A Riddle

What comes out the same way it goes in? what starts the day one way and remains unchanged all day? What is ignored, even though it was requested?

That would be Christian's Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich!

On his cold lunch days he usually requests this delicacy. Then in the afternoon he returns home with it untouched, along with his trash. He doesn't throw it away. He doesn't always eat his lunch either. He usually seems too rushed to eat lunch and either doesn't eat it at all or just eats the parts he wants. Apparently he's doing something other than eating lunch.

He seems to like eating a hot lunch though. This has expanded his food intake to include hamburgers, Sloppy Joe's (even though he thought it was a hamburger), chicken tacos and pizza. He still doesn't want to try the nacho's yet. For the most part he likes what he gets and seems to eat most of it. If only it rolled over to his cold lunch.

Trip

It was a quick trip to the farmhouse this weekend, and the kids were exceptionally good. They put up with all of the traveling and running around. I took them to Walmart for cookies the first night and for supplies the next morning. They talked us into toys and showed us what they wanted for Christmas. They sat in the floor at the nursing home and played, never once complaining. Then they sat at the hotel while I ordered a tombstone. Finally, we went to the farmhouse and they played there. Ollie even took Uncle Travis' Tinker Toys home with him to play with them. Don't worry, Tyler, we'll have them when you are ready to play with them. Eli slept well and cooed and smiled on the floor while Tori and Ollie played with everything they could find from packing tape to Tinker Toys. It was a good trip!

Sick Boy

Tori was sick on Wednesday night. Christian got it on Saturday night and Sunday. He threw up a few times and vegged out all day on Sunday. He was one tired fella. We put him to bed at 8 and he got up feeling fine this morning, at least in his tummy. He now has the cold that the rest of us have and sounds stuffed up.

Date Night

The kids don't know it yet, but Mom and Dad are having a date night tomorrow night. Uncle Dale is babysitting and we're going out for a few hours by ourselves. Huts is so ready, and I am too. Meanwhile, Dale will get to hold Eli and try to listen to the other two talk at the same time!

Back to School

Christian had a ball at Sharon's yesterday. She had them all there--a full house. He came home happy and was a good boy. He told me how sorry he was that my dad had died (we hadn't really talked about it until that point) and finished his homework. He has a heck of a time writing letters. He seems to do better when I hold his hand and guide him through the letters a few times.

Settling Down

Well, things are finally settling down in the Erickson household. Christian likes school and before- and after-care. Tori ad Eli are back at Sharon's, and Huts and I are back at work. The kids don' seem to mind getting up a little earlier; they are getting to bed a little earlier, so that helps. Eli slept better last night than he has in a long time, so that's good. it's nice for things to be normal again.

School Boy

This week Ollie (or Christian as he's called in school) started before and after care. He was tired of riding the bus and his Mama was headed back to work. This was the best transition so far for him. He didn't like camp in the beginning, he didn't like school, he didn't like the bus, but he likes before and after care. He barely cried the first day and was excited to go back the 2nd day. So far he hasn't said he dislikes it. Some of his classmates are in it as well. He seems to enjoy doing all the activities they do and is ready to go back every day. Hopefully it stays that way.

He's also excited about his Daddy helping to setup the classroom's fish tank. He's told me how they have it in their classroom and how they are going to release the fish into the tank, which was something I told his teacher in an email. We'll got to his class room next Tuesday after work and he'll help setup the tank. From the box of supplies she has, it looks like it'll be an interesting and good size tank. I'm sure Christian will be proud to show the fish tank to his classmates and tell how he helped set it up.