Happy 31-month birthday, Caleb Luke!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011, Caleb turned 31-months old. The above picture was taken the Friday night before. Daddy spiked his hair after his bath (can you tell my boys need haircuts?!?!) and I loved the picture of him and also of the damage he had done to our office beforehand. He can rip up a clean room in minutes! Don't let those big blue innocent eyes fool you! While Joshua likes things neat, clean and orderly, Caleb doesn't seem to mind a mess or chaos. They are so different! Just like their Daddy and me.

Caleb is working on potty training right now. I haven't been as consistent as I'd like to be because I don't want to keep him in big boy undies when we leave the house. He isn't that far along with training yet, and I really don't want a mess. But, he's doing well when we're at home on the days we stick with him. He's had his fair share of accidents, but I know that's all part of the process.

My favorite thing that Caleb does is singing. He knows the words to many songs, but he often sings the "God song." I tell you, there is nothing cuter than hearing his little voice sing out "Oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you. I will seek you in the morning and learn to walk in your ways. And step by step you'll lead me, and I will follow you all of my days." He also loves to sing the "Sunshine" song and he'll even replace certain parts with names just like his mama does. This morning he sang to me "You'll never know, Mama, how much I love you. Please don't take Caleb's sunshine away." (When I sing it to him, I reverse these, of course!) I absolutely love to hear him sing.

I realized that Caleb not only knows his colors, shapes and letters, but he also recognizes numbers. He's right there with Joshua looking at the clock to tell us the time. It's so amazing what they can learn so young! He knows both his mommy and daddy's names, and I'm starting to work with him on his address and phone number (why not?). We're also starting to write. He can write the letter "C" and "L" and almost has down a lowercase 'a.' He likes the tracing books if I do it with him. He also loves when we draw flowers together on his doodle-pro. I call the petals "floopies" as we draw, and this cracks him up. So we've been drawing lots of those lately.

He still loves books, and he also has enjoyed watching "Dinosaur Train" with his big brother. His favorite is Veggie Tales now, though, I would guess. He also will interact with the one Dora the Explorer video we have (which he watched while I was at the doctor's office). 

Caleb's favorite expression is "I do it myself!" Sometimes it drives me crazy, but it also impresses me how much he really can do himself. He can undress and re-dress himself (this morning he also unbuttoned his own PJ shirt) with little help. He always says 'the tag goes by the bum' to remind himself of which way the pants go on. He also can put on his own shoes, occasionally putting them on backwards which we always fix. While his older brother typically wants us to do things for him, Caleb likes being more independent.

Caleb is very sharp and has a very sweet voice. He still likes to explore, though, and I think it would be impossible for him to sit still. He likes to run and jump and play. School will be interesting for him! We signed him up for preschool next year to see how it goes. I think he'll enjoy it immensely. He's much more the type to dive right in than be nervous. He enjoys his class at church and seems to have fun when I go to Study 'n Share and drop him off in his classroom.

Caleb's favorite foods are peanut butter & jelly, chicken nuggets, blueberries, grapes, peas, macaroni & cheese, applesauce and goldfish. He also likes small pieces of ham, bread, watermelon, strawberries and pizza. His favorite type of pizza is actually with alfredo sauce. He LOVES it! He prefers water to juice, milk to water, and chocolate milk above just about anything else.

My littlest guy loves to be tickled. He asks us to gently tickle his belly or back as he just smiles away. You can see him getting goosebumps and he thinks this is a riot. He is such a silly little guy! He loves one-on-one time and will ask to be up more often lately. I enjoy spending time with him, as does his Daddy and big brother. We are very blessed by our little-getting-so-big Caleb Luke! Happy 31-month birthday, buddy!

Be Strong & Courageous

"Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous...the Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.'" Deuteronomy 31:7-8

For the Bible study I'm currently in, we're reading through the Bible again. I can't remember if it was Monday or Tuesday that I read the above verses as I was doing my daily 15 pages of reading. It was a good reminder to me that God had not forsaken our little Bean. He would never leave him, and He promised to be with him. I read the passage to Joshua and reminded him to be strong and courageous, not afraid or discouraged.

In subsequent reading this week, I've read in Deuteronomy 34:9 that Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom. I also read the following verses:

The Lord said to Joshua "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous... Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:5-9

"So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land." Joshua 6:27

I've read within the past week or so all about Joshua & Caleb from the Bible, and once again I'm thrilled at the names we picked for our two Good boys. I'm praying we find the exact name God has for our third child as well.

On a side note, these pictures were taken Friday after baths. I was taking pictures of how long their hair is since they desperately need a haircut (which they both dislike). Now I think we'll wait until Joshua is less traumatized. I love their silly faces in the last picture. They are good buddies! Thank you, God, for being with my Good boys and encouraging us all.

Superbowl Sunday Saga

Here's one of the last pictures we have of Joshua with all his baby teeth, taken Friday night after his bath.

Superbowl Sunday started out pretty normal, going to church as a family. This year, we stayed home to watch the game together - Shawn likes the football and I enjoy seeing what the ads are like. Shawn ordered sandwiches from a local pizza shop we enjoy, and the boys watched some of the game with us. We put the kiddos to bed at half time (hearing the lies from the Black-Eyed Peas that "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night"). Joshua was SO tired that night. Caleb cried out maybe ten minutes after we were done snuggling them that he needed changed, and Joshua bawled that his little brother had woken him. Once again, I tucked the Bean in, pulling his quilt up on him and giving him a kiss on his forehead. He went right back to sleep.

Just after the Packers won on our TV (which we had delayed since we watched the half time show after putting the kids to bed and even paused it to change Caleb and tuck the boys back in bed), we heard a terrible crash/thud. I would guess it was just after 11 pm, or 3 hours after we put them to bed. We ran upstairs to find Joshua in a pool of blood. Shawn got there first and when I arrived, the lights were on and Shawn's shirt was soaked in red. I screamed and told Shawn to get his shoes on, we were going to the ER. 

Somehow Joshua had fallen out of bed, and in the process, we assume that he smashed his face on the steel rail that runs along the sides, holding the headboard to the foot-board.

Here's Joshua in his bed with his dinosaur train PJs, which were covered in blood after that dreadful night.

 

I called the pediatrician as we got our shoes on, and talked to the doctor immediately since it was an emergency. She confirmed that the ER was the place to go, noting that if any teeth had fallen out, we should take them along in milk. Joshua began vomiting up some of the blood he had swallowed. We had blood everywhere in our bathroom, and I got an old towel for him to carry out to the minivan. We were all terrified. I insisted on going along because I was so worried, so I grabbed the sleeping Caleb Luke, threw his jacket and shoes on him, grabbed my purse with our insurance cards and we RAN out the door to the car.


Shawn dropped Joshua & I off at the Emergency Room door while he parked the car. We were registered almost right away, and she couldn't take his blood pressure but said that was okay. The nurse also told us that he couldn't digest human blood so whatever was going down would indeed come right back up. I felt SO bad for him. He kept telling us there was a big circle in his mouth. The circle was one of his two front upper teeth that had been smashed backward into his mouth but was still hanging there. His bottom row of teeth had gone through his bottom lip/chin, so there was blood everywhere. He was bawling, and we felt So bad for him.

Eventually we were called back to a room, where a nurse came in and asked him how he was doing. She also gave him a warm blanket, and he was so thankful for it. He said how nice the blanket was. I simply can't get over how sweet my Bean is, even in times of distress. The doctor didn't come in for a LONG, LONG time. Joshua kept asking where the teacher was (he meant female doctor) and said he didn't want a boy. But, unfortunately, it was a boy doctor. He took a look and told us that he would give him something for pain, then he was going to glue up his chin. He also informed us that he had many other patients and would be back in a bit. It was a loooong bit.

A different nurse came in to give him the pain medication and he vomited everywhere when she tried to give it to him. I don't think he got a drop of it. The doctor said not to try again. Eventually, he came back in and said he was not only going to glue up the chin but also try to pull the dangling tooth because he was afraid it would come out and Josh would swallow it. He asked if that was okay with us, and I looked at Shawn and we both looked unsure. We said to do what the doctor thought best because Joshua did indeed want the circle to be gone.

Without any pain medication, the doctor put glue over his open chin wound and sterile strips as it just continued to gush blood everywhere. Then he asked us as parents to hold down the Bean while he tried to extract the tooth. Joshua SCREAMED and the tooth didn't budge. The doctor said that it was in there good enough that it was not going to come out; however, he shouldn't eat anything before seeing the dentist first thing in the morning, noting that no dentist would do anything before they opened their doors. Being pregnant and seeing so much blood, let alone my baby in pain, my head was spinning and I took a little container, fearing that I, too, was going to throw up and possibly even pass out. Thankfully, neither happened. I was SO woozy, and I was SO thankful that Shawn was there, too.

I sang Joshua a couple songs that soothed him, and the nurse gave him stickers with our discharge paperwork. We took him home, and to his dismay the "circle" was still there. We got home just before 3 am and of course, I couldn't sleep a wink even though all the boys in the house did eventually pass out. I called the pediatric dentist at 6:30 am, just in case he would be able to see us before his day started officially. I have to say Dr. Aaron Miller is SO nice and didn't yell at me for waking him up or anything. He asked about the Bean's medical history and upon hearing Joshua had one and a half lungs, asthma and a long list of previous medical conditions, he told us that their "star" patients (or ones that only see him or his father) should go directly to an oral surgeon where they have the anesthesia to do whatever is necessary. He gave me two names of offices he recommended in the area. I called both of them, and the answering services told me that they would call me after 8 and 8:30 am, respectively. I was so upset. But, I decided to grab a quick shower and look up our dental insurance, discovering that only one of them took our primary insurance for Joshua and neither took the secondary. At 8:30, I called the second office back (the one who took our insurance) and gave them the details of Joshua's situation. She said that she had an opening at 10 am and to come immediately to fill out paperwork and they'd get him started even sooner if we were ready.

I got Shawn up, dressed both boys, dropped Caleb off at my sister's house, and we drove Joshua over to the oral surgeon's office. When filling out the paperwork, I informed them that he had a secondary insurance in case they would take it, and they gave us an incredibly difficult time about it. I said "skip it then," but the girl insisted that they couldn't see him without a pre-authorization and skipping it would be insurance fraud. What? If I want to pay, how is that 'fraud?' I was furious but kept calm as I told her that I would pay for it outright if I had to, HE WAS GOING TO BE SEEN NOW!!!!! Eventually she talked to someone with brains, and they took us back. I was more than aggravated, but kept it together. Who keeps a four-year-old in pain waiting because of paperwork? We had one insurance that they accepted, and I was willing to give them any amount of money to make him better. Grrrrr... But, my goal was to be calm and peaceful for my baby.

The first thing they did was take x-rays (and I had to leave the room, being pregnant) and then took us to the room where Joshua sat in this big chair with the booster seat. The oral surgeon came in and only had nine fingers. I thought to myself "do we get him because there was an issue with our insurance?" He was AMAZING, though, and I'm glad we got him. Upon reviewing the x-rays, he informed us that both of Joshua's two front upper teeth were damaged in his fall. One was pushed up into his mouth while the other was shoved down and back inside his mouth. He needed surgery to get them out. They put Joshua to sleep using a mask (we called it a 'funny' treatment since Joshua is used to breathing treatments with masks), and I couldn't be there when they did it since I have a "baby in my belly." Shawn was there until Joshua was out and then came tearfully into the waiting room where I was already crying. He said that Josh fought the treatment and seemed scared. Oh, how our hearts break for our kids!

Within ten minutes, the oral surgeon came to the waiting room and got us, saying they were all finished. He had extracted both teeth and put stitches in Joshua's upper gums. He noted that there are good chances that the permanent teeth weren't affected, but we won't know for sure until they come in. He also told us (on a side note) that we should start saving now for the Orthodontist since Joshua's adult teeth are too many and too large for the size of his mouth. :( :( :( I told him how I had a pallet expander and he said that was exactly what Joshua was going to need and may even want to go to the orthodontist sooner than most kids. He also recommended we see the pediatric dentist to see if he would want to put spacers in where these teeth were or just wait until the other teeth come in in a few years. I scheduled the follow-up appointment when we got home, and Dr. Miller suggested we wait a week until more healing has taken place and Joshua is less traumatized.

The surgeon could tell how upset we were and said he knocked out one of his teeth at the Bean's age and then smiled for us to show us that all his teeth were perfect. He joked that it didn't make him any better looking. But then he showed us his missing finger and said he also did that around Joshua's age. That really struck me, and I'm glad he told us. If he could become a surgeon long after losing his finger at a young age, then I know that Joshua won't be permanently affected by this fall. I was highly impressed by Dr. Eckhart, who also called us later that night to follow up with how our little guy was feeling.

We took a very woozy Joshua home, and they had warned us not to leave his side as his balance would be affected by the anesthesia. He refused to eat or drink until late that evening, the first he'd really had anything in almost 24 hours. He took a couple sips of water from a 'big boy' cup to start. Daddy had went out to get us some caffeine, and I opened a yogurt for Joshua. He was unsure of how to get it in his mouth past his wounded chin and upper teeth, and he burst into tears. So did I. I held his hands and we prayed. I asked God to heal him and give me wisdom as a mama. I was struggling. Then after saying 'AMEN' I suggested to Joshua that he stick out his tongue and dump a little bit of yogurt onto it and then pull it back in. Then, no foreign object would be in his mouth and yet he'd still have a little something to eat. The idea seemed good to the Bean, and he licked the yogurt off the plastic spoon. He seemed at peace with this solution, and I praised God for an immediate answer to prayer.

Joshua was terribly sad that day, and he kept asking for us to take him back to the surgeon to put his teeth back. He didn't want his teeth to be gone. Daddy eventually told him that they had just moved his teeth off to the side to get the circle out of his mouth. That answer seemed better to Joshua, but he wanted them to slide them back over. I tried to explain that all kids lose their teeth eventually, but they are 'baby' teeth and then the 'big kid' or 'adult' teeth grow in and replace them. I showed him a little you tube video on the tooth fairy and tried to get him excited for getting money. He could care less about money. I even showed him a video where the tooth fairy took baby teeth and put them in the sky to shine as stars. He said he wanted his teeth, they were NOT going to be stars like the other kids' teeth. I gave it up. I told him that if he decided he wanted money, we could put the teeth under his pillow (or better yet on his nightstand since he's typically a light sleeper). He said "no fanks."

And here's where I'll stop and say that it was difficult to understand him at first as he was getting used to his new smile. It's getting better but there are still some things that are pronounced with a lisp as he has to be very careful with both the bottom and top of the front of his mouth these days.

I emailed his preschool teacher to inform her of the situation and tell her he wouldn't be at school on Tuesday, the day they go to the gym. She asked me if it would help if she informed the class about Joshua's 'new look' and after talking to Shawn about it, I asked her to make the judgment call. She said that their Bible lesson this week is on showing God's love. So, she told them about Joshua's accident and asked how they could show him love. She emailed me their responses, which included smiles, hugs and gifts. Several of them noted how they have big brothers and sisters with missing teeth and how he must look like an older kid. She said that we shouldn't worry about bringing him back to school - they were prepared!

Joshua, on the other hand, told us he couldn't possibly go to school without his teeth. He was SO apprehensive. Shawn & I worried. And we prayed. And we bawled (well, at least I couldn't stop crying). I took him to school on Wednesday, giving him yogurt for a special snack but letting his teacher know that he didn't have any specific restrictions. He wasn't eating much for us at home, but he was allowed to eat anything he was comfortable with. I picked him up, and she told me that he had fruit snacks and hard pretzels for snack. WHAT!?!!? I guess he didn't want to do anything different than his friends. I was shocked. She also told me that he ripped off the bandage on his chin, noting he didn't like it. YUCK! I was horrified. He seemed to have a good day, though.

We saw the pediatrician that afternoon who told me that everything was healing nicely. If he wouldn't keep anything on his chin, it was better to leave it be than risk him pulling off the glue or scab. She also said that the ER doctor was right to give him antibiotics (which he's been taking) as a preventative measure for infection, and that it's a tough call in that area whether to use glue or stitches, noting that as a child cries and keeps moving his mouth, stitches are very difficult to do in a straight line. I felt better with her explanations. Once again as she showed me the inside of Joshua's mouth and all the discoloration that was "healing," I felt a little woozy. I didn't think I would, but there's something about it being your own child that's rough.

Each day is getting better. Joshua still misses his teeth and asks about them constantly. He also said his chin is ouchy and 'scratchy' (I think he means itchy) and we're having a hard time keeping his fingers away from it (which they said was important). He's doing a little better with eating, but he lost a pound, weighing 35 lbs at the pediatrician's office yesterday with two shirts (one being a sweater) and thick jeans. He's eaten small pieces of strawberries & bananas, yogurt, applesauce, cheerios, school snacks (again - YIKES!) and today for the first time he ate very tiny cut-up pieces of waffle and a sandwich that he requested. I'm thankful that he's starting to eat, and I think it's so sweet how he asks for his things to be cut up "like a baby's."

I also must say how sweet my son is. When we left the ER room, he said that now another sick kid can have his place. He does think about others and says the nicest things. He got a lollipop at school today and gave it to Caleb. I love how he shares and is considerate of others' feelings. I cried over the fact that I would never see him smile with a full set of beautiful baby teeth again. He would never look the same again. But, I was reminded that his true beauty comes from the inside, and hopefully the outside won't be affected forever.

I was heartbroken that he could get so hurt after going to bed. I remembered bringing him home from the hospital, and I thought I'd never sleep again. How do parents ever stop to sleep or take showers? I was worried that something awful would happen to him if my eyes weren't on him every second. Then you ease up after they're okay day after day. You realize that you can't function without sleep, and you pray for your little ones before your eyes close. We still check on our kids throughout the night. Before we go to bed, we make sure that they're in a good position and still covered. When I wake up to go to the bathroom, I peak at them (and so does Shawn).

If we had gone to bed earlier, would it have made a difference? What could we have done better? And we realized that we can't beat ourselves up. Yes, his mattress needed to be moved. It had shifted as they horse around on their beds. Yes, we have now made a new rule that there are to be NO toys in bed, other than one favorite t-bear and his beloved blankey. We still move him over toward the wall now every night when we check on him. But, he hadn't really fallen out of bed before - maybe a couple times when he was tiny, and he always went straight to the carpet. I would have never dreamed that such an accident could even occur. We do our best for our kids. We would never want to see them get hurt. We pray for them, we watch them, and we trust that God has a good plan for their lives. And we have to come to terms with the fact that accidents can happen, even late at night when you think all is safe.

I was trying to think of things to be thankful for... after all, the Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. I was having a hard time giving thanks, if I'm being completely honest. I was upset that God would allow such a horrible thing to happen. But, I knew my attitude was terrible, and as the song goes "a thankful heart is a happy heart." So, I started listing things I'm thankful for as I thought about the entire situation. First, I'm thankful for my kids. They are alive. They are with us. They are smart. They are kind. They are simply amazing. I'm thankful that these are baby teeth and that chins heal. I'm thankful it wasn't something like his eye. I'm thankful that Shawn was home. I'm thankful he's such a good dad and husband. I'm thankful that the ER doctor couldn't extract the tooth because we wouldn't have known that the other one was significantly damaged as well. I'm thankful that Joshua's preschool teacher and classmates are understanding. I'm thankful for how concerned Caleb was for his big brother - it is truly rewarding as a mom to see how much they love each other. Caleb was SO good at the ER while we waited and waited. I'm thankful that there haven't been any other complications like infection. I'm thankful that even though the surgeon's office gave me a hard time about the secondary insurance, the paperwork came through and they will cover anything the primary insurance doesn't. I would pay any price for my kids, but I'm thankful when provision comes in the midst of hard circumstances. I'm thankful that God watches over our kids when we aren't able to or somehow miss something. I heard all sorts of other stories how friends' kids hit their night stands or lost teeth falling on their driveway. It makes you feel like there's nowhere safe, and yet we trust in a loving God. I'm thankful that Joshua is such a great kid, and I know this has to be character-building somehow. While I don't know how this fits into the plan for his life, I'm thankful that there is a greater one than even I have.

Last night, Shawn & I watched the movie "letters to God" where a young child had brain cancer. It was a touching story (and I would highly recommend the movie), and I'm thankful that my kids are generally well.
 I'm thankful for all three of my boys and my truly incredible husband. Some folks never have the opportunity to get married or have kids, and I am blessed beyond measure. I'm thankful for Joshua Douglas Good. And I will continue to praise God in the midst of hard times!

Sleepy Time Tales

Friday night as we were tucking the boys in, Caleb turned to me and said "You're the best mommy ever!" How sweet is that? I thought to myself, "my life is complete." I smiled at him and he smiled back.

That same night, Joshua asked me to snuggle him even longer. I was holding him, and he said "don't go yet." I remembered that he won't always want to cuddle as he gets older, so I stayed. Then I quietly asked "can I go now?" His response was "Hold me a little longer." You got it! I waited some more and then whispered "should I keep holding you or can I go?" He didn't respond, so I knew he had finally fallen asleep. It was a sweet time with my sweet boy as I remembered rocking him to sleep as a baby. Now that he's bigger, I don't get to cuddle him until he's sleeping typically, but I highly enjoyed it that night.

I'm thinking it was Saturday night then, that these pictures were taken. Caleb did NOT want to lay down and go to sleep. We went into the boys' room after tucking them in and discovered Caleb on the floor, laughing away at being silly and trying to curl up with his blanket there. When I took a picture of his goofiness (in the complete dark, only lit up by the flash of our camera), Joshua asked me to also get one of him in his bed (see above). When I went to tuck Joshua in, he said "Mama, you're getting so big! Soon you won't fit in my bed." I frowned, but he didn't see it. Then I told Shawn who just laughed. Yes, my belly is getting big. And to the Bean, that's great! When he eats and is "growing bigger" he is super excited! So, he thought he was paying me a huge compliment. I, on the other hand, wasn't so thrilled by the idea. The reason we needed to squeeze together is how many toys he insists on taking to bed. You can see the bag in the above picture just filled with them, let alone the others piled around. Silly boy!

I love my kids always, but they are particularly sweet at night...

Swim Lessons

On Thursday, February 3, Joshua started swim lessons. Manheim Township offers them at the high school pool, so we registered him for the first level. He was TERRIFIED! At first he sounded excited, and we even bought him these cool shark swim trunks and a water shirt (trying to keep him warm since I hear the water is really cold). The shark shorts were a little too big (he had officially outgrown the 12-18 month ones he'd been wearing, and I thought we'd be safe with 3T but found out that night that a 2T would have been much better for his thin waist). Here he is, posing in his swim outfit in the girls' locker room.

We got there early so we could figure out where we were going. We went into the pool area, and it was HOT! We ran into Joshua's cousin Jordon's cousin Mary Esmay there (small world!). She was taking the Level 4 lessons that were going on at the same time as Joshua's Level 1. Right before they were about to start, Joshua announces loudly that he MUST go to the bathroom (and what he must do). With a red face, I asked how to get back to the potties, and they showed me the door to exit. So, when we were finished, he was running a little late for the start of class. But, they simply were sitting in a circle outside the pool introducing themselves by name. You must be four to enter this level, and I'm guessing a vast majority of this class was that age (that said, you have to pass this level before moving on).

There were two instructors and a lifeguard (I'm guessing high school age), and 10 little swimmers. They started by sitting on the edge with their feet in the water. Then they asked the kids to turn around and climb into the pool on their bellies, holding onto the wall. From that point, the instructors brought over a fake pipe wall for the kids to hold onto so that they could be facing out. The only problem, though, was that the wall looked big enough for maybe 7 kids rather than the 10 so they were all crammed together. This makes the Bean nervous when they were asked to kick and splash.

He was scared and started to cry. I wasn't sure if he was cold or if it was overwhelming with all the kids or if he was just nervous of the water since we haven't been swimming for a few months (after all, it's cold!). And, all of us parents were sitting on the bleachers watching rather than right with them. The one instructor picked him up and asked him what was wrong. He smiled wide at this pretty girl - no more tears the rest of the night!

The next thing they did was "Simon Says" in the water. They would say "Simon Says put one ear in the water," "Simon Says put the other ear in the water," etc. Joshua did NOT want his face to get wet. They asked the kids to go under water, and he told the girl that he couldn't. While I wished he would participate a little more, I think this time was more about getting him used to the idea of swim lessons. I had to all but drag him there that night, and he was finally happy to be in the pool and with the older girls who were instructing.

After their game, the girls both got fun noodles and gave each child a turn to go out with them and try to kick their feet and swim with them. Joshua LOVED the one-on-one time. They also asked them to blow bubbles in the pool, and they gave them rings to blow bubbles in and keep hold of. They also were asked to kick and splash, holding on. I sat with a group of parents, and the one mom told me how familiar I looked. I agreed that I thought she looked like I knew her, but we never could place from where. They had two kids in the class, one was four and one was six. The four year old boy was splashing like crazy and kept letting go and going under the water. He wasn't in danger, but his mom said that he thinks he knows how to swim and doesn't. They seemed embarrassed that he was causing a scene, and I was glad that Joshua was doing okay. Even though he wasn't necessarily doing everything they asked, he wasn't disobeying either.

Unfortunately, a child from the level 4 class vomited in the pool, so they evacuated it. Thus, class ended early our first night as they were trying to clean it up (and I'm pretty sure there was another class coming in after ours - YUCK!). The kids came shivering over to get their towels, and I took Joshua to the girls' locker room. I wasn't sure what to do, but he's so little yet that I figured I was okay. We quickly got him dressed and into his coat and we headed home, where he told Daddy that he was a BIG SWIMMER! and that he was very brave in the pool. It was a good first experience overall.

Special Delivery

We told Mamaw Ginder that we were going to tape up this box and send it UPS to Florida for her birthday (which she celebrated this past Saturday). I'm sure the boys would LOVE to be in the warmer weather. In fact, every time Caleb gets to talk to them on the phone, one of the first things he says is "I'm coming to your house!"

The fun started this past Monday when my Mom watched the boys for me. She took them to Target where she bought them each a car and also picked up a big-boy booster seat for Joshua. Since we were still in the process of trying to clean his old seat (which he's really outgrown height-wise), we needed a new seat for him. Daddy was putting it together when the boys started playing with the box. Here's Joshua modeling his new seat!

I helped Joshua climb in first. He LOVED it! Here's his precious smile as he posed for the picture.

Soon Caleb Luke wanted a turn in the box. We were pretending it was all sorts of things. They LOVE boxes!

As I mentioned before, we didn't have preschool Tuesday or Wednesday because the weather forecast had called for an ice storm. So, on Wednesday we went to the mall (and Mamaw joined us) to play and burn off some energy. Thursday Joshua had his extended day, and that night he had swim lessons (which I will post about separately). During our time together at home, we've been doing more tracing in books. Caleb is getting better at tracing lines in the beginner books (where you follow the path of a bug or a butterfly or a car) while Joshua is working on sounding out the words on special cards where he then traces them. They have had fun with the dry erase markers!

They've also had fun with regular markers. Caleb is using the little writing station we got at a yard sale to try and trace (although he ends up just mostly drawing). We're also working with him to tell us what his pictures are about that he's working so hard on.

Caleb also loves his look-n-find book from Great Grandma Good. He knows where every single thing is in the Handy Manny book, and he'll go over it over and over again. We've read other books, too, and I always love how the boys have many of them memorized that they can say some of the words with me as I read.

We've also played lots of games - Memory, Dominoes, Chutes & Ladders and more! I'm impressed with how their skills at these games get better each time we play. I do miss our time together at parks, the boys riding bikes, taking walks around the neighborhood and being outside in general. But, we've had fun doing indoor activities this week, too.

Friday night we went to celebrate their cousin Jenavieve's 3rd birthday. I think the boys had lots of fun playing with their cousins. Aunt Gayle's older brother created a 'missing person' game with a black monkey. He would go and hide it and the little guys would try to find it. When they'd bring the monkey back, they'd add another stuffed animal for him to hide along with it. Soon he was hiding quite the collection of toys. Joshua thought this was a riot! When we got home, we gave them a bath and put them to bed. It was a shame I had forgotten my camera!

Looking at the above photo makes me smile. The boys did NOT want their time in the box to end. At first they wanted to help Daddy put the seat together, so the box was a distraction. Then it became the main event! They climbed in together and gave each other a hug. Of course, I wasn't fast enough with my camera!

Caleb went to give Joshua a kiss, and the Bean put up his hand. So, Caleb kissed it and we all laughed. As they started rocking the box, I feared someone would get hurt. I suggest that we tear open a corner and start the destruction process as they played. It worked! After a long time of fun in the box, we had ripped it enough that they were okay with moving onto another less dangerous activity. I LOVE MY BOYS!

Here are two little guys that have been a 'special delivery' to us. We're anxiously awaiting the third who will join us in just a few more months. :)

Hooray for Caleb Luke!

On Tuesday, February 1, 2011, Caleb did his official business on the potty for the first time. While he's been staying fairly dry during the day (with a few accidents), we hadn't reached that milestone yet. I was SO happy for him! He told everyone how he went in the big boy potty. :) He went again today, so I'm praying that we're well on our way to potty training success. I'm so proud of you, my little Caleb Luke! Way to go!

A Lot of Snow for the Money

Last Wednesday, January 26, we got about a foot of snow, which came down on top of the snow that was already laying on the ground from previous dustings. School was canceled that day and the following due to the weather.

Daddy went back to work on Thursday, but he wore his Hawaiian shirt - it was bright yellow with big blue flowers. I cracked up! He said "too much?" I just laughed. He is SO funny! He wasn't sure how his conservative co-workers took it, but I think he enjoyed wearing it on such a cold ugly day.

Since it was coming down most of the day on Wednesday, I waited until Thursday to take the boys outside to play in it. Looking back, I'm not sure that it was a wise choice. By the following day, it was pretty well packed into the ground and harder to deal with. The kids had a very difficult time moving in it. I had to lift them onto the little bank of snow off our driveway, and I told Joshua to follow in the footprints while I held onto Caleb and basically hoisted him through the snow. At times they could walk right on top, and at others they would begin to sink and fall.

I asked Joshua what he thought of all that snow, and he said it felt "weird!" I giggled at the expression. It is a little strange when you're not used to it. Our originally plan was to build a snowman, but it wasn't the right type of snow for packing it together on the day we went. I think Wednesday we could have made a pretty nice snowman, as I saw plenty across the street. Such is life! I also bought a sled at a yard sale this past summer, but the snow was too deep for the kids to be able to comfortably walk in it. Hopefully we'll get to use it sometime soon! I also worry about the boys getting too cold or catching colds after they just got better.

We played outside until Daddy got home. When he pulled in the driveway and saw us, he went and got on his gear and joined us in making snowballs.

The kids were just about ready to go in when Daddy arrived, but they were happy to see him and stayed out a little while longer even though Joshua said he was cold (and I had them all layered up!).

I have to pause and say once again that we have the best neighborhood! When Shawn took his lunch break on Wednesday, he used our snow blower to not only clean off our sidewalks and driveway but also got our neighbors since they are always so good to do ours. That night after 10 pm, I heard a noise and looked out, and our neighbor was clearing ours once again. That was so nice because it gave Shawn less to do in the morning before going to work to clear out his car. Other neighbors helped one another, too, and I saw the following day two different sets of neighbors discussing who was left in the neighborhood to help clear their sidewalks. It's particularly important that our sidewalks are clear since kiddos walk to school from our neighborhood. From what I could see, most houses looked well dug-out around us, and it was definitely a community effort.

Oddly enough while preschool was canceled, most school districts in this area missed the boat on Wednesday and all the high school students were bused (or worse, drove) to school. Then they realized how bad it was and called an extremely early dismissal and closed the elementary schools. Manheim Township already had early dismissal so they didn't change their plans. Then this week the weather forecast called for a big ice storm. We got nothing on Tuesday but all the schools were closed, including Joshua's preschool and my Bible study (bummer!). Late Tuesday night (after we went to bed) we did get a bit of an ice storm, but the roads were already prepped for it, and it warmed up enough that driving conditions were fine by late Wednesday morning (say 9ish) but schools were all canceled that day as well. I was experiencing cabin fever by then, so I called Mom and told her that I was going to take the kids to the mall to play at the playground and asked if she'd like to come along. She said sure, and the kids had a great time! Thankfully Joshua's back at school today for an extended day, which includes lunch. I'll pick him up at 1:30 pm, which is his teacher's way of trying to make up some of the time that they've missed.

Below is a picture of the evidence of our snowball fun. We told the boys to throw their snowballs against the house rather than at each other. Joshua LOVED it! I think Caleb had fun, too.

Soon enough they were ready to head in, so I took off the wet layers outside and the double clothing layers inside. Then I popped the casserole I had made into the oven to bake. Joshua ate quite a bit that night! He enjoys the pesto tortellini alfredo topped with bacon and parmesan cheese.

Friday wasn't as good of a day. I was stir crazy by that point, but my car was still buried in snow. My Dad stopped in to visit, which was nice. I made us all lunch of fish sticks, macaroni & cheese, and stewed tomatoes. The boys were well behaved, but I was just feeling 'off' that day. Everything I did seemed to go wrong. For example, I washed a pull-up in our laundry. Most likely it was clean (we still put one on Joshua to sleep just in case, but for the most part they're dry in the mornings), and it probably was put down the laundry shoot with jammies. But, I didn't see it until the wash cycle had gone and there was polypropylene in our laundry. UGH! The whole day was like that. To cheer me up, Shawn took us to Kmart to see if they had swim trunks for Joshua and we bought his Valentine's. Then we went to dinner. It was starting to feel better... only for Joshua to get sick on the way home and me to get sick later. But, it's important to remember that we're supposed to give thanks in all circumstances. God is always faithful, and it was nice that it happened when Shawn was home to help. It was nice to get out that night. It was even nice that I got sick over the weekend when my hubby was home to take care of the kids. God is good, and I really can't complain. While I'm ready for warmer weather, the snow is beautiful and I have a warm house to stay in. I just need to remember to give thanks as I pray for better days ahead!

A Winter Picnic

We actually did have a picnic of sorts almost two weeks ago now. We had a coupon for take-out, and when we brought it home, Joshua started having an asthma attack, so we immediately gave him a breathing treatment. Since I wanted to be near him and listen to him, I suggested we sit on the floor next to him for awhile. Soon he was back to his normal self, and I said "let's just stay here and make it a picnic!" Thankfully, my husband is easygoing and gives into my crazy ideas sometimes. We actually had fun, and I think the boys thought it was silly that we were eating dinner on the floor with napkins as a family. It was a regular indoor winter picnic!

But, the pictures aren't of our winter picnic. They're of the play-doh picnic we made together! Last Wednesday we got about a foot of snow (some folks said nine inches and some folks said 14 inches - split the difference and it was roughly a foot). Daddy worked from home at my suggestion due to the crazy conditions, and I tried to keep the boys from being all over their beloved Dad (which is no easy task!). After breakfast, I decided to break out the play-doh, and we had some new pieces to play with.

Someone had gotten Caleb a picnic bucket with different shapes and colors of play doh. We also still had our scissors and "spaghetti-maker" along with the rolling pin and other shapes from before. So, we went to town making some different 'food' items. You'll see below two types of pretzel (one of which I made before realizing there was a pretzel-shaper in the bucket), a chocolate chip cookie, a slice of bread, two different strawberries, bananas, an apple, a pear and a mystery shape that I'm going to guess is supposed to be meat.

Caleb highly enjoyed rolling the play-doh into balls and cutting it.

Joshua especially liked the string maker, which we've used for hair, spaghetti and all sorts of different things. He also liked rolling the play doh into balls in his hands.

It was a fun picnic, even though we didn't eat any of it! Eventually, we cleaned it all up and put it away for another special day.