The American Museum of Natural History

We took Joshua and Holley into the city to the American Museum of Natural History today. A friend gave us free passes, and it was a good weekend to do it! We did not get to the upper 2 levels, which included the planetarium and the dinosaur sections, so that was sad, but we went through the three lower levels and were exhausted by the end of our day. Joshua loved it just as much as he loved the museums in Cleveland and Columbus. I think he is an information hog, he soaks it up and then it comes pouring out of him at the funniest moments, just when you thought he wasn't learning anything.
I have a friend whose little boy at the age of three was telling me all about a butterfly chrysalis, and I didn't even know that was the technical term for a cocoon, he thought I was crazy. Joshua saw the Indian arrowheads and old stone tools and told me those were "Old hammer." It took me a moment and a slew of words out of him before I figured out that he meant that before people had hammers and tools, they used stones! He just about had me in stitches.
When looking at the history of man and civilization displays, we passed one diarama that had an African tribe and while they left off the genitalia, they did do some nice butt-work on the naked people. Joshua noticed immediately and informed us that there were "BUTT! BUTT! Mommy, look! BUTT!" Shaun found this hilarious and showed him a National Geographic type woman with boobs hanging out, hoping for Joshua to take it and run, he just looked and nodded and went off to look at the ancient music stuff.
Joshua also knows all of his letters, but not in order. That's Okay with us, but the fun part is that he thought they had ABCs at every display. "ABC?" he wanted me or Shaun to read him the signs explaining the display. So cute!
This is Joshua showing me some stuff, and telling me all the details about what he was looking at.




This is the "fun box" filled with "funny people." I think it was filled with voodoo dolls or something, they all looked like people and were in the religion display of India. But Joshua thought it was hilarious.


Holley got squirmy, and wouldn't you if you were in a stroller or a snugli all day? So she checked out some displays too. She was particularly fond of the dustball that fell inside this display of stuff.




Here is Joshua trying to read the word Rhinoceros and Holley looking at me for confirmation that the rhino was really behind glass...and stuffed.


I made Shaun stand underneath this Jellyfish to show the massive size of it. The stringy leg thingies went on for about 20 feet or so.


Joshua and Shaun in front of a massive slice out of a sequoia tree. Joshua keeps looking at this picture and telling me that it's a "dead tree."


We got to go see the butterfly conservatory too. They have over 500 butterflies just flying around in here and they land on you, and you can look at them and watch them feed. It's kinda neat, and I've been meaning to do something like this with Joshua for a while. A gentleman holding an orange slice had one eating the orange slice off his hand and showed Joshua. He was super excited on the outside, and when we left it he was very sad to leave, but inside he was very serious and just observing it.But it was cool to get that close.






And Joshua weighs .042 of a pound on Halley's Comet!



It was an exhausting day, with freakin' construction on the train lines that turned a 45 min/1 hr subway trip into 2 hours in and 2 hours back, plus they cut some lines because of the construction so it was elbow to elbow inside the trains. Joshua seemed very irritated with the choo choo train and came home happy enough to play with the toy trains instead, ha ha ha.

So Tired I'm Not

Between travelling for the holidays and the rsv virus, Holley got WAY off her routine, which was too loose in the first place, and has decided that her crib is poisonous, and what the hey, so is sleep in general.

We've spent this week in sleep training hell, but she seems to be responding well to it, so onward I plug away. I did like this from her bedtime two nights ago. This is how she fell asleep.

Who said that?

Let’s all play a game. I call this game “Who said that?”

“Shoot BOOBS!”
“Mommy do it!”
“Cook BOOBS!”
“ewww, nasty!”
“Uh-oh, Holley cry again!”

There is no multiple choice answer key, because all of these statements were issued by my toddler. Boobs, by the way, are birds. He turned 2 last month and since then, has become the king of silly phrases. He’s not very sure what “silly” really is, though, so his breakfast cereal could be silly, or Mommy could be silly when she’s putting him to bed. He has mastered the fake guffaw, when he thinks he’s supposed to laugh at something silly, though. And it’s hilarious. Like every mother, I think my two year old is funnier than most.

Joshua antics lately, though, get me going. For instance, if I say to him, “Look me in the eye when I’m speaking to you,” Joshua simply MUST grab both of my cheeks and put his nose tip to mine, and stare wide-eyed into my eyes. Now, I ask you, how do you punish THAT without laughing your head off?

Today I thought he had a slight fever and he was acting very mean toward his sister, very unusual behavior for him. Sure, he’s ignored her and fussed about her but not cruel like today. So I asked him, “Joshua, how do you feel?” I didn’t really think I’d get a straight answer, but without even a thought, he put his palm on my cheek, wiggled his fingers and said, “Like that.”

Over our Christmas holidays, enough people called Shaun by name that Joshua figured out that “Daddy” will answer to a different name! He puts a funny emphasis on it, and only does it to call Shaun’s attention, so it is shouted loudly. “Shaw-oon!” “Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy….*insert foot stamp here* SHAW—OON!” We have a little photo snowglobe that was given to us as a gift back before we got married. There is a picture of me and Shaun on both sides of it. When Joshua looks at it, he shows me, “Mommy, Daddy.” Then he turns it to the other side. “Mommy and Shaw-oon.” He will flip it back and forth repeatedly, “Daddy, Shaw-oon, Daddy, Shaw-oon.” The pictures are nearly identical, so we are not very certain why he thinks they are two different entities!

Holley started crying today. Joshua leaned over her and sighed a great over-dramatic sigh. “Holley, just stop.” He sounded just like his daddy. In the mornings it is usually, “Uh-oh, Holley’s cryin’!”

Over our holidays he enjoyed playing detective with my mother’s magnifying glass, so she gave it to him. I don’t usually approve of giving him everything he smiles at, but in this case, it has given us a lot of laughs around here. Holley was playing on the floor yesterday, and Joshua leaned over her with the magnifying glass and said…. “Hmmm…..wong you?” As in, “Hmmm, what’s wrong with you?” And in a completely bewildered voice that just had me rolling.

Just tonight, I was saying his prayers with him, and instead of watching him, I actually closed my eyes. Right between “Bless our family” and “Thank you for sending Jesus to us” he reached over and told me, “Mommy! Wake up! Prayin’!”

The last thing that makes us think, rather self-importantly, that our two year old is sillier than most? He got some trains for Christmas that absolutely MUST be tucked into the box and kissed goodnight now. Good for a laugh or two.

Christmas 2008

Honestly, I don't have it in me to do emails and individual stories to everyone so here is my photo-blog of our holiday travels.

the night before we left, Joshua thought he'd show Holley who has hair and where. It was pretty cute.


Holley goofing off the morning we left....ha ha ha she didn't know the road trip in store for her:


Christmas Eve, they got to open Gramma Gerry's presents to them. Joshua got some matchbox cars,and HAD to show everyone in the room.



"this was Holley's but I opened it, want to play with it with me?"


"This isn't reading? I was sure I was supposed to use my tongue to read it..."


"Yeah....my way was more fun!"


I love this shot because not only does it show Holley deciding that crawling would be a fun thing to learn to do on Christmas, but it also shows where Joshua's buttered bread wound up at.



Christmas morning, the kids opened their presents from Mama and Daddy. Things like a Thomas letter laptop, a ball popper, new diapers, a first baby doll, a sipper in the stocker, a mini potato head in the stocking, new wooden trucks and a curious george doll with some bath soap and squishy sponge thing(loofah) for bathtime all came in from us. We were so grateful that we shopped ahead of time and were able to do this for the kids. They......didn't seem to care who it was from. Naturally.

Mama, I mean Holley opening her sipper stocking stuffer.


Joshua's driven by edible things. Holley's just hooked on the drink. The doll was tossed to the wayside in order to keep our hands on the cup. Mustn't lose the cup!


Showing Daddy the power button....


Showing Holley how to use her ball popper and not-so-secretly having a blast himself:


Holley chose her favorite new diaper. I love all of them, but this was not my absolute fave. She rarely lets go of it if I bring the box of diapers into her view.



Later Christmas morning, Uncle Greg and Aunt PollyAnne, Aunt Carol and Uncle Dean all came over to Gramma's house and we had a huge breakfast of homemade waffles and berries, and egg casserole, bacon and sausages, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember because it's late. It was yummy. Joshua actually ate. Big deal since he hardly ate a thing the rest of his vacation. The kids also got presents from their aunts and uncles, and the dogs seemed rather enamored of a few of them, as well. I was too busy eating to take many pictures at that time, but here is one of Joshua apparently telling Dean that he will be in charge of opening all of his sister's gifts.



From Penn State, we drove to Stuebenville, OH, to spend a few days with Shaun's mom. The kids got some neat presents, like the Spud Buds potato head kit, and a little hand puppet that looks like a hippopotamus plus lots of cute outfits were there to be opened. Not to mention a million, I mean a few, cats that Joshua thoroughly enjoyed chasing down to torment, I mean pet.
Crystal showing Joshua the nutcracker mouse. Joshua looking at her like she lost her mind. Of course, as soon as she set it down, it was his and we never heard it stop the rest of the trip.


Joshua cleaning up his pee. :)


Aunt Karen reading to the little silly-head:


If the boy won't cooperate, grab the baby cuz she can't get away yet. This is my personal philosophy and as evidenced, held true overall.







From Crystal's home in Stuebenville, we headed south to a place called Shadyside. It's on the Ohio side of the river, across from Wheeling, WV, and I think Shaun's dad's family are the only folks that live there. We were surprised to have a Christmas to-do ready for us when we arrived, including a nice handful of people from that branch of family. Since it was after Christmas when we arrived, we did not anticipate dinner or get-together!
Shaun's Pop, who I don't think was allowed to put down the etch-a-sketch after Joshua discovered that he could make a tractor picture on demand.


Joshua playing "If I hide in Perry's blankets and pillows, maybe they won't find me and put me back in that ol' carseat...." Otherwise known as "When granddad gets out of the potty, you scare him before you get on the road."


Feeling the need to report his every action to Vicki:



From Shadyside, we traveled into Columbus, where the kids went to church, and Joshua got to see his old teachers from there. He was sad to leave Miss Kathy, Miss Sue, Miss "Missa"(melissa) and "Pad-dor Dad" (pastor dave). I heard about them for a few days after that. We also spent the afternoon that day with some friends, whose boys have grown insanely huge and smart and not little like I remember and that makes me sad. Also my friend picked up Joshua a train track for his trains and such and got Holley some really cute outfits. Joshua is having a blast with his trains. I didn't get any pictures of this day. Mostly because I was tired.

That night, we headed up to Oberlin area. The kids got their Christmas presents from there, and by that point, Joshua was beginning to think if it has paper on it, it must be for him and it must be for tearing to shreds. Holley was just starting to get ticked off that there was even more paper she wasn't allowed to eat.

Finally getting the hang of things:


That's my boy. He actually asked me where was the stuff inside the thomas bookbag. Sigh. Be happy with what you got and fill it with love, boy! He's now putting cars and trains in, by the way.


Joshua got the tools he wanted!


Holley got some paper wrapped around some stuff and that was exciting to her. The stuff she didn't so much look at.



There were more trips for visiting and many more people seen than were mentioned here. And to prove it, Holley got the wardrobe for the next 2 sizes that she was in need of(ok, desperately in need of), and Joshua got several clothing items. This picture is JUST the toys that came from EVERYONE. We had to unpack everything in order to repack it and we laid it all out. This is just so much generosity from our family members that I think I want to cry when I think of it.
Here are the toys they recieved. We counted over 50.


Holley was one pound shy of hitting her weight limit so we took our Christmas gifts and bought her new carseat. Merry Christmas Mommy. ha ha ha. (It's ok, I also got an electric skillet, so there. lol).


New Years Ever, I forgot to buy any decent boomers, so Joshua got some poppers and he did some sparklers with his daddy. He LOVED it. Naturally, since my little pyro likes fire in general. Although, he did try to eat it, also. I didn't try for a great shot, because I was really really cold.



Then we went home. Home. Where our own beds are! where our favorite jammies are. Where I have to be the mom and watch my kids again. Crap.
This is how much stretching room I had in the van after we packed everything the kids got into it.



Yeah.


After we got home, the kids were so happy to be around their own things again! Joshua took his new toys and introduced them to his old toys this morning, and Holley learned to pull up to stand using her granddad's filing cabinet so she practiced that at home on the gate. Escape is imminent, escape is imminent!!!!

She also found a new place to poop while I cleaned and unpacked today. This happened more than once.




Everytime I tried to take a picture of Joshua's room and his trains he was like a superstar caught in the midst of a scandal among the paparrazi. Ran at me yelling "No picture no picture no picture!" I am sure we will have an entire blog coming up regarding how my sanity has gone up and down the tracks and I'm pretty sure Duncan or Thomas the engines have it locked up in their boilers.


That's our photo-vaca. Stories to come.