Forget College, Start Saving for Orthodontics!

Elijah went to the dentist yesterday for the second time in his life. Our dentist office calls it a "Happy Visit." He really does a great job and actually enjoys going. He even thought the few little x-rays that he got were fun - mostly because he got to wear Spider Man sunglasses during them. They let him hold a mirror the whole time so he can see what they're doing, as well as hold the water sprayer and the suction straw. It's a real discovery and learning opportunity for him, so he becomes pretty fascinated and will comply with just about anything. So, needless to say, it was a very successful trip. However, we were also told that he is a prime candidate for orthodontics, and that it could start as early as 5 or 6 years old! What? I know, he won't even have lost his baby teeth yet! But, based on his x-rays they found two pretty obvious characteristics of future orthodontics patients - a very narrow palate (meaning he may not have enough room for all of his adult teeth) and the pronounced effects of sucking his finger 24-hours a day.
So, all of this information sent Gavin to the internet to look up average costs of all of these things, and it's not cheap! So this lead us into the discussion that plenty of people never get braces and make it through life just fine. I mean, it's not life and death, it's just teeth. And then I started to think of different people you come across in life that you look at and think, "I wonder why they don't just get their teeth fixed - it's so easy now."
It seems like we always figure out a way to pay for those necessary things, no matter how difficult it may seem to come up with the money. So, when the time comes, we'll make it work and take care of his beautiful toothy smile! And then hope that Ella's teeth are perfect!

Early Santa Visit

Apparently, we got very bored today sitting around the house with the cold rain, so we ventured out to the MALL! I know, the last place we should go on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but I felt like the two little kids in The Cat in the Hat - "we sat there we two on that cold, cold, wet day." We had to get out! So, we decided it would be a good time to get the Santa visit out of the way.
It's always an interesting experience with Elijah because he's never quite sure if he likes Santa or not. As I was getting him dressed, he reminded me of how much he was scared and cried during last year's visit. But I told him that was so long ago and that he wasn't that little anymore. He agreed, and became pretty enthusiastic about telling Santa that he wanted a skateboard and a dog. However, once we actually came up to Santa's Workshop, the mood changed. But between Gavin bribing him with ice cream and me telling him that I was taking Ella whether he came or not, he gave in. His only requirement would be that he would not sit on Santa's lap - he would only stand next to him. As you can see from the pictures, Santa did convince Elijah to sit on his lap after a short conversation, but it wasn't a real exciting or joyous occasion for either kid. Also, as seen in the pictures, this Santa was not too joyous himself. A little rough around the edges. And for anyone who has seen A Christmas Story enough times to remember the Santa scene, Elijah reminded me of Ralph's little brother who just weirdly sits on Santa's lap and doesn't say a word and Santa becomes annoyed and bored with the whole thing. It had me laughing pretty hard on the inside, but also very annoyed with this Santa guy!
(Make note of the picture where Elijah and Ella are looking at each other for a little reassurance. Classic picture!)

Kiddo Update

I just thought I'd post a little update since I think it's been quite a while! Ella is 7 months old today! Hard to believe! She has a full four teeth - two bottom and two on top. She got her top ones in at 4 months! She is also doing a great job sitting up most of the time. Her main problem comes when she gets really excited, throws up her arms and seems to loose all control and falls over. Elijah gets a big laugh when that happens. Amazingly, she has also started pulling up and standing, although she can't crawl or move her legs when she is standing. But she loves to stand!
I have been trying to get her to eat solids for the past couple of months, but she just hasn't been too interested. This morning she ate more than she ever has - carrots and cereal - and seemed to really enjoy it for the first time. So maybe we're finally heading into the realm of "real food" with her!
I am thoroughly enjoying the interaction between Ella and Elijah. They are just absolutely in love with each other, and it is so fun to watch. They will just lay around on the floor together, lay their heads on each other, put their noses up to each other and laugh. It is so sweet. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!
On the Elijah front, we are still having much difficulty and struggles with potty training. He just doesn't want to do it. He'll do great for a day, and then decide he's done with it. I do have a plan of action, however, so I will update with all of that soon! He continues to amaze us with his vocabulary and personality. He always says the greatest stuff. A couple of days ago, he leaned over to me while we were eating lunch and said, "Mommy, tell me something about Eveyn." Wow, I was stunned for a few seconds, then told him a few things about Eveyn, and then reflected on how grateful I am that God has given me such a wonderful vessel for remembering our sweet little girl.

Our Pirate and His Parrot

The costumes were a lot of fun this year! Ella's costume was a lot cuter before putting it on, because I didn't account for the material having to stretch over her little body, and therefore many of the hot-glued feathers became misplaced and funky looking. She actually did a much better job than I expected keeping the feathers out of her mouth. The biggest problem were the grouping of feathers on her chest, directly under her little drooling mouth. About an hour into the night, those things were looking pretty disgusting and she started to look like a mix between a just-hatched chick that's still slimy and an older bird that was just molting. But she did get a lot of attention from passer's-by and she had a lot of fun at her first Halloween!
Elijah decided a long time ago that he was going to be a pirate for Halloween. I'm not sure where the idea even came from - he just announced it one day and never changed his mind. So his was a pretty easy one to put together. He had a lot of fun with it and even wore the big hoop earring and flasy gemstone rings! His Aunt Vanessa also taught him some good pirate quotes like, "Where's me booty?" and "Walk the plank!" along with ones he already knew like, "Aye, matey!" and a mean sounding, "Argh!" He was pretty cute. The same day that he decided he was going to be a pirate, he also decided that Ella would be his parrot. So the whole theme was his idea and we all had a lot of fun with it!