Great points, thanks guys! Since I never got my CFII it would kind of be like adding it on to my initial even if it was not expired.

CFI renewal
 

I am working on it,now. I will do my MEI.

In that case, if you have the dime, get signed off for your CFII and get the additional rating. It'll reinstate your CFIA, and you have to take a checkride anyway. It'll just take an extra flight or two of prep and a CFII to sign you off.

Otherwise you'll have to take the CFIA ride to reinstate, and that ride is kind of a pain in the arse.

Mei
 

You can also add the MEI, if you never had it. It will reinstate any other Instructor ratings you help previously.

Not so fast...

While this sounds logical, part 61 says that you have to take a checkride for one of the ratings on your expired CFI ticket. Taken literally, earning a new instructor rating will not re-instate your old ones.

Probably best to ask your FSDO about this one.

New Rating
 

I just did this with a guy at my company. His CFI and CFII were expired, so we did the training for his MEI. He passed, all ratings reinstated. Atlanta FSDO.

§ 61.199 Reinstatement requirements of an expired flight instructor certificate.

(a) Flight instructor certificates. The holder of an expired flight instructor certificate who has not complied with the flight instructor renewal requirements of §61.197 may reinstate that flight instructor certificate and ratings by filing a completed and signed application with the FAA and satisfactorily completing one of the following reinstatement requirements:

(1) A flight instructor certification practical test, as prescribed by §61.183(h), for one of the ratings held on the expired flight instructor certificate.

(2) A flight instructor certification practical test for an additional rating.

Probably best to read the regs.