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.

Dr's report on us sickos.

Well there is good news and nuetral news. The good news is that Jockey doesn't have pnemonia or bronchitus, or anything serious. He has a healthy appetite and is active as always,. So the nuetral news is, I am just suppose to watch him and make sure that it doesn't get worse or the fever becomes persistent or very high or of course other serious changes. As for myself, the doctor thinks I'm and sicker than Josh and should rest up and take care of myself. Which leads us back to more good news; because my body is fighting the flu it is building antibodies, and the more I feed Joshy the more antibodies he will also get. So eat on Jockey, eat on! (And for those of you who care, I will see the doctor Monday to have myself looked at.)

We are going camping for the first time this season, which is Joshy's second time ever. We are headed to eastern Washington to Toppenish. They have playgrounds, a pool, a hot tub, and a bike/walking track all the way around. Caleb will be bringing his bike and swimsuit; there is no shortage of people who like to show Caleb a good time. And for those of us who are sick, we are bringing our medications and the hope of actually getting some R & R.

On that note, I have lots of packing to do. And the next posts will be sometime next week!