Petal play

On May 2nd, Eli and Ewan ran outside to play while the cherry blossoms fell like snow around them. Eli and Ewan collected cherry blossoms from the ground and knocked more off the tree to fill the pond with floating pink petals. Beautiful. But not beautiful enough. Eli had to get into the pond and play some elaborate game Mama did not understand but thought was funny enough to photograph.

Awesome 3000

Eli and Ewan ran the super popular Awesome 3000 race on Saturday. They loved it! Eli ran with Ewan, who was in a different race because of his age. Eli yelled "Ewan! Ewan!" the entire way, and Ewan ran the entire 300 meters! Eli loved the medal and book he got at the end, and swore he would do it again faster next year.

Frog hunting

A frog-hunting expedition with Daddy on Sunday. Super successful: they found egg sacks with itty bitty tadpoles growing inside and many, many tadpoles with legs (they look like salamanders). Basically, it was boy heaven.

The Potty

Ewan wants to be just like his big brother!

Beach cleanup

We volunteered at a SOLVE beach cleanup as a family this year. Super fun! The goat clean-up crew was a huge hit with Ewan. Mama and Ewan found about 4 pieces of trash (it's hard when there is SO MUCH SAND TO GRAB!) Daddy and Eli filled an entire trash bag. As the photos show, it is difficult to properly dress children for a cold, rainy day that turns sunny and warm at the beach, a place where children like to dig their toes in the sand. Everyone was soaked by the time we got back to the car, despite the lack of rain. We can't wait to make it a family tradition!

Logging sports

Last Friday, the family went to McDonald Forest to witness college logging teams compete in a national championship. We only got to see 2 events: team sawing and individual loggers running an obstacle course pulling a huge chain (these events have technical names that I am not privvy to!) It was fun except that it had been pouring all week and that day was no different. We wished we hadn't missed some of the really great spectator events: a logger trying to balance on a rotating log in the water, the limber pole where a logger tries to run to the end of a pole perched over the lake, and the competition between two loggers trying to race to the top of the tree.

Ewan is 21 months old

Ewan is so close to 2 years old now! He has so many new words that I can't keep track, but this morning he came into our bedroom with his fox and very clearly said, "Fox!"

He also just learned to say "honey," "peas" (as in 'Please'), and "baby." It seems he has about 20 new words a day.

He can now climb out of his crib and does so after every nap and in the morning. This weekend, he gets a toddler bed! It is a bit of new territory for us because Eli was about 3 when he started climbing out of his crib.

Also, he wants to use a potty (probably because his brother does), and he loves to run around naked so we are starting the potty training a little early. We'll see how it goes....

We love you Ewan! Happy birthday big boy!

Shellburg Falls hike

On a beautiful winter day at the end of February, the Casper clan went to Shellburg Falls for a lovely hike. Highlights included the cattle grates, the cattle and Ewan hiking a long section of the trail himself.

Making snow

When you can't go outside for days on end because it is pouring and too cold, what do you do? You give the kids shaving cream in the bathtub! Two hours of fun! (And yes, this includes the bath afterwards to clean up.)

Stuff Eli says

I've been keeping track (on random pieces of paper strewn throughout the house) of the funny, interesting or confusing things that Eli says. These aren't full conversations, just jotted notes from a Mama who doesn't want to forget what her 4-year-old says.

Money
Eli: "I'm pretending I have enough money for a lot of food, a horse and a dog."
Mama: "Wow, that's a lot of money!"
Eli: "Yeah, I have hundreds of money!"

Birthdays
Eli: "Mama, it's still fun when you have a birthday when you are a grownup? Because it is fun? It is exciting?"

Sturdy
On a walk in our neighborhood, Eli held Zula's leash. Mama was worried when another dog walked by, and she said so to Daddy.
Eli: "Don't worry Mama. I'm as sturdy as an anchor!"

Running in the dark
On a walk home from the park in the evening, Eli wants to run.
Eli: "I can run in the dark."
Mama: "Oh you must have good eyesight."
Eli: "I can't see in the dark, but if I bump into something I just put my hands up and feel my way around it."

College
Eli: "College is where you sleep overnight?"
Mama: "Yes."
Eli: "Forever?"
Mama: "No, usually for 4 years."
Eli: "There is a breakfast place in the library?"
Mama: "Well, there is a place for eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then there is also a library."
Eli: "You'll go with me and stay as long as I want you to?"

The sizes in our family
Eli talking to Mama, who was asking Ewan if he wanted more food.
Eli: "I don't think he's going to eat another thing, he's just a little guy."
Pause.
Eli: "And I am a big guy, and you are a huge guy, and Daddy's a humongous guy."

Daddy's pancakes
At breakfast on the weekend with a pile of Daddy's pancakes on his plate:
Eli: "I love these pancakes so much I don't like them!"

Eli's name
Eli: "How about you just call me "Eli?" Don't call me "E," because I don't know what you are talking about or who you are talking to!"

About work
When Mama asks Ewan if he is working:
Eli: "Babies don't work, Ewan! Kids and grown-ups work!"

Who's work is more important?
On the way home from preschool one day, Eli was asking why Ewan's school was longer than his. I said that I had to pick Eli up at noon or get charged $1 per minute I was late. I also said that Marlene knows when I am going to pick up Ewan.
Eli: "So what happens if you are 600 minutes late to pick me up?"
Mama: "That's 10 hours. That would be past your rest time and dinner time and bed time. The school would be worried and they would call Daddy and maybe some other people to pick you up."
Eli, with a bright voice: "So Daddy would come pick me up from school!"
Mama: "Yes."
Eli: "Daddy doesn't pick me up because he is at work."
Mama: "Right."
Eli: "And you pick me up because Daddy's work is more important than your work?"
Mama, out loud: "Ummm...."
Mama, in her head: "You are my work!"

Preschool curriculum
Eli loves to give me updates on what he will be when he grows up. Paleontologist and Daddy are fairly constant, the others change quite drastically. One day...
Eli: "I am going to be a paleontologist, someone who swims under the water, a frog biologist, a daddy and an airplane flyer. Can I do all of those things?"
Mama: "Sure, I don't see why not."
Eli: "OK, you tell Chris (preschool teacher) so that he can start teaching me how to be those things, OK?"

Love
Eli to Ewan: "I love you more than you love me. I love you as much as the ocean!"

Gravity
Upon picking Eli up from school this month:
Eli: "Mama, Mama, I know something!"
Mama: "Oh yeah. What?"
Eli: "I can't remember what it is called, but it keeps us stuck to the Earth!"
And a few days later at a new playground, Eli tries this fancy ring-shaped merry-go-round. It is tilted enough that once it gets going (with kids on top), you don't need to push it anymore. Eli, getting scared as it goes faster and faster: "Gravity, stop doing your job!"

A cheetah
Eli has been saying that he runs as fast as a cheetah for months now. One day in February he was more specific: "I can run 50 miles per hour for three miles." I was impressed with the accuracy of his units of measure. He's not quite as accurate when explaining how tired he is: "I'm SO tired, Mama. I'm a hundred-thousand-sixty tired!"

Helping Ewan down the stairs
I love terms coined by 4-year-olds:
Eli to Ewan: "Do you want to go down the stairs by yourself? We could go baby-style, if you want."
‎'Baby-style' is backwards, on your knees. If you straighten your knees, you kind of glide down the stairs on your belly.

Choices
This is what it was like to parent Eli in Janurary (extrapolate to every other situation):
Mama: Eli, do you want a bagel, waffle or toast for breakfast?
Long pause.
Eli: Eggs.

Cords
Eli, pointing to the vacuum cord: "I want to unstrangle it."