"When I'm 4 I'll have a 4 birthday candle and a bigger bed!"

I'm so far behind in posting. If you ask me, these days nearly everything that comes out of Elliot's mouth is "blog worthy." I will attempt to list a few highlights from memory:

E (to me) : " you are my best wife. When I get married I will have two wives, but you are my best one."
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Me: "Elliot, you are so handsome."
E: " You are so handsome too, Mommy."
Me: "What does it mean to be handsome?"
E: "It means you love someone."
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E asks me regularly, "Mommy, how did/does that make you feel?"
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Me (in my bathroom getting ready for work) "Elliot, come here and keep me company."
E: "I'm in here next to daddy.....................................
thanks, though."
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(I ran my fingers over his tummy which made it draw back due to the tickle involved)
E: "Look Mama, my tummy is laughing!"

*Tonight as I am putting him to bed we were singing and acting silly as usual. I tickled him and he tickled me back--it was such a good tickle that I roared with laughter, to which he screamed laughing and said, "I told you I would shake you down!"
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E is regularly supportive to James and I in the same way we are to him. He often tells us:

"You can do it!"
"I knew you could do it!"
"I'm proud of you."
"You're doing a good job."
"You look really great."

I love the encouragement because well, heck, we all love encouragement--but mostly because these phrases are sticking. He is saying what he is hearing and that is what I want him to hear all the time...that he is doing the best job of being a beautiful human being, that his parents are proud, and that he can do anything he sets his heart to.

Dear Elliot

How can I express what I feel about you? You surprise me everyday with your smarts, wit, and ability to adapt to any situation. Your Daddy and I feel so blessed and our hearts can no longer be contained within our chests. They have grown far too large, because of you.






















Conversation with E at bedtime:

E: (putting his head on my chest) "Hi Precious."

Me: "Hi, my sweet Love."

E: "I will fill your heart with a million hearts and they will go up, up, up to your head."

Me: "You do that everyday."

**Sorry for the terrible formatting, but when I format it and then publish it, it changes from the original each time.

Pic 1: Elliot playing with neighbors Leah and Myan
pic 2: E lounging
pic 3: E making a tea party for all his bunnies
pic 4: Easter egg hunt with friends at our house
pic 5: Mother's Day at a great Italian place. They brought E pizza dough to play with...it was a hit, needless to say. He tells me just now as I upload the photo, "That's when I was Santa Claus!"

Dating

Elliot LOVES Emalina. They are destined to be married as they have been friends even while they lived in the tummies of myself and my good friend, Hannah.

Each day Elliot reminds me, "my girlfriend is three."

He also tells me about her boo boos, her cat and dog, and her grandparents, "Poppy and Nana."

He really seems to be keeping close tabs.

Here they are relaxing over a "green drink"

Punny

Between my Dad and I, the bad puns never stop. We make fun of my Dad all the time even though the pun gene passed on to me.
This week I gave E an Altoid (a strong mint) from my purse.

E: "Mom, do you know what kind of mint is in this mint?"

Me: No, Honey, what kind is it?

E: Government.

I had a heart attack. What???!! I mean, I know he doesn't get that at all, and really just knows that the word "mint" sounds like the end of another word he knows (government). But I have to tell you...

I've never been so proud! ;)

Memory

E has a memory that is better than my own.
It's actually FREAKISH what he remembers. He might have gone somewhere ONCE when he was not even yet two--or just over and then NOW (he just turned 3) we go back and before we walk in, he tells me all about what is inside...and THAT IS WHAT IS INSIDE!!!

We are QUITE sick over here and today on E's 4th doc trip and my 2nd--I opted to take him to my family doc who he has never seen before.

The only time he was at this office was with me about 11-12 months ago.
He looked at the building and yelled, "there are fishies in there! Fishies in a crank!
And yes, there is a large fish "crank" in the middle of the lobby...I nearly fainted--and this time not from sheer sickness.

E later told me the fishies were indeed in a "tank" and then as we left he joyfully called out to the fish, "goodbye fishies, see you later!"

There are so many occasions where I have to stop what I'm doing to ask Elliot, "wait, what did you just say?" because he has recounted something so seemingly unremarkable and from so long ago, that I go into a bit of shock.

Now if only we could remember where his shoes are... ;)

notes

Some things that E says of note:

-Instead of "yesterday," he says, "last day."

-He told me that when he is eight he is going to grow a beard and the beard will be blue.

-When we can still see the moon in the sky in the morning he calls it, "the wakeup moon."

sharing is caring! ;)

To watch an almost 3 year old share is a lovely sight.

I have been overwhelmed with Elliot's ability to share things that he truly covets:

*elephant
*half of his favorite chewable vitamin
*his smoothies...

Each day I make E and I a "green drink." It tastes great despite it's color. E asks for it daily.

Recently, I have had to make ours separately as I add a supplement to mine that was prescribed to me by by neurologist (for my migraine/seizure issues).

Anyhow, E wanted to try it and I explained to him that it didn't taste good like his. He tasted it just to me sure, made a face, and then insisted that I drink his instead!

E: "Mommy, you can share with me, mine is better than yours. Your drink is yucky--you should not drink it."

I have to say, it was one of the sweetest gestures I have ever witnessed.

I know that childrens' grasp on empathy generally comes later in development--but if that wasn't empathy, I don't know what is!