What's inside a coconut?

A few months ago, Elijah and I went grocery shopping (hmmm I was the one shopping - he was the one asking questions up and down each aisle!) While we were in the produce aisle I grabbed a coconut and told Elijah to shake it and listen carefully. He was amazed that there was milk inside a piece of fruit.

So this weekend we bought one so that he could see what was inside and taste the coconut milk....here you go!

Elijah isn't a fan of loud noises.......hence closing his ears while Eddie opens the coconut
Elijah tasting the coconut milk - he said, "It looks like water, not milk" He did not like it at all.

Eddie said Elijah's head looked just like a coconut to him!

"It's a Jungle Out There"

Elijah had his 2nd grade play today. He even tried out and got a solo speaking part - since he is such a great and confident reader! I brought my class down and Eddie was able to get out of work to attend as well. Enjoy!

Hand motions and all~
Elijah's staring solo roll!

My guys!

"Don't stop 'til you get enough"

We introduced Michael Jackson's Number One videos DVD to Elijah about 5 months ago....he has NOT stopped watching it yet!

Sorry ....it's sideways....I've been awake since 4:30AM and it is 10:00 pm....I am too tired to try and figure it out right now!

Takes a lickin'.....and does NOT keep tickin'

Elijah has to keep a pair of gym shoes at school to use when he has P.E. (it helps keep the snow, rain, snow melt salt and dirt off the gym floor).

Since he is a growing 8 year old we replace his shoes 2 - 3 times a year because he outgrows them.

The other day the P.E. teacher told me that Elijah's shoes fell apart - in the middle of his class! HOW EMBARRASSING! I just replaced his p.e. shoes mid-November! She told me that she taped it up for him......I was pretty much mortified....why is it that my son is the one that has a pair of shoes fall apart in the middle of class and the shoe has to be taped back together?

This is the shoe 'all fixed up'!

As I pulled back the tape...the light up device popped out.......really? How do you tear up the sole of a shoe when you only have P.E. for 40 minutes a day (NOT 5 days a week) - and you never wear them outside?

Ever wonder what makes those shoes light up? Here you go!

Lessons learned:

1. Eddie said Elijah can tear up ANY type of shoe - just give him enough time.....he told me that we need to start looking for steel-toe shoes for him.

2. Light up shoes will no longer be worn by Elijah --- just not tough enough!

3. Elijah was NOT embarrassed at all.....he did not care that he had 2 WIDE strips of electrical tape holding the sole of his shoe together - all he cared about was playing during P.E.!

Don't forget to take out the trash Elijah...

...as expected.....one of Elijah's chores as an 8 year old is to take out the trash. He has to check the 3 trash cans in the house everyday and check to see if there are any boxes sitting by the door to take to the big trash room.

Here is some background information that you have to keep in mind as you continue to read:

-- Elijah's life is very routine. He does not deviate from the norm very often.

-- He knows the rules and expectations (selectively forgets them when it is convenient to him) but he usually follows them very well

-- Eddie is on swing shift (2pm-11pm) Elijah and I are out of the house from 7 am - 4pm - we only see Eddie on Saturdays and Sundays

--snow boots are a necessity - not a nicety - here. You will slip, fall, and have cold and wet feet without them

So knowing that info - here we go! Elijah and I came home from school on Monday afternoon. Elijah noticed that his Dad left his snow boots in an empty water bottle box inside the front door. Elijah said, " Why did Daddy leave his shoes in a box inside the door, all wet shoes are supposed to be left outside the house." I said something about he must have forgotten the rules and he will move his snow boots tomorrow when he is home.

Tuesday passed, Wednesday passed, Thursday passed....snow boots still in the same location. Hmmmm I am thinking 'I am sure they are dry by now.' Eddie should be picking his boots up some time soon so that we stop tripping over them as we walk into the house.

When we (Elijah and I) came home on Friday - I noticed the shows were gone........ Yeeeaahhh a clear entry way again - Eddie must have moved his snow boots into the shoe closet.

Saturday we did not leave the house at all.......big snow storm! Sunday, Eddie was headed out to brush the snow off the trucks. He is walking back and forth through the house. I ask him what he was looking for and he said his snow boots.

"Huh, you must have put them away because they were sitting in a trash box in front of the door all week" I said.

He said, "No I didn't move them - they just disappeared." 'Disappeared??' I thought...how do shoes disappear? We searched the entire house. No EXPENSIVE, BRAND NEW snow boots - they looked like the picture....circa $80.

We asked Elijah if he had seen them, he said he threw them away, because they were trash. Elijah said, "They were by the door sitting in a trash box, so they were trash -- I threw them away, Daddy".....with a smile on his face!

I laughed so HARD! Eddie couldn't even be upset because HE was the one that had them in the wrong place for DAYS.

One Snowy Week!

Here is the view from our kitchen window.  We have had 29 inches of snow this month in Misawa.  That's about normal for us in January........and BEAUTIFUL!  

Elijah turns 8 on Sunday!

Okay, I must admit I am all kinds of proud of these football 'cakes'. I made them for Elijah's classroom birthday celebration.

It is a long process baking, mixing, freezing, dipping in chocolate, decorating....but Elijah thought that they were the coolest thing ever. It was so worth all the work I put into them when he said, "Cool Mom, those look just like footballs. You are the best ever!"

It made me feel really good after that fabulous Christmas card.

Got a boy??.....here is the recipe.