To Bounce-U & Back!

Last night we took our boys to BOUNCE-U in Annville. There were two rooms filled with inflatables, from obstacle courses and slides to basketball hoops, skiball and more! The boys were too young for the huge boxing gloves in the one bounce house, but they sure looked like fun!

At first, Joshua was a little too nervous to really enjoy himself. We paid for both kids to get in (since they said that so long as your baby can walk, he can enjoy the bouncing), but I truly think Caleb should be able to jump before he can really fully enjoy himself. He did love going in, though. But, there were times when some obnoxious teenagers came through that we had to protect him. I will say that the 'guards' on duty did a pretty good job at keeping those teens in line, even though their parents were right there saying nothing to them. ???

The first thing Joshua said okay to was the big slide. And, he wanted to continue to go down and go down. First, I went by myself to make sure I could handle the climb and see how it feels to go down. It was pretty thrilling, I must admit. You're pretty high up there and you slide down fast on these sacks. Then I took Caleb with me. Carrying a little guy, the sack, and climbing on these tiny steps up a steep slope was challenging, I'll admit. But worth it when you saw these little guys' faces! The time I went down with Caleb, I almost tipped to the side and caught myself with my arm...only you don't want your arms down (as I found out). All the skin was ripped off my elbow. OUCH!!! What a burn! Thankfully a friend of ours had warned us to wear long pants because going through the obstacle courses gave him brush burn on his knees, he had said. To go back, I would wear a long-sleeved t-shirt along with our pants and socks, even if it was a little warm.

Joshua kept begging to go down the slide more and more, and this was a work-out in and of itself. So, we tried to see if he would go up by himself, and I was able to get him to climb the ladder with the sack (a big accomplishment!) but once he was at the top he was too scared to go down by himself. So, I went with him several times until we decided to go find Daddy & Caleb.

Meanwhile, Caleb was enjoying some of the various bounce-U houses. The most fun I think he had, though, was when we let him on the floor to run. He would go and try to get the fans that kept these things inflated and we were constantly chasing him. He LOVED it! He had no fear of the bounce areas, either, though.

Daddy finally convinced Joshua to go into one of the obstacle courses where he & Caleb were hanging out. He pushed on one of the inflatable towers and said "get out of here!" which Joshua thought was the funniest thing ever. From there on out, Joshua LOVED the obstacle course.He probably spent a good half an hour racing through it, getting down and doing it all over again. The momma, I must admit, did well until I got to the one little ladder. The steps weren't quite big enough for my feet and turning sideways put pressure in a not-so-hot spot of my leg. Daddy pulled me over the wall and down the slide, much to my embarassment, so I didn't go back in that one. Every other thing I did just fine with, though, even with my leg. Here's a picture of Joshua on those infamous stairs, and even his little feet are hanging out over the edge of them!

I jumped with both kids as we tried to shoot hoops in the one bounce house, and Daddy took them to another smaller obstacle course where both kids could slide down the slide. We tried our hand at ski ball (which Joshua didn't really get) and then at the real basketball. Then Joshua begged to go down the slide a few more times before it was time to go. We had a blast!

For all you other mom blog readers, this was great for a cheap date night with the family. Other than the cost of gas getting there - and it took us a little over 45 minutes - we paid $8 for Joshua and $7 for his little brother to get in and nothing for us. Open bounce happens first and third Fridays of the month from 6 to 7:30 pm. Wear long everything and socks!

Scoot, Scoot!

On Thursday, Mom came over and watched the boys while I met a friend for lunch at Friendly's. I used to work with Kelley at Masterpiece Marketing, and funny enough I seemed to have seen all the old gals this week! We had a great time chatting and catching up. Thanks, Mom, for keeping an eye on my little guys so I could have fun! While Grandma was at our house, I asked her if she would mind if we would stop in at her place that night to play her Wii. She said Ken left for his weekly guitar playing at 6:30 and we were welcome to come over anytime after that. We got there right as he was leaving, and Shawn & I played three rounds of bowling while Grandma entertained the boys in the playroom in the basement. I couldn't believe it - I beat Shawn at every single game! My first round I bowled a 136, my second round I bowled a 176 and my third round I bowled a whopping 219! I even got to see what three strikes in a row looked like (a "turkey" as they called it). It was luck, let me tell you. I thought I should have bought a lottery ticket that night!

Pretty soon I headed back to the boys while Shawn continued to play golf & baseball, etc. I get bored with video games pretty quickly. My attention span is that of a 2-year-old (maybe that's why Bean & I get along so well???). We had fun anyway! The next morning I called my sister Jen to see if she'd like to walk to the park. She said sure, so we met her and her kiddos at their house and walked up from there. Jen offered to bring a scooter for Joshua to try out there, telling me how much Daniel enjoyed riding it. I wasn't quite sure that my Bean was old enough, but then I saw Daniel hop on (his older sister's scooter, as you can tell from it being pink) and he went really, really fast. He was amazing at it!!!So, I decided to let Joshua check it out. He put on Emma's pink & purple care-bear helmet......and he gave it a shot. He didn't know whether or not he liked it at first. He didn't quite get the hang of it, and that frustrated him when he saw his younger cousin having no trouble at all.But soon he got the idea and went a few yards...
Eventually, he gave it back to Emma to play with while he enjoyed swinging and sliding and playing before he told me he was "very hungry." So, we left the park to come home and get some lunch before nap time. I knew they needed naps since I had made reservations at Bounce U, so it was good to come home. Fun times!

A Fun Week

I really must get better at taking my camera along to events! I actually grabbed it this morning, and it was dead. Ugh! So, a big thanks to my friends Kristen & Julie for their lovely pictures, including the one below that was taken this afternoon.
Backing up a bit, on Saturday evening, Shawn took the boys and me to Chili's for dinner. They had a great 2 for $20 special which included an appetizer, two meals and a dessert for $20. Our waitress was also FANTASTIC! She brought everything out quickly and was extremely efficient with the kids, who both did a great job at being out. It was one of the best restaurant experiences we've had to date. We all highly enjoyed it. Afterward, Shawn met his brother Brian and their friend Cory for a guy's night, where Shawn gave his sore foot a pounding playing ping pong. I came home, took the boys for a short walk (or hobble!) around the neighborhood, we played outside some and soon enough it was time to put them to bed. While I didn't mind at all, I'm so glad I'm not a single mom putting two boys to bed on my own every night. Shawn is a wonderful husband & father.

On Sunday, our family met my friend Anthony and his girlfriend Lauren, my friend Jen and her husband Ryan and my friend Jess and her husband Tim and their four kids - Donika, Emersyn, Eden and Jack - at Fuddrucker's for lunch. Anthony used to drive me & the twins home from school and to youth group at church - we were all very close back when we were in high school. We all lived in Leola at the time, and we all got along really well. As life would have it, we rarely get to see each other anymore, but we always enjoy the times when we can get together and catch up. Anthony wanted to introduce us to his love interest, and we were happy to meet her. Below is a picture of Jess, who is expecting number five this February, and her kiddos from her Facebook page. I didn't take any pictures while we were at lunch together - dangit!

That evening, we went to my sister Jen's to celebrate Grace's 7th birthday. I can't believe how quickly time flies! Joshua enjoyed playing with the other children, and Caleb devoured the watermelon. Here's a picture of Grace on her birthday (left) with her younger sister Faith (right).

Monday morning, we went to my mom's house to go swimming. Afterward, we played for a little bit in her basement before heading to "That Fish Place" where Joshua was enthralled by all the fish, the bunnies, the sting rays, the rats (yes, rats!) and other animals. Caleb, not so much. He's still a little too young, I think, and it was close to naptime. Afterward, Grandma treated them to happy meals and we headed home for night-night and took it easy with Daddy that evening.

We were supposed to meet our MOPS friends Tuesday morning at Overlook Park, but only three of us showed up, all of whom were also part of our life group. It was Becca with Alayna & Kyla and Melanie with Abby. This was one of the more fun times I've been at a park, though, because Caleb was no longer just interested in eating the wood chips (not that we ever let him...). He climbed and slid and rode a duck toy and swang on the swings, etc. He all but gave me a heart attack at the taller areas because this little guy has no fear. But, he enjoyed it. That makes my time easier when both my boys are enjoying themselves. Joshua, of course, LOVES to play outside and be at the park. We left completely covered in sweat, but we had a good time. That afternoon was Caleb's CT scan at LGH and afterward I treated the boys & Grandma (who stayed with the Bean) to ice cream. Since both kids were a sticky mess afterward, I gave them a bath before Bible study. Caleb stayed behind with Daddy, which was a good thing because the childcare workers didn't show...or there was some sort of miscommunication. Either way, no one was there to watch the kids. So, Lisa & I took toys into the sanctuary and requested we watch the video first, and Isabella & Joshua played. (And the Bean took Grandma's pen and played with her flashlight, etc.) They were very good, and we got to enjoy (most of) the video.

This morning, I was in the mood to get out. But, I wasn't sure what to do with the kiddos. They were calling for rain, which always complicates matters. To go out or to stay in? Finally after a few phone calls, I ended up going to Wilbur Chocolate Factory and Lititz Springs Park with my friends Kristen & Julie, who I used to work with at Masterpiece Marketing. Kristen brought along Elliott & Charlotte and Julie had Jude & Kate with her. Jude, Elliott and Joshua are all about the same age and Kate, Charlotte and Caleb are all about the same age (we're all pictured below, and Caleb & Charlotte are pictured on the swings above). Funny enough, we had all been going to get together tomorrow for lunch. But, Julie couldn't make it then and I scheduled a lunch date with another friend. So, I called Kristen this morning, and her plans had been cancelled, which was also the case with Julie. So, today's last-minute "wanna do something?" worked out great! Here are the three older boys: Elliott on the left in the light blue shirt, Joshua in the middle and Jude on the right with his back-pack.

Earlier in the summer, Julie had emailed me a list of 'things to do' with kids, and one of the suggestions on it was the Wilbur Chocolate Factory. I looked it up online and it said it had a museum tour, so I called and asked "would a two-year-old be bored?" The gal told me it was a self-guided tour so it would be fine to bring him - we wouldn't be rude if we left, etc. She said there was a looking glass where they dip marshmallows in chocolate and you can see them making things and some days they have someone who does artwork in chocolate. Thinking of the conversation, the whole thing makes me laugh, literally. I'm sitting here cracking up. The place is on the second floor with no ramp for strollers (thankfully there was a lift for poor Kristen and her bigger stroller), and it was basically a two-room candy store. There was one window where a lady was dipping marshmallows in chocolate, where our three boys are pictured below. The chocolate castle blocked their view of the woman working, but that was the only place there was a step for little guys. Typing about the so-called 'tour' was more interesting than the watching of it was. The boys were waiting for the fun tour we had told them about, and we were looking around puzzled. That was it?!?! Yes, I'm afraid. Thankfully we all have a sense of humor.

We walked across the street and grabbed lunch from Freeze 'n Frizz where the old Long 'n Bomberger's Hardware store used to be (where my Dad first worked when we moved to Lancaster). We took our food to go and headed back across the street to the Lititz Springs Park, which was really cool but again not very stroller-friendly. The day ended up being gorgeous with not a drop of rain. Joshua & Jude (pictured below) were enthralled with the ducks swimming in the fountain, and the ducks kept diving down for food with their tails in the air, which made the kids laugh. Caleb quacked the whole way to our picnic table.

Jude had to go to the potty, so I made Joshua walk with me (and Kristen & her kiddos) instead of following our potty-going friends. As I held onto his hand, he once again yelled his new favorite saying at me "I CAN'T TAKE IT!" Haaaa!!! He may look like a small version of Daddy, but he sure acts like his mama. That is a 'me-expression' through and through that makes me howl to hear out of a little guy's mouth.

We found a great spot to eat right next to the playground area. Caleb ate the entire grilled cheese I had bought for him & the Bean, which was fine because no matter how hard I tried to make the Bean eat, Joshua was off and running with his friends. I didn't really mind - how could I keep him from enjoying the outdoor playtime with friends? He climbed through the train, slid down the slides and played in the sand with the other boys. I can't believe how well they all got along. They were highly enjoying each other's company! As were us mommies! We talked about fun things to do with the kids and places we want to check out and birthday parties, etc. After we ate, all the kids decided to swing at the same time. There were exactly six kids and exactly six swings. Everyone was happy. The park was shaded and there was a nice breeze, which made up a little bit for the humidity. There was also music in the background since they were setting up for some family festival happening tonight. It looked like it could be fun! We had a great afternoon and after playing some more, we headed out to get some much-needed naps. My favorite funny moment was when Joshua said to me as we left "Let's go get some lunch. I'm hungry!" I had offered him all sorts of food and snacks, and he just wanted to play. When we finally climbed in the car to go home, he was ready for some food. Haaa!!! Hooray for family & friends!

Blessed With Boys

This morning, Joshua told Daddy that he needed a wallet. Then he said he needed a wallet so that he could go to work, just like Daddy. Shawn's wallet is the last thing he grabs in the morning. Shawn looked at the Bean with a tender heart, scooped him up for one last embrace before leaving and told Joshua that some day he wouldn't want to leave and go to work. It was a sweet moment.

Joshua's expressions are just priceless. As I stated before, he picked up "I can't take it!" from me and says it on cue when he's highly frustrated. It works out in his favor, though, because I laugh when he says it and the escalating moods seem to calm themselves.

The other day, Daddy said "hey, dude" to Joshua and the Bean looked up at Shawn and said with a straight face "My name's not Jude, it's Joshua!" Then this morning I asked him what his doll baby's name was, and he thought about it for a second and then said "JUDE!" Haaa!!!

Daddy was also telling Joshua that they have the same middle name. I often sing silly songs to the boys and this morning I sang, "Momma loves her Joshua Bean...and her Caleb Luke" and Joshua said "No, Momma, my name is Joshua Doug-o-las" (which sounded a little like his "choc-o-let"). I giggled, and then with a straight face told him that he's right - his name is Joshua Douglas Good. He smiled and said "yes, and I'm two years old and my birthday is September 18." I smiled back. He's a charmer, that one!

Joshua repeats everything like a parrot, which I realize is how he grows and learns more vocab, etc. But, that can also make for awkward moments. For example, today at the park a mom was yelling at her son. I forget the poor boy's name, but it was something like Jacob Allen. The mom screamed "JACOB ALLEN" and without missing a beat, Joshua screamed in the same tone right after her "JACOB ALLEN!" My friend Kristen cracked up. I didn't know what to say...

I have so many other funny moments I could write about, but it's Shawn turn for the PC. So, I will end here, smiling at how cute both my boys are...and feeling like a blessed Momma. God has been so good to us! Here are two Psalms from my recent Bible study that sum up my feelings for tonight:

Psalm 127

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are sons born in one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 128

1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within your house;

your sons will be like olive shoots

around your table.
4 Thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.
5 May the LORD bless you from Zion

all the days of your life;

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,
6 and may you live to see your children's children.

Peace be upon Israel.

CT Scan NORMAL

Dr. Tifft called me today to say that Caleb's CT scan results were normal. He explained that that means specifically that there is no bleeding on his brain - the eyes rolling were not caused from an injury to his brain that caused it to bleed. The pediatrician said he'd like to wait and continue to observe Caleb. If he doesn't roll his eyes anymore, that's good. If he does, that will mean we need to go for an EEG. I haven't seen any more of them, and the doctor said even if they're happening and lasting less than a second and I'm missing them, that's okay. He's mostly concerned about whether Caleb is unconscious or not, at this point. So, it will be important to observe him and see what happens. I have complete peace that they are gone and that God has healed our son. Praise the Lord!

CT Scan Scheduled

Just a quick entry to let all you blog-readers out there know that Caleb's CT Scan is scheduled for tomorrow at 2:40 pm at Lancaster General Hospital. I'm so thankful to have such an excellent hospital so close to home! The scheduler told me that they no longer sedate little guys under 18 months of age. Instead, he will be "bundled." I can't imagine how that will go, so please pray for him. It's in the afternoon, so maybe he will be sleepy enough that it won't be a problem??? In saying that, the sedation was the original hesitation with scheduling the CT Scan in the first place, so maybe that's God's answer to prayer that the scan is worthwhile and not 'risky' in any way. I will update more later if I have time!!! Keep Caleb Luke in your prayers.

Another Day to Celebrate!

Seven years ago today, my niece Grace was born, the first grandchild of the family. She was born while we were at Missy & Kevin's wedding. So, today they are also celebrating seven years...of marriage. :) Happy birthday and happy anniversary! Hope this day and year is wonderful!!!

Lil' Caleb Luke

On Tuesday morning while Caleb was eating breakfast, I noticed him rolling his eyes. It sort of scared me, but I didn't want to make a big deal of it because I remembered the pediatrician saying that Joshua continued to bang his head because of our initial reaction, which he kept looking for thereafter. When Nonie picked up the boys, she saw it too. And Caleb did it while she was giving him a snack at her house. In fact, Jordon tried to imitate it.


I called the pediatrician, just to see if they would say this is normal (I had never seen the Bean roll his eyes yet, so I wasn't sure). Caleb had been kind of cranky that morning, so I didn't think he was amusingly trying to show me something. Still, I wasn't sure. The nurse told me that he should be checked out "just in case" and that I should try to bring him in the next day. Okay, I thought. I got an appointment with Dr. Tifft, who I really liked seeing with Joshua. He's hard to get to see since I think he was one of the ones who started the practice and every mom seems to love him. One thing I like about Dr. Tifft is that he doesn't jump to conclusions or overreact. In fact, he typically seems to think everything is within a range of normal. Joshua was never behind to him, etc. Sometimes I'm looking for more of a diagnosis than "that's within a range of normal," but I really like his personality while checking the kids and since I can be overparanoid, someone who is underparanoid is probably safest for me.


The next morning, Caleb's eyes rolled back into his head again at the breakfast table. He got totally pale, and I felt that he wasn't doing it on his own. Still, I wasn't sure, and I was glad I had made the appointment to have him looked at.


We got right in to see the doctor. Caleb weighs 20 lbs 6 oz, and is now in the 15% for weight. This fact is wild to me, who thinks he looks so much bigger than Joshua. And, Caleb eats all the time! But, maybe 15% is normal for kids this age? Who knows? The doctor asked me a ton of questions, some of which I couldn't answer. Did Caleb stop rolling his eyes if we screamed or grabbed his arms? I was trying not to overreact, so I didn't know. Did Caleb convulse in any other way? No. Did it stop his activity or did he continue to eat while he was rolling his eyes? It interuppted his activity. Was he being playful or silly? No, he was a crab-apple that morning. What was happening during every episode? How many times had it occured throughout the day? I wasn't sure because he had been away much of the day. Had he hit his head recently? Had his coordination changed? At this point, Caleb took a sideways step like a drunken sailor, and Dr. Tifft said "still pretty uncoordinated, eh?" Haa! The questions continued. I did my best to answer them.


Then Dr. Tifft looked at Caleb's eyes, in his ears (which were normal, but he had been pulling on them before), etc. The doctor then talked to me. Children can't roll their eyes on their own at this age. Or he would be "extremely advanced." He could see someone Joshua's age being advanced and rolling their eyes, but it typically doesn't happen until they're about three or older. So, he didn't think Caleb was voluntarily rolling his eyes as a new discovery. On the other hand, the only other explanation was seizures. And, since Caleb wasn't uncontrollably moving otherwise, he wasn't sure that this was the case. Was it a "minor irritation of the brain" from a recent fall (Caleb is a bit uncoordinated and does fall from time to time, but I didn't think he had ever hit his head hard enough to warrant a doctor's visit), which would cause a small seizure? Dr. Tifft wasn't sure. He didn't think there was a good explanation. So, he asked me to observe Caleb for a few days. Could we snap Caleb's eyes back into focus by trying to grab his attention? When did they happen? What did they look like? Did they stop? He wanted to know everything, as soon as anything happened. If nothing happened, he still wanted to know.


So, I waited. And I prayed. And I worried. And I tried to give it to God. So, I prayed. And then I'd take it back and worry. And I waited. I haven't seen it since. Caleb's crabby mood continued for a few days. There were a few times that he would be sooo upset that I couldn't console him, and he was arching his back and pulling his hair. I feared that his head ached. Normally I would wonder, does he have a belly ache? Does he have a tooth ache? Then I remembered him screaming like that in the afternoon when Nonie was here, and we both wondered if he was getting a tooth. I was scared. Normally I try not to read so much into every detail of life. Then I wondered if I should have been reading more into different things. I could have pulled my own hair out! I gave myself a stomach ache with worrying. I know God is in control. I know He loves Caleb even more than I do. I know that children are a blessing from God; sons, a heritage from the Lord (Psalms 127:3-5). I've been telling myself all the Scripture I can recall about not worrying. And I haven't seen anything since. That drove me craziest of all, because seeing another episode would really show whether or not it was a seizure.


I called the doctor Friday morning and left a message to call me. I had talked to Nonie about what she saw and told the pediatrician what she had said when he called me back just after lunch time. I told him about his crying fits, and I told him I hadn't seen a thing since and he had become more chipper... in fact, the last few days he'd been his normal, easygoing, extremely happy self. After listening, the doctor said, given all the information, he still would recommend a CT scan of his brain. He hates to sedate little guys with anesthesia for 'no reason' but he thinks this is enough reason to check things out and be sure. I felt relieved. And scared, honestly. I'm glad the doctor isn't letting it go; on the other hand, my worry is creeping up like weeds. I keep giving it to God. Last night, I gave it to Him all night as I couldn't sleep. Literally, I saw 3...4...5...and 6 when Joshua came into our room (why don't children know that it's a weekend and they can sleep in?).


Dr. Tifft's office was supposed to call me back with the time for the test. I called his office at 4:45 to see if they had forgotten us, and the gal told me that Dr. Tifft was seeing patients until 5 pm and would probably call me after that time. However, she said it may take a day or two to schedule anesthesia & the CT Scan, etc. So, if he didn't call by Monday morning, she said I should call back. And, there's been no call. I was hoping for one even today, but nothing. Now the waiting is nearly killing me. If they think it's something serious with his brain, why does it take so long, I wonder? But again, God is the great physician. He knows what timing is meant to be for Caleb. I haven't seen the little guy be upset since or do anything out of the ordinary, so then I wonder if maybe the test isn't needed after all? But then I think, what can it hurt? Then we would know for sure. I'm just so thankful he's been happy, alert, enjoying life, etc. Please keep him in your prayers!!!

Play time memories

I can't remember when I last posted. I wish I could steal away a few more minutes a day to post stories to the blog. It just seems to take enough time that I let it go for days on end, and then I inevitably miss posting about some cutenss here or there. For example, Caleb is now enthralled by the Stanley the Stinkbug book that Joshua wouldn't be without just a few weeks ago (he loves just about any book he gets his hands on these days). Joshua reminded me about naming one of the random "background" bugs 'Joshua.' Everytime we turn to that page, he says "Look, there's Joshua!" It makes me giggle. He's such a ham! The boys are both loving Joshua's hat collection. Caleb loves to get into them and bring them all out, but he's not too sure about having them on his head yet. Joshua is the opposite. He LOVES wearing them, yet he hates the mess that Caleb makes in dumping them all over his bedroom floor. I'm so thankful that Joshua likes to help clean up! He's also such a great big brother at times. I love these pictures below: in the first one, Joshua is helping Caleb get his hat back on; in the second, Caleb is asking for help again. Sooo sweet!On Wednesday, my friend life group friend Melanie and her daughter Abby stopped in with lunch - fresh homemade pasta salad with fresh veggies. It was delicious! Unfortunately they couldn't stay long since they had another appointment and so did I for little Caleb Luke, which I will post about in a separate entry. It was great to see them both!Thursday, we were invited to a play date at my MOPS friend Margie's house. It ended up being Becca & her daughters and Margie and her son Henry (who Joshua lovingly called "Heng-ry") and us, which was a nice small group. I did try to prop my feet up as much as possible, and it was soooo nice to be out of our house. Much as I love it, it does get tiring to see the same proverbial four walls of our home. While we were there another MOPS gal Beth brought me dinner for the night: homemade macaroni & cheese (which was AMAZING!), peas and chocolate cookies. It was sooo sweet. By the time that night rolled around, my legs were swollen and sore from being up more than usual, and having dinner all ready was awesome.We had a lot of fun at the play date. I just love those girls! It's interesting to hear their stories and be able to relate as moms. I feel blessed to have gotten to know them over this past year! After we ate dinner that night, mom invited us over to swim. I thought maybe this would be good for me, allowing me to get out and get some pressure off my legs. Joshua once again loved swimming in his floaties and Daddy let him swim all over this huge pool. Caleb didn't want to leave my side, though, so I didn't swim all that much. It was still nice to be outdoors.When we got home, Daddy got the boys a snack before bed time while I took a quick shower. When I got out, I heard him telling the boys (particularly Joshua) a story. It made me laugh, and Joshua was eating it up! "Once upon a time (emphasized)...there were three bears, a daddy bear, a momma bear and a baby bear..." then came Goldi-locks, etc. It was very much a shortened "Daddy" version of the story, but Joshua tried repeating it and did pretty well. I love hearing "once upon a time" and "happily ever after" from the Bean. Sooo cute!Joshua woke up Friday morning with a voice that sounds like he could actually lose it at any point. Was it pool water??? It sounds so cute! He's been absolutely LOVING his new desk, and he likes to sit there and color with his 'magic' markers that only color on the 'magic' paper. He also doesn't like when Caleb wants to climb up there and take his markers. This week I got out the books of numbers for Joshua learn to recognize numbers. He knows how to count, but he doesn't recognize all the numbers like he does his letters. He knows many of them, but there are still some to learn.

Friday around lunchtime, my lifegroup friend Angie stopped in with her two girls. She had a Papa John's pizza with her, some fresh cucumber all sliced up (how did she know I loved them?!?!), bananas and icecream sandwiches. She didn't stay long since they were going camping, but the boys & I feasted on our lunch, which was awesome. Joshua ate a whole slice of pizza, a banana and an icecream sandwich. Caleb ate two slices of pizza and half my icecream sandwich. I ate a slize of pizza and the cucumbers and half an icecream sandwich. It was divinity! I've felt so blessed with our family & friends bringing us food, etc. I still can't believe how sore my right leg is still! Please heal it, God! Please let me exercise again and enjoy being outside with the boys, etc!

Last night, we stopped in at Grandma's and checked out her new Wii Fit. It was fun! Shawn & I played a bowling game while Mom kept track of the boys. Joshua thought watching this match was hysterical. Caleb enjoyed eating Grandma's grapes. Both Shawn & I bowled over 100 each game. He beat me everytime (big surprise...ha!), but we had a great time. We came home and put the boys to bed and laid in bed, both with our aches and pains and laughing at somehow going from 30 to 130. At least we're together! It's been a fun week with my boys.