The things they say...

We were sitting in church last week and the wife of a retired priest was smiling adoringly at the kids. Unfortunately, she has lost all of her front teeth. So, Elias said quite loudly, "Mommy why did she eat too much candy?" Of course, I knew what he meant because I have often told him we can't eat too much candy or our teeth will rot. Luckily, the sounds of the organ seem to have muffled the question.

This morning I was trying to pass some time before church started so I loaded the kids in the car. Sometimes this is easier than hanging around home and messing up that which has been put away. When we pulled up to Starbucks, Adelaide exclaimed, "Church!" Nothing like worshipping at the altar of the corporate caffeine God.

This morning...
Elias: Why do some people call breasts boobs?
Me: (feigning ignorance) I don't know.
Elias: I'll ask my Dad. He knows. (Thinking)Yes, boobs are a nickname for breasts. I don't have breasts. I have pecs.

Our Three Year old

As of late, Adelaide has been trying to convince us all that she is three years old. She has heard her brother say that he is three and then hold up the proper number of fingers. She now does the same thing. She also wants to buckle herself into her carseat, her booster seat, and sleep in her brother's bed. As far as I'm concerned, she may as well skip the two year old stage and jump ahead to three. Incidentally, wouldn't you know in the midst of the chaos in our household she has started to request to sit on the potty and has produced specimens in both kinds. (How is that for not being too scatological?) Keep up the good work Miss Adelaide!

What is Wrong with this Picture?

Usually, anything that relates to our bathroom is complicated when it comes to Elias' world. As of late, we have been fishing toilet paper rolls off the floor that seem to have mysteriously fallen into the toilet. I have also started to hide toothpaste because whenever Eli is taking too long in the bathroom (because he needs his privacy), I find toothpaste smeared on sinks, mirrors, walls, and sometimes toliets. This smearing is not malicious; rather, it comes from a deep desire to truly engage the toothbrushing work. But, I couldn't help but snap a picture when Elias called me into the bathroom to help him and he was brushing his teeth with his underwear on his head. He just loves hats. And, he turns everything into a hat.

Watermelon Girl

My sweet girl enjoyed her vacation. She got lots of attention and constantly asked for the dogs and "baby Liam." At one point, she decided to revert to infant life and tried to run off with all the pacifiers or, better yet, steal them from vulnerable mouths. She and Elias had a great time playing togther and I overheard him saying to someone who asked her name: "She has two names. One is Adelaide and the other is Addie."

Hanging with the Wilcox clan

There really is nothing as great as hanging with cousins. When we got to the Wilcoxes, after a day of flying, Elias charged over to his younger cousins. Almost within minutes Yonas and Elias were busy wrestling. Even though, Elias was sure he was going to play with Alexander because he is a "big boy now." But, Alexander and Michael were still at school. So, the kids clowned around and palled around and even got to eat lunch on their own while the parents ate in the dining room. How novel. Then we made way for ducklings and walked downtown for ice cream. We were quite the sight. Addie and Simone were in the double stroller and Simone pretended to ignore her cousin. Adelaide, in turn, kept pointing to Simone and accusing her of babyhood even though Simone is taller and heavier than she is. Clara helped corral the boys and Elias responded well to her motherly directives. Embarrassingly well...Clara, do you want to come live with us? Ice cream was enjoyed by all and then we got in a short visit with the big boys before we had to climb in the car again. Thanks for the Wahoo WAA t-shirts. The swords on the back are a big hit with one member of the family.

Bethany Graduates Gather

Timothy, Benjamin, and Elias

Elias, Adelaide, Kieran, Ben , and Tim

It was a long time ago that Adam graduated from college. But, his best friends from college all live in the area and our family had not yet met the other friends' kids. We had a great time playing in the sprinkler, dropping cheerios on Aunt Colleen's floor, talking about diaper brands, and sneaking in a few adult ideas from time to time. We attempted a bunch of pictures. Hopefully, one will be good enough for the Bethany magazine.

An Overnight with Gaga and Pop-Pop

While we were there, Elias learned to ride a bike. This is him wearing an Obama t-shirt with nothing else on taking the bike for a spin!

Four generations: Great Grandmother Coffield and her daughter, Diane, and the rest of the brood.

While we were visiting with our new cousin, we got to see Gaga and Pop-Pop every day. The kids loved playing with them and with, Buddy, the dog. Mom and Dad had to take off for a "meeting" up in Philadelphia. When we told Elias and Adelaide that we were leaving to go to a meeting, but we would be back the next day, Elias said, "When I get bigger can I go to a meeting?." Little does he know. Gaga and Pop-Pop entertained the kids with art projects, a trip to the library, and a chance to see a horse. Apparently, Elias got to sleep with Pop-pop and they both hit the sack at 9 and slept past 7:30. Unfortunately, when Adelaide was awoken by her brother he was offering her pennies and nickels to eat for breakfast. This seems to be a very typical Kradel family trait. At one point, Matt was taken to the Emergency Room. His explanation was "Brother gave me money." He had eaten some coins.
When we picked up the kids at the Baltimore airport nobody had digested money, but Adelaide's diaper was being held together with duct tape. Apparently, the kind that Gaga had bought didn't cut the mustard and Adelaide was having a bout with diarrhea. Not a good combination. So, Paul rummaged around the car until he could remedy the situation. We got them both back in one piece and I think the grandparents survived, too. Many thanks!

Meeting our new baby cousin

It was time for us to meet our new nephew, Liam. He proved to be the best baby I have ever been around. He withstood being held by his 3 year old cousin and having his pacifier stolen by his 20 month old cousin. He was a great toy and the source of great amusement. The only problem was the kid was a champion sleeper. He not only napped for 3-4 hour stretches during the day, but he napped 8 hour stretches at night! Most of the time, we thought Liam was a myth because all we ever saw of him was the baby monitor being carried from room to room. And, I really only heard him cry once. It certainly didn't feel like we were staying in the home of an infant. On the other hand, it was quite clear that we had moved in with the pitter patter of feet at all hours of the night and morning. When we left, Uncle Matt said he had never seen his cupboards so bare. Wait till Liam is a teenager; I bet he will do your cupboards justice. Thanks Uncle Matt and Aunt Colleen for entertaining us and hosting us! We had a great time.

Left Behind

Yesterday was Elias' last day at school. It was a bittersweet day. We are so grateful for this year in Madison so that we could see our older toddler grow into a real pre-schooler. We saw him go from an out of control "spinner" to a child who asked to share toys with others and began to understand taking turns and engaging his friends in play. We certainly have seen him develop a love of learning which we hope will be lifelong.

I happened to have both kids with me yesterday morning. We had a few presents to give out to his teachers and a card that Elias had made. Adelaide busily bustled around the classroom engaging in the toys that are all set-up. I kissed Elias good-bye and walked down the hallway and half-way down the stairs when I realized I had left Adelaide behind. Meanwhile, she had made herself at home at the playdough station and Elias' teacher, Lydia, had assumed I was putting something in his locker! The poor girl left the room kicking and screaming. Oh, it's hard to be the second one!