Robin. We then had dinner in at Macey and Heather's house and it was delicious! All in all, very fun (albeit short) trip.
Some highlights of the week:
*Ali came up and celebrated her birthday with us last night. Ross and Randy were here as well and we had a fun evening. Cheesecake Factory always puts a smile on my face :)
*I'm reminded why I love working with children when I'm with the preschool age. For example, we were talking about feelings this week. I took each kid aside one at a time and had them tell me what makes them happy and sad and wrote it down for their parents. Some of the funnier ones include: "I'm happy when I'm in a corn maze" "I'm happy when the rainbows don't disappear" "I'm happy when.... flowers!" The sad ones were, of course, less funny because the children were truly sad in these situations. One little boy actually told me that he's sad "when my mommy isn't so nice to me" :( If that isn't a reminder that our children are people too - and can tell other people what their mommy's and daddy's are like at home - I don't know what is! Definitely made me sad and made me give Eli some extra loving that night.
*Not-so-fun news is that Eli got bit twice by friends in daycare this week. It's obviously not the end of the world. And he initiated one of the incidents. But still not so fun for him.
*And finally, I forgot to post earlier that we went down to my parents' last Saturday for a birthday party and had a marvelous time. We took Eli to my grandparents' pool during the day and had lots of fun with Uncle Macey, cousin Brooke, and cousin Robin. We then had dinner in at Macey and Heather's house and it was delicious! All in all, very fun (albeit short) trip.
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