Party of Five

The 411 on Josiah

2012-01-07T21:32:00.017-05:00

I thought it fitting to reacquaint you to my children since it has been over a year since I've posted about them here. And why not start in the middle with Josiah.

Where to begin...

Jon was quoted saying this about his little brother in November 2008, "It's good to have a Siah around." That pretty much says it. If you want a buddy or a partner in crime, he's your guy. He has mastered the fine art of being a great pal. He has honed this skill with hours upon hours of playing with his best friend in the whole wide world, Jon.

Say you are sleepy and don't want to nap all by your lonesome. Yep, look no further than Siah Sam. I remember putting him in the bed with us around 5 am every morning after an early morning feed. He and JD would just cuddle so close and it was precious. Fast forward four years later and Josiah's preferred form of sleeping is next to a loved one. I get that. It does feel very nice and many an afternoon is spent with the two of us sharing a pillow.

The other night, Josiah was so sweet. We played a table talk game and the question was to share something that was beautiful to you. His answer, "The picture of Mommy in her wedding dress upstairs in your bedroom. And napping with you, Mom." A few hours later, he beat me to the punch when going to Rachel's room. She woke up with big tears around 1 am and while I dragged myself out of bed, he rushed to her side to offer her a baby doll. And if you are hurt, he is right next to you giving you a loving, gentle touch.

Another thing about Josiah, he is goofy. He loves a good time and loves to get you to laugh.

These are just a few of the many things that make me love this boy. I will add that like my other children, and probably most people, he is complex. That same boy with the tender touch is also the one upon whom I can place blame for breaking 99% of the things broken in the past 4 years. And when he is frustrated, he looks like he wants to punch someone badly. To sum it up, he is very physical.

He experiences his world by touching things (I should say - by touching EVERYTHING), standing on them and possibly breaking it too. And all this touching stuff leads to a certain pace of things that does not always bring out my best side. The words, "Come on, Siah!" are uttered very often around here.

I will skip the stories dealing with #2 (and you know what kind of #2 I'm talking about) and the crazy things that have happened with that part of living with him. I will just say that there are times when I stumble upon things and I just have to ask myself outloud, "Who does this kind of stuff?!?"

So, as you can see, it is very good to have a Siah around. Life would be pretty boring and less lovely without that sweet boy in our family. We love you!

Shall we try this again?

2012-01-01T19:52:00.003-05:00

Oh dear - Dec 4, 2010... date of last post. What in the world happened?? Where did my blogging go?

Well, if I am choosing to not feel like a failure at this, then I just cut myself some slack. I mean, 3 kids (until November - it was 3 under the age of 5). So, for 2012... I shall TRY. :)

Happy New Year!!!

Amen to that!

2011-02-02T19:51:00.003-05:00

I still need to explain these photos though it is technically "Wordless Wednesday."

Doing work for Awanas.

Drawing a picture of "something you talk about with God."

In case you cannot quite read it all, Jon on his own decided to write, "Dear God, help me to not sin." Amen to that!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T21:50:00.003-05:00

I think I'll say yes...

2011-01-25T21:19:00.004-05:00

Ah, the moment I've waited for arrived. I should not have been surprised to hear the good news. In fact, I'm now 3-3. Every man in this house... wants to marry me! Oh, my stars - I am a happy woman!

It was Josiah's turn to pledge his forever love to me and it went something like this. "Mom, I love you." My response, "Oh, I do love you too, my boy." And then he said it, "I want to marry you because you're beautiful and I love you." >sigh< Really, does it get better than this??!!??

Wordless Wednesday - Because I have boys...

2011-01-19T20:44:00.003-05:00

Guess what room in our house needs this??

Irrestible

2011-01-15T21:05:00.004-05:00

At first I didn't believe it. And then I checked. It's true. I'm amazed, baffled even. How is it that I have so few posts about my sweet Rachel. Seriously, how can this be???

I have no explanation other than I feel as if I take so many pictures of her and am so often telling what a joy she is. She literally lights up a room. It's an incredible thing to see. I love to watch how others respond to her. She's infectious. You simply CANNOT ignore her. She won't let you. She'll coo at you. Next, she'll do her trademark head tilt with a giggle. Her bag of tricks to woo anyone is stocked full and I don't suggest you try to resist her.

See what I mean???

Winter Weather Request

2011-01-09T21:54:00.007-05:00

What's fuzzy blue on one side/silky white on the other and has your brother's name on it? If you said Siah's blankie, you are correct!

I don't exactly when he confiscated Jon's not-very-used blanket but it's been at least a year. I'm sure he did it in that special stealth Siah way, trying to move without being detected. No, he does not really realize that the letters on the one side spell his brother's name. And thankfully Jon has not paid much attention to that either.

The blankie needs to be held in a certain way. And this never varies. Blankie to the nose and held in your left hand. In your right, twirl the top of your head. Do this often.

We have a pretty strict no-travel policy for loveys. I can't bear the thought of losing these precious items and goodness knows I can barely keep up with my kids. Please do not add dearly beloved loveys.

Loveys are allowed to travel on long trips.

So, tomorrow is THE day. Josiah's first show & tell day. Each child gets a show & tell day about every six weeks so it's super special when it comes around. And for my little boy, goodness he's excited. So, dear snow storm, please hold off until 12:15 pm so my little guy can have his big day!!

Brothers with their respective loveys - Baby and Blankie.

How could I forget!?!

2011-01-03T22:49:00.004-05:00

I had a nice sweater and jeans selected for Josiah's big day. Oh no, he quickly told me that he wanted to wear his baseball shirt!

Why, you may wonder, the baseball shirt.

Exhibit A

Josiah starts with an S

2011-01-03T21:25:00.011-05:00

Sweet Siah goes to preschool! He woke up very excited and ready to go. I overheard Jon and Si on the monitor. When Si told Jon all the toys he wanted to bring to school today, in Jon's best big brotherly voice informed his little brother, "Siah, you cannot bring toys to preschool. It is against the law."

So, off we went and took lots of pictures. Here are a few of my favorites.

Sister wants in on the action too. "Hey, look at me too!"

My favorite memory of the day is when Josiah's teacher asked him to find his name and put away his backpack. He promptly walked over to one of the kid's names that starts with an S. His new teacher sweetly told him that his name starts with a J. When Josiah firmly insisted that it started with an S, I knew that I needed to explain.

Having two boys with J names and many identical toys, we have to label things. So, we put a J on Jon's stuff and an S on Si's. So, poor guy, his first somewhat formal educational experience starts with a slight stumble all because of his parents! I tease - he did great, he had fun and told me that G sounds like "juh." Atta boy, Siah!

First Day of Preschool Eve - Take 2

2011-01-02T20:56:00.007-05:00

(This picture GETS me. I mean, look at this. Little brother SO desperately wanting whatever big bro has.)

So, my "month of memories" did not quite pan out. And I'm pretty okay with that. Having three kids ages 5 - 1 requires that I hold loosely to my ambitious plans. Alas, we move on. No time to dwell on it though I may try to catch up. There were some precious moments.

But, dear readers, I would like to take us back five months ago - to September 8th to be exact. This was a big day for our family as Jon David started preschool. That was the day it started... "it" being Josiah's strong desire to also go to preschool. Josiah just had to wear his backpack when we took Jon to school for the first day. It was funny. I saw the teachers for the three-year-old class look kind of panicked when they saw Josiah head down the hall behind Jon. I imagine they were thinking, "Who is this new kid? I didn't get any of his info. What do we do??"

Here is how it sounded a month ago in our house. "I go to school today too, Mom, with Jawn." I sweetly replied, "Oh, Buddy. You get to go with Mommy and Ray Ray to the Y. You go to school when you are four just like Jon did." His emphatic response, "THIS day! I go THIS day, Mom."

So, dear husband and I exchanged looks and we knew what needed to happen. Yep, Josiah needed to go to preschool too.

And now we are awaiting his big day which is tomorrow. Unlike Jon, Josiah is not sulking around and wishing that it were "100 days ago."

But, he will go tomorrow. And I think he will look like a brunette version of this. And we will capture it all with lots of pictures, of course. And to you, sweet Siah, go get 'em!!

Month of Memories - December 20th

2010-12-20T21:28:00.005-05:00

Two words. Epic. Fail.

Wow... so today's surprise in the Advent calendar was "Family Game Night." I was hoping that this would go better than the last time we played a game as a family a few months ago.

So, the game of choice was Chutes and Ladders. Jon could hardly contain himself with excitement - literally bouncing with glee. Josiah was frustrated because he really had no clue what we were doing. It was a very long 45 minutes between Jon's loud boasting and Josiah's fussing. When Jon was winning, he was giddy and exuberant. And when he lost (to me), he was crushed and bitter.

"Why me!?!?"

Need proof: here it is. And the funny part was how Josiah started bawling just as soon as Jon let it rip. Why Josiah started crying, I have no clue. The sob fest lasted a good 20+ minutes. It is safe to say that it will be months until we try this again.

Even after baths, the tears flowed.

Oh - long day!

Month of Memories - December 14th

2010-12-14T21:56:00.002-05:00

So, I am behind on this monthly thing. But you all forgive me, I am certain. :)

Big night for us here. The five of us and Mimi headed to the mall to meet Santa. It had been two years (I think) since we last visited Senor Claus. Here is my sweet Siah in 2007. Isn't he the cutest! Rachel had not yet been exposed to the mall Santa experience. So, as part of today's Advent calendar, we told the boys they could go to see Santa.

The line was l-o-n-g long but we endured. The boys, as you can clearly see, enjoyed it. I will do another post with some of our pictures. They are cute. But Miss Rachel, oh no - she was not having one bit of fun. So, now we finally have the obligatory crying child on Santa photo. Can't wait to scrapbook this one!

Month of Memories - December 9th

2010-12-09T21:11:00.005-05:00

Three words that make my boys really happy. Family. Movie. Night. Simple but sweet. Popcorn in hand, the four of us (sorry, baby sister was in bed) convene on the same couch sharing the same blanket and watch a movie.

Tonight's showing was "The Toy That Saved Christmas" by the Veggie Tales. Any chance I get to reinforce that Christmas is not about the many catalogs that arrive daily (and provide way too much viewing pleasure for my boys) and the things they want... I'm in. The songs always crack me up. The one titled "Grumpy Kids" - I so could have written that one. This one is fun too. Take a look see.

I give this movie two thumbs up. Next time we do Family. Movie. Night., it will be to see "It's A Meaningful Life."

Month of Memories - December 8th

2010-12-08T21:39:00.002-05:00

I'm going to take advantage of Wordless Wednesday. Here ya go!

Month of Memories - December 7th

2010-12-07T21:58:00.004-05:00

You may recall that last Friday was a day of forced rest. It pretty much takes an episode of “stomach emptying” to make us slow down. Though I really (REALLY) do not like stomach bugs of any variety, this was not a bad one. One occurrence, one victim – wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. Had he made it to the bathroom in time and done it when we were home and not the poor dear friend watching the kids – it would have been almost a non-event. So, Friday was not too bad around here. The kids and I stayed in our PJs the entire day. And it felt kind of nice for a change.

So, we are hanging out and I catch Ray Ray playing. Like most things she does, I find this incredibly cute and decide to grab some photos. I’d like to scrapbook a page highlighting her toys. I know I would have gotten a real kick out of seeing pictures of me with my baby dolls and various play things. Here’s what my busy girl did on Friday. Enjoy the cuteness!

Month of Memories - December 6th

2010-12-07T21:48:00.003-05:00

Well, I tried to update last night before bed but my battery ran out. I mean that both literally and figuratively. Here’s yesterday’s post today…

I believe the tradition started in 1977. I’d have to scan my mom’s Christmas tree to confirm but I am pretty confident of the year. I’m not sure how my little six-year-old self thought of it. It probably happened something like this: I see an ornament that I liked at Hallmark for my mom. It has the year on it. Said ornament is given as a Christmas present. Same thing happens in 1978 and now, ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a yearly tradition.

I have not yet started the same thing with my children but I have tried to have an ornament a year for them. I like to think that one day the ornament will make its way to their trees. I’ve even started to put initials on the bottoms to prevent any future disagreements. There are a few handmade ornaments that all four of my mom’s kids made since we attended the same grade school. So, we each actually did make the same wreath ornament. Now who’s lovely wreath is on the tree, that is up for debate.

Here are a few of the ornaments for my kids:

Month of Memories - December 5th

2010-12-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

It was quite a treat for the kids and me to see JD's portrayal of Joseph in a play about the birth of Jesus. Our church did a fantastic job recreating Bethlehem for the kids with crafts and a play. Loved it. Now, JD, he's quite the thespian. The kids giggled at the sight of Daddy in a robe and sandals standing on the stage. I'm thinking Oscar buzz...

Now of the miracle birth of Jesus Christ, I recall that many a moon ago (well, not really) this blog was titled "Luke 2:19 - before it changed into Party of Five. I will share with you that I find it ironic that the verse I chose for this blog is about how Mary treasures these things in her heart. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. I picked it because, to a certain extent, I'd be sharing my heart's treasures via this blog. Isn't it funny and ironic that I chose a verse about keeping things quiet and in one's heart for something that shares things with anyone who cares to read.

Back to Luke 2. It's the Christmas story. It's wonderful, beautiful and changed my life forever.

Here's a quote I like from a little book I picked up at LifeWay called Celebrate HIS Birth:

The Christ child changed the world forever, and He can do the same for us. On this Christmas day, we, like the shepherds of old, are called to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus. May we, like those shepherds, leave our fields - wherever they may be - and pause to worship God's priceless gift: His Son.

Month of Memories - December 4th

2010-12-04T21:42:00.008-05:00

When I heard the words "brief accumulation" this week on the news, I did not even bother to tell the kids about it. Just didn't think it would actually happen.

Well, I was wrong! We had snow and a good bit of it. Large, puffy flakes of snow gently fell - what a joy it is to see. When I stood and looked into the sky, I felt like I was in a 3-D movie. It got me to wondering if it's true that no two snowflakes are alike. Here's what I found. I love how creative God is. His handiwork is truly amazing.

Notice the shark hats!

So, here are my snow lovers. Even sweet Ray Ray thought it was great fun as she hung out in her swing.

Month of Memories - December 3rd

2010-12-03T14:20:00.004-05:00

So today is a pajama day. I type this update in my new, comfy pink polar bear fleece jammies. It may sound very indulgent but I am taking this fashion break for a very good reason. Funny how when life seems super crazy with too many places to go, my children find a sure way to keep us home. Yep, they get sick. And not just sick... the dreaded stomach bug.

Our dear (poor) babysitter called us last night while we were out watching my talented nephew star in his school's production of "The Importance of Being Ernest." bad news was that Jon got sick in his bed and on the way to the bathroom. Oh dear - what is the hourly rate for babysitting a sickly boy???

Thankfully, there was only one "episode" last night and all appears to be well here. So, we are watching movies and playing today. In keeping with the theme of today/most days, I cannot locate the thinga-ma-jig that I need to download the pictures I took today.

On that note... good night.

Month of Memories... December 2nd

2010-12-02T11:49:00.003-05:00

The list in my head goes something like this... "Gotta get that Dora doll for the angel tree at the Y. Where can I find it? Does Jon's shirt literally have to be just red for the Christmas play or can he wear a red sweater? Ask teachers about that. What day is it that I get a discount at LifeWay? I wonder if I can get to that shopping day at that Cary school on Friday." and on and on and on. And then the track repeats.

On Sunday, the message from the Word was aimed directly at me. God pulls no punches and His word is alive. Here is what the good Lord shared with me and now I will share with you:

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Now I will admit that it's four days since I heard a message at church on this passage. I'm a slow learner, especially when it comes to changing my heart. So, as I scurry about, I hear this softly in my ear (not literally but my heart does stir), "Denise, Denise... you are worried and troubled about many things. This season is about my gift to you. This gift need not be wrapped. I wrapped Him myself in swaddling clothes in a manger. This gift is free though it cost me my only precious son. I know you love me, dear child. So, please stop all this busyness. Think of sweet Mary and the time she spent with me. That, my child, is what your heart and busy mind need today. Come now..."

Month of Memories... December 1st

2010-12-01T10:32:00.003-05:00

I just concluded a 30-day Thanksgiving "challenge" on Facebook. I was really surprised and humbled that some people were actually inspired (their own words) by my little writings. So, today I stumble upon something that caught my eye and my heart. In my favorite magazine, Scrapbooks, Etc., they highlighted someone doing an entire scrapbook documenting the month of December. At first, visions of my messy kitchen, half-decorated home came to my mind. And then poured in to my overwhelmed consciousness the gifts that need to be bought (don't even mention wrapping to me today) and my desperate attempt to keep my gym attendance to at least three times a week. So, I thought, "Wow, to have that kind of time..." In my effort to just be real here, I don't have anywhere near that kind of time. You probably do not either.

So, what the heck am I doing today? Yeah, I wanna do this. Like, I really want to do this. I would love for my posts to make their way into a scrapbook but I thought updating my blog was a good first step. I may need encouragement on the way so if you are reading this and enjoy it, send me a note.

Here we go!

December 1. Day one on the Advent calendar I made with my MOPS group last year. As is unfortunately my way too often, the calendar was not ready on December 1st. It was December 5th when I got it up. How do I know the day? Was it that important to me to remember for an entire year? Um, no. Were it not for my oldest son, I'd have no clue about what happened last year.

"Mom, this year can you PLEASE start the Advent calendar on the first of December?? Last year, you did it on the 5th."

Wow, can't catch a break with this kid. Seriously, how does he remember this stuff??!!?

Wordless Wednesday - 11/17/2010

2010-11-17T22:12:00.002-05:00

So, I guess it's not really wordless but I'll keep it to a minimum. I like this picture. It's my big boy tackling his fears. It's getting back up after you've fallen off your bike. It's not giving up. And I like this picture - a lot.

Wordless Wednesday - 10/13/10

2010-10-13T16:02:00.001-05:00

Get a Bike!

2010-10-09T19:44:00.007-05:00

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live. ~Mark Twain

It's been a while coming but the boys hit the road today with bikes. JD and I were really excited to see the boys on their wheels. It was so sweet to see my dear husband getting the bikes ready today. Training wheels, check. Fancy bike helmets, check. Excited little boys, CHECK!

I'd give my big fella very high marks for a new rider. He took to it rather well. I teased him, "Are you sure that you were not practicing this all week? Have you been riding a bike for years?" He giggled and assured me that this was indeed his first day on wheels.

Josiah was a different story. I'd have to give him a passing grade though his attention span and persistence were in limited supply. For a little guy who recently turned 3, I think he did well.

Both boys got their first falls out of the way though neither boy "ate" it. Braking is a bit of a challenge and probably will remain that way for a while.

So, check out my free-wheeling boys!

Lovely!

2010-09-27T21:46:00.003-05:00

After too long with no blogging, I am slowly and steadily easing my way back. One of my favorite things was the comarderie of other fabulous bloggers. I really got into all those silly little things we would do. So, I'm back.

Anyway, I have a friend, Sue. She and I went to middle and high school together. She is so witty and fun. I laugh out loud every time I read her blog. And she is very faithful in her updating. Note to self: be more like Sue!

So, Sue receives a MAJOR award and so graciously passed it along to me. I had JD read all the terms of said award and he determined that it is indeed proper and lawful for me to pass this along to other deserving writers and also include the lovely award on my blog. So glad to have him on retainer.

Without further ado, the next round of lovely bloggers...
My Awesome Olive Shoots
SALT
A Little Bit of All of It
Grace Upon Grace

Ladies, if you choose to accept this award and do not pass it along and post the lovely image... I will sue you.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T12:31:00.003-05:00

This week's installment of Wordless Wednesday. I call this photo "Efficiency."

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T08:36:00.003-05:00

For the first time ever, I present Wordless Wednesday. Shout out to my high school pal, Sue.

First Day of Preschool Eve

2010-09-07T20:16:00.009-05:00

I love this time of year. With the advent of Facebook, I'm able to see everyone's "First Day of Preschool/School" pictures. How adorable and what a fun, big milestone. So, today when Jon went to meet one of his teachers, I was determined to get that same kind of photo. Visions of scrapbooking pages danced in my head!

Due to the friendly stomach bug (friendly as in the fact that everyone but Rachel got it) that visited us, Jon missed the chance to meet his teachers last week. I was really looking forward to this and thought it would help ease some of his first day jitters. Preschool is a whole new thing for him/us and since he's not known for embracing change, I was looking for anything to ease the transition.

Thankfully, one of his two teachers made a special trip to the school today to meet us. Miss Laura is her name and I really like her. Anyway, back to the picture...

Here's what I got. Yep. That's right. That's my boy. Not quite the cherub-like expression that seems to be on everyone else's kids' faces. >Sigh<

If he had his druthers, he'd wear his PJs all day, eat his morning snack (preferably Toy Story treats) at 10-zero-zero, watch a few shark shows, have "nap" time of reading from 1:15 - 2:15 and then play more trains. He'd do this every day if we let him. Lather, rinse, repeat... basically. I actually do think he'll like some parts of preschool. He is already planning some of his Show & Tell items. There's a cool playground. Mimi can come watch his Christmas program. But, goodness - there will certainly be opportunities for him to be stretched.
And to be fair to him, who isn't nervous going somewhere new, meeting new people, etc.? I get a little anxious depending upon the situation. He said to me today, "I'm nervous." and with a little less tact, "I wish it were 200 days ago."

I should have known better. Mine is the son who has pictures from his soccer "game" where his face is in the net. Think I'm kidding... I''m not.

Stay tuned... I promise to report back on Day One.

Siah Sam - Happy Birthday!

2010-08-20T20:23:00.007-05:00

Siah Sam... oh my sweet boy, you are three! I want to pay tribute to you and these exciting three years of your life. In trying to come up with words to adequately describe you, I fall short. You are completely unique. I think of expressions like, "Si is just a mess!" and I mean that in the sweet way that we in the South use it, a term of endearment. You are intense, physical, determined and funny. You absolutely adore your big brother and try your hardest to do everything that he does (the good AND the bad!). And Ray Ray has stolen your heart and you find her completely irresistible. It's almost like you find it physically uncomfortable to not have your hands on her. Lucky for you, she goes along with it most of the time. You both fascinate and scare her.

You are part baby and part big boy. You remind me of Linus the way you hold your blankee in a certain way to your nose with one hand while the other hand moves about in your hair. You like to cuddle and even like to be like "like a baby, Mama!" Those times are not that common and I'm happy to hold you. You will always be my baby boy.

Yet I see you growing up and becoming a "real" boy. You want action. You want adventure. You want YOUR way. Ah, to be a boy!

I sometimes laugh and say that God must have thought things pretty boring around here and He, in His perfect wisdom, gave us a Siah. We adore you, Birthday Boy!

To Infinity and Beyond!!

2010-06-17T12:58:00.006-05:00

It's completely irresistible. I'm weak to it, I really am. To see my children's faces filled with wonder and awe. It's a good thing that I am limited by the need to buy groceries for the family and have the lights turn on. I see so many things that I want to get my children.

Yes, I know that my best gifts to my children are not things at all. I get that - I really do. I also am very aware that our Heavenly father is the giver of ALL good gifts and His gifts do not break, get dusty or go out of style. No gift could ever be greater than the gift of eternal life and a hope and a future! Can I get an amen??

So, ALL that being said... am I the only one who gets REALLY excited about giving special toys to our little ones? Surely I am not based upon the toy rooms that we visit.

Today was one such day. And off we went to Toys R Expensive and found the mac daddy of toys. Yes, they both now have talking Buzz Lightyear toys. "To infinity and beyond" is about the only sound coming from their room this nap time. (Today was a special treat by bringing a toy - a talking one no less - to bed. I will likely regret this decision when dealing with overly tired boys this evening.)

I don't want my boys to be lovers of things. I want their joy to come from the only true source of peace and joy. I think we do a pretty good job of instilling that. And then there are days like today when a plastic toy makes two brothers VERY happy!

Our little lamb

2010-05-11T19:11:00.004-05:00

I realize that I've not yet written of my sweet daughter, Rachel. It's because I honestly don't know how to put into words the joy that she is to our family. I could go on and on... and on and on about her. We're THAT crazy about her. Alas, I need to give her some love on this blog. Here goes...

Her name is Rachel Shiloh. Her name was decided upon 8 years ago while my husband was courting me. We both liked the name Rachel and he introduced me to Shiloh. Rachel means "little lamb" and Shiloh means "place of peace." Both are Old Testament names which goes along with our other children's names. I love that they can open God's word and find their names. That is cool to me.

So, I think she quite favors a Kewpie doll. She's got these huge blue eyes with eyelashes that perfectly curl. Am I the only one who sees this resemblance?

Oh - and here is a Kewpie doll from a few years ago..

A brother in need.

2010-05-02T20:58:00.004-05:00

(Unrelated picture but I like it.)

Proverbs 17:17 He that is a friend loveth at all times: and a brother is proved in distress.

Here's the scene...

Josiah spots some dirt from shoes outside the kitchen door leading to the garage. He indignantly announced that Jon was the culprit and to make matters worse - Jon did it "on purpose!!!" So said Josiah. Jon was not able to properly respond to the accusation as he was sitting in the car after having buckled himself in while awaiting the rest of us. So, he did all that he could do. He yelled.

No sooner had Josiah heard the wails he determined that something was wrong. "Jooown! I'm coming!" To make sure that I knew what was happening, he quickly came to me. "Mom, Jown is in trouble. My brudder is in trouble! I will help him!" Josiah pleads with me to hurry and get his shoes on.

Jon yells again, probably still annoyed that Josiah tried to frame him.

Yikes, thinks Josiah! This must be serious! Josiah turns to Rachel, "Rachel, my brudder, Jown, is in trouble! I must go to him! Jown - I'm coming!!"

Moral of the story -it's okay to sell out your brother, but you must quickly come to his rescue whenever he needs you. It's what best friends do.

Buzz!

2010-04-25T20:57:00.013-05:00

"Before"

If you were in a 5-mile radius of our house yesterday and heard wailing and gnashing of teeth, it was just our boys getting haircuts on the back patio. For weeks, JD has wanted to give the boys a buzz cut - especially Josiah with all that thick hair. And Saturday was the day...

For you loyal readers, you may remember my attempt at playing hairdresser about a year and a half ago. I can't believe that all 3 of my fellas trusted me enough to give them hair cuts. Yeah, um - not so good. So, when my sweet husband offered to try, I was more than happy to hand over the clippers.

Bless their sweet hearts, they both really did want to like getting it done and I could see they were mentally gearing up for this. I think as Daddy's technique improves and he becomes much faster, it will go better. This picture of Jon David melts my heart because I know how hard he is trying to remain positive though not liking any of this. He's able to keep up this facade for about 3 minutes.

It took about 30 minutes and the added incentive (not really a bribe) of Goodberry's ice cream as a treat after dinner to pull this thing off. So, while Daddy is buzzing away, I could be seen with their hair flying all around me doing whatever I could to help the boys sit still so JD could finish. I remember reasoning with Jon, "You will have half of your hair cut and look really silly, Jon. Just be still and Daddy will be done in a minute." To keep them happy, I dug deep into my bag of tricks. For Josiah, he was happy with yet another rendition of "God is bigger than the boogie man" and Jon required the "twinkle twinkle" little ditty as well as a few songs from The Polar Express.

At the peak of agony, I regret to say that I was too busy consoling the boys to capture their angst. But here are a few shots before the wheels completely came off the bus.
When all was said and done, it was time for a quick wash down to get rid of the hair and lunch. They were tired and this was the best I could get for an after shot.

"After"

I give JD a lot of credit for pulling off this operation and for helping us be thrifty. He did a great job and it's harder than it looks to just shave off hair. This was definitely one of the times when Daddy is much better at something than Mommy. I was there with the assist and we got through it. We like the the way the boys look and they do too.

Good Night, Jon Boy

2010-04-23T21:21:00.013-05:00

Do you ever wonder what bed times are like with other families? Is yours more like a scene from Super Nanny or, and I'm aging myself here, the Waltons? I'd say at our house, we are part Super Nanny and part, "Good night, John Boy" - more closely resembling the Waltons. This post is about the funny and sweet parts of our night. I'll tackle the aspects requiring performance management some other time. Now, for the fun...

If you had been in our home this week, here's what you would have seen.

Our snakes (aka Jon and Josiah) needed to shed their skins. What, you don't all do that?? Oh, you are missing out. What you need to do is lie down next to your stuffed animal snakes (you need to have at least 4 - one of baby brother and three for the big guy). This can take anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes.

Missing loveys. Jon's "Baby" is often MIA come bed time. And no telling where Si's "Blankie" is hiding. Give us about 10 minutes for a search and rescue mission.
Mix in a snake book and a story from The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Prayers which tonight included Jon David saying, "Thank you, God, for my parents." So sweet! Tuck the boys in their beds and proceed to the nightly train story. All train stories must begin with "Once upon a time on the island of Sodor" - it's simply non-negotiatable. Daddy tells the first train story and Mommy finishes.

The next part is quite comical and something I might even consider filming for posterity sake. We sing the Veggie Tales' hit, "God is bigger than the Boogie Man." It's a good night time song as it reminds them that God is looking out for them. What makes it extra fun is that I find myself using moves from my Zumba class as I sing. It's a hoot and the boys giggle and sing along.

Lastly, Mommy sings another ditty from the Veggie Tales CD... "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star. What a gift from God you are!" I have to sing it to each boy separately and sing it softly in their ears. They just love this part. How sweet is that!?!

The End.

(Oh, I almost forgot... you must include at least 2 or 3 additional potty breaks and requests to be tucked in - again! Insert Super Nanny here.)

In need of a rescuer...

2010-04-19T19:54:00.005-05:00

There a few products for which I think I should receive a commission based upon the number of sales I have personally generated. One of those is The Jesus Storybook Bible - Every Story Whispers His Name. To put it concisely - I. Love. This. Bible.

Prior to this Bible, our nightly reading of God's word was less than enthusiastically received by my sons. I believe the words, "No Jesus!" were said more than once - no lie. We read a review of The Jesus Storybook Bible on World Magazine and thought it looked interesting. Yes, the illustrations are lovely but it's more than that. I absolutely love how from the beginning of the book (Creation) to the end (Revelation), it so clearly shows how every story does indeed whisper His name. Every story tells of our rescuer, Jesus Christ, and God's word tells of His coming from the beginning of time. I absolutely love reading about God's "Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. .."
When the storybook Bible tells of Jesus, it speaks of how Jesus is our rescuer. I just love that - our Savior, our Rescuer. And to be rescued is something that my kids can understand. In fact, I believe that God used this book to really do a work in Jon David's heart. For months, we've talked about God's l0ve for us, the pain that our sin creates and our need for a rescuer. Often, Jon David would say, "Nah, I don't need a rescuer. I'm good on my own." I thought to myself how often my actions mirror that statement. Still, we keep reading and talking of our Savior and our need for Him. And, we kept praying.

Just last week, Jon David told me that he wanted Jesus to be his rescuer. He wanted this because he has sinned, is what he told me. I lead him in a special prayer and just rejoiced over this! As John so rightly wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4.

We've started talking with Jon David about baptism and he's not showing a whole lot of interest in it at this point. That's okay. We'll keep talking with him and praying that he'll want to take the next step in his faith walk.

Of course, God's Holy Bible is perfect and needed for every family. This storybook Bible is not meant to replace it rather as a supplement. I pray it will bless your family as it has mine!

The boys are back in town!

2010-04-15T21:16:00.009-05:00

It's Opening Day once again! Had you been at the ball park tonight, you'd have found my Party of Five there. Wouldn't miss it!

Evening started with some excitement as my boys were selected as the season's first Ultimate Fans courtesy of Wild Wings Cafe. Each received a $10 gift certificate and had their picture taken. Apparently it was shown on the jumbotron in the 8th inning. We NEVER make it past a few innings with my crew... maybe one day. (Thanks, Fellas, for giving them to Mommy & Daddy to use on a date night!)
My guys were selected because they looked so stinkin' cute in their baseball splendor. Mommy had them in matching outfits (can't resist) and Daddy let them pick out new ball caps. They really looked great. Jon David asked, "Mommy, do I look like a REAL baseball player now??"

Super Fans!

Rachel was such a trooper. For a little girl with the world's earliest bed time, she did amazing. She slept a good part of it all snuggled in my baby carrier. Eventually, the loud cheers from the super fan behind us disturbed her slumber. Even still, she gave little more than a sad whimper and was over it.

Must. Have. Cotton. Candy.

No one lost a shoe (as happened last year) and Jon was not crabby (as in 2008 - actually that could be said for 2006 and 2007). It was really fantastic. Beautiful weather, best sport, my favorite people in the whole wide world... can't ask for much more. Okay, I take that back - I'd like to make it to the 4th inning next year with the fam!

Coming Around Again

2010-03-18T20:33:00.003-05:00

Denise is... starting her blog again.
Denise is... now the mommy of 3 kiddos.
Denise is... sorry she let this blog thing fade away.

Goodness - this getting out of the Facebook status updates of Denise is... will be harder than I thought!

Most of my readers know a lot about our life from the 1 - 2 sentences bytes provided courtesy of FB. And for a long time, I was fine with that. But I missed blogging. So - we're back. I am uncertain as to the frequency of posts but anything more than every 9 months is an improvement. Last time I blogged, Josiah was not yet 2 years old and potty training.

Oh - The blog has a new name - it just felt right to update it. We are now "Party of Five." As promised, kind words here for the helpful person who suggested the new name: Robin. My dear sister-in-law is lovely, charming, very smart, a great mommy, an adoring wife and all around great gal. I love her very much!

This is it for now but to tempt you to come back, here is what you'll soon see.

* One of my children has a "lucky charm" of sorts. It's responsible for all sorts of things.
* Another of my dear children has fully embraced his 2-ness and all that it entails.
* More and more pictures of sweet, sweet Rachel.
Until then...

Denise is... done blogging for the night.

COMING SOON!!!!

2010-03-14T22:04:00.001-05:00

I'll be back REAL soon!!! Stay tuned...

Second Time Around - Potty Training!

2009-05-20T18:32:00.004-05:00

I don't think there is a mommy in the great US of A who has much good to say about potty training. It's often maddening, frustrating, messy and time-consuming. Okay, maybe a few moms are just excellent with perfect children but many a mommy has found this milestone especially challenging.

Jon David went #2 in the potty around 21 or so months. We almost called the local paper to report it - we were THAT excited and THAT proud (okay, probably more so I was the one going nutso). I guess it should not have surprised me the next day when Jon David wanted nothing to do with that potty. Confused and disappointed, we decided not to push it and see when he would be ready to try again.

Fast forward about a year and my big boy was finally ready. In fact, as of this week, he has started to wear undies to bed and we are officially done with training pants in the night (or day, for that matter). VICTORY!

So, here along comes Josiah who finds the "pot pot" very interesting. In fact, one night last week when Daddy was watching them, he heard the dreaded words come from Jon David. "That's right, Siah - that's poo poo!" With lightening speed, Daddy ran and found Josiah getting a hands-on (literally) lesson in #2 from his big brother who had just finished his "business" on the pot.

Sensing that he was maybe ready and curious as to how it would go, I started to mentally prepare myself for round two of potty training. My smart mom found an article and sent it to me which basically states that the ideal window for training is 18 - 24 months of age. Turns out the author was a child development specialist whose stuff I have recently read and really like, John Rosemond.

So, today was THE day. Armed with new Elmo underwear and a good attitude, we started our day. The mantra from Mr. Rosemond kept running through my head: approach this like teaching Josiah how to use utensils. Over and over, I kept saying, "it's just like using a spoon!"

My goal for today: to get Josiah used to the sensation of being wet and for him to not like it. He had 3 "accidents" (and no actual "eliminations" in the potty) and each time he came to me soon after and let me know he needed help. Interesting, he started to look for the big pot pot and skipped the Elmo one. Hey - that's just fine with me since I can flush the regular toilet and not have to clean it like I would the Elmo one.

Towards the end of the night, the toilet was like a new toy for him. He kept wanting to get back on it. While I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, we succeeded in avoiding a power struggle and him telling me when he was wet/dirty. I think this is not bad for Day One.

Having him tell me that he has to go to the bathroom feels like a LONG ways away. But, today was manageable and I think we can continue with this. I figure that when we are home and he is not in bed, he can wear his Elmo undies. We'll see where this leads us.

Stay tuned...

Bend it like Jon David

2009-04-20T20:45:00.005-05:00

Things were looking a little rough and I had my reservations about what to expect at yesterday's first soccer game for Jon David. His team, the feared Jellyfish, were to meet for a 30-minute practice and a 15-minute game. So, when Jon David woke up late from his nap and was more than slightly cranky, I did not see a great afternoon in our future. He then announced that he did not want to go to the soccer game. Big surprise. Ugh!

I really wanted to focus on Jon during this big event - it was a totally new experience for him. So, I lined up a good friend to watch Josiah. At the last minute, I found out that her whole family (including the dog) had a stomach virus. So, baby brother would be joining us. This could be REALLY interesting!

Once we arrived, things looked somewhat promising. Jon David greeted his teacher and allowed her to put his orange jersey on him. So far, so good. He somewhat participated with the 30 minutes of practice. You know, 30 minutes is kind of a long time so I'm not surprised that he got bored. Yeah, two pictures capture this perfectly. Yes, his face is really in the soccer net.

The team was on another field.

So, now it's time for the BIG game verses the pesky Goldfish. At this point, Jon lays on my lap (what's left of it) and announces, "I'm tired!" Oh boy - so this child may not actually play in the game today, I thought. But then, I reached into my mommy bag of tricks and pulled out "Bribery." Well, bribery might be a bit strong of a word - I provided a much needed incentive. I just sweetly whispered into his ear that there would be a big surprise if he actually played in a game. My goal was sometime within the 10 games of this season (2 a week), that at some point, he'd actually choose to participate. I had no idea what the surprise would be and quickly thought of something that would be a win/win for the whole family - dinner at Moe's followed by ice cream.

So, this was a HUGE success for my boy. Really, it was. He's not always excited about change and new experiences. He's often VERY fond of his own plans and not so much of any plans that are contrary to his. He's never shown a great interest in soccer and tends to prefer building elaborate train tracks. So, this was all new for him and he really did well. We go again Wednesday and take on the Clams!

Opening Day 2009

2009-04-10T12:56:00.006-05:00

If you are in our little family and it's Opening Day for baseball - you are THERE - no ifs, ands or buts about it. This is Jon's 4th opening day and the 3rd at the DBAP. His first was actually in the BIG leagues with the Washington Nationals. Si has made 2 so far (unless you count the time while in my belly). Here is 2007 and 2008.

Daddy likes to get to the park early. There is a real buzz of excitement in the air. And the DBAP is such a nice ballpark. But, this year, I had another idea. I felt like we used all up the boys' good behavior before the first pitch by an early arrival. This year, we had about 2 minutes to spare before first pitch.

The plan worked because we made it through 3 innings - a family record! Seriously, there have been years where we are there for about 4 pitches. Josiah probably had a few more innings in him if the hot dogs and popcorn kept coming. Jon Jon - well, not so much. After the thrill of sharing cotton candy with Mommy subsided, he was d-o-n-e, done. Still, we consider the night both a victory for the winning Bulls and our family.

As you see in the video, Josiah deposited his shoe at the Will Call booth. I guess he figured Daddy did not have enough money for the tickets and maybe his new shoe would cover the costs. Thankfully, with a little hoofing it from Daddy, boy and shoe were reunited.

One thing is for sure - baby girl better get with the program. This is a SPORTS family! We'll get her a little Durham Bulls cheerleader outfit! Yahooo!

PLAY BALL!

(special shout out to my sister for this video!)

Boys will be boys

2009-03-28T21:25:00.005-05:00

I don't have a little girl so I'm not sure if this phenomen is a boy-thing or if girls also find this incredibly amusing. Potty humor. Yes, the more fart sounds one can make, the better. The more words that can incorporate the word "poop", the better the world would be - according to my big boy (and now my nephew, Mason).

It's actually been a bit of a problem that has improved with the promise of a washcloth and some soap meeting the mouth of a certain three-year-old whom I happened to give birth to. I forgot about this other trick until my smart sister-in-law reminded me - Listerine strips are also handy and equally unpleasant. Next time I'm in the grocery check-out lane, those convenient strips will be coming home with me. Thankfully, I've not had to use the soap method but I'm sure the day will come.

But, today we went to visit Mason and his baby sister, Ella Kate. We celebrated her 2nd birthday and had a great time. I heard loud giggles coming from Mason's big boy room and had to see. This is what I came upon...

"Mommy, I miss you!"

2009-03-25T20:11:00.003-05:00

JD told me that when he used to go out of town, his dogs would poop on his bed as a punishment to him. It was their way of saying, "Take that, Daddy!" Well, we had our own version of that upon my return from a girls weekend. Oye!

My sweet sister-in-law invited me to join her and some friends at the Outer Banks this past weekend for some R&R and SCRAPBOOKING! I completed 24 pages - which is quite a lot!

It didn't help that our week started with Jon David catching pink eye on Monday. I thought we were in the clear until Josiah turned up with it Thursday night. And it's not just the pink eye, it's the accompanying cold that makes for a long weekend. Daddy did a great job taking care of two little boys with colds who missed their mommy. When I called home to check on everyone, all sounded well until Saturday night.

"Mommy, I miss you!" cried my big boy on the phone to me Saturday night. Tug, tug on my heart. I was then determined to get on the road early Sunday and make it home for naps. I made excellent time and was there for lunch. My big boy greeted me with a somewhat lackluster greeting. That should have been the sign that we were in for a humdinger of an afternoon. So, suffice it to say, he made his feelings about my absence known quite clearly.

We're slowing getting back to normal and the bad behavior maybe getting a little better (with the MAJOR exception of our mall outing to get haircuts for the boys - that's another post... ugh!).

Are You My Mother?

2009-03-11T20:33:00.009-05:00

Are You My Mother was a childhood favorite of mine. I remember reading it over and over and really enjoying it. So, when I saw it at the pediatrician's office, part of me was excited to introduce Jon David to this literary treasure. But, that part of being a mommy where you really KNOW your child kicked in. Perhaps my somewhat sensitive lad would find it sad that the little birdy could not find his mommy. Tentatively, I began reading. The mommy bird leaves the baby birdy in the nest to find food.

A few pages into it, my mommy-instinct was right. This book was too much for my little one. I quickly changed the storyline to be more of the little birdy making friends along the way. That seemed to help some, but the sweet little bottom lip kept a bit of a quiver. Such a tender heart he has.

This brings me to my little bird friend. Maybe someone can tell me what kind of bird he is - maybe a blue bird? He visits me often and sings to me. Seriously, he is tapping on our window and hanging out almost every day for weeks now. I think of the Seuss book and that maybe this bird knows that I'm a mommy. Maybe he wants me to take care of him too? I know - silly, but I see this bird and think he needs his mommy. Why else would he visit me all the time. While I hope for their happy reunion, I am pleased for his company and his sweet song.

---------
Blog update:

So, I was looking at my blog the other day and really enjoying the trip down memory lane. Upon thinking about why my blogging has taken such a backseat to FB, I asked myself - "Are your boys no longer cute?" Umm - NO! Again, talking to myself, "Is it still important to me to 'treasure these things in my heart'?" YES! So, I really want to get back to more regular blogging.

Because I can't do a post without including my sweet boys, here is a picture and a video. The boys are watching Dora and I just love the tenderness of Josiah sweetly playing with Jon's hair.

And Baby makes... Five!

2009-02-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

Party of Five! That's us!! Praise the Lord, we are pregnant with our third child. Baby's due date is quite memorable - 9/9/09! Love it! Just being realistic, I'd be SHOCKED to actually make that date. But, with God, ALL things are possible. And we're super excited because we are not going to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. We'll just be surprised on birth day!

The good news is that I'm still feeling LOUSY. That means that the baby is thriving. The bad news is that I'm not sleeping well and feeling lousy. I was blessed to have a third glimpse at our baby this afternoon with an ultrasound. I had a freebie at the local pregnancy center who needed "models" for their techs and then my OB does one at each of my first two visits as standard care. The first time was around 6 weeks and, while wonderful, it was hard to really see much. The second time we saw a beautiful heartbeat. But TODAY, I saw little nubs for arms and legs, a body and a sweet little face - moving all around with a sweet little heart going beat-beat-beat. I could have watched Baby all day. >sigh<>

Si wearing Daddy's boots

Josiah - still a MESS! He's a talking machine! He's either asking about dogs ("Dog Dog???") or demanding a "Nack!" (translation: Snack!). I just could squeeze and kiss him all day. He plays with my hair and hugs me so tight. Such a little lover!

Jon David - such a big, big boy! He is a puzzle champion! I am impressed by his tender heart and desire to be a good boy. Smart as a whip, he is always counting, telling me what time it is or just singing silly songs. He is getting excited about having another baby around too!

Jon Jon getting in on the action.

Snow Much Fun

2009-01-20T20:59:00.007-05:00

With so much excitement in his little voice, Jon David bounced into our room at 7:11 am this morning and said, "Mommy, there is SNOW on the ground! Snow!!!" It was just so cute. What fun we had on this special day with probably about 5 inches of that fun, white powdery snow!

Little Josiah was about the cutest thing you ever saw with his little puppy hat. Oh, and he had to learn how to walk in the snow boots. He only wears Robeez (soft-soled shoes) so the chunky boots were quite tricky for our little guy. We stood him up with the boots and he immediately fell flat on his face. Poor guy! But, he's a determined a little fellow and after a good amount of falling, he was able to walk a good bit without toppling over.

In our early morning adventure, the little mittens he had on kept falling off. A friend gave me a tip to put socks on his hands and that was a great trick for our other outings today. But, with the layers of clothes, bulky boots and hands wrapped in a couple layers of socks, Josiah stood no chance (no pun intended) of getting up after falling down. And to make matters worse, he often fell face first in the snow. He even managed to get some scratches on that sweet little face. But, no worries - Josiah loved his time in the snow!

And, and big brother had a great time too! He especially enjoyed having snow ball fights and eating snow cream. It was quite sweet and sad when he got up from his nap with little tears as he told me, "Mommy, I'm so sad that the snow is melting..."

It was also neat to teach Jon David that God designs each snowflake to be different - not one is the same. If God takes so much time and care with His snowflakes, how much more does He care about us!

Mom's Beauty Parlor

2008-12-08T11:13:00.007-05:00

Moms - we can do anything, right? I mean, we are nurses, chefs, counselors, chauffeurs... the list never ends. Well, I wanted to add to my resume the role of beautician! My three fellas all get varying degrees of "high and tight" and I wanted to give it a go. I've paid too much money for traumatic experiences at some cheap "salon" at the mall - and with not very good results.

I purchased my kit at Tar-jay for $25 and knew that if I only gave each guy one hair cut, I'd save about $10 - $15. JD was my first brave customer. Truth be told, he just wants to shave his all off since his hair is steadily going away (and not coming back). I figured if I really botched it up, he could get his wish and just lose it all.

I had to do about three touch-ups and there is a weird line above his right ear. But, all in all, it's passable.

On to Josiah, he is so easy. Give him a cookie and he's all yours. His 'do is a little better than Daddy's.

Lastly, I took on my oldest. This was going to be interesting, I just knew. Since he hates getting his hair cut, I had the persuasive argument of telling him that if I did not cut his hair, someone at the mall would. My big error was not putting a towel around him since he started getting agitated when he saw the hair all around him and on his shirt. We finally ended the session with his head about 80% cut. I've since gone back and he's now about 95% done. I just need to do the neck. It's not great but it's not too bad.

So, I'm proud of myself for being resourceful. Truth be told, the cuts are really, well, lacking. But, I bet the gold standard of mommies in Proverbs 31 would have used some clippers for her fellas too!

Alert - Kindness Missing!!

2008-11-16T21:22:00.005-05:00

I didn't know that it could happen. I've never read about it in the papers and am not sure that there has ever been a documented case of this strange occurrence. This afternoon, my dear son reported to me that his "kindness had disappeared." Imagine my alarm to hear this statement. Well, based upon his behavior, I knew that some sort of abduction had taken place.

Here's a little background... I am reading a very good book on parenting by Kevin Leman. I'm really enjoying it and feel encouraged by some of the good things we are doing. I also feel the need to change or keep an eye out for some things that I don't really want to impart upon my son. So, some things we are doing are right on and others are things that I could see being potential problems in the future. Leman talks a lot about making the kind of home where your kids want to be there and making sure that our role of parents is not pushed aside due to overly busy schedules and overly ambitious plans.

Leman advises to praise your children for who they are and not always on their abilities and appearance. So, I heaped praise upon Jon David for not only climbing so well at the Chick-fil-A kid area but mostly for not giving up when it was hard to do at first. Last night, I started talking to him about how I like that he is so smart but that I really love how kind he is. I could see his little face light up as I told him of all the times recently that I'd seen him being kind. I'm learning that one of his love languages seems to be words of affirmation.

So, here we are today with a whiny boy whose ears must not have been working based upon the lack of good listening he exhibited. He cried, he sassed and at times was lacking any kindness.

I do hope that his kindness reappears tomorrow!

Thomas the Tank Engine and a Puppy

2008-11-12T07:55:00.003-05:00

My sons have great passions in life. For Jon David, it's Thomas the Tank Engine, of course. I cannot even begin to count the number of wooden engines, coal tenders and tracks that are on the floor in the family room right at this moment.

Little brother is also showing signs of what really moves him. For him, he cannot resist playing with a ball and he finds dogs VERY exciting! He gets so happy just seeing a dog walk by our house and is learning to say, "woof woof." Oh, it's really so very cute!

So, finding their costumes was rather easy. Jon David's even contained a litle section to hold candy - how cool is that? We had a great time and gathered quite a bit of candy. Josiah tried his first candy bar (Twix) and was a big fan!!

Next year, I hope to find some cute costumes that they can wear together, like Woody and Buzz from Toy Story. Can't wait!

With Miss 'Cole!

Warning - I'm 3!!

2008-11-09T20:05:00.008-05:00

His shirt says, "WARNING, I'm 3!"

My big boy is 3 years old. What a glorious time it has been with our beloved son. I thank the good Lord every day for my sweet, sweet son.

Jon David had a LARGE time at his Pump it Up party. It was wild but in a good way. He had the best time and especially enjoyed his Maggio Moo's Thomas the Tank Engine cake.

Josiah was not really feeling the whole birthday party thing. He was a bit crabby.

This cool present from Cousin Kenzie reads, "Happy 3rd Birthday, Jon Jon." Of course, it's Thomas the Take Engine.

As if one party were not enough, his sweet Sunday School teachers threw him a dream party - a donut birthday party! Mr. Doug and Miss Lynn have been so kind to Jon David (or, as they call him, "JD"). They have been instrumental in getting Jon David to stop screaming for the entire time he spent at church. And, they knew how much our boy loves him some donuts. They even got the GOOD stuff, Krispy Kreme and brought the kids hats. What a sweet send-off for our big boy!

Catching Up

2008-10-25T22:02:00.006-05:00

I don't remember Jon David being up to this much mischief. He's never really been one to try and touch "bad" things like electrical outlets, etc. I'm still amazed that when he wakes up from naps and in the morning that he reaches for a few books, turns on his little Tyke Light and reads. He rarely even calls for me. That AMAZES me. He knows how to turn on the TV in the bonus room and I'm always surprised that he just stays in his bed.

I know it's bad parenting to compare children but how can you not? I'm not comparing with the intention of one child being my favorite, etc. That would be impossible. But, this journey of parenting is new for me and I can't help but compare experiences.

So, today Josiah was playing with the lazy-susan. He takes a bottle of vegetable oil and puts it in his chubby hands. I casually glance at him, thinking nothing of it. Then, something tells me to walk over and look at him. It takes me a few minutes to figure out why his PJs are wet in some places and what's in his hair. Then I realize, he opened the bottle of oil and it was soon all over the floor. Lovely!! Of course, these things only happen when Daddy is gone. Thankfully, it was also time for his AM nap and I quickly scooped him up to bed (being careful not to slip on the VERY slick floor). Sorry, no picture but I did include one from another messy episode.

Jon David kept me on my toes Thursday morning. We had one of our all-time worst public outings. I took both boys to get haircuts. Jon David started out being so sweet. He complimented the stylist on her use of the water bottle on his hair. "Oh, you are good with the water. That's nice. I like water!" He was so ready to be the good boy that we talked of him being. Well, she was new and slow. And, she jumped every time he moved (which was often). Things were not going well.

And about halfway through the cut, things start to QUICKLY unravel. Just imagine a child with a half-cut head of hair totally acting out. I was DETERMINED to not leave with him looking like that. And it was totally ridiculous. The end result: a so-so haircut and nicks upon his neck. It was a disaster. We've since talked about it a few times and I've told him, "Jon David, that cannot happen again." Ugh!

Alas, the boys remain super sweet. Bath time is great fun as my two monkeys splash together in the tub. We found out that Dora the Explorer bubbles are the best - lots of bubbly fun. Josiah adores his big brother. Jon David now calls his beloved cow his "baby" and even puts the cow down for a nap. (I'll have to blog about that someday). These are indeed the sweetest days.

2008-09-30T20:04:00.004-05:00

Blame it on Facebook!

I have found updating my status much easier than doing a blog post. Bad mommy!! I'm taking the easy road. To use Facebook language Denise is... sorry she has not blogged.

Jon David is doing very well. His cough is almost gone and he's had a few little viruses that remained minor deals. Normally, minor viruses turn into week-long exiles at home. But, he's been able to show real improvement. Praise the Lord!

Josiah is a MESS! He's all over the place and now says my name for any and every need. You will hear him all day long saying, "MaMa MaMa MaMa!!!" It's cute but, wow, he says it a lot!

I also took pictures tonight of the boys taking a bath together. They are so cute and really have fun playing together. I just love it!

So, if you want to hear more from me, let's become Facebook friends! :)

long

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby Boy!

2008-09-04T20:29:00.004-05:00

Bad, bad, mommy. Yes, I know! It's been TOO long since I've posted and I have one VERY important post that simply must be done! I did at least get his pictures professionally taken, so that counts for something!

My sweet baby boy turned ONE!!

Little Josiah, oh my dear baby boy - he's one!!

For the past year, I've chronicled his many spectacular achievements and milestones met. I gushed and bragged about this most special boy. Truly - every day with Josiah has been a joy. He's my sweet baby. I wonder - how many times have I used the word "sweet" when describing this special boy in the past year?? Well, whatever the number - it's not enough.

So, yes, Josiah turned the big 1 on August 20th. He weighs just shy of 22 pounds and is 30 inches long. He's a bona fide walker and very vocal, saying words like "Ut OH (his favorite, especially when in his crib)" and "Baaaaa" (ball). While of mild temperment, he does tend to lose it a few times a day, usually when he's done eating and ready for b-e-d ("nigh nigh" as we call it).

So, I must truly thank the good, good Lord for the privilege of being Josiah's mommy! Happy Birthday, Son!

Children's Hosbibal

2008-08-25T20:39:00.003-05:00

Jon David has his bronchoscopy tomorrow at 8:30 am. According to him, they are going to reach down and grab his cough and make him all better. We've been working to prepare him for the big morning and here is a phone conversation with him telling his granddaddy about tomorrow. He also goes on to talk about eating at Moe's with Daddy and that he'll get to eat at Maggie Moo's near church once he starts telling us when he has to go potty. It's pretty entertaining and he was a chatty cathy!!

Cruisin'

2008-08-18T12:35:00.006-05:00

Look at these hunky dudes going cruising!

Gavin is a big 4-year-old and my friend's son. He's a sweetie and very big brotherly (he has two younger sisters). While at his house, Jon got to go for a spin in the cul-de-sac with Gavin who drove very safely (though I was nervous at times even though Jon had on his seatbelt and they were not going too fast). Gavin even gently pushed Jon David back to be sure he was sitting correctly in the car/Jeep/tractor.

Quincy with a bottle of water in one hand and one hand on the wheel. What is she - 20?? :)

In addition to these hunks were crazy Quincy (and her own pink Barbie wheels) and sweet Josiah in the red wagon pulled by Mom. (His expression is WAY TOO grown up in the picture below! How'd that happen???)

Treatment for a broken finger

2008-08-13T20:05:00.005-05:00

My sister recently broke her foot (ouch!) and came over with a tripped out scooter thing. Of course, Jon David thought it was a cool toy. And, strangely, now he has many ailments that require the same kind of scooter. Usually, his injury is a broken finger. When you ask to see the hurt digit, he often shows you a different finger each time. So, imagine our difficulty coming up with a treatment plan. I guess we don't need a plan. If we'd only listen to him, he could be all better. He needs a scooter.

Oh, and as a special shout out to Aunt Dees, this video includes her very favorite thing - Jon's "crazy eyes." You too can do crazy eyes - just blink your eyes over and over. He does this often when people comment on his eye lashes. Anyway, Cindy - this is for you. (sorry for the cartoons in the background and you can probably hear that he was sniffly today)

"This is entertainment, Mommy!"

2008-08-10T20:14:00.005-05:00

For months we've been promising Edward to Jon once he gets potty trained. Here he is with his big prize! Such a look of pride!!

Well, it's not exactly what I'd describe as prime entertainment but while sitting on the potty this week, Jon David proudly said, "This is entertainment, Mommy!" You know what, I think that boy may be right. We've had a lot of laughs this week.

When I was pregnant with Jon David and having some worries about being able to have a healthy baby, I used to think to myself of people as I saw them, "There's another successful pregnancy." I have a new way of looking at people - I now think, "There's someone who has been successfully potty trained." Now, I'm having to just make some assumptions about this as I have no real way of confirming their potty status.

I've been manipulating my oldest for months saying, "Hmmm - I wonder who will be potty trained first, you or Josiah? I just wonder who will get Edward..." He would always respond with a passionate, "I am!!!" I usually would respond, "Oh really? Great - go hop on the potty." He'd ignore me and I'd once again think that he'd be graduating from high school in diapers. But, on Monday, he actually went into the bathroom and, with some help from me, went pee pee.

So, at this point, the "toothpaste is out of the tube", so to speak. We can't go back. We're committed, "in it to win it" - you know what I mean. I knew we'd be laying low last week since I wanted to be sure that he was no longer sick with the virus before venturing back into society.

Day One Progress

Day Four: much better!

If I had to give Jon David a grade, I'd give him a solid B. In fact, today he did not have any accidents which is especially impressive since we were at church for a few hours and also a few hours with our church small group. No, he did not hold it the whole time but he did successfully use the potty away from our house.

My potty training essentials: Lysol wipes, juice boxes, Diego training pants and reading materials.

I've spent more time on the floor reading books and sitting in the doorway of our downstairs bathroom than I ever thought humanly possible. Since he's not yet telling me when he has to go, I have to regularly put him on the pot. I've been peed on, had him pee in my hands (to my shock and dismay) and worried that my house smells of urine (though I do clean as we go and again before bed).

One thing I did not really bargain for - I need to also train my husband. No, not like that - he's definitely potty trained at this point in his life. But, I need to train JD to be on guard for "that look" that our boy gets as he goes to hide and poop in his training diaper and to remember to take Jon David to the potty when out. I wouldn't say that he's as hard to train as our son but it is taking some reminding on my part.

We stayed very hydrated and I let Jon David pick whatever juice boxes he wanted.

All in all, I'm proud of Jon David. He's not thrilled with potty training and fights me most times to go to the bathroom. Once we get started and I read to him, he moves on and is not upset. And little Josiah has been a dream. I put a bunch of puffs in his exersaucer and he's spent a whole lot of time stationary in there. Thank you, Josiah!

In closing, it has been A VERY LONG week but I'm so proud of my son (and myself too!).

After going through 4 pairs of big boy undies in one day, I switched back to training pants. I know it may make this process take longer but it was necessary for my sanity.

Just Helping Out

2008-08-02T20:24:00.004-05:00

This is Jon David here. Mom said I could do this post. She's too busy finding ways to avoid folding the 5 loads of laundry that she says are "calling her name."

So, like Josiah is walking - or rather sort of taking steps. Well, I've been doing that for a long time. It's easy, okay? I can run, jump AND walk backwards.

It's not like I have a hard time sharing the spotlight. In fact, it's the opposite. If people were as exciting or interesting as I am, I would not find it necessary to inject myself into various situations.

Like the family talent show in Tennessee, it was fun. All the people had some good skills and it was rather entertaining. But, there was one thing missing from all the presentations... me! Like my really sweet and cute girl cousins, they were singing a beautiful song. It was lovely. But, there were no boys - rather, there was no Jon Jon. I did the only thing I could think to do to take the show to the next level of entertainment... I "helped" them and did it without them even having to ask. I don't know if they thanked me. They may have just been overwhelmed with gratitude. Hey, I'm just glad I could help.

What happens in Tennessee

2008-08-01T13:24:00.006-05:00

Well, I had to get that last post out there about our E/R drama and that means I delayed a momentous (literally) update! Josiah took his first steps on Saturday at the family talent show. It was actually just before the talented stars hit the stage. I proudly announced that we had already seen the best talent of the day (Si's walking) and that everyone could go home.

JD was across the room and someone asked him, "How long has Josiah been walking?" JD was like, huh??? We were all very excited and proud.

But, I guess sort of like the saying for Las Vegas, what happens in Tennessee, stays in Tennessee. It appears as if my baby boy has forgotten how to take steps unassisted. I would not call what he did as walking but there were definitely independent steps taken that resulted in forward progress being made. The attached video is proof. He actually did better than the video shows but at least it's something.

Vacation - a new definition

2008-07-30T19:07:00.007-05:00

Having children changes everything, especially one's understanding of the term vacation. Webster defines vacation as: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended. Here's how I now define vacation: taking care of your children in a foreign place, without your normal stuff/gear and lacking the benefits of a schedule.

Don't get me wrong - our trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a family reunion had many wonderful parts. Seeing my mom's side of the family together was wonderful. Meeting new babies, seeing the babies from the last reunion now grown is always neat. Our family's Sunday morning church service was a real highlight. The sweet sounds of us all singing praises to the Lord and enjoying true fellowship - priceless. My uncle and cousin delivered powerful messages. We even had a song that we all sang which was mostly based on Alison Krauss's, "Down to the River to Pray."

The church where we had our church service.

We had a great cabin nestled high in a mountain. It was truly breathtaking and the Lord's glory was literally everywhere you look. In our cabin was also my sister and her family as well as my mom. We really had a great time.

Me and my girl cousins.

So... here's the rest of the story.

Josiah started to look like he had a little cold late last week. When we left on Friday, he was pretty cranky and cried/screamed at least two of the almost 9 hours we were in the car (the ride should have been no more than 6 1/2 hours). This is very un-Si like. His eyes were glassy and he looked like he was getting a cold. He was up every two hours the first night. Ugh!!!!

Fast forward to Sunday and we start to think Jon David might be feeling a little under the weather. Sunday night we had a great party with about 25 of my relatives (Bingo, board games, etc.). The boys slept soundly upstairs which was a miracle because we were far from quiet. Just as the adults were heading to bed, I hear Jon David wake up with a croupy-cough. We've done the "croup dance" quite a few times and I felt like I knew what to do: keep him calm, take him to the bathroom and run the shower, get some steriods ordered to a pharmacy near our cabin in the morning.

Within about 15 minutes, our normal croup symptoms got very serious. Jon David became extremely agitated - so much so that I thought he was about to have a seizure. His lips turned purple as his chest heaved with him trying to catch his breath. I could barely get near him to try and comfort him and it was very clear very quickly that we had a real problem on our hands. JD called our pediatrician as well as 911. One, we needed help with his breathing ASAP and two, we were on top of a dark mountain in a town we didn't know. We did not have time to drive around looking for a hospital.

Somewhat comidic moment: I was finally able to hold him and keep him in the bathroom near the steamy shower (singing our reunion anthem over and over and over). I was in one of JD's shirts and lacking shorts/pants. I did not have time to grab shorts as I was trying to keep Jon David from hurting himself as he was jerking around the room. So, here come the EMS guys and I'm just hoping that my shirt is covering my undies. My sweet sister (click here for her version of the night) quietly enters the room and places some towels around me in the hope of helping me maintain some modesty. (Thank you, Cindy!). I trust the EMS guys were not terribly distracted by my attire.

The view from our cabin.

Well, they administer a breathing treatment right there and inform me that they need to get my boy to the hospital asap. Oh, and with all that's going on, Josiah wakes up. No, he did not wake up during our 4-hour house party. But, now he's up and I can't do a thing for him. I am thankful that my mom and sister were there to help get him back to sleep. Back to my big boy - he and I take an ambulance ride and I'm trying to make it like some field trip in an attempt to get him calm. He started to relax and I'm hopeful that we'll be home soon. The EMS guy tells me that the local hospital does not have a pediatric unit and we'll probably have to be transfer us an hour away to Knoxville's children hospital.

Things got worse when we arrived at the local hospital as Jon David became super agitated again. Though I was laying in the hospital bed with him and holding him tightly, he kept calling for me to hold him. My slightest movements sent him into a tizzy and made his labored breathing that much worse. In the course of 5 hours, he had 5 doses of steriods, numerous breathing treatments, lots of oxygen, 2 shots, 3 x-rays, a flu test with something stuck up his nose, his throat swabbed and a rectal temperature taken. The poor guy was literally exhausted. Plus, none of us really got any sleep. FINALLY, his breathing stabilized and we arrived home at 7 am (just in time for me to feed Josiah).

So, this croup episode was one for the record books. We were told by numerous people that the air quality in the area was the worst in the country which probably took this croup thing to the next level. Our pediatrician is referring us to a pediatric pulmonologist and I'm encouraged to have more information and a more proactive approach.

Oh, and what of little Si - he has pink eye and a virus that left him with sore tonsils that had puss on them. He was so pitiful and sick. I joked that his boogers had boogers.

We're home now and on the road to recovery.

I am thankful that the good Lord allowed us to enjoy His beautiful creation in Tennessee. I am beyond thankful for my sweet family and the wonderful reunion. I am endebted to my mom and sister for taking care of Josiah. I am humbled by my kind brother-in-law who drove JD to the hospital and stayed ALL night with us.

While all this was happening early Monday morning, I recalled the message the Lord laid upon my cousin to share with us. Dereck pointed to the glorious mountains and talked about perspective. You see, God does not change. He was not suddenly out of control when my oldest son was in dire need of immediate medical attention. God is in control and He loves us. When we take our eyes off of Him, we lose perspective which is never a good thing. I kept thinking to myself, "Keep perspective. The same God you sang praises to this morning at church is here at this very moment, loving you, loving your boy. Keep your eyes on Him (Isaiah 26:3)."

And as far as my new understanding of the word vacation. Vacations may not look at all like they did when we were DINKs (double-income-no-kids) BUT that's okay.

Josiah - 11 months

2008-07-23T20:14:00.005-05:00

My baby boy is 11 months. Excuse me - how did that happen??? This year has truly flown by and I'm amazed at my sweet, ever-growing little boy!

Today was his first haircut by my friend, Sherri. She did a great job and he was not too bad of a client - a little wiggly, curious as to what she was doing but FAR better than other children I have given birth to. Here is our before...

and AFTER.

So very big!

My plans to have a monthly photo in front of the babyGap bear are not panning out as I planned. I may try again tomorrow if I can get JD to help keep Si anywhere near the bear. Fact is, Josiah is just too busy to be bothered with my silly photo shoots. Thus, many of these pictures were taken in the car today. The days where I can literally take 100 pictures of Josiah seem to be gone. I'll settle for taking just a few - as long as I get at least something.

Latest developments:

Another new tooth is almost all the way out which makes the total teeth count at 7.

He is learning to wave though will not do it on a regular basis. Still, I see him wave and he seems to enjoy it.

He will occasionally say his brother's name which sounds like, "Don Don." Jon David thinks Si is calling him Donald (as in one of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends - of course!). When I ask Josiah to find Jon Jon, he will occasionally look around until he finds Jon. I think he is starting to really connect some of our words/questions.

He looks at every new person with a discerning eye and asks himself one question, "Are you taking my mommy from me?" Yes, we are in MAJOR separation anxiety stage and I am regularly called out of church and exercise classes at the Y due to his persistent screaming for me.

"Who are you and do you think you're going to take my mommy away from me???"

Josiah sometimes mimics Jon David especially times with Jon Jon coughs or laughs. Si watches everything his big brother does.

Josiah remains a sweet boy, very curious as to his world, very much a fan of his family and a joy to have in our lives. I absolutely adore this precious gift from God!

Lazy Days

2008-07-17T14:48:00.005-05:00

Do you like the new bed we got for Jon David? We hope it means that he'll sleep well for some upcoming trips we have. We really need him to sleep well because all 4 of us will be in one room. Oh my!!!

Well, I'm just sort of uninspired... maybe it's the whole laid back summer thing. It can't be sleep because we're on a good little roll right now (in fact, Jon David is well into the 2nd hour of a nap - of course, Josiah is up). I'll post again in a few days for Josiah's 11 month update.

Hmmmmm - what's new here...

Jon David has started to sneak out of bed and into the bonus room about 30 minutes after being put to bed for nap or the night. His mission: grab toys and run back, slam the door and hop back into bed. When he is busted, he screams as if he's been physically injured in his efforts. It's sort of funny because I find him asleep with all these random toys on his bed. BUT, we are working to nip this new-found-freedom in the bud.

He now asks, "Mommy, let's do something special!" This is usually asked when trying to avoid naps, etc.

I won't write much about Josiah as I'm saying it for this week's Josiah post. Stay tuned...

"Mommy, should I have..."

2008-07-09T21:43:00.004-05:00

Jon David is a MASTER. I swear, he could write a book or hold incredibly successful seminars on the subject of "how to get what you want." Whether it's being super sweet or too smart for his own good, my boy knows how to work it.

Here's his new thing - in a sweet, falsetto voice, he oh so innocently asks, "Mommy, should I have a snack?" Or, "Mommy, should I watch a train show?" If he really is working it, he'll cup his hands together like you'd expect some Dutch clogging team member and tilts his head. Where does he get this stuff?

Besides the constant efforts to better his existence, here are a few other funny things happening with him.

1) My mom is over for a few days and he woke up at 5:15 am and started knocking on her door. "MiMi! MiMi!" He tried this a few times until I heard the commotion and put an end to that. He's been warned not to wake MiMi again. (still, we thought it was funny)

2) He often asks about people's health and sometimes the status of their butts. One night, he wanted to join in the conversation his daddy and I were having (no, not about butts). And, he very maturely asked, "How is your butt, Daddy?" When Daddy responded that it was well and inquired about Jon David's, he answered, "Ummm - a little okay."

3) His brother is getting on his nerves. One day, he kept asking me, "Are you done taking care of Josiah, Mommy?"

I love my sweet boy. He is full of life, terribly smart and a sweet boy. Thank you, God, for this gift!

Ace of Cake

2008-07-04T20:58:00.006-05:00

Happy 4th of July! Isn't it great to be an American and live in our wonderful country! And thank you to all the soldiers who work hard to protect our freedom!! And thank you, Lord, for blessing and protecting our country!

Well, we were scheduled to have special guests this weekend. Cousins Mason and Ella Kate, along with Aunt Ra Ra (Robin) and Kahki, my mother-in-law, were scheduled to arrive for a weekend of fun. I don't blame them for staying away after the hum-dinger of a week we had. So, we hope to make our fun weekend happen in a few weeks.

Plan B was still a lot of fun. We went to Aunt Deeeeees' house (my sister) for some family fun. It was great though we did miss my oldest nephew (who just happened to start West Point, or "The West Point" as Jon David says, last week). Yes, I am a very proud aunt! Considering I was having pre-term labor at 30 weeks pregnant and on bedrest last year at this time, 4th of July 2008 was a big improvement!

Aaron and Isaac, two of my nephews, amaze me that they enjoy playing so much with my children. I mean, they could be doing a lot of other things but they get a kick out of playing hide & seek with Jon Jon and carrying Josiah around. It's cute to hear Jon Jon as he counts to 10 and then starts looking. He says, "Ready or nine, here I come!"

Sweet Aaron even let Jon David strum a bit on his fancy new guitar. What a nice guy!

Perhaps one of the best parts of the day was bringing over my hamburger cake. I was SO proud of this silly dessert (yellow cake, brownie, a little chocolate frosting, kiwi and strawberries). It made me giggle every time I looked at it. :)

No title can do it justice

2008-07-03T19:49:00.008-05:00

I don't even know what kind of a title to use in describing this week. Suffice it to say, Sunday night/early Monday morning was probably one of the worst, if not the worst of my life. Yes, I am being dramatic but that's just how it was. Given the choice of that evening's events and, say, childbirth - give me labor any day.

(warning - this post has a lot to do with vomiting. Reader beware!)

So, rewind to Saturday afternoon. I'm putting Josiah down for a nap and he vomits ALL over me. He seems happy enough and not too worried. I assume that maybe he ate too much and changed my clothes/went about my way. A few hours later, I'm all showered and ready for a birthday party to go with JD and the boys. While playing with Josiah, he "loses it" again. Okay, I think to myself, this is probably not a coincidence. We may have something happening here. He and I stay home from the party and he does "it" two more times. Now I know that we're in for some interesting times.

Josiah has a fever Sunday morning and we stay home from chuch. In hindsight, this was a very wise move. Late Sunday night, I was awakened from a deep sleep to spend the next 6 hours clearing myself of anything I'd eaten for the past month. ROUGH!

JD stayed home Monday to take care of the boys. I made myself available to feed Si and that was just about it. Monday morning, Jon David starts doing "it". JD and I look at each other knowing that he was next. Soon, we had sheets and blankets all over the house since Jon David is not too reliable. Late Monday, JD decided to join in the fun.

Praise the Lord, I was about 90% better on Tuesday and able to take care of my three guys. I took the boys to the doctor yesterday and found out it's a stomach bug and nothing bacterial.

Today is Thursday and we're just about back on track. Normal diets have been resumed and the sanitary cycle on my washer has been running overtime today as I sanitize the house.

We felt like a train wreck, victims of some horrible beating (JD and I were so very sore, every part of our weak bodies).

So, it is with a cautious sigh of relief that we put to rest the week that was. Happier days are here again!

Brothers

2008-06-29T21:13:00.002-05:00

I just love this picture.

The Popsicle Incident

2008-06-26T21:16:00.005-05:00

I'd seen signs of it coming for a while. And, if I were being real honest with myself, I knew the day would come. And if I'm being even more honest, I know there will be more and they will be worse (possibly much worse).

Josiah had his first temper tantrum.

I'm sure his version of what happened will differ from mine and you'll just need to ask him for yourself and decide who's cornering the market on the truth here. Here's my side:

It was a hot summer day and I thought the perfect time to bring out some popsicles! I consider this an "outside" treat and not something I want to be cleaning off our walls and furniture forever. So, I offer both boys the delicous summer treat. My plan was to allow Josiah a few (or more) tastes and that'd be it. When I decided he'd had enough, I casually hid the frozen treat and planned to move on. "Not so fast," screamed Baby Si.

And oh was he mad!

Jon David took forever with his and I finally decided to leave him on the deck while bringing my screaming baby into the house. I could watch Jon David through the window and Josiah could continue his temper tantrum on the carpet. I'm not sure if Jon David was taunting Josiah by standing right near the door sucking on the popsicle or if Jon just wanted to be able to see us. But, the more he stood outside and gingerly enjoyed his treat, the more Josiah flipped out. Temper, temper, temper. This lasted a good 5 minutes and I believe that we have had our first glimpse into my ever-changing baby boy.

How did the tantrum end? Jon David finally finished his treat and Si eventually forgot what he was so mad about. He just suddenly stopped crying and went back to playing.

(Oh - and Josiah would like for me to add to his 10-month updates: 6 teeth (well, sort of - the top 4 are about 60% out) and he can stand unassisted for about 5 - 10 seconds.)

Puzzle update

2008-06-25T21:24:00.001-05:00

Jon David completed the 36-peice puzzle all by himself today. We are so proud!

Josiah - 10 months

2008-06-24T19:00:00.005-05:00

Josiah is 10 months (and 4 days)! Oh, he's just getting too big! We playfully call him "Super Si" or "Super Si Me" - as in the movie that we've never seen, "Super Size Me." JD also came up with Si-anara as in the Japanese word sayonara meaning goodbye. I also sometimes call him my sweet "Jo Sam" - as in Josiah Samuel. Who knew we'd have such fun with his beautiful name!

New developments:

Anger "issues" associated with 99% of diaper changes and sometimes meal times just go unexplicably wrong

Walking while pushing empty Pampered Chef boxes and various walking toys

LOVE for pulling hair (not actually new, but painfully of note)

Lots of babbling but still only saying, "DaDa"

Weight: 21 lbs 5 1/2 oz (25 - 50%)

Serious cruising skills

(check out his seriously cool bib - with vinyl for easy clean-up - from Aunt Deeees)

Mom was right!

2008-06-23T11:58:00.005-05:00

Okay, so maybe my mom was right. She would say of Jon David when he was just months old, "Oh, Denise, he is so smart!" I smiled at her and told her that all parents (and grandparents) thought their kids were the best, smartest, etc. I mean, he took FOREVER to catch on with sign language. No, I did not think he was below average but I also did not think he was as smart as my mom kept saying.

But then things started happening...

Like how he remembers places more than I do. Last week we were near the local sports/entertainment center. He had been there one other time in February for a very brief (and traumatic for all) trip to the circus with my sister. He refused to listen or sit in his seat so he was not able to stay for the circus. ANYWAY, he'd only been there one time before Saturday and it was 4 months ago. There are no signs indicating a circus had been there but he tells us, "The circus was here." Huh??? These things happen all the time.

Today he saw the plastic container that held some flowers we planted last October. The little container fell below the deck and behind some bushes. He said to me, "That's from when we planted flowers with MiMi (my mom)."

So, we got him a 36-piece puzzle last night. JD did it a few times with him last night and I did it with him once this morning. So, imagine my surprise when I find him working on it and it's 70% completed! No, he did need a little help getting all the little sections he put together into one large puzzle this afternoon but he's not far from cracking the code on this one.

So, Mom, maybe you are right. Maybe he is smart!! :)

(This video is funny because he is singing one of my silly Josiah songs. I sing, "Jooosiiiah, you are the baby of all the babies" and it's sung to the chorus of The Love Boat. Where you'd hear, "The LOVE Boat, promises something-something-something is when I'm saying, "JoSIAAAh."

This one shows Jon David actually putting the puzzle together.

He did it all by himself!

2008-06-20T13:26:00.003-05:00

Wow - such a look of pride. The joy of accomplishment! The unbeatable satisfaction of a job well done! Yes, my big boy is feeling pretty good, as you can see, about finishing this 24-peice puzzle. Over the past week, we've done this puzzle a lot. But today, he was able to do it all by himself. I was also impressed that he was able to answer me when asked, "Who helped you with this" and he responded, "Nobody!"

More Si

2008-06-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

More Si! Here are a few more Fun in the Sun pictures. I just look at that little face and thank God for him! What a little joy he is! He has great fun with his big brother especially outside with the sand/water table.

Box Walking

2008-06-12T13:35:00.002-05:00

Look at our busy little fella! Who needs a walker when you have an upside-down Pampered Chef box? We got great chuckles this morning watching little Si cruise around the house pushing the empty box. Now, if it had been full of stuff and heavy, then I'd be REALLY impressed!

Si, you are indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made"! Psalm 139:14 Thank you, Lord, for our very busy and very mobile boy!

A Day with Thomas

2008-06-06T18:23:00.005-05:00

(I can't even imagine what he's thinking looking at the "real" Thomas!)

"Thomas - he's the cheeky one! James is vain but lots of fun..." (that's the Thomas theme song).

Oh, yes, it's THOMAS!!! Daddy took Jon David to see Thomas and Friends on Monday. In light of Si's unfortunate case of HFM, we decided to keep him home (he's all better, thank goodness!). My two guys with the same name headed to the NC mountains for the trip of all trips.

The report is that Jon David had fun but was not quite sure what was happening. I think you can tell that from his concerned expression in the pictures. It's funny - there is this carefree, FULL of life little boy that I know and love. And, then there is the timid, "no change is good" boy whom I also adore. I guess we're all allowed to have many facets to our personalities and this is how the good Lord made him. It's just always a little striking to me when I see him so timid.

He loved the Thomas ride and did not want it to end. There were other festivities at the site that he was not particularly interested in. So, they headed home after a great day of train rides, tattoos and the like.

Covered in Coal Dust

2008-06-01T16:36:00.004-05:00

In case you can't understand what Jon David is saying, here it is: "I'm covered in coal dust!!"

Ahh, life when everything has a Thomas the Tank Engine reference. :) Like a total goof ball, he wanted the water from the hose sprayed into his face. Weirdo!

Where is Si you ask? Well, he's hanging out with the very lovely, very contagious "hand, foot and mouth" virus. Poor guy. We kept him out of the pool for obvious reasons. Pray for him!

Big Boy Bed!

2008-05-27T18:49:00.006-05:00

Pure Happiness and Pride!

We dreaded it - the thought of Jon David with that much freedom was, frankly, scary. I mean, no crib means no bars keeping him safe and sound. And for various reasons (we moved, Josiah was born, Jon loves his crib, etc.) we postponed the transition from crib to big boy bed. And he'd probably still be in a crib tonight if we did not have a trip planned this summer and we knew there would not be a crib where we're going and a pack 'n play is just not an option for him at this age/size.

See us snoozing away!

So, we picked the long holiday weekend just in case it went poorly. And we agreed, as a parenting team, that we'd allow him to use the crib if things went as disastrously as we thought they could.

But, we're smart. We knew to tie in Thomas the Tank Engine as some sort of guarantee for success. And it worked! We're on Day/Night 4 and he's totally transitioned and loving the big boy bed.

If you ask him about the whole big boy bed thing, he'd say, "I was so surprised!" And asking if it is easy or hard to sleep in a big boy bed still gets the "Hard" response. He's terribly proud of himself. And, as his ever adoring parents, we're even prouder. Way to go, Big Boy!

The cow also made the move.

Even MiMi helped do a practice tuck-in.

Side note: I heard him cry out around 11 pm last night. Thankfully, when I went to check on him, I watched where I was walking and did not assume that the blob on the floor was a blanket. He somehow rolled off the bed though was still half-asleep. I gently put him back in bed and there he stayed all night.

Early Father's Day

2008-05-25T20:55:00.004-05:00

Here is a picture of Josiah at dinner tonight. His first taste of spaghetti. He's a fan. The photo quality is not great since Daddy took it with his phone. But, you get the drift and can see the mess he was making. He had a blast!

JD, don't peek!

Everyone else, here is a link to one of JD's Father's Day presents. Not sure what the end result will be but I'm pleased with my plan. :)

Remember, this is a SURPRISE for Father's Day!! Shhhhhh.

Josiah - 9 months

2008-05-22T18:52:00.005-05:00

It's that time of the month when I post about Mr. Josiah and his latest happenings. His growth is good but he tends to have big growth months and others where things slow down. For as chunky as he is to us, he remains in the 50% for weight (20 lbs 11 1/2 oz). He's 27 1/2" tall (25% - which is also surprising to us) and his head is teeny at 17" (8%).

He's a very capable cruiser. Though not as fast on his feet cruising as he is on all 4s, he's most happy when he pulls himself up and is standing. He can now stand at the train table and knock over all big brother's trains and tracks. You can probably hear Jon David's, "Nooooooooooo, JoSIIIIah!!!" all the way from NC!

Though often content to observe everything, he is a much more active participant in life these days. And there are times when his babbles are nothing shy of yelling. I imagine it's fun for him to make those sounds and also to get a reaction from us.

He found the stairs and after reaching about the 5th one, I bring him down. (I'm behind him the whole time). We brought back our old friend, the gate which is a drag in terms of getting upstairs. Small price to pay, I know.

I know that Josiah loves his mommy but, wow, he gets so excited to be near Daddy. He especially likes to touch Daddy's face.

9 months - where does the time go?? Thank you, Lord, for our precious son. Every day with him is a gift from you!

Translation, Please!

2008-05-19T18:46:00.004-05:00

So, Baby Si is still my sweet baby boy who coos and gives me smiles that melt my heart. That has not changed. Yet, I think this whole crawling/independence thing has changed him a bit. He's a bit bolder and, at times, very vocal. I'm not sure what he was trying to say, but - oh my - he was doing his best to communicate.

Priceless

2008-05-06T19:21:00.000-05:00

Goodness, I just love this boy!

Josiah - 8 months

2008-04-27T19:48:00.004-05:00

Baby Si is 8 months old! He's a very inquisitive charmer. He's into EVERYTHING as he's been crawling now for a few weeks. He's fascinated with my bakers rack in the kitchen which means I need to continue redecorating (moving everything up around 18 inches). What's really neat is to see how many people love him. When I'm with my MOPS friends or other people in our small group with church, it's wonderful to see how much they love him. They hug and kiss on him and you'd think they didn't all have babies of their own at home. He brings a huge smile to everyone he meets and I really think that will be a part of who he is later in life.

Clean Boy

2008-04-21T19:45:00.004-05:00

Taking Jon David's picture these days has been, umm, challenging. This is usually what I get. (see below)But a few nights ago, he obliged me and I got these sweet photos of my fresh-from-the-tub big boy. He is, thankfully, breathing much easier these days and his cough is almost gone. Thank you, Lord! His new thing is to answer your questions with, "I sure am (tired, hungry, etc.), Mommy!" So cute!

Nummy Banana!

2008-04-18T18:37:00.004-05:00

The latest in self-feeding tools for babies - a super cool mesh feeder. I put a banana in it and baby Si goes to town munching on it. It buys me some time to do a little in the kitchen and helps him develop some feeding skills. A win-win!

And He's Off!

2008-04-17T21:07:00.005-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, Josiah is officially crawling! I pat myself on the back for my once again accurate prediction on April 9th that my boy would be crawling within 2 weeks. I knew that Mr. Chunky Thighs would be off and running soon. Funny thing I learned today - my other son knows how to crawl too! Imagine that!!! Here's proof (of both my crawlers!).

Synopsis of video: Si crawls, Jon crawls (bonus!). Si whines, Jon babytalks/whines with Si and Si smiles. Oh, and I seem to think today is my anniversary (August 16th). Guess I need a little more sleep!!

Tractor Fun

2008-04-16T20:26:00.004-05:00

Today was the annual Farm Animal Day. We had an okay time - just o-kay. Jon David has not been feeling 100% with some kind of bronchial/asthmatic "thing" going on. So, he's not technically sick but he sounds as if he's been puffing away on a few packs a day. We've up'd his daily nebulizer treatments and added some allergy medicine in the hopes that he can breathe easier. Pray for my little guy, please.

About Si, still adorable and sweet as they come.

Batting 1,000

2008-04-11T20:40:00.004-05:00

The tradition continues! If it's Opening Day in baseball, you will find me and my fellas there. Okay, so we only saw 1/2 of an inning. That don't matter! We were still there and we can say that we've not missed an Opening Day since Jon Jon was born. If you're counting, we're 3/3 - or to use baseball terminology, we're batting 1,000.

Though we were out way, way past Josiah's bed time, he had a great time and could have lasted a while longer. Big brother started to fade and we made our goal of 1/2 inning. What a happy family night!

Within Two Weeks

2008-04-09T19:46:00.005-05:00

First, I'm making a prediction that Baby Si will be crawling within 2 weeks. He's getting good at being on all fours and does a little backwards scootching.

Second, we used a Target gift card received as a Christmas present and bought Baby Si a new toy. It's positively adorable and loads of silly goodness. It's Playskool's Busy Ball Popper. Check out the fun we had today!

My Sweet Family

2008-04-08T20:35:00.005-05:00

Isn't that the way it goes. We bloggers who take pictures all the time, capture every cute minute yet there are VERY few pictures of us.

And, I think there is maybe one other photo of the four of us in existence and it was taken at Christmas. So what if Jon David was not feeling well and is making a sad face in this picture. So what if I'm still sporting some residual baby weight. All that matters is that this is a rare picture of the four of us and three of my absolute, most favorite people in the whole wide world are in it.

Master of Disaster

2008-04-05T21:46:00.004-05:00

Rolls. This refers both to the rolls he does across the floor and to those chunky thighs on my boy.

Getting ready to roll in his bed room.
And he's off!
Almost done.
"Whew! Look at me, Mommy!"

For as sweet as Josiah is, he can make a pretty good mess. One, though improving, he's a spitter. Two, he likes to roll across the floor and take and eat anything in his path. Three, he's a messy eater (like all babies). So, in this hand-me-down from Tyler, Si shows his ability to make a mess. Messy or not - he's just so sweet!

First sounds

2008-04-03T12:22:00.005-05:00

Thank you for continuing to visit our blog! I know it's a drag to sign-in but I feel safer knowing who is checking us out!

Josiah coos and says, "daddaa daadaa" though I don't think that is officially a first word. I think this is more his first sound. He's been "saying" it for a while and now I have it captured.

I also think that I've ditched the big high chair in favor of one that fits on a regular chair. It has a fun rain forest attachment for him to play with. I think I just like having one less large plastic item in my house! There is certainly no shortage of it represented in every room. :)

This is Si right about to fall asleep. He has no need for a paci when he's got his trusty right arm. He "sucks" his forearm. He does not actually suck the arm but he does the motion so you hear his little tongue clicking away. I'll have to get this on video too so that I will alway be able to remember that sweet sound.

Big Boy Update

2008-03-31T19:01:00.006-05:00

Now that I've gushed over Baby Si, here are some funny Jon-Jon-isms. I realize MANY kids say and do cute things but blogging about this helps me to remember them. I hope you also find them charming...

"Where me go, Mommy?" This is what he says when placing a blanket or a basket over his head and walking. To him, if he can't see me, I can't see him. This is why he also asks to play hide and seek when I am changing his diaper. He closes his eyes and asks me to find him.

"What's happening to me?" I don't know what inspires this phrase but he generally says it when he is looking for something like a missing train. I often feel this way when looking for the 100th time for my cell phone or keys!

Overall, he's just plain big now - though not without needing some babying. He still begs, "Hold you, Mommy" and would not even think about sleeping without his beloved cow.

Today, at the children's museum...

Must have been a good sale on bananas. He finally got tired of carrying his basket of groceries and just ditched them at the wood cabin.

This is the last exhibit/station we saw. Needless to say, he felt very at home here!

Josiah - Seven Months

2008-03-30T08:53:00.005-05:00

This is my monthly post about Josiah. This is where I gush about how sweet and cute he is. That remains true as ever. He gives us his little 2-teeth grin and his eyes literally twinkle. It's such an ego boost to have someone light up to see you - even when your hair is messy, you have morning breath and need a shower (at 4 pm!).

He is starting to get into everything and things make quick progress to his mouth. It's fun to watch him start to play with toys though big brother is sometimes not too fond of this new development. He's quite mobile though his main mode of transportation is rolling. I think he's not too far from crawling but I'm personally in no hurry for that milestone. He already is keeping me on my toes by rolling everywhere (and quickly). He's developing a sense of humor and gives both a good belly laugh and this kind of throaty "ha ha" thing. Still sleeping well though the past week has had a few nights were it was like having a newborn again (what gives???).

He literally beams anytime Daddy is around. He's getting quite steady sitting up and only sometimes topples over. Still a fairly picky eater, I'm trying to expand his dietary horizons and he's making some progress with a sippy cup.

He weighs 18 lbs 5 oz and I'm not sure how tall but he's pretty long.

Last public post!

2008-03-18T18:55:00.004-05:00

Final public post - let me know if you would like to keep reading our family blog. I need your email address in a comment (that I will not share).

Well, there are a lot more pictures of Josiah and that's because Jon David is hard to catch and he's starting doing a weird picture face. So, the shots are fewer and farther between. But, my big boy is cracking us up! A few Jon Jon-isms.

1) "I no have good time, Mommy." Well, he's stringing together 6 - 7 word sentences these days. And, he's not shy in letting me know when he's just plain not having a good time.

2) "That's so funny!" I love it when he says this. Lucky for me, he does it often.

3) He now tells us secrets and they're terribly sweet. "I love you again and again, Mommy!" Sigh! What a sweetie!!

Josiah, well, besides his really cute two teeth, he somehow makes us all fall more and more in love with him every day. His smile melts our hearts and he's just the sweetest thing ever!

Catching Up

2008-03-10T22:08:00.004-05:00

Reminder - I'm going private with this blog probably next week. If you'd like to keep reading about my boys, just leave me a comment with your email address and I'll add you to the list. I will not publish your email. :)

It was around the middle of last month that we whipped out the rice cereal and introduced our youngest son to the wonders of food. Now, I should not be surprised that he was not overjoyed by the experience. This is the baby who STILL refuses a bottle. Hmmpfh. Anyway, he was not all that enthused and let us know it. He did not scream or cry. He just wrinkled his perfect little nose. Something tells me that I will see that wrinkled nose MANY more times!

Later that week, we moved to Earth's Best organic oatmeal and that has been better. I attempted carrots last week but he was having none of that.

Anyway, Daddy got the honors of the first solids since he's been sort of excluded from the entire feeding process up to this point.

Compare this picture of big brother - day 2 of solids. He was ready for some FOOD!

Josiah - Six Months

2008-03-04T19:01:00.003-05:00

Reminder - I'm going private with this blog so if you want to keep up with my crew, send me a comment with your email. I won't publish the comment so no worries about your information getting out. :)

I'm so behind on this but here is Josiah's 6-month post.

Vital stats: Weight - 16 lbs 15 oz (50%), Height: 27 inches (75%), Thigh Circumference (100%). The boy has some chunky thighs!!

He has recently entered the world of solids and though not a fan of rice cereal, he does enjoy him some oatmeal. We plan to expand soon into other more exciting fare.

He remains ever the doll baby - so so sweet. He babbles all the time, likes my singing (he's about the only one except for maybe my mom) and is starting to become very attached to his mommy and daddy (oh - big brother too).

Going Private

2008-03-03T21:54:00.002-05:00

I've hesitated for a long time with the decision to make this blog private. I've really enjoyed my blog friends and I love meeting other bloggers. And, I know that some will no longer view our blog once an email address is required. Still, I think it's best for a variety of reasons. So.... if you'd like to keep up with me and my guys, send me a comment including your email address. I will not publish your comment so no worries there. I look forward to hearing from those of you who want to keep in touch!

I love you, MiMi

2008-02-24T16:14:00.003-05:00

They have a "thing," the two of them. My mom ("MiMi") and my big boy are just one big mutual admiration society. It's a pretty incredible thing to see. Any day is made better just by the two of them being together. My mom is fantastic and many many other wonderful things and it's such a blessing to see my son in complete agreement with me.

"And it went BOOM!'

2008-02-23T19:46:00.002-05:00

Last summer, my parent's neighbor was having a pool installed. They were clearing the yard and cut down a few trees. Jon David and I went over one day to see the excitement. He is STILL talking about the tree going "Boom!" and finding these branches this afternoon took him back to that eventful day at Mimi's.

The Crusteys

2008-02-20T16:15:00.004-05:00

Is it spring yet??? Well, it sort of feels like it with the weather nice and mild (though quite windy). But, we still have what I hope is a final winter cold. Josiah's nose is just a little runny but that could be the two bottom teeth just days away from popping out. Jon David acts like he feels fine though he has a crusty nose and a hacking cough. It could be worse. It seems our family prayer list is just way too full of little babies and kids with serious illnesses. So, we will keep perspective and keep wiping the runny noses!

Party of Five

The 411 on Josiah

Shall we try this again?

Amen to that!

Wordless Wednesday

I think I'll say yes...

Wordless Wednesday - Because I have boys...

Irrestible

Winter Weather Request

How could I forget!?!

Josiah starts with an S

First Day of Preschool Eve - Take 2

Month of Memories - December 20th

Month of Memories - December 14th

Month of Memories - December 9th

Month of Memories - December 8th

Month of Memories - December 7th

Month of Memories - December 6th

Month of Memories - December 5th

Month of Memories - December 4th

Month of Memories - December 3rd

Month of Memories... December 2nd

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Month of Memories... December 1st

Wordless Wednesday - 11/17/2010

Wordless Wednesday - 10/13/10

Get a Bike!

Lovely!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

First Day of Preschool Eve

Siah Sam - Happy Birthday!

To Infinity and Beyond!!

Our little lamb

A brother in need.

Buzz!

Good Night, Jon Boy

In need of a rescuer...

The boys are back in town!

Coming Around Again

COMING SOON!!!!

Second Time Around - Potty Training!

Bend it like Jon David

Opening Day 2009

Boys will be boys

"Mommy, I miss you!"

Are You My Mother?

And Baby makes... Five!

Snow Much Fun

Mom's Beauty Parlor

Alert - Kindness Missing!!

Thomas the Tank Engine and a Puppy

Warning - I'm 3!!

Catching Up

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby Boy!

Children's Hosbibal

Cruisin'

Treatment for a broken finger

"This is entertainment, Mommy!"

Just Helping Out

What happens in Tennessee

Vacation - a new definition

Josiah - 11 months

Lazy Days

"Mommy, should I have..."

Ace of Cake

No title can do it justice

Brothers

The Popsicle Incident

Puzzle update

Josiah - 10 months

Mom was right!

He did it all by himself!

More Si

Box Walking

A Day with Thomas

Covered in Coal Dust

Big Boy Bed!

Early Father's Day

Josiah - 9 months

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42