overdue...

I've been told that I'm waaaay delinquent in updating the blog, but for good reason! Since just before preschool started we've suffered a string of debilitating (okay, not that debilitating, but annoying!) runny noses, sore throats, and general malaise. We seem to be getting over this last one, though, so here I am!
Josie's been in preschool for about a month now and is really enjoying it. Her teachers seem to be very in tune with the kids while being super-calm and keeping things fun and engaging. Josie's slowly breaking through her wall of shyness and speaking up more, singing along, playing with lots of kids (rather than just the four she already knew), and trying all of the activities they have. Every day follows the same routine, with circle time at the beginning, an hour or so to work on the 'projects' (Josie's word) they've set up [she usually goes for whatever gluing/painting/beading/coloring project they've got, then the cutting-with-scissors project, then the woodworking center (usually popsicle sticks and wood, plus glue make something vaguely recognizable as a boat or....something)], plays games, etc. She's really engaged and having fun. Then they have a snack, play outside or in the gym if it's wet, and we come get them. It's all very interesting to her, and she asks EVERY DAY at LEAST once if it's school. Even on weekends. She's just so happy, and it gives me a nice chance to spend a few minutes just with Jasper (and enjoy his naptime, but more on that later!). She's also been doing a lot of drawing and writing at home, which is part of the reason for my delinquent blogging--I've been meaning to scan in some of her more interesting pieces to share. They've gotten to be really detailed and have good stories behind them. We've also been doing a lot of sewing lately (it seems like I skip between paper things, knitting, and sewing, but Josie and I are kind of on a sewing streak right now, what with Halloween sneaking up on us!). We've nearly finished a coat for her. She was perusing the Butterick book and found a lovely a-line polarfleece number with a round collar. We found some lovely blue to match her eyes, and some pink kitty-face buttons to keep it around her. We've also got a jumper, fairy costume, Jasper's secret costume, and a bunch of pincushions in the works, plus bear and kitty dolls in the 'almost finished' pile. I'll have to get pictures of those, but I'll have to wrest them away from Jaspie first, since he seems to have an absolutely unmatched love of stuffed animals.
Speaking of, he's growing fast. I need to get him in for his one-year checkup (okay, so we're six weeks past that, but he'll be fine, so long as the mumps aren't going around) just so we can get his weight. It's somewhere upwards of 26-27 lbs, but I'm falling behind. At least he can walk now, and I don't have to cart him nearly everywhere any longer. Just a month ago he was taking his first steps, now suddenly he walks from one end of the house to the other, chasing Josie around for his morning hug (or post-naptime hug, or anytime hug), falling, getting up, smiling, dancing, suddenly a boy rather than an infant! It just happened so fast!

Sounds like he's waking up, so I'll cram as much info as I can into this last paragraph--he's got about ten words (book, milk, dada, doggie, kitty, mo(re), something approximating 'Josie', maaaamaaaa (when he needs something), and duck), plus a few signs (more, fish, light (the favorite), waving hi/bye, clapping, etc). He's a great imitator, trying to pin my fabric for me, or knit, or chop carrots, drawing, painting. If Josie's got a fork, he needs one too. Although the biting and sand-eating is winding down, he seems to have grown a possessive side, from the way he flipped out when Josie had 'his' orange cup yesterday. Loves the water...at the pool he's like a fish, and if you put him near a sink he climbs in and turns it on. Eats anything (just like his sister!), falls down and gets up without so much as a whimper (usually, unless there's blood), good with the shape-sorter. Oh, and he drives and 'vrooms' for anything with wheels between bringing books over that he wants to sit on my lap to read. Best of all, he's free and easy with the hugs and kisses, just like a good boy :)
favorite books: "Metro Cat" (Josie) "My Big Animal Book" and "Goodnight Moon" (Jasper)
favorite music: "something jazzy" (Josie)
etc: Jasper's now moved on to popsicles, and they both love oatmeal or p'nut butter toast (preferably RAISIN toast) to feed selves for breakfast;
recent favorite quote, about the mutant underpollinated indian corn in our garden:
Josh: "wow, that's something else!"
Josie: "no dada, that's just corn."

now back to our irregularly scheduled programming...

Okay, so vacation's over, summer's winding down and school has started! I've been such a bad blogger, taking the last so many weeks off...it almost makes me sad to look back at the last post, with Josie leaping into my arms, realizing that that is now past! Anyhow, it's time for a big update, so here goes!
We had a great vacation, several weeks in Plymouth with Sisi, Papa, and Uncle Brian followed by more than a week with Grandma and Grandpa (plus a surprise appearance by Uncle Bread!) in Kettering. We did so many fun things I can't even begin to reiterate them all here, but needless to say, the high point of the vacation was all the time we spent in the water. We hit every major geographical feature: ocean, pond, lake, pool, water park. Jasper takes to the water like a fish, crawling into whatever he can find (usually over his head!), and wanting to do whatever Josie does. He floats along happily, and could literally spend all day in the water without complaint. Josie moved from being pretty unsure and trepidatious to feeling very confident about putting her whole head under, jumping in, floating around, even trying to swim (which mostly consisted of walking on the bottom of the pool until someone pulled her up to breathe). She even took advantage of the opportunity (with Uncle Brian) to take up her new favorite hobby of fishing, and she was a champ. With a bit of assistance, she caught two little bass and a whole mess of perch.
Josie started school last week and absolutely loves it. Josh and I are both very happy with the school we found; it's at the local Methodist Church, less than a mile away. The teachers seem to be very comfortable with each other, they're well stocked with fun supplies and creative ideas, and have a great playground. Josie couldn't be happier (well, unless she could go live with princesses who don't have a baby to pay attention to, but that's another story), and neither could we! The teacher was surprised to see that she could write her name, saying that it's a skill the kids usually pick up this time next year. At that point I realized that Josie started it this time last year. Goodness! Speaking of which, she's figured all the letter sounds out and can read simple words and books. I guess I'm not all that surprised (and she certainly doesn't seem to be!), but it's so exciting to see her acquiring all these new skill and taking such pride in her new abilities. With the start of school she suddenly seems...older...and bigger. Her language is getting to be so complex, with long phrases and interesting words...and so polite! She continues to be a really fun kid to be around!
At the same time, Jasper's got about ten words that we can figure (milk, book, dog, kitty-cat, mama, dada, something approximating 'josie', and a couple more), and a few signs (more, no, dog, wave goodbye or hello, light, milk, airplane). He's also really been interested in books. It started about a month ago when he would try and get in with Josie and I to read whatever we've got. Now he'll find books on his own to sit and page through. My favorite part is when he tries to pick the blueberries off the page :) He's also become really mobile in the past month. When we left Plymouth he was just starting to come around to the whole idea of walking unsupported, then Josh tempted him into walking...with blueberries. He would stand a few feet away with a blueberry and Jasper would walk over, nibble it out of his hand, then walk a bit further for another bite. Now he's walking wherever he wants to go, and is absolutely thrilled about it. He's also quite the climber---whatever he can do to get up on the counter where we keep the (you guessed it) fruit.

I've got great pictures for all these adventures we had, so I'll have to upload them in the next few days...stay tuned!

favorite books: "Horace, Morris, and Mostly Dolores Join the Chorus", "Where the Wild Things Are"
favorite music: "Catch that Train" Dan Zanes
etc: Jasper's really loving fruit and graham crackers; Josie digs the peanut butter cookies and popsicles

blogger vacation

Hey! Thanks for stopping by! Sorry there hasn't been much going on around here lately, we've had guests, and now a long, lazy vacation is robbing us of valuable time around the computer.
Please entertain yourselves with this lovely slideshow of our intrepid scout of a daughter dunking herself in the swimmin' pool. Jasper's fully dunkable too, but he's not quite so capable of jumping as his sister (although he thinks he is!).

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

....and here are a few extras

Cherries Jubilee!

OK, we seem to have a fruit theme going in this family. Or maybe just food. I think it is caused by Jasper, the never-ending dinner guest. At any rate, we spent the 3rd of July on the Western Slope helping out with the bing cherry harvest.

Josie-o is a very efficient worker, who got a bag and set about her task:

Jasper is a very efficient eater, who got the box and set about his task:


Josie did not hesitate to join Mama on the ladder to get more cherries:

Jasper Did not hesitate to wait at the bottom of the ladder for cherries to drop down:

I think the only thing he likes more than cherries is dog food. He can smell that stuff from miles. Note the discarded cherry remnants all over his lap. Now that I think about it, no one told him he could eat cherries, I set him down and he just assumed they went in his mouth...

Josie Hugs Jasper, Jasper chews on a cherry leaf (equal opportunity eating):

After an exhausting day and a short night, the team poses at the Sonnenshien Alpinhaus Bavarian:

26.8 lbs of cherries back in our kitchen (less what we ate on the way home):


Anyone want some cherries? If you don't eat them, Jasper will!

recently heard from a certain three-year-old:
"I need a poop wipe"
"Did you go poop already?"
"I went poop. Therefore, I need a poop wipe."
...........graphic, but true!

Jasper also stood unsupported for a few seconds (on some rocks out by the back hose-spigot), and this morning he waved goodbye!
He's also signing more pretty consistently, and could clap if he knew what it meant. Or maybe he is clapping. I can never tell, he just looks so happy all the time :)

Josie and Jasper are getting along pretty well. He still bites a little bit, but yesterday he crawled over to Josie and gave her a big head-hug (where he leans in with his head, four paws still on the floor) after he made her cry. Wow, it was neat!
Josie is still really interested in reading, and is trying hard to sound words out two ways. Sometimes she picks a word and tries to figure out how to spell it (she pretty much got 'message' the other day--mesag--when Daddy told her that that's what goes on the other side of a card she made). We were reading Go Dog Go! and another book last night, and she sounded out 'down' and 'sad'.
We've also been playing outside a lot since it's been so hot. It's supposed to be 99 this afternoon. Thank goodness for the basement--and the SuperTarget...they have air conditioning!

Mama is 29!

Here she is, modelling the black forest cake of all cakes. Josie and daddi-o added EIGHT layers of cake, alternating between chocolate and yellow, with whipped cream slathered between each layer and all over (a quart by the end), with pie cherries in homemade glaze between the layers, almonds on the outside, shaved semisweet dark chocolate on the top, with marichino cherries on top. No one could make it through a piece. Note the avalanche of whipped cream and cherries on the side.

Blueberry introspection

We are so very nonchalant about our victory over the horrid blueberry bandito. Lo, tho' the walls, the table, the floor, and even the picture on the wall are covered in his vile blueberry oatmeal remnants, we are not concerned, looking only to the coming banana threat across the room...

First let me say that I don't "let" the boy eat dirt. He really does that of his own accord, no matter how many "not for you Jaspie!!"s Josie might provide, or how many "no eating dirt/sand/dog food!!!"s I might calmly shout as I run across the living room/kitchen/yard. So don't leave me comments telling me what a bad dirt-feeding mommy I am. Really, though, just think of it like a good multivitamin. Extra nitrogen, phosphorus, that other nutrient that neither Josh nor I can remember making him grow big and strong. Just look at those buns. Steel I tell you, steel!!


That said, here are a couple of shots of two of our gardens. I took the one of the 'big family garden' over the weekend, and things are already twice as big. We've got cantaloupe and zucchini against the brick wall, and a trellis for them to grow up. Lettuce/spinach, peas, onions, and beans in rows, then tomatoes/peppers, carrots, corn, potatoes, rhubarb, pumpkins, and watermelon. Josie and I still go out and hoe every day to keep the weeds down, but she's already enjoying the peas :)



"Josie's little garden" began life as a bare patch in the lawn where Josie planted a few old pea seeds in, oh, February. One sprouted and has been joined by a red pepper, carrots, spinach, and radishes. Yum! She waters it, tends it faithfully, and brings offerings of roly-polie-olies and worms whenever she finds them. Oh, and she's not just growing peas, they're 'sweet baby peas', since that's the kind Jasper likes. What a sister!


Finally, here are a couple of gratuitously cute shots of the kids. Couldn't resist, and I knew you wouldn't mind :)

consonants

I think the kids are getting sick--jasper's been pooping all morning, josie threatened to throw up. Oh well, such is life. We had fun this morning, rode our bikes to the doughnut shop, then across the street to the park where we sat on a blanket and shared our sprinkles. It was very nice (if a hard ride up the hill :)
After one particularly big rumble in the diaper, Jasper sat on my hip, blowing raspberries and practicing the new consonants he's discovered in the past couple of days. goos and gaas, and heees and haaas. very cute!