Well the camping trip for Memorial day weekend when great.

We got to the camp grounds at 9:50 in the morning and got the VERY LAST site! Including the tent sites.

We saw a deer and a very small spotted fawn before we even parked the trailer and then about a 1/2 dozen after that. We saw a bunny, chipmunk, and a ferret on leash.

We ate shrimp around the fire. Uncle Brian and Aunt Brittany came up Saturday afternoon. Papa Bill and Grandma Judy came up Sunday and met us at a park and watched the kids play. On Saturday, Caleb's actual birthday, we met Barb, Don, Matthew and Tyler at Chuck E. Cheese. Caleb had a great time! Joshy lost a few pacifiers this weekend, so we had to make a stop at Wal-mart in Burlington. And then on the way home, we stopped in at Barb and Don's for more visiting. Caleb had such a great time he was very sad to leave. He wanted to stay and play.

Caleb jumped right back into preschool this week. The surprising thing is that I think Joshy is just as enthusiatic as Caleb. He marches right in with Caleb and gets in line to wash his hands. And a couple times he has tried to join circle time... It is so cute! The teachers have already labeled him a "real go getter", especially on the playground. He is also very social and waves to people and tries to get their attention. I'm wondering if I should put him in the Two's only class in the fall at this school. I'll have to look into it. I'm sure Joshy will love having an activity and he is already so use to the routine and environment. I will have to make sure that it won't affect Caleb negatively to suddenly have Joshy move in on his territory. But the strange thing is that Caleb often seems to depend on the company of Joshy for social situations, bravery, companionship and all. I remember being that way with my brother; it just seems odd that the older child needs to have help doing something on their own, when he has spent 2 years on his own before Josh ever came along. Josh on the other hand, he has never had time alone and seems like he is bursting out and flourishes when he's finally independent.

Well, time to get Caleb ready for school again. The count down has begun. His last day is a picnic on the 7th! What will I do with that kiddo all summer?! He will have to be kept busy somehow, but in the heat like we had yesterday, I am afraid to let him spend so much time in the scorching sun with his fair skin. And especially since he most often is in the sun, NAKED! Caleb says "Grammy calls me naked boy". Never a truer word spoken.

Talk to you later.

Caleb's Awana Awards night was really neat. It was Caleb's first awards program ever, Awana is the first organized program ever (other than preschool). Caleb was blessed with the presence of Grammy, Papa Dahl, Papa Bill, and Cousin Tessa, in addition to our immediate family.

He had lots of fun, he showed all the grandparents his classroom, and he stood nicely in front of the crowd. He thought he was there to learn more verses and was a little sad when I told him it was an awards night rather than a class night. Caleb won 3 awards. A small bear, a bear pin and a patch for his vest.

So here are a few pictures with the brief moments I have left.

That's all for now, I've got to go to work.

As most of you might know, we are going camping this weekend. So I won't be posting until we get back.

Joshy's favorite words: Owwwwh, and Poo.

He says owwwh for everything. A good deal of the time it is because of a bump, trip, scuff, bonk, push and fall which would mean a valid reason for an owie, often an extremely minor owie. But then there are times that he just says it over and over. I can't figure out if he actually has something wrong that I can't see or whether he just can't think of anything else to say. He knows exactly what it is that he is saying too, and I don't think he's figured out how to cry wolf for attention yet. So I feel like I'm even more on call than usual.

The other word... well, I think that he just plain old learned from big brother. He's bound to have heard it so much that it just came natural. Now he says it all the time; in the morning from his crib he says that and MOM (and he is often correct), but then he says it out the window to the neighbors and the backyard. At home, I just roll my eyes, but out around other people, what do you do? I came up with a solution just this morning. I'm going to start making him carry around a Winnie the pooh bear (or anything). If they were crazy enough to name a children's character that, then I'm desperate enough to use it as a cover for the embarrassing vulgarity of my one and half year old. If I have to invest in shirts with that silly old bear or tie a bear to his hand I think I just might!

Joshy has also gotten VERY good at signing "More". It is his favorite word. More juice, more strawberries, more anything. He also discovered how to open the refrigerator this week. He then knew exactly what he wanted; he climbed up to the top shelf and harvested his own strawberries....again and again. I thought that big brother had been helping him all this time until I found the little stinker with his entire upper body buried in the frig as he dug.

I was going to go and get Caleb's 4 year old pictures today. I sat him down and gave him a haircut and everything. It wasn't until I was done and finally looking at his hair and how it looked on his face that I noticed a big bruise. It happened on Sunday at his party when he ran into a cabinet... I just can't believe I didn't notice it before I endeavored to cut his hair. But now I just don't think I want to immortalize a bruise in portraits. I have to wait until next week to get the pictures taken. I guess there is nothing to do but wait because (especially after the haircut) his hair just won't cover it.

So we don't have plans for today anymore. But that just means we will have to do something else...getting ready for camping this weekend perhaps. The plan is to beat a hasty path to Anacortes on Friday morning. Then of course, come back onto HWY 20 for some shrimp to eat around the campfire! Yummm. I hope there isn't rain forcasted for this weekend. I'm looking forward to poking around town a bit and just taking it easy.

Tonight is Caleb's award night for Awana. I know we have to be very prompt, but I really don't think that we will be there more than 20 minutes. I just want a good picture and a happy proud of himself Caleb!

So that's all for now. Have a great day!

Pictures of Caleb's modified to Spiderman themed room:(Note Buzz Lightyear and ball theme STILL carry on.)

Caleb said thank you again today to me for putting up the Spiderman things in his room. Also, we read close to a dozen books today, and when I looked at the bookshelf to select books, I discovered a Look and Find Spiderman book that we purchased close to a year ago (perhaps even longer). Caleb was delighted. Caleb liked looking for things, but I was surprised that even Joshy found some items too. This is a slightly more difficult book than the Winnie the Pooh versions. I bet that my little book lover, Joshy, will really enjoy the simpler book of Pooh, Piglet and Tigger... and perhaps it will hold hit attention longer.

I took Caleb out on his birthday rollerblades today. He will get the hang of it. He is fine if he just tries to shuffle, not that we get very far, very fast. But he likes to hang on to me and have me pull him, but then he is relying on me and loses his balance. I discovered while we were out that it was set at the largest shoe size (I thought I had seen it on the smallest before we left the house.) So I bet our second time out will be even better. I'm trying to show him how to keep his balance forward and his shoulders over his knees. He'll understand soon.

I weeded the strawberry/blueberry beds this afternoon. I started to have compassion for the choked out berry plants/bushes. I got help weeding, and well, Caleb is not a botanist and a few of the strawberry plants got the worst of it. He then started asking if he can have a strawberry, but they just aren't done yet, although I have berries that are tight and green about the size of a dime or nickle. I can't imagine what this summer is going to be like. I think I'll have to be up at the crack of dawn to get a strawberry, otherwise my 2 little berry munchers are going to beat me to it every day!

Also this evening, we had a silly string war, or rather spraying contest. It didn't last long, but it was a great novelty that Caleb had fun doing. (Mommy and Daddy too.) Joshy then tried to get in on the action; only he dug out the used up can and tried to spray out the last little dribbles. I was surprised that he knew what he was doing without having been shown.

Ok, time to eat.

Well, it's a good thing that Caleb's party was yesterday, because I don't know if it could be pulled off today.

It's become apparent the symptoms that Joshy and I have had that I thought were allergies are a cold/flu. Joshy had a runny nose all week, and one day I was confused as whether he spit or threw up, he has had a decreased appetite, and the started a cough. I started coming down with a runny nose yesterday, by the evening I was beat. Today is even worse. No fever or nausea, luckily. But I can't imagine Joshy has felt good for a few days. I'm hoping that Caleb doesn't get sick. I can't handle two sick kids, especially when I am sick myself. Sick kids don't stay in bed and rest like adults do. I wish they would because two sick kids rough housing with each other is a difficult whiny circumstance.

On the bright side, Caleb and Joshy are keeping busy with all of Caleb's new toys. They might fight a bit over them, but they are keeping busy. Joshy really likes his little spiderman. He was telling me all about it this morning. Caleb his in love with all his toys, he rotates which he plays with every 15 minutes or Jockey grabs it and then he moves on to the next.

Last night Caleb was still excited about the Spiderman theme. He had me hang up the banner, poster and a table cloth in his room. The table cloth from Grammy's present was so large it is tacked onto the ceiling like a canopy. He is really enjoying it... and it was alot cheaper to put those things up than to convert all the decorating/bedding to a new theme. Just another example of how kids are made happy with the simplest things, and how blessed we are to have our easily made happy Caleb. And Caleb was truly appreciative. Last night he came home and said thank you for all his gifts again.

Joshy had a great time yesterday too. He really liked being around everyone. He liked playing and having the freedom to run around and explore. He sat with many people and just talked or enjoyed the whole environment. He truly is a social little kiddo. He is getting very talkative too.
I'm sure he'll have a fantastic time when his birthday comes around. And we hope to see all the family gathered around having such a friendly, relaxed time again too. Perhaps birthdays come around just to provide good excuses at set times to get together and see family. (That's better than the other reason, just markers to prove you're getting old.)

Well, that's all I have strength for as I write on Mike's lap top from bed. I'll put a picture up of Caleb's spiderman room additions later.

We have celebrated Caleb's Birthday PARTY DAY!

We had a great time and he really is VERY happy. I'll drastically paraphase the events because to be quite honest, I'm exhausted! FIRST, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME, WHO HAD FUN, WHO BROUGHT FOOD, and WHO LOVE MY SON. And and HUGE THANK YOU for your generousity to Caleb, or as he calls himself "P. A . S. Big Boy", not that any of us know what the PAS stands for!

Caleb decided he wanted a Spiderman birthday party. I had 19 hours (8 of which were sleeping hours, though I wasn't asleep anywhere near that much) to shop, plan, and decorate a newly themed Spiderman birthday. Today I feel like a successful parent because I think I pulled it off to my little Caleb's delight. He had a custom made Happy Birthday web, a plastic tablecloth cut into 3 banners, balloons (one of which was cleverly, if I do say so myself, transformed from a red basketball into a web with a spider on each side), a spiderman poster/game and spiderman toys as gifts (thanks in large part to the lucky finds at the $ store.) He was so very excited to see Donovyn his Best Friend and the first thing he exclaimed was Look at my Spiderman party! That excitement made it all worth it! They spend half the party running around playing tag or playing with the toys in Daycare... which is really wonderful that we have the day care to play in rather than penting up everyone in a tiny living room at our house. P.S. It rained today., so having this facility available was priceless.


Caleb really was smothered in Spiderman gifts, which a completely ironic blessing considering we hadn't really gotten the word out that he was into Spiderman. Some people just know little boys.... Thanks Uncle Mel and Aunt Rene and Donovyn. And Caleb is thrilled with everything else that he got and is in a dizzy whirl trying to play with them all at once!

Caleb finished up his party activities with a swim in the pool with Cousin Tessa, Aunt Kristina, Uncle Ryan, Daddy and Jockey while Mommy cleaned up. He had such a wonderful time, and I think it is safe to say that he will sleep tonight!

I can't think of all the details right now, so I'll just post pictures...

Caleb in his new Spiderman shirt.
Lastly, for those interested... The AWANA awards night is this Wednesday, 23rd VERY PROMPTLY (even come 5-10 minutes early) at 6:30pm. Caleb's CUBBIES class goes first so you don't want to be even a minute late. I am told that he will be getting about 2 awards. I don't promise individual recognition of Caleb, it could just be done as a group. I have to be there, and I wanted to give those interested at least the option to come if they wished.
GOOD NIGHT!

Hello,

Tomorrow we are celebrating Caleb' birthday. We are hoping for good weather and are planning on putting up the jumpy house. I can't wait to see Caleb and Joshy on it. It's been 9 months since they have used it and obviously they have developed skills in that time that will make them use it better, especially Joshy. Caleb decided at the 11th hour that he wants a spiderman themed party! At 7:30 the night before! None of the stores have that theme in party accessories, so a couple small gifts will have to suffice. And some "Silly string" webs. (By the way, Grandma Bishop, your gift got switched to a Spiderman game for that V. Smile rather than the Toy Story.... I think you understand. And Thanks!) I'm fine with spiderman, but I am not ok with the inherent violence that comes with a "good guy" needing and "adversary" to fight. It's a fine line.

Joshy used the potty! That's right. And he didn't just use it, he told Daddy that he needed to and then they went upstairs and were successful. For a tyke that is great holding it until you're in the correct location! I'm so surprised. Although he has been facinated with putting on Caleb's big boy underwear. I have had to resort to putting them on over his diaper; it only takes a mommy once to forget that's all he is wearing for her to learn.

Joshy is talking even more. And he is even signing things too because we don't always understand fast enough for him. He's picked up "juice" in both word and signing this week.

The report on Caleb's Parent-Teacher conference: He is a pleasure to have in class, they really enjoy having him there. (Boy, did that sound cliche.) They have a check list that they sit down and run through with the child a few times a year. Caleb didn't have a previous checklist to compare for improvement, so I just had a basic report. Results: They hadn't seen any "self-help" activities, like zipping his own coat. So I will have to work on him on that. (At home we are working at other do-it-yourself things, mostly involving TP because I would much rather zip a coat up than that other thing until he's 6!) He knew most his colors, but not brown, black and purple. I know he gets black and white mixed up, but if you ask any artist, technically those are pigments/colors. I guess the Uno game he is in love with doesn't have purple cards. He knew some letters, bear in mind he came into the class mid-year and he missed all the previous lessons on those letters. Numbers, he can count 1-5, and they would like to see him go a little higher. Which is funny because this Tuesday he said 7-10 all by himself. So it could be just this one day the items he had the focus to display, which is like having just one snapshot out of an entire montage of pictures. The other thing that they wanted him to work on is cutting with scissors. They said that he held the scissors great, and moved them well, but when they drew a line on the page and told him to follow it, he was off. (mind you only by 1/2" at the most, but it is something they noted that he could brush up on.) We discussed that he is enrolled for a 3-day a week program for the fall which is classified as a Pre-K rather than just Preschool. I asked if he was ready for that and they said yes with full confidence. I was glad to hear that because I never want him in a situation that he is in over his head. They said that he likes a little girl Madeline. (Aka Maddy, is a little, red headed girl that Caleb asked me to help him get introduced to at school one day. She was sitting in the group and he wanted to sit with her. Suddenly some other little boy came up and sat next to her. That didn't stop Caleb, he laid down on his side in between them and wedged himself a place next to her and forced the other boy over. You go kiddo, don't let anyone stand in your way, go after what you want. And I looked at the teacher and she laughed and said that it was starting already.) So everything was great in their report. I did pry out of her, so it really isn't a huge thing if I had to pry it out, that Caleb gets very angry very quickly when he gets frustrated. Most of his frustration is when he can't put something into words, he doesn't know the words or just can't get the structure together to make the statement that he wants. He doesn't do anything bad when he is frustrated, but they have to say calm down lets take it slow and we will help you. I know what they are talking about because I've seen it here at home too. I'm not sure if it is a telling personality feature (like in the future he won't want to push through an activity that is frustrating him) or whether it is just something he is experiencing now since he doesn't have a full grasp of words and sentence structure.

Today the boys played outside. They loved it, and so did I because they took a break from aggravating each other and me. They went down the slides and on the swings and actually shared and played nice WITH each other. I captured this rare event on video so that I can remind myself that it actually did happen and that there is hope for it again in the future. The thing I thought was funny was that the neighbor's maple trees are dropping their seeds. Caleb shouted "Look at all these planes, look at the helicopters"; helicopters are what I called them when I was little.

Caleb is into pretending to be a pirate lately. (Thanks to seeing Peter Pan.) The problem is that he doesn't PRETEND to be mean/bad, he still hits and pushes his brother. I asked him why he was hitting and pushing and he said it was he was a pirate and pirates are mean. I told him that he could pretend to be a pirate but he still had to be nice in real life to his brother.

Joshy might be getting a touch of whatever is going around. He has a runny nose, which could be allergies. He has a few other things which could be allergies all by themselves, but in combination with each other and then a fever too... something might be up with him. But he is handling it well. It hasn't stopped him from getting up at 6:00 in the morning, and unfortunate by-product of our trip to California... or daylight savings and it's just brighter. I guess it would be cruel to make him wear a night mask, but I think about it every time I stumble into his room blurry eyed in the morning.

Speaking of mornings, it comes up faster than I know, which means I have to say Good Night now. TTFN.

Well, since you haven't been notified of any tragedy, then you've probably assumed correctly that we have arrived back safely from California. I don't have time right now to recap the entire trip, so I'll just paraphrase.

We had good flights there and back. We visited Chuck E. Cheese and the Chuck E. Cheese competition (John's Incredible Pizza). We got out for walks/bike rides to the park. We went to Funderland to ride the rides. We hot tubbed and watched cartoons. We were all tired lots, but we got some good time in and the Grandparents Bishop are now well versed in the the kiddo's crazy chaos filled and endearing personalities. Caleb came home saying he missed Sasha, mommy's aunt Sunny's little Chihuahau. Odd, but that is what he said.

Speaking of saying things. Joshy said "want your shirt", "Chuck E. Cheeessse", and "you have bum. Here. (and pat patted it.) Me bum here. (and pat patted his own." I'm shocked that he is saying these long sentences at 21 months! Caleb wasn't saying this much until long after 2. Joshy is also using a strong combination of signing and words to communicate. It is remarkable. He babbles alot, and then out comes sentences. He actually thinks he is talking all the time! Strangely enough, I really do know what he wants or is talking about most of the time.

Upon arriving back into town, I had to begin sewing on Caleb's Awana patches that he had earned so that he could attend that very same Wednesday that we flew back. He's very proud of his patches and he wanted them on his vest so that he could go to his meeting. He had has worked very hard to learn 5 or 6 additional verses to tell his teacher. She was very impressed with him, and guess what, he had finished the book! Before others even! He will have an awards night on the 23rd, I am told he has qualified for something; I'll find out more this Wednesday and let you know. Perhaps the Grandparents are interested in stopping by for this event. (6:30 on the 23rd in Monroe.)

The very first day back I had to take Caleb to Preschool, go to work and then go back to a "Mother's Day Tea" held by the Preschool. Caleb and his class sang songs altered to suit the event. They had prepared cards and special projects to say why they loved their mommys. Per his project, Caleb loves his mommy because she makes him French Toast, Pizza and picks up his toys. Is that a guy or what, food and being cleaned up after. He also made a necklace for me... If I was a clown, it would be the perfect accessory to my wardrobe. As it is, I will cherish it in a file with the card he made.

Caleb has his birthday party coming up, Sunday the 20th at 3:00pm (if you haven't gotten your invitation, sorry it is in the mail or I have emailed it to you, I'm running behind), but feel free to come. But as a result, I'm desperately busy trying to get ready, which is one of the reasons why it's taken me so long to post here. I'm trying to work diligently, so that I'm prepared.

Caleb's school has Parent-Teacher conferences this coming Thursday and I'm more than a little excited and curious to get a real chance to sit down and hear from his teachers how he is doing. I used to think that I would hate having to be drug into the school and participate in things, but I am beginning to see that that is not the case. Caleb is attending school so that he can be in a peer group, and I do hope that I get the report that he is managing well. I guess I'll know more on Thursday.

Well, that's all I have time for. I'll try to get more details from the past week up here soon.