This week for Eli has been a week of firsts and healing. He's still congested and his nose is still running, but it's slowed down to a trickle. Now he has chapped lips, a chapped nose, and a chapped hand -- all fall out of the drippy nose. But, all in all, a MUCH better week than last week, thank God!
In terms of firsts, this week Eli finger painted for the first time. I wasn't sure how he'd react to the goopy experience, but he loved it. Actually, I think his favorite part was the physical sensation on his hands (and arms!). As he painted more and more, the paint somehow kept creeping up his arm towards his pushed up sleeve.
He also figured out how to brush his own teeth and wash his own hands completely by himself. Teeth brushing has never been fun, and it was very hard to convince him to try toothpaste. About six months ago he wanted to try a little of our toothpaste on his toothbrush, and he hated it. We use a minty Tom's of Maine toothpaste that I think in retrospect is very strong for a first time user. A few months later I went to the health food store and bought a "starter" Tom's of Maine toothpaste that was Strawberry flavored and has no fluoride so it's safe to swallow. He wasn't impressed. Finally, I decided that we needed to spend some quality time in the toothpaste aisle together. He picked out a Thomas the Train starter toothpaste, and after one slow night, he now loves it.
But, the really cute thing is that he is now just tall enough to reach the faucet in his bathroom with his tall stool. So, now he brushes his own teeth and washes his own hands, about five times per day. Of course a good portion of the time is spent playing in the water. Though my hippie side cringes, the water waste isn't too bad, and we are trying to limit it without stifling his new interest in personal cleanliness. It also reminds me of a story from my childhood. When my Mom brought me home from the hospital she asked my Dad what he and Seana had been doing together during her absence. He said that she spent most of her time playing in the sink. It must be a two year old thing. Although I think in Seana's case she was sitting in the sink which makes more sense in early fall in San Diego, than in frigid January in Georgia. So here are a few pictures of his new independent clean streak. Notice the tippy toes required to turn on and off the tap.
Another new thing this week is that he's putting on his "Big Boy Shoes" all by himself. He's been putting on and taking off his crocs since this summer, but with the temperatures so cold this week, I've insisted on his closed toed shoes. He took the initiative one morning, and now refuses help.
Finally, this isn't really a first, but sort of, we went to and joined Jumping Jelly Beans yesterday. My MOMS playgroup was held there yesterday morning. Eli and I had a ball, he was so excited that when he woke up from his nap he wanted to take Daddy and show him. We decided to pay a few extra dollars and join for the month of January. We figured with the temperatures being so low lately, that it might be a good temporary substitute for the park. For those of you not familiar with them, Jumping Jelly Beans is a jumping place full of inflatable things to climb on, slide on and jump on. They don't charge for adults but they encourage you to jump with your child. It's a hoot. It wasn't Eli's first time at one of these jumping things, I had a free coupon early last winter, but it was the first time he was really big enough to enjoy it. It was pretty cool to watch how much his climbing skills and confidence improved during the few hours we were there. While we did attempt to take pictures of the jumping and the sliding, none of them came out -- way too blurry. But, here are a few pictures of a few other attractions there, balls and ride on toys. We attracted a little boy named Corbin who played catch with us.
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