priceless moments...

I may not get it right all the time and I'm far from being the perfect dad, but you know, today I was taking Eli to school and as we got to the end of our street, my son looked over at me and said...Dad...you can start praying for me now. 
I love that he expects prayer to start his morning and to cover his day.

If I could save time in a bottle...

Have you ever had one of THOSE mornings? 
I woke up at a reasonable time this morning so I afforded myself the luxury of taking a hot shower ( and a little bit longer one because it's already getting cold in the house). I get out, dry off, dress...I just slip on my tennis shoes without socks because I have to take Ollie out for a walk...I put the cinnamon rolls in the oven...saddle up Ollie and notice that it's time for Eli to wake up. I've already pulled his clothes so I'm a step ahead. Ollie and I are gone for about 15 minutes and I'm feeling good about the day..until I notice that Eli hasn't gotten dressed...I wrangle him in and get him started in the dressing process. I feed Ollie and give her new water...cinnamon rolls ready!...start packing Eli's books...WHAT???? A whole page of homework that we missed!!! Eli begins moaning and complaining and trying to run away...I'm trying to help...and stay calm at the same time ( a difficult task at times when it comes to homework)...homework done...LUNCH!!! I'm trying to throw something together that at least has the appearance of being on the food chart...he ended up with nuked macaroni and cheese, some fake chicken nuggets (vegan nuggets) and some cheddar crackers....time to go...Eli doesn't have shoes...Eli doesn't know where his shoes are...panic...running around...one shoe found in one room, the other shoe found in another part of the house...shoes on...Eli states that he needs money for the book fair...BOOK FAIR??? I don't have time for the bank (Eli's school only takes cash...smart, except today!)...Eli has to brush his teeth...uggghhh...time is NOT on my side!!!...
I'm at work without socks! So glad that I have deodorant in my truck just in case I need a boost ( or forget to put it on like today) and I'm chewing gum, if that tells you anything...
Many may be asking...what about Sherri??? I am happy to report that as I was flying out of the house without socks, arms filled with Eli's things and pulling Eli along, she was getting out of the tub that she was soaking in...

The world belongs to those with perfect attendance...

Eli has received perfect attendance for the first six weeks of school.This really is an accomplishment considering that last year I threatened to call the bus that takes children to the sweatshop that don't go to school. (This was almost a daily threat) As a reward, Eli received a certificate for a free serving of Chick-fil-A ice cream (I believe they should extend these kind of benefits to work and church attendance as well!) 
I told Eli that I was very proud of him for his effort. He smiled and told me that he was the only one in his class to get perfect attendance...and that some days he was the ONLY kid in class. Eli also had to give a speech about why kids should come to school. It must have touched the hearts and conscious of the class as a whole because they are going to make up their days by attending school on Saturdays and some will even have to spend the night a few times. I said,"WOW, that must have been some speech!" He said , "Yep, one day I'm going to be president and I'll make more speeches and people will have to do what I tell them." I told him that he was speaking of a dictatorship not a presidency. Eli now wants to become a dictator!
( I wonder if Castro started with perfect attendance in school?)

clowning around...

This is Eli's drawing of clowns that was intended to scare me. He explained the drawing to me - they are singing circus music (which is scary) and the clown at the top is playing with fire (the actual fire is to the right), there is the scary midget clown, and the bottom clown ( the most shocking in my opinion) is running with scissors! Don't let the fact that they are smiling lull you into the belief that they are harmless and can be trusted!

it starts with a vision...

Another interesting trip to school with Eli. Today's topic was Christmas decor and what our theme would be this year! Eli started with a grand idea...he wants me to build a large box for our front yard and then the plan has him dressed up like a jack in the box, jumping out and throwing candy ( to the obvious throngs of men, women and children that will be stopped in front of our house in awe!) While I turn the crank dressed as a tin soldier. His plan also involves a real snowball fight between a large Jack Skeleton and some kids dressed up as elves...oh, and a choir of people singing Christmas songs...oh and dad, we need to find an ice ninja ( anyone have the number of a reasonably priced ice ninja?) For the roof
I had to stop him and ask how this all fits into my gingerbread house idea.
Well, he continued, gingerbread houses have candy and when I pop out of the box and throw candy people will understand...hey, I just got a really good idea. Dad you and I can dress up like gingerbread men and we could be a gingerbread family...but I still want to pop out of the box!
I'm not sure how I can pull all this off...choirs, ice ninjas, gingerbread families...elves...there's so much to do...auditions, building...rehearsals!
Sherri Harris has to let me start NOW in order for this to be all that Eli envisions...okay, so who wants to be it the choir? Ice ninja?

what's my bid for...

Eli may be watching a smidge to much TV. Tonight on the way home from the store, Eli started playing Cutthroat Kitchen. He wanted to start a bidding war between Sherri and I over who would cook him dinner. Turns out Sherri lost and had to cook dinner while I got to sit down and have Eli give me a massage AND he went to the garage for me AND I got controlling rights of the remote for a full 10 minutes! I really like this game...wonder what else is on U-verse!

join the club...

I absolutely love Eli's school - Hammond Westside Montessori. Eli likes it as well, which is a huge plus! 
The discussion on the way to school today was all about the clubs offered to the students and I must say, if a child can't find a place to fit in...well, they need to go see Eli. We got on the subject of clubs purely by accident. Eli drew a picture of clowns to scare me (the circus returns next week to rid the city of unsuspecting children...anyway, that's another story). He told me that he might join the clown club or the chicken club at school. I was intrigued by the chicken club. I thought it might be 4H so I asked what the chicken club was all about. Eli said," Dad, it's not what you think. They just stand around and act like chickens. They do this...(he mimicked a boy being a chicken whilst traveling in a car to school)" it was quite the elaborate chicken movement and I immediately thought two things. 1) this is going to be a fun ride to school 2) I wish we would have had a chicken club when I was a kid. Well, because of the surprising answer to the chicken club question, I asked what the clown club did...He said, "you learn to be a clown...like put on a clown face, how to fall down, and throw pies." I explained that I could not let him join the clown cub because clowns are creepy but a kid that knows how to walk and scratch like a chicken...now I could get behind that!.., BUT, I did question the pies, because pies can be expensive...did you have to buy your own pies?... where did the pies come from?...and he told me they come from the pie club...they make pies for the clown club - jelly filled ones. "Oh dad, one time this kid named Abraham threw a pie at me and hit me in the face".(laughter). I asked the logical question, "Is he in the clown club?" "No, he's in the pie club; but they want him in the clown club", he replied. (Pause) "It was strawberry and it went all over me". I told him that I didn't remember getting a call to bring him more clothes. "That's because. I got a rag from the rag club. They make rags for cleaning...oh, and towels and shirts and pants...they can make anything", he said. I said it sounds like a sweat shop club and those are illegal in America. He told me that it's not a sweat shop because the kids LIKE making things and they give their things away...to the helping club and the nice club...everyone should join these clubs....right?
I agreed.
I asked if there were any other clubs and there are...the library club which helps the reading club, the art club which helps paint the school ( again child labor laws come to mind), the music club which has a band that marches down the halls, and the dance club which dances to the music of the band.
I asked if there was a story club...for telling stories. I told him he could he the president! There isn't one of those yet...
Then he told me about the robotics club (a real club). I asked if they dressed up like robots or acted like robots trying to take over the world? - another logical question using the information that I had gleaned from our conversation thus far. " No, they get to build things. I really like building things too....I think I really want to be in this club", he said. I told him that I would look into it.
I really appreciate the symbiotic relationship and harmony between the clubs...OH...and the diversity - something for everyone!