Daddy Took My Leg

Elias is quite a bit more outgoing than I am and I find myself cringing inside on many occasions as he loves to chat it up with every. single. person. he sees. Don't get me wrong- I love that he is so friendly. But I guess I can be a little introverted among strangers. But in Elias' world.. strangers? What are strangers? I love this about him.

So usually any venture out in public has me calling Chase on the way home to relay all the Elias stories. Elias will talk to everyone he passes, and is especially encouraged if someone actually makes eye contact with him.

There is usually a certain theme that he shouts out to passersby."Hey! Do you like tattoos? I'm into tattoos!" or "I have a monster truck at home. Do you like trucks? Do you have trucks? Do you want a truck? Do you want to see my truck?" or any other random thought in his brain. Could be about the cheerios he ate for breakfast or the dead skunk he saw in the road 3 months ago. There's just no tellin.

We just had a unique two days without Elias' prosthetic leg. Daddy Prosthetist was finalizing his new leg (which uses parts of the old leg) so had to take it with him to work.

(As a side note, it was interesting to see Elias get so sad about not having his leg. Since we had been talking about it so much I wasn't prepared for his grief. He would burst into tears throughout the day, bemoaning the fact that daddy took his leg and how mean that was or how sad he was. This is the first time in a year that he has gone a day without his leg and it is really a part of him. The sadness wasn't related to not being able to walk- he enjoys crawling around- but a very real attachment to his leg. )

Yesterday at Walmart, Elias was wearing shorts so it was obvious to people around us that he has only one leg. He was chatting it up with a lady in the garden section asking a million questions about her flower selections when he suddenly got very quiet and said,

"Daddy took my leg."

Complete silence and uncomfortableness overcomes the woman. So Elias repeats himself.

"Daddy took my leg."

The lady was being so kind but obviously confused that this kid was telling her that his dad had taken his leg. All she can see is his one leg hanging out of the cart and obviously missing the other. Who knows the stories she had concocted in her head!?

Elias never cracked a smile so I stepped in and explained that he was referring to his prosthetic leg and his dad was making him a new one. She nodded her head politely as if she had had the same conversation with a million other toddlers and then I soon pulled my cart into the next aisle to relieve her from this awkward conversation. :-)

By the way, the new leg is pretty cool. My camera is broken but we'll try and post pictures soon.

Bite Back

I just read here (a blog that makes me laugh out loud on a regular basis) that today, April 25, is World Malaria Day. And through the Bite Back campaign, people can give a one-time donation of $10 and provide a mosquito net for a child - or a family, if they’re all sleeping in the same place - who otherwise would have no protection from this completely preventable disease. That $10 will also provide education and treatment for people who are already sick with malaria.

What an easy, inexpensive, and great way to make a small dent in a worldwide problem yet a significant impact in the life and future of one family.

Click here to donate $10 that will provide a mosquito net for a child (you can donate more than that if you feel led). Each net lasts three years, so for $3.33 a year - less than a penny a day - you can save a child’s life.

Deep Thoughts

I was shopping at Walmart with Elias yesterday. I was deep in thought while deciding on shower curtain rods (who knew there were so many choices!?). Apparently, Elias was too. He suddenly spoke into the silence, "Mom, I was meant for bigger things."

What? Where did he come up with something like that? I asked him where that came from and after some thinking, Elias remembered that that's what Scuffy says in the classic Golden Book, Scuffy the Tugboat.

Cute! And what truth there is to that statement. I mean, there's so much more to life than shower curtain rods! :-)

Monster Truck Rally

Elias' long awaited dream finally came true- - a trip to the Monster Truck Rally. And he hasn't talked about much else ever since. (But that's not really saying much because all he really ever talks about is monster trucks. Seriously. I'm not kidding. It is an obsession).


We got to the show a little early and found some great seats. Then we moved down the the second row for the last part- the freestyle competition. To be honest it was a little scary to be so close with mud spraying in our faces and the deafening rumble of the trucks threatening to bust our eardrums. Not to mention being eye level with theses HUGE tires that seem as though they're going to roll right into you.


Elias's favorite part was the donuts. Not the eating kind, but when the MTs (that's Brown family lingo for Monster Trucks) go around and around and around in circles. Pretty wild.


I highly recommend that everyone visit at least one show in their lifetime. It's America at it's finest, and the best people watching you'll ever have. :-)

The Best thing a dad can hear...

I have to write this down so I'll remember some day when Elias is a teenager and we arguing about taking the car or staying out late, or whatever teenagers and parents battle over.

Elias and I were rolling on the floor the other night, wrestling, laughing, tickling, etc. We stopped for a moment...

Elias: "Daddy, you're a famous guy."

Me (chase): "I am? Why am I famous?"

Elias: "Because I love you!"

Does it get any better than that?

A glowing dad-

Chase

A Boy's Dream Realized

A new house is being built two doors down from us. Today when we pulled up in our driveway I noticed two tractors working in the backyard. Just when Elias and I walked over to get a closer look, one of the workers noticed us and asked if Elias wanted to drive the tractor. He promptly picked him up and placed him right on the knee of the driver.


Luckily I had my camera in my purse and quickly yanked it out and started snapping pictures. It was hard to get a good shot considering I was on a live construction site and all. Those construction workers looked at me like I was a little strange, prancing through the mud and dirt with my camera out, lugging a shopping bag and purse while trying to stay out of the tractor's way. :-)

They let Elias drive the tractor and "trencher" the whole length of the backyard, digging deep holes in the soil to lay the pipes. Elias' face was awesome to watch. He was either very serious, concentrating on keeping that steering wheel straight and acting as if this was standard, daily business, or smiling hugely, or trying hard to suppress a grin. I also noticed that he was chatting it up the whole way with the tractor driver who was doing his best to understand him and nodding a lot, but I'm sure he didn't catch a single word from that 3 year-old voice over a loud piece of machinery. When Elias got off the tractor I told him he ran right over a snake and killed it. He thought that was the coolest part of all!


When we were walking back home, he was quiet for a while, then said, "Mom, I REALLY love bugs and tractors."








P.S. I should mention that this little adventure was after we went to a sporting goods store and Elias shot a rifle (on a laser shooting range), stood next to a stuffed bear, elephant, zebra, lion and buffalo, stared at a "talking" deer for 10 minutes, and drooled over all the spiderman fishing poles. Oh yes, a good boy day indeed. I wonder what the world holds for us after nap time is over? A bug hunt outside perhaps and flips on the trampoline?

Christmas Card

We tried really hard to find all the addresses for our friends and family members to send out Christmas cards. If we missed you (especially if you've moved) then please forgive us, and send us your address for next year! Here are some of the pics from our Christmas card photo session.