it's the little things

One of the best things about being a parent is sharing the joys of the simple and everyday with someone who is experiencing them for the first time.  The other day I dragged Elliott to CVS with me on the way home from work, and while walking down the dental care aisle Elliott yelled out "toothbrush!" reminding me that I had been meaning to buy him a new toothbrush since his old one was looking past its prime.  I let Elliott pick his favorite, which he then proceeded to show everyone we passed in the store exclaiming "toothbrush, toothbrush".  (He's a bit of a parrot these days, and tells stories by repeating one word over and over).

Here he is trying to open the packaging on the way home from the store..

and the eager anticipation when Steve agreed to open it for him,

and at last, finally getting to use it!

In the moments when I am exhausted and worn down by the never ending tasks of my role as a working mom, it is refreshing to be reminded how exciting everyday life can be.  The little things make all the difference, and the joy this little guy brings to my world makes all the juggling and exhaustion seem inconsequential.

Buying a new toothbrush may not always be as exciting for Elliott as getting a new toy, but I hope he never loses the ability to find such delight in the little things.

Working

Elliott is so much fun these days, and I am continually amazed by his understanding of the world and how things work.  One of Elliott's favorite past times is playing with tools.  Sometimes he gets his hands on Daddy's tools, but mostly we try to keep his attention focused on his many toy tools.  For Christmas he got a wooden tool bench/tool set from Steve's parents, and a Black & Decker (toy) tool set from my Gram.  

At first he mostly just carried them around and gnawed on them from time to time.  These days he's a pro, knows the names of all of the tools.  He hammers nails with his hammer, uses the screwdriver to twist screws, and runs the saw across his work bench (he has both a wooden saw and a power saw). 

Elliott will often play at his bench and say over and over again "working, working", just in case we couldn't tell what we was up to.  He also said the same thing on the way home from work today when I told him Daddy was working, but would be home soon.  He must think that Steve plays with tools all day when he is at work.

We have plenty of projects around the house, and can't wait for Elliott to be big enough to trade in those toy tools for some real ones.  Especially when he is so enthusiastic about working:)

Simple Pleasures

Tuesdays are veggie day at our house.  I've been making an effort to be more healthy lately - mostly in what we eat, but maybe I'll branch out and start exercising too.  We recently restarted our veggie delivery service, and we all look froward to what comes in that little brown box every week.  This beauty is what was waiting on our doorstep this week when we got home from work.  

Elliott loves strawberries (and broccoli believe it or not), and reached in to help himself to the biggest, juiciest one in the box.

While I cook dinner (trying to squeeze as many veggies in as possible) he will either play at the window bench, or play in the backyard while Steve works.

And this is the end result when we finally sit down to eat!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!  Elliott had a great weekend full of his favorite things. Now that the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer we brought out the blow up pool we got him for his birthday.  He played for hours splashing, pouring water from one cup to another, and in general just enjoyed being outdoors.  

I can't believe how old he looks here!  My baby is 100% toddler now.  He's running, talking up a storm, and gives the best hugs and kisses (provided he's in a snuggly mood).  He's even following in Daddy's footsteps and taking up basketball.

We decided to get out on the town on Saturday night to do a bit of shopping.  Elliott and Steve played the part of the cool guys lounging on the couch while I scoured the racks for a good deal on a new rug for our front window.  No luck there, but we all enjoyed the outing.

If Elliott were helping me write this post he would want me to point out his new shoes - the Converse really complete his hipster look, and my mom will be happy to know that they match the blue stripe in the hat she got him.  BTW - He is still a hat guy, and every morning we have to pick one to wear before going out the door.

My sister Janine and her new baby Amelia came to spend a night with us.  Amelia was so sweet and tiny, and Elliott loved having a real live baby in the house. (That's me in case you were wondering. Don't know how I managed to not get a picture of Janine with the baby)

We ended the weekend with a Cinco de Mayo party at our friend Heather's house.  The weather wasn't the greatest, but we thoroughly enjoyed the good food and good company (and Heather's homemade margaritas!).

Elliott even conned Heather into letting him water her lawn.  It's one of his most favorite things to do (including play with cars, watch tractors, and reading books).

All in all a great weekend!