A Pre-posting Tidbit

Next in my "boys update" would be Ziggy, since at 7 months old, he is the next youngest little boy.  Just to get you all geared up for that post...here's another clip of Ziggy and Joey.  Really I just recorded it so I could always remember how cute Joey saying "Ziggy" is.  It is one of the few words that Joey is content to say in his own way, and not to say perfectly.  I love it.  It will be a sad day when he can say "Ziggy" correctly!

(For you animal lovers out there, don't feel too bad for Ziggy... when we first got him we had to teach Joey pretty quickly how to say "NO!" and gently (or with all his might....) push Z out of the way, and it's still very necessary.  For the most part Joey is very considerate of Ziggy, overlooking the times when he gullumphs over his toys or through whatever he is playing with.  He rarely mistreats him, and honestly, the times that he does, we chalk it up to a necessity of training a tolerant dog!)  

Just for Fun

Here is Joey playing with his new sand and water table, a (Happy New Baby and we are visiting :-) present from his grandparents. He loves it, and we love that he finally has something to DO on our deck! And Ziggy.....well..... he just loves that there is something else to drink from!



(Excuse the little bib, Joey had just been eating a peach (which Ziggy finished off later when I wasn't looking))

There's No Place Like Home

Every once in a while you stumble across something in the blogsphere that is just downright inspiring...

Some of my friends know, that I am strongly hoping to homeschool my kiddos, for a little while. Matt supports the idea although we have yet to decide for how long. I also feel strongly that I would like them to attend public school or well, at least school outside of the home, be it charter, public, private, etc. The area we live in at the time will probably largely influence that decision also.

Be that (all) as it may, I have kept all (ALL!) of my materials from teaching and am eagerly awaiting the time I can unpack it and settle and pour down wisdom on my offspring. :-) Or, at least, pour down something...

Anyway, the teacher/home organizer/person who strongly wishes that her house was cleaner and more organized than she has it (pretty much all the time) stumbled across this website today. Take a look at the Learningspace Tour: Wildflowers and Marbles. Especially if you have a moment to watch the slideshow, and especially if your name is Cristen, Kim, Naomi, Sarah, Lisi or Susi. Try not to drool ladies...

Laughter

One more for my baby...

Thrice Named

Hey you! yeah you! Did you read this post yet?? Have you seen these photos?? Well read all about me and the exciting life I live in this post!! (And if you want to leave me a message saying how cute I am, I won't try to stop you!)

Originally, I was going to call this post "My Three Sons" and update on Joey, Matthew, and Ziggy (get it?? Puppy, kind of like a little person...? 3 sons....?) But then I had way too much to say and too many pictures. Then Matt needed to use the laptop for a while so I quick added all of the pictures that I wanted to use to the post and then blogger wouldn't save it as a draft, forcing me to publish said post completely unfinished so Matt could take the computer, Hence the second name: "Why I sometimes hate blogger."

Now I am going to try to use those images and concoct an actual post that makes sense with them. 3 actual posts in fact, although this post is a Joey update since he is 23 months, hasn't had an update in FOREVER, and is about to turn 2. Sad, since this post should have a cool name like 23 Months and Counting... or, BBB#1: All Grown Up; instead I bring you the post that has been...

Thrice Named.

Here we are, one year ago. I checked back through my archives and found that with moving I didn't do a 1 year post for Joey! Instead I did a 13 month one. My how we are a'changin! Joey wasn't walking yet, not really talking much and an only child, the sole recipient of his parents' affections!
Now he is happily sharing life with his brother! He seems (and has since the very beginning) very unconcerned over our attentions being shared with Matthew. When Matt or I go to feed him, change him, hold him, etc, Joey doesn't seem to mind at all. I'd like to think that's because he is an easy-going little dude (which is true) but I think it's just that he doesn't really think of the baby as a threat since he doesn't move or talk. Last week we had lunch with some friends and I was holding their 10 month old and Joey pitched a ROYAL FIT, he was in great spirits otherwise. I think me holding something that was playing with toys, crawling around and semi-talking was just too much for him. With Matthew though he is wonderful. He is very concerned that Matthew has his pacifier and will retrieve it, and put it in if need be. He pets him and kisses him and we never have to remind him to be gentle.
He helps us to keep him safely buckled in!
And can even give him sweet kisses!
Ok, enough baby talk in this Josiah post!!
Speaking of talk...Joey is talking more and testing out some new words:
Today he tried on "hippo" for size and yesterday it was "peach". Sounds silly but getting this little guy to try out a new word is harder than getting a toddler to eat spicy food! Since his pediatrician wants him to have about 50 words by the time he is 2, I started counting. As of today he has about 38 give or take a few. That includes the old standbys like: Mama, dada, juice, bye-bye, etc. (isn't "juice" that important at your house?) That also includes words like please and thank you, that he doesn't say, he just signs.

Play, play and more play:
Joey still loves his trains and can make his own tracks and play with them for an hour or more by himself! He calls them "choo-choo's" which sounds like "poo poo" when he says it, so we never really know if he just went poo poo, is going poo poo, heard a choo choo, or wants to play with choo choo's. We live on the edge around here! Beardsleys in Action, it's no lie!

Joey loves hanging out with Daddy...
And learning new things like how to sort his colors...
...and how to carry his weight around here by helping with yard work.
He likes to be funny and to make us laugh...
And loves to look at books and "read", and also play with his blocks.
He still works hard at his buckles...
And enjoys the occasional treat...
(With this picture Matt asked me a few seconds before: "Did you give Joey something with chocolate??" How a child makes that much mess with 1 chocolate chip is amazing. I guess when something tastes that good it's hard not to take a suck, and then pull it out to get a look..... repeatedly.)

Joey is still super-friendly and outgoing. He goes off to the church or gym nursery without any reservations and is excited and affectionate when we go to pick him up. He has no fear of strangers (a little nerve-wracking for us but...) and is great with new people and other kids. Our church nursery has been great for him and there are 4 other kids all within 3 weeks of his age! He is attentive to correction and discipline and quick to forgive and move on. Although he doesn't say much he seems to understand when we explain things to him and is quick to say "yes ma'am" (yea, mama) and "yes sir" (yea dada) unprompted.
Joey is pretty good with his eating now, and eats everything that we eat, unless it is very spicy. Occasionally we have meals where he just stops chewing (which is an awful battle!) but those are getting to be fewer and far between. He usually sleeps about 13 hours a night with a between 2 and 3 hour nap during the day. He's also pretty mellow and patient about waking up, and I often will give him juice and a few books and leave him in his crib for another 30 minutes after his nap if I am in the middle of feeding the baby, or starting dinner.... because I'm all domestic at 4:00 in the afternoon! I'm pretty sure he'd stay in there if I wanted to blog too, or something like that, not that I ever would leave him in his crib so I could blog. Ah-hem

My little boy is quickly growing up! When I ask him where the baby is, he always points to his brother and if I want him to point to himself I have to ask him "where is my big boy?". Big smile. Points to self. Potty training will be in another update post because there isn't anything to type! He is so not there yet! He'll sit smiling on the potty for a minute or two before a bath, then eat a chocolate chip and immediately get in the tub and pee (warm water). I could bribe him with the whole bag, and he wouldn't understand. He's just not ready yet, which is fine with Matt and I. We just got the fur-baby trained and honestly, with a new baby, I'm going to have to really gear myself up for running to a potty when he says "Hafta pee pee." We are happy to wait!

Well I'm sure there will be an addendum or two to follow, but there's our Josiah for now. We're loving every ounce of him and hoping that we find out in his 2 year appointment that there are many more ounces to love!

The Importance of Sleep; (or) The Terrible Two(s); (or) The Nasty Summer Cold

I'm working on an update post now for the boys, but until then, a (funny??) story to tell you all about.

We were gone this weekend on a retreat with our church. A mommy friend told me that the kids always come home from these things sick. *Laurie laughs*

It's TRUE!!

So we came home and Joey started with his runny nose/sneezing and congestion the next day. He's been somewhat of a disciplinary challenge since then....Frequent temper tantrums.....real ones where he throws himself on the floor, throws toys, hits whoever is near him and then sobs with all of his dismay running down his cheeks (and out of his nose) all the while sneezing and wheezing and generally sounding miserable. It hasn't been a pretty picture folks!

Anyway, last night he went to bed at 7:30, and dropped asleep. Probably was asleep before he hit the mattress, and woke up at about 8:30 this morning. No lack of sleep here, but in the midst of playing in his room this morning starts to scream about something (not hurt) and throw a fit in his room. The baby was sleeping down the hall so I told him he had to stop crying or I would shut the door. Finally I ended up shutting the door, with him inside loose with all of his toys. Toys! Freedom!! No supervision!!

Apparently no one taught this child about the lure of unsupervised play yet. He proceeds to throw himself on the floor and SCREAM like he is aiming for a sore throat. After a minute or two I decided if he was that distraught the best thing would be to put him in his crib. I went in and told him that if he was that upset and angry, he probably needed a nap. He trotted over to his crib. No lie.

I put him in (about 20 minutes ago) and haven't heard a word since. So, the best I figure, either:

**He is battling this cold and needs lots of extra sleep. (or)
**He can throw a WICKED tantrum now that he is getting older and just plum wore himself out (or)
**He doesn't realize that room with toys and books = more fun than, room with toys and books out of reach while you are in your crib (or)
**He has secretly been tunneling out of his bedroom and saw this as a good opportunity to make a break for it. (Think Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption).

I may have lost an afternoon nap here, and I'm not sure who really won this battle, but all I know is, I have a few minutes to shower in peace!

My Three Sons: Newly Titled, Why I Sometimes Hate Blogger

Blah!!  Blogger and I are not getting along right now!  

This post is actually 3 posts but blogger and I are having a disagreement right now about downloading pictures and saving drafts etc.  If you have the patience to wait a few hours and come back to check in, I'll make it worth your while, and if you can't, well then I guess you can scroll down and look at a WHOLELOTTAPICTURES.  

kkkkk

Josiah and Matthew are almost exactly 21 months apart, they are only separated by a day. For the sake of ease, unless there's alot to post, I think I am going to try to do their updates together for a while. Hopefully this will help me to write them also, because I haven't done a Joey update in forever and I've NEVER even talked about life with Matthew.