First ponytail!

I don't even think I need a story, the picture says it all.

Matea is ADORABLE!!!!

God's Presents

Missy called me at work on Wednesday afternoon just to relay this story: As they were driving home from BSF, Eli was telling Missy about the story that he had heard in class that day.  The story was about the end of Exodus, where the Isrealites complete the construction of God's tabernacle.

Eli said to Missy that "a cloud came down" when the tabernacle was completed.  Missy asked Eli, "what was in the cloud?" and Eli replied, "God's presence."  Missy asked, "God?" and Eli insisted "no, Mommy, God's presence." 

At this point, Missy figured out that Eli was actually saying "presents" -- not "presence"!  She asked him "Presents, like Christmas presents?" and Eli replied "Yes, God's presents.  They said, 'To Moses, From God.'"

Obviously the term "God's presence" in connection with the cloud has been used, and Eli had misunderstood it -- albeit in a cute way.  :-)

Beware the Tickle Words!

Following up on Eli's previous made-up word from earlier this winter, ponga, Eli (possibly in conjunction with cousins Lexi and Tori) has come up with an all-new made-up phrase.  The phrase is (are you ready for this?): "peagle schmagen haga heego!" 

Eli will whip that phrase out whenever he's feeling silly.  He pronounces it the same way every time, just as though the individual words had some actual meaning.  (Eli's vocabulary of real words continues to grow by leaps and bounds as well, so Missy and I don't mind him using his made-up words on occasion.  Plus it's super cute when he says them.)  :-)

At first the phrase "peagle schmagen haga heego" was meaningless, but somehow it has evolved to become the "tickle words."  If someone (including Mommy or Daddy) says the complete phrase, they get tickled!  This has led to silliness such as Mommy Daddy saying to Eli something along the lines of "peagle schmagen haga ... hmm, how did it go again?"  Eli will respond to this by reciting the full 4-word phrase -- at which point Mommy and Daddy proceed to tickle Eli, since he said the phrase!

Footnote: Regardless of whether the initial pronunciation was "punka" or "punga," Eli's original made-up word has since evolved to now have a pronunciation more like "ponga".  We wouldn't want any of our loyal readers out there to be working with an obsolete pronunciation, so we're pleased to bring to you this latest breaking news item!  :-)