Guest Poster: Mom

I am delighted to be a guest on Josh's blog today. I thought about writing about our trip to visit Josh's great grandma in Kansas City or our family vacation in Port Aransas, but those are so last month. Then I considered writing about the birth of our new nephew Jeffrey James or the visits from Aunt Liz, G-daddy, and G-mommy, but most of you have already heard about these events and I can't post the hundreds of pictures taken to document them....though a picture of Josh's new cousin isn't too much to ask.

So, I'm left with this earth shattering realization: Josh isn't even 2 yet. I know, he will be soon, but I often forget how young our little guy is.

Case in point, last Friday I asked Josh what he wanted to lunch. I went through the usual list and got negative replies. I decided to branch out and suggested we have hamburgers. He agreed. We took the coupon for a free burger that G-mommy gave us and went to Whataburger. We ordered, filled our drinks, carried them to our booth, sat down facing one another, and chatted. When our food came, we unwrapped our burgers, put some fries on the wrapper, and ate while we talked.

It wasn't till the end of the meal that it hit me - he's a toddler. Why is he sitting calmly, carefully putting one fry in his mouth at a time, smiling at other lunch goers? We shouldn't be able to do this, right? Well, lest I get too comfortable, I found Josh eating Play Doh this morning. (It was breakfast time, so I can't totally fault him.) It was nice to be reminded how small he really is - despite his "going on 30" moments. I love my Joshua.

What I Did Today

This.

Pearly Whites

This morning, as Mom brushed her teeth, I put a toy in the toilet, pee'd on the bathroom floor, and then put the same toy in my mouth. I wonder why Mom glares when the dentist says she should floss more.

Liquid Courage

I don't know if it was the blazing heat, or the water falling on my head when Dad made me go back over to the water playscape at the park, but I just knew I couldn't go on any longer without letting her know how I felt.

You see, life is too short. You never know what might happen that will cause it all just to end. Traffic accident. Illness. WATER FALLING ON MY HEAD WHICH DAD KNOWS I HATE SO I DON'T KNOW WHY HE WOULD TAKE ME BACK OVER THE THE WATER FOUNTAINS THAT EXIST SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING WATER FALL ON YOUR HEAD!!!!!!!!!

So I decided I couldn't wait. In a move that will forever be legendary in the 16-20 month Sunday School class, I picked a flower and offered it to her.

I waited in breathless anticipation. It was only a few seconds as she looked at it, but man, did it seem like a lifetime. Would she take it? Would she turn away and laugh? Would she grab it by the petals and crush it, along with my heart, hopes, and dreams? Would she have really any idea what the heck was going on? Dad was there and just kept whispering "But what about Chickpea?"

And she took it. Oh, my heart lept like Shadow when Dad runs the remote controlled car into her legs. The world was as shiny as a used but still very reliable and nice Lexus. Her name I wanted to scream from the top of the rooftops, but then I realized that that sounds dangerous climbing all the way up there, and gee, I am a little risk averse, so instead I said softly "Lala. Lala."

Is it love? Who knows? Is it like, like? Probably not. Is it heatstroke? Possibly.

That sound you hear is Mom sobbing softly in the other room.

Just Say D'oh!

Play-doh, that is. Yep, it's one of my new favorite things to do. Mom and Dad roll it out for me, and then we press cookie cutters into it. We make dogs (woof) and cats (rrwawr) and then make little pieces of food for them.

Then, sometimes we make trucks. And then we make food for them too. Come to think of it, I'm not sure when Mom and Dad feed the big cars. Must be after I go to bed.











We saw our good friends the H's the last two weeks. We played with Play-doh when they came to visit. I must note, however, that they did not understand the concept of only playing with one color of toy at a time. Some of the Play-doh actually got mixed together. Guys! C'mon! If I wanted brown Play-doh, I would've bought brown Play-doh.

This principle, by the way, applies to all toys. Not just Play-doh. Blue toys go with blue toys. Green toys go with green toys. Yellow toys go with... you guessed it, yellow toys. Red toys go with purple to.... Gotcha! But God created a universe with order-- and we will keep it ordered, people.




I have also assigned colors to the family as well. The code is as follows:

Green - G-daddy
Yellow - Josh
Red - Mom
Orange - Dad

Pass it on. Along with the definitive list of d'ohs.

Goodbye Old Friend

It's been about a week and a half since we said goodbye to our beloved green Saturn, so I think I can post this with minimal risk of Mom bursting into tears. The official grieving period has surely passed, right?

A few weeks ago, Dad hydroplaned into a curb during a rainstorm. He was ok, but the Saturn was not. The front passenger side tire got smashed and bent. The guy who towed it to our house said it was hurt pretty bad. Since Dad had been driving the car without AC for a few years, we all knew this injury would be the end of the road. Mom posted the car on Craigslist and it sold in about 45 minutes. To be honest with you, sometimes Craigslist weirds my Aunt Liz and I out. Don't get me wrong, it has served us well, but the speed at which transactions happen is insane. Do people sit there and wait for broken green Saturns to be posted all day long? We sold the car and it was towed off later that day. Mom had the Saturn from August 1996 to May 2007. That's one long road trip. Goodbye old friend.

The next week Dad and Mom went to Mom's eye doctor appointment while I stayed home with Aunt Steph. They took a long time, so at first I just assumed the doctor was looking at both of Mom's eyes, but then I saw the "new" used car that they bought on the way home. Check it out. It looks like I am in a space ship doesn't it? Well, as much as I wish that were true, it is just a car. Please welcome our new friend into the family. I hope we have a long road ahead of us.

My James Dean Impersonation

I Love My Dad

Josh in.

Whew! It has been a long time since I have posted. I've just been so busy color coding my toys that I can't find the time to sneak out of my crib and get over to the computer. Our new house is smaller, and with the laminate floors that Dad slaved over, you have to be light footed to move about without Mom noticing.

Biggest news first.

[Warning: All the pretty ladies out there better sit down for this.]


I got my hair cut.

A real haircut - not a Mom haircut. (No offense, I love you Mom.) Since Mom was paying for the cut she let them take a lot off. It literally is a weight off of my shoulders!


Next up, my Grammie from CA and Uncle Jeff from DFW came to visit. I don't have any pictures to show you, but just imagine a big smile on my face.



Then, Aunt Stephanie came to see me. She wrote about her trip. We had so much fun just hanging out.

I've also been spending some time feeding the ducks at a nearby park. I practice my "quack quack" every time we drive past the lake. It's my favorite hideout.

So, that's the scoop. Now, I want YOU to have a good night. Josh out.

Preaching to the Choir

Tell me something I don't already know!

What's Up

I've been working on my vocals. I'd love to get into the studio and throw some tracks down, but it interferes with my naps. I've been thinking about some choreography, too. So far, I have this wiggle, twist, marching routine that adds that special touch when I'm grooving to my ABC's.



Dad's been saying that all the ladies like me for my car. Specifically my Mater mobile. Mom doesn't think that is true - I mean, I've got so much more to offer. I agree. Look here ladies, I've got a bike too. I'm saving up to get a side car for Chickpea.



Don't let the smile fool ya, I've got a nasty virus right now. I'll spare you the details.

Surprise G-Daddy!

Last week Mom and I flew up to OKC to surprise G-daddy for his birthday. While we were there, we...

...read books.









We blew bubbles.












We wore matching shirts to church.









We went to the zoo. I really liked looking at the fish.









I tell you what though, all that fun leaves you plain tuckered out.

Before and After

Kitchen

Family/Dining Room

Bedrooms

No Dogs, Hot or Cold

Yesterday Mom asked me if I wanted a hot dog for lunch. I nodded yes, because of course, dogs are awesome. Who wouldn't want to invite dogs to lunch. Shadow is super cool and should have friends over whenever she wants.

We sat down and Mom put a plate in front of me. Wait, a hot dog? I was shocked and disgusted! I shook my head "No!," pointed at Shadow, and said "woof, woof." Mom looked at me. I shook my head "No!," pointed at Shadow, and said "woof, woof" again. I think she got my drift. Mom pointed and said, "No, it's not a dog, it's a wiener." Wasn't it Shakespeare who said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"? You can't fool me.

How insensitive can Mom be trying to feed me a dog in front of my 2nd best bud Shadow (my 1st best bud being Mater of course)? Really Mom, get with the program. And she calls me silly.

18 Months

I turn 18 tomorrow. This is the day Dad and Mom have been talking about since I was born. I hope my college savings is fully funded. I'm not sure whether to join the military or go sign a lease for an apartment. I mean, at the rate Dad and Mom are packing these days I'm fairly certain I'm gunna need to find new digs asap. Huh, asap? The fact that I used "asap" proves I am going through life full steam ahead. 18. Yep. I'm planning to vote in the presidential election next year. I'm gunna write-in Lightning McQueen. He will without a doubt tap Mater to be his VP and all the world's problems will be resolved in about 116 minutes. I love those guys!

So, before I enter this exciting new stage of life, I wanted to recap the last few weeks of my childhood.


I got new shoes. These are my first hard sole shoes. They aren't specifically designed to be bowling shoes, but I'm pretty sure they'll work, and I'm fired up about saving that $2.50 rental down at the lanes.




I older I get the cuter I am. Just the opposite of Wagen.





Here's a side view of my new haircut. Sweet!





You'll rarely find me without a hat these days. I love'em! Some days I require Mom to wear one as well. I don't want her to miss out on the fun. And look closely, I've got my hands full. So many cars and trains, so little time between meals, diaper changes, naps....




The weather has been awesome lately. Lots of time to play outside and get some Vitamin D. Laps across the drive way give me a good cardio workout, too.