Mario Boy

Eli is in love with all things Super Mario these days. I started playing Super Mario on the Wii when I was pregnant with Jack so that Eli and I could rest on the couch for a little bit. He loved to watch me play and we eventually beat the game. Well he got over it for a little while and then after Jack was born (and we were stuck at home a lot) he asked me to play Mario again. More and more often he would take the control from me and try to pass the levels himself. It was so funny at first because he would jump up and down when he would use the controller while Mario was jumping up and down. Eventually he got pretty good and now he can pass levels left and right. For Christmas we got a 2nd Wii remote so him and I can play together. He also got Super Paper Mario. We have beat that game already but it was really fun to play too.

When he's not playing with Mario he still loves to paint. He is becoming a good artist too. We enrolled Eli in gymnastics in January and he is really enjoying it. The session just ended but a new one is starting up next week. The other boys in the class have been in there for a while longer. Eli has learned how to do a somersault and jumping jacks, stretching and just learning how to be in a class and listening to instructions which I was interested in most for him.

We also recently signed him up for ice skating lessons. JR took him to a hockey game a couple months ago and he has been interested in it since then. Maybe if he becomes good at skating we will get him into hockey. JR has been skating and is going to start going to some pick-up hockey games. Jack and I will cheer on from the stands :)

I also signed Eli up for pre-k. We got the school that we wanted which is Prairie Vale; it's in our neighborhood. He will attend school 5 days a week in the morning from 8:30-11:15. I'm really looking forward to this for him. I think it's going to be great for him (and me). It'll give me a couple of hours to run errands, do housework, or have some one on one time with Jack.

Eli is a great big brother and loves to talk to Jack and "play" with him. His most favorite thing to do is grab Jack's hand and then he playfully puts it to his face and then runs across the room and says "Mommy, look what Jack did! He pushed me all the way across the room". And I say " wow that baby is really strong I can't believe he did that". Haha, it's so funny. They really do adore each other.

Pictures below:
1st one is some of Eli's artwork
2nd is Eli and Jack hanging out
3rd is Eli and JR at his first skating lesson
4th is Eli and JR out on the ice for the first time