These are the images I had taken of Joshua at JC Penny's for his two-year birthday. I think they turned out great! He started out pretty scared, but the guy working invited his co-worker to join him and take pictures while he worked at making the Bean smile. The guy tossed a football at Joshua, and he caught it and she snapped the picture! I'm impressed by Joshua's althetic ability. He loves to play hockey with Daddy in our driveway, and he won't settle for a little kids stick. Oh, no...he has to have a big stick like his precious Dad. But, he's getting better with his aim at hitting the ball. Grandma got him a better batter ball set, and he loves to swing at the ball that dangles for him. He's already better than I am!
Over the weekend, Joshua noticed that Daddy sleeps without a shirt. So, he insisted that he didn't need a shirt for naps or bedtime. I told Daddy that we need to get him excited to wear big boy underpants so Joshua will be more interested in potty training. Since our first success story, he has refused to go again.
I took in Joshua's beloved blankey for the photo shoot since JC Penny's suggested a comfort item. They said that age 2 is the toughest for pictures because children are often scared. But, I also appreciated getting some shots of him and his blanket since he does love it so much at this age. My favorite thing that he says right now is a soft & loving, "Oh, blankey!" Grandma Ginder & I were talking about why Joshua seems to have so much fear. I talked to my mom about it last night, too, and she said she remembers my nieces being fearful at this age. Once she said it, I remembered too. They learned bible verses about God protecting them and the song "God is bigger than the boogey man." So, I guess it's normal enough as their brains start comprehending more. I think a good amount of fear is okay (that's what keeps us from jumping off roof-tops, etc.) but I don't want him to fear every little thing. Please pray for him!
This past questionnaire for tracking from Early Intervention showed Joshua slightly behind in his personal-social skills and his fine motor skills. The gal called yesterday and is sending us some information on things we can do to improve those scores. Honestly, I think both of those things are my fault in not showing him how to do things or giving him the freedom... for example, they want him to be able to drink from a regular cup. I wonder why when there's these awesome things called sippy cups that don't spill... But, I want him to learn things on time so that he's not behind. I'm hoping to go to Wal-mart tonight and pick up a few things to do some crafts and learning activities. It's difficult with Caleb, too, but I know we can make it work if I am determined.
Today we met Daddy for lunch to take him some throat drops. When we were about to leave, I explained to Joshua that Blankey can no longer come outside, and that he needs to put blankey back and tell him 'bye-bye' and then we can go to the car. He thought about it for a minute, said "bye-bye, blankey...see you soon..." and then he put his blankey on the couch near the door for safe keeping. While we would have had a fit if I would have just taken the blanket and put it away, I'm slowly learning that explaining things to Joshua and appealing to his intellect is starting to get me much further. And, boy is he sharp! He's also stubborn...wonder where he gets that from!
Last night, we went to a lifegroup link at church. With trying a new church that's so large, we knew we would not get plugged in unless we joined a home group, small group, or in this case a "life group." I prayed before we went, asking God to show us the right folks and put us in a group that was right for us. I had liked the two gals so much from Bible study that I asked Him to put us with them and if we saw them there it would be a sign. However, in saying that, when we got there, you were to 'mingle' with folks within your school district, and I knew that neither one of them lived within our district. The first few folks we talked to were...awkward at best. They were at different stages of life, and no one really wanted to chat. Finally, we introduced ourselves to another couple who had on their tag "Married, With Kids, Manheim Township." They were really nice, and his name was Don. Soon another couple joined us and they and they have a 3-year-old and a 7-month-old, and his name was John. He pointed out that we were the "Don-John-Shawn" team, and we all laughed. We continued walking around to try and meet other folks as instructed, but when it was time to sit at a table, we ran into these two other couples again and agreed that the "Don-John-Shawn" team should sit together and be in a life group.
For the rest of the evening, they asked questions and we responded around the table to try and get to know one another. There was a single guy that clung to Shawn (he always attracts people that are a little different! Hmmm...I wonder what that says about me!) that sat at the table too. Then there was another couple, and his name was Josh. They were leaders of a current life group looking to add one other couple to their group. When a gal in charge came up to our table (and I'm guessing there were well over 500-1,000 people there at different tables from different school districts), she asked how we wanted to be broken up. Don's wife said that we wanted to stick together as the "Don-John-Shawn" team, so Josh decided to invite us all to their house to join the other couples that were all part of their life group. This makes for a large group (normally they just want three couples in a lifegroup to start), but I'm interested in seeing how it works out. As Josh's wife was talking, she was telling us about the other couples...the two gals that I had liked so much from Bible study were in their small group. I couldn't even believe it! We hadn't tried to sit with them, I didn't see them there, and yet God gave me a sign that we were on the right track. Now, I'd be fine if we eventually split off as the "Don-John-Shawn" team if this life group is too big, but isn't God neat in how He works? We don't have to worry about planning; He takes care of us. We had a really fun night out, and most of the folks' kids were around 2-years-old. We're going to be meeting for the first time this Sunday, bringing the kids along. Please pray for us! When I went to get Caleb last night, once again the gal told me that he was the best baby in the entire nursery. Oh, my little love bug! Mommy is so proud of you for being such a good boy!
Yesterday morning, Grandma treated us out to breakfast at Eat 'n Park. We had a nice time. Friday night, my car got inspected. And, after spending $1,500, we should have two safe vehicles (I needed tires and breaks, and Shawn's tires are all but bald so we ordered his, too). This figure literally made me feel sick to my stomach, but I know God provides for us. I've seen it over and over again - we simply trust in Him. Well, I must quit blogging to finish dinner. We're going to try ham & scalloped potatoes again, made differently this time. I'm hoping they're good!
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