Men in Training

Two days ago, Caleb started saying his name... well, close to his real name. He says "Tay-leb." I think it's great, but each time his little mispronunciations go away, I realize how much he's growing and no longer a baby.

Caleb is started to REALLY like Thomas. The other day we when we were eating dinner outside, we heard a train blow its horn and Caleb said "Hi, Thomas!" He was SO excited. Joshua also still enjoys his trains, but not as much as he once did I would say. I can tell they are both growing. How I wish I could hold onto these years forever! I remember when I was younger wishing I was older... I wished I was old enough to drive, then I wished I was 21 and could go anywhere I wanted, etc. Now instead of wishing life would go faster, I wish it would slow down a little.

Yesterday, we played at Aunt Jen's house in their backyard. The kids enjoy spending time together. I love how Caleb says 'Dan man' - he enjoys playing with Daniel while Joshua has been enjoying time with Emma. I think you always gravitate toward the one who's just a little older than you. We enjoyed the play time. Then last night Shawn surprised me by getting the babysitter lined up by himself and picking a restaurant on his own. We dined outdoors at Marion Court, where my high school reunion will be held in a couple weeks. We both enjoyed salads that were amazing (I would definitely go back) and then we used a coupon we had for buy-one-get-one-free ice cream creations from Maggie Moos. It was a nice date night.

I was charging the camera batteries so I didn't take any pictures yesterday, but these are from the weekend. They're wearing their 'men in training' t-shirts from Ma-maw with their plaid shorts, enjoying outdoor time riding bikes, coloring the driveway with chalk and drumming.

Do you recognize this face?

Here's another photo Joshua took...

A Fun Rainy Day

Sometimes rainy days can be a bit boring since we can't play outside. But not yesterday! We had had such a busy weekend that I decided some fun activities were needed to start the week. I started with letting the boys get dressed later than normal. It didn't really matter since we weren't going anywhere. So, Joshua is wearing his PJ's in these pictures, but he eventually got dressed around lunchtime, I think.

The first game we played was the 'rhythm' game. I dug out a few different types of containers and a couple wooden spoons to add to our collection of drum sticks, and we would sing. The faster the song, the faster we'd play the' drums.' The slower the song, the slower we'd play our drums. Joshua LOVED it! Caleb wasn't so sure, even though he typically likes drumming. So, once we were done, I told them it was time for a fun water game.

We played 'sink or float.' I filled the bathtub up with a couple inches of water (although to do this again, I think I'd find a smaller tub to use since it was a bit of a waste of water). Then, we found things from around the house to guess whether or not they would sink or float. Most everything that we chose to use (including a hair spray bottle & lotion, wooden spoons, Tupperware, a tractor, and various toys) floated! They kept guessing one way or the other, and I was surprised at some things that floated. Only one little toy filled up with water and sank to the bottom.

Next, we got out the potato heads and made various creatures. (On a side note, Joshua asked me for a dog last night. My heart sank, until I realized he meant the fake 'slinky dog' from Toy Story. Yeah!!!). The Bean asked me to get a picture of his potato head. He always uses the same pieces for the nose, feet, mouth, ears and arms. Every time he picks those pieces with care (even though there are several options). I think it's adorable.

We listened to a Sunday School Songs CD that my friend Suz had given us throughout the morning, and I read the entire Thomas book to Joshua and Stanley Stinkbug at least five times to Caleb. We also played Joshua's Candy Land Castle game. Caleb also colored, and last night Daddy & I put together their train tracks again that had been wrecked on Sunday. I think Joshua also played some Wii with Daddy that night (I couldn't seem to operate it earlier in the day, which I'm sure was user error). I also asked him to go down the stairs using both feet rather than leading with just one, and he did. All the activities made our raining-off-and-on day much more bearable. (And, now that you see Caleb's outfit, can you picture him putting his hands inside and saying 'pockets!' ... haaaaa!!!).

The Bluke & the Bean

This picture is of Joshua walking with me to the park on Thursday. Both boys had been in the stroller, but Joshua asked to get out and walk. They both love their little cups from Ma-maw & Pa-paw Ginder (which is hanging around his neck in this picture since that's how he wanted to carry it rather than leave it in the stroller).

Caleb can say everyone else's name but his own. When asked his name, he'll often say 'JOSH!' or 'Dadda' but eventually says 'blah bluke' (or how he hears Caleb Luke) and now it's become just 'Bluke.' If you try to take something of his, he'll say "Bluke's" XYZ. It is absolutely adorable. So, now we have the Bean and the Bluke.

Yesterday, Caleb wore a pair of bib overalls and all day long he kept putting his hands inside the bibs themselves (so on top of the shirt but underneath the entire shorts part) and saying "pocket" and walking around like that. It wasn't really his pockets, but I cracked up every time he did it. He is such a cutie pie!

My boys are so different! Caleb LOVES to swing. Joshua doesn't. Joshua loves to slide. Caleb doesn't - but I realized on Thursday as I slid down with Joshua (at his request) that the slides are HOT! No wonder Caleb dislikes it! Yikes! It's not just the height. At Aunt Jen's house on Friday, Caleb did slide down after a few times of me holding his hands to do so. He seemed to enjoy it okay at the end. Joshua LOVED it!

Both boys enjoyed Aunt Jen's hammock on Friday morning. She has a great yard, shaded by a big tree, and lots of toys. They had fun playing with their cousins and we sang "My God is SO BIG! so STRONG & so MIGHTY, there's nothing my God cannot do..." They enjoyed the hand motions, too. Speaking of songs, lately when I ask Caleb what song he wants me to sing before bed, in addition to his favorite 'God song' (or Step by Step by Rich Mullins) his new pick is "Wonderful." "Isn't He wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?" So cute as they have favorites. Well, gotta run to take the Bluke & the Bean to Ma-maw's so I can go to a brainstorming session. More later!

Rest for the Weary

I had a neat experience last week that I thought I'd share here. On Thursday, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with things that needed accomplished. From cleaning the house to yard work to watching my niece the following day to preparing for something Saturday to trying to finish a project I'd started last year, and so on and so on. I was literally feeling edgy that afternoon. I hadn't woken up in time to work out that morning, so that was on my to-do list and yet I just didn't feel like I would ever get time to finish everything that needed done on time... I was beginning to panic.

That's when I felt that voice telling me to come and rest. Exchange yokes. Relax a little. It didn't make any sense to me. REST? I needed to WORK! I had things that needed to be done! My list was growing! But, I felt like God was telling me that unless I calmed down about everything, I was going to be useless and fighting an uphill battle. I re-evaluated and realized nothing had to be done that day. So, I followed the instructions. I skipped my workout that day. I didn't clean the house while the boys napped. I did a whole lot of nothing. I put my feet up. I even fell asleep for a bit. I felt rejuvenated. No one died because I sat down. While nothing else was accomplished, I felt like God was telling me to throw away the list and create a new, prioritized one.

That night Shawn mowed the yard. Grandma stopped by and while the boys played outside, we pulled some more weeds (thanks mom!). I played a little piano while she was there. She just swung by to see the kids. The yard still needs work but it's not the worst in the neighborhood by any means.

The next morning I woke up by 6 am and was out the door for my jog. When I got home, I got a shower and started my day early. As the boys ate breakfast, I made a casserole (which was on my to-do list to make sure some ingredients we had didn't go bad). We then left and played outside at my sister's house with Ma-maw and the kids she was babysitting. We had a fun morning and then went and picked up Faith after her school was done and I watched her here. I fed them all lunch and then we played outside some more. While her & Joshua were playing Wii and Caleb was happy, I worked on another project in the same area with them, playing more piano as well.

By the time she left at 2:30, my kids were EXHAUSTED! They slept until 5 pm and in the meantime, I cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. I scrubbed all three bathrooms and all three potty seats, dusted, cleaned the leather furniture, wiped down the kitchen, swept and mopped all three floors, etc. I even baked an apple pie in the meantime. I had gotten so much done that we decided to invite friends over to enjoy the casserole with us. Shawn finished vacuuming when he got home so I could get changed out of my work clothes and look a little nicer. We enjoyed dinner, company and playing outside some more.

The rest of the weekend was just as productive. We got done everything we needed to do on time (well, I was finishing making a meal for a friend who just had a baby when our life group friends showed up, but I was less than 10 minutes behind on my schedule).

I learned a lesson that day. For the most part, I learned that I can't freak out. God knows what we need. And He'll take care of us. He'll help us. I think there is DEFINITELY time to work. In Proverbs it says about a little rest, a little folding of the hands, and poverty comes on you like a bandit. I don't think there's anything wrong with working hard. But, my focus had been off. When I took some time to relax and focus on God, the rest (no pun intended) fell into place. So, my point of the story is that God is good! I needed rest, and I got some and I still finished my projects. Glory to Him!

Lastly, the above picture was one taken by the Bean. I have sooo many funny ones from him. :)

WHAT!?!?!

The first time Caleb shouted "WHAT!?!?!" at something we said, we howled. It was perfect timing and we repeated it for days afterward. He's a ham and just too stinkin' cute! But now, if we try to discipline him or tell him to do something he doesn't agree with, he says "WHAT!?!?!" For example, Daddy would say 'please don't bang your cup on the table and make it splash' and Caleb (extremely loudly and with a cute, inquisitive but slightly devious face) would reply "WHAT!?!?!" Originally we would repeat what we'd said and he would give us the same response. Daddy still grins; I've said "you heard me" or "you know what!" only to get the EXACT SAME RESPONSE. It's all but maddening now. But oh, so many times this expression made us both crack up that it was too much a part of the past week or so not to share on the blog. But, the funniness is wearing off, so I'm sure my little one will come up with something else to try to shirk his discipline. ;-) He's just a cute lil' bugger!

The Color Purple

Saturday afternoon, the boys & I were coloring in the office. Joshua told me his favorite color was purple. He said he liked it better than yellow, pink or green. I said okay, thinking I never really knew before what his favorite might be. As I was asking him, do you like it better than X color, he would say "oh, yes!" Then he said he liked blue better than purple. So, I thought blue must be his favorite. As I continued to ask, he liked blue better than purple, pink, brown, black, green, orange, etc. But when I got to red, he said he liked red better than blue. What?!?! So, again I asked him and he liked it better than all the other colors, except when I got to purple. Then he liked purple better.

So, Joshua likes blue better than purple, red better than blue and purple better than red. If you can figure that out, be my guest! Since red & blue make purple, I'm going to guess that purple is his favorite, MAYBE! Silly Bean!

Happy 44-month birthday, Joshua!

Tuesday, May 18, Joshua turned 44-months old. He definitely is no longer in that toddler age but definitely more of a big kid stage. He even puts his shoes on by himself these days and can get undressed and dressed by himself. He doesn't always want to (he LOVES the attention of being helped), but he can do tasks like these that he didn't use to be able to do.

Right now, Joshua LOVES Toy Story, especially Buzz Light Year. This has lead to him using a 'laser' on everything, and at times it drives me crazy because even though it's technically a light, the idea behind it is shooting people, I think. But, Shawn said he's a boy and needs a new way to express frustration. The other day we left the house and it was raining outside, so Joshua whipped out the laser on his arm and tried to get the rain drops that were making his head wet. That one made me smile. He also says "to infinity and de-yond" all the time. (Caleb, on the other hand, has an affection for Woody, who he calls Boody).

Unfortunately, Joshua still tells us his belly aches pretty often and is still having difficulties with digestion. I'm anxiously awaiting our follow-up appointment and am considering calling sooner to get him seen again. Is this normal for a kid his age? Please pray for him!!!

Here is Joshua making his dinosaur face. In fact, he gave me the camera and said "get one of me acting like a dinosaur." Shortly thereafter, he asked for the camera and took lots of pictures of me, Caleb, his toys, the walls and many others of blurry nonsense. He's an artist!

Joshua has enjoyed playing with his Leapster2 from Grandma and especially likes the Toy Story game where he helps the toys by selecting only letters or numbers, etc. He also loves to play the Wii with Daddy, Caleb or his cousins. He's better at it than I give him credit for, I think. The Bean also LOVES to play outside, and now that the weather is getting nicer, we've been walking to the park more and more, where he goes down the slide. He also asks to walk on occasion and will run ahead but stop at landmarks I give him. I'll tell him to run to the red mailbox or the big tree or something else in the area and he will patiently wait for Caleb & I to join him. It amazes me how he listens at times. I can see growth in him in that area.

We've also been talking lately about forgiveness, and I think it's starting to sink in. The other day, Caleb did something (I can't even remember now), but afterward Caleb said "Sorry, Josh" and Joshua immediately said back "I forgive you, Caleb" and they kissed and hugged. It was a special moment for me as a mom, which I've witnessed many times since (maybe because I made such a big deal over it). I want them to know how to say sorry and forgive others. What an important life lesson!

On Joshua's 44-month birthday, we went to our last MOPS session of the year. Caleb cried when we dropped him off, but Joshua happily went to his room where they sang songs and decorated crafts. He had a great time, and I think Caleb did fine, too, since he was playing when I picked him up. Us mommas enjoyed socializing and eating an amazing breakfast prepared by the steering team members.

When we got home, we played for a little bit with Aunt Erica & Aunt Missy before they left to take Aunt Erica to the airport. Both boys were sad to see her go. Joshua told me that he was going to get a rope and lasso down the plane from the sky (where does he come up with this stuff?). We told him that Erica was going on Jeremy the airplane back to Florida to see Ma-maw and Pa-paw. Thinking about it, he then asked why he couldn't go along to see them, too. He didn't want her to go and him be left behind. As she started to cry, we all did. Caleb, in the meantime, was clinging to Missy, which he pronounces a little closer to Mimi. Both boys enjoy their aunts.

The boys are wearing shirts from Grandma in these pictures - aren't they cute? We ate homemade chicken corn noodle soup that night since it was raining out. I got it out of the freezer, where I had put the last batch I made. I must admit, it's better fresh rather than frozen. But, it still wasn't bad on that cold, rainy night. Happy 44-month birthday, my precious boy!

Weekend at Bernie's

Saturday, we called Great Grandma Kennel fairly early in the day to see if we could stop by to visit her and let Erica surprise her. Unfortunately, she had plans that day, so we did some shopping with Erica and laid low most of the day. We treated Erica to supper at Caraba's that night, where I told her she should have asked the waiter for his digits, which she declined. After dinner, we called Grandma Kennel again and this time she was home and up for company.

She seemed in good spirits and genuinely surprised to see Erica. Other than a few name mix-ups (which even I do at this point in life), I'd say she was good all around. We snapped a few family shots before Joshua took off with the camera again. Grandma Kennel has a good amount of toys for the boys to play with, thankfully, and they weren't too awful rowdy (maybe a little bit, but they were just being 3 and 1, not necessarily bad). Here are a few favorite pictures from the rest of the evening:

We laughed at the 165 pictures on the camera that Joshua had taken. He had snapshots of Great Grandma's apartment from every angle, pictures of all of us, and even some in my car showing just how dirty it really is (YIKES!).

When we got home Saturday night, we finally went to youtube and looked up the "goin' down the bayou" song from the Princess & the Frog movie. All the kids had danced to it the night we had watched it, and Joshua kept trying to sing it from memory. It started out "growin' down the bayou" and ended up sounding more like "throwin' down the bottle" which made us laugh. He & Caleb danced to it in their jammies that night before bed.

Sunday morning we went to church and Erica chose to stay at our house. The sermon was on what we think we control vs. what controls us. When we give God the keys to our life and all we have, we actually find freedom. The scripture was the wealthy man who refused to give all he had to the poor to follow Jesus. The speaker showed how his money was really in control of him, and his claws were in his possession rather than enjoying freedom in Christ.

That afternoon was life group. I took a power nap, went for a jog and tanning in between church while Shawn & Erica ate lunch and the boys napped. We enjoyed the time with our friends, and we gave the boys a bath when we got home since they had played in the sandbox at the Grube's house. They had SO much fun!

I don't remember that much of Monday either. Aunt Missy came in the morning, and I went tanning as she & Aunt Erica played Hide 'n Seek once again with the kiddos. When I got back, we returned Erica's rental car and then Missy treated us to lunch at Isaac's. The gals went shopping while the boys & I napped that afternoon, and then we all got together for one last dinner at the Texas Roadhouse before Erica's departure the next day. Unfortunately, they split up our group of eleven and didn't seat us close to one another and gave us different servers. One of the servers was good while the other one (ours) was TERRIBLE! She was slow and didn't bring half of what we asked for, and did I mention she was slow? One table was done half an hour before the other. It was a bit of a bummer, but such is life. The food was good and so was the company.

The last night Erica was in town, we all watched 24 together, which is what we had done her first night staying with us, I think.

One other funny story from some time over the weekend: we went by a graveyard near our house, and Erica reminded us how at one time Joshua had said "Dad, look at all those TV's!" So, I said to him, do you see all the TV's when we passed it again, and he said "Those aren't TV's" (so matter-of-factly), "they're chalkboards!" We all laughed. Later they became TV's once again in his mind. He says a lot of funny things, but I don't always think to write them on here. My memory is getting worse and worse!

Fry-Day; Preschool's Last Hurrah!

Friday morning, I woke up early to go for a run before the busy day's activities started. When I got back, my nieces were just waking up. The kids watched some TV as I got my shower, then we got them all dressed and I made them french toast for breakfast. We hurried to get Grace & Faith to school on time!

Erica stayed with the boys while I walked the girls to school (thanks!) and then we packed our lunch and headed to Overlook Park for Joshua's preschool picnic. This was the last official event of the year. I was expecting it to be packed, but the hazy morning kept some folks away, I assume. We saw all his classmates except for Isaiah and both Ethan's. I was a little bummed Joshua didn't see his friend one last time. He was pretty content to play on the motorcycle there, and Caleb loved swinging with Aunt Erica.

Around 11:30, we spread out our blanket and took out our lunch since Joshua said he was hungry. We had packed a variety of food, never knowing what the boys will like. We had ham & cheese sandwiches, pickles, Cooler Ranch Doritos (which another little young man joined our blanket for), chocolate chip cookies, grapes, and carrots with ranch dressing to dip. When we were finished with our lunch, we cleaned up the leftovers and our trash and said our goodbyes to his teachers.

We also stopped to snap a few photos. I was glad Aunt Erica was along since both boys wanted to do different things at different times. I had less to worry about with both of them.

Here's Joshua & Mrs. Ford and then Joshua & Mrs. Hilton. He loved his teachers!

That afternoon they napped and I mowed the grass again. Then when Shawn got home, we ate a quick bite before heading to our friends house. Auntie Erica had dinner plans with a friend, and originally Shawn & I were going to enjoy the beautiful weather and have dinner on our deck. But, the heavens let loose the minute he got home, so we just ate some quick leftovers before going to the Grube's house.

Between all the time Shawn has spent playing the Wii with Erica and Chris, his shoulder is starting to ache. Haaa!!! This last picture of me & Erica was taken by the Bean. Not too bad for a 3-year-old, eh? I was pleasantly surprised. He LOVES the camera. We have some great shots that he took over the weekend, too. But, alas, I must run!