Time Flies!

Wow! I can't believe that it's been over two weeks since I've posted. Where does the time go? We have been busy with school and getting ready for the big birthday coming up, oh--and spreading the word about our new little one that is coming next March! We are so excited about that! Josiah is very excited about getting a new baby. He thinks it should be a boy because we already have a girl. Who, you may ask? "Uh, MOMMY!" says Josiah. Micah's question is always, "Mommy, you have a baby in your tummy?" I say yes, he says, "Oh." And they have both been pretending to have babies in their tummies. Sometimes they actually stick one of their stuffed animals under their shirts and sometimes its just pretend. It's cute!

Can you believe that Josiah is going to be 4 in just 3 days? It doesn't seem possible. This is the first year that he has really understood about his birthday and it coming up and then having a party, so he is very excited. He's always asking how many days until his birthday and telling everyone about the water party we are going to have next Saturday. It'll be the boys' first experience with water balloons, but I expect they'll catch on quickly!

And school. School is going well for most of us (me and Josiah), but it is taking Micah awhile to adjust, mostly because his afternoon nap has been shortened from 2.5 hours to 1.5 hours. On days that we dont have school he just CRASHES. For instance, on Wednesday he slept for FOUR HOURS! But they both like going. And I've got more kid artwork than I know what to do with! Here is a story from yesterday at school: Josiah came back from the potty walking with a waddle. His teacher asked him if everything was ok and he told her he got some pee on his pants. So she asked him how that happened. When his teacher told me the story she said, "He looked at me like I was crazy and he couldn't believe he had to explain this to me and then said, "Well, I guess I didn't point it in the right direction!" That's Josiah. Always tellin' it like it is!

So there's our little update. I'm sure I'll post more on Josiah's birthday with some new pictures, so check back!

Keepin' It Real

Well, just so you don't get the idea that it is all fun and games around here (although a lot of it is), I have a burst of normal toddler reality to share with you, this is also for all those who were so envious of Micah potty training...be envious no longer! Last week, Micah decided that he did not want to be potty trained anymore. I guess going to the potty was just too much trouble or something, taking away from play time and all. So, I've been battling with an EXTREMELY stubborn 2 year old (wonder where he got that?) to get him to use the potty again. Normally, this would not be an issue because I would just stick him back in diapers and say, "fine, be that way." But, in the month when he was potty trained, I started teaching and he started going to a school that requires the children to be fully potty trained. Thus, the battle. Who will win? Good question, because I can't MAKE him use the potty--though trust me I wish I could!! He's still been in underwear because I can't go back to anything else, but oh the messes!! He's gotten better in the last day or so, which really means that if I take him to the potty he will go, but he doesn't tell me if he has to go. So anyway...such is life with a toddler!

Enough of that! Now for the humor part of life!

Yesterday we went to the library because I had some books on hold to pick up, but we didn't have time to stay there. As we were getting out of the car I told the boys that we were just going in quickly, so I needed them to stick with me. We walked a couple steps and then Josiah said, "Mommy, I don't have any glue on me." I said, "OK" (didn't see where this was going) He said, "I don't have any glue on me, so I can't stick with you." Har-har.

Ever wonder if God has a sense of humor? Today, Josiah told me that God was talking to him. I said, "What's He saying to you?" Josiah said, "He's telling me knock, knock jokes."

This morning when Micah and I were going back to school he fell going down the front steps. We had left be-be in the car from dropping Josiah off earlier and when Micah got in and saw his be-be he immediately cheered up and said, "Oh be-be! I missed you, you in car!"

And lastly, another story from this morning. Josiah told me that Jesus was dying on the cross in his stomach. I asked him what he meant by that and he said, "Well, after He dies, He rises and goes up to heaven and heaven is in my heart, so He must be dying on the cross in my stomach." Very well reasoned for a 4 year old. Do you think that's where they came up with the saying "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" Just kidding! I gotta tell you, I didn't really know how to respond to that one. I mean, I don't think I would have liked the idea of Jesus dying on the cross in my stomach. I think I would have had nightmares or something. Yet it didn't really seem to bother him, but still! What do you say to that?

Ok, not the last. I had to get back on here and add one more. It's bed time and John had just read the boys their book and he had asked them to put the books away. Josiah wasn't listening and yelled back at John, so John told him to come get a spanking. Josiah came over, got his spanking and as he was walking away said, "That didn't really hurt." John said, "Well, then come back and get another one." Josiah said, "No." John: "Yes. If it didn't hurt, I didn't do it right, so come back." Josiah came back, got another and then looked up at John but didn't move to get up and said, "It still didn't hurt." John spanked him again. Josiah did the same thing (didn't move to get up) and said: "It still didn't hurt." (I was laughing, but trying not to by this time) John spanked him again. Josiah got up and said: "Ok. That one hurt." And then he went over to clean up the books. I was trying not to laugh so hard that I was crying!! KIDS!

Play Ball!

Yesterday we went to our first Smokies game with gramma and grampa. It was FUN! I was impressed by how well the boys paid attention to the game and tried to learn the rules. Ok, so knowing the rules isnt too surprising for Josiah, but Micah was even trying to follow along with the game and I thought that was impressive. Their attention span lasted until about the 6th inning, then John took them to the grassy area to run around a little. And to top it all off the Smokies won! So, here are some of the pictures I took.

This is Josiah bemoaning a bad play, I guess. Actually, this is when we were waiting for hot dogs and he just kept putting his glove on his face like this and yelling.

Micah holding his new ball. We didn't actually catch it. The people in front of us did and gave it to Micah. It's one of the balls the mascot was throwing, its foam and smushy. Just the kind I like!

Now, should I mention that the pitcher hadn't even thrown the ball yet or that I don't even think there was a batter in the box? But really the point of this picture is just that it's cute! Josiah wanted to catch a ball SO MUCH. He kept asking us why they weren't hitting the ball to him.


And these are our future baseball stars!

I Can't Believe It

I can't believe the day has already come when I have dropped Josiah off for his first day of school. Preschool, really, but still. Yikes!! Where has the time gone?!? He was so cute when we got there. He was just walking around with the cutest little grin on his face because he was so excited about being there. Micah was a different story. Micah puckered up his lip (like only he can do) and wanted to stay, too. I bribed him to come with the promise of making a tasty treat when we got home. The way to a man's heart apparently works for little boys, too. :) Anyway...when we got in the car I called John because it was just TOO QUIET without Josiah's five hundred constant questions. When Micah saw I was talking he said he wanted to talk to Daddy, too. So I gave him the phone and the first thing he said into it was, "Daddy, I wanted to stay at school." (Really, sounded more like, Daddy, wann day at gool). I don't know how John responded to that but then Micah said, "Yep. Mommy wouldn't let me." That's me...mean ole mom! So that's our big morning. Micah and I will be going back at lunchtime for his first day of "school" and my first day back teaching. For those of you I haven't talked to recently, yes, you read that correctly. I'm the new middle school spanish teacher! So it's a big day for all of us! Here's a picture of Micah and Josiah before we left this morning.

My Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

This is the boys' rendition of the Veggietales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." I know it's a little blurry, but that's because it's just from my camera because I don't have the correct wire to get videos from our camcorder. And yes, Josiah has the hiccups and no, I don't know exactly what Micah is saying! Enjoy!

The New Bed

As many of you know, we have been in the process of painting the boys' room and setting up their new loft bed. We had hoped to paint and set up all in one weekend, but having owned our home for almost 4 years, we should have known no home improvements go as planned! So, two weekends later, we finished. Josiah has said several times that he likes the walls and the stripe on it. And they are both a big fan of the bed. Here are pictures. The stripe is magnetic so the boys can hang magnets and pictures or whatever up there. Oh, a quick bit about the colors. When I asked Josiah what color he wanted us to paint his walls he said orange. Well, I was not going to go for an all orange room, so we came up with the idea of the stripe.



And then here's just some fun pictures I wanted to share.