Football Dinosaur Eggs

The other night, Caleb decided he didn't want to sleep without his beloved football. He highly enjoys playing with it, and he decided he wanted it to be with him in his crib. Here's to hoping he's an NFL star that can keep us in the lifestyle of the 'other half.' Haaa!!!!

His favorite thing to do with it, though, besides toss it back and forth with me or preferably Daddy (and Caleb can catch it as it's moving, so long as it's somewhat slow and toward the ground), is to sit on it and then roll backwards off it. You can see the demonstration from the picture above and below.

This sweet little guy always makes us laugh. I also chose these pictures because he's wearing his Christmas 'Lightning McQueen' jammies. When we went to our friend Julie's house on Thursday morning, Jude answered the door in his Christmas 'Car' movie PJs, too. I can't believe her kids stay in bed until 10 am! How crazy is that!

Even though I had taken my camera to their house, I didn't remember to get it out and snap some pictures. Here's a picture of Jude & Kate that I took off Julie's blog. This was the first time we got to see their new home, and it was lovely. The kids enjoyed playing in the basement they finished themselves, and Joshua especially loved Jude's room. He has his own TV & VCR, and the boys watched a dinosaur movie (one of the "Land Before Time" movies) together in there while they played with toys and Jude's very cool tent. That got me thinking, and Daddy finally agreed to try out our old TV and VCR (which he found - I didn't even know where it was or if we still had one) in Joshua's room. We had some old Elmo VCR tapes, along with Veggie Tales and even a Thomas one that we were going to give away or throw away. But, this way we can let him watch a movie in his room from time to time. Shawn feared that he would get up in the middle of the night to watch TV, but so far he doesn't know how to operate it and we can always remove them if this trial doesn't work out. For now, it's a special occasion if we put one on for him in his own room.

I enjoyed catching up with Julie as usual, and she made us chicken corn noodle soup for lunch while the boys enjoyed PB&J sandwiches, carrots and apple slices. Thanks for a fun morning out, friend!

Friday morning we were off again to a MOPS play date at Margie's house. She has two boys, each a year or so younger than mine (Henry is two and a half and Peter is six months old). There were nine children altogether in the group that morning, including six boys and three girls.

The day before, Joshua helped me bake a coffee cake to take along. Both boys got their stools and after we all washed our hands thoroughly, I let Joshua help dump the ingredients. He LOVED it! We also made strawberry shortcakes for dinner that night, along with our salads. Joshua was thrilled to be able to help 'cook.'

Margie was very thoughtful to have a little Easter egg hunt in her house for the kiddos. She asked if I could bring along some plastic eggs with me, so I swung by Jen's house who has a stockpile and grabbed a dozen to take along. We filled them with jelly beans and Margie hid them in her family room while the kids enjoyed a snack of grapes in her kitchen. (It was too chilly and wet that day to hide them outside). The children thoroughly enjoyed looking for eggs and putting them in their bags. Even Caleb grasped the concept - this was his first attempt!

The kids had fun playing and us moms enjoyed catching up. Soon it was time to come home for lunch and naps.

While the boys slept, I called the pediatrician to tell them that Joshua hadn't had a bowel movement in eight days. They said we needed to come in that night for him to be seen, and they prescribed an enema, which we did for three days. We had a follow-up today and the doctor told me to do a fourth. They also are putting him on Miralax daily (which is a laxative) and Benefiber (which is just extra fiber) and told me to talk to Dr. Devenyi at our next appointment. Joshua sees him already for his reflux, and he is the expert in children's digestive issues. So, we'll be talking to him on April 8. She said not to push where Joshua goes but just get him going. That said, each time he's gone with the enema, he's gone on the potty and been thrilled about it. He told me his belly and back are starting to feel better. I'm glad that he's feeling okay, but I'm terrified about his issues. He's not eating or drinking and he's really struggling with digestion all around. Please pray for him when you remember!

Friday night since we had the doctor's appointment anyway coming up, Daddy suggested we skip cooking and take Joshua to his favorite restaurant since he hadn't eaten in days. We went to Infinito's Pizza Buffet for salad, "pizza, bread and noodles" (as Joshua says). We invited friends to go at the last minute, but we never heard back from them. So I'm assuming they were busy or not interested. The restaurant was busy, but the food was good and the kids enjoyed it. Then I took the Bean to the doctor's afterward and Daddy & Caleb enjoyed playing at home until we got back. Thus started our busy weekend!

The Easter Fun Begins!

We've had a fantastic couple of days, including two Easter egg hunts and fun times with friends. Pictures & stories to come soon!

Singing Fun

Our sons shine in the sunshine!

Last week we were blessed with 70+ degree weather and sunshine. It was exactly what we needed after such a long winter! Friday morning, I decided to take the boys to Stoner Park. We packed the diaper bag of 'in case' supplies and headed out in the stroller. The boys enjoyed the walk almost as much as the park - they loved when we were walking on the bridge over 222 and they could see all the big trucks.

When we got there, they both took off to play on the playground equipment. In the meantime, I met the nanny of my old orthodontist (well, the daughter of my old orthodontist who is now practicing the same thing). It was interesting to hear this older woman tell me of how she cared for their children. While I think some days it would be nice to have a nanny, I feel particularly blessed to be able to stay home and raise my own children. This was one of those days. The boys were both very well behaved and we had a great time playing out in the sun.

Joshua had to go potty while we were there, which he was good to tell me (he wears big boy undies except when we're going on a longer trip or to bed); so, I got to experience the park bathrooms for the first time. I was amazed that there was a trash can in there and real paper towels. This park is a 'carry-in, carry-out' your own trash, so I assumed there would be the useless hand dryers but not so. The bathroom for being a park bathroom wasn't all that bad, I must admit. As we were leaving, both boys took off running back to the play equipment. I no more than got done saying "please walk" when Caleb tripped and fell, missing his hands completely and landing right on his face. The skin on his cheek was scraped off and he had a big goose egg on his forehead. I felt so bad! I saw this awkward fall, and I scooped him up in my arms, asking him where it hurt so I could kiss it. He said "cheek" and I saw the blood. Poor little guy! But, he wanted down to play, so I guess he was okay. I still felt terrible that he fell.

That night, Miranda our babysitter came right at 5:30 and Shawn & I were soon off to the Horse Inn in the city to meet up with two couples from our life group for dinner. It was a really expensive evening out, but something we wouldn't do all the time.

Saturday morning I got my hair done and went for a jog afterward, but I was still all but crippled by the pain in my side and barely crawled home. I was more than disappointed since my CT scan showed nothing majorly wrong. I continued to pray for healing. We spent some more time playing outside with the boys - Shawn played with them in the garage while I mopped our floors and then I took them to the playground behind our house (at the school) while Shawn grilled us dinner. Yes, grilled! We had burgers and fries for dinner that evening made by my hubby. It was delicious and definitely felt like summer. After supper, the boys & I stopped in for a few minutes at Grandpa Georgia's place at his invitation, and Shawn stayed home and took out the trash & vacuumed. (He enjoys some alone time now and then.) When we got home, we gave the boys baths and it was soon time for night-night.

Speaking of 'night-night', both boys love the big sing-along Thomas "Railway Rhythms" that Santa got one of them for Christmas (can't remember who's gift it was now, isn't that terrible?). They both love to push the buttons, and I sing along to the songs based on the words in the book. Caleb has started singing along to the last one "night-night, Momas (how he says 'Thomas'), night-night Momas, see you morn." It's absolutely adorable to listen to!

With all the play time outside, Joshua started having a bit of a runny nose, so we decided to stay home from church Sunday morning. I was a little bummed, but it was really too early to tell if it was spring-time allergies or a cold starting to form. And, we never want to get other kiddos sick. I emailed and warned our life group friends, too, but most of the couples still came that afternoon to attend Bible study (one family couldn't make it since their daughter was sick). I made the Hawaiian Pizza Pasta recipe from cousin Jess, and I thought it turned out well.We also had salad, garlic bread and dessert.

The lesson this week I thought was particularly good. It was on "shaping the will without breaking the spirit" of kids. As Shawn & I went over the lesson on Saturday night, watching the Dr. Dobson video, we both had tears in our eyes. A little boy shared that his dad called him stupid and hit him on the head after he missed a basket in a game and he didn't like that. My heart broke for him. Then Dr. Dobson himself shared that he overheard his dad say something when he was four years old. He didn't repeat it because he knew his dad didn't mean it, and yet all these years later (and at the time of this video, I would guess Dr. Dobson was in his 70s), he still remembered the comment. Once again, we thought of how important what we say can be to our kids; after all, this guy remembered a comment 70 years later and it still hurt his feelings!!! Dr. Dobson noted that children won't remember what they did to provoke our anger, they will only remember our reaction. Then the lesson gave suggestions for cooling down when we're upset before we speak. We need to give loving discipline (which includes spanking at appropriate times), consistent discipline but always remember not to attack the self-worth of a child or say things we will regret when the heat of the moment is gone. We both thought the reminder was good. We love our boys and want the best for them! It also made us sad to think of the other children in this world who don't have parents with the same type of attitude (even if we fall short in our actions, we always mean the best... what about kids who don't have that benefit to start with?).

Monday was a rainy day, which was a high disappointment after such a long week of beautiful weather. Joshua had preschool again after his spring break, and then Aunt Missy came to watch the boys while I went to school. Both kids were excited, and Caleb calls her "Mimmy" which I think is cute.

Tuesday morning, Joshua slept in, which is always concerning. He didn't wake up until I got him up at 8 am! Grandpa Georgia called shortly thereafter and invited us to breakfast. The timing was perfect, and I said absolutely! We picked him up and went to his favorite 'Greasy Spoon' (Bridgeport Family Restaurant). They do a really good breakfast. I got my typical western omelet and he got his typical cream chip beef. I ordered the kids french toast & bacon, and Joshua got a special treat of chocolate milk (Caleb's a little too small to have such a messy drink in a cup with a lid. He had milk in his sippy cup and then we ordered him a cup of water with a lid and straw for the practice).

Afterward, I asked Dad if he would like to go with us to Central Market, and he said sure. We walked around the whole place, and I bought strawberries, bananas, a cantaloupe, and grapes. I almost bought apples and potatoes, too, but then decided that I probably had enough to carry. But next time! (...as Joshua always says; this expression of his always makes me smile). Ric's stand always has the best homemade breads, too, but I realized we would eat it and that wouldn't be good for our waistline if I bought it. We were out of there within an hour.

We came home afterward and played trains, and I washed all the fruit, cut it up and put it in convenient bowls to eat. After naps, I took the boys for a walk around the neighborhood. Joshua didn't want any lunch or snacks (whereas Caleb had lots of fruit and some crackers and cheese), and then on the walk he told me that his belly hurt. I feared that maybe it was from not going since Thursday. But, I discovered after we got home what the culprit was. He began vomiting and continued throughout the night. Poor little guy has the stomach bug, I guess. And I can't even blame church since we weren't there this weekend. So, I'm not sure where he picked it up, but really it could have been anywhere. Please pray that he feels better! I always worry about him since he's so underweight to begin with. Shawn put both his hands around his belly last night and they easily touched. It scares us both. While I don't want Joshua to struggle with his weight either, it makes me nervous that he's so skinny that you can see all the bones in his body.

He woke up starving today and so far has kept down the little that we've allowed him to eat (following the BRAT diet - he's had half a banana, a small serving of applesauce, some cheerios and two crackers), so I'm hoping we're on our way to recovery. He's begging for more, but I thought we'd wait and see how this stayed down and then I'll let him eat the whole house if he wants to. Also, I must say that I was thoroughly impressed that Joshua made it to the bathroom every single time he vomited except for last night in his bed when it woke him up. But, that was fairly easy to clean with taking off his blanket & sheets and washing them. My little guy is growing up all the time, and this is another way I'm seeing that. What a big guy!

I forgot to share that on Sunday I went for a jog, and for the first time since I had my gall bladder out I was able to run and not experience the stabbing pain in that area under my ribs on the right side. I had been frustrated to tears before since I enjoy being outside and jogging and the pain would literally make it so I could barely tip toe home, holding my side and begging for mercy from God for this terrible pain to go away. I was at a loss of what to do next - get a second opinion maybe since the surgeon said I should be healed? I'd been praying about it, and then I emailed a guy that we used to know from the LHOP youth group. He's been posting on Facebook how he's praying for people and seeing them healed. I asked Shawn what he thought, and he said to go ahead and email him. After all, it couldn't hurt. So, I did on Saturday. And although we didn't have the chance to actually meet face-to-face, on Sunday, I knew I was healed and I'm standing on that belief. There is no medical explanation for the severe pain I had been experiencing (or none that was found), so I'm praying that God simply fixed it as only He can do. I had a great run, and I felt alive and hopeful again. It was an amazing experience. I still have a slight soreness there, but I'll take that. As long as it doesn't stop me, I'm good! I emailed the guy to tell him, and he said he's been experiencing not only 'laying on of hands' healing but also 'distance healing' where he will pray for folks in other countries or command healing when he's driving and sees someone walking. He said he's hearing testimony after testimony of God's faithfulness. What faith! What obedience to continue to pray for people and see healing! What an AMAZING God we serve! Only Jesus could have healed me on the Sabbath. :)

 

Back to the boys! Caleb has finally figured out how to make the toys that giggle work and he keeps squeezing the feet and laughing with them. It's so cute. :) With the Bean's sickness, we've allowed Joshua to watch more TV than normal, and he's enjoying the movie "Toy Story" which I've never seen before. I remember Jordon liking the movie, though. So funny how the boys go through similar cycles.

The picture below made me smile as I saw it once again after taking it. Joshua sees lots of airplanes when we walk, and he always points to them and calls them "Jeremy" (since the airplane in the Thomas stories is named Jeremy). Both boys call airplanes that now and they ask Jeremy if he's going to Florida to visit Mamaw & Papaw. :) :) :) Joshua particularly likes when they're low enough that they can 'land.' He also saw "Harold" the helicopter the other day as we were walking. I love how close we live to Lancaster Airport that we can't always hear the planes, yet the boys get to see them from time to time.

 

Well, I should run. Have a great day!

Happy 3 & 1/2 Birthday, BEAN!

On Thursday, March 18, we headed to the Picture People to get Joshua's 3 1/2 year pictures professionally taken. I had a coupon for one free 8 x 10, and I narrowed it down to just the above picture. The girl asked him to get down on one knee but stand up tall - he was confused by what she was asking, so I demonstrated. Once he got it and she said "perfect" he just beamed. He was so proud to do what he was asked. I loved this expression. Shawn & I also liked the one below. Daddy commented, "Doesn't he just look so old in this picture?"

It's hard to remember what age the kids start doing things, so I try to generally comment on what they're doing at this age. One thing that Joshua is enthralled with right now is stickers. He received a sticker book from my mom for Christmas, and he loves taking each of the stickers off and putting them on the pages. This one was on 'speed machines' and he's completely finished with the cars and mostly done with the airplanes and trains. He LOVES it!

Joshua also likes to sing along to songs. We often smile as he sings away. Thursday night he was singing in the back seat of our car with his one toy "Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat & the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon... the little dog laughed to see such [I can't remember what word he said here, but it didn't sound like 'sport' to me] and the dish ran away with the spoon." We cracked up! I LOVE to hear his sweet voice.

Joshua is still struggling to do his 'longer business' in the potty. We haven't had to worry about wet pants in a long time, but he struggles to do the other in general. He had success today, but I worry about him in between episodes. Please pray for him! I fear that maybe he just has issues and then other times I think it's a matter of being strong-willed.

Joshua loves to play outside (thank you God for this weather we've had this week!), especially with his little car, his sidewalk chalk, his mower and times that he can go to the park or playground and slide down the slides.

He also likes to have a 'plan' and a very detailed plan. He enjoys knowing what's coming next, and I've found it makes the transition much easier.

He loves to play with Caleb, too, and I hear him being a 'little momma' to him, which cracks me up at times. Caleb simply follows most times. I think Joshua is lovey in general, and he enjoys spending quality time with all of us. He still likes being tucked in by both parents at night, and he adores when we tell him stories. He likes when I tell him the story of Noah, and he can generally tell it back to me that "Noah was a very good boy, but the others were not good children... so God told Noah to make a boat and he put a girl and boy of every kind of animal on there..." and then we talk about different animals for fun and continue on with the story.

For the most part, he's also sleeping better at night. He still has his moments, and getting him to go to bed is tough some nights. He's also still an early riser and definitely loves the morning time. He takes good long naps in the afternoon usually, though, and I do enjoy the time that I can get things done when he and Caleb are sleeping.

Joshua is really enjoying preschool this year, and I'm so glad we chose to send him. He still tells me about the time that they painted with their feet. I think sometime I'm going to have to try it... when it's nicer outside and we can do the whole thing out there (including the 'foot bath') and not get cold. This week was in the high 60s - low 70s, so we're just about there. I hope it continues to stay warm. The glimpse of sun is amazing!

Joshua also enjoys playing games, but we tried 'go fish' the other day, and I'm not sure he completely understood. It was also a little difficult because we were playing with Bible character go-fish, and the characters sort of looked alike. Since he can't exactly read yet, he didn't completely grasp the game in its entirety. But, he's getting there. :)

He still enjoys reading us books (ones that we've read so many times that he has them memorized) and I hope that he'll always enjoy reading. He gets books at the library at preschool, and he's brought home the Thomas ABC book twice now. We go over all the letters, and he knows all of them but occasionally gets a few confused. He also enjoys his little "computer" (the leapster Ma-maw got him for Christmas), his airplanes and Cars themed characters from Florida, coloring, and playing with Little People with Caleb (which he's almost outgrown but Caleb truly enjoys so they have fun together). He also likes animals, dinosaurs, tractors, cars, balls and puzzles. I love to play with him and enjoy when he & Caleb play well together.

Well, it's time to put the boys to bed, so I must run. Happy 42nd month birthday, my little man! I love you dearly.

MOPS, Music & Motion

This week was Joshua's 'spring break' so he didn't have preschool, even though I had class. The weather has been beautiful, though, so we've been able to spend time outside, which is great!

On Tuesday, I was supposed to meet a friend for a play date and lunch; but she rescheduled for next week. So, I decided to go to MOPS since Matt Goss & his wife Kim were the special speakers. Matt Goss is the worship leader at LCBC Manheim and also head of the "Matt Goss Band," of course, which President Bush requested to play for his rallying back in the day. The couple shared on how they met, their interest in music and leading worship, and about how they lost their fourth(?) baby late in the pregnancy and how devastating that was. They were interesting to listen to, and I was glad I was able to see them speak.

On Tuesday, we celebrated Saint Patrick's Day. Shawn's cousin Don's wife Jess invited us to come to their music & motion class that morning. I took her my p90x DVDs to copy, and she gave me a couple workout DVDs that she had to try. We got to their house right around 9 am and Joshua was excited to play with Ben. However, he woke up really grumpy. I love my oldest son, but he has my personality - extreme highs and extreme lows. This was not one of his shining days.

I had dressed the boys in green, and I also put on a green sweater - I couldn't find anything emerald green for any of us, but oh well! It's the thought that counts. Joshua didn't want to leave Ben's house to go to the class. We finally convinced him that we were going and headed out. The time started with an open gym where the boys could run. I was surprised with how many toys they had and also how many parents and kids. There was a lot of people there! A few nice folks introduced themselves, and I got to meet Ben's little girlfriend, who was pretty impressive for her age.

The boys played on scooters, cars, a little train, balls, etc. They also rolled on a mat, crawled through a tube and enjoyed running. Soon enough it was time to clean up, and Joshua wasn't sure he was ready to put the toys away (well, truly, Caleb wasn't either, but he's just less vocal about it). Then parents took out snacks for their kids... only I hadn't brought anything for the boys since I didn't really know that was part of the activities. Jess didn't either since she was more interested in Ben singing and participating with the music. I would agree that the snacks could be a distraction. Unfortunately, they were a major distraction for Joshua who really wanted something that I didn't have for him.

He was noticeably grumpy the rest of our time there, which is really a bummer since I think normally he would have LOVED the music. We knew some of the songs and didn't know others. But, many of these little preschoolers knew the words and the motions by heart. There was a gal that lead on the guitar and another one that did the motions while singing and 99% of the children were participating (just not my kids... although this type of scene was new to them). I was disappointed with the Bean's behavior. Mama said there'd be days like this!

We talked about him behaving better if he wanted to go back to Ben's house, which he enthusiastically said he wanted to. We played for a little while upstairs on their deck and then moved downstairs to their amazing finished basement that Don did himself. They had a little Cars table with re-usable stickers and he was in heaven... but, he didn't want to share this treasure with anyone, including Ben who was sharing his toys with the boys. We eventually left, and I was embarrassed by how the morning had went. Kids always have their moments, but this morning seemed particularly bad.

Both boys slept from the moment we got into the car until we got home. Then I fed them lunch and put them to bed. Unfortunately, I had to wake them from their naps to head to Grandma's house. She kept the boys there for me since I had school that afternoon and she had plans that evening. She was all dressed and ready to go until I got back from MU. Thanks, Mom! My students were all in their festive green, and five or so didn't show up, which is higher than average. Between the nicer weather and the fun holiday, I'm sure the numbers in most classes were down.

Here's little Ben at the class:

Daddy got home before us, and when we arrived we decided to treat the boys to Shamrock shakes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We ate outside and let the boys play on the playground. Joshua took one sip of this mint milkshake and decided it wasn't for him. I feel the same way. The thought of them is always better than the taste. I think green food coloring is better than mint in ice cream. Caleb was a little too small for the playground, but a little 4-year-old girl kept helping him climb. Then he would slide down. We eventually left when it got chilly out.

Last night, we kept hearing chirping. We knew one of our smoke detectors had a low battery, but in the middle of the night we couldn't figure out which one it was. So, I woke up this morning with more than 10 smoke detectors disconnected from their appropriate places and laying in our bedroom, along with a ladder in our living room. Neither of us slept much overnight. UGH! I would say this particular St. Patty's Day was not 'lucky' for us!

Oh well, it's still 'fun' to be Irish and wear green!