Another week of busy!

Sunday: Grandpa Dahl, Mike and the boys visited the Marymoor Off-leash dog park with Tigger, Zuma and Foster. Grandpa Dahl pushed Josh in the stroller around the whole park. They all had a good time; Tigger the puppy was well behaved, that's something good to report.

Monday: We visited the park and Caleb got to play with his friend Donovyn. Caleb asks about Donovyn almost every day, and it was very nice to, at least one day a week, be able to give him what he asked for, especially when it is something so simple and pure hearted.
Right after our visit to the park, we drove to Grammy and Papa Dahl's house. Caleb would spend the rest of the day, night and most of Tuesday with them. He loves to go there, although he often doesn't want to be left, this time I'm told he didn't want to leave their house when it was time for Daddy to pick him up. Caleb gets to do a bunch of fun things. And Mommy gets to spend time with Jockey. This Monday it was a particular blessing to have just one boy at home; I didn't sleep one minute Sunday night and was more than exhausted!

Tuesday: Just a Josh and Mommy day. It was great to just spend time with Josh and play and teach him things. He is now crawling backward down the stairs. It is amazing to sit on the stairs and see him understand and do "feet first", which is sit down, put his toes of one leg then the other on the stairs and then slide down. He understands! I can see him think and remember what that instruction is. It is amazing. By the end of this week, he was doing stairs any time he wanted. I am still very cautious because the transition from a full stand to a sit and then inching just his legs over the top step is still a wobbly event, I don't want him to accidentally lean the wrong direction and take a tumble.

Wednesday: I'm quite proud of the fact that we walked approximately 3 miles... and by "we" I say me and I pushed the boys in the stroller. We walked to a park and then came back the long way. I think the boys really liked the park. Josh even got out and climbed on some of the play equipment. Josh had such joy, as if he was getting away with something and happy to explore. I really think that Josh wants to spend more time outside just looking and experiencing. Caleb, of course, had to find the only boys on the playground and initiate play. I think that's wonderful that he is outgoing enough to pursue friends and fun.

Thursday: Daddy helped hold Caleb still and Caleb got one of the best haircuts to date. It still isn't perfect, but it sure is cute. It could be that the little guy is cute and the hair is just the frame... But he was very proud of his haircut when Auntie Brittany came over and mentioned it to him. Caleb is now very insistent that he is a "big boy". It is cute, but I keep telling him that big boys use the potty all the time, and they don't have "shirts" and they don't suck their thumbs. I wonder when he really will be a big boy. Caleb is crazy about this potty training thing, and I'm nearly to the end of my patience. I'm starting to withhold juice from him because he KNOWS what he should do and chooses not to use the potty. It's beyond training, he is now able to do what he should and we've now got to treat this like a punishable offense almost. Without freaking him out and and making it a tramatic experience of course.

Friday: It was time to shop for Joshy's birthday presents. I think he will be happy. We got him a couple things that are very unique, age appropriate, interest appropriate for our little guy. I think, in fact, we might have spoiled him a little with 3 toys, a book, and a couple hand held little chew and mouthable toys from Value Village (will be dishwashered of course). But I am trying to remember that Birthdays are for them and therefore they should get more than Christmas which is about Jesus' birth. So for a little guy who won't remember a thing, I think he will be happy. And I will be happy if there is harmony in the ranks when Josh has his own toys that Caleb can't take away and say "mine" because up until now every toy in the house was at one point Caleb. Caleb may not play with a toy for a year but he hasn't understood the transfer of ownership. I think this will be a decade long problem. But we'll do what we can affordably avert it.

Caleb is amazing. I know, every mom says that about their own child. But let me tell you why I say it about Caleb this time. I will be going in for an operation. I had a little pamphlet that had pictures/drawings of the internal organs and examples of gall stones etc. I had eariler explained to him in kid lingo that I would go to the doctor and he would take the "owie" out of my tummy and that he can't jump on Mommy. I showed him my c-section scar and told him that mommy would have more of those. He seemed ok with it. And of course he was sweet and prayed over me that Jesus would make me feel better. (I love it when he says "Jesus in your heart, make you better {or feel better}.) But later he was picking up my pamphlet and at first I just didn't want him to crumple/rip it. However, I decided to open it and show him. I was very nervous at showing him the pictures of the internal organs. I was shocked at how he wasn't scared or freaked out about seeing something about the inside of our bodies. I showed him the picture of the gall bladder, and the picture of the little "rocks" in the gall bladder and tried to explain, still in a kid lingo, the events that would take place. I even showed him about the little "places" where they go in to get the "owie". He was almost, dare I say, facinated. I told him that Jesus makes doctors really smart and they are the ones Jesus makes help people feel better. After I thought I was done, he points to the picture and asks me to tell him another story! Can you believe that! So I had to tell him about the stomach. Well, then he wanted another story, so I told him about the intestine. Well, this is where he got a little confused and now thinks that people poop food. So if he ever mentions it, this is where he got it from. I tried to re-explain that the stomach munches the food into little tiny pieces and the whole body uses it to be healthy and grow and only the leftovers are what go into the intestines... but by that point he seemed happily stuck on the notion that we all poop food. Sorry world.
Not to make the blog about me, but the previous paragraph has probably may you wonder. You've probably read between the lines by now, but yes, I will be having gall bladder removal surgery on August 30th, time unknown until the day before. Lapriscopic surgery is planned while I'm under a general anesthetic, of course, if the organ it more difficult to see, remove or the doctor believes it is just safer, a full open surgery is possible and I won't know that until I wake up. I will be going home the same day (if it is lapriscopie), and the estimated recovery is most people return to work between 5-10 days after (longer if it is an open surgery). This is a long overdue surgery, I was misdiagnosed 4 years ago with heartburn. It this is put off I'll be in continuing intense pain and actually risk some significant complications/illnesses/ICU and even mortality. So to avoid all that nastiness we are just going to take care of it. Mike will be taking the 31st off of work to take care of the kids and what ever parts of the 30th is needed. The down side is that this will be Labor Day weekend and I guess there will be no camping for us... What a way to waste a perfectly good weekend. But it can't wait, and the other option would have been a month from now, but as I'm having attacks with increasing pain and frequency (as evident by me being up to blog at 3 in the morning because I'm not able to sleep while in pain or on pain meds), therefore I didn't want to wait. Please pray for an uneventful, standard lapriscopic procedure, that's all I ask for.

Caleb was also cute tonight when I tucked him into bed. I told him good night and that I loved him. He said he loved me, and daddy and Auntie Brittany and Uncle Brian, and "Lotta of People". And then he said that he wanted to love more people. I was awed and smiling at that. I told him that that was good because Jesus wants us to love people. And he of course said "yeah". Then we had night time prayers and it was lights out.

Thank you so SO SO much Auntie Barb and Cousin Nick, Tyler, and Matthew for the Rescue Heros movies. Caleb is in love with them. And it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Caleb is really beginning the boy phase of action and physically showing off and wanting to pretend all at the same time. Because his imagination is greater than his skills (ex: he can't fly), this is the phase that action figures start coming into his interest. Well, Buzz Lightyear has revisited his interest, and the construction workers that have come with some other sets... but Rescue Heros are the PERFECT thing for him. Thank you to the Smalls for opening up this world for him, and it is a good world with a message I can get behind. Rescue Heros are about helping people, overcoming obstacles both physical (trees in the road) and mental (some fears, or pride of doing everything yourself), and safety. Safety is a message that Caleb understands, "Bob says, safety first" and so he can tie all the ideas together. He is really enjoying it all. But I have to say, I think he will become obsessive about it... just the down side to a phase, and every phase has an up and a down size. As long as I remember that, I'll try to keep it all in perspective.

So, not to leave Josh out. Some tidbits about him. Josh is really into climbing. The stairs are great, but he is really into climbing on his little play cube structure. He likes to get up on it and is amazed to see how "tall" he is. He is also really pleased with himself when he climbs up the stairs of the little slide we have. He hasn't quite gotten to the top or to the point to slide down. He will really like it when he does because when I put him on the slide at the park, he really giggled. Josh has been battling a cold for a little while now. Sore throat, cough, runny nose. So the best bet is keep him medicated and make sure he gets his naps. If we do that he is a trooper. He is generally always happy, and just making him comfortable is the best bet.
Josh is an eating machine. He eats a wider variety of food that the 3 year old brother, and he out eats the big brother. He is really trying to get big and being able to play just like big brother. And if I let him, Josh would go outside and help himself to every strawberry ( both red and green) in the patch! It's like a perfect snack and he gets to explore the outdoors too. The strawberries are at his height too. Caleb feeds him the raspberries, but they grow so high that the raspberry picking has been Caleb's domain. I can't explain how great it feels to know that I'm am providing such a simple, joyful memory of berry picking for Caleb and Josh's childhood. Hopefully it is something that they will look back and remember with fondness. Like today, we picked raspberries and then the whole family "pig piled"/laid in the tent int he backyard. Yes, the tent is still up. With such an amazingly dry summer, we have definitely used it to our advantage. What we didn't go trailer camping, we have certainly made up for in tent camping! I wonder if Caleb will remember this in 30 years.

Well, I think that this is all I have to write for now. I hope that this makes up for the long haitus since the last post. For those who are coming to Josh's birthday, we look forward to seeing you Sunday! God Bless!

Howdy!

Well, as always, we are keeping busy.

This last weekend we visited with Uncle Brian and Aunt Brittany quite a bit. We also visited the Snoqualmie Railroad Days. Caleb got to see the Reptile Man and all the pets he brings to one of those shows. He and I also rode in a "train" (tractor pulled but made up to look like train cars). He had a good time.

This Monday, Caleb was happy to spend a few hours at the park with Donovyn. Even as we were loading up he was still pointing at the park and saying he wanted to play with Donovyn... after nearly 3 hours!

Tuesday, we drove up to Mount Vernon to spend time with Cousin Matthew, Tyler, and Nick and see Auntie Barb. It was a nice visit, Caleb got to hang out with some Big Boys. He asked to see them again this morning.... silly guy!

Josh has tripled his drooling. His eighth tooth (a molar) is really fighting to come down. The poor little guy's gums are so swollen that the little white tips of the molar that were showing have been covered back up.

I think that Josh has also tripled his eating. I acts as if he is near hollow! He is eating more than Caleb! He will eat ANYTHING! Last night he wanted diced, BBQ sauced pork roast AND beef stroganoff! Unbelievable! He wants to see what ever we are eating. He even tried salad!

Josh is walking up a storm. He is getting quick and more stable, but he definitely still "toddles" around. He is also learning and starting to go DOWN the stairs. I'm relieved that finally he will learn to get himself safely down the stairs. He has been able to go up, but once he is upstairs and is done exploring he has been crying to get me to come up and get him... which then he would climb back up because that is fun to him. So the cycle was going on and on. Somedays I was tempted (and did) put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs so he couldn't climb up.

Well, I'm going to put some Tigger pictures on here. He is the other baby in our family. He is definitely growing and he is looking good. We talked to the breeder a couple days ago and found that at 36 pounds, he is about 15 pounds less that his brothers. I know he is going to be a big guy, but if we are lucky he won't be ENORMOUS!

Ok, that's all I have time for. Talk to you all later.

Jockey had a rough night.

The first difficult night in 2 weeks. But with good reason. He is beginning to cut in his 2nd molar, for the record, that is his 8th tooth. The little guy has a bit of a fever and is most likely in pain. So I try to keep him medicated, make sure he gets his naps, and I let him eat more often because sometime the chewing makes the gums feel better. This too will pass. But I feel sorry for the little guy. He is still trying to be happy though.

Caleb is off with Grammy and Grandpa Dahl again today through tomorrow evening. I heard them mention a swim in the outdoor pool, and even a pony ride! I hope that all of that happens for him. He will find great joy in those things if he gets to them. This depends a little on how GG Dahl is doing. We are praying and keeping her in our thoughts because she hasn't been feeling too good. So GG, here are the prayer vibes ~~~~~~, I hope you feel better soon.

In the meantime, while the 3 year old is away, the Mommy is scrabbling to get much done. Joshy's birthday is right around the corner and I am determined not to finish everything for his special day on the morning of the celebration. FYI, invitations will be going out, but the party will MOST likely be on Aug 20th, a Sunday, in the afternoon 3-4ish for a start time. Save the Date if you want to come.

So in the spirit of getting things done, I'm going to end this post so that I can get to it....
Have a day!

Caleb the inertia kid.

Daddy nicknamed Caleb that when he was just a matter of month old. And it is still holding true today. I have to tells this story before I forget (again).

The weekend that we got back from California, we went out to see Grandpa Bill and Grandma Judy. It was the city of Lake Steven's Aquafest. A street fair with food, arts, novelty things, animal shows and rides. The last item being the big interest when we drove out there.
Papa Bill offered to treat Caleb to a ride on something... but you wouldn't believe the rides the "Inertia Kid" wanted to ride on. If it was a free fall, a vision blurring twisty thing, or a upside down thing-a-ma-jing, that's what Caleb wanted to ride. I tried pointing out the "kid's" rides, the ferris wheel, the carousel. Those were just too tame in his vision of fun. There were some rides that were fast and interesting that he reluctantly said yes to, but sadly enough, even with an adult with him, he wasn't tall enough. Well, it was worth a try. I was sand for him. But he bounced back...slowly from the disappointment. He resolutely told me, "me get big, me do that". He said the same thing about Enchanted Village and Wild Waves when we drove by getting Tigger in June. Little does he know we would have to take out a second on the house to pay for those admission tickets. (35$ at the door, even for his age!)

I am sincerely hoping that the Evergreen State Fair, which is just around the corner, will have some rides that he finds interesting and that he is tall enough for! I don't know disappointing the little guy. This is why I'm not going to Disneylad until both boys are tall enough to ride on anything that their thrill seeking hearts desire. Even then, they better realize how lucky they are that their Mommy is willing to go along with them on those wild and topsy-turvy rides, because Daddy chooses to be safely on the ground guarding the stuff, and enjoying "fair food".

It just seems ironically funny that Caleb (and I don't think Josh is far behind) are into such crazy wild motion rides. Although I can't blame them. So I'm crossing my fingers that the fair will have a broader selection of rides and maybe Caleb will grow taller in the next month. I bet if I told him he will grow tall enough for the rides that he would actually eat meat... Hmm. Bribery, it's been known to work. I'll have to think about that.

Ok, well, I just want to share Caleb's craving for living on the edge activities.
Good night.

Where does the time go?!!!

There is so much to tell.

First, Jockey is just about a total walker!!!! Can you believe it?! He gets up on his own without pulling himself up on anything! I wouldn't take him for a walk to the mailbox, but he gets around the house and backyard completely! He is still wobbly as a new colt, but he is determined to get around.... still with the priority to get to the next thing to put in his mouth!

Speaking of mouths, Joshy has gotten his 7th tooth! A molar. He is a little early (a month) for molars, but with an appetite like his, the teeth were needed to keep up. I can't keep the kiddo full. He has eaten all sorts of crazy things because his biggest joy in life is the permission to eat the things that we are eating. So when daddy eats marinated mushrooms, so does Jockey... the list of those food daddy eats and Jockey tries is endless. My 11 month old eats the same foods as the 3 year old. Fish sticks, chicken nuggets, pasta, daddy's pizza. He is allowed just about everything, the exceptions being peanuts (and peanut products), shellfish, honey, raw things. But other than that, for a kid who wants to put everything in his mouth it is better to supply food than allow him to find dirt and oddball things in the backyard.

More Jockey news. He is sleeping through the night. There have brief exceptions but wholly nomimal in light of the entire night's hours. I'm soooo glad. I needed the option to sleep through the night myself. I think Josh is actually happier, if that was possible.

Also, Josh has picked up the habit of drinking from the bottle. He likes it, and I suppose he likes what is in it. I think the formula holds him better. He sees the bottle coming and can barely get it to his mouth fast enough. In this heat, I've been happy to provide additional fluids. Things are going so well in the realm of the bottle that weaning has begun. We are down to 1 to 2 feedings in a day. And he wouldn't really need those from me (I want him to have a couple weeks more of natural nutrition though), if I was to give him more food or formula. He is going to be an easy weanier (that sounds funny). This is a huge landmark, and although getting to the bottle is late and unexpected, I'll take it for the blessing that it is.

Jockey's other unconditional joy... Water. He LOVES the water. He wants to swim in anything from the swimming pool to the bath tub to the dog's water dish. Like Caleb there is a certain fascination with the really big, large dog water dish that is big enough to sit in. I finally had to give up and just take his clothes off and let him enjoy this last week. But in this nice hot weather it wasn't a big deal. He loves the water and it's thrown by water splashing him or even getting his face wet. Such a little water baby, but he pushes off from me in the pool and wants to have an independence that his skill level doesn't permit. I guess it is time for a floatation device to enable the freedom in the water and maintain safety as well.

Caleb is being a 3 year old. Endearing, smart, curious. Testing the limits, seeing if what the rules are really apply to him or just there for show. I love that little guy, and he says he loves me. He melts my heart when I say my tummy hurts and he puts his little hand on me and prays. But I shake with frustration when he dumps a few tablespoons of white powdered plaster on the floor after I've told him not to touch it. It's a phase, luckily. And until then, Caleb has gotten more familiar with the quite aloneness of his room, a punishment that seems to work and doesn't require spanking and actually allows me the break I need to calm down and clean up the latest tragic mess.

Caleb his spent the last week sleeping in the tent in the backyard. He is having a blast. It is something fun that all kids should get to do, and with the heat, sleeping outside wasn't such a strain for the rest of us. Daddy has taken most of the shifts, they needed guy time, and hey...let's be honest, the air conditioned bedroom was still cooler than outside on the days that it reached to over 100 degrees. Plus, I needed to be near Jockey if he woke up, wink wink. But regardless, Caleb has a great time, and I think he would love it if Uncle Brian brought his tent over and they had a camp out together. We'll see, the summer has many more days in it.

Well, I have more to say, but I'm just out of time. I've already stolen precious time from the other numerous things that I have to get done. I can't believe how little time I get to post here, it must be because so much is going on that I don't have time to talk about it. Well, to all those who are reading, I hope that you are having just as happy and busy a life as we are. TTFN

Here are some pictures from the trip:

That's all for now. Have a great day!

It's been a long time since the last post. But here it is.

We are back from California. We had a wonderful, although HOT time. But I guess Sacramento doesn't have the corner on HOT these days...

We flew down on Wednesday the 12th. The flight down was unfortunately very eventful with non-sleeping, very tired kiddos. And for some reason all of our ears were plugged, which made for a painful descent into Sacramento. However, once we landed, things immediately picked up. Caleb wanted to use the potty when we got into the airport. And Papa Bishop met us. Caleb within the first 30 minutes said "I love you" and shocked Papa Bishop and made the trip worth it. We got home and said hi to Grandma Bishop before she had to resume working on a project that needed to be completed before we left Thursday for South Lake Tahoe.

From the first moments that Josh was out of his car seat both grandparents were impressed with Josh's attempts at walking. And he literally began to learn and improve before their very eyes over the course of the vacation. By the time we left he was going down their hall or accross the room 10 feet! I think it is so cool that they could be a part of such a huge milestone in Josh's life. It's not often that a vacation can be timed so perfectly to see walking begin to happen in a little guy.

Josh had a good time down there. He was a real trooper. He went along for the ride and came with us to several activities and watched with contented interest or slept in peace. It was wonderful to have such an ammendable little boy on a vacation. He had fun cuddling and playing with both grandparents. Josh did well with the dogs. Josh's highlight, other than walking and playing with the grandma and grandpa was the visit from cousin Alexandra (approx 2 weeks younger). Oh, does he like babies! He wanted to play so much. He likes to reach out and pat and play and try to discover the eyes, nose and mouth of the other babies. It was very neat to watch the cousins interact.

Caleb had a fantastic time. It was a whirlwind of activity for him. He really liked seeing Papa and Grandma Bishop. It surprises me how quickly he adjusts to them each time, when he is often a slow to warm up little guy with many people. He quickly becomes attached to them and wants to go with them, cuddle with them, wake them up in the morning, or asks what they are doing. Caleb went with Papa Bishop nearly every morning and got Starbuck's coffee. By the end of the trip he was calling it "starbucks" not "coffee", and he was very sure that he was entitled to some of mama's mocha frappucino.

Thursday we got in the car and began the drive up to Tahoe. It was a nice drive. And thankfully we got into the "cool" mountian climate and enjoyed mid to high 80's temperatures. Once everyone was appropriately napped and fed we set off to have some fun. We took Caleb to an amusement park. It is a small town type carnival set under the ponderosa pines. I expected Caleb to be interested in the kids' rides... the small and slower rides. Not the "inertia kid", as daddy nicknamed him so long ago. His first choice was the ride that goes upside down. Now, Caleb is fortunate enough to have a mommy that would go on those rides with him, but he was not yet tall enough. So the first ride was a multi-tiered slide. The kind that you sit in a burlap sack and slide down in between little raised grooves. He squealed from the first drop all the way to the end. And he was such a small little guy that mommy got to go with him on everything for free. (Hey, who says there isn't any perks to being a mom?!) The next ride that Caleb went on was a BIG ride. It happily surprised me that they allowed us on. And it astounded me that Caleb had a good time. I was half expecting him to be scared half way through and scream to get off... which would have been okay since we were the only ones riding at the time. But I tried to get into a positive, encouraging mantra... "look how fast, this is the fastest swing ever" "look how high, taller than grandma and grandpa, look how far we can see, this is fun, look over there, we will do that next!" And of course, I held on tight. Caleb had a GREAT TIME! He would have done that over and over I think! But we tried the little roller coaster next instead. Again, he surprised me at how much fun he had and how little fear he had. What a great way to start a vacation. That, and after the amusement park we ate at McDonald's then stopped for Slurpees on the way back to the condo. Grandpa Bishop knows Caleb's weakness for cheeseburgers and slurpees.

The next day was packed with activities. The first thing. Fishing at the Tahoe Trout farm. This is the best way to guarantee catching fish. We were fortunate enough to be warned by a fellow to have our camera's ready because the fish were practically jumping into the buckets. I expected this activity to be a 2 hour process, little did I know that we would be there, fish, pay and leave in 30-45 minutes. The fast pace was perfect for the 3 year old attention span. Grandpa Bishop baited the hook and tossed it in. There wasn't ever more than 10 seconds before there was a fish on! And just ask Caleb to tell you about how the fish wiggles and struggled. He is very animated and shakes his whole body to show you. He pulled in 2 fish and said "I like fishing". I had to begin telling him only 2 more, ok now only 1 more. Because it is an addictive activity. As Daddy pointed out, it really gives a false impression of the sport of fishing because in real life it doesn't happen that fast. As long a Caleb has a good time, that is what is important. Grandpa Bill took Caleb out fishing in a boat with a lifevest... I'm not sure that the fish were so eager to bite, but I think the boat kept him interested. Two very different experiences. Caleb is lucky to have such wonderful grandparents that are willing to open up the world to him and let him experience it all in a fun and safe way.
In the end, Caleb caught 4 trout. He told us which fish was for me, for Grandpa, for Grandma, etc. He was willing to share them all. His largest fish was 14 inches long.

Our next stop was an arts and crafts outdoor fair. This was fun, once Caleb was convinced to do it. He and Josh got moulds of their hands made. These are complete 3-D hands. You can see the fingerprints, the little creases, the fingernails, etc. Josh's hand is posed in a little baby wave with his little pinky curled. And Caleb's is cupped just like he is holding a ball (which of course would totally be typical of him). I love the pose of Josh's, and I LOVE the fact that we got Caleb's left hand, the one that he sucks the thumb on because the mould captured the little soft calouse pad on the back of his thumb! There isn't a better way out there to capture that trademark of Caleb and it is precious; I can't wait to show him when he is 30! (Or show his kids.)

That evening, we putt-putt golfed. Or in the case of Caleb... Whack-whack-whiff-whiff golf. He pursued each ball just as if he was on the driving range. He had a great time. But I had to adjust my frame of mind... I can't expect a normal game where you tee off once and hit the ball until it goes into the hole and then move on with any timeliness. No, no. With Caleb, as always, it is an adventure and a test of time and wills. He was very enthusiatic to try each hole, many times, and not always in the correct order. I was very glad to have shared this experience with him. And Grandpa Bishop and Joshy were wonderful to come and watch with patience and joy. We finished up the game with riding the quarter slot rides by the entrance. I think those made just as great an impression as the near 2 hours of golf. I'm always amazed that my little son is so happy with the affordable and easy to provide fun! (A blessing, truly.) And then we swam in the pool and hot tub that evening.

Saturday we woke up and went to pick up the finished and dried hands from the arts and crafts fair. Then to wear Caleb out for the drive home, we went to the amusement park and went on the big slide again. There are LOTS of stairs he has to climb to get to the top. Then we let him ride a few of the quarter rides again... and then it was off to pack, load, and drive home.

Saturday evening we went into the hot tub. It was a nice refreshing 89, perfect for a hot day.
Caleb really looks forward to swimming in the hot tub. It is something that he talks about alot, so we did that Sunday and Monday night too. On Sunday night, Grandma joined us. It was dark when we were out there. She showed him the stars. He found the Big Dip and the "New" star. And then he told her that he had stars in his backyard too and that he borrowed them, and she should say thank you. We also saw "flying stars", i.e. satellites.

Sunday, we got out to the Zoo! It was neat to see. Caleb liked seeing some of the bigger animals and the monkeys. It was starting to get hot out and time for lunch then naps, so we jumped on the little 1/3 scale steam choo-choo train for a quick spin around the city park before heading home. Caleb really liked this too, but he was too shy to stand next to the conductor for a picture.

Caleb and Josh got to spend some one on one time with Papa Bishop Sunday and Monday afternoon while Mommy and Grandma went out for a bit. I was glad to hear that the boys behaved well for Grandpa. Then Great Grandma Dyer and a family friend Phinas came over for dinner. Caleb had a good time interacting with both, although I think that he took extra joy in trying to impress Phinas. And Phinas gave him all the laughs Caleb was working so hard to get. It was a win-win situation, and even fun as a spectactor.

Monday morning the boy visited Grandma's work and then it was off to Check E. Cheese. Papa Bishop got Caleb hooked on this and it is fun for Caleb every time! For the restof us it requires patience. Josh is especially wonderful at the patience in this place where there isn't much for him to do but listen, watch and wait. Grandpa and Mommy trade off who chases Caleb around and help him play the items he thinks look fun. When we had enough of that, it was time for naps.

After naps, it was time for Grandma Bishop to get some time in with Caleb. Mommy, Grandma and Caleb went to the movie "Cars". Caleb really liked this. Great-grammy Dyer had given him a little toy car modeled after the movie and he liked playing with this on the floor. He sat still for most of the movie. And Caleb liked the snacks in the movie too.

Monday night, Mommy's Cousin Meghan and Caleb's cousin Alexandra came over. Caleb was interested in the new people. But it was Josh that really interacted. Caleb was very sweet in trying to bring Alexandra toys to make her happy etc. He liked getting into the pictures too. The little guy is either all shy or loves to be the center of attention. He also had to show us all his gymnastics tricks and splits.

The flight home, although delayed, was wonderfully peaceful. They both fell asleep and made up for the chaos they caused on the flight down.

So that was the trip. A great time and we can't wait for the next time. Hopefully it won't be in the triple digit temperatures. :)

Also, so much has happened since we have been back... but that is for another post when I have more time.

Caleb's First Prayer, all by himself


Caleb has repeated after us before, or agreed with us while we pray, but Caleb said his first prayer all by himself last Thursday. I started to pray and he stopped me and said "Me know", meaning he knows how to pray. And then he did. It was wonderful, and yet it nearly broke my heart all at once. The first thing that he prayed about was "make Titan ears feel better, make him ears no hurt". Can you imagine. And then he prayed for Joshy that Jesus would help Jockey when he bumps his head and hurts. And then he wanted Jesus' help to be good and happy. Caleb is so sensitive and caring. The things that are in our hearts come out of our mouths. This was a glimpse of Caleb's heart.

Good night.

Life continues.

Caleb enjoyed the 4th of July. He was really excited about seeing the fireworks, he saw some "over there", and "over there" etc. He liked pointing out where they were coming from as if each one was a discovery and each one brought him happy amazement. Josh slept through the majority of the evening displays (and noise). And for those of you who care, our newest little Tigger was AWESOME with the fireworks. He seemed not to notice unless he was outside and they were exceptionally close and directly over head and the exceptionally loud ones. Other than that he didn't care, but he did prefer to be inside.

We had a picnic at the club and then went for a swim in the pool. Caleb was very happy about that. He likes playing in the water. Having Grammy and Papa in the pool was very fun too.

Josh is the one that continually surprises me on how much he likes the water and how much interaction/movement he has in the water. He waves his arms and paddles, and he kicks his legs. He lets me put him on his back and face the ceiling. He laughs and coos. He is just happy to be in the water. He really is the water baby.

After swimming, we came home and did the normal household routines. And then watched the fireworks from the house. The best place to watch from when it is raining. Both kids went to sleep before the fireworks had ended, but there was no way they would have been able to stay awake until after midnight.


This last Sunday, the boys and I drove up to see Uncle Jeff and Aunt Danene. It was a nice visit. Aunt D got her Jockey time and she made a delicious fruit salad. We took a walk around the neighborhood. They met Tigger. Uncle Jeff and Caleb picked strawberries in the backyard. I think that Caleb had a good time, but in a new environment he was testing the boundaries. Alot. And little Josh was testing everything by mouth!
Well, Caleb must have had a great time because this morning he went on and on about Uncle Jeff's motorcycle and truck. Unlce Jeff has a motorcycle, he saw it in the garage. Uncle Jeff's motorcycle is cool (pronouced coooal), and it makes loud noises, and it is big, but Uncle Jeff also has a little motorcycle (as Caleb holds his fingers to show the size.... the size of an ant). It all made an impact on Caleb. Of course, for the overall evening, his behavior was sub-par and just ask him about sitting in the bath tub by himself. It was the nearest thing mommy could find to a safe/padded room for a time out.

But life goes on. Joshy can walk about 4-6 feet, but he really chooses not to because crawling is so much faster! He's of the opinion that if he wants something why wait or try hard to get to it when the shortest distance between him and that object is to crawl! Josh does love the outdoors though. He finds so many interesting things to put in his mouth. Yikes. Good thing a little dirt/grass never hurt anyone.

Caleb is very helpful with Josh, sometimes too helpful. Lately, Caleb really likes helping Joshy walk. It is fine in theory, what a nice big brother to take such an interest in his little brother, but in practice... Josh could end up landing on something hard or at the bottom of a pile up. For such a little guy, he weathers it all great and with huge laughs, which is very surprising. Josh must be an attention monger and of the opinion that ANY attention is good attention. Josh really does find joy in watching, playing with and trying to be like Caleb. Just a day or so ago, Josh was walking/pushing Caleb's big wheel trike around the backyard, just like big brother! It was cool because it was a new thing to see him do, a surprising display of his new abilities, and it was just like a little Caleb 2 years ago when we spent time in the backyard that sunny summer.

Caleb and mommy also had a camp out. We slept under the stars in the backyard. We got all cozied in and I read a couple stories out in the night. The only thing missing was a camp fire. Caleb kept creeping out of the covers and running to get raspberries (picked in the dark, how many do you think were actually red?) and then he would run back with raspberry breath as he whispered "hold me mommy". We looked at the trees, felt the breeze, and pointed out stars. We fell asleep. Fortunately for mommy, Zuma came out and sniffed and I woke up and switched out with Daddy who then took the second shift. The second shift woke up to rain. But I heard it and rushed outside to get them and all the blankets inside before anything got wet. Caleb has now asked to sleep outside again, but I told him we had to wait until after the 4th of July because it was raining. I'm sure that we will sleep outside again if I can figure out a softer surface to sleep on. And if Daddy can take the Jockey shifts inside.

I'm praying for the night that Jockey starts sleeping through the night. I'm trying not to feed him during the night, but he still wakes up crying and needing comfort. So until I convince him that he is not hungry, I still have to hold and rock him in the middle of the night, multiple times.

On that note, Mommy is tired and calling this posting to an end. Catch ya later.

The things that make Caleb happy.

Last night we were reading a book about being Joyful and happy and what the Bible says. When I finished the book, I asked Caleb what are some of the things that make him happy. It's a 50/50 guess as to what makes him happy. But his first response was: "My Shirt". So I asked him what else... and he said "my other shirt" (because he stole Jockey's and thus had two). So after those answers, I asked him again and got the following:

Mommy, Jockey, Daddy, Uncle Brian (he makes Caleb laugh), Uncle Jeff, Tigger (Hey, all those other people beat out the puppy), Aunt Brittany, Papa Dahl and Grammy Dahl.

And that's all I had time to listen. He was being silly and it was getting closer and closer and closer to 10 at night the more he talked (I think that was his plan).

Caleb, the ever helpful big brother was so very cute this morning. While trying to get Joshy to walk this morning. Caleb stood a few feet away and was calling Josh to come to him. Josh actually turned from the direction that I pointed him (toward daddy) and walked to Caleb and Caleb caught him! Caleb was so happy, and when he caught Josh, Josh was very happy and giggled. Caleb helps a bunch now. Sometimes when the timing is perfect and other times when it isn't so gentle and right. But it is so neat that Caleb wants to be a part of Josh learning and wants to keep him safe and out of things he shouldn't be in.

Ok, that's all I have time for. Caleb says it's time for a bike ride.

Josh is a little glitter head.

He got close to one of mommy's craft/scrapbooking projects and now he has glitter on his head. This is the second or third day. I even gave him a shower and it still didn't come off. So now his head is as sparkly as his personality. And for the record, he is growing hair on top, that is code for the peach fuzz is thickening.

Trying to beat the heat?! We are. Josh is doing it in a particularly fun and sloppy way. He, like his big brother did at this same age, has an infatuation with the dog's water! He can not seem to stay away. We haven't broken out the dish that is the size of a small child's bath tub, but that hasn't stopped Josh from trying to immerse himself. I watched him put both his hands in the dish (up to nearly his elbows) and then lay across the top of the dish. He just LOVES the water. When we went swimming he was trying to swim on his own; he tried to push away from me so that he could be independent. And he was already doing the dog paddle! The little fish. He liked floating too, as long as he had something to chew on!

Josh and Tigger are about the same age developementally. Yesterday, Tigger was told no for attempting to chew on Caleb's shoe... wouldn't you know it, this morning, Josh was also munching on that same shoe.

Josh is soooo very close to walking! He now leaves the couch and can get about 4 feet on his own before he plunks down on his padded behind. He is doing so well!

And Josh is handling life in general really good. It can't be easy to be trying to cut in teeth #5 and 6 at the same time. I'm so glad that he is getting them in pairs so that he won't look like an asymmetrical jack-o-lantern.

Caleb will be home soon from spending time with Papa Bill today. I'm sure that they had such a good time that a long nap will ensue. I'm happy about that, and will be thrilled if Joshy decides to go along with the napping plan.

That's all for now.

The weekend was full of fun and sun.

Saturday: After playing in the morning, we visited Remlinger Farms. Tigger in tow. Caleb had a good time playing on the climb on Train that they have there. He knew where he was the moment we drove into the parking lot, and he began asking to ride the pony. Fortunately, I found a mechanical pony to ride for .25 cents, rather than having to go to the "country fair" portion at $10 a person. The later wouldn't have happened, but I didn't disappoint the little guy because he still got to ride a pony.
In the evening, we had a barbecue in the backyard with Brian and Brittany. Caleb ran around and picked strawberries. We set up his bouncy house for him since the weather was so nice. Joshy even was crawling around. We could NOT keep him away from the strawberries! But he is too young to know the difference between red and green (Caleb still struggles with that even). But Josh wanted to be part of the picking crowd and just started pulling off any fruit that he could get a hold of and straight into the mouth; I probably didn't have to mention that, it is a given. Caleb tried to help, he picks Josh up now and tries to make Josh walk. Josh likes his big brother's help, if it doesn't take him away from what he considers his destination.

Sunday: In the afternoon, being so hot, we were relieved the go swimming and cool off. Caleb got to introduce his puppy to Cousin Tessa and Auntie Kristina. "No touch him ears"... Caleb his very protective of his puppy. Shep, their new puppy, didn't get the memo in all of his enthusiam. But it was a nice day seeing everyone, having a picnic at the club and then the swim. That was Tigger's first sight of the club. He ran and then quickly found a shady spot, never too far from any of us though.

Monday: Caleb got to go over to his friend Donovyn's house and run through the sprinkler. I wasn't sure if the sprinkler part would go over so well because he was a little intimidated by it last summer. He did great though and they played and played, funny that despite the rising heat they were still shivering a bit. Donovyn was asking "are you sure you have to leave now?", which is Kid Code for "I'm having a good time, I don't want you do go". I'm glad that the boys get along so well. And I'm sure that this summer will be filled with lots of fun days like Monday.

We left Donovyn's house and went to Grammy's house. Caleb asks to go there all the time. He got to introduce Tigger to Grammy, Grandpa and GG. Caleb was very clear to GG "No touch him ears, No touch him Boy Parts!" As if GG really was going to do that, it made her blush. I'm also VERY surprised at the interaction that Josh and Tigger have. They truly like each other and play with each other. Last night, Josh grabbed a Tigger toy and waved and bounced it in Tiggers face; they really played a gentle tugging game! Josh climbs all over Tigger and often reachs out or crawls to Tigger to pet him. And Tigger is so gentle! They share toys back and forth, and Josh tries to share food. He throws it from his seat to Tigger and waves the food at Tigger to get attention. Cute.

So it is Tuesday: Josh and I are here at the house. The one air conditioned room in the house will be our afternoon haven. I've had to double check the baby proofing. We will be entering into "walking training camp". Josh is SOOOO close to walking! He has done 4-6 steps, perhaps a few more, all by himself! We encourage him by standing him up and letting him try, but he surprises us by spontaneously letting go of the couch and heading off to where he is determined to get to. Yesterday, the motivating factor was the dog food dish, and that won a hard earned 5 steps away from the couch before he plopped down on his bum. But it is a huge start. He really is on the cusp of walking. He likes to attempt to walk when we aren't standing around with the camera, the little silly. He is also sure that he is faster when he crawls, which is true... so even when he can walk, I'm not sure that will be the preferred mode of transporation.

Also, Josh has a very determined (near stubborn, where did he get that, I ask teasingly) streak. He is similar to Zuma. We say Jockey no, and the stops and looks at Mom, and then he looks at Daddy, and then you see the wheels turning behind the smiling eyes. The mind weighs whether he wants to do what ever was "no" more than he wants to do what he has been told... and then he goes for it. At this stage, it is safe to say he is more curious than obedient... Hopefully, it is just a phase to grow out of. We stopped hoping with Zuma.

As I've mentioned before, I'm teaching Joshy sign language, like I did with Caleb. I was sitting with Josh in the kitchen feeding him some baby food. Caleb had climbed up and was sitting on the kitchen table to get a bird's eye view. I asked Joshy do you want More? And I signed more, and Caleb reached over and grabbed Joshy's little hands and made Josh sign More. It was the cutest thing ever. Josh loved the interaction, and Caleb thought he was a big helper. I just love to see the brothers interact with each other in such fun and kind ways.

Lastly, a funny story about Caleb. He is really into what makes other people happy and proud of him. He is already so proud of himself, it makes him really happy when others are proud of him too. So he did something wonderful and Daddy said "Yeah Caleb" (a phrase which Caleb often initiates now), "High Five". Daddy and Caleb high fived. Then Caleb came over and said "mommy high five" so we high fived. Then, Caleb goes to Josh and grabs Josh's little hand and makes Josh give him a high five... THEN, Caleb bends down and grabs Zuma's paw and has to high five with her! It was hilarious... if you were there. Maybe it loses in the retelling.

Well, Josh is up. Gotta go.

Puppy On Board!!!

We got a call last night, in the early evening, saying that if we wanted, we could pick up our puppy. So we all hopped into the car and braved the commuting traffic to picked up our new puppy!

WELCOME HOME TIGGER!

"The most wonderful things about Tiggers, are Tiggers are wonderful things. Their bouncy,
pouncy, fun, fun fun.... the most wonderful about Tiggers is I'm the only one!"


Our "little" puppy grew in a week. He's not so little. Nearly the same size as Zuma. Caleb really likes him and wants to interact with Tigger as much as possible. Joshy is amazingly interactive with Tigger. He crawls over and pats and pets Tigger. They share toys with each other. Caleb shares the dog food with Tigger; I wish I was kidding about that, but at least we've decided to go with a "human grade ingredients" dog food.

Tigger has been home less that 24 hours, more like nearly 12. But he is already fitting in. He is way more used to grass and playing outside. He perks up when we take the satelite dish off his collar, you know, when he regains his peripheral vision... He plays when we initiate and he stops when we stop, which is good because that means we are the pack leader not him determining the activities. He slept in the crate last night and after the first 5-10 minutes, you wouldn't have known he was even in the house, except for the smiles on all of our sleeping faces. Tigger is a very smooth, soft, good smelling, blackish colored dog with beautiful stripes of brindling coming through. We are told that the brindling will increase as he grows into an adult, which is wonderful because he looks like a photo negative of a tiger... so the name Tigger fits.

We are all in love already. How love happens so fast is beyond comprehension, and for that matter, we don't have to comprehend, we just know we love him. Mike is even happy that we have puppy "Purple", his litter name. Of course, it took a message from God to tell him that "purple" is the right puppy. But "purple" is home and we all couldn't be happier. And praise the Lord that the weather is so beautiful because we can play in the backyard and take lots of nice walks with Tigger in tow.

Enough gushing, here are some pictures.

Daddy with his newest baby...

See that smile on Caleb's face! A Mug shot of Tigger!
Could Jockey be smiling any more than he is?!

The littlest are playing on the floor, sharing and trading toys!


The Fez hat and and stitches are able to come out around Friday of this coming week, the collar will be an optional item if he is scratching at his ears. He gets his 3 month vaccines on July 5th (approx). He is doing well in his healing process, and from what we can see, Tiggers ears are very nice looking. If the stitches are any indication of the quality of the ear crop, then we are impressed with the good job the vet performed.

We are still praying, you can pray too, for the Lord to work the rest of the miracle. We are waiting on the other breeder to PLEASE give us a refund. She is not being very cooperative, and we are praying even harder. We simply can not afford to not get a refund, and unfortunately it might take some legal leverage or small claims court action to pry the $ from her hands. Lord, please don't let it be that difficult to recoup the money. Financially this has to be settled, we are in a deficit if this is not resolved. But the Lord provided a way better dog, I have every confidence that His provision will continue.

So one happy family here. TTFN, gotta go enjoy the puppy and the beautiful sunshine. You all have a great weekend.

The Lord is good and provides, even when it hurts.

However, this is a post of good report and joy. (so keep reading)


We loved Titan, but hindsight and compare/contrast brought us 20/20 vision and we see some flaws that he had. 1) he was aggressive/nippy when it came time to feed him 2) he was mouthy/nippy in his play 3) he had some visual impairment 4) he had badly done ears 5) he was aggressive, growling some strangers and dogs. 6) he wasn't our first choice of color, although we were willing to accept and love him 7) and he came from a breeder of shall we say "questionable" standards of cleanliness which manifest itself in smelly pups.

However, we have found a wonderful, God-ordained, blessed alternative in a puppy for which we have put a deposit down. He is through Paradise Cane Corsos; he comes from a breeder in Allyn, Wa. They have 9 acres of streamside, quaint retired-farm setting land to include a well-maintained 1940's rustic cabin like home, cherry trees, apple trees with adjacent woodpile, grass galore to be romped and played in and old unused nostalgic barn. The puppies are kept in an outbuilding, meaning not the barn, not the home and not the garage, but a separate puppy residence that is puppy-proofed. They have 2 wonderful areas; an inside heated pen with wood shavings similar to that of a lamb's stall, and an outdoor, covered pen also with wood shavings but also partly grass. Thus no icky kennel smell. Also, because of the indoor pen where they are kept, when they are not being crate trained, the puppies have smoother, softer, and shiner smell-free coats. All of the puppies are some version of brindle, the color which we preferred above all others. And of the 5 male pups that had their ears already cropped (those were the only ones we really were interested in) only 1 mouthed at all, and even that was only once to Mike and once to Caleb, then he was told to stop and did. Agression is not tolerated by the Paradise Cane Corso breeder. All of the others were completely non-agressive and only interested in licking and sniffing... even of Josh, they had to check him out. They were even non-aggressive when it came to their food; aggression during mealtime is something that the breeders specifically say they would NEVER allow. They were all cute little (or not so little) bundles of energy and curiousity. And given that they had just had their ears cropped the previous day, we were shocked at how good they were looking, feeling and acting. They all wore the satellite dish collars and a bandage that looked like a white fez hat, they looked like members of a weird religious sect. But their collars didn't stop them from licking and sniffing everything. There were 11 puppies in the litter, 7 males, 4 females. Of the males, 5 had had their ears cropped, and just one of those had been spoken for, leaving 4 to really choose from. Because there were so many, they were color coded, the 4 were: a camoflauge collar aka Rambo, a green collar aka Feisty, Blue and Purple. After extensive discussion with the breeders, much debate between Mike and I (and an attempt to get Caleb's thoughts) and 2 hours of observation, we decided to go with puppy Purple. Rambo and Fiesty were just more than we wanted to handle. Which left the decision between Blue and Purple. Purple was going to be easy to train but not a lazy mush dog in temperment, he was gentle, he was loving and curled up with me and let me hold him for a long time. He has the most beautiful brindle coat; some of the others were quite dark with just a hit of a brindle to come. He is estimated to be about 115 as an adult, still quite bit, although smaller than the other puppy, Blue who was estimated at 130ish and who had a darker only hint of brindle, slightly longer/courser coat, and was a little more of a push over in temperment in their estimation. So Purple is our pup. If you visit the website, you can see our pup in the picture of them all nursing, and also he is the one sitting on the father, Sarg. Coincidentally, puppy Blue is in the picture to the right of the picture with Purple and Sarg.
Also, it is important to note that Sarg is the son of the dog(and his bloodline) that Mike fell in love with 4 years ago! Our puppy is the grandson of the best dog Mike could find in all of his research! Sarg is beautiful, powerful, BIG, and obedient. Raya, the mother, is EXTREMELY OBEDIENT and EXTREMELY MELLOW/GENTLE. We thought that Titan's parents were mellow, NOT in comparasion. When asked which dog he wanted, Caleb said "Mommy dog". She followed and doted on him while we were there.
I could keep gushing, but I won't bore you all. Bottomline, the Lord is good and will provide. We are going to get a better temperment, better bloodline, a prettier coat, healthier puppy than what we were before. It is all to the Lord's will and provision and we give him praise and credit. We are now just waiting for the rest of the Lord's provision to tie up the loose ends on the financial side of things. At it stands we have now paid for two dogs, vet bills and an autopsy without any reimburesment. I refuse to believe that the Lord would take care of us and make sure we got the better dog for our family without making a way for the financial... So I'm keeping the subject in prayer, my faith and hopes high, and giving the Lord time to work the rest of the miracle.

Caleb will recover from this situation I'm sure. But it was sad when we went to visit the puppies that he was poorly behaved and when Mike finally asked him what was upsetting him... he said "no me Titan here". He had actually thought that this was where that puppy had gone and we were there to get him. I know that once we have a puppy in our arms, he will be ok. Following this subject, we had thought that we would used the name Titan again... and we still may if that is what Caleb insists on, however we are thinking that a new name is in order. I don't have pictures yet to assist in the decision, but on name alone you can all decide:

a) tank b) tigger c) taz d) triton

Mike and I have a preferrence, but let's see what you think. Again, check out the website if you need help. Purple looks VERY similar to the puppy standing in the grass with the green collar, and keep in mind that our puppy's ears are cropped.

Ok, well, that's the good news about a new family member on it's way. If he is mending well, it is possible we are picking him up as early as Friday. Or at the latest the following weekend.
Wish us luck on puppy parenting...up during the nights and lots of impromptu potty trips.

A little recovery here.


First, Joshy is getting a 5th tooth. He is doing ok, with infant dye-free tylenol of course. He is gumming everything and biting his Mommy occassionally. Not on purpose, but it hurts no less. The days have begun to count down for Jockey's source to the "real deal". Josh is soooo active. He will NOT hold still. I have only 4 recourses to slow him down. The crib, the car seat, the swing and the exersaucer, not that any of those places are his favorite for the exact reason that I put him in them... to make him stay in one place. He is everywhere all the time. Stairs are his favorite place to go. It's a special joyful challenge to him. He feels like he is part of the world around him when he can navigate by himself. Another thing that he is particularly interested in joining is the ritual of eating. He can be full in the tummy, but if others are around him eating he would like to partake and join in the activity just to be part of the group. He really wants to be bigger and grown up and just do what everyone else is doing right in front of him. And he is not shy about telling us what he wants. He is frequently saying Mom, and has said (to date) yeah, what, all done, Caleb, and Daddy. I'm trying to teach him sign language too, but I haven't seen any progress in this regard.

Last Monday, 6/12, Joshy waved for the first time to Auntie Charlotte. I'm not 100% positive, but Auntie Charlotte might have been the first person Caleb waved to as well. Wouldn't that be funny that the boys waved to the same person for the first time. Well, Auntie Charlotte is great with Caleb, so it's fine with me if she and Josh have similar relationship.

Ok folks, I was going to spend some time telling you about the big thing this weekend, but I'm afraid I'm out of time. I'll just provide a link to the main website, and tell you that a deposit has been made.

www.paradisecanecorso.com

I'll go into detail at another time because there is just too much to say about our visit, the results, and God's hand in the whole matter.
TTFN

Titan (4/20/06-6/14/06) went to see Jesus.

Friends are made fast when love is shared without reserve.

He went in for a surgery to replace the stitches that he dug out of his ear crop (after he had maneuvered the satellite collar off). The surgery had to occur to prevent mass scar tissue and infection, and it had to be done under anesthesia because it was going to be very painful. He made it through the surgery and was put back in the observation cage. Very shortly after, a vet tech ran and got the Dr. Titan had stopped breathing. They worked on him for a hour. They did everything they could, but he didn't make it. They suppose it was a weak heart, or an allergic reaction. It is impossible to be 100% without an autopsy, but that is a decision that we have yet to make.

We are all extremely sad. The Lord knows what is best, and the best we can do is go to Him for comfort and lean on the faith we have in Him.

Some of you might have known that we were going to have Titan's eye checked out and it was not 100% determined whether we were going to be able to keep him (although our hearts already were saying yes of course). Perhaps the Lord knows that now is better than in 2 weeks from now to make the decision about Titan's fate with our family.

We were very blessed to have a happy 72 hours to love him and share him with the family around us. In that time he has made an indelible mark on our hearts and memory. He was a very mellow, sweet, trainable/obedient dog that was proving to love us and protect us as much as we did him. He leaves a void that is puzzling to know the best way and timing to fill. We know we are a dog-loving family and we know we had made space in our home, hearts, mind, and time for a new cherished family member. It now feels pointedly incomplete in our home. We are praying for the wisdom to know the best way to handle this situation.

We appreciate all the comfort that everyone has offered. Your prayers are very appreciated in that God is the only one that has true answers and heart mending capabilities.

As you know we have a little 3 yr old that is well impacted by this unfortunate event. He is doing far better than expected. He has been told that Titan is gone and not coming back. I'm unsure if he actually has understanding of this and it's meaning. As he and I picked the first large 'crop' of summer strawberries I asked him if he knew and understood. I asked him if he was ok with Titan not coming back. That amazing little boy said "yeah" and then put his hand on my shoulder and tilted his head to look at me and asked "you okay, Titan no come back?" That is an astounding, amazing, wonderful and sensitive boy that I have. I needed a hug from him and then I was okay. My biggest worry was about him (and Daddy). That being said, it was a very difficult night with disturbed dreams and sleep; Caleb ended up sleeping next to Mommy where she could help him with each whimper. And Mommy felt better too knowing that at least my irreplaceable, precious boys were alive and well.

We appreciate all the comfort that everyone has offered. Your prayers are very appreciated in that God is the only one that truly has the answers and heart mending capabilities. Please keep us lifted up to Him.

-sorry if this isn't the typical, humorous, recount of the boys' activities and growth; this is the largest source of communication with our family.

Put your nose on the wall.....Daddy.

Our little Caleb has entered the mimick phase. You just know he isn't going to repeat just the nice and wonderful things we say. As responsible parents we have to have our guard up and watch what we say so that we don't pass on bad habits to our beloved son. And as responsible parents it is our duty to discipline poor behavior with the hopes to bring it to an end.

But what if the guard falls....Daddy?

Caleb picked up something from Daddy without missing a beat. Caleb had to be corrected. But to get to the root of the problem, Daddy also had to put his nose on the wall so that the discipline was across the board. Daddy didn't want to put his nose on the wall, but knowing how important it was to follow through he was a good sport and took his dose of discipline. It was cute and funny to see my big, big guy and my little guy both with their noses on the wall, for saying the same thing.

Oh, I do so pray that I don't have to put my nose on the wall.

Caleb and Josh's (and Daddy's) Puppy, TITAN, came home!!!




After a brief camping night out to Fort Stevens, OR the family headed over to Portland to pick up the long awaited, much talked about TITAN puppy. The camping was good, but the puppy is great. Titan has the best personality. He is calm, mellow, gentle and a hint of curiousity. He loves Caleb and tries to incite play. Caleb loves to be chased and throw toys for Titan. Josh and Titan are like two litter mates. I've already caught them playing tug-o-war with a dog toy (which are turning out to be some of Josh's new favorites). Josh crawls over and literally pats and pets Titan, and he also uses the puppy to try to pull up into a stand. Titan is a wonderful traveler, sleeping most of the way. Titan made his Daddy's dreams come true by sleeping with his head in Daddy's lap most of the way home. (He did curl up next to Mommy as she slept too, just to spread the love around.) Titan and Zuma are doing very well together. She is dealing with him either by ignoring him or sniffing/playing with him. He's already liking to play, but showing her that he is no push over. Titan played long with Caleb, our family, and Uncle Brian and Auntie Brittany, then promptly fell asleep in the grass in the backyard, too tired to even make it in the house. He treats stairs and grass as if he hasn't ever seen them before, but he is adjusting quickly. Titan is already proving to be easy going and adaptable with his first introduction to us being in a car, the our trailer and then back in the car for a 4 hour trip home, and the to our home and the chaos of unpacking and having guests. Also, cross our fingers for more successes, he hasn't had a puppy accident yet; in fact, he has gone outside 8 times and with the potty command and had success! He is a great loving, soft pup that is already as attached to us and we are to him. The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful pet to carry us forward with joy and companionship. Here are some pictures of our littlest (which no longer is Jockey, by age at least):

Titan has had his ears cropped. He removed his 'satelite dish' collar too soon and needs to go in for a couple replacement stitches, hopefully Monday. And following that in a week, his ears will be wrapped and 'posted' for a week or so just to keep them mending in the proper way. He seems to be managing his 'pain' well. And Caleb warns everyone not to touch his ears. Good job Caleb. Titan is current on his shots and will go back in for more in one month.

Back to the camping trip... Other than Anacortes, this was Josh's first trip to the coast and ocean. He slept right through it. But he was a happy baby because of a good nap, and I'll take that any day. Also, this was our first trip with a TV in our trailer. Caleb liked that alot. When it got dark, we put in a new cartoon about the Ten Commandments and watched that just before bedtime as a family. This really was a great camping trip. The park was near our campsite so Caleb got to play for a long time, he got to swim in the hot tub at the rv park in Portland, and of course, the puppy.

That was our eventful weekend. Stay tuned for more crazy stories, events, and pictures!

Caleb's thoughts on Superman.

Everyone knows what Superman looks like. And everyone knows how Superman classically stands. Well, Caleb walked into a store and saw a poster for the new Superman movie coming out. He asked Daddy "why that man has his hand on his underwear?"!

Can you believe that? ! When asked that way, I can't even explain a man wearing tights and just his underwear on the outside. I love the child view of the world. It reminds me of how simple life can/should/and needs to be. And how much negative or superfulous information, materialism, or non-profitable actions we allow to cloud our thoughts, time and lives. The child sometimes knows best. If I can't explain it, then perhaps our lives shouldn't include it.

Caleb is so compassionate and caring. So intelligent and insightful. He's a blessing to learn from.


Josh is getting 2 new teeth, if I haven't mentioned that already. They have crested/broken through all the way, now they are just in the process of moving downward. I'm sure Josh will be relieved when they are done moving, and when it means he can have real food. The biggest thrill of Josh's life was sharing a real yogurt with Caleb and Mommy. Finally, he was just like the rest of us.
Josh is pulling himself up on everything! I've even seen him let go and try to take a step, but then he realizes that crawling is faster so he drops down to commando crawling. Josh is totally preoccupied with stairs. He can not stay away from them. He will climb the entire flight of stairs. Determined and unstoppable. He sets his aim and just goes for it. And on the flat surfaces, he just puts his head into something and starts pushing and sliding until he goes through, over or under, but regardless he does get to the other side. Of course, he is a happy as can be when he finds something new to chew on. Life is all about what can go into his mouth. Today, I put him in the exersaucer while I planted a couple shrubs. That little silly reached way way over and grabbed a handful of the lacy leaf maple and was going to try for a little salad!

Josh is sleeping just a little bit better. Still not all the way through the night. In fact he's up a minumum of twice a night. But when he does get good sleep in those times, he wakes up clucking his tongue. He is so cute about it. And when he isn't clucking his tongue, he is sucking on his bottom lip and making a sucking pop sound. It's all about the mouth to him. He routinely says Mom, Mom, Ma, Mum. And shockingly, a few weeks ago he said "all done".
I will be teaching him the sign language that I used with Caleb. But I think it is likely that Josh will talk sooner than 2 1/2 years old. Caleb however is seeing me use the sign language and is picking it up again with lightening speed. I think I will continue to teach Caleb new signs. You never know when it might come in handy.

After a week off, Caleb spent the night at Grammy and Papa's house last night. He had a totally dry day (diaper wise) from 2 to bed time! WOW. The next day wasn't such a success. But it as filled with such fun activities that I'm sure it just slipped him mind. He had gymnastics, and in the afternoon, swimming with Daddy. He really likes doing things. And that wears him out and makes him sleep good, which is fine for everyone.

We have the count down to getting the puppy. Only 5 full days left! The excitement is building for everyone. And the tasks that have to occur before the puppies arrival multiply! With that being said, time's up here.

New goats!

When we arrived back from our trip to Portland last weekend, we came home to new "City of Monroe" goats. And not just the two that were there before. We now have one of the previous ones back and then 7 others! Caleb just had to go and visit them! Here are the pictures:

Well, as for things around here. Caleb is really getting into mischief. We tried to garden, until he brought in a shovel full of dirt onto my carpet. Then while I was putting away the gardening stuff, he brought in a truck full of sand into the family room. AND THEN while I was cleaning/vaccuming up the dirt and sand, my "mommy-extra-sensory guessing" alarm went off. I turned off the vaccum and called out to Caleb. He was found standing ON the kitchen counters trying to get into the food cupboards! That was all within the same 15 minutes! Mischief! Joshy isn't to be outdone, however. He gummed Daddy's phone until it completely died. The only buttons that respond are 1, 3, 5, 0 and off. The # button is permanently pushed and then the phone started whinning. I didn't know phones whined, but thanks to Josh that great mystery is solved... they do whine.

We've been up to the usual. Tuesday, I took Caleb to his gymnastics class. He surprised me completely with his stretching time. He kept with the instructor and followed along with the entire class. He was even eager to do the next step and was the first to put away the little carpets where they belong. He was having such fun. And he was very excited to see Bob. He was a little distracted by Mommy and Josh being there and watching. But he was amazing they stuff that he did do, when he wasn't frustrated waiting his turn. He was so excited to show me that he lost focus a bit. I think that this is an activity that has to stay a Grammy and Caleb activity with me only creeping in to spy every once in a while. This is fine, he needs to have a Grammy only activity, and she does too I think.

Playgroup on Wednesday. But it was a special treat to see Aunt Rene and Uncle Mel. We haven't seen them since February; too long, so it was very nice to see them and show off the fast growing duo.

We've also been to the golf driving range a few times this week. Caleb really likes that. I have shown him a couple times how to stand, keep his eye on the ball and then swing. The hilarious part was when he was watching me and he said from the sidelines: "mommy stand" and then placed his feet in the way that I had showed him and obviously I wasn't doing at the moment. I had to laugh, the student becomes the teacher. Not that I will ever be able to tell anyone anything about golf.

Caleb has started to suprise me with the extent of his vocabulary and understanding. He will come up with words I didn't think he knew all the time. And his sentence structure is building and getting more accurate and complete everyday! This is wonderful. Except when he repeats the same sentence 6 times, but maybe that's Mommy's issue of patience not Caleb's issue of repeating. Caleb and I have renewed our efforts to learn his colors. He seems to know some of the names, but not be able to point out the correct color with the name that he knows. He's smart though, if you use a Blue ball, a Green frog, and a Red truck, he will remember what item is what color when you tell him, but that left me to question whether he knew the color or the object. So right now I pulled out 7 colors of shirts and folded them all up to the same size/shape and hung them up on his dresser. We are trying to point and learn with all shapes/sizes being equal. This will be the true test and learning field I think.

Post-Birthday fun. Caleb got some pretty cool trucks for his birthday. Well, he has started to make them duel. Not crash into each other, ok that too... but they play music and he gets them all going at the SAME time and then dances to them. Very fun for him, yet very noisy.

Well, that's all I have time for. More later as time allows.

Caleb saw his (and Daddy's) puppy, on his actual birthday!

Caleb was very excited. He wanted to hold the puppy, let it run around, squeeze it, etc. He tried to give the puppy every toy in the box... how generous, right. Caleb had a good time and in the end said, "Bye Titan". He handled it very good. The next morning he did mention that he wanted to see the puppy again, but we couldn't. He was sad about that. He got over it, SO FAR. Caleb is to the stage that he is able to understand "sad", and he will tell you in the most adorably heart wrenching way and whinny puppy voice and pouty chicken lips "That make me sad". Of course on the 4th time in a row of him saying that at bedtime just so he won't have to go to sleep, it does get a little less adorable.



Well, I don't have much time. Jockey is getting 2, count them 2 teeth in right now, and he is not happy about it. So I'll just upload some of the puppy pictures and leave this blog at that.

The puppy is the sweetest and most calm in the litter. He likes to play, and sleep. He is in the process of being weaned and will begin crate training shortly. He is tinted with the dark fur creating a saddle like appearance on his back, but I am told that that will grow out into a fawn (khakie) color. His ears will be cropped a few days before we bring him home and then the ears will be wrapped for a few weeks. He is pretty wrinkly now, but I'm sure he is going to be doing a lot of growing before and after we pick him up. The best news is that our puppy will be picked up on June 11th. That's right, less than two weeks away. If I keep Caleb (and Daddy) busy enough, then the time will fly by.

That's all for now. Good night.

3 Year Old Birthday Party for CALEB!!!

I can not believe by little boy is 3. Three YEARS since he was a baby newly born. Well, he's taller, walks and talks more that's for sure. The person he is developing into is fascinating to watch.

This is the first year that Caleb had any input to give about his party. He wanted his bouncy house there, he wanted his friend Donovyn there, he wanted a CHOCOLATE cake, and a balloon on his cake. I think we accomplished all that! He had a blast.

Caleb has his party on Saturday. He had a very good time. The Lord blessed us with the best weather possible for the bouncy house to be set up, despite all forecasts to the contrary. The bouncy house was the best way to keep the kids entertained. He bounced and went down the slide with glee and giggles. The smiles on the children's faces made this parent feel like she had done something right! We had to keep the bouncing safe and not so aggressive when they bumped into each other, but it was more than worth having at the party. The daycare facility at the white house was very nice to have, and was greatly used; the playset and toys are priceless when trying to keep kids having constructive fun. Caleb's friend Donovyn came, which is very cool because he is Caleb's first friend. And it was wonderful to have Cousin Tessa and Cousin Gavin! It is great to see cousins and friends all the same age playing so well together.

Caleb blew out his #3 birthday candle and then ate chocolate cake. He had resisted all day from touching it and trying to eat it... Caleb saying "just looking, mom" wasn't too be trusted. So when he finally got to interact with his cake he was excited and relieved. He was shy though with everyone around him singing a hearty Happy Birthday. He got the candle out in one strong breath and then buried his head in his arms as if he was overwhelmed with the attention when he accomplished such a feat. Eating cake got him out of the shyness.


Then it was on to the gifts. Caleb had been eyeing the items that were sticking out of the gift bags all day. Again, he resisted well, with reminders. All the children were excited and couldn't hold back from helping Caleb, thus every child there opened a little of something. I'm glad this didn't bother Caleb. He was just excited to get the remote controlled dump truck (thank you Papa Bill and Judy) and the big green truck with motorcycle (thank you Uncle Jeff and Aunt Danene) out of their many layers of childproof packaging. He liked all the gifts, but other than the afore mentioned items, I was pleasantly surprised that the other big hit was a nerf foam rocket laucher from the DOLLAR store. Is he an easily made happy kid or what!? Each kid thought that it was a great gift and had to take a turn with it. Caleb got lovely and thoughtful gifts; THANK YOU to all who came to his party to help him celebrate and be extra special for a day and for the generous gifts. This was Uncle Jeff, Aunt Danene and Papa Bill's first time attending a birthday party for Caleb. Thank you for coming. Caleb really enjoyed having you there, he kept asking where you were and what you were doing for the rest of the night.

After the gifts were opened, it was a bit more of the playing, jumping and then of course the clean up. Caleb napped almost immediately after getting into the car! The wonderful, happy little guy had just plain run out of steam having used up all his energy having FUN all afternoon.

To all of you who sent or brought their birthday wishes to Caleb, you were part of something wonderful for a very special little boy, THANK YOU very much!

Camping in Anacortes (Mother's Day weekend)

Well, it has been one EXTREMELY busy week, so I am just now able to write about Mother's day weekend. We decided on a trip up to Anacortes. Friday was pouring rain as we loaded up the trailer; both Mike and I reserved the right to veto the stay and head home if it was miserable up north. However, it was beautiful weather when we arrived up there. Perfect camping weather.
Caleb got to throw lots of rocks into the water. Caleb (and the whole family) began looking at the patterns and colors of the rocks. He really began to look, and be interested. Perhaps a rock polisher is in his future. Then he watched the boats from the shore and even saw some in the marina. And, the definition of a good camping is that we see deer, he had a good camping trip because we saw deer. Caleb was very interested in the fire. He wanted to throw things into it all the time. Although little tiny twigs couldn't hurt anything, little boys have a way of graduating the items and size of the items and then it can get out of control. But to distract him, we had a good time with a Sticker hunt in the campsite. He likes this game, so in a camping setting was double fun. Then to keep him away from the fire and yet still be eessential to the fire efforts, Caleb and I went in search of firewood/walk. He liked helping and created his own pile of firewood. We visited the little park in the camp grounds. We also did something very important to a camping trip in Anacortes. We purchased peel-n-eat shrimp! This is a tradition from Mommy's childhood, so it was special and funny when Caleb ate it up. He must have had over 3 dozen shrimp in the weekend. He tried to peel a few himself, but I think he realized that it was faster to just mooch the ones that somebody else had already labored over. Smart boy.

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Danene drove up to visit us on Friday night. It was wonderful to share the camping experience with them. For mommy, it was like she and her brother were camping all over again... only now we got to see what it was like as adults. For Caleb, he really liked seeing his Uncle Jeff. This time Caleb and Aunt Danene even got to spend some quality time together. He walked with her to the beach and then she took pictures of him. He got into that, he started posing like an adorable little ham. Unlce Jeff got a bit of time with Joshy, and I thin they both liked that. Aunt Danene held Jockey and got her "jockey fix". It was very nice for them to take time out to drive up to see us, thank you.

The other visit we got was from Papa Bill and Judy. They drove up on Sunday morning to visit. Once Zuma calmed down, it was nice. She had to act all dominate over their 2 little dogs. We had a nice chat and Caleb climbed up and sat with Papa Bill. Then they headed off to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Severson's house; we had already planned on doing that, so we packed up quickly and headed in that direction too. Once we got to Camano Island, Caleb, Papa Bill and Daddy when clam digging. They came back with alot, I'm told that Caleb helped count. The four generations of family sat down to a meal that included shrimp and clams. It was neat to share this experience with Caleb because Mommy ate lots of seafood at Camano Island when she was growing up. The Great Grandparents were glad to see the boys... and the shrimp too I think. Caleb had a good time trying to feed Papa Bil''s dogs the cat food. And Caleb got a bit more adventuresome this time because he had visited again. He wanted me to come see and come look at things frequently. I guess Mommy takes for granted the wonders that the little boy discovers; it's neat to see what a little kid was like at the Great-Grandparent's house, almost like getting a glimpse of what I was like there so many years ago.
As if that wasn't enough family for one day, we stopped by Uncle Jeff and Aunt Danene's house on the way home. Caleb ran around and acted silly in the backyard. Uncle Jeff showed Caleb a mint plant, but Caleb didn't get that that was a special plant that you pluck the leaves off, thus he began to pluck the leaves off of several other plants before we could stop him.
Finally we arrived home and Caleb's day was ended on a perfect note. The jumpy house was set up for him to use.

Caleb had a wonderful time camping and seeing family. I hope that there are more camping trips with just as much fun and sun this summer.

Joshy had a good time too. He was just a trooper being toted here and there. He is very cooperative and easy going.

So Happy Mother's day to our Mothers and to those who are reading this who are mothers to others.

Our puppy is waving 'Hello'!!!

Ok, so this post isn't about Caleb or Josh. But this was all I have time for with other projects looming up before me. I thought I'd share a picture of what will be the newest "boy" in our home. He is just 3 weeks old in this picture. We are told that he is the 'sweetest' puppy in the litter and is up and playing with both his siblings and father.

I'll try to post more pictures and stories from this last camping weekend tomorrow morning or early afternoon.

The Pictures as Promised:


Caleb on his new bike on our sidewalk.

Caleb with his bike while camping at Toppenish.

I mentioned that Jockey liked cookies:

Before:

And After:

See, I told you he likes cookies. Too bad he treats them like body lotion.

Jockey, still cute once he's all washed up.

And Jockey STANDING!!!

And my little ham Caleb wanted to hold his brother for a picture:

Ok, really good night all.

Life Happens Fast!


I tell you, one day Jockey is just commando crawling and doesn't roll when he is on a bed. Suddenly, watch out now. Sunday before church, Josh decided to real crawl! He just up and did it. THEN, he crawled right out of the family room and started trying to climb up the stairs to get to a toy. He didn't totally crawl up the stairs because he reached the toy, but if it was any higher he would have climbed! THEN, he pulled himself up on a mattress (and also on a loveseat that we have) and stood up and let go! Of course his "stand" only lasted 2-3 seconds. But the attempt and effort is there. I'm so excited. He is not my little baby anymore. He's on the verge of toddlerhood.

Caleb has gotten his bouncey house. He loves it. He, of course, loves for others to join him. Tessa was the first guest, and he asks for her to join him every time it is inflated! He asks me and daddy, and even Joshy to come. I'm so glad that we have had a few nice sunny days to actually get it outside to use it. The grin on Caleb's face was priceless. And the static on in his hair is hilarious.

The other big thing in Caleb's life is gymnastics. He has switched gyms to one in Woodinville. Grammy takes him on Tuesdays. It's their special activity. And Caleb is really excelling in his new class. Caleb comes home saying "Bob told me..." and then he does some move that he learned. Bob, the teacher/coach, has made quite and impact on Caleb. He can do three different pose/moves, he has been on the tall balance beam and even walked backward on it, and he is being to learn and get the feel for backward flips. On the last one, the longer he wants to wait is fine with me. But he is very excited about it. The most funny thing is (other than his "Bob told me") is that he says gymnastics in a way that it sounds like 'nasty'. Well, I'm glad that he likes it all. It has helped his developement physically and socially, and hopefully set the stage for a class setting.

Caleb has entered another phase. A shrill phase. I wish that it wasn't so, but he has learned and it reaching new heights with his voice. Yikes. Fortunately he is demonstrating this new talent outside of the car. Most often he is fake whistling. Like all little boys, he is mimicking daddy. Daddy knows how to whistle, most often to gain the attention of our dog Zuma. Caleb sticks his cute little middle three fingers in his mouth and then with his voice, chirps. He doesn't actually whistle, but you could have fooled him. He is so proud of his accomplishment too.

Caleb has such a personality. He is hard to contain at times. He is sensitive to the little boys at playgroup when they are upset, even if they have been bullies to him all day. He, at times, is a little rough and plays bumper cars with others, sometimes when they least expect it. He can be bossy, something we are trying to work on, but it comes out most often when he is protecting Josh. He really loves his little brother. Caleb is just a character that I love to watch develope.

Caleb was standing on our walkway out in front of our house next to Josh, who was in the carseat carrier. Mike was pulling the car into the driveway, and Caleb stepped between Josh and the driveway and put his arms up to want to protect Josh. When the car kept coming, because neither son was actually in danger of getting hit, Caleb didn't think that the car was going to stop, so that wonderful, smart, little boy began to drag Josh's carrier away from the moving car! Can you believe that! The insight, instinct, and love that he acted out of is amazing.

Josh is not to be overlooked in the personality department either. Josh loves to watch Caleb and laugh and laugh. He likes his toys, and don't you dare take them away from him(Caleb, this means you). He is showing a lack of patience with himself when he can't stand as much as he wants to or reach the item of new found interest. He is determined. He is observant and smart. He gives kisses and smiles out all the time. And what an enthusiastic eater. Diced avacados and banana are some of the favorites. Although liverwurst ranks. He loves to have quiet cuddle time with Daddy, and I love that they have that time too.

Well, this is long enough. I'm going to try to get some pictures posted. And then I have to get ready for another weekend of camping. Anacortes, here we come.

Jockey is unbelievable!

I just can't believe it. He is doing so much. And the progress he's made is amazing.

If I haven't mentioned it before, he is "crawling". Well, sort of. He doesn't get his tummy off the ground, but he's quick and it is so funny to watch. So I don't want to leave the impression that he's stationary if I say he's not technically crawling, because he is on the go. If he sets his sights on something he will get there! And is he ever determined, he will take on an obstacle course to get to the object of his interest.

Joshy will vocally let us know if he is upset about that item being taken away or removed from his reach, don't worry about that. Josh is very happy, unless the items that are currently making him happy are taken away. Of course he could be happy with any number of choking hazards and I just can't let him keep those even if they make him happier than a child in Disneyland. But also, Caleb sometimes tests to see if that toy or teething biscuit is really truely what Josh is enjoying, and that isn't a happy moment.

Josh is babbling up a storm. He has said Momma, Dadda, Caleb and a few other things. But he actually is puckering his cute little lips and trying to mimick sounds, on a good day. Other days he just wants to say what he has on his mind. I just can't believe that at 8 months he has already spoken a few words! Well, I guess if Caleb can walk early, then Josh has to be special too and talk early! I'm glad that each one has chosen to be special and unique. I can't wait for the funny things that Josh will say to me; it's been fun with Caleb. My favorite right now is Caleb says "Jesus in my heart, makin' me feel better" and "I say I love you mommy thank you". What really makes me happy, Josh knows his name.... and his nicknames, all of them. When I call out to him as he is crawling away, he stops and turns and smiles at me, and then of course he has to turn around and keep going!

Joshy, that crazy strong boy. He is pulling himself up on things! I had to go get the play table out of storage this week. He is crawling up to things, pulling himself up and doing the best he can to get into a stand position! Amazing. Time really flys and I didn't notice how much Josh is doing until Auntie Brittany came over and saw him. She hasn't see Josh in about 2 1/2-3 weeks and was shocked at all the things that he is doing now.

Josh really likes the outdoors. He sits still a surprising amount of time on a blanket in the backyard and watches me weed the garden. He looks up at the sky and trees, and back to me. He is stepping up his observation skills and learning curve. Eventually he does start finding the grass interesting, it's inevitable. But he is so calm and content with observing nature. I'm so happy with that, and very happy that the weather is turning nice and he will be able to discover and learn more.

So that's the Jockey update! (Caleb update to come!)

We're back from Toppenish.

We had lots of sun. A surprise wind storm on Saturday that blew out our plans to actually cook at camp. The sky went from bright sun to a overcast, after dusk look within an hour; and the sand and dirt in the air was remarkable. I personally love wind, so I wasn't intimidated... but I agree, sand/dirt in my dinner isn't too palatable.

Caleb had a wonderful time. He rode his bike a few times. We were fortunate enough to get a spot right on the jogging trail, so Caleb could have a little independence to ride (if he chose to). We also colored on the jogging trail with chalk and had a hop-scotch set up, as well as lines of boundaries for Caleb not to cross. He made sure we know that we couldn't cross them either because those are the rules.
Caleb went swimming several times. He is really doing well. He was actually putting his face in the water and holding his breath all by himself repetitiously. He is getting so brave and confident in the water, the skills just have to come up quickly to match his enthusiasm. Until then, Daddy is a faithful companion in the water; I'd do it but all the waters see a little too chilly, and Caleb with Jockey is a bit of a handful in a pool.
Caleb slept in Papa and Grammy Dahl's motorcoach each night. They were happy to have him, but probably a little happier the second night when he actually slept in his own bed. He can be a bit of a mover while he sleeps. The second morning was a bit of a dream morning for him. Wake up, have cereal (no milk) and be able to watch cartoons before leaving the warm cozy covers. What are grandparents for but to let their grandsons have a perfect morning.

Caleb had a great time, with one exception. He is getting some molars in. I believe they are his 2 year old molars coming in late. It is hard to get a bead on and a visual on where it hurts exactly in a little guys mouth with a few fingers and a tongue bouncing around in a half open mouth. But molars are my best guess. I'm going to keep trying to check on his mouth because I feel that his eating habits are being interrupted by his discomfort. I am trying to keep him current on his Ibrophen and Baby Orajel.

Well, there isn't any playgroup today. But that is ok because there is lots to clean up from a camping trip, and I'm exhausted. The hopes for additional sleep were not fulfilled, and then last night Josh was particularly demanding and was up several times for over an hour last night. So we will find plenty to occupy our time this day. We are also hoping for the correct bouncy house to arrive this week, perhaps in time to play with Tessa while she is staying with Grammy and Papa Dahl. So off I go to get a few things done. Thanks for reading.