3 @ 2!

Eli's three boy cousins turned 2 this week! We headed over to their place to help celebrate their birthdays and here they are, Charlie, Harrison and Oliver, captured on one of those rare occassions where they are all still and facing more or less in the same direction (courtesy of the high chair restraints!).



Eli always enjoys a visit to his cousin's house as he and Alora get along really well. Some might say a bit too well, because they always seem to be running off and 'getting married' when they're together...and when pressed about what they've been up to, Eli is always very shy and quiet (not like him at all!).

Eli has always been pretty good with the boys too, but now that they're all up and about, he's really starting to enjoy their company. It has been pretty interesting watching how the boys have grown up and just how different they all are and how Eli interacts with each of them accordingly. Oliver is a speedy and rough and tumble sort of boy (just like Eli), and the two of them enjoy rolling around on the ground together - a bit like the photo below. I suspect they'll be wrestling in no time.



Harrison is a little more sensitive, but is always up for a fun game and I have noticed that Eli is a little more reserved around him (which is just as well, because Harrison tends to cry if things don't go his way). Charlie might just be the smartest of them all, because he is a very finely tuned 'Grandma spotter' and he'll immediately seek out refuge from the chaos, with either of his grandmum's, as soon as one of them comes into his line of sight. Eli is generally pretty gentle with Charlie too.

After playing for a while, Charlie, Oliver and Harrison were all happy to get into the swing of opening their birthday presents. Like most two year olds they were just as happy playing with the wrapping paper as they were with their gifts...



Eli had a great time celebrating with his cousins and I can see how he's really going to love playing with the boys as they get bigger and more mobile. I really love this very cheeky looking photo of Eli, captured when he was looking at me but incredibly mindful of the 'ticklemonster' to his right that was creeping up to get him!



And finally, here's the best I could do in trying to capture the boys with Grandma and Grandad and then with their sister and Mum and Dad.