So here on some more of the random disconnected stories... but again, I don't think that I'll get them all told.
Grandpa Bishop took Caleb to Starbucks a few times. Caleb now knows Starbuck's logo as well as 7-11 the land of Slurpees and shouts out every time he sees one from the back seat. He met Grandpa Bishop's friend Bob, and had to meet Bob's dog Brandy, and show off his bike to the guys at Starbucks.
Josh really is an outdoorsy kid. He wants to see everything and touch and even try to taste everything. While Caleb was on his first bike ride with Papa, Josh was outside with Mommy and Grandma looking at trees, lights, mailboxes, clouds (yes 2 in the sky), grass, rocks, flowers, bushes. He wanted everything named and labeled for him, and I think he would have walked a mile if we would have kept on explaining things to him. I can see the information sponge happening right before my eyes. This trip was a huge experience for Josh. And his interest and attempt at words was astounding. He said Balloon, Ball, Bird, ME (****a big favorite), and several more. He ran after a person with cotton candy saying "ME ME ME", he really wanted some and he knew it. He did the same about the case of toys at Chuck E. Cheese. It is just amazing that the knows and has desires and is trying to get what he wants now verbally! He even nods his head or shakes it in response to questions! I can not believe that, and he is actually responding not just randomly answering!
Those who know Caleb, know that he is sensitive. And those that have kids, most likely know the story "Monsters, Inc." Well, the last 10-15 mintues were on and this was a better selection that the adult shows that were on the other channels. Well, all of a sudden Caleb started crying, he was terribly sad and want the channel changed. He was very upset that the big blue "monster", Sully, had to say goodbye to the little girl "boo". He was so so so upset, and he said this was a bad show. He was so compassionate to the sad feeling that Sully was having that he just was so upset on the "monster's" behalf. I love my sensitive guy, but I worry about him too. So as cute as that show is, it is a no go in our home.
Saturday, while in California. Caleb came to the conclusion that "Jesus likes funny jokes". This comes on the heels of a coversation about not crying wolf (a bad joke) because it is actually lying and Jesus doesn't like lying... so Caleb decided the flip side was that if Jesus didn't like bad jokes, he must like funny jokes. Caleb has also decided that Jesus is the biggest Rescue Hero, cute if you remember his obsession with Rescue Heroes. And we often have to include in our nightly prayers for Jesus to protect Caleb from Bats... I don't know why Bats, but we had to have a 45 minutes conversation with Caleb about how Jesus is stronger than bats. Caleb has decided that bats are bad and will get him, and he started a thing about owls and spiders but to a significantly lesser degree.
Cute Brief: Caleb grabbed Joshy's hand in the back seat and was making Joshy's hand wave and saying "Hi-lo Grammy" and "Hi Papa". Joshy loved it and giggled and then pulled on Caleb's sweatshirt and Caleb let him and thought it was great.
Cute Brief: We were all walking through the parking lot and Caleb was out ahead (the lot was closed to traffic). He hopped and leaped over a speed bump and thought it was a big one. So he ran back and said "here grammy" and took her hand and carefully helped her over the speed bump to make sure she made it. How kind and caring is that?!
Cute Brief: Caleb was sleeping in our bed one morning. Joshy woke up and I got him and brought him into the bed hoping that he would lay down and sleep again. No such luck. He rolled over and started talking, poking, rolling onto Caleb and trying to get Caleb to wake up and play with him. Caleb finally did sit up and gave his brother a little push and said "I'm not a toy Jockey! I'm a boy."
Well, that's all I have time for, and I'm still not done with the stories from all of California.
More soon, and always accummulating more. Good Night, God Bless.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Well, nice to have you visit again.
Today, I will share some very random cute things that the boys have done. I apologize in advance for the disconnectedness. I thought it was better to share the cute things rather than agonize over the sentence and paragraph structure or even the chronology. These things have happened with in the last 2-3 weeks, some before and some in California.
About three weeks ago, Caleb saw Papa Bill. Papa Bill had spent some time cleaning and tuning up the old "rocking" Wonder Pony that Mommy and Uncle Jeff had played on when we were little. It is a hard plastic/fiber glass horse suspended at the 4 corners with big springs and held about 2-3 feet off the ground. So you can rock back and forward (squeak) and jump up and down (squeak squeak and clang). Caleb was introduced to this Wonder Pony (really a wonder that it survived 30 years, or that they sold them as toys for children with exposed springs just waiting for little fingers... but I survived and so did it.) Caleb was a bit shy about it the first time he saw it. His curiosity sometimes comes out as shyness. Well, he must have gotten the story of Mommy on the Wonder pony because he came home that night and wanted Mommy to tell him stories about when she was a little BOY! (yeah, Caleb, Mommy never was a little boy.) The next time that we were at Papa Bill and Judy's, Caleb jumped right up on it and began to rock and jump and make that horse squeak and clang to his hearts content. Joshy was put up on it too and he thought it was wonderful and got a big toothy grin on his face.
For those of you who are counting, Josh has 12 teeth now, and just today I noticed more inflamed gums... more could be on the way. Which is good because he has the front four (top and bottom) and then big gaps then his molars top and bottom.
Joshy learned what soap was. (Don't think of the details, just the face value of the story please.) Josh and I were taking a shower and I was holding him up. The ledge with the soap was there and he pointed at it. I suds up my fingers and rubbed it on his arm and then rinsed it off. Well, he tried to pick it up but dropped it, so I put him down on the shower floor. He then picked it up and got a little on his fingers and then rubbed my leg. So Josh now knows what so if for. He's very smart.
Caleb's Toy Story obsession has strengthened with Grammy Dahl's purchase of ZURG. Zurg is supposedly Buzz's arch rival in the galactic empire, however, in the second movie (star wars fans will like this) Zurg turns out to be Buzz's long lost father. I'm actually quite glad that that ironic and near cheesy twist happenend since I wasn't so keen on the bad guy aspect, but since Caleb only sees Zurg as Buzz's father, I'm ok. And Zurg had to go with us to the airport, he had to be carried through the airport not ride in the toy backpack, he showed Zurg to all who looked in his direction, Zurg got to ride and see the inside of the security xray screening machines... So Caleb's happy.
Caleb has become obsessed with the weather. His favorite is to annouce "It's a SUUUNNNnnny DAYYYY!" If you haven't heard it, let me assure you that the retyping of it can't mimic the cute emphasis and voice he uses. But he has to ask if it is a sunny day. "No is a sunny day mommy? It's a gray dark day?" He really likes the sunny days! I agree. And there were alot in California.
The special thing about sunny days in California is that every morning Caleb got to search the house for rainbows on the walls, floor, ceiling and whereever else they appeared. He liked the search and discovery every day. He likes rainbows, they are quickly becoming something special to him. I am going to have to make a point to sit and tell him the Noah's Ark story when he has the focus to listen.
Well, Caleb is still Potty Trained... !!!! And Caleb likes to ask "You proud me mommy?" Again, is sounds so cute, and yes, I'm proud of him. (I'm also trying to reinforce that he should be proud of himself too...self-esteem starts with ones self.)
So the plane was delayed 3 hours going down to Sacramento. I mentioned that before. But what I didn't mention were the nearly 10 people that came up to me in that 3 hours, on the plane, while deplaning, and waiting for the baggage who said to me that they boys were wonderful, that they were so well behaved and good. I was very proud of them, and each of those people were amazed even more when I told them that this was the boys' nap time too. (They also mentioned that I was handling them good, and there were times I thoguht I'd loose it, so hearing that meant a little to me as well.)
So Grandma and Grandpa Bishop had dutifully sought out a couple toys for the boys to have when they arrived... But you'll never guess what Joshy's favorite was.... the brand new (thank the Lord) toilet bowl brush. HE TOOK THAT EVERYWHERE. He played with it everyday, right up until we left. He took it into the hot tub even! Hey, whatever makes him happy, as long as it was brand new. And he would scream if we took it away.
Ok, he did like one other thing pretty well. LONG long ago, Grandma was going to make a bathrobe... but her little girl (that would be mommy) played with the baby pink with white polka dot material so much it never reached the sewing stage. Well, Joshy was in love with the fleecey stuff when Grandma laid it out on the floor. He would flop himself onto it and lay his head down and rub and kick his legs, or he would turn over and do the same on his back. Caleb got into the action too and Grandma ended up rolling him up like a little burrito and then shaking him out a few times. Why is 4 yards of pink fleece so fun??!!
Oh, when we got off the plane, we were greeted by Grandma and Grandpa Bishop. And Caleb said hello, and then we were off the the potty. In the restroom Caleb had to say that Grandma was happy to see him and he was happy to see her and Grandpa was happy to see him and he was happy to see grandpa... and then he had to tell me that Grandma has girl parts. Little for than a how do you do and out comes that.... Normally you have to get to know someone a little better before you start to talk about parts. But the two of them did spend good time together, so I guess Caleb knew where things were headed.
Grandpa Bishop also let Caleb sit with him and ride in their electric wheel chair in the garage. There wasn't a lot of space, but enough to do donuts and make Caleb happy.
This wheel chair came in handy another couple of times. Grandpa and Grandma each took it to the park as Caleb rode his bike to the park. Joshy even got to be a passenger on one trip with Grandma. He liked it... it was different than the stroller and Mommy liked it because then she could help Caleb get accross the street and back up on the sidewalks as we went several blocks.
Well, I have lots more of these small disconnected stories to tell, but I'm just getting a little tired for tonight, so they'll have to keep until another time. Thanks for reading and visit again soon.
Today, I will share some very random cute things that the boys have done. I apologize in advance for the disconnectedness. I thought it was better to share the cute things rather than agonize over the sentence and paragraph structure or even the chronology. These things have happened with in the last 2-3 weeks, some before and some in California.
About three weeks ago, Caleb saw Papa Bill. Papa Bill had spent some time cleaning and tuning up the old "rocking" Wonder Pony that Mommy and Uncle Jeff had played on when we were little. It is a hard plastic/fiber glass horse suspended at the 4 corners with big springs and held about 2-3 feet off the ground. So you can rock back and forward (squeak) and jump up and down (squeak squeak and clang). Caleb was introduced to this Wonder Pony (really a wonder that it survived 30 years, or that they sold them as toys for children with exposed springs just waiting for little fingers... but I survived and so did it.) Caleb was a bit shy about it the first time he saw it. His curiosity sometimes comes out as shyness. Well, he must have gotten the story of Mommy on the Wonder pony because he came home that night and wanted Mommy to tell him stories about when she was a little BOY! (yeah, Caleb, Mommy never was a little boy.) The next time that we were at Papa Bill and Judy's, Caleb jumped right up on it and began to rock and jump and make that horse squeak and clang to his hearts content. Joshy was put up on it too and he thought it was wonderful and got a big toothy grin on his face.
For those of you who are counting, Josh has 12 teeth now, and just today I noticed more inflamed gums... more could be on the way. Which is good because he has the front four (top and bottom) and then big gaps then his molars top and bottom.
Joshy learned what soap was. (Don't think of the details, just the face value of the story please.) Josh and I were taking a shower and I was holding him up. The ledge with the soap was there and he pointed at it. I suds up my fingers and rubbed it on his arm and then rinsed it off. Well, he tried to pick it up but dropped it, so I put him down on the shower floor. He then picked it up and got a little on his fingers and then rubbed my leg. So Josh now knows what so if for. He's very smart.
Caleb's Toy Story obsession has strengthened with Grammy Dahl's purchase of ZURG. Zurg is supposedly Buzz's arch rival in the galactic empire, however, in the second movie (star wars fans will like this) Zurg turns out to be Buzz's long lost father. I'm actually quite glad that that ironic and near cheesy twist happenend since I wasn't so keen on the bad guy aspect, but since Caleb only sees Zurg as Buzz's father, I'm ok. And Zurg had to go with us to the airport, he had to be carried through the airport not ride in the toy backpack, he showed Zurg to all who looked in his direction, Zurg got to ride and see the inside of the security xray screening machines... So Caleb's happy.
Caleb has become obsessed with the weather. His favorite is to annouce "It's a SUUUNNNnnny DAYYYY!" If you haven't heard it, let me assure you that the retyping of it can't mimic the cute emphasis and voice he uses. But he has to ask if it is a sunny day. "No is a sunny day mommy? It's a gray dark day?" He really likes the sunny days! I agree. And there were alot in California.
The special thing about sunny days in California is that every morning Caleb got to search the house for rainbows on the walls, floor, ceiling and whereever else they appeared. He liked the search and discovery every day. He likes rainbows, they are quickly becoming something special to him. I am going to have to make a point to sit and tell him the Noah's Ark story when he has the focus to listen.
Well, Caleb is still Potty Trained... !!!! And Caleb likes to ask "You proud me mommy?" Again, is sounds so cute, and yes, I'm proud of him. (I'm also trying to reinforce that he should be proud of himself too...self-esteem starts with ones self.)
So the plane was delayed 3 hours going down to Sacramento. I mentioned that before. But what I didn't mention were the nearly 10 people that came up to me in that 3 hours, on the plane, while deplaning, and waiting for the baggage who said to me that they boys were wonderful, that they were so well behaved and good. I was very proud of them, and each of those people were amazed even more when I told them that this was the boys' nap time too. (They also mentioned that I was handling them good, and there were times I thoguht I'd loose it, so hearing that meant a little to me as well.)
So Grandma and Grandpa Bishop had dutifully sought out a couple toys for the boys to have when they arrived... But you'll never guess what Joshy's favorite was.... the brand new (thank the Lord) toilet bowl brush. HE TOOK THAT EVERYWHERE. He played with it everyday, right up until we left. He took it into the hot tub even! Hey, whatever makes him happy, as long as it was brand new. And he would scream if we took it away.
Ok, he did like one other thing pretty well. LONG long ago, Grandma was going to make a bathrobe... but her little girl (that would be mommy) played with the baby pink with white polka dot material so much it never reached the sewing stage. Well, Joshy was in love with the fleecey stuff when Grandma laid it out on the floor. He would flop himself onto it and lay his head down and rub and kick his legs, or he would turn over and do the same on his back. Caleb got into the action too and Grandma ended up rolling him up like a little burrito and then shaking him out a few times. Why is 4 yards of pink fleece so fun??!!
Oh, when we got off the plane, we were greeted by Grandma and Grandpa Bishop. And Caleb said hello, and then we were off the the potty. In the restroom Caleb had to say that Grandma was happy to see him and he was happy to see her and Grandpa was happy to see him and he was happy to see grandpa... and then he had to tell me that Grandma has girl parts. Little for than a how do you do and out comes that.... Normally you have to get to know someone a little better before you start to talk about parts. But the two of them did spend good time together, so I guess Caleb knew where things were headed.
Grandpa Bishop also let Caleb sit with him and ride in their electric wheel chair in the garage. There wasn't a lot of space, but enough to do donuts and make Caleb happy.
This wheel chair came in handy another couple of times. Grandpa and Grandma each took it to the park as Caleb rode his bike to the park. Joshy even got to be a passenger on one trip with Grandma. He liked it... it was different than the stroller and Mommy liked it because then she could help Caleb get accross the street and back up on the sidewalks as we went several blocks.
Well, I have lots more of these small disconnected stories to tell, but I'm just getting a little tired for tonight, so they'll have to keep until another time. Thanks for reading and visit again soon.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
We're back!!!!
It was a great trip once we got there. To summarize: 3+ HOUR DELAY *DURING* the kids' supposed naptime! So instead of a 2:15 arrival, we didn't get in until almost 6pm!
This post is the brief, day to day activities run down with a few pictures. I will give more special stories later. This is just meant to high the activites high notes. The precious moments highlights are still to come.
*****CALEB WENT ALL THE TRIP POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!******* (and still going strong since we've come home) I'm proud of him, he's proud of himself!
Our first day was quite an adventure. Caleb took his first trip to Starbucks this morning. Then after early morning recovery-from-traveling naps, we were off to Chuck E. Cheese. A Caleb favorite! And for the first time, Josh was actually able to participate, not just sit in the high chair and eat. Although, he was happy enough to eat, he didn't want to participant until he had watched for quite a long time to get a feel for the place.
But before Josh could really start playing, we were off to pick up a bike that was advertised on craigslist. What a blessing that there was an affordable 12" bike (and helmet) in the local area for sale... and on our first day in town. So we purchased it and brought it home. Caleb rode it nearly every day! We rode to the park and even had to seek out special new parks to ride in.
Saturday was amazing. Robert had seen an ad for a church putting on a harvest festival. ALL FREE. So Caleb got to run out and select a pumpkin or two. He got to jump in the jumpy houses. Free food to eat, music/band, balloons, wands with streamers. He could have played games, but the lines were so long that we had to choose. And he choose to get his face painted, something he has never done before. He told us that he wanted an X. I was kind of confused on that. First I was surprised that he even knew the letter X, but then I wondered why he wanted it.... until he pointed as someone else and I saw that it was reall a cross that he wanted. So that's what he got, a green cross on his cheek. Which lasted almost 2 days!
As if one pumpkin patch/festival wasn't enough, we went to another on Sunday. And although it sounded like more of the first, it was amazing and very different. It was called the Bishop Pumpkin Farm, and it was huge with LOTS to do; it had a wonderful atmosphere too with the BBQ, baked goods that made you hungry, fresh apple cider slushies, etc! We saw pig races put on by Mother Goose. Caleb climbed in an old "settlers fort" and had the chance to "go to jail" (but he didn't go for it.) He went up on a "Coyote Mountian", which featured a couple great slides. Caleb panned and mined for marbles; he loved this because he got to keep the marbles and we all know how he loves small things to treasure and either hold in his hands or put in his pockets. Caleb liked to climb in the barn maze and slide down the slide there and wade in the dried corn silo. We all rode the miniature train, which Caleb especially loved because it went through a tunnel and he happened to get to turn on his flashlight that he'd been carrying in his pocket. The kids, both, got to climb on his all wood, miniature play train. This was Joshy's highlight. He must have spent 30 minutes climbing and laughing from the inside of the train. We were going to ride the ponies, but that line would have been an hour long wait and Joshy's time was ending before his afternoon nap, so Caleb instead jumped, climbed and ran on the old tire maze until his bum was VERY dirty and his shoes had fallen right off of his feet! The evening ended with a nice hot tub time.
Monday was very fun. It was something very new and special for Caleb, and it appealed to Mommy's creative side. Although, I had to remember that it was Grandma's idea and Caleb's project. We went to a paint your own pottery studio. Caleb made a special plate of all the things he had seen or done on his trip so far. Well, with the active trip we'd had there was no way we were going to fit it all on the plate, but the things that did make the list: a blue bike, a pumpkin, a black horse, a GREEN pig, and a dog (which I don't know when he saw other than on our rides to the park, but it came out looking alot like Tigger.) Caleb had fun, and if he will eat all of his dinner off of it like he promises, then the 2 hours spent making it would have have been worth every minute and a priceless idea of Grandma's! The day rounded out with a bike ride, slurpees, time in the hot tub and Rescue Heroes shows right up to bed time.
It was a great trip once we got there. To summarize: 3+ HOUR DELAY *DURING* the kids' supposed naptime! So instead of a 2:15 arrival, we didn't get in until almost 6pm!
This post is the brief, day to day activities run down with a few pictures. I will give more special stories later. This is just meant to high the activites high notes. The precious moments highlights are still to come.
*****CALEB WENT ALL THE TRIP POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!******* (and still going strong since we've come home) I'm proud of him, he's proud of himself!
Our first day was quite an adventure. Caleb took his first trip to Starbucks this morning. Then after early morning recovery-from-traveling naps, we were off to Chuck E. Cheese. A Caleb favorite! And for the first time, Josh was actually able to participate, not just sit in the high chair and eat. Although, he was happy enough to eat, he didn't want to participant until he had watched for quite a long time to get a feel for the place.
But before Josh could really start playing, we were off to pick up a bike that was advertised on craigslist. What a blessing that there was an affordable 12" bike (and helmet) in the local area for sale... and on our first day in town. So we purchased it and brought it home. Caleb rode it nearly every day! We rode to the park and even had to seek out special new parks to ride in.
Saturday was amazing. Robert had seen an ad for a church putting on a harvest festival. ALL FREE. So Caleb got to run out and select a pumpkin or two. He got to jump in the jumpy houses. Free food to eat, music/band, balloons, wands with streamers. He could have played games, but the lines were so long that we had to choose. And he choose to get his face painted, something he has never done before. He told us that he wanted an X. I was kind of confused on that. First I was surprised that he even knew the letter X, but then I wondered why he wanted it.... until he pointed as someone else and I saw that it was reall a cross that he wanted. So that's what he got, a green cross on his cheek. Which lasted almost 2 days!
As if one pumpkin patch/festival wasn't enough, we went to another on Sunday. And although it sounded like more of the first, it was amazing and very different. It was called the Bishop Pumpkin Farm, and it was huge with LOTS to do; it had a wonderful atmosphere too with the BBQ, baked goods that made you hungry, fresh apple cider slushies, etc! We saw pig races put on by Mother Goose. Caleb climbed in an old "settlers fort" and had the chance to "go to jail" (but he didn't go for it.) He went up on a "Coyote Mountian", which featured a couple great slides. Caleb panned and mined for marbles; he loved this because he got to keep the marbles and we all know how he loves small things to treasure and either hold in his hands or put in his pockets. Caleb liked to climb in the barn maze and slide down the slide there and wade in the dried corn silo. We all rode the miniature train, which Caleb especially loved because it went through a tunnel and he happened to get to turn on his flashlight that he'd been carrying in his pocket. The kids, both, got to climb on his all wood, miniature play train. This was Joshy's highlight. He must have spent 30 minutes climbing and laughing from the inside of the train. We were going to ride the ponies, but that line would have been an hour long wait and Joshy's time was ending before his afternoon nap, so Caleb instead jumped, climbed and ran on the old tire maze until his bum was VERY dirty and his shoes had fallen right off of his feet! The evening ended with a nice hot tub time.
Monday was very fun. It was something very new and special for Caleb, and it appealed to Mommy's creative side. Although, I had to remember that it was Grandma's idea and Caleb's project. We went to a paint your own pottery studio. Caleb made a special plate of all the things he had seen or done on his trip so far. Well, with the active trip we'd had there was no way we were going to fit it all on the plate, but the things that did make the list: a blue bike, a pumpkin, a black horse, a GREEN pig, and a dog (which I don't know when he saw other than on our rides to the park, but it came out looking alot like Tigger.) Caleb had fun, and if he will eat all of his dinner off of it like he promises, then the 2 hours spent making it would have have been worth every minute and a priceless idea of Grandma's! The day rounded out with a bike ride, slurpees, time in the hot tub and Rescue Heroes shows right up to bed time.
Tuesday was an attempt at many fun things that ended up being closed during the mid morning and early afternoon (the local communities' attempt at preventing truancy). So it was just a Farmer's Market, antique shopping, Old Navy shopping kind of day with a bike ride and the new "Over the Hedge" movie to round off the day. We did see my Aunt Sunny, cousin Meghan and the boy's cousin Alexandra too. And Caleb got a special play tent from Grandma for being a big boy (potty trained) all trip. He really liked that, and so did Joshy for that matter.
Wednesday, Great Grandma Dyer came over to see the boys in the morning. And despite all plans to do something next, every one fell asleep for early naps. So once we were all up mid-day, it was time for more Chuck E Cheese. This time, Josh really liked it... as long as we let him go and explore at his own pace. He really didn't want to be cocerced into any specific activities. And it is a good thing that this is a noisy, kid's place because Josh was just squealing and screaming and clapping his hands with happiness! We picked up Caleb's plate from the pottery studio, and he really liked his plate. It was surprising how much the rest of us were looking forward to seeing it too. Caleb then stayed with Grandpa, while Mommy, Joshy and Grandma went to explore and antique store before dinner. Dinner was special because a good friend Phinas came over. He's like part of the family, although in a photograph he wouldn't exactly look related. He brought the boys small gifts which Caleb insisted get opened right away. Dinner was good; Josh surprised us. I kept giving him the food that I thought that he could eat... but he still kept fussing. Finally, I gave him a rib... and he loved it and was quiet for 10-15 mintues. He chewed and sucked that thing clean and then wanted another! Sure, whatever kiddo. As long as you eat, don't choke, and let us all eat in peace too! Grandma, the boys and I were off to the hot tub again. At the first part of the trip, Josh would just sit mellow in my lap in the hot tub, but by the end of this night he was standing in the shallow area slapping the sides of the hot tub, laughing and popping up out of the water and kicking his legs! He really had a good time and was experiencing water with joy! Caleb made a huge leap in developement too! He now was pushing off one side of the hot tub, diving underwater towards me where I would lift him out of the water. He would only be under for 1-3 seconds, but that was a great leap from not wanting to get his face wet to actually diving under! I'm very proud of him!
Thursday was the last minute packing, get to the airport, final good byes, struggle through security and flying times and actually getting home day. Fortunately, it went fairly smoothly and all on time. We arrived safe, and all the luggage too. We are home with unforgettable memories and good times. I'll go into greater detail of the special moments when I have more time because they are priceless times/actions on the boy's parts. However, now you've at least got the day-by-day play of what we did.
Look for more stories SOON.!!!!
I actually walked into the room to find Caleb this way!
Joshy eating ribs, good food, good size mess, very happy kiddo.
Packing Day, Josh gives a patented toothy grin. 
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Pictures, pictures!
Before we are off to California. I should share in pictures that which I don't have time to detail in words.
Before we are off to California. I should share in pictures that which I don't have time to detail in words.
Joshy having fun at playgroup. He is really branching out in the activities he wants to try.
Caleb, the grocery cart superhero.
Our little boys having fun TOGETHER. They are playing with Rescue Heroes, and yes that aircraft carrier is really that big.
Well, that is all I have time for. I will be gone to California from 10/12 through 10/19. I hope to have lots of great stories to tell when I return. Pray for our safe trip.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Hey another week has been lived!
We have had some wonderfully sunny days in which a few walks have been squeezed in. Caleb even tries to bike ride the distance. He is maxed at the 2 miles it takes to get to and back from the park... of course he runs around and plays at the park and that could be why the return trek includes many (MANY) helpful pushes from Mom or Dad.
We, of course, went to play group this week. Caleb really does look forward to those days o the chance that he will see his friend. He plays well with all the kids, but he has his favorite. Josh does well at playgroup. He is getting more and more curious about the other kids, but the individual toys and balls have a greater interest still.
Josh is over his flu, has been for this week. Thank goodness for that. However, he is getting two more teeth. Painful, but they will help him keep up with his eating habits... ALOT! He can out eat Caleb most days. Although, we are battling an awful rash from our new experience with peanut butter this week. Josh is so demanding and somehow lets us know tht he is HUNGRY! And lately, he is thirsty. He has discovered all things liquid. Caleb spent the the last year and a half liking Apple Juice (and the occassional Slurpee), but Josh wants no such limitations. If we have it and are drinking it, then he insists quite vocally and loudly, that he is entitled to some.
Caleb is getting remarkably better at eating with the family at the table, and eating what the family is eating. Fish is his favorite so far, with yams, squash and fruit as his favorite side dishes. He eats it up, although sometimes Daddy has to bribe him. But if all else fails, he has discovered which drawer in the fridge has the apples in it. If I hadn't have stopped him, he would have eaten 4 (FOUR) full apples yesterday. And he is ever so helpful, because when he gets an apple, Josh wails to get one too, so Caleb doles them out to Josh too! I think I will have to take up stock in an Apple or Nectarine orchard!
Caleb is getting smarter in how to reach things that have previously been out of reach. He discovered how to get a chair pushed to the kicthen counter, get up ON the counter and then reach the top shelf IN the cabinets! I found him eating straight brown sugar... the stuff I use for cooking. What possesses him somedays! But he is always so generous to share with Joshy. Yeah, thanks Caleb. What I actually thankful for is the kindness and sincere appreciation that Caleb is showing lately. He is constantly saying thank you anything: for cooking him dinner, for cooking Joshy and Daddys dinner, for putting in his Rescue Hero movie, for helping do anything, for cleaning "his" house/toys, for taking him bike riding. He says thank you without prompting and sometimes even a day late, but I am very proud of him for his polite and kind behaviors. Somethings you try to teach and they never take, and other things you can teach and the kid surprises us by going one step further. Caleb is the later; he has surprised me, and I feel very blessed by him. He is also beginning to grasp the concept of "you proud me, Mommy?" He is very interested and excited to do things that make mommy or daddy proud of him. And is sounds so cute when he asks. I hope that this is something that in the future will motivate him to do good and correct behaviors and push him towards challenges and seek success. I'm also trying to instill the idea of being proud of himself. He needs to get self-esteem from inside as well as from outside influences.
Josh is getting a little taller and the heights that he is able to reach are higher now. I have had to move things up to a safer level to avoid his grabby hands too. And he is an earlier climber too. I think he had watched and learned from big brother. That has been this week's motto... "Caleb, Josh saw you doing that and now he wants to do it, but neither of you should be doing it!" Josh is a really smart guy. He understands no, but thinks about it and decides that he wants the object more than he wants to give it up. He said Moon and Banana this week. And Caleb says he heard Please and Thank you out of Josh. Amazing. Josh refuses to sign language anything, but he is talking. Caleb was the opposite, for the longest time he knew the words and chose to sign!
Well, we have begun to get all the laundry in the house completed so that we have as many options for packing as possible. We leave next Thursday for a week long trip to California. Caleb has been talking about this for a month. He is excited to see the Grandparents Bishop, and he knows that he has to ride a plane to get there. And Grandpa Bishop has planned all sorts of fun activities. I'm sure that we will keep Caleb busy! And a busy kiddo takes naps and sleeps through the nights!
Well, I have quite a few pictures to post here, the next time that I get a few moments to take. But for now, this is all I have time for. Hope to post again soon. TTFN.
We have had some wonderfully sunny days in which a few walks have been squeezed in. Caleb even tries to bike ride the distance. He is maxed at the 2 miles it takes to get to and back from the park... of course he runs around and plays at the park and that could be why the return trek includes many (MANY) helpful pushes from Mom or Dad.
We, of course, went to play group this week. Caleb really does look forward to those days o the chance that he will see his friend. He plays well with all the kids, but he has his favorite. Josh does well at playgroup. He is getting more and more curious about the other kids, but the individual toys and balls have a greater interest still.
Josh is over his flu, has been for this week. Thank goodness for that. However, he is getting two more teeth. Painful, but they will help him keep up with his eating habits... ALOT! He can out eat Caleb most days. Although, we are battling an awful rash from our new experience with peanut butter this week. Josh is so demanding and somehow lets us know tht he is HUNGRY! And lately, he is thirsty. He has discovered all things liquid. Caleb spent the the last year and a half liking Apple Juice (and the occassional Slurpee), but Josh wants no such limitations. If we have it and are drinking it, then he insists quite vocally and loudly, that he is entitled to some.
Caleb is getting remarkably better at eating with the family at the table, and eating what the family is eating. Fish is his favorite so far, with yams, squash and fruit as his favorite side dishes. He eats it up, although sometimes Daddy has to bribe him. But if all else fails, he has discovered which drawer in the fridge has the apples in it. If I hadn't have stopped him, he would have eaten 4 (FOUR) full apples yesterday. And he is ever so helpful, because when he gets an apple, Josh wails to get one too, so Caleb doles them out to Josh too! I think I will have to take up stock in an Apple or Nectarine orchard!
Caleb is getting smarter in how to reach things that have previously been out of reach. He discovered how to get a chair pushed to the kicthen counter, get up ON the counter and then reach the top shelf IN the cabinets! I found him eating straight brown sugar... the stuff I use for cooking. What possesses him somedays! But he is always so generous to share with Joshy. Yeah, thanks Caleb. What I actually thankful for is the kindness and sincere appreciation that Caleb is showing lately. He is constantly saying thank you anything: for cooking him dinner, for cooking Joshy and Daddys dinner, for putting in his Rescue Hero movie, for helping do anything, for cleaning "his" house/toys, for taking him bike riding. He says thank you without prompting and sometimes even a day late, but I am very proud of him for his polite and kind behaviors. Somethings you try to teach and they never take, and other things you can teach and the kid surprises us by going one step further. Caleb is the later; he has surprised me, and I feel very blessed by him. He is also beginning to grasp the concept of "you proud me, Mommy?" He is very interested and excited to do things that make mommy or daddy proud of him. And is sounds so cute when he asks. I hope that this is something that in the future will motivate him to do good and correct behaviors and push him towards challenges and seek success. I'm also trying to instill the idea of being proud of himself. He needs to get self-esteem from inside as well as from outside influences.
Josh is getting a little taller and the heights that he is able to reach are higher now. I have had to move things up to a safer level to avoid his grabby hands too. And he is an earlier climber too. I think he had watched and learned from big brother. That has been this week's motto... "Caleb, Josh saw you doing that and now he wants to do it, but neither of you should be doing it!" Josh is a really smart guy. He understands no, but thinks about it and decides that he wants the object more than he wants to give it up. He said Moon and Banana this week. And Caleb says he heard Please and Thank you out of Josh. Amazing. Josh refuses to sign language anything, but he is talking. Caleb was the opposite, for the longest time he knew the words and chose to sign!
Well, we have begun to get all the laundry in the house completed so that we have as many options for packing as possible. We leave next Thursday for a week long trip to California. Caleb has been talking about this for a month. He is excited to see the Grandparents Bishop, and he knows that he has to ride a plane to get there. And Grandpa Bishop has planned all sorts of fun activities. I'm sure that we will keep Caleb busy! And a busy kiddo takes naps and sleeps through the nights!
Well, I have quite a few pictures to post here, the next time that I get a few moments to take. But for now, this is all I have time for. Hope to post again soon. TTFN.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Hello all,
Well, Josh is nearly over his flu. He still has a runny nose occassionally, but he is feeling better overall.
Caleb is, of course, back from camping. He has a wonderful time. He talks a lot about riding the bike in Toppenish. He tells all of his activities in this whirlwind of speech, it is hard to decipher all of what he did. But it is all told in a happy and excited voice, so I know he had a good time.
Grammy and Papa said that he was well behaved, which I'm proud of. And about the hopes of potty training getting firmly imprinted.... no such luck.... thanks to one of the automatic toliets that scared the wits out of him. But we are trying again here at home, as always.
Caleb went to playgroup this Monday and saw his good friend.
Tuesday, Josh was the lucky little guy who got to go see Grammy and Papa Dahl. Which meant that Caleb and Mommy got to spend the day with each other. We got to go to a couple stores, the library, and the park. We fed the goats. We went on a walk. We even watched his Rescue Hero Movie! He had a good time. And even with all those activities, I even got some projects begun! I was wonderful. And Joshy came home with a wonderful smile and hug on his face. He had a good time away and a good time coming home... the best of both worlds!
Wednesday was just a typical day that ended in a nice 2 mile family walk.
Today, Caleb got to see Papa Bill. Mike and Caleb drove out to Papa Bill's house and then they all hopped on bikes (Caleb in the new-to-us/garage sale purchase bike trailer) and rode the Centennial trail. The weather was beautiful and cooperated. Then they came home for lunch. All in all, not a bad way to spend a day. And Caleb is extra happy because he is ending today watching his Rescue Hero movie, AGAIN!
Well, I don't know what the plans are for the rest of the week or weekend, but I'm sure the time will get filled up. I hope that it is filled with sunny days and healthy walks.
Good night.
Well, Josh is nearly over his flu. He still has a runny nose occassionally, but he is feeling better overall.
Caleb is, of course, back from camping. He has a wonderful time. He talks a lot about riding the bike in Toppenish. He tells all of his activities in this whirlwind of speech, it is hard to decipher all of what he did. But it is all told in a happy and excited voice, so I know he had a good time.
Grammy and Papa said that he was well behaved, which I'm proud of. And about the hopes of potty training getting firmly imprinted.... no such luck.... thanks to one of the automatic toliets that scared the wits out of him. But we are trying again here at home, as always.
Caleb went to playgroup this Monday and saw his good friend.
Tuesday, Josh was the lucky little guy who got to go see Grammy and Papa Dahl. Which meant that Caleb and Mommy got to spend the day with each other. We got to go to a couple stores, the library, and the park. We fed the goats. We went on a walk. We even watched his Rescue Hero Movie! He had a good time. And even with all those activities, I even got some projects begun! I was wonderful. And Joshy came home with a wonderful smile and hug on his face. He had a good time away and a good time coming home... the best of both worlds!
Wednesday was just a typical day that ended in a nice 2 mile family walk.
Today, Caleb got to see Papa Bill. Mike and Caleb drove out to Papa Bill's house and then they all hopped on bikes (Caleb in the new-to-us/garage sale purchase bike trailer) and rode the Centennial trail. The weather was beautiful and cooperated. Then they came home for lunch. All in all, not a bad way to spend a day. And Caleb is extra happy because he is ending today watching his Rescue Hero movie, AGAIN!
Well, I don't know what the plans are for the rest of the week or weekend, but I'm sure the time will get filled up. I hope that it is filled with sunny days and healthy walks.
Good night.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Hello all, I bet you didn't think I would post again in the same week!
Caleb, despite a brush with a cold, is camping with Grammy and Papa Dahl and Cousin Tessa. They went to Toppenish in the motorcoach. I have gotten the report from Caleb himself, that he has used their potty! I sincerely wish that with this weekend and the influence of Cousin Tessa, that Caleb will come home with the value of being potty trained not just while naked. If that were to happen then I would be more than grateful to Grammy and Papa and Tessa. Up until this point, Caleb hasn't seen the value of not using the diaper, it's a useful tool in his mind.
But on a non-potty note, I've been told that Caleb has talked up a storm and has been delightful company (I wonder if they have had their quota of Rescue Hero discussion and Woody (from Toy Story) comments?)... and he hasn't even kept Grammy and Papa up terribly late with his excitement. (9:30 isn't late in Caleb's mind.) They went for dinner and then for a evening swim to squeeze the last bit of energy out of the kiddos before bed yesterday. I haven't gotten the full report about today, however, I have heard that everyone is having a good time and Caleb is feeling ok.
Josh is in love with running around the house and playing with any toy he feels like without it being ripped away from him. He is sick with the flu, so it is a wonderful thing not to do sibling battle in addition to illness. He loves exploring and trying to play with the toys in the living room without interference. And thanks to a few garage sales, we have some phenomenally cool and cheap toys.
While I mentioned garage sales, I have to tell you a story. We of course were more than blessed to find a garage sale with Rescue Heroes at it. So we selected and purchased some. Caleb still doesn't quite understand the process of paying, especially in someone's driveway, but as we were saying thanks and good-bye...unprompted, Caleb turns to the lady and says "Thank you, you say me have these toys" and then he waves and says "I happy, I have fun these toys". What a truly wonderful, heartful child to understand gratitude and say those kind sentiments to strangers without being prompted.
Joshua is so happy despite being sick. And I'm happy when I call him and he runs to me and hugs me. Josh truly is a different child when there isn't a competition taking place. That's not to say that he doens't love Caleb, he does and seeks to be just like big brother, but he likes to try without pressure, I think.
I hope that Josh gets well soon, and that Caleb doesn't come down with the full blown flu, and for that matter I hope that Caleb hasn't infected Grammy, Papa or Tessa. Lord please keep these people healthy, or on the way to full health. And thank you Lord that I have two wonderful sons that are blessed with many circumstances in which to explore their environment and personality.
Caleb, despite a brush with a cold, is camping with Grammy and Papa Dahl and Cousin Tessa. They went to Toppenish in the motorcoach. I have gotten the report from Caleb himself, that he has used their potty! I sincerely wish that with this weekend and the influence of Cousin Tessa, that Caleb will come home with the value of being potty trained not just while naked. If that were to happen then I would be more than grateful to Grammy and Papa and Tessa. Up until this point, Caleb hasn't seen the value of not using the diaper, it's a useful tool in his mind.
But on a non-potty note, I've been told that Caleb has talked up a storm and has been delightful company (I wonder if they have had their quota of Rescue Hero discussion and Woody (from Toy Story) comments?)... and he hasn't even kept Grammy and Papa up terribly late with his excitement. (9:30 isn't late in Caleb's mind.) They went for dinner and then for a evening swim to squeeze the last bit of energy out of the kiddos before bed yesterday. I haven't gotten the full report about today, however, I have heard that everyone is having a good time and Caleb is feeling ok.
Josh is in love with running around the house and playing with any toy he feels like without it being ripped away from him. He is sick with the flu, so it is a wonderful thing not to do sibling battle in addition to illness. He loves exploring and trying to play with the toys in the living room without interference. And thanks to a few garage sales, we have some phenomenally cool and cheap toys.
While I mentioned garage sales, I have to tell you a story. We of course were more than blessed to find a garage sale with Rescue Heroes at it. So we selected and purchased some. Caleb still doesn't quite understand the process of paying, especially in someone's driveway, but as we were saying thanks and good-bye...unprompted, Caleb turns to the lady and says "Thank you, you say me have these toys" and then he waves and says "I happy, I have fun these toys". What a truly wonderful, heartful child to understand gratitude and say those kind sentiments to strangers without being prompted.
Joshua is so happy despite being sick. And I'm happy when I call him and he runs to me and hugs me. Josh truly is a different child when there isn't a competition taking place. That's not to say that he doens't love Caleb, he does and seeks to be just like big brother, but he likes to try without pressure, I think.
I hope that Josh gets well soon, and that Caleb doesn't come down with the full blown flu, and for that matter I hope that Caleb hasn't infected Grammy, Papa or Tessa. Lord please keep these people healthy, or on the way to full health. And thank you Lord that I have two wonderful sons that are blessed with many circumstances in which to explore their environment and personality.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Hi all.
It has been way too long since I have last posted. Well, life's been busy again, or as always.
I have almost completely recovered from my surgery... with the exception of when the boys jump, stand or land on me. Which is happening more and more as Joshy gets more active and mobile. THANK YOU to Grammy and Papa Dahl for the unforgettable, can't live without it help during my internment. Caleb and Josh had a good time and were in good hands and knowing that made the recovery go that much faster. Endless Thank yous!
Thank You to my Dad and Judy for bringing dinner on a Friday and keeping Caleb entertained as he talked and played endlessly.
Thank You Auntie Brittany and Brian also from bringing a meal to us when I wasn't even standing up straight.
Life forces us to hit the ground running and I realize that even more when kids are in my world. They don't give you much notice on when they are bored, want to get out of the crib, or have to use the restroom. But they bring such joy.
Caleb is enraptured with Rescue Heroes STILL. You would think that a 3 year old would shift focus as quick as it can start raining in Seattle. He asks to watch the movies all the time and he really learns the good lessons they speak of: teamwork, nobody gets left behind, and of course "Think safe". He plays with the figures daily, and even Jockey is getting in on the act. Of course, Joshy wants to be like Caleb in just about everything that he sometimes is a daredevil in the attempt.
Joshy has discovered he can climb onto the top of the coffee table, also he is doing very well at climbing and sliding down the slide we keep in the living room. Caleb tries to help, but also cuts in line occassionally. Josh is amazing me with what he is capable of physically. He has learned so quickly by watching that he might even be developing faster than the Amazing Caleb boy.
Caleb likes taking walks and he's always bossing around the dogs. He says Tigger is his, and we let him think so. Caleb also got to go to Remlinger Farms with Daddy, Joshy, Cousin Tessa and Aunt Kristina. He had a good time and was telling me all about the boats and ponies.
Playgroup has started back up for the school season, and none too soon with the rain arriving too. We go on Mondays and Wednesdays in the mornings. Caleb loves to see his best friend, Donovyn. They both play and bicker well. The one who is really shocking me is Jockey. He is very bold and willing to go all over the entire gym in pursuit of a ball. He readily climbs on the ride on toys or the rocking catepillars. He has watched so much, he's decided it's his turn to get into the action. He sees the older boys, and of course tries to keep up with them as well. He will get there. He really isn't my little baby anymore. He is SOOO active and is always moving. The closest thing to slowing down and a hug is when he decides it is time to wrestle on the floor.
Josh is in love with bath time! He can't get enough of it. He is even climbing into an empty bath tub trying to play. I am so glad that he isn't afraid of the water.
Josh is starting to say more and more. Single words and of course improper or incomplete pronunciation... but still. I have heard him say Hi, Tigger, I love you, all done, Daddy, more, and several other things. He will be an early talker too I think.
Well, I just wanted to update the blog so that everyone knew we were ok and live was just continuing on for us at a regular fast pace. Caleb and Jockey might even be starting up gymnastics here pretty quick. I can't wait to see how Josh attempts the various skills in gym class and meets with success and challenges that will bring leaps and bound in developement and abilities. Particularly the trampoline, it did wonders for Caleb balance, and I think Joshy would benefit and love it too!
Ok, that's all for now. I hope to update again real soon, perhaps even with pictures!
It has been way too long since I have last posted. Well, life's been busy again, or as always.
I have almost completely recovered from my surgery... with the exception of when the boys jump, stand or land on me. Which is happening more and more as Joshy gets more active and mobile. THANK YOU to Grammy and Papa Dahl for the unforgettable, can't live without it help during my internment. Caleb and Josh had a good time and were in good hands and knowing that made the recovery go that much faster. Endless Thank yous!
Thank You to my Dad and Judy for bringing dinner on a Friday and keeping Caleb entertained as he talked and played endlessly.
Thank You Auntie Brittany and Brian also from bringing a meal to us when I wasn't even standing up straight.
Life forces us to hit the ground running and I realize that even more when kids are in my world. They don't give you much notice on when they are bored, want to get out of the crib, or have to use the restroom. But they bring such joy.
Caleb is enraptured with Rescue Heroes STILL. You would think that a 3 year old would shift focus as quick as it can start raining in Seattle. He asks to watch the movies all the time and he really learns the good lessons they speak of: teamwork, nobody gets left behind, and of course "Think safe". He plays with the figures daily, and even Jockey is getting in on the act. Of course, Joshy wants to be like Caleb in just about everything that he sometimes is a daredevil in the attempt.
Joshy has discovered he can climb onto the top of the coffee table, also he is doing very well at climbing and sliding down the slide we keep in the living room. Caleb tries to help, but also cuts in line occassionally. Josh is amazing me with what he is capable of physically. He has learned so quickly by watching that he might even be developing faster than the Amazing Caleb boy.
Caleb likes taking walks and he's always bossing around the dogs. He says Tigger is his, and we let him think so. Caleb also got to go to Remlinger Farms with Daddy, Joshy, Cousin Tessa and Aunt Kristina. He had a good time and was telling me all about the boats and ponies.
Playgroup has started back up for the school season, and none too soon with the rain arriving too. We go on Mondays and Wednesdays in the mornings. Caleb loves to see his best friend, Donovyn. They both play and bicker well. The one who is really shocking me is Jockey. He is very bold and willing to go all over the entire gym in pursuit of a ball. He readily climbs on the ride on toys or the rocking catepillars. He has watched so much, he's decided it's his turn to get into the action. He sees the older boys, and of course tries to keep up with them as well. He will get there. He really isn't my little baby anymore. He is SOOO active and is always moving. The closest thing to slowing down and a hug is when he decides it is time to wrestle on the floor.
Josh is in love with bath time! He can't get enough of it. He is even climbing into an empty bath tub trying to play. I am so glad that he isn't afraid of the water.
Josh is starting to say more and more. Single words and of course improper or incomplete pronunciation... but still. I have heard him say Hi, Tigger, I love you, all done, Daddy, more, and several other things. He will be an early talker too I think.
Well, I just wanted to update the blog so that everyone knew we were ok and live was just continuing on for us at a regular fast pace. Caleb and Jockey might even be starting up gymnastics here pretty quick. I can't wait to see how Josh attempts the various skills in gym class and meets with success and challenges that will bring leaps and bound in developement and abilities. Particularly the trampoline, it did wonders for Caleb balance, and I think Joshy would benefit and love it too!
Ok, that's all for now. I hope to update again real soon, perhaps even with pictures!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
About Joshua's first birthday party, and long overdue at that.
This will have to be quick for multiple reasons, but I don't want to make it seems like I'm trying to short cut the store at all.
Josh had a good time, although he was putting on a brave face the entire time. He was fighting a bit of a cold, and because of the day's activities he only got one hour of a nap rather than 2 1/2 hrs. So he did amazing for having those two issues on his plate. He loved seeing everyone and interacting with everyone. He was walking around and playing. Caleb and Tessa were fun to watch in his opinion. We kept Joshy busy by opening gifts for him. He was amazing and gave each toy it's own separate attention. It was very neat to see him interact with new toys, and finally toys that are just his own and ones that big brother can't lay claim to. Everyone has Joshy's interest pegged pretty well. He likes things that flash, light up and play music. He liked the Elmo electric guitar from Grammy Judy and Papa Bill and the light up and musical lady bug from Auntie Charlotte the best. Caleb was really taken with all the toys. I keep having to tell Caleb that those are Joshy's toys and he then asks Josh if Josh will share. Cute. But Josh has fun with each item and does share without hesitation, just don't take what he has in his hand at the moment. So thank you to all who were so thoughtful and came to Josh's party and got him such gifts that he is truly enjoying!
Josh, our eater, was hilarious when it came time to have cake. We had angel food cake with chocolate frosting and accented/topped with strawberries. We got close so that he could see the cake and blow out the candle (with help, Caleb elected himself as the official candle blower) and Joshys began grabbing the strawberries off the top. He was enraptured. He ate half of the strawberries right off the top. He got very tearful when I took the cake away for cutting, but when his slice returned with extra strawberries, all was forgiven.
The whole event was very laid back, calm and over quickly... although clean up was a process. But my precious boy was worth it, and everyone did have a good time.
Here are a few pictures;photos tell a better story than just words.
This will have to be quick for multiple reasons, but I don't want to make it seems like I'm trying to short cut the store at all.
Josh had a good time, although he was putting on a brave face the entire time. He was fighting a bit of a cold, and because of the day's activities he only got one hour of a nap rather than 2 1/2 hrs. So he did amazing for having those two issues on his plate. He loved seeing everyone and interacting with everyone. He was walking around and playing. Caleb and Tessa were fun to watch in his opinion. We kept Joshy busy by opening gifts for him. He was amazing and gave each toy it's own separate attention. It was very neat to see him interact with new toys, and finally toys that are just his own and ones that big brother can't lay claim to. Everyone has Joshy's interest pegged pretty well. He likes things that flash, light up and play music. He liked the Elmo electric guitar from Grammy Judy and Papa Bill and the light up and musical lady bug from Auntie Charlotte the best. Caleb was really taken with all the toys. I keep having to tell Caleb that those are Joshy's toys and he then asks Josh if Josh will share. Cute. But Josh has fun with each item and does share without hesitation, just don't take what he has in his hand at the moment. So thank you to all who were so thoughtful and came to Josh's party and got him such gifts that he is truly enjoying!
Josh, our eater, was hilarious when it came time to have cake. We had angel food cake with chocolate frosting and accented/topped with strawberries. We got close so that he could see the cake and blow out the candle (with help, Caleb elected himself as the official candle blower) and Joshys began grabbing the strawberries off the top. He was enraptured. He ate half of the strawberries right off the top. He got very tearful when I took the cake away for cutting, but when his slice returned with extra strawberries, all was forgiven.
The whole event was very laid back, calm and over quickly... although clean up was a process. But my precious boy was worth it, and everyone did have a good time.
Here are a few pictures;photos tell a better story than just words.
Thank you all who came to Joshy's party. It means alot that his family is around him. I know that we have all done 1st year parties before, but this is Joshy's first and I'm grateful to all of you who prioritized Joshy and made time to come and celebrate with him.
Our baby boy is a toddler now, he is growing so fast. He is so cute and expressive in his mannerisms or attempts at words. He really knows what is going on. He loves his world around him. I'm very glad that I get the oportunity to stay home with him and see him grow and develope. I wish his second ear is as happy and fun as the first and brings new experiences and joys. God bless.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
An amazing, great picture of Caleb and his Great Grandma Dahl!
Thank you GG Dahl for being a kind and loving great grandma to Caleb and Joshy.
What great smiles. The picture taken just before this was of a huge hug that Caleb had to get a running start for. It's wonderful to see the oldest and one of the youngest in our family sharing such love for each other. It is rare for children to have great grandparents, but such an amazing blessing for the great grandparents to be around long enough for the children to build a relationship and memories that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Also, here is a picture of Joshy and GG at Joshy's year old b-day party.
Thank you GG Dahl for being a kind and loving great grandma to Caleb and Joshy.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
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!
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.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
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!
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!
Monday, July 31, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
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
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
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Monday, July 24, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
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.
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.
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