Christmas Day...a little late

After we opened our presents as a family on Christmas morning we lounged around and took a walk. It was great, not at all like Christmas Days in the past with all the hustle and bustle. That evening we went over to the Big Scogin's (it has nothing to do with size, just a way for us to distinquish between Bill and Jan and Gary and Aimee). We ate and played games and then came home and opened presents with Gary and Aimee. They took these pics of us before they left.
The happy family...Elijah's ready for bed in his pj's.
Gary was trying to make Elijah smile while Aimee took the picture. When we went back and looked at it we saw Beau made this face. We asked him what he was doing and he said he was seducing the camera. We were all laughing so hard, so funny.

A Couple Things My Sweet Boy Did Today

We left home this morning for Rosebud. We got a little bit of a late start because it was raining, but left our driveway at 10:30 am and pulled in to Rosebud just before 3pm! Before Elijah joined our family it only took us about 3 hours or so, but those days are long gone. Once Elijah got to the point he was eating table food and could walk we had to stop every so often to let him walk around and eat.
Anyway, this morning I fixed him some eggs for breakfast. I put them in the bowl and blew on them a few times to cool them off, then I put Elijah in his chair and put some eggs infront of him. He leaned over, blew on the eggs, said "hot, hot, hot", picked up a piece, blew on it some more, put it in his mouth and said "mmmmm". It may not be that cute to you, but he steals my heart every day.
On the way to Rosebud I turned around in my seat and was air-kissing him. He was trying to do it back, pursing his lips and pushing his face out. Beau said, "see if you can teach him to blow you a kiss". I turned around and blew him a kiss "mmmwaaa" and he did it right back! Never done it before and he did it on the first try. He really is very smart!! :)
We got to Rosebud and he was fussy, ready to get out. We were only a few blocks from Meme's house. I started sniffing the air saying "I smell something, can you smell it" Elijah would sniff the air, I say "It smells like Meme's house", he was still sniffing the air, "I think it smells like Meme's cookies", he got this big grin on his face and was sniffing the air, he was ready for Meme's house.

Christmas Morning

We sent Elijah to bed last night after Beau INSISTED that we make cookies for Santa....I wonder why. This morning at 8:30am I couldn't wait any longer so I went and woke up Elijah to tell him Santa had come while he was sleeping. He walked to the tree and was amazed with all the presents (there hadn't been any under the tree till this morning).
Still a little sleepy
"You mean these are all for me!!?"
So we took a little bit of the easy way out this year. Elijah got so much stuff for his birthday that we had to put some of it up in the attic. Well Joyce and Bill and John and Beverly got him so many presents that we just pulled a couple out of the attic and re-wrapped them for this morning. This was the barn with animals that he got from Joel and Sherrie.

"I love my soft puppy, Bibby and John."

He's been playing his keyboard and dancing to it all morning, also from John and Bibby.
A sweater outfit from John and Bibby.
A toy from Joyce and Bill

This was out Christmas morning breakfast table. I made Monte Cristo sandwiches for our breakfast.
I finally got to use my Christmas china from Janice for our first Christmas meal at home as a family.

"Thanks for breakfast, Mom, it was great!!"

Dinner at the Auburg's with the Coolest Cat

Saturday night we went to the Auburg's for dinner with some friends. Elijah had a great time playing with Maddie. He would walk up to her, pat her hair and walk off, or try to see how far down her throat he could put his fingers...all good stuff. I'm not sure what Elijah's face is all about here, but its the only pic I could snap of both of them.
Carl and Jen have a cat. I don't like cat's, I don't trust them, but this cat was very cool. He would play like a little puppy and he was GREAT with Elijah. We showed Elijah how to shake the stick with a bell and feather on it and the cat would chase it and jump up into the air. Elijah thought it was so fun. At one point he was laughing so hard he fell over!
Elijah and Gary playing with the cat. I wish you could hear Elijah's belly laugh. It warms my soul.


We wanted to play games and usually its really hard with a toddler, but we didn't have to worry about Elijah at all. The cat was babysitting. We would just shut all the doors in the hallway and he and the cat would run up and down the hall, Elijah laughing the whole time. We didn't get home till almost 10pm. About 2 hours past Elijah's bedtime. When we put him to bed he fell right to sleep. I woke up during the night around 3am - I always have to check on him and make sure he's not cold- and he was in the same position he fell asleep in (very odd for him) and then at 8am when I got him up he was still in the same position. He was exhausted!

Beau Cannot Keep a Secret

Well, some of you know Beau cannot keep a secret. I've known what I am getting from him for Christmas for a few weeks now. I tried denying it to keep it a secret, and when he flat out told me I asked him to quit talking about it so I could still be somewhat surpised. Well, that didn't work either. I called to tell him I was coming home really early this morning from work and he said I couldn't come home. So I went to Gary and Aimee's and Gary disappeared. I figured out that he went over to help Beau "set up" my new present....


IT'S HUGE!!! It's a lot bigger than I even said I wanted. Beau says its the best and I believe him. I can't believe how big it is. He even picked out the dresser to set it on. Only problem is the TV is wider than the dresser and there is no place to put the satelite box. The lady at the antique store (yes Beau shopped for an antique - it's a piece from an Estate in Scottland) said we could exchange it for something in the store so I think we'll go back and look this afternoon.

The reason I had to get it today is Beau was afraid I would have to work on Christmas morning (I'm on call) and he wouldn't have it set up therefore leaving me with no gift so he gave it to me today which still leaves me a giftless on Christmas morning. Now don't get me wrong I absolutely LOVE my gift - its even better than what I wanted, there is just something about Christmas morning. It will be our first time at home by ourselves for Christmas morning and I will be giftless. Oh well, I don't really care about the gifts as long as I get to be with my boys I'll just have to make everyone watch Its a Wonderful Life on my giant TV!!

10 Interesting Things About Me, or not.

So I keep getting all these emails from everyone asking a bunch of random "about you" questions. My mom thought I would be most likely to respond, not sure why, but instead of emailing it all here we go.

10 Interesting Things About Me:

1. I was named after Erica Cane on All My Children. She's been married 11 times, but don't let that worry you, it was just a pretty name to my parents, not her personality. I married Beau ( wait, that's not the interesting part) and he is named after a soap opera character also. I can't remember which one...Bo Buchannin maybe (One Life to Live)

2. I save stuff. Not like Oprah needs to come to my house and clean out my 20 years of newspapers and old clothes. Its more like food. I could have a quart of ice cream in the freezer for a month (see #9). Sometimes its not really good because things will go bad before I ever use them. For example. When we were in Hawaii I bought some Macadamia nuts because they are so cheap there and I love them. That was 18 months ago and I still have them. I am saving them for something special okay, if I use them now I won't have them anymore - don't judge.

3. I am deathly afraid of roaches, and when I say deathly I mean up on the table, crying, waking Beau up at 2 in the morning, shaking, can't sleep scared. I think its because until we moved here I had never seen a roach before, that I can remember. Then the first one I see is the size of a small weenie dog.

4. I hate shoes. I only wear them if I absolutely have to. I mean, I wear them to walk outside, usually, but if I'm at my home, your home, anyone's home, in a car or whatever, they are off.

5. My favorite smell is fresh-cut grass. I love it. I roll down the windows, and breathe in as much as possible. Beau hates it...it makes him sneeze.

6. I absolutely hate work. I know usually no one likes to work, but I hate it. Its not the going to work I hate, its the 12 hours waiting to go home that really suck. I would much rather be at home with my boys doing nothing. I need to win the lottery.

7. I know sign language, or used to. I was an interpretor at ACU for a while. I even did a friend's wedding once because she had a deaf Grandmother - actually deaf, not because she was old!

8. I don't like candy or juice. Beau told me that was wierd today. I don't like really sweet stuff. I love desserts like brownies and ice cream, but pass on the candy.

9. I'm a nibbler and a gulper. You wouldn't think you could be both, but I am. I will get one cookie or brownie or whatever and nibble on it for 20 mins (I like the term savor). However, I gulp my coffee, hot tea or hotchocolate. I try to go slow, but can't. I think its because I like it really hot and so I try to drink it while its still really hot.

10. I have a shower-only bed rule. I don't want anything or anyone in my bed that's not clean. Beau and I have had many arguments because he would refuse to bathe before coming to bed. In that senario he is not allowed to come close to me - it's his punishment for bad hygiene. And don't even think about touching my pillow!! If I want to take a nap during the day it has to be on top of the covers and not on my pillow or I take a shower first. Weird, I know, but who wants to sleep in their own filth?

Okay, so there you go. Now I have to go get ready for our Christmas Party. I'll try to take some pictures soon. We went to see Santa at the hospital today and another horrible experience by Scrooge (Elijah). He screamed like some one was killing him. He wouldn't even get close to Santa. He held on to Beau like we were going to try and give him away. So sad.

Hodge Podge

Sunday night I had a surprise party for Beau's birthday. He was shocked.

Everything was great, except one thing...I told people to keep Beau out of the fellowship hall as long as possible, but it ended up being too long and all the candles burned down into the cake and wax went everywhere. Oh well, it was still good. If you can't tell, it was Beau's favorite...red velvet.

Tuesday while Aimee and I were shopping (not incredibly productive) Beau snapped this pic of Elijah sleeping.

If you haven't figured it out he fell asleep looking for his pacifier.

These next pics are for Juju and Pawpaw. Elijah still can't figure out how to get on his bulldozer himself, but if we put him on it he loves to ride around the kitchen.

Santa delivered one of Elijah's Christmas presents early since we wouldn't have room to bring it home with us when we come back from Stephenville. Its an Elijah-sized chair with his name on it. He loves it. He spent about 20 mins just running and jumping into it and talking the whole time.

He really looks like Beau in this pic, just relaxing in his chair in socks and underwear (the ultimate play clothes).
Now Elijah has more furniture in the living room than we do. He loves to make all the noises and dance to his Thomas the Train chair and now he loves to lounge in this one. Can we say spoiled! :) He's too cute.

This will be quick

Just a few quick pics from last night at the Festival of Lights in Moody Gardens in Galveston. We had a great time seeing all the lights. I won't be able to blog for a few days, tomorrow I work and its Beau's birthday, Tuesday Aimee and I are going Christmas shopping and I work Wed and Thurs!!! So I hope this tides you over. If I find any free time...ha!...this week I'll try to blog.

He is such a ham.

Jahno, Maddie and Melissa

Gary and Aimee

Last Christmas

This was Elijah last Christmas.....Oh how he's changed.
Keep scrolling down for more new posts!

Feel free to make fun of me....

Okay, I'm only telling you this really embarassing story because it's so funny I have to make fun of myself.
I had to work yesterday, we were really busy all day long and I was in charge which meant I was extra busy. That's really no excuse, but whatever. So around 5:45pm I am hungry and I usually don't eat dinner on nights I work, maybe just a snack, but I was really hungry (from running all day) so I was going to call Beau and ask if he'll make me something to eat for when I get home. I call the house...busy. We don't have call waiting. I call Beau's cell....no answer. I keep calling the house every few mins for about 30 mins...busy. Call Beau's cell....no answer. I think maybe Elijah has been playing with the phone and its off the hook and Beau's cell is on vibrate. So I decide to leave a message on his cell knowing it will make a noise. Beau doesn't call back. I call the house....busy. I have to take a break from my OCD phone calling and take care of a patient. I leave work at 7pm and call again. The house phone rings but no answer. Beau's cell...no answer. I figure Beau is giving Elijah a bath and doing the perfect thing by not leaving Elijah's side and answering the phone. So I quit calling and I call and talk to my mom on the way home. When I get about 5 mins away from the house I call again...no answer on each phone. Now I start to get worried. So I start thinking...maybe the house was on fire and that's why they aren't answering....I start driving faster....maybe Beau was feeling sick and tried to call but passed out and that's why the phone was busy and Elijah picked it up and that's why its not busy any more....I start driving even faster.....I start trying to decide, if I need to give Beau CPR I will call 911 on my cell so I can do it on speaker phone and still give CPR....what if they both need it, who do I do first....what if they have Carbon Monoxide poisoning...now I'm speeding....I get to my street, turn onto it, peer into the distance, no fire trucks, no sirens....sigh of relief....I get to the house....Beau's truck isn't there....I panic, he wouldn't leave the house this late with Elijah and not tell me....what if Elijah's sick and they are on the way to the hospital....what if they were kidnapped....I barely miss scraping the top of my car off trying to race into the garage...I burst thru the door, leaving the car running...darkness....I'm yelling for my boys....no answer...I turn on lights...there's no note saying where they are....I pick up the phone and dial Beau's cell....no answer....I will him to answer and dial again...Beau answers!!! Dialogue:
Erica: Where are you????!!!!
wait for it.....


the suspense builds.....


here it comes.....


Beau: I'm at church.
Erica: Why, what happened?
Beau: It's Wednesday night.
I start laughing. I always pick up Elijah on my way home on Wed nights and take him home to bed.

Erica: I'm sorry, I forgot it's Wednesday, do you want me to come get him.
Beau: No, just sit down and try to relax.

So, no injuries, unless you count my ego. After I started thinking about it I just kept laughing. I always get so worried when I don't know where Elijah is. I hope that's a normal mom thing and I'm really not Psycho. Anway, thought you might enjoy that. Scroll down for Elijah at the Children's Christmas Party.

Elijah is a Scrooge

Okay, so Sunday after church was the Children's Christmas Party. The kids ate hotdogs, we went on a hay ride, did crafts and then....Santa!! Very exciting, right? Not if you're Elijah. So Julie is telling all the kids a Christmas story and Elijah wants to listen so he goes and sits down in the middle of all the big kids. Very cute. Then Santa comes out and all the kids get up and run to him yelling, "Santa, Santa!" Elijah just sits there and stares.

Then its time to go one by one and sit in Santa's lap. Maddie is very excited!
Maddie does so good, such a cute picture for her Mom and Dad. Great holiday card.

Then comes Elijah's turn. First he has to inspect and "size-up" this man called Santa.
We put him in Santa's lap...cameras ready...I'm so excited....nothing.
"Get me outa here, this guy is crazy!"
I end up with no pictures and Eljiah hits the road. "I'm leaving!"
So, sorry Grandparents, no cute Christmas pictures this year.