These past few days have been impeccably gorgeous. I can't tell you what sunshine does for the soul! Monday was my last class before summer break, and I've already in put final grades. It was 90 degrees that day, and you could feel the excitement in the air as many of my students were graduating.
On Tuesday morning, we took a meal to my friend Becca, and we went for a walk together with the kids and played at the playground near their house. Joshua love spending time on the slide with his friend Alayna! It was gorgeous out! That afternoon, Grandma came over and we sat outside while the boys played and played.
I've been working with Joshua, asking him about the letters on the fridge, and he gets 95% of them correct. He thought that the letter 'C' was a 'U' because it was on its side, and there were a couple other ones that he didn't get correct like Z and F and E. But, I was amazed at how many of them he knows. Everyday I think of how blessed I am to have Joshua in my life. He is so sweet and truly amazing!
Tuesday night when Daddy got home from work, we continued playing outside in the backyard. Joshua would score soccer goals and go down the slide, and Caleb was enjoying the ball drop toy, and each time the ball would go down, Caleb would get on his tippy toes to look down the hole and try to find out where it went. It was adorable to watch! I can't get over how smart he seems already! We grilled out and enjoyed dinner on the deck. It was a fun family evening. Afterward, it was time once again to give the boys a bath to wash off the sunscreen. They are enjoying bathing together and getting better at sharing toys and laughing at each other's silliness, etc.
On Wednesday, it got chilly and rainy again (much like today!). I got to have another mom's night out with the MOPS gals, and we went to Barnes & Noble and had a great time chatting and catching up. It ended up being a smaller group with Becca, Amy, Margie, Renee and me. I had a fantastic time, as usual! My husband is incredibly supportive of me getting out of the house on occasion to have some time with friends...it's much appreciated! As much as I love our kids (more than I could have ever imagined), it's a nice change to get out by myself.
We're trying to teach Caleb how to wave 'hi' and 'bye'. He waved twice today but the rest of the time he just smiled and giggled when we asked him. Caleb is also standing up for longer periods of time without holding onto anything. He's walking holding onto things but has yet to take actual steps without holding on.Finally, both boys are eating! This week has been great for both of them! Caleb actually likes meat, which astounds me since Joshua still doesn't. Caleb will not eat bananas, but for the most part anything else I've put in front of him has gone down the hatch, until he's full at which time he's done (which is super!). He's eaten noodles, waffles, hamburger, chicken, sweet potatoes, apple sauce, bread and more! Joshua also seemed to eat a lot for me this week, and he's been taking longer naps in the afternoon, which makes me think maybe he's going through a growth spurt? Only time will tell!
But, just when I was feeling a little grumpy about it, Joshua picked me a dandelion and with a proud look on his face, he smiled and said "here's a flower for momma!" He loves the multi-colored front lawn, and I'm wondering why we get so worked up about it. If he can see beauty in it - and I can see beauty in his loving sweet face bringing me the best flowers that he knows how - then maybe it's good enough for now! Choose to see 'flowers' rather than weeds!
The temperature this weekend reached into the 90s. It was absolutely gorgeous with a fresh breeze blowing and everything in full bloom. Thus, we allowed Joshua to have his first ever very-own ice cream cone. While we've shared ours with him before, we thought this would be a nice 'treat' for being a good boy all weekend.
Saturday morning both kids woke up before the crack of dawn. Neither were feeling too well (in fact, Joshua has slept with us the last two nights because when he comes into our room coughing and wheezing, we just can't say no since he's not feeling well...although I think he's doing better today). We started out by taking a little drive (just long enough to get some Starbucks caffeine) and started cleaning out our garage. Soon it was time for Daddy to leave to meet Poppy at Grandma's house to pick up her snowblower and patio furniture that she had given us. Originally I had planned on meeting friends in Reading for lunch, but unfortunately Donna was sick. So, we rescheduled for a couple weeks. When Poppy & Daddy arrived back home, we saw our neighbors outside...they unfortuntely had a sewage system issue and were "raking, snaking and cleaning you-know-what!!!"
Shawn took several trips to the local yardwaste dump (which mulches it all up) while the kids napped. He also cleaned up my car, which really needed it (thanks, Daddy!). Thereafter, we went for a little drive and ended up at East Lampeter Park. I wish I would have had my camera on me. Joshua had NO fear! There was a 15-foot slide that Joshua climbed to the top of before we could catch him and slid right down. I almost had a heart attack. He also jumped on the merry-go-round that an older kid was pushing, but soon said "get down, please!" and the kid let him off. He LOVED the park, but it had too many larger contraptions that weren't extremely Bean-size-safe, so we headed to Stoner Park instead. Daddy dropped Caleb Luke & me off at the house beforehand at my request, and my little buddy and I walked to the park (which takes less than 30 minutes but gives me some much-needed exercise). On the trail, we saw Chuck, the groundhog! He now lives in the field near Lancaster Bible College. We also saw two deer that were happily prancing in love at the farm off Eden Road. I never realized how huge deer are...they look a lot different that close! Caleb loved swinging in the baby swings at the park, and Joshua is in love with slides and climbing. When we came home, we played more outside until we got the boys another much-needed bath before bed.
Today was another day of playing outside. We were going to go to church, but Caleb is still not feeling well. I've been wiping his nose, and he threw up all over after dinner, Grandma said. She had offered to watch the boys for us this evening since she's leaving for her cross-country trip this coming Friday. We'll rarely pass up the opportunity for babysitting! Shawn & I dined at JB Dawson's at Park City, and it was AWESOME! I didn't realize that the same owners who have Austin's Restaurant in Reading own this one...the food was the same (SCRUMPTIOUS!) and so was the service (EXCELLENT!). I feasted on potato soup, a caesar salad, honey wheat bread and unsweetened iced tea. It was amazing! And, the company was incredible, as usual. My husband looked mighty handsome in a yellow-n-blue striped button down shirt and khaki shorts and I wore a white linen shirt and khaki capri pants. When we were driving home, Joshua said "ice cream" and while we don't normally think that lots of sweets and things are good for kids, I looked at Daddy and said "why not? for a special treat..." and he was thinking the same thing. So, we swung by McDonald's near our house, and Joshua said "Wait! We're going the wrong way!" (He is sooo smart! We hadn't turned to go home, but went the opposite way to go to fetch his ice cream). When we got home, the kids played more outside...now it's getting dark and time for more baths. Goodnight!
Last night after the dentist, we dropped the boys off at Aunt Missy's house so we could go out to dinner with friends. Joshua was so excited! He said that the puppies were "tickling" him as they jumped on him and kissed him. He also loved the kittens. Both boys seemed to have a nice time there, and Joshua was all about giving Uncle Kevin a kiss as we left. Haaa! While they were there, we went to the YP with Chris & Lisa, who invited us out to one of their favorite Wednesday-night hangouts. Your Place has a pizza & stromboli buffet on Wednesdays, and since Chris is soon going to start working second shift again, this was one of their last hurrahs. We enjoyed chatting and hanging out without the precious kiddos.
This morning, the boys & I were feeling a little under the weather. My guess is that we all managed to catch a cold. So, since I had just heard from the pediatrician at the MOPS panel that some sicknesses can't survive colder temps than 60 degrees, I bundled up the kids and we all went for a nice long walk around the neighborhood. It was crisp and the wind was a little bitey, but the flowers were blooming & the birds were chirping and it has finally stopped raining. My hope is that we killed off whatever nastiness this is. (I also cut up a bunch of oranges and had one for breakfast - Joshua & Caleb weren't as interested, however. Caleb scarfed down his blueberry/pear mix, though, and I think he may really like blueberries. Only time will tell! He is starting to eat a little better!)
At first he wasn't too sure, but once I sat down with him and began to paint, he was all about it. At various times, he would happily proclaim "Momma's turn for green!" and I would stop with whatever color I had and take whatever color he told me.
He painted the same area over and over again, so I got a new sheet of paper to let him continue to explore his artsy side. He kept saying 'fun craft!' and I LOVE the way he says "craft." It's adorable. Here are the finished products: 
It cracks me up how neat Joshua is. He kept asking for a paper towel in between colors to wipe off his hands. After awhile, he said "all done paints!" and we cleaned up. He didn't enjoy dipping his hands into soapy water as much as I thought he would, so my next idea for an activity of giving his toys a bath didn't work so well. Another time! It was almost lunch time, then, and afterward he said "I'm tired. Time for night-night! Covers please!" and he ran up to his bed. So, both kids are now sleeping, and I'm hoping to start a new book while they nap after I'm done blogging...if I can keep my eyes open.
Tonight Shawn's going to guys' night out with the small group guys, and I'm making flounder almondine (since he doesn't like fish). We'll see how it goes! This is my first attempt. Have a great evening!
Yes, this thing was real and moved around quite a bit in that aquarium!
First, I must say the dentist himself was a nutcase (I saw the father - next time I will ask for the son, which is who my pediatrician recommended we see). Literally crazy...with two bolts loose or missing, I think. He looked and spoke just like Jon Lovitz (if you don't know who that is, I'm sure you'd recognize his face if you did a google search on him). Here's a picture of the dentist we saw in his consultation room from his website. The guy was ranting and raving in a high-pitched voice the entire time we were there, from telling the receptionist to clear her desk of all papers to giggling at our boys' last names being "Good" since their first names are of the two 'Good' spies.
After meeting him in this 'consultation' room...he, flapping his arms like a fairy, told me to 'bring my things' as we were moving to the exam area. 
The chair in the picture below is where I sat, holding Caleb. The doctor did seem to like kids, and he assured me that all babies scream. I knowingly said "Oh, he's a pretty easygoing little guy...I doubt he'll..." Just then, Caleb let loose as the doctor was looking at his teeth, louder than I've ever heard before. He dropped his toy, but the dentist then gave him something new that was loud & fun to look at (and commented on how good his motor skills are for his age and how strong his legs seemed), and my little Caleb Luke became calm once again. The dentist told me to find another seat (in his loud, very strange voice) while he babbled to himself, taking notes and fluttering around like a princess. I began asking questions and he said "I'll get to you..."
Pretty soon, he was done with his ranting and raving and started talking to me, but still in the same tone and same style. He explained that why Caleb screamed is because he was trying to break his tooth with his finger. If the tooth would have fractured up to the nerve, we would have known that this split came from a break or fall. He said it's rare for kids at his age to break teeth. Typically that happens between 2 and 4 years of age, where children aren't coordinated enough to break their fall by breaking their wrists (UGH!). So, he said that this is a congenital malformation of the tooth... the very words made me cringe since Joshua's CCAM was a Congenital (CA) Malformation of the lung (which means it happened in the womb). When I picked up Shawn & the Bean afterward, Daddy said "better his teeth than his lungs!" 
This is a baby tooth, but the dentist said that our baby teeth are what shape our permanent teeth, so it could be a problem later but doesn't have to be. We won't know until he can x-ray, which he can't do until Caleb's three since the permanent teeth aren't formed yet. He then fluttered around giving me more information that my pediatrician already told me, and he said that he's been educating all the pediatricians in this area so that kids don't have to come to him until they're three...the pediatricians should give advice on avoiding too much flouride (since it can discolor teeth and leave spots), not allowing babies to fall asleep while breastfeeding or at the bottle, etc. (He then proceeded to tell me that both his children were breastfed, too, and that his son is now 31 and he still calls him "honey" as he shouted across the room to the other dentist there, who looked much more professional...). One piece of helpful information was that all kids should have an electric toothbrush because it does a better job and is more fun. He said get one of those and hold your kids on the toilet as you ask them to put their head back and lean into you so you can really scrub. And he said to forget flossing at this age. A good brush of the teeth at night and allowing them to brush their own teeth in the morning is a good start. I wish, though, you could have heard his tone of voice and pitch and gestures, etc. It was truly an experience!
Thankfully, Caleb is really easygoing, and I doubt he'll remember this trip at all. The dentist, for as nuts as he appeared, seemed to really, really like kids and told me to "take lots of pictures" and get them framed and make collages. He said "while you have two little ones and you're tired and you wish you could get 20 minutes to yourself, enjoy this time! I still love the pictures of my kids with their bellies sticking out and the toothbrushes in their mouths..." He went on and on, and he talked incessantly about his own children. When I had asked him, "Is Caleb in any pain from this tooth?" his response was "Of course! And every other one! He's teething, after all. Give him something cold to chew on and some baby orajel. It feels so good to chew on those cold teething rings!" He seemed to really like and understand babies. So, it wasn't that it was bad or he wasn't helpful...it was just weird. Really weird. But, the good news is that after $50, we found that Caleb is just fine and doesn't need to go back until the normal age of 3 unless there are any other issues. Praise God!
The next day, Mom watched the boys so I could go grocery shopping. We were out of everything, from flour to peanut butter to seasonings like dry mustard to aluminum foil and milk to a bare pantry and an empty freezer. I hate grocery shopping (even without kids) but I was diligent and made a list and organized it by section, and I tried to hang in there when I couldn't find things. I spent almost $200, but I'm now stocked with meals for the next few weeks, and I planned out what we're eating each evening this week, which saves us money from going out to eat (which is also not the healthiest option!). 
That afternoon while the kids napped, I made four batches of mini-cheddar meatloaf and put them in the freezer, which will give us meal choices to defrost. Shawn said that it sounded good that evening, so I changed my plan for that day from the stuffed porkchops (which we ate the following night) to accomodate. I made pineapple stuffing and Shawn cooked a small ham steak for us to split for lunch on Sunday before small group. We had a fun time as usual!
As worship was going on, I told God what I thought about the seats we had...after all this effort to get to church and this is where we sat?!?! But, there was an empty seat next to me, and I felt like He replied "Well, I'm sitting right next to you. In my opinion, you have the best seat in the house." It was pretty humbling. Christ was crucified and rose again, only for me to be stuck in a mood about a silly seat (and I was lucky to even have a place to sit...although it's semi-mortifying to be body-surfed into your seat, so I think I would have preferred the standing). I tried to relax and enjoy the worship, which was really good - Matt Goss lead and my favorite back-up singer was the only other vocalist. Then the sermon started with ... disappointment with God. Oh, how the Lord always knows what's on our minds!
After church, we drove straight to Miller's Smorgasboard where Shawn's parents treated us to an amazing buffet of food. The Easter bunny was there, which excited Joshua to no end. However, when we went to pay the $5 donation to the American Cancer Society to have his picture taken with the bunny, he said "No! No! No! All done, bunny! All done!" He was too scared to go close to this dressed-up creature. It was adorable.
