This is sooo cute!  Joshie and I were rolling around on the floor and I was tickling him on his tummy and he was giggling so hard...well I stopped after about 15 minutes straight of this to catch my breath and get a drink.  Well, Joshie approached me and was gesturing and I thought he wanted a drink, so I gave him a drink....then he said, "more, more" and I thought he meant he wanted more to drink, but he pushed the glass away and said "more, more" more insistently and I said "Joshie, I don't know what you want more of" and he grabbed my hands, placed them on his tummy, and moved my fingers like I was tickling him and said "more, more".  He wanted me to tickle him more!  So of course, I put my glass down and we went at it again....he is just too cute and SOOOO smart!

Blessings, Michelle

So anyway, Joshie has this little Elmo piano.  It reminds me of the old game popular in the '80's called Simon, where you had to push the lights as they lit up.  Well same for this little piano...you follow the lights and you play a tune.  Joshie played "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" on his piano last night following the lights.  I couldn't believe that I sat right there and watched/listened.

He can also count with you to 20.  However, I still have to encourage him; I will say one, then he might say 2,3, then I would say 4 etc...you get the picture.  As my niece Maddy would say:  "He is so toot"  (sub for "cute').

Blessings, Michelle

He really likes to play with our landline phone.  It has big buttons which he loves to push and it is cordless and he will try to get it every chance he gets.  Well, it just so happened that he had it and it rang (someone was calling) so without getting a substitute toy for him I just snatched it away from  him.  He gave me a "look", snatched it back, then shouted "MINE!"  Dale and I were both stunned...we have no idea where he learned that unless it happened to be Brad?  I however, have a feeling the "terrible 2's" are just beginning.  Yeeesh!

Blessings, Michelle

I almost forgot...Bradley has excelled in his MAPS test that he has taken that he has received awards in all the tested areas.  Of course, *I* knew all along that he was gifted....

Blessings, Michelle

He said:  "Want daddy" when I was preparing him for bed.  So Daddy got to tuck him in tonight (Dale is in Kansas City working this week and has come home a couple times).  I was so astounded by his sentence that I asked him "What did you say?" and he said it again, "Want Daddy".  Just had to share!

Blessings, Michelle

Hello all.  I just can't believe how time flies!  Joshie will be celebrating his second birthday before we know it.  He is a stinker and says "kinker" for stinker, heehee.  He is pretty much able to repeat anything we say...sometimes we really have to watch it.  One day while driving I said both the "s" and "f" word and he repeated them both right back!  He is still very much into Elmo...I think all grandparents have at least one Elmo item for him for Christmas.

Brad is now taking guitar lessons and is into heavy metal (yay, following in his mom's footsteps); he still has piano too but is really into the guitar.  I can't believe he will be 12 soon!  He would like a tatoo but will have to wait on that one.  It doesn't matter to us whether or not he gets one, by the time he is old enough to decide, he may have changed his mind anyway!

Well, sorry this is so short; will try to write more later; have to get up early tomorrow morning.

Blessings, Michelle

Last Wed., me, and Grandma Kirkland and Joshie made a trip to Kansas City to the pediatrician for his 15 mo. check up.  I'm concerned that he is in the 25th percentiles for both weight and height...but when we talked to Mommy Claire, she assured me that Joshie's birthfather was maybe only an inch taller than her.  So Joshie may end up smallish for his age.

He got 3 shots total...one was a flu shot.  He didn't like any of them much but after some cuddling, he was fine.  Joshie is doing well...he is advanced with vocabulary...I can think of about 25 words he is saying right now; the doc was impressed.  He will go back in Jan. '09 for his 18 mo. old check up.  Doesn't time fly?

Will write more after Halloween..I will try to post the pics as soon as I can, but I may also have to work this weekend...anyway, will try my best.  Joshie is going as Elmo and Brad is going as a werewolf.  Should be very interesting.  Daddy will be home long enough to take the boys around the Chillicothe square for Boo Fest.

Blessings, Michelle

"Ms. Cheryl" our new PAT educator was here today at 2 pm with her little basket of toys.  Joshie went right to her and sat in her lap.  She decided for today she just wanted to get to know us, then will be back on the 30th to actually do the screenings etc.  This was very agreeable to us, since Joshie's next Dr. appt. is the 22nd...so we can compare what the pediatrician says to what she will reveal in her screening.

She was very impressed with Joshie's vocabulary and comprehension.  He dutifully pointed to his ear, tummy, and toes upon request.  He even grabbed her toes too.  He did the "mayonnaise" trick pronouncing it correctly.  She asked him if he could stack 2 blocks...he stacked three then had fun knocking them over.  She had also brought a shape sorter...he was able to fit the circle shapes in and the square ones but couldn't do the triangle or the star...finally, he lifted the lid off and put them in that way.  It was too cute.  He did the kitty sound (meow), the rooster sound, the car-car sound when asked. 

He loves his picture books too.  Books will definitely be going on a Christmas list.

PAT's monthly meeting this month will be on the 17th with a visit to Uncle Charlie's pumpkin patch.  We are going to try to go with them.  I'm looking forward to meeting more people and especially parents in the community.  We've lived here 2 years and I only know a handful.  Some I went to school with in Chillicothe, so we really just need to get re-aquainted.

Upcoming Halloween:  Joshie will be Elmo and Brad will be a werewolf...what a combo eh?

Blessings, Michelle