Resurrection Biscuits

On Saturday, April 9, we decided to make our resurrection biscuits in honor of Easter (well, in honor of Jesus as we celebrate Easter, I should say). While Easter isn't for two more weeks, Pillsbury Grand Biscuits were on sale at Sharp Shopper and they expired the week before Easter, so I figured we might as well use them and save the money. We were home, it was a rainy/chilly Saturday morning, and we were hungry for a nice breakfast!

The first thing we did after getting dressed and brushing our teeth (which usually happens after we've been up for awhile playing), was to wash and sanitize our hands. Shawn loved the photo above because you can see the boys toes. So cute! How sweet - feet!

Then we put on our chef hats and aprons and posed for a couple photos.

Next, we started talking about the Easter story - how God loved us so much that He allowed His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Once Jesus had died, they placed his body in a tomb and covered it with a large stone.

Then we preheated the oven to 350 degrees, got out our ingredients, and greased our cookie sheets.

Next, we opened the Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (these are the larger ones that are 'pre-sliced' and we had the buttery variety).

Then we opened our bag of large white marshmallows.

The boys helped put the marshmallows into the biscuits. We explained that the marshmallows represented Jesus' body and the biscuits were like the tomb where they put him.

The boys love to help cook or bake!

Joshua posed next to his tray after he was finished putting his marshmallows on.

Caleb would not stop eating the marshmallows - he LOVES them! I'd hand him one, and he'd take it off the biscuit and pop it into his mouth. Since these represented Jesus' body, was this a little mini communion?

Then the boys helped me pinch together the tomb to make sure it was sealed tightly.

After all the tombs were closed, I sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top and put them in the oven for 13 minutes or so (whatever the package called for).

As they baked, the boys took off their cooking gear, and we read a story about the reason we celebrate Easter. The boys saw a picture of a tomb where the angels were telling Mary Magdalene and the other women that Jesus was alive!

When the biscuits were done, I set the table and got the boys milk to go with their biscuit breakfast.

We asked Jesus to open his biscuit to find the marshmallow. It wasn't there. Jesus wasn't kept in the grave. He rose again! He's alive! Just like there's no marshmallow in the biscuit, there's no body in the tomb because Jesus overcame death for us. Now He's in heaven at the right hand of the Father; His blood covers our sins. [I don't know how much they understand, but I know it's important to teach them about God at a young age.]

Caleb was happy that Jesus was alive, but he was devastated that his marshmallow was missing from his biscuit. He would have been happier to eat the whole bag of marshmallows rather than his breakfast.

Joshua, on the other hand, ate his entire biscuit joyfully. And Daddy finished off an entire pan by himself. The boys had fun, I think, and I'm glad that this is a tradition for us! Celebrate - Jesus is ALIVE!

Happy 33 Months, Caleb Luke!

On Friday, April 8, Caleb Luke turned 33 months old. Lately, he LOVES to have his 'bellies and legs out' (meaning he likes to be naked other than big boy undies). You can see him pulling his shirt up over his head in these pictures just to be silly!

That morning, Daddy had stayed home from work sick, but he was still working. So, I called Grandpa Georgia to see if he'd like to join the boys and me for breakfast to let Daddy have some peace and quiet. He agreed. While he enjoys going to Willow Street, I suggested Oregon Dairy just because it's close and it was getting late (i.e. we were HUNGRY!). So, we had a nice time there. I didn't realize before I left that I had put Caleb in big boy underwear and got him dressed, and we went out with no pull-up. I only realized it as we were leaving, but he did a great job of staying dry and clean, emptying his bladder once we got home into our little potty. I was SO glad! And I couldn't believe my own forgetfulness. Where is my brain these days? That said, Caleb has been doing relatively well with potty training. He's telling us when he has to do his official business and going on the potty like a champ. But, we've had a few wet accidents (which we were doing great with before) because I think I'm being a little more lax about taking him and making him go at certain time intervals. He'll go when I take him, but he's not always quick to tell me he has to go. The one day he told me but couldn't get his pants down in time. I know that it's all part of the process. But, I'm encouraged by the progress he's making.

We love to hear Caleb's voice - whether it's singing or talking. He has the sweetest softest tone to him, which is so dear to us. While he doesn't always hold a tune, we LOVE to hear him sing from his heart. He likes to sing "this is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." We often start our mornings out talking about this and singing the song. He also likes to sing night night to everyone. So precious! But, even his talking voice is amazingly sweet. Shawn & I agree it's one of our favorite things about our little Bluke.

The other day, Caleb & I were sitting in an office, and he was coloring on a piece of paper. He said "My name is spelled C-A-L-E-B" and then much to my surprise, he wrote "C-a-L" and asked for help with the 'e' and 'b.' I was shocked that you could actually tell what the first three letters were that he had written by himself! I've tried to get him to write more, but he enjoys doing it together and always asks for my help.

The evening of Caleb's birthday, the boys got out the pillows and blankets in our leather ottoman/coffee table and laid down on the floor to pretend they had made their own special beds. We cracked up at how cute they were. They were having a blast. It always makes me smile to see them making up new games and playing nicely together. They are so close!

One thing Caleb has gotten WAY better at in the last few months is listening as we're walking together. He doesn't always like to hold hands as we go, but he's been obeying when we're in parking lots and not fighting me on it as much. In the hallways at preschool, he's been able to catch on to the "red light, green light" game where I can say "red light" and he stops immediately. When it's safe (or we won't be in someone's way), I say "green light" and he happily keeps moving without having to be connected to me with his arms in the air. He's happy with the freedom, and I feel that he's doing much better with listening so I'm able to give him more.

Caleb seems so big for his age to me, but time will tell if that's accurate or not. I'm anxious to see what the pediatrician will say at his 3-year well-check, which I've scheduled for July. There's always more I could write, like how much he loves puzzles, reading books, look-and-finds, crafts & coloring, but I should run. Happy 33-month birthday, my little man!

Second "First" Trip to the Dentist

On Thursday, April 7, Caleb had his first dental cleaning. While this would be considered his first visit to a big boy dentist, he had went when he was a baby and his teeth were growing in because he has one in the front that the doctor's office wanted to make sure wasn't broken or chipped (instead it's one tooth with two heads, which makes it look like there's a small fracture in it). So, at that visit, they simply evaluated his teeth whereas at this one, they evaluated and cleaned them and he's officially a regular patient now that he's just about three. Oh, how my little guy has grown!

When we got there, he played and played (and I discovered that I had forgotten my camera - whoops!). Then he saw Dr. Aaron Miller, my favorite. The dentist treated him like a star patient because this was his first time there. (A star patient is one that only sees the dentist and not a hygienist first). The doctor warned me that all kids cry the first time as Caleb climbed up on my lap to get his teeth cleaned. But, Caleb obeyed what the dentist asked him to do and wasn't upset at all. The dentist told him that his teeth looked great, that mom must help with his brushing since it looked good (which I nodded) and lastly that he smelled like syrup and that must be the hottest new cologne. Indeed, Caleb had spilled a drop of syrup on his pants at breakfast that morning, but after I wiped it off, it didn't show so I kept the outfit on. The smell must have stayed with him.

The dentist told us not to give our kids chewies (like fruit snacks, etc) because they rot teeth faster than battery acid. He also asked if I gave my kids syrup everyday. I laughed and said "nope! I don't have time to make a hot breakfast everyday." He smiled. Syrup and other sugary things aren't great for them either, but not a harm once in awhile. He then gave Caleb his prizes and we were out the door within a short time frame. He also praised Caleb for how well he did, as did I. He was such a big boy! We'll go again for our next cleaning and check-up in six months. Great job, little buddy!

Oregon Dairy Field Trip

On Wednesday, April 6, Joshua's preschool class went on a 'field trip' to Oregon Dairy. I have to say that this was a little lame, in my opinion, since we as a family go to Oregon Dairy for its Farm Days (where we see the cows), grocery store (for food on occasion) and playground (after eating at the restaurant sometimes). The trip cost $3 a person and wasn't worth it, again in my opinion.

We were one of the first people there, which allowed Joshua time to play at the playground while the other children arrived. It was a bitterly COLD morning in the 40s and windy! Mrs. Dearborn, Joshua's teacher, put green bandannas on the children in her class so they wouldn't get lost. They were the 'green farmers.' She's posing for a picture with Joshua above.

Then they separated the children into groups. In our group, there were all boys except for one girl who I'm guessing needs a little assistance with her behavior. There was a also a special needs child who the aide (Mrs. Wolfe) helps. Joshua was all about being with his buddy Jackson (pictured in the middle above) and Nathan (to the far right). While Nathan's father was there, Jackson's parents were not (typically he has a nanny that brings him to school as does Nathan). You can see Mrs. Wolfe behind the boys in the picture above in the orange coat.

The first stop for our group was the grocery store. Really? Again, not my idea of a 'field trip' but I guess there aren't too many options in Lancaster County... I would have to think there would be something better, though. But, who knows? We walked through the various aisles and departments behind the tour guide who told us about the store.

Joshua LOVES chocolate milk, so he stopped right at these cases. We did get to sample a little later in the day.

At this point, though, we were also right next to the deli counter, and a woman came out to give everyone (including the adults) a nibble of cheese. Pictured below is Jacob, the little boy I was talking about before.

Next, we saw the various eggs. The tour guide told us that there are over 700,000 eggs laid daily by chickens in Lancaster County.

We also saw the bakery, where each child was given a donut hole. Then we saw the fish section, where the gentleman told the kids he was going to show them how to pick a fresh fish. He held up a piece of white fish and a squeaker and tapped the fish to make it 'squeak.' I don't think the kids got it. They've never had to pick out fresh fish, so I'm assuming that this was for the parents....maybe?

They did take us behind the produce section to the back to show us where all the food is shipped in (not grown on the farm). The woman is pointing to the big ice chest that they use to fill up the displays of ice in the front of the store.

Then she showed us where they keep things refrigerated, boxed and stored. The kids are peaking into the ice cream freezer in the photo below.

Then she let the children climb in the back of a tractor trailer. I thought Joshua might like this since he loves "Mac" and I explained that this would be how Lightning McQueen would ride. But, that trailer was DARK (even though my flash lit it up) and he was terrified. He chose not to go in with the others, and that was okay. I didn't care either way. I made the crack that once everyone was in, it would be easy to close the door and take everyone away, so I felt just as good being on the outside of it.

After the tour of the grocery store, it was time to take a tractor ride to the cow barn. And again, if we wouldn't come at least once a year to see this already, it may have been interesting. But, on a 40 degree day, it was cold and a little boring, even for the little guys. Here's Joshua posing with his friends again. His little buddy Jackson is a bit of a wild child. I'm not sure why Joshua is always drawn to these types of kids. He would make all sorts of "cross faces" (as we call them at home, when we're asking Joshua not to) and karate moves (which we had thought Joshua was trying to behave like a dinosaur until I saw him mimicking this little boy that day) and he didn't listen to instructions well. I was reminding Joshua that we set the example rather than follow someone else, especially if they are disobeying the teacher.

I tried to get a group shot of all the kids, and only one child (Chase) is missing from the photo below. He's a bit shy. But, he's pictured with his friend Jacob (a different one) in the picture below the class photo. Joshua also gets along well with these boys, who are much more calm.

We stopped in the milking barn for her to give us some facts about cows. I didn't realize that only female cows produce milk. And they only start producing milk after they've given birth. Each cow can have one baby at a time each year. They were feeding in this area, and we were told how their waste is re-used to make energy and bedding, etc. It was a STINKY place! We also learned that cows drink about a bathtub full of water each day, at least.

After this area, we went over to the milking barn. While I thought the feeding area was smelly, this was downright awful. I could barely stand it. The mix of machinery and warm stank mixed with excrement... I won't go on, but I'm hoping you can picture it. She explained that they put sterilizer on the cows and then hook machines up to milk them. The one little boy asked "what's the brown stuff on the ground?" She replied "Poop." Nice. I LOVE milk and have craved it a lot with this pregnancy, so I really didn't want to think about where it comes from. I like pouring it out of the cold gallon jug in our fridge.

Before getting back on the wagon, the boys (and one girl) were allowed to pet the calf. From what I heard from the one father, it ended up peeing on our driver's feet. What a great job! NOT!

The last stop after our hands were sanitized was for our little taste of ice cream and chocolate milk. Each child and adult got a tiny cone with one mini dip of ice cream and one swallow of chocolate milk. Afterward, the kids were told they could play on the playground; however, a good bit of it was roped off because they were working on the deck. So, it wasn't the best situation. It was also cold enough that I asked Joshua if he was okay with leaving to go home to Caleb and let Grandpa Georgia go home. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of leaving but finally agreed.

Thus ended our field trip to Oregon Dairy!

Eeery...OR ???

When we're trying to get the boys to try something new to eat, Daddy pretends it's all his and that he has no intention of sharing. Sometimes this reverse psychology works. That said, the boys now think it's a game to eat anything of Daddy's and eat it all so there's none left for him. They'll say "I'm going to eat all your (toast)!" (insert just about any food here).

As a special treat for me, Daddy bought one single sleeve of Golden Oreos. I LOVE them! They are so much better than the chocolate variety, both because they taste better and because they're less of a mess. The boys discovered this little treasure and told Daddy, "I'm gonna eat all your EERIOS!" We weren't sure what they were talking about at first. Cheerios, maybe? Then we realized they meant "Oreos." We both giggled. They did eat most of the sleeve, but I snagged one or two... for the baby, of course!

The Places We Go, the Stories We Know

On Friday, April 1, we woke up to snow laying on the ground. It seemed like a cruel April Fool's joke. I dropped the boys off at Mamaw's house and then went to my doctor's appointment. Dr. Conslato was late getting to me, and apologized, saying she was sending someone off to have her baby. I knew that my neighbor's baby was overdue and that she had an appointment before me, so it made the wait more bearable - other than I forgot my reading material at home! Doh! I was glad the boys were having fun playing while I was waiting. Everything with our little guy continues to progress nicely, so I'll see her again in two weeks.

Normally on April Fool's Day I would play practical jokes on people, but when you're this pregnant, it wouldn't be funny to make up a story and then have something bad happen. So, the only one I did was at the very end of the day, when I asked Shawn if lil' Caleb Luke had taken scissors to his shirt again. He alarmingly looked all over his shirt and then I said "April Fools." I don't know if I had posted before or not, but one time when Daddy was working on paying bills, Caleb had gotten scissors and told him that he was going to cut him. Shawn thought he was cutting paper and didn't realize that he was, indeed, cutting his shirt. I missed it in washing it and hanging it up, so Shawn wore it to work before realizing that it looked like he had gotten into a fight with a mountain lion. Haaa!!! My sweet hubby is NOT a morning person, so things get by him before 10 am. ;-)

There have been so many cute stories to post, but I haven't taken the time to do so because of having other responsibilities. Here are a few, though, that have made us laugh and laugh over the last week. Both boys lips were chapped, so Joshua asked if they could have some glue stick for them. Shawn looked at each other and winked. Oh, SO tempting! I corrected him and said "it's Chapstick for chapped lips" and he said "no, I need a GLUE stick for my lips." This brought serious laughter. I gave him chapstick, and he complained that it was red rather than his favorite color green. Oh, my little Bean! Caleb, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the chapstick. He's terrified of it, even though his lips get so dry.

You can see in these pictures that I helped the boys build helicopters out of their Trio connector-piece-thingies. They love to build different things, and I'm thankful that the box came with ideas of what to build and how. But, they are hard to snap together. They had fun playing helicopters, though.

Joshua also wanted to play the Wii and asked Daddy for help. I was downstairs with him, and he said he wanted to practice the boxing (this one is a simple game where you dodge the 'punches' coming toward you by moving). In order to play it, though, you have to have a nun-chuck hooked up to your Wii remote. I wasn't sure how to do it, so I told the Bean to go ask Daddy for a "nun-chuck." He went running upstairs to find Daddy, and said "Daddy, Daddy, please give me a nun-chuck." Caleb went running after him happily saying "Daddy, Daddy, please give me a dump truck!" Haaaa!!! Shawn & I both cracked up. :) :) :)

For how terrible the weather was on Friday, Monday was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. First thing in the morning, we baked an apple coffee cake to take to Study & Share the following day. Then, we went to Aunt Becky's house to grab a book she was editing for me. Since the boys will spend one night there when I'm in the hospital, Aunt Becky showed them around her house, including the room where they will sleep. Then she gave them a snack, which they loved. We didn't stay long, but they had fun. When we got home, we went for a walk around the neighborhood. Both of them asked to walk rather than ride, which I agreed to. They made it pretty well around the neighborhood without getting too tired! And of course, they said hello to everyone we saw, including the receptionist at our dentist office. When we got back, they played in the garage/out on the driveway. The boys drove their little cars, drew with sidewalk chalk, dug dirt out of our 'flower bed' and had a blast outside. I let them play longer than normal because it was so gorgeous (75 degrees) and we've had a long winter. On our walk we saw so many blooming flowers and trees that it felt amazing.

When we came in, Caleb told me he was very tired. But, I made them lunch first before going upstairs. Then he said he had to go potty. Since he likes privacy to do his 'official' business, I asked if he'd like me to leave and he said 'yes.' So, I played with Joshua in the office while we waited for him to finish. It had been awhile and I hadn't heard anything so I called to him - but he didn't respond. I went to check on him, and I found him... his undies were down around his ankles, he had gotten off the potty and he was laying on the bathmat in our bathroom SOUND ASLEEP! I almost took a picture but then thought better of it. It was seriously so cute! I scooped him up, and he told me he was VERY tired. I put a pull-up on him, and I tucked both boys in bed.

Since the weather was so nice,  I woke them up after an hour and a half and asked if we could go back outside to play, which they readily agreed to. We went to the backyard this time and kicked balls around, and got out some of our summer toys like Frisbees (which Joshua is starting to learn how to catch and can toss pretty well). Daddy came home and joined us outside. I wished I had gotten something out of the freezer to grill instead of what I had planned, which needed to bake in the oven. But, such is life. After we ate a quick dinner, I took the boys to the playground behind our house for one last hurrah before the night's end. While we were there, Caleb told me he had to go potty once again. I thought that was a good sign when he's willing to come in from playing to go.

It had been a gorgeous day! I had even gotten the chance to workout while the kids napped, which is rare these days. We were all tired that night and slept well. Please God, send spring & summer quickly!

I'm trying to think of other events that I've missed posting about. We did take the boys to Barnes & Nobles on Saturday, where they played trains and we read some books together while Daddy looked around. (This picture was taken there.) They were both very well behaved.

They also went with me to drop off a meal for our neighbor and her family yesterday, and Joshua was thrilled to get to see the baby while Caleb was in awe of their puppies. :) Joshua told my mom that I've been pregnant a long time now. I think he's ready to meet his little brother, as are we! I was starting to think of things we need to get done before the baby arrives (well, maybe not "need" to get done but stuff I'd "like" to get done!) and the list was feeling a little overwhelming as we only have less than two months to go. But, we'll see what we can do. :)

While we've played lots of games and created new potato head characters and all sorts of fun things in between, I'm not remembering to get my camera out as often as I used to. So, enjoy the couple pictures that I did take. :)

Where Are You, Spring?

This past Friday, March 25, the boys & I had another morning of crafts since the weather has been downright frigid. We LOVED the day that it was in the upper 70s. We even had fun on the days that it hit over 50 degrees. But, the past week or so, it's barely made it above freezing. They're even calling for snow this week. We've had enough winter! I know that the calendar said we're officially in spring, so I'm hoping the weather starts being more agreeable.

The one craft we did was an idea I saw hanging on the wall of another preschool classroom at Calvary. I modified it slightly for home, but the idea was similar. The boys made hand prints from different colors of paint, and we turned them into flowers with lady bugs and green grass below. You'll see the finished product in the first picture. Then, I helped the boys wash their hands and paint with paint brushes, which they both seem to enjoy more than having the paint squished between their fingers. Caleb enjoys being a mess, but I don't think he likes being constantly reminded to be careful with his messy hands. :) :) :)

That morning, we had started with making "Thank You" crafts for Joshua's preschool teacher and aide. The room parent had given each child a sheet to fill out for each teacher/helper, and the directions simply said to put a picture of your child over the box in the corner and express thanks in any creative way you want to. She's collecting the papers this week and going to bind them into a book.

At first Joshua said that he already did this craft (since we had just put something similar together for his teachers for teacher appreciation week). But, eventually we sat down together and talked about ideas. One of his favorite games to play is thinking of words that start with a certain letter. So, I thought it might be nice to write "thank you for" and then fill in words that responded with what each person did. So, Mrs. Dearborn's said "T-E-A-C-H" and he wrote each one of the letters going down the page. Then he helped me come up with some of the words and ideas to say to each one. He also picked out the colors to write with on each line. You can kind of see the outcome on the pages below. For T, we wrote "Telling us stories and teaching us songs"; for E we wrote "Encouraging us to try new things like crafts and show & tell"; for A we wrote "Acting like a role model in speech and action"; for C we wrote "Caring about my feelings when I fell and lost my teeth; and for H we wrote "Helping us learn Bible verses." Some of the words he came up with and sometimes I came up with the corresponding word that starts with the correct letter, but he often had the ideas of what he liked about each teacher.

Then he decorated the page (after I glued on the picture of him). He drew a picture of himself smiling, and a picture of a flower. Then he put stickers (which he loves!) all over the page. He also signed it himself. I thought it turned out cute.

We liked Mrs. Dearborn's so much that we did the same thing for Mrs. Wolfe. This time, we came up with words that went with "A-I-D-E" which he wrote going down. Each morning Mrs. Wolfe asks him to start with his crafts, so for A we wrote "asking me to do crafts and helping me with them." For I he said "I like when she talks to me" (which I thought was SO cute!). For D he said "Dancing to the songs we sing" and for E we wrote "Everything you do to help me clean up, open things, zip, etc." which are things she does.

Then he said he wanted to draw the building, so I labeled his "house" Calvary Preschool. He put the stickers on and signed his name on it as well. He loved doing the crafts! Poor Caleb wanted to help, but instead, he colored in a coloring book next to us while Joshua & I worked on these pages.

It's crazy to think that there's only a month and a half left of preschool until it's finished for the year. Typically you think of school letting out when it's warm outside. Since it's still so cold, it doesn't feel close to the end. 

The kids enjoyed their craft time, and I enjoy doing new things with them (or old things done differently, maybe). :) :) :)