Buenos No Chase

Teaching Joshua some Spanish words tonight, I finally had to stop when we got to buenos noches, because I got too tickled at Joshua when he said, "noches? You mean like you no chase the ball?"
Ha ha ha! That boy I hilarious!

Mosquito Feasts

I took the boys to the beach yesterday evening, so we could enjoy the sunset. I also needed to get out of the house.  Fresh air and the beach always seem to help me relax and uncoil.  I wanted to breathe in that sweet salty smell and enjoy the sounds of waves and birds.  Just the sight of the water splashing on the beating the shore and the sliding of sand between my toes is enough to cause me to pause a moment and thank God for His beauty and splendor He's created.  MMMMM - I'm considering going again, even now. 

On to the story - So, off we went to the beach.  We took the minimum we needed: towels, sandals, and water bottles.

At the beach we visit, when the tide gets low, a wonderful sandbar rises out of the water and exposes thousands upon thousands of little sea creatures.  Sand dollars, miniature hermit crabs, snails, starfish, some kind of squirty sea anemone like thing,....

We played a long time on the sandbar, which was completely bare of any water. Playing with crabs and squirty things (so the boys and I call them anyway) while also being able to splash in the shallow water without fear of my kids drowning is wonderful.  Perfect and cheap beach haven!

When we finished splashing around, we decided to short cut back through the mangrove trees (there's a trail) to get back to our car.  BIG mistake!  We ended up going right through mosquito village.  There must have been over a thousand mosquitoes in just one area.



When I realized what had happened and where we were, I told the boys to run.  They didn't understand what was going on - only that their mama was shouting at them crazily while they were trying to swat at mosquitoes on their little bare bellies, necks, faces, and legs.  It was pitiful. 

I finally picked up Caleb and ran - dragging Joshua with me.  We ran and ran - mosquitoes still clinging, while I swatted and fanned all the way to the showers.  I put both boys in the showers, swatted some more, and wiped them both down good. 

Bless their hearts (something us Southerners like to say) - they were covered in bites. 

They look better today, but I wanted to post their pictures here.  They are pretty proud of their itchy mosquito bites, even though they are having to put up with me putting salve on them.  I just wish they didn't look like and itch like they were having an outbreak of the chicken pox. :) 

Summer Morning Rain Fun

My boys begged to go out in the rain and play this morning.  In fact, my drama king Joshua was close to getting on his knees begging to play in the rain.  So, I let them.

Their pool was already filled with some water, so why not just let them play in that, while they played in the rain. It worked great at keeping them corralled, and they had a great time splashing while the many drip drops of rain fell.

Joshua enjoys playing with the hose.

Caleb just likes getting splashed.

 Joshua - my drama king - shows off his karate kick in the pool

Caleb warns Joshua not to stand on the slide.

 

Joshua stands up anyway.

I'm in the background saying "Sit down, now!"

Joshua slides, then shows off his yoga stance.

Caleb has to mimic Joshua in nearly everything. 

They really DID have a great time in the pool.  

They even ended up putting their chairs in the pool and sitting in the rain. 

Jumping MeMaw

Last night, my thoughtful son Joshua spent the night with his MeMaw and PaPaw. They drive a big 18 wheeler, so my son likes to get in it any chance he can when they are home. So, last night, they all three got in the truck while his MeMaw looked for something in the truck (well, I guess that's why they all got in there).

When it got time to get out, Joshua's PaPaw got out, turned around, and then told Joshua to jump. So, Joshua jumped into his waiting PaPaw's arms. Then, Joshua, being the polite and thoughtful little boy that he is, turned around, looked up at his MeMaw in the truck, held up his arms, and said, "Jump, MeMaw." And, to prompt her to jump, he then said, "1...2...3..Jump."

His MeMaw informed little Joshua that she wasn't going to jump, but it sure is nice, knowing he wanted to be so thoughtful! :)

Beware of The Stool

("Jaws" music plays in the background) Around the corner comes the little toddler, carrying his secret weapon. Little does his parents know that he has figured out how to use this secret weapon to reach up to places higher than he can normally reach, to turn knobs where he can not normally turn knobs, and to pull down things he can not normally pull down. What is this secret weapon? It is the stool!

Just recently, in our home, Dave and I began to notice little Caleb toting the stool around (there are two of these stools in our home). Typically, one stool stays in the bathroom for Joshua to use for reaching the sink, and the other stool stays in the laundry room for Joshua to reach the washing machine to help me load with the laundry. Well, we had begun to notice that the stools weren't always in there proper places, and the little culprit moving the stools is named Caleb.

Thinking that he was just being cute and silly, we have just watched as Caleb carried the stool all around the house. However, Caleb fooled us! He wasn't just trying to be cute, silly, or even just possessive of a little stool. This child has had a purpose.

Last night, Dave noticed Caleb carrying the stool through the living room again to go to the kitchen. Watching with interest, David noticed that Caleb didn't just stop in the living room to play with the stool, but instead carried that little stool right into the kitchen and stopped, putting it down beside the stove. He then put his foot on top and stood up there, leaning up to reach a cork that had been left on top of the stove. While there, Caleb also decided to investigate the knobs on the stove, which is when David intervened and intercepted Caleb's' little exploring adventure, made him get down, and sent him on his way.

In the last few days, Dave and I had wondered how Caleb had managed to acquire different articles and things that we had found him holding or "using." We had just assumed that Joshua had given it to him or that it had been left within his reach accidentally. But, now we know! Now we know who the true culprit his and what his secret weapon is. Never fear - we will not be duped again! Well, until the next time, that is!

Conversation of 2 Potato Heads

Tonight Joshua had a conversation with two Mr. Potato Heads - it went like this:

1st Potato Head: How are you?

2nd Potato Head: Fine, how are you?

1st PH: What doing?

2nd PH: What doing?

1st PH: What doing?

2nd PH: What doing?

Do you think he will ever answer the questions here of the 2 potato heads?  I think he has finally hit the stage of not really knowing what to say, but wanting to say something, so he just talks.  At least he has a creative enough imagination to carry on the conversation with the two potato heads instead of asking his father and I "what doin" all the time. 

Afwica Pwane

Not soon after we dropped David  off at the airport yesterday did Joshua begin asking where his daddy was.  To keep things simple, I told Joshua that Daddy was riding a plane to Africa to preach God's Word.  Joshua then said, "Daddy pwane, Daddy wide (ride) pwane?" 

"Yes," I responded, "Daddy is riding the plane to Africa."

Joshua then replied, "Joshua wide pwane to Afwica. Joshua [go] to Afwica."

I said, "Maybe someday, Joshua, maybe you'll go to Africa."

Cute!

Even cuter still - Today, we saw a plane fly over our home, and Joshua asked, "Daddy pwane; Daddy wide pwane?" all while pointing to the plane overhead.  

I said, "Yes, Joshua, Daddy rode a plane to Africa, but not that plane.  That is not Daddy's plane. Daddy already got off his plane in Africa."  

Joshua said, "No, Daddy pwane. Daddy pwane wight (right) there." 

I said, "No Joshua, that's not Daddy's plane. He's in Africa already off the plane."

Joshua just ignored me and yelled, "Bye Daddy, bye Daddy", all the while he was waving his little hand at the plane overhead.  

Yep - he makes me smile. 

Don't Throw Me in the Potty!

Joshua has an imagination - a BIG imagination.  He loves to pretend that he is riding his "motorcycle" when he is really riding his tricycle.  He loves to pretend he is talking on the phone, when he is really holding a banana to his ear, saying "helwo."  He also loves to pretend he is a dead bug on the floor, by lying on his back and flailing his arms and legs in the air (like a bug, I guess). 

Well, yesterday, Joshua decided to pretend he was a dead bug again.  So, Dave said, "oh, Joshua, you're a dead bug?  Well, you know what we do with dead bugs, don't you? We flush them down the potty?  Come here, I guess we need to flush you down the potty."  Dave started to pick Joshua up to "pretend" to carry him to the potty, and Joshua, thinking Dave was serious, had a look of stark terror cross his face.  He didn't know Dave was being silly, and instead thought for sure his daddy was going to flush him.  

When Dave saw Joshua's face, he quickly reassured Joshua that he wasn't going to be flushed down the potty because he was loved too much.  He also told him that we don't really flush people down the potty.  

While Dave and I got a little chuckle out of this, it also made me realize that kids don't understand what tricking them really is, and in fact could be considered lying.  I guess we'll just have to watch what we say more closely to our kids from now on, because I surely don't want them thinking we might "flush them down the potty." :)