So, we've been sticklers with Joshua, always asking him to say "yes, please" or "no, thank you" when we ask him something. This morning, though, I asked the Bean "Are you ready to sit on the potty?" and his response was "No fank you!" It was so adorable, it cracked both Shawn & I up. So, I gave in and just put the diaper on... I'll have to be more careful to say "it's potty time!" Haaa!!!
Later in the morning, he asked me to help him with something. Unfortunately I was in the dining room with Caleb, and I didn't quite hear exactly what Joshua wanted. I asked "what?" and he said "Please!" and I said "No, what did you say? Mommy didn't hear you." And his response? "PLEEAAASE help Joshua!" Finally I picked up his toys and said "What do you need help with?" And again, after saying please, he finally said 'please put the cow inside the barn.' Okay! That I can do. I can't do a "pleeeaaasse." Haaa! Oh, my sweet boy!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Congratulations, Grandpa Georgia!
Congratulations to Dad/"George" for working his last day yesterday (as he went in for a few hours to show his co-workers how to do his tasks). His 'official' retirement date is July 31, but he's now off until then, enjoying the retired life. Congrats!Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Where is 'Thumbkin'?
Here is Joshua doing his very theatrical version of "where is thumbkin?" on 5-18. He gets so excited that I have the camera on him that I can rarely capture these adorable moments. Enjoy!
A Yard-ectomy
We spent this Memorial Day working on our overgrown jungle of a yard. I suggested we start tearing out the bushes-now-grown-into-trees and putting them on our driveway to determine the size of vehicle we'd need to get them to the yardwaste dump near our house, which thankfully takes all yard waste for Manheim Township residents and turns it into free mulch. Really, I was thinking we'd be doing more weeding, but my amazing husband started tearing down and out the yard, and I dragged it all to our driveway (so it wouldn't kill the grass). At first we just moved the Volvo and left my SUV in the driveway. Pretty soon, we realized we were going to need both sides and then some!
Our neighbors came out to chat for awhile, and she said to me "So, I'm thinking a condo sounds good right about now..." Yep, it sounds good to me, too! Haaa!! Shawn got pretty beat up tearing all this out, and I washed away what little tan I thought I had gotten throughout the day; although my shoulders are a little pink.
Our kids deserve a reward for being patient with us as we worked. They both played with toys (Joshua LOVES throwing the frisbee, and Caleb was trying to climb on the slide with little success) out back as we worked, but both were wanting more attention. I guess a day here or there won't kill them, but we both said last night how good they were even when we were busy. Here's my hottie husband doing yardwork.
When we got a quote to do this work, it was going to be around $1,000 or more; and we knew we could do it ourselves. The guy told us that what we thought were trees were really overgrown bushes (that's how many years it's been since anyone trimmed this jungle). I feel like we no more than start one are of our house, and the other one starts coming up with a vengeance. But, I guess you have to start somewhere. We've been focused on the inside of our house, but this summer we figured it's time to start the outside.
Shawn ripped out both trees in front of our laundry room window, the one bush that was starting to grow over our deck, part of a gigantic bush that was up against our covered porch (since that's how bugs can come into the house), one random 'tree' in the middle of our yard as you walk back, and one complete rainforest near our neighbor's fence. We still have another one to go, but our driveway is full (as you can see). We're borrowing a u-haul truck to take it out this weekend. These pictures aren't too good since it was really late when I took them, but you can get the idea of before and after...
Our neighbors came out to chat for awhile, and she said to me "So, I'm thinking a condo sounds good right about now..." Yep, it sounds good to me, too! Haaa!! Shawn got pretty beat up tearing all this out, and I washed away what little tan I thought I had gotten throughout the day; although my shoulders are a little pink.Our kids deserve a reward for being patient with us as we worked. They both played with toys (Joshua LOVES throwing the frisbee, and Caleb was trying to climb on the slide with little success) out back as we worked, but both were wanting more attention. I guess a day here or there won't kill them, but we both said last night how good they were even when we were busy. Here's my hottie husband doing yardwork.When we got a quote to do this work, it was going to be around $1,000 or more; and we knew we could do it ourselves. The guy told us that what we thought were trees were really overgrown bushes (that's how many years it's been since anyone trimmed this jungle). I feel like we no more than start one are of our house, and the other one starts coming up with a vengeance. But, I guess you have to start somewhere. We've been focused on the inside of our house, but this summer we figured it's time to start the outside.Shawn ripped out both trees in front of our laundry room window, the one bush that was starting to grow over our deck, part of a gigantic bush that was up against our covered porch (since that's how bugs can come into the house), one random 'tree' in the middle of our yard as you walk back, and one complete rainforest near our neighbor's fence. We still have another one to go, but our driveway is full (as you can see). We're borrowing a u-haul truck to take it out this weekend. These pictures aren't too good since it was really late when I took them, but you can get the idea of before and after...
The past several nights after working in the yard or playing outside, we've grilled out, and it's been awesome! We've eaten burgers and hot dogs and steaks and fresh fruit and I've made strawberry shortcake, etc. It definitely has felt like summer. So last night after we came inside, I put all Caleb's winter clothes away and dug out all his shorts. Today, it's cold again and rainy! Ugh!!! Hopefully the rain lets up so we can keep working on weeds!!!
The Leader of the Pack
Have you ever woken up on the RIGHT side of the bed? Well, after his nap on Saturday, Joshua was all sunshine. We read a couple books together as he was waking up, and he was all giggles. When we went to church that afternoon, the childcare workers told Shawn (I drop off and pick up Caleb while Shawn does the same for Joshua) what a cutie pie the Bean was. He was so excited and full of energy. He even got to lead his class down the hallway to Treasure Cove! They "swim" from the fish-named classrooms to Treasure Cove, where each week they learn songs, see a puppet show, hear a Bible verse and learn about Jesus. This week they learned that God wants us to pray everyday. The workers told Shawn that Joshua was so sweet and so happy the entire night, and when the Bean saw me & Caleb he came running up to us and said "Hi-ya, Momma!" He beamed at the artwork he had done (which is now hanging on my fridge). I love that he was able to lead his class and enjoys church so much. It is such a blessing to us to know that our children are learning about God in a safe, fun environment while we get to hear the Word, too. :)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
80's in '09
This week has been hot & humid, but I'm not complaining since I was so sick of the rain. I'll take some sunshine! On Friday, I walked with both boys to Stoner Park. It only takes about half an hour each way with me leisurely strolling on the path that goes right from our house to the park - we never have to be on the road, which is nice. Unfortunately, on the way there, Joshua accidentally dropped his beloved blue sunglasses, and he was devastated as the stroller rolled right over them before I could catch it. Yes, they are quite smashed. He doesn't understand that they're broken, though, and keeps asking for them and is quite disheartened that mommy won't give him his cracked up sunglasses. He LOVES them! That night, we went to Green Dragon to see if any of the stands sold kid's sunglasses, but there weren't any suitable there (we did buy some fresh produce again, though - yum!). So, I asked Grandma & Grandpa Ginder to pick up a new pair for the Bean and his grabby little brother and bring them up along. :) :) :)
The park was fun. Caleb slept some of the time, and Joshua played and played on the slides and little-guy jungle equipment. The moment we got there Daniel yelled "JOSH!" and they were off and running together. I can't believe Daniel will be two in June! My how time flies! Joshua was so good when I told him it was time to leave the park. I was worried about it since I was walking home, but I gave him the two minute warning and he asked to slide down the slide "one time" and that was it. He crawled right into the stroller and we chatted the whole way back to our house. Yeah for nice weather!
Yesterday I cut up all our new fresh fruit, and Shawn cooked out on the grill again. We ate outside and then played with the boys. Caleb loves the little slides in our backyard (we of course have to help him). Both boys enjoy playing outside, which is great! We also went to church yesterday, and the sermon was on using the gifts God gave us to serve others...in other words, we shouldn't miss our calling here on earth by getting caught up in the rat-race of meaningless pursuits. So much of what we do won't matter when we die, so we need to live with eternity in mind. What are we doing that will make a difference? Right now I know that parenting is the number one thing I'm to focus on, and yet I do feel like God has given me different talents that I'm not using currently. I'm not sure where or how to use them, but I'm sure God will open the doors. Last night as I was doing my Daniel Bible study (I'm currently on Chapter 11), a portion of the teaching was on that very same thing. Hopefully I'll have more time to blog about it later - right now I hear my dryer beeping, and the boys are napping, so I'll have to run.
This afternoon, my friend Suzanne took me out for an early birthday lunch to Isaac's (thanks so much!). I had a great time catching up with her. She has always been an amazing friend. I've known her since second grade, and so much of our life has seemed similar...and even when it's not, she's very understandable and understanding. I love her to pieces. :) :) :) It was nice to be out. Now as the boys were resting I was sunbathing and realized it's a little too hot. So, I'm indoors now and thinking about doing an exercise video until they wake up. Enjoy your day!
Me & Suz Fall 1998
Me & Suz May 2009
Blowing Kisses
Caleb started waving hi & bye. I can't remember if I posted that or not, but he's been doing it consistently now for the last week or so. Even when we say hi or bye, he waves his hand. He waved bye to my friend Julie & her kids, and Kate blew us kisses. I wasn't sure what age that kids start blowing kisses (I stopped reading the 'intro' books since I'm now onto older development books). So, I decided to see if Caleb could blow kisses. Sure enough, now when we ask him to blow kisses, he puts his hand over his lips and smacks his lips together for a kiss. He doesn't quite wave it on yet, but I know that will come. He also loves to play patty cake, even though he doesn't quite "roll it", he gets most of the other motions. I love watching my babies grow!
Joshua's cutest new word is "flip flops." I need to go buy him a pair of crocs for this summer since he outgrew his beloved green ones from last year. Here are pictures of Caleb, showing his intense concentration and determination to get the soccer ball.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
'Cause There Ain't No Cure for the Summer Time Blues
This has been a busy week! On Tuesday, we had the last MOPS meeting until next fall. While there are play dates planned twice a month during the summer, it just won't be the same as having these wonderful women watching our babies so we can chat and catch up. This final meeting featured a catered breakfast (and it was delicious!) and we got lots of organic products to sample, including honey wheat pretzels that Joshua is crazy about!
Since the weather was gorgeous, that night we went and walked around Roots. Luckily, I had eaten a salad before we left because the food there was VERY tempting. But, I've worked out every day for the past two weeks (other than my day of rest), and I don't want to be hindered by eating completely bad all day (Lord knows I put a hurtin' on breakfast that morning). We left Roots with more meadow tea for Shawn and another delicious canteloupe that I cut up the next morning - without losing a finger! 
On Wednesday, we started our day as we typically do, going for a walk after breakfast. This time, we saw a class of fourth graders from Nitrauer doing a scientific 'dig' in a little stream of water (barely a trickle) in the field near our house. Oh, what my boys have to look forward to!
This has been the week of funny sayings for Joshua, too. I've heard "Take it easy, momma!" which cracked me up to "Are you frustrated? [pause while I say yep, follwed by:] That's AMAZING!" Over and over again he's made me laugh. He's also all drama these days as he pretends to be sad and rubs his fists over his eyes. He knows that anytime he cries he gets our attention, so he's mustering up every ounce of creativity to make us give him some lovin's. We giggle at his dramatics...is he like the momma or what? He's pretending more in general now, including pretending to eat the cookie off his "cookie inspector" shirt and saying "mmm...that's good...yummy!" We love how he says some words still like "choc-o-late" and "amazing" ...I'll have to get them on camera.
Yesterday, my friend Julie came over with her two kids and we had a great time catching up while the kids played outside. It was in the 80's and humid, and we both soaked up the sun. Afterward, we ate lunch here, consisting of ham & cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, carrots, etc. It was nice! My kids took a nap in the afternoon so I could work out, and then I took them for a walk around the neighborhood so Daddy could fire up the grill. We ate outside and played some more! While Joshua wouldn't eat any meat, Caleb highly enjoyed the finely cut up hot dogs while we feasted on cheeseburgers. It was a gorgeous night.
But, the summertime blues also hit this week for various reasons. For one, I'm going to be laying to rest our beloved 'doublewide' seat as it bit the dust while we were playing in the garage. I'm so sad to see it go! We've loved it for almost nine years now. Second, we found out today that my cousin's wife got her leg amputated due to a blood clot. Also my Dad went to the doctor's and they're sending him for testing for a murmur they heard in one of his heart chambers. Finally, Shawn's grandma is also not doing too well. Please keep them all in your prayers!
Since the weather was gorgeous, that night we went and walked around Roots. Luckily, I had eaten a salad before we left because the food there was VERY tempting. But, I've worked out every day for the past two weeks (other than my day of rest), and I don't want to be hindered by eating completely bad all day (Lord knows I put a hurtin' on breakfast that morning). We left Roots with more meadow tea for Shawn and another delicious canteloupe that I cut up the next morning - without losing a finger! On Wednesday, we started our day as we typically do, going for a walk after breakfast. This time, we saw a class of fourth graders from Nitrauer doing a scientific 'dig' in a little stream of water (barely a trickle) in the field near our house. Oh, what my boys have to look forward to!This has been the week of funny sayings for Joshua, too. I've heard "Take it easy, momma!" which cracked me up to "Are you frustrated? [pause while I say yep, follwed by:] That's AMAZING!" Over and over again he's made me laugh. He's also all drama these days as he pretends to be sad and rubs his fists over his eyes. He knows that anytime he cries he gets our attention, so he's mustering up every ounce of creativity to make us give him some lovin's. We giggle at his dramatics...is he like the momma or what? He's pretending more in general now, including pretending to eat the cookie off his "cookie inspector" shirt and saying "mmm...that's good...yummy!" We love how he says some words still like "choc-o-late" and "amazing" ...I'll have to get them on camera.Yesterday, my friend Julie came over with her two kids and we had a great time catching up while the kids played outside. It was in the 80's and humid, and we both soaked up the sun. Afterward, we ate lunch here, consisting of ham & cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, carrots, etc. It was nice! My kids took a nap in the afternoon so I could work out, and then I took them for a walk around the neighborhood so Daddy could fire up the grill. We ate outside and played some more! While Joshua wouldn't eat any meat, Caleb highly enjoyed the finely cut up hot dogs while we feasted on cheeseburgers. It was a gorgeous night.But, the summertime blues also hit this week for various reasons. For one, I'm going to be laying to rest our beloved 'doublewide' seat as it bit the dust while we were playing in the garage. I'm so sad to see it go! We've loved it for almost nine years now. Second, we found out today that my cousin's wife got her leg amputated due to a blood clot. Also my Dad went to the doctor's and they're sending him for testing for a murmur they heard in one of his heart chambers. Finally, Shawn's grandma is also not doing too well. Please keep them all in your prayers!Monday, May 18, 2009
New Design...
Shawn didn't like the pink. I thought it was nice and springy; he said "it's not nice for the boys." Okay, whatever. So, here is a nice dull template for awhile!
Quack!
Joshua's new favorite thing is putting his hand in the shape of a duck and 'quacking'. He asks us to do it and then it turns into a game of tickeling with the duck hand. He loves it! Another random fact: anytime he sees a bare belly, he thinks it's tickle time. :) And, I always give him 'lovins' where I caress his back (especially at night) and this morning he went up to Caleb and said "here's lovins for Caleb" and rubbed his little back. It was sooo cute!
Friday night we went to Green Dragon as a family. There Shawn bought his yearly meadow tea (yummm...we should have bought more!), and we got lots of fresh fruit including some amazing canteloupes. We were in heaven! I also bought a cheap pair of sunglasses (since I lose mine typically, I hate to spend good money on them) and a bag. After we left, we stopped in at our old favorite restaurant for dinner - we used to go there every Friday with my Mom & Jamie back when we lived in Ephrata. As we sat there, we thought of how times have changed (especially since Caleb wasn't being particularly cooperative that night).
On Saturday Brian & Gayle stopped in with Grant & Jenavieve. We had a nice time visiting with them and hanging out in our backyard. Afterward, we rushed to church...and for some reason the electricity went out halfway through the sermon. While the back-up generator came on so there was some lighting, the sound and video was gone. The pastor asked if we'd like to continue with the service, and everyone said yes. So, he continued to preach to this massive audience with just his voice projection, and we loved it - it reminded me of what a 'sermon on the mount' would have been like. The teaching always (or most of the time) feels like God is speaking directly to us about something we've just been learning or discussing. I really enjoy it.
Sunday was chilly (an understatement) but we still met our small group at Overlook Park to play at the two playgrounds there. Joshua LOVED it and climbed up the rock climbing wall. His favorite thing to do is slide, and there were tons of them there! Caleb also enjoyed himself after we found a spot where he could walk and crawl without being covered in mud and wood chips. We left early, though, because of the windy weather.
Shawn had mowed on Saturday (the rain they were calling for didn't come until later in the day) and our flowers are in bloom (along with the weeds, unfortunately). But, I thought it would be a fun time to get a picture of our house. [The garage door is up because Joshua is playing away in there. He brings his bike, his car, his shopping cart, his horse, his dump trucks and other toys out from the garage onto the driveway and then puts them back in.] I feel very blessed to have a nice house, a car that runs, an amazing husband and two wonderful children. Most of all, I'm blessed to know Jesus and keep seeking Him!
Friday night we went to Green Dragon as a family. There Shawn bought his yearly meadow tea (yummm...we should have bought more!), and we got lots of fresh fruit including some amazing canteloupes. We were in heaven! I also bought a cheap pair of sunglasses (since I lose mine typically, I hate to spend good money on them) and a bag. After we left, we stopped in at our old favorite restaurant for dinner - we used to go there every Friday with my Mom & Jamie back when we lived in Ephrata. As we sat there, we thought of how times have changed (especially since Caleb wasn't being particularly cooperative that night).On Saturday Brian & Gayle stopped in with Grant & Jenavieve. We had a nice time visiting with them and hanging out in our backyard. Afterward, we rushed to church...and for some reason the electricity went out halfway through the sermon. While the back-up generator came on so there was some lighting, the sound and video was gone. The pastor asked if we'd like to continue with the service, and everyone said yes. So, he continued to preach to this massive audience with just his voice projection, and we loved it - it reminded me of what a 'sermon on the mount' would have been like. The teaching always (or most of the time) feels like God is speaking directly to us about something we've just been learning or discussing. I really enjoy it.
Sunday was chilly (an understatement) but we still met our small group at Overlook Park to play at the two playgrounds there. Joshua LOVED it and climbed up the rock climbing wall. His favorite thing to do is slide, and there were tons of them there! Caleb also enjoyed himself after we found a spot where he could walk and crawl without being covered in mud and wood chips. We left early, though, because of the windy weather.Shawn had mowed on Saturday (the rain they were calling for didn't come until later in the day) and our flowers are in bloom (along with the weeds, unfortunately). But, I thought it would be a fun time to get a picture of our house. [The garage door is up because Joshua is playing away in there. He brings his bike, his car, his shopping cart, his horse, his dump trucks and other toys out from the garage onto the driveway and then puts them back in.] I feel very blessed to have a nice house, a car that runs, an amazing husband and two wonderful children. Most of all, I'm blessed to know Jesus and keep seeking Him!Happy 32 months!
Happy 32nd birthday, Joshua!
We spent Joshua's birthday walking outside (even though it was freezing out!), grocery shopping - where he got to 'steer' in the car at the front of the cart - playing outside in the garage and playing inside in the office. Daddy started showing him the game 'Memory' today.
Joshua cracked us up this weekend when he was singing "where is thumbkin?" and instead sings "where is punkin?" His little singing voice is absolutely adorable. We LOVE to hear him sing! And thankfully he enjoys singing.
For Daddy's birthday, I let Joshua pick out his birthday gift. We went into the dollar store, and I said he could buy anything he wanted for Daddy for his birthday. He looked and looked and looked. I thought for sure he would get him a set of balls. Then he eyed up some water guns. Finally, he found something he 'had to have' (as my mom & I say when we go shopping). There was a little mailbox-looking shape that was pink plastic with netting. I had no idea what it was but he said "This is for Daddy!" Okay! We bought it. I laughed and laughed as I wrapped this pink treasure. Here it was a bug catcher. They've gone exploring in the backyard for bugs a few times, and I think Daddy actually enjoyed the gift (or at least got a kick out of it). Birthdays abound this month! Happy 32 months!
We spent Joshua's birthday walking outside (even though it was freezing out!), grocery shopping - where he got to 'steer' in the car at the front of the cart - playing outside in the garage and playing inside in the office. Daddy started showing him the game 'Memory' today.Joshua cracked us up this weekend when he was singing "where is thumbkin?" and instead sings "where is punkin?" His little singing voice is absolutely adorable. We LOVE to hear him sing! And thankfully he enjoys singing.For Daddy's birthday, I let Joshua pick out his birthday gift. We went into the dollar store, and I said he could buy anything he wanted for Daddy for his birthday. He looked and looked and looked. I thought for sure he would get him a set of balls. Then he eyed up some water guns. Finally, he found something he 'had to have' (as my mom & I say when we go shopping). There was a little mailbox-looking shape that was pink plastic with netting. I had no idea what it was but he said "This is for Daddy!" Okay! We bought it. I laughed and laughed as I wrapped this pink treasure. Here it was a bug catcher. They've gone exploring in the backyard for bugs a few times, and I think Daddy actually enjoyed the gift (or at least got a kick out of it). Birthdays abound this month! Happy 32 months!Saturday, May 16, 2009
More Firsts for Both Boys
I feel like I can barely keep up with my kids and blogging! On Wednesday, we met a couple friends from MOPS (Beth & Becca and their girls) at Long's Park. The wooden area there kept giving me a heart attack since Joshua was hard to see in the maze and I couldn't keep up with having Caleb, etc. When Becca arrived, we went to the smaller playground where Joshua could run and I could see him okay and I felt MUCH better. He had a great time!
Today we took the Bean over the playground behind our house, and when he went to climb up the bars (similar to the picture above only less of a rung and a little steeper), I said "Hey, Joshua, those aren't for little guys." Shawn said, "no, let him go - he can do this!" And lo and behold, Joshua climbed up them, went to the tallest slide on the playground and slid down. I couldn't believe it. Those little bars looked so dangerous to me that I nearly had a heart attack, and Joshua was just fine. My, how big Joshua seems these days with little Caleb Luke! On the other hand, yesterday as I was giving the Bean a bath by himself (I bathed both boys individually since Shawn wasn't here) and wrapped him in a towel, he looked awfully small again to me. I realize that we would consider him to be a baby if we wouldn't have had another little guy. He seems so grown up with his talk and attitude, and yet he's really just a fragile and sweet little two-year-old.
Caleb has also been shocking me lately with things he can do. Yesterday, after he was done nursing, he pulled the blanket from our bed over his face. I said "where's Caleb?" and he threw it off to which I said "peekaboo!" And he did it again and again on cue. I couldn't believe he could play peekaboo by himself! He definitely understands what we're saying now. He also can pucker and smack his lips together when we ask him for a kiss.
When I was working out on Thursday (it rained and rained here that day!), I had put on a CD of some random music that Daddy had burned for me. Caleb went wild over the song "holla'back girl" by Gwen Stefani, dancing away and flapping his arms and bobbing, which cracked me up! He's been standing for longer periods by himself, unassisted, and I rarely see the army crawl anymore. He prefers on his knees now. He also is walking more with the walker toy. Hopefully he'll be taking real steps soon!
He also loves to play with whatever Joshua has and is an instigator. He can definitely press the Bean's buttons, and yet I see an amazing amount of patience from Joshua at times where he continues to show love to his little brother and friend.
On Thursday, I called Shawn to say that I was just feeling a little gloomy with the rainy weather and not getting outside. The day before I had been at Long's Park all morning and then my sister called to say that she needed to be out of her house for a showing, so we ate lunch together at Stoner Park and played some more. Then after naptime, we went back outside and played in the yard and in the garage, etc. It had been gorgeous, only to turn around and be yucky again. I was feeling cabin fever, and Shawn said he was also having a yucky day. After I got off the phone with him, I said to Joshua, "Let's pray for Daddy to have a better day at work." Right then, Joshua said "Dear God, help Dad-da. AMEN!" It melted my heart...I can't imagine how God must feel after that little prayer. It makes me think that He hears and feels compassionately about us and all our prayers. One of the verses in my Bibly study this week was Daniel 9:23. Daniel had been praying and interceding for Israel, his home town, and Gabriel the angel came and met him in person and said, "As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..." Just imagine meeting a heavenly angel in the middle of your praying and hearing that the minute the prayer was started an answer was given. Daniel didn't see the complete fulfillment of the answer, but God made a decision and acted in His perfect timing. From scripture we can realize that God answers our prayers...even small prayers to help Daddy at work!
Today we took the Bean over the playground behind our house, and when he went to climb up the bars (similar to the picture above only less of a rung and a little steeper), I said "Hey, Joshua, those aren't for little guys." Shawn said, "no, let him go - he can do this!" And lo and behold, Joshua climbed up them, went to the tallest slide on the playground and slid down. I couldn't believe it. Those little bars looked so dangerous to me that I nearly had a heart attack, and Joshua was just fine. My, how big Joshua seems these days with little Caleb Luke! On the other hand, yesterday as I was giving the Bean a bath by himself (I bathed both boys individually since Shawn wasn't here) and wrapped him in a towel, he looked awfully small again to me. I realize that we would consider him to be a baby if we wouldn't have had another little guy. He seems so grown up with his talk and attitude, and yet he's really just a fragile and sweet little two-year-old.Caleb has also been shocking me lately with things he can do. Yesterday, after he was done nursing, he pulled the blanket from our bed over his face. I said "where's Caleb?" and he threw it off to which I said "peekaboo!" And he did it again and again on cue. I couldn't believe he could play peekaboo by himself! He definitely understands what we're saying now. He also can pucker and smack his lips together when we ask him for a kiss.When I was working out on Thursday (it rained and rained here that day!), I had put on a CD of some random music that Daddy had burned for me. Caleb went wild over the song "holla'back girl" by Gwen Stefani, dancing away and flapping his arms and bobbing, which cracked me up! He's been standing for longer periods by himself, unassisted, and I rarely see the army crawl anymore. He prefers on his knees now. He also is walking more with the walker toy. Hopefully he'll be taking real steps soon!He also loves to play with whatever Joshua has and is an instigator. He can definitely press the Bean's buttons, and yet I see an amazing amount of patience from Joshua at times where he continues to show love to his little brother and friend.On Thursday, I called Shawn to say that I was just feeling a little gloomy with the rainy weather and not getting outside. The day before I had been at Long's Park all morning and then my sister called to say that she needed to be out of her house for a showing, so we ate lunch together at Stoner Park and played some more. Then after naptime, we went back outside and played in the yard and in the garage, etc. It had been gorgeous, only to turn around and be yucky again. I was feeling cabin fever, and Shawn said he was also having a yucky day. After I got off the phone with him, I said to Joshua, "Let's pray for Daddy to have a better day at work." Right then, Joshua said "Dear God, help Dad-da. AMEN!" It melted my heart...I can't imagine how God must feel after that little prayer. It makes me think that He hears and feels compassionately about us and all our prayers. One of the verses in my Bibly study this week was Daniel 9:23. Daniel had been praying and interceding for Israel, his home town, and Gabriel the angel came and met him in person and said, "As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..." Just imagine meeting a heavenly angel in the middle of your praying and hearing that the minute the prayer was started an answer was given. Daniel didn't see the complete fulfillment of the answer, but God made a decision and acted in His perfect timing. From scripture we can realize that God answers our prayers...even small prayers to help Daddy at work!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
8 Teeth
Today at Long's Park, I felt Caleb's 8th tooth. It's on his upper left side next to his two front teeth (or your right if you're looking at him).
Beyond teeth, we've noticed lots of changes in our Caleb Luke these days. For example, he now knows how to roll the ball back and forth. Tonight Shawn helped friends of ours move an entertainment center, and while he was gone, Joshua, Caleb & I rolled the ball back and forth. Joshua would roll it to me, then I would roll it to Caleb, and then Caleb would roll it to Joshua. It was adorable to watch! Joshua would say "thank you, Caleb Luke" and "good job, Caleb!"
Caleb also is understanding more and more of what we say. The other day, he put a fridge magnet up and I said "good job!" and he began to clap for himself on cue (normally I clap when I tell them that they've done well. He is understanding more of our vocabulary, and I think he's starting to say some words. The other morning when we were at breakfast, it sounded like he said "this" as he was pointing. Only time will tell! He's getting so big so fast!Bye-bye, George!
My Dad flew into town on Saturday for a short stay to see my newest nephew John. His first stop was our house, where we sat on our front porch and chatted since it was our first lovely day in awhile. When Joshua woke up from his nap, he went straight to Dad and gave him a big hug.
Dad asked to hold Caleb - who he said had changed the most since he was here last - and Caleb tried to touch his beard. It must have felt too scratchy because he pulled his hand back immediately and burst into tears.
Saturday after church we went to Jen's for pizza and hung out outside while the kids played. On Sunday morning, we met Dad at Bridgeport Family Restaurant, his favorite for breakfast. Afterward he hung out with my Uncle Jim for the day, and we saw him later that night for a cookout at my sister's house.
Monday morning, Dad treated us to Shady Maple for breakfast (which I would NOT recommend for those of us who are trying to lose weight). The food was good, though, and the kids were all well-behaved. They had given us a room in the back that wasn't being used, which was sooo nice. The thing that helped me from eating too much was watching all the kids while everyone else went up to the buffet. Dad & I ran some errands after that, including checking out Aldi's grocery store that Dad swears by.
That night, we met the entire family at Hoss' Steakhouse. Each time Dad's in town, we try to have one night that everyone can go out to eat. Since Shawn's birthday was Tuesday, I requested we meet Monday night. The picture above is a view of our table. Once again, we were given a room to ourselves.
Since I had my camera along, we stopped to take a few pictures before leaving. Here is Grandpa Georgia (who Joshua called 'George'...it made us all laugh. He sometimes said "Grandpa Georgia" and sometimes just "Georgia" but for the most part, he affectionately called him "George") and all seven of his grandchildren. Jen's kids are on the right (Grace, Faith, John, Daniel and Emma in order of appearance from left to right, top row to bottom) and my kids are on the left.
Then I asked if we could get a quick picture with Dad & us girls. My sister Becky is in blue and my sister Jen is in black & white.
And while we were at it, we got one of my family with Dad. Why not? On Tuesday morning, we met at Bridgeport (or what Dad calls the Greasy Spoon) again for breakfast, and afterwards we went to Stoner Park to let the kids play for awhile. Aunt Missy watched the boys that night so that I could take Shawn out for his birthday (thanks so much!), so we missed seeing Dad his last night in town. He flew out Wednesday morning.
Dad is planning on retiring soon - I forget exactly when his last day will be. I think maybe in June? So, I'm not sure if we'll see him again soon or not, based on his income. But, hopefully we'll be able to go down sometime or he can come up again. We enjoyed visiting, even with hearing the same stories over and over again. Haaa!!! :) :) :) :) This morning Joshua said "let's go see George!" Glad to hear you made it home safe, Dad! We'll miss you, 'George'!
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