My Dudes Are 6!

My guys are 6.. and it's time for my annual "baby book" entry where I document all the details of this season.  One of my favorite things to do on the eve of their birthday is to go back through each year with them.  And cry of course.  A lot.

One thing that doesn't change from year to year, is their relationship.  They ADORE each other.  I love that Beckett calls Eli "my brudder".  I know it won't be cute when he's 15 but for now, it's adorable.   They are thick as thieves. Best of friends.   They do fight occasionally (and when they do, it's on) but for the most part, they are on the same page.  

Keeping each other warm

watching ipad together

telling secrets

"Do not tell mom"

Team work - the best part about having a brother

wrestling

Sword fighting while driving

I often find them holding hands when they are "nervous" or uncomfortable

That sly grin = up to something

And they are hilarious.  Like really really funny.

wacky tacky day at school!

And they still sleep in the same bed.  They have bunk beds but both are too chicken to sleep on the top!  They sleep on the bottom together.  Absolutely no talks at all about moving into separate bedrooms. 

Things they have in common?  Love of Minecraft, video games, ipad, super heroes, fishing, and shopping (well for groceries or toys anyway).  They both wear the same size clothes and the same size shoes.  Beckett is 1/2 inch taller and weighs about 1.5 lbs more.  They both insist on keeping their hair long and always show the hairdresser exactly how they want it cut.  They are mildly opinionated about clothes.  They get to pick out their school clothes and Saturdays but mom gets to pick out "boring" clothes on Sundays.   The clothes are the only thing they don't like about Sundays though.  These two love church.  They are joyful in helping their daddy serve and both want to park cars when they grow up!

Blasting off

creepers

Daddy's buddies

Beckett, my first born.  You never really know what he is going to say.  His vocabulary is huge and we blame attribute that to his love of YouTube.  HobbyKidsTV is his jam.  His favorite tv show is America's Funniest Home videos.  He calls it the "funny show".  Second favorite is Ultimate Spiderman.  Loves legos.  Especially Star Wars or Marvel Legos.  He is a snuggler.  And I love it.  His best friend (besides Eli) is his beloved Penguin - Pingy.  I was worried we would have separation anxiety when we went to Kindergarten but he has been content to leave Pingy in his bed until he gets home in the afternoons.  Everyday he complains about going to school.  When his alarm goes off he always says "did you set it for the middle of the night? Like 3 or something?"  But everyday I pick him up he is excited about something that happened and has fun.   We have had our ups and downs on behaviors at school. Work in progress.  He loves rock music. Turned up really really loud.  Kid Rock tops his list and probably Guns N Roses.  Extra bonus if you will roll the car windows down too.  He loves to dance!  He is an encourager.  He says the sweetest things to us "Like mom, you look beautiful today." "or Dad, you did a good job fixing that."  "Eli, you are the best brother a kid could have."  His heart is full of joy.   He is perpetually happy.   His tantrums last like 3 seconds.  The kid cannot stay in a bad mood.   He is sunshine.  My sunshine.

when he comes to find me and says "mommy? are you having quiet time out here because it's so beautiful?"

special delivery with a kiss from my B

My favorite spot with one of my favorite guys

Yep. He's that cool

I'm wearing my goggles so I won't get smoke in my eyes

That time when Eli fell asleep and Beckett got all the attention!

double fisted kolaches, ipad, and Pingy.  Beckett's idea of a perfect morning

After school pre-baseball treat!

The case of the disappearing blue bead

"are you taking my picture because you think I'm so cute?" He says.  I am. But more than that I am taking a picture of this moment so when you grow up and I look back I'll remember.  I'll remember you standing by the door pouring out your heart about kindergarten.  How you can't understand why you can't wear your batman mask when clearly it matches your shirt.  How it's so so long and How many more days already.  But mostly how you said you double triple miss me the whole time. And I feel the exact same way..

That face.  I love him.

So proud to be the letter expert

Look at me Mom!  I'm Moses!

So content to just be by me.  Where ever I am.

Look mom. It's poop!

Take my picture with these storm troopers

ipad with his friends

Content to sitting in his reading chair and look at books

 Eli.  He's a thinker.  He always has a plan.  Beckett says "Eli always has the best plans.  He tells me what to do."   His teacher says he is diligent, a hard worker, a good friend.  He is a do-er. A tinkerer.  He's not content to sit and snuggle.   He wants to be working on something. If not conquering Mario World then building on Minecraft.  He blows me away.  He watches instructional videos for Minecraft on YouTube and then creates in the worlds.  He is even advancing to coding which is just crazy.  He has learned how to sound words out and even performs searches for what he is looking for.  Eli loves to play card games and board games.  We have so much fun!  He excels all around at school.  He has a bigger mood swing range.  He can be such a clown, a prankster, jokester and laughing.. but he can also get in a funk that is hard to get him out of.  He has his mind made up about things most of the time so the word NO puts him in tail spin although seemingly becoming easier to reason with.  He is respectful and I can count on him for following directions and saying "yes mam."  He is incredibly thoughtful.  He is always gifting me and others with things he  has made or written.  Eli loves to makes friends.  Where Beckett seems content with one friend, Eli has many friends.  He remembers when we are out of things at home.   He loves to be on the go and often asks "can't we just go to a hotel tonight?"  He is always up for an adventure! Eli is a great conversationalist.  While Beckett takes most things at face value, Eli wants to talk them through.  You can see the gears turning. He is a sponge.  He asks really great questions and we have some amazing deep conversations about faith.  Contrary to his independent confident personality, he continues to be scared at night.  I often wonder when it will be the last, but most nights he falls asleep holding my hand and ends up in my bed at some point.  He also loves to get up early with me. He asks me to wake him up when my alarm goes off for quiet time so he can sit with me.  (sometimes I do.. but it's really early!)  He is my sidekick.  My assistant.  And usually 2nd in command around here :-) 

Falling asleep at night

telling Beckett how it should be done

The face that is trying to cheat to win

Just setting up a little redneck picnic

Always busy.. washing his truck

"You don't know the plans I have to beat you"  He says.

Love this kid

Playing guess who

I asked him to help me by putting all the snacks in the pantry.  I was busy packing and in a little while I hear the vacuum.  I discover that not only did he put up the snacks, he organized the pantry, threw away the old fruit, and vacuumed.  Love the way God made this child!

Pop rocks during my quiet time

Hey mom?  Hear my kelp chips crunching back hear??

Yep.  At least he has style

On one of our dates.  Sipping hot cocoa and talking about life.

Every morning.  I have so much help. Playing in the jewelry. Sharpening makeup pencils. Generally causing mayhem.

Hey Mom? I need your password to buy this app? Oh wait. No I don't. It's in your cloud.

Funny.

Loves anything crafty.  Quixels for the win

My favorite after school spot.  In my lap.

He says "Making deals like dad"

Legos for him. Quiet time for me.

That face says. "I will beat you."

Working so hard on a new lego set.

Art.  He made me the sweetest canvas

Never content.. Always pushing the boundaries

I'm sure it's this way with most kids, but with twins I feel like 5 was such a great age for us.  More independent. Able to function on their own and be left unattended.  Not physically as exhausting as the first 4 years were.  Discipline has begun to transition to taking away things that are important to them and actually being able to talk to them and have them understand choices/consequences.  Still hard, but a different kind of hard. 

When we traveled this Thanksgiving, both Justin and I commented on how much they had matured.  Kindergarten has been hard for us to adjust as a family but it's been good.  Beckett is thriving in his own class.  It's like a new little person in our house.  Eli is learning so quickly and sometimes I think the most together person in our house.  He keeps us in line. 

Every day I am amazed at the way God is working in their lives, His evidence I see in glimpses of their conversations, glimmers of their hearts.  I pray diligently that they continue to grow to love Him and never lose this childlike faith.   

I tell them every night at bedtime, I LOVE being your mom and I thank God for it every day.  Lookout year 6, here we come!

Love,
The Riley's