Third Time is the Charm, Right?

So much for hoping that not traveling would keep Eli healthier. This has been one of the worst cold and flu seasons ever! We're down to our third cold in 6/7 weeks. I say "we" because Eli and I get them together. Even Josh has managed to get one of the three. I'm sick of being sick, and I'm sure Eli is too. It's not like I haven't taken preventive measures--washing hands, disinfecting toys, washing bedding, etc. I didn't even get this many colds when I was teaching, and believe me, there were plenty of opportunities. I'm hoping this third one is the charm, and when it's over, we'll be done with getting colds.

On a brighter note, Eli is learning so many new things. I can't believe he'll be two next week! He's recently been learning his letters, and can identify all of them. He'll even see the letter and repeat the word we've been learning for it. Today at the doctor's office he pointed to the letter A and said apple, and he loves the letter G because he associates it with garbage. We're still working on numbers and colors. He knows the color blue very well and says it all the time, but he doesn't really say any of the other colors yet, though he identifies some of them when asked. Of course, what I wish he would learn really quickly is how to use the potty, but I guess I just have to be more patient with that one. He's such a big wetter that he really needs to be out of diapers because he's been leaking all the time lately. We've never had that problem before with cloth, and we've tried the disposables, and he still leaks. Anyone who has suggestions on what's worked for you, feel free to share.

That Time of Year Again!

It's March, and that means the rodeo has come to town once again. If you ever want to visit us (hmmm...that's a good idea :-)), March might be a good time to do it because the Houston Rodeo is quite an event. Plus, it's usually pretty nice weather. This past week was Josh's spring break, so we went to the rodeo on Thursday, and Eli loved it. Here's some of what we did:

Of course, we had to stop by the tractors. Eli loved them, as he loves all big trucks!

The pig races were a must see, so we didn't want to be left out!

They had a kids' farm where they could pretend to gather eggs, plant crops, milk cows, and sell their produce at a farmers' market. Eli caught on pretty well and seemed to enjoy it!

Of course, we had to go to the petting zoo. Eli always loves that! And no, he's not strangling the goat, though it sort of looks like it in the one picture. He's usually very gentle.

I'm not sure where they got the wallabies from, but they were a fun addition to the petting zoo.

These are some of the animals we saw in the livestock show.

Though we saw many other cows, this particular one is the famous "Elsie". She is the Borden milk cow.

We didn't ride any rides, but we did weave our way through them, and we enjoyed a tasty lemon ice from one of the MANY concession stands. Like last year, we again passed on the fried oreos, snickers bars, nutter butters, twinkies, and other fried treats. Maybe one of these years we'll try one and see just how much sugar and fat our bodies can take. :-)

We didn't forget to take our picture with the rodeo mascot. Eli wasn't sure what to make of him.