Joshua's new look!

So, the big guy needed to get glasses, but we think he looks pretty cute in them!  The only photo of him to turn out so far was the Joshua and Wesley serious-face one!

Joshua's 5th birthday party

Yes, Joshua is now 5!  (that's five, not five factorial ;)

Unlike last year, when he didn't seem to care, Joshua has been asking for a party for months.  He decided on a dinosaur theme, but the only really dinosaur things about the party were: a dino cake (bought, not made, I cannot draw!), and a guess how many dinos are in the jar game.  Mostly, we had a few friends over, played some fun outdoor games, ate lunch and cake, and celebrated the big boy.  A special bonus was that my dad functioned as the party photographer and got some great shots of all the silliness!


Our first game was "Mr. Fox, what time is it?".  These kids look like I am REALLY going to eat them!


Next up, balloon pop.  Here is W getting in on the action!


Friends waiting for the next game!


Jumping race!


What's a party without the "Hokey Pokey"?


Cake time!

Two cute recent photos of the boys

I haven't posted in a while and just wanted to get these two cute photos of the boys up!  W is taking a marathon nap today so I actually have time to play around on the computer :)

The honeybee

Our new "no-no" removal  strategy

Highlights of my day

Joshua has finally gotten over much of his fear of water!  We spent part of the morning at the pool and he was tooling around with a noodle around his waist by himself!  I was so proud of him :)

Wesley was off most of the day and after his nap, I found out why.  Poor little bugger was sick and threw up red,white, and blue smoothie (he drank at the pool earlier in the day) all over himself, the bathroom, and me.  Happy 4th of July everyone!  No worries, though, Wesley fans. He was feeling much better by dinner time and was chipper enough to chase and tackle Dad and JP for a long time.  I love my boys!

A good photo of Mr. and Mrs. (Finally!)

We are back from Africa. It was an amazing trip.  I will probably never get around to blogging about it, as my blogging habits are few and far between and I don't often share my thoughts except in one-on-one situations...  However, Roxanne and our group did blog so you can see more pictures and read stories there.  This post is to put up an actual recent photo that contains JUST Andy and I.  I think we look good, no?  Thanks for taking it, Rox! Oh and yes, my husband wears button-down shirts EVERYWHERE.  One of the many reasons to love him!

Adorable boys and new projects?

Here are the cuties in a daffodil patch they stopped at while visiting Grandma Donna and Grandpa Chuck the weekend of the half-marathon.

Baseball dirt

I love baseball.  (Well, not Chicago baseball this year as both teams are pretty sorry.)  I hope my boys play baseball, however, something has to be done about infield dirt.  Yesterday, after Joshua's t-ball class (where he picked dandelions instead of doing drills), we walked across the infield of the other diamond to our car.  Little did I know that it was a HUGE mudpit.  Poor Wesley got his feet stuck in a mud puddle and fell over :(. I was slightly stuck as well, and had to run and pick up Wesley and try to get him cleaned up using a reusable grocery bag I keep in my car for trips to the store.  Fun times :).  Joshua managed to avoid the giant mud pit and taunt his brother.  Ah, boys.

I am remembering how tough it is to get infield dirt off of shoes, clothes, bodies, etc.  Yikes!!

Wisconsin half marathon

On Saturday, May 7th, Andy and I ran the Wisconsin half-marathon together.  I am so proud of Andy for really working hard to get in shape, as an aside.  Running is something we do together now, which is really wonderful!  Anyway, I had a great running day.  It was a beautiful course along Lake Michigan in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and very flat.  Yay!  Andy and I had a great time and are looking forward to our next race together this fall (another half-marathon, which will be hilly, oh no!)

For my personal information, my time was 2:10:07 for a pace of 9:56 min/mile.  I am so geeked I averaged under 10 minute miles for this!  Yes, I know it is still slow, but fast for me!

Spring Break!

The week after Easter, Joshua had Spring Break.  We had a great time with many special activities, including the grand finale on Saturday, visiting the Sears/Willis Tower!  Joshua was so excited as he got to take the Metra (or double-decker train) downtown, go to the top of the Sears Tower, take the CTA to the Hancock building, eat at Cheesecake Factory (Ok, that was for Andy), and then take the Blue line train home, way past his bedtime.  Here are a few pictures from the day!

Waiting for the Metra

Mom and sons at the top (yes, they are wearing matching shirts, but on Joshua's request!)

In the "glass room" with dad.  Yes, you really can see the ground from way up there!

Goofing off at dinner, why we chose to eat outside!

Little Brother's revenge :)

Rambles

Lately I feel that just making a list of what needs to get done would be a big improvement :)

I am just really in need of encouragement in my stay-at-home mom life. I am feeling like I am doing a lousy job at keeping the house going and raising the boys (I often feel so inadequate at this task!). My encouragement tank is rock-bottom. I don't think Andy realizes how much encouragement I need, especially after his travel weeks. Those are ramping up again for a while, sigh. I realize I don't encourage him enough either and it can feel so hopeless and overwhelming at times to really have a growing marriage. Not that things are bad, I just know how self-centered I am and want encouragement all the time from him, yet I don't do the same for him. Lord, I need your help. Ahh, no answers for now.

A few photos

Given that I am terrible at taking pictures, I thought I would post these pictures my dad got of Joshua and Wesley yesterday.  Even he didn't get too many that were up to his standards, so at least I feel a little bit better for being such a slacker.

Hard day

Today was a really hard morning.  Joshua has not wanted to go to school lately and has been acting out a LOT!  Tantrums, running and screaming from his class, crying for mommy, the full treatment.  My heart was lurching as I left school today, and I cried all the way to bible study.  Please pray for us so we can get through this stage, however long it lasts.  Praise God that he calmed down.  I had a lot of people praying for him and me (shout out to Chicago CBS, you rock), so I give God all the glory for his improved behavior at school today. (post morning drop off meltdown). 

I don't deserve my kids

Ok, I will admit it right now, I am not a very thankful person.  I complain, A LOT.  About my husband, my kids, my life.  Those are sins and because I am doing them, I am missing out on what God wants me to see.  Well, He opened my eyes yesterday to show me how abundantly he has blessed me.

Yesterday, after my post on Joshua's new school, we had an interesting conversation in the car. (J=Joshua, L=me)
J: Why is the American flag flown higher than the Christian flag (side note: a flag with a cross on it they have at his Lutheran preschool)
L: I don't know.  Pause. You know at your new school they won't have a Christian flag.
J: Why not?
L: Because not everyone there believes in Jesus and follows him.
J: Can I tell people at my new school about Jesus?
L: (getting choked up) Of course you can Joshua.  That would be a great thing to do.

See?? I don't deserve that boy!  Please pray with me that our family will be a blessing to the new school!

Here are some recent pics of the boys in case you want to see them.

 Joshua pretending to be a pirate (the basket is his boat)

Wesley (before his latest faceplant)

Joshua's school update

I am a horrible blogger as the two people who read this site know, but I wanted to share with you that Joshua got into a Selective Enrollment School in CPS, which he will be attending next year.  Praise God!  As Andy and I prayed over next year, we really felt that Skinner North would be the best fit for Joshua, not even knowing that much about the school, and that is where God wanted him to be!  We are hoping to be salt and light for Jesus at that school and will see why God has put us there

Said by Joshua recently

Yes, I am ashamed that my babysitter writes these things down more than I do.  Part of what makes her a GREAT sitter!  Go Gwen :)  The first one was said to her on Saturday AM.
"Hey Studee.  Studee, come over here! (to Wesley)  Sometimes I call him Studee and sometimes I call him Wesley."(an explanation to Gwen)
On the way to Costco later that day, we were talking about things that go.  Cars, trains, planes, and the like.  I told Joshua that his Uncle Jon (my brother) helped to build a car while he was in college (he was on his school's Baja team where kids build an off-road car to race).  Joshua was super impressed and then asked me what I built when I was in college.  When I told him nothing, and started to talk to him about what I did study, biology, he quickly followed up with "Did you build a motorcycle or scooter, even?"  I guess I have fallen a few rungs in coolness compared to Uncle Jon.  Oh well, my other brother, Tom, is downgraded in coolness too as he didn't help build a car either.  Joshua told me that he wanted to work on rocket ships or planes when he grew up.  He categorized these as "things that fly and have motors and go very fast".  Good thing the kid is good at math, I may have a future rocket scientist on my hands!

To give Wesley more equal blog time.  He IS talking, sorta.  He can say Mama, Dada, and I swore I heard brother (although it sounded more like bubba).  He also knows the signs for please and milk (which impressed the aforementioned Gwen).

I just don't get little boys somedays :)

Yesterday, Andy was helping Joshua with bed time. While Joshua was brushing his teeth, I told him that it was time to change toothbrushes as his current one was old. I then went out to the car to bring a few things in. A minute later, Andy comes running out of the house saying "Joshua is in big trouble". I couldn't see his face becasue it was dark, but I saw he was shaking. I was worried he was really angry. He starts to tell me what happened, and I realized he was laughing and had to leave the house because he didn't want Joshua to see him crack up because of what went down. After JP finished brushing his teeth, he threw the tooth brush in the toilet, peed on it, and flushed it down the toilet. Andy kept saying "Don't put your toothbrush in there! Stop!" to no avail. After he flushed it down the toilet he looked at Andy and said that is where old toothbrushes go, at which point, Andy ran out of the house to find me. We couldn't get our laughter under control enough to think up a consequence or discipline him. Oh well!!

Funny

Ok, I have to remember this when I am stressing about CPS stuff.  The week before Christmas Joshua had his selective enrollment CPS test.  No, I don't know how it went, but when he came out of the testing room he said with a grumpy look on his face: "They didn't give me any hints, mom".  Oops, I guess I do too much coaching with the boy.