Mommy and Eli

Eli gets the rare opportunity of being my other half weekdays from eight to three when the other boys are doing their thing in the first and third grades. Little brothers came in too quick succession for Drew and Isaac to have the same privilege. La-La is an amiable companion and keeps me chuckling (and sometimes rolling my eyes) with his brand of humor, for example:

At Story Time we made a bus and put each member of our family in a window seat, including Gilbert the cat. Eli thinks it hilarious that a cat is in a bus.

"A cat in the bus? Is that funny Mom? Ha ha ha ha!"

Every day the scenario has evolved into something more side-splitting to this three-and-a-half year old.

"How about a cat in a bus playing the guitar in a band. Is that funny mom? Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"A cat is on the bus, playing the guitar in a band, singing Eli's Coming Haka Haka. Is that funny? Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"A cat is on a bus, playing the guitar in a band, singing Eli's Coming Haka Haka, and wearing a jacket, and playing the piano, and his butt! Ha ha ha ha!"

Which brings me to how much Eli loves potty humor, more so than his older brothers whose mouths are relatively clean by comparison. Eli thinks the UPS truck is a riot! I am impressed with his understanding of the double entendre, though less impressed with the subject matter.

 Together Eli and I love being in the mountains and he is always up for a nature walk when we can squeeze it in between chores and carpool. He only gets upset when I won't let him use my camera by himself, but even with the strap around my neck he can frame a nice shot.



We spend a good portion of our week running errands. Each trip starts with Eli having to start the car, then ask if he can sit in the very back seat without his seatbelt (the answer is always no). Then we go to "Mom's store" (Days Market--I shop there because they walk my cart out to my car for me), not "Dad's store" (Smith's--where the ice cream is cheapest), or occasionally, as of late "Sam's store" (the Walmart, that I thought was called so after his friend Sam, but on second thought Eli might be referring to Mr. Walton).

With no brotherly playmates Eli spends more time than the rest being babysat by Mac or the Angry Birds.



Eli has taken to calling me "Little Fella" lately. "Can I play Angry Birds on your phone, Little Fella?" "What's for dinner Little Fella?" I can't decide if I'm charmed or annoyed by that name. I mean, he's going to be looking down on me soon enough, does he have to start rubbing it in so early?

I like to think that even though I didn't get this experience with my other two we have had, and will continue to have different opportunities that are just as special. Meanwhile, I sure enjoy bonding with Eli as an only child for a few hours a day.