Camp Brian

A fun weekend at "Camp Brian"A family picture at the foggy Lake Michigan shore,

Playing catch with his dad, sure wasn't a chore.

Jammin' with the uncles and playing the shaker,

Eli may soon grow up to be another Mulder music maker.

Luke sure loved his time at cabin and beach,

With joy and excitement he often did screech.

Uncle Rob supervises a game of "Peek-a-boo,"

Big brother wears his helmet to prevent a boo-boo.

We had a fun time digging in the sand,

Brooke was right there to lend a helping hand.

Micah ate cookies and watched the waves go by,

Eli buried his daddy and sat up really high.

Mom made sure we had a picture of all of our feet,

Luke thought the time with his brother was especially neat.

Geneva--our biggest cousin--is a great baby-sitter,

And even though it was cold, this swimmer wasn't a quitter!

We'll have to soon have another family vacation,

But put toes in that water?! That takes a little more consideration...

Kites

Eli and Luke had their first experience with a kite this afternoon. The sun was out after several days of rain and we were itching to be outside. Even though there was a bit of a breeze, it still took quite a bit of running to get our kite off the ground. Eli thought it was great fun to chase the flying dragon and Luke enjoyed his view from the porch. Weeeee!

Our Talents

Riding.

Sitting.

Reading.

And...

Eating.

Friday Afternoon

And it's not even May yet...

Recently

Here are some recent Mulder moments. We are enjoying the early spring sunshine and it is such a joy to watch our boys learn and grow each day.

Saturday night we went out to eat at Elvira's, a teeny-tiny Mexican place just outside of town. The boys were very well-behaved and Eli was so proud to eat his "own" meal. He certainly enjoyed it, keeping a quesidilla in each hand most of the meal!

Luke was quite impressed with older his brother's eating ability because...

he's still working to understand rice cereal. Luke's just not real sure why I keep trying to shovel this stuff into his mouth. As a result, more ends up on the outside than in the tummy.

Jeremiah is just outside the frame here. Both of the boys have been loving/tormenting the poor cat; they'll squeal and giggle whenever he comes close. Jeremiah will humor them for a few minutes than escape under the porch in the backyard or down to the basement. He's really been a very good cat with the boys. I'm not sure I'd be as patient as he has been with all of Eli's "gentle pats".

Luke inspecting the grass while Eli...

plays with the sheets drying on the line. Monday was officially "hang out day", as in hang your clothes out on the line to save energy. Eli LOVED this idea. Busy mama--who finally got around to taking the sheets off the line in the dark at 9:30 that night and then had to throw them in the dryer for a few minutes because they were now a little damp before the bed could be made and she could go to bed--wondered just exactly what kind of energy was being saved. However, the entertainment that afternoon was worth it.

Last night was our first family bike ride. The boys did well in the trailer behind Dave's bike. I think they enjoyed wearing their helmets together.

Eli and Luke got to stay up late last night. (What a fun evening--a bike ride and a late night!) They went to watch their daddy play hockey at the ice rink.

Luke = unimpressed.

Eli = fascinated.

Haircuts and Helmets

Last Tuesday the two Mulder brothers went through quite a transition. Luke started wearing a crash helmet to help round out his head and Eli got his hair cut. I think that these two developments were most difficult on their mama. I was near tears on Tuesday night when I kissed the top of my little baby's plastic covered head and said a final goodbye to the rest of Eli's baby locks. Today things are much brighter. I'm getting used to Luke's new hat and Eli is glad for his "summer cut" on this nearly 80 degree spring day.

The Helmet

Luke has a flat spot to one side on the back of his head. He's had it for several months and despite plenty of tummy time and sleeping on his side, it refused to round out. So he was fitted for a Starband helmet. He wears it all day and night. The helmet doesn't squeeze his head, but it provides the form for his head to grow into. As his head grows, it expands to fill the gaps on the inside of the helmet. It doesn't hurt or restrict him in any way and after about the third day, he hasn't seemed to even notice it's there. We go in for helmet adjustments every one to two weeks. The duration of the treatment can be anywhere from three to six months, depending on how quickly his head grows; at his last appointment we'd already had some significant correction so I'm praying for a quick go of it. He's a little bit tougher to kiss and we've gotten some funny looks from people around town, but Dave and I are committed to doing what's best for our kids. Plus, I think it makes him look kind of cute...

The Haircut

So I've trimmed Eli's hair before, but this was a real go-for-broke haircut. Dave did the honors this time with clippers here at home. I was a little afraid that Eli's double back cowlick would make any hairstyle look a little wild, but Dave seems to have tamed it... for now. What a young man!

Easter 2010