Yesterday we traveled to St. Joseph MO so Joshie could get his hair cut.  The lady that cut it has biracial kids herself so we were glad to have an expert, LOL!  She sold me some hair care for ethnic hair products that look easy; will have to experiment.  He fussed a little but Daddy distracted him with a squirt bottle and some combs.  Then we went to eat at Carlos O'Kelly's...Joshie had chicken strips and fries; he ate really well.  Then we went to the pet store where all the ferrets were "sleepin?" according to Joshie.  Brad got a new pair of shoes.  Today we are just relaxing and trying to catch up on laundry.

I've been taking water aerobics at the Y and Joshie goes to the YMCA's babysitter.  The first few times he cried the whole time but now he walks in like he owns the place; it is so cute to watch him grow.  He says new words every day!

1-16-09, 18 mos.   Today, we saw a yellow school bus and Joshie says "Bus!"  Then he said, "Brad?"  He seems to know that Bradley gets off the bus, but thinks that all school buses contain Bradley!  Heehee.

1-28-09 18 mos. 3 weeks:  Joshie had to get blood drawn today.  The lab tech drew 3 tubes of blood from his arm and he didn't fuss or shed a single tear!

2-1-09 18 mos. 4 weeks:  I had a drink from KFC and  the cup had a picture of Col. Sanders on it and Joshie pointed to him and said "Daddy?"  How many think Dale resembles old Col. Sanders????

2-1-09:  Last week, Joshie said his first noun/verb sentence:  "Daddy go bye-bye?" And when he jumped off the coffee table (nearly giving me a heart attack), he got up and said, "I fall".

2-4-09:  Joshie pointed to a picture of Wynona Judd and said "Namaw", then "Go bye bye, see Namaw?"

2-17-09 Happy BDAY BRAD!  The big 12!

2-18-09:  We were sitting in the car and I just happened to say "Michael Joshie Dale" to which Joshie said "Kirkland?"  Just as plain as day!

2-23-09:  Joshie is now saying "What's that?"  His Auntie Dana started it (just got the whole story tonight).  Joshie and Aunt Dana were sitting alone in the Jeep and the Jeep makes some funny sounds after the key is off and Aunt Dana says to Joshie "What's that, Joshie?"  So she started that!

2-24-09:  We've been going to the YMCA twice a week for Mommy's swim/water aerobics class and Joshie always goes to the Y's sitter.  He no longer cries for the sitter now, just goes right in like he owns the place and gets toys out to play with.  He is my good little man!

I got a book that you can write cute sayings down in about your kiddos "My Tot's Tales".  Here are some I've written down so far...

---12/08 Joshie 17.5 months of age....Joshie was standing next to the baby gate and said his first sentence:  "Go?"  Bye bye?  Ohhhkaaaay!  Really cute and he loves to go bye bye.

A couple days later, Joshie told Brad to "sit down".

He loves to go "bye bye" for some reason....

Anyway, he was standing next to the baby gate and looked at me and said:  "Go? Bye bye? Ohhhh-KAY!"  It was the cutest thing!  But we didn't end up going bye bye, LOL.

Is everyone ready for Christmas?  I could buy stock in Fisher Price with all I've bought so far!

Blessings, Michelle

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