We've had a full and fun summer, blessed with lots of giggles, park playing, water fun, friends and family visits. In early June, you stayed with Grammi and Papa in Marysville for the week to attend Vacation Bible School at the Methodist Church. It was a new experience for you and Grammi said it wasn't always easy to drop you off and leave you crying at the door, but once you calmed down, you seemed to enjoy it and certainly learned a lot. You're still singing some of the songs and came home with a big bag of crafts, just like I did when I was little! One of your summer highlights was (of course) your birthday, which we had at the shelter in the park up the street. We wanted to make a great memory in that park so that whenever we drive by, you'll remember being surrounded and celebrated by your loved ones when you turned 4. It was a HOT day, but we had coolers full of water, tea and lemonade. We ate pizza, snacks, and one of Grandma Jeanne's famous cakes (a princess castle with waffle cones as towers). Grammi and Papa helped us set up (what would we do without grandparents?) and lots of your preschool friends, neighbors and other loved ones came. When it came to pinata time, we couldn't figure out how to hang it, so Daddy used jumper cables. It was hilarious, and it got the job done! The weekend after your birthday, we took a family vacation to Colorado. You and Jalen had a blast. We stayed in some "all-American" motels along the way and you bonded with Uncle Mark's daddy, Mr. Davidson, who we stayed with in Denver. We also spent time with Auntie Tami, Uncle Dick and Aunt Nan, Canyon and Autumn in Golden. You've grown to know and love them very much, just like Mommy does. We saw the Royals and Rockies play a game at Coors Field and enjoyed a great fireworks display afterward! Back in KC, we visited the farm of one of Daddy's friends out in the country. They have their own cow for milk, chickens for eggs and a huge garden. You and Jalen ran all around, blew bubbles with all the kids and had a blast. At the end of July, you and I picked Grandma Jeanne up in Leavenworth for a girls' weekend. We headed for Lincoln to stay at Aunt Julie's, picked her up and headed to Columbus to meet Aunt Kathy at Grandma Seal's. We spent the weekend playing with all your favorite toys at Gma Seal's, visiting old cemeteries to learn about some of your ancestors, eating at favorite places (Glur's -- your Great Grandpa Walt's favorite hangout), shopping at thrift stores, and seeing some of the places that were special to Daddy's family when they were all growing up. They also taught us songs that GGpa Walt taught them when they were little -- Mares Eat Oats and The Handkerchief Song. You loved that we set aside this "girls time" and we plan to do it again next year for our third annual visit! Even though I've been so busy with my work, I've been trying to spend as much one-on-one time with you as possible to help you know how precious you are to me (Daddy does this too -- he spends a lot of time helping you to discover your inner-strength and building your confidence in different ways.) You continue to play pretend every day. Yesterday we got the entire Muppet Babies cartoon series from the 1980's in the mail. I ordered it because it was all about using imagination and heaven knows yours is incredible! (plus, Daddy and I LOVED it when we were kids.) You continue to grow, overcome fears, try new things (with a little nudge from us!) and reach out in new ways to the people around you. Lastly, my favorite new tradition we've started is each night you and I climb the stairs to my prayer room and light candles to pray for our loved ones and others in the world who are in need. It has made our prayer time very special. You choose 2 towns on the world map for us to pray for each night and then you climb into my arms in the rocking chair and I hum you the lullaby your Great Gram Eileen used to sing to me when I was little. We both savor this time. I can barely hold you on my lap anymore, but I will do it as long as I can until you're ready for me to let go.
You are a delightful, imaginative, sensitive, curious and generous little human being. I think your favorite thing in the world right now is giving people gifts that you've chosen especially for them. The other day you and Grandma Jeanne went shopping and you were overjoyed when she let you choose a gift for Daddy, Jalen and I. You even chose special wrapping paper for each of us. You're getting a little braver about some things -- you're not quite the daredevil your brother is (which is FINE with me!) Your curiosity is more about ideas, feelings, how things work and why people do what they do. Music has helped to ease the slight fear of nighttime you had. I put in a soothing yoga CD every night and press "repeat" so it'll play all night long. (If you wake up and don't hear it, you come and let us know!) You rarely wake up, though. You play hard all day long -- constantly imagining, asking us to pretend to be this or that queen, stepsister, princess or villain. You're completely devoted to your brother. You call him J-Boy or Tooty. When we wake up in the morning, you're already in his room reading him books and entertaining him. You love to play Granny's Trunk in the car and with your excellent memory, you're good at it! You've become, to our surprise, a barefoot summer girl. Papa pointed it out when we were visiting Marysville recently and you were running all over the yard, just like Mommy used to. You used to hate letting your feet touch the grass and just last week i watched you running through the sprinkler with the kids in our yard during a neighborhood block party -- loving every moment. You've become quite social -- Miss Natalie says you love to "mother hen" the kids at school -- especially Miss Natalie's grandson Rory and your twin best friends Isabelle and Sophi. You're beyond excited for your birthday party, which we're planning to have at the park down the street. You can't decide if you want the boys to be princes or pirates. The girls, of course, will be invited to be princesses. You've been calling it your "Princess Birthday Surprise Tea Party." Last night Izabella and Isaiah Morris came over to play and as you all ran to the park, i watched you trying to keep up with the older kids. Your little legs were going so fast. You'd stop and pant for a few moments and keep going. I knew you'd get there eventually, but my heart just ached as I watched you try so hard to catch up and feel like you were as fast as the others. I wanted so much to pick you up and run with you and save you from feeling "less than" anyone. I know this isn't for me to do. There are things you'll have to figure out for yourself in your life (and as your daddy reminds me, you'll be all the stronger for it!) There will be things you're great at -- and other things you'll have to let go of. It is pure joy watching you grow and discover the gifts God has given you. Hopefully, Daddy and I are like gardeners. We'll help give you plenty of sunlight and water, but you'll do the growing. Even now, we're learning to stand back and marvel at the beauty as your life unfolds.
Growing, Wondering, Learning, Loving
It's so much fun watching you grow and change, Josephine -- you're always discovering something new, asking questions, wanting to talk about feelings, wondering about people. Often you'll be off playing and I don't realize how deep in thought you are. Suddenly you'll stop and ask me a deep question I can tell you've been pondering for a long time. You're quite sensitive (Grammi says you get that from me!) The other night you were crying big crocodile tears in your bed and when I asked why, you said, "Because I'm afraid of bedbugs and because Lamby (your favorite stuffed animal) lost his smile." We rescued Lamby and Grammi thankfully sewed back on. (You still tear up when you think about it though!) You also came up with the idea to hang a "No Bedbugs Allowed" sign on our door. You love to dance to Johnny Cash music - especially "Get a Rhythm" and "Boy Named Sue." Your favorite radio station is KLOVE and you love the songs "Light Up the Sky" and "You Never Let Go." Whenever you hear one of them, you get so excited and often we jump on the bed while listening to them on youtube. They're both about God's never-ending love for us, which I'm so happy you're absorbing at such a young age. You like to sing us songs-- making them up as you go--and hearing your little singing voice is the sweetest thing. (Almost as wonderful as hearing your laughter!) Your daddy can make you laugh like no one else, by the way. You're feeling very "grown-up" these days in your own way and sometimes you use a really "mature," low voice to let us know that. (However, we're doing everything we can to help you savor every moment of childhood and not grow up too fast!) One expression I'll always remember from you is, "What in the WORLD are you talkin' about?"You continue to love helping with Jalen -- you two have such a strong bond. You've begun making your bed every morning and folding clothes (two things you're very proud of). You love going to Sunday school in the "Blue Room" at church and you continue to learn so much at your school, Little Sprouts. Your best friends there are Rory and the twins Isabel and Sophie. You really enjoy handwriting (you're getting very good at writing your alphabet -- especially your name. In fact, as I was writing this, Miss Natalie called to tell me you'd written your full name along with "Paige" and "Jalen" all by yourself. I'm guessing Daddy's will be next...) You're starting to read a little, sounding words out, always wanting to point out certain ones in your books. You grind coffee for me at school every day and never tire of "surprising" us at the end of the day with your creations. I think one of your strong love languages is gift giving. You always want to buy flowers or a treat for someone you love. Spring is on the way and it will be wonderful to get to play outside with you again. We've decided to have a party to celebrate the beginning of each season. Last weekend in Marysville we visited Orscheln to see the baby chicks and pretend to ride the lawn mowers (this is becoming an annual early spring event and you were extra proud to share it with your brother this year.) You picked out seeds to grow in a little indoor flower garden. You help us to appreciate the little wonders in every season -- snow, sunsets, stars, rainbows, rivers, animals, growing things -- so many questions and observations that remind us how incredible God's world is. What a precious gift you are!
So much happens in a few months when you're little...i suppose it happens when you're big too, but having little ones like you helps me stop and savor the details! November brought our annual family Christmas/reunion with the Kopetzkys in Lincoln at Aunt Julie's. Each time we visit Nebraska, you become more and more fond of Grandma Jeanne's brothers and sisters. You still freak out about the Yardleys' little dogs, but I think it's more for dramatic effect than anything at this point! Grandma Jeanne had surgery last month and you had your first real visit to someone in the hospital at KU Med Center. Thankfully, she's fully on the mend now! However, we stayed around for Thanksgiving this year instead of traveling like we usually do. Gpa Carl joined us for dinner and we put up Christmas decorations... You continue to love sharing "firsts" with your brother and his face lights up when you come around. We left him with Daddy, though, for your first visit to the symphony. Grammi, Papa, Kristin Morris and I took you and Izabella to the KC Symphony's Christmas show. You girls looked so cute all dressed up. It was a nice way to welcome the holiday season. We spent a good old-fashioned Christmas at Grandma Seal's in Columbus, making cookies sharing memories and playing games. Santa delivered a Disney Cinderella castle for you -- it was on your list (Daddy thought it was so sweet that your Santa list included "A floaty for Jalen" before you asked for anything for yourself.) We spent a few days with your great grandparents in Des Moines, too. The biggest thing that's happened to you in the last few months was our long-awaited Disneyworld vacation. On December 6th, Daddy, you and I flew to Orlando to meet Grammi and Papa for 2 days at Disneyworld and 3 days on a Disney cruise. For some reason, Florida had a cold spell while we were there and we dressed just like we did back home - sweaters and winter coats! But it didn't bother you one bit. From the moment you saw the real Cinderella castle, your little face lit up like never before. Fortunately, your dad is a video guru and captured many precious moments on film. Each day we woke up and prayed together as a family -- asking God to lead us and help us to enjoy every moment. We were blessed in so many ways -- showing up in just the right place at just the right time. We seemed to wander into parades and shows and character appearances when we didn't have a clue what was going on, as if led by a loving Hand. My favorite was the night of the Christmas parade when we ducked into an eating place to warm up and suddenly a dance party started (you LOVE dance parties) and Chip and Dale showed up. We've never seen you dance so much! The Christmas parade was a special event that Grammi got us passes to and it was spectacular. You were enthralled by all the floats with so many characters. Around the park each day you saw many of the characters from your favorite movies (princesses, Toy Story and good ol' Mickey and friends.) In fact, when we'd see Mickey and Minnie you'd say, "There's Ol' Mick and Ol' Min!" (Undoubtedly, you heard Papa say this at some point...) You loved the rides -- "It's a Small World" was your first ride in the Magic Kingdom. Your Dad, grandparents and I just loved watching you take it all in. We were all in tears (or close!) at various points. The highlight of our time at the park was surely lunch with Cinderella at her castle. We heard a knock on the door of our hotel room one night and there was an invitation (carefully crafted by Grammi) inviting you to a royal lunch at with your favorite princess. You wore your little Cinderella dress and met Cinderella for photos before lunch. She was so sweet and even took extra time with you. Then, you joined many other mini-princesses in the castle for an incredibly delicious lunch topped off by a dessert with all your favorite elements - ice cream, chocolate, sprinkles and marshmallows! We made so many wonderful memories. I'll never forget pushing you around in that almost-too-small-for-you stroller or how you'd put your arms up to beg someone to carry you. None of us minded - we were just delighted to share the experience! Your daddy and I had an acronym that we lived by during our vacation (and we hope to continue at home!) B.H.N. (Be Here Now) It helped us to savor even the ordinary moments - standing in lines, bus rides, etc. The cruise was a whole new world for you - a boat bigger than anything you'd ever seen, our room with a big round window looking out at the ocean and your own little bed to snuggle into(that you absolutely loved), Mickey, Minnie and their friends showing up everywhere, broadway-style shows every night (including Toy Story, the musical!), the kids club where you could go and hang out with other princesses and pirates, all kinds of your favorite foods all day long. You still talk about swimming in Mickey's ear (the boat had a pool shaped like Mickey's head). We sailed to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, for one day and Papa and Daddy persuaded you to go out into the ocean water a little. You just don't like the feel of sand on your feet, but maybe that will change one day! You did love watching everyone - you did a lot of observing on this trip -- just soaking it all in. I pray some of your favorite moments will stay in your heart for always! A couple of fun things about 3 1/2-year-old you: You love putting things to bed - princesses, stuffed animals -- i even walked in one night and found your nativity characters lying on their backs. Guess they have to sleep too! :0) You've heard the phrase "no flash photography" a lot lately, and you like to say it when you are making various announcements. You love to tell stories (which are peppered with the word "like" -- we're wondering where you picked this up!) and you like to sing made-up songs in a very high voice. Prayer has become a part of your young life and it is a delight to year you talk to God in your own way. Just today you could tell I was having a rough time and I heard you quietly asking that He help Mommy to be not so grouchy -- not surprisingly, my day turned around and you were delighted. Tomorrow we'll celebrate the first day of 2011 - I'm sure it will be a year of so much learning and loving for you!
Lovely autumn, delightful You...
Josephine, you are a delight at 3 years old. Constant energy, always wanting to play pretend (where you're the mommy and i'm the daughter, or Daddy's the prince and Jalen is your baby), never wanting to miss a party (you LOVE people - i can just see your little extroverted lightbulb come on when you find out we're having company). You had a blast at our first garage sale and made $2.50 there at your first lemonade stand with your buddy Sarah. People would come to the sale and you'd ask if they were thirsty. You also tried to sell them stuff they didn't need (like a giant box of plastic Easter eggs..) One of my favorite memories of you at 3 will be when I'd drop you off at preschool and you'd wave at me at the window (you do this with Daddy too). There's this window at Little Sprouts that looks out onto the path leading out of the school. Whenever we drop you off, we can see you through the window jumping up and down, waving, flashing "i love you" in sign language with your little fingers. You've become very independent -- insisting on helping to pick out baby brother's clothes and fresh diapers. You always point to my clothes and say, "Mommy, did you wear that to bed?" If I answer, "yes," you rush to my closet to pick out my outfit for the day too...You will often see something during the day that makes you curious and then much later you will bring it up and want to talk about it. It's usually about peoples' feelings. "Why was that lady crying?" or "Why was Nemo's daddy mad at him?" You're still a great eater. I make this new breakfast called "5 M&M oatmeal" -- oatmeal, milk, peanut butter with 5 M&M's hidden in it. You always ask for blue ones. You love it that you and daddy both like the color blue and you and he always play the "blue" game in the car -- pointing out every blue thing you can spot. We got rid of the little potty a few weeks ago and now you're all about the adult toilet and feeling very grown-up. You say when you're an adult you will be able to enjoy coffee, gum and wine (in moderation, as we've discussed several times...) Just this week, you've really picked up on writing your own name -- something we're very proud of. I can't bring myself to throw away ANYTHING that has your precious handwriting on it! There's a keepsake box filling up fast. One day you'll go through it and perhaps some fond memories will return. This weekend is Halloween and you've decided to be a nurse. You became fascinated by nurses during Jalen's baby check-ups. The nurse would leave the room and you'd pick up her clipboard, cross your legs and start asking questions about the baby's diet and sleeping habits. You enjoyed 2 pancake breakfasts in 2 weeks recently -- one at Leavenworth's First City Festival (which Gma and Gpa D help organize each year.) The other was a local festival in Mission where I took you and Jalen early one morning. You were in heaven 'cause you'd eat pancakes and sausage every day if you could! Last week we went to the Husker game in Lincoln and you and Jalen (J-Boy, as you call him) stayed with Aunt Julie and Great Grandma Seal. You had a blast and scored all sorts of fun treats and gifts -- even a cheerleading outfit and your first set of Husker pom-pons! (The Bradfords gave you some KU ones, which are at Grammi and Papa's, so you have your mom's alma mater covered too!) You still love your "sleep-overs" at Grandma Jeanne's and your visits to Marysville, where you spend lots of time outside with Papa. Our long walks with the stroller have ended, so we'll be snuggling in together during these chilly fall evenings. (You still ask almost daily to go to the park though. You just love to swing!) You continue to remind me to savor little everyday things like leaves falling, raindrops, kisses, playing Ariel and Ursula in the bathtub, finding unusual treasures outdoors, and cheering with all your might for football games even when you have no idea what's going on. You're thrilled to have your dad back home more since baseball season ended. You helped Grammi make and decorate a cake celebrating the last game of the season. We're still learning as we go with you. We've never done this parenting thing before, but your Daddy and I continue to ask our loving God for wisdom as we help to guide you through these early years of your life. Your mommy has been a perfectionist for far too long and you and Jalen are sure helping me get over that! We will never be perfect parents, but we will always love and support you as best we know how and we will point you toward your Creator who will be your constant companion throughout your life. We love you, Josephine Francis-Jean! Here's to a fun fall season with our precious 3-year-old girl.
3 Years Young...
Dear Girl,
I don't even know where to start. The last few months you have grown by leaps and bounds in so many ways. Suddenly, you sound so "grown-up" when we have conversations. I catch myself wondering, "Now when did this child grow from a baby into a little girl (who loves to think of herself as a BIG girl!) ?
You love to "chit-chat" (as you call it) and we often do that while riding along in the car. You are SO curious about how things work, about relationships and why people do what they do, how they are feeling, what they need, etc. You still love giving gifts to people and you always have something in your folder at school for Daddy or myself. (Most often a little baggie of freshly ground coffee from Miss Natalie's old fashioned coffee grinder at school - you know what your Mom likes!) Our hearts melt when we find something on the rug by the front door or on our night stands - some little token of love you've likely picked up outside somewhere. You've enjoyed spending nights with both sets of grandparents this summer and we've gone on quite a few excursions. A few weeks ago at Great Grandma Seal's in Columbus, we visited old cemeteries where some of your ancestors were buried. You decided to give tours stopping at various head stones and telling how each person died. It wasn't gruesome at all (usually you said they were shot like the guy in one of your favorite books - Pocohontas) and each story ended happily with the person going to Heaven. The thing that makes everyone laugh is how matter-of-factly you tell your stories. You love to "read" cards from the mail, often launching into an extensive speech about what each one says. We just returned from Colorado where you got to spend time with your Papa's brother, Dick, and his family. You've been enthralled since the day you met Dick's daughter Tami the kindergarten teacher. She painted your finger and toenails for the first time (I couldn't believe you sat still!) You chose the color blue cause that's you and your daddy's favorite. She also taught you songs that you want to sing all the time now. You're definitely testing your boundaries these days -- learning how much you can get away with and finding out that while your mom and dad love you, we are determined not to spoil you. You've also been into debating various topics. It amuses us, but after awhile we have to ignore you. We don't want to raise a "negative nelly"! I still think you could live on pancakes and m&m's, but you're very good about eating the variety of food we offer you (after which, of course, you're promised a "treat" :0) You've become very good at drawing and have done some portraits on your magna-doodle that have made us chuckle. You really love to run, and that makes your Papa smile, of course. Last night I took you and Jalen on a looooong walk to get TCBY and you ran almost the whole way! Today you are hanging out with Grandma Jeanne - having one of your "slumber parties," which involves movies, treats, books and lots of loving attention. When Daddy and I hear your voice on the phone we agree it's the sweetest ever. You're a handful, little one, but in a good way. Surely God has brought you to us to help us grow in so many ways -- patience, purity, letting go, rediscovering the world around us, sharing unconditional love...to name a few.
You're almost 3!
Here's what I'll remember most about when you were almost three: Your little voice saying, "You be Drizella and I'll be Anastasia" (Cinderella's stepsisters). OR, "You be Ariel and I'll be Ursula" (of The Little Mermaid) or some form of prince/princess/fairytale makebelieve. The way you are full of energy from the moment you open your eyes in the morning! How much you're beginning to love school at Little Sprouts (I have a hunch it has to do with socializing.) You've made some good friends there and you all love playing princess and mommy/daughter together. Every day you come home reporting that you picked and ate fresh tomatoes or strawberries and when we pick you up you're so excited to show us what's in your work folder (usually the "letter of the day" with your bright scribbles all over it.) You like to use Miss Natalie's old fashioned coffee grinder to grind coffee for mommy and you proudly bring home baggies of it for me to brew. I think one of your love languages is gift giving as you're always leaving little treats for people. For instance, I came home the other day and found 2 M&M's placed strategically on the door mat and I knew you'd left them there for your dad and I. Mine was green because you know that's my favorite color. You also love to leave special rocks, sticks and leaves for us. You continue to adjust to having baby brother around, always wanting to see him first thing in the morning and share a toy with him. Lately, in our pretend play you've designated him either "Aurora" (Sleeping Beauty) or "Ogre Baby" (Shrek-style). He just smiles and seems to play along. You seem to be really interested in humor lately, often saying silly things and laughing hysterically. Also, you've been using attaching the word "poop" to as many words as you can. You love pretending to have birthday parties and plan surprises. The other day, you told me to come into the bathroom and close my eyes. Then, you lifted the lid of your potty seat and proudly yelled, "SURPRISE!" I'll spare you the details of what I saw. Needless to say, you can get excited about pretty much anything. We've been going to lots of birthday parties lately. I try to plan outings for us on my days off work -- The zoo (a goose bit you during our picnic lunch - you were very brave and we giggled about it later), Deanna Rose Farmstead, Old Shawnee Days parade, park visits, etc. You love going for 'round-the-block walks with Daddy and I in the evenings (you and jalen ride in the double stroller.) In fact, anything you get to do with your Dad is special. He savors his time with you, especially during baseball season. Perhaps your favorite thing lately is to sit in the driver's seat of the car and pretend to be the mommy while i sit in the passenger seat and feed your brother. (I usually play the part of "big sister" but the roles change constantly.) My favorite thing is still dancing with you to Neil Diamond, "Forever in Blue Jeans" in our "twirly dresses." One very special memory was taking you to Marysville for Memorial Day. That's always been a tradition in my family, and I'm so grateful to be able to pass it on to you and baby brother. You're definitely just learning about life - how much to test the boundaries, how to socialize, how much you want to fit in and how much you want to be your own unique self, etc. We savor our moments with you and I pray that you'll take your own sweet time growing up. Each day I have to lay down my desire to "control" what happens in your life and put it all in the hands of our loving God. There are no better hands to be in! We love you, precious girl.
Dear Josephine, springtime and Jalen have arrived...
Dear Josephine -
First of all, I want to say you are an awesome big sister! We’ll never forget your reaction when you met your baby brother for the first time. We had him waiting in his crib (which used to be yours) and when you walked in your eyes lit up and you said, “It’s my baby!!!” Your brother Jalen decided to come into the world on a snowy Sunday morning. I had been up with you most of the night as you were sick. It broke my heart to have to leave you to rush to the hospital, but our wonderful neighbor Gerilyn came quickly to take care of you so Daddy didn’t have to deliver the baby in the car! Then, Grammi and Papa took you to Marysville for a few days so you could get well and be with your baby brother. That’s when they brought you back and you discovered him in the crib. Here’s a pic of your first meeting. Even though we have a newborn in the house, we’ve gotten to do so many fun things this spring! We’ve spent some really fun times in Marysville making our own fun. You love to hang out at Orschelin (formerly Wheeler’s when I was little!) to check out the chicks and ducks they sell and pretend to drive the lawn mowers. Papa takes you to the park and lets you help him feed the birds, which you absolutely love. Grammi delights in watching you guys out the window, hand-in-hand, taking care of Papa’s feathered friends. You still treasure your special “Marysville toys” and Papa lays them all out by the fireplace before we arrive. Of course, your special treat there is watching Cinderella, which your grandparents can now quote word for word! Your great gram recently moved into the nursing home and we’ve made several visits for you to pass out stickers to the residents and even dyed Easter eggs with great gram! We also visited Leavenworth to stay with Grandpa Carl & Grandma Jeanne, who have helped Mommy out SOOO much! They always have new treasures for you and a whole library of Disney movies! You and I and baby Jalen visited Des Moines with Gpa Carl to see your Great Grandparents and the Kellers a few weeks ago. Great Grandma Marge read books to you and you entertained us all with your “lessons” on the Resurrection Eggs we bought at Hobby Lobby. You also recited Psalm 91 for us, which was a special blessing for GG Marge. Other events have included visits to Crown Center to see the Fairy Tale Village, numerous playdates with cousins and friends, a special Disney on Ice date with Daddy and I and our special family icecream dates that we all love so much! Lets see, what else? You’re into “reading” any book you can get your hands on. You love to take center stage and pretend to read each page in a loud voice. Your reading consists of snippets of all the books you can remember and it makes us all smile. Right now, you’re into Bearenstain Bears books. Grandma Jeanne gave you a whole collection from when Uncle Alex was little. What a treasure! You ask more and more questions about God and it’s really good for me! It makes me think about what we believe and why we believe it. It reminds me that we are all little children learning something new every day. You continue to have a sweet spirit, a definite flair for the dramatic, an earnest desire to help others, and a growing awareness of people in need. You insisted that we pass out hand warmers to the “Tax Time” guy that stands on Roe Ave. every day because we thought he might be homeless and it was cold out. You love to sing in a high pitched voice, especially in church. Your special song with Daddy is an 80’s hair band song – I’ll Never Let You Go. He sang it to you when you were in my tummy. It’s so sweet to hear you sing it.
There’s so much more to say but I’ll have to close for now. Lately, I’ve had that Steven Curtis Chapman song in my mind – “Cinderella.” It could’ve been written for you! Makes me cry every time. Even though our patience is sometimes short because of lack of sleep with a newborn around, we hope to savor each moment together. It is so sweet how you say Jalen's name. Mostly you call him "baby brother." You are very protective of him, too! We love experiencing each day with you, sweet girl!
First of all, I want to say you are an awesome big sister! We’ll never forget your reaction when you met your baby brother for the first time. We had him waiting in his crib (which used to be yours) and when you walked in your eyes lit up and you said, “It’s my baby!!!” Your brother Jalen decided to come into the world on a snowy Sunday morning. I had been up with you most of the night as you were sick. It broke my heart to have to leave you to rush to the hospital, but our wonderful neighbor Gerilyn came quickly to take care of you so Daddy didn’t have to deliver the baby in the car! Then, Grammi and Papa took you to Marysville for a few days so you could get well and be with your baby brother. That’s when they brought you back and you discovered him in the crib. Here’s a pic of your first meeting. Even though we have a newborn in the house, we’ve gotten to do so many fun things this spring! We’ve spent some really fun times in Marysville making our own fun. You love to hang out at Orschelin (formerly Wheeler’s when I was little!) to check out the chicks and ducks they sell and pretend to drive the lawn mowers. Papa takes you to the park and lets you help him feed the birds, which you absolutely love. Grammi delights in watching you guys out the window, hand-in-hand, taking care of Papa’s feathered friends. You still treasure your special “Marysville toys” and Papa lays them all out by the fireplace before we arrive. Of course, your special treat there is watching Cinderella, which your grandparents can now quote word for word! Your great gram recently moved into the nursing home and we’ve made several visits for you to pass out stickers to the residents and even dyed Easter eggs with great gram! We also visited Leavenworth to stay with Grandpa Carl & Grandma Jeanne, who have helped Mommy out SOOO much! They always have new treasures for you and a whole library of Disney movies! You and I and baby Jalen visited Des Moines with Gpa Carl to see your Great Grandparents and the Kellers a few weeks ago. Great Grandma Marge read books to you and you entertained us all with your “lessons” on the Resurrection Eggs we bought at Hobby Lobby. You also recited Psalm 91 for us, which was a special blessing for GG Marge. Other events have included visits to Crown Center to see the Fairy Tale Village, numerous playdates with cousins and friends, a special Disney on Ice date with Daddy and I and our special family icecream dates that we all love so much! Lets see, what else? You’re into “reading” any book you can get your hands on. You love to take center stage and pretend to read each page in a loud voice. Your reading consists of snippets of all the books you can remember and it makes us all smile. Right now, you’re into Bearenstain Bears books. Grandma Jeanne gave you a whole collection from when Uncle Alex was little. What a treasure! You ask more and more questions about God and it’s really good for me! It makes me think about what we believe and why we believe it. It reminds me that we are all little children learning something new every day. You continue to have a sweet spirit, a definite flair for the dramatic, an earnest desire to help others, and a growing awareness of people in need. You insisted that we pass out hand warmers to the “Tax Time” guy that stands on Roe Ave. every day because we thought he might be homeless and it was cold out. You love to sing in a high pitched voice, especially in church. Your special song with Daddy is an 80’s hair band song – I’ll Never Let You Go. He sang it to you when you were in my tummy. It’s so sweet to hear you sing it.
There’s so much more to say but I’ll have to close for now. Lately, I’ve had that Steven Curtis Chapman song in my mind – “Cinderella.” It could’ve been written for you! Makes me cry every time. Even though our patience is sometimes short because of lack of sleep with a newborn around, we hope to savor each moment together. It is so sweet how you say Jalen's name. Mostly you call him "baby brother." You are very protective of him, too! We love experiencing each day with you, sweet girl!
Happy 2010, Sweet Girl!
Dear Josephine,
This will probably be the last note I leave for you before your baby brother appears on the scene. He's due to show up February 26th, but it could be any day. You've been so excited to tell people about how you're going to be a big sister in February. You're always talking to "Baby Brother" (that's what you think his name is) through my belly. You love to include him in our conversations, sing to him, ask his opinion on things, etc. In fact, you've been singing this made up version of Jesus Loves Me for him. Kind of a make-it-up-as-you-go song that's different every time. You look very intense as you sing it. It makes me smile. You're definitely potty trained and so proud of that. It happened on our trip to Utah over Christmas. We had a great time visiting Uncle Simon, Aunt Cydni and their dogs Madison, Juan and Larry. January and early February have been filled with everyday things -- learning more each day at Little Sprouts with Miss Natalie, Mr. David and Miss Laverne, the greatest teachers ever! (when I pick you up, you always ask "Mommy, how was your day at Hallmark?") New Years Eve with the Poloncheks, playdates with the Frankos and Morrises, Logan and baby Dorothy Vanecek (you LOVE little babies and always want to "pet" them), evening get-togethers with other families, a few trips to the Matt Ross community center play room, and a trip to Marysville where you stayed with Gammi and Papa while Mom and Dad got some much needed R&R. We've been renovating our attic and you love to guess which worker you hear each day upstairs. (Is it "Austin the electrician? Shawn the plumber? Craig the carpenter?") You call them all "the mens" who work upstairs. You're always sweet-talking daddy into taking you up there when he gives tours to our friends. Oh, I mustn't forget you saw your first movie with Brooky, your favorite neighbor. It was "Princess and the Frog." You were mesmerized from the moment we walked into the theater and you saw the giant screen. There were some scary parts, but daddy held you and you were brave. We all ate popcorn and junior mints and had a fun time. Speaking of princesses, you are still absolutely enthralled with playing the princess role (which mainly means twirling around in a dress and feeling "lovely"). Your daddy reminds you every day how very beautiful you are both inside and out. I know this special love from your daddy is a gift that you'll carry the rest of your life and I wish every child could know that kind of love. The other day you said the sweetest thing: "Mommy, God made me beautiful!" It just melted my heart and I wanted to remember it forever. Well, Mommy is feeling really sentimental these days about you not being her only little one anymore. I know it's going to take some adjusting for both of us, but we'll make a great family of four! I think you're going to be such a helpful big sister and I've been praying that even with a little brother in the house, you'll still know how very special you are to your dad and I. You are our first-born -- the one who has reminded us that the world is full of everyday wonders. What a precious gift you are, precious girl!
Christmas is coming...You're so much fun!
Dear Josephine,
A few things from your 2-year-old life
that I want to always remember.First, I don’t know when you started this,
but every morning when we hear you wake up
in your room and I come in to get you,
you say in the sweetest little sing-song voice,
“Is the sun up?” and I say “Yes it is!”
I hope I never forget how your voice sounds when you say that.
Maybe we’ll get it on video one of these days.
Next, you’ve really gotten into playing pretend
and dressing up. A few weeks ago the outfit you put
together was just priceless. Clothes that didn’t match
with a tutu on over them. These sunglasses that strap
onto your head like goggles, thick socks and one Cinderella
shoe (a plastic glass slipper) ‘cause everyone knows
she lost the other one. Watching you walk around the house
like that is just priceless.
You’ve also become obsessed with this game
lately that you call “Tear.” It’s from a book
of princess stories that the Yardleys gave you.
You love this one story called “The Mice Save the Day.”
You love this one story called “The Mice Save the Day.”
It’s about how Cinderella’s mice friends make
a beautiful dress for her but her stepsister Drizella
“tears” her beads and beautiful dress to shreds.
Then she runs to a stone bench in the garden
Then she runs to a stone bench in the garden
and weeps until the Fairy Godmother finds her
to help her get to the ball. You always want me
to play Drizella and pretend to tear your dress
and then you run to the stone bench and “weep.”
and then you run to the stone bench and “weep.”
I’m guessing you might be into theater when
you get a little older. Oh, and another thing,
you absolutely LIVE in this purple dance costume
dress that Grammi and Papa got on a garage sale.
That’s the “Cinderella” dress you wear.
dress that Grammi and Papa got on a garage sale.
That’s the “Cinderella” dress you wear.
And if you keep your pull-up dry all day,
you’re allowed to wear the dress bed over your PJs.
It’s a great potty training incentive.
It’s a great potty training incentive.
You truly believe you’re a princess
when you put that dress on.
We’ve started a few new Christmas traditions this year,
when you put that dress on.
We’ve started a few new Christmas traditions this year,
now that you kind of know what’s going on.
Each night (or at least when we remember)
you get to light a candle on our Advent wreath.
Then we read a little devotional that I wrote awhile ago
to help families prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
Then, your favorite part is putting together this nativity puzzle
that I hope you’ll be able to keep someday for your family.
Sometimes you ask if we can practice singing
Sometimes you ask if we can practice singing
Happy Birthday for Jesus’ birthday.
And then, you get to blow the candles out
and you’re always fascinated by the smoke.
Lastly (for now) something funny
Lastly (for now) something funny
about your first real encounter with Santa.
It was in his new little house in Marysville
and you weren’t afraid to go up and sit on
his lap. You told him you wanted a pink
princess bicycle and then Mrs. Claus
gave you a candy cane. When we walked
out of his house, you looked at the candy cane
out of his house, you looked at the candy cane
and then looked up at me and said,
“Where’s my bike?”
Guess we forgot to tell you that he
Guess we forgot to tell you that he
doesn’t actually bring your gifts
until Christmas morning! I'm sure there'll
until Christmas morning! I'm sure there'll
be more to tell when the holidays are over.
Right now,we're in Salt Lake City visiting
Uncle Simon and Aunt Cydni and just enjoying
being together as a family!
Autumn Adventures
Can't let another month go by without an update on your life. First of all, you're totally into Disney princesses. One of your favorite things to do is sit on our laps and look at princesses on the computer. You love hearing stories about Belle, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella and Ariel. In fact, we recently moved you into your "big girl" room with princess sheets and princess decorations. Your daddy spent a whole afternoon decorating for the big move and surprised you and your mom! You're also really into the characters from Disney's "Cars" -- another favorite computer activity. Other favorites of late: meatballs, STILL peanut butter toast, dum dum suckers, broccoli, graham crackers, M&M's, juice boxes and rice. You have this thing with snacking in the car (probably get it from your mom.) Whenever i pick you up from school or we get in the car to go anywhere, you say, "What do you have for me in the car?" Speaking of cars, we've taken some great road trips and have more planned for November. Close to home, we joined Gma and Gpa DeRuyscher, Uncle Doug & Aunt Sue in Leavenworth for Riverfest in September. You loved walking around and playing games to win candy and other little prizes. We went to Minneapolis in early October to see the Royals close out the baseball season against the Twins in the Metrodome. They were the last games the Twins will ever play in the Metrodome, so it was cool to be there. Some nice guy sitting behind us made balloon animals for you and some other nice guy gave you a foul ball, which will be a real keepsake. You loved getting to stay in the hotel and visit the pool with your Dora swimming suit on. You still aren't sure about getting all the way in the water, though. You were officially "potty trained" in October, always getting excited to add another sticker to your Potty Chart. However, in the last week, you've decided to ditch the potty and go back to diapers. We're told we should not panic about this -- that you'll come around. We're waiting patiently and trying not to nag you too much! We took you to World's of Fun on a very cold day for mommy's Camp Quality reunion. The three of us walked around for a bit, took a train ride, shared a hot pretzel and headed home. It was SO cold but fun to be bundled up together! You got your 2-year shots (a little late) and you were VERY brave! You are now a healthy 30 lbs. and full of energy. Instead of walking or running to go places, you sort of skip and hop around. It's very cute. We think this might be influenced by the dance classes you're taking at Fairy Tale Ballet. You and your new friends Emmy, Aubrey, and KiKi are so very cute in your tutus, dancing around with Miss Bobbi. You wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween, so Daddy bought you a Cinderella dress and won you a wand at Chucky Cheese. You were so excited to wear your costume. We went trick or treating with the neighbors a bit. Daddy carved us some pumpkins. You enjoyed some candy. We made a great memory. Oh, a couple more things -- you are really excited to be a big sister in February and you've named your brother Grommit. You like to pat him and you sometimes try to feed him through mommy's belly button. You also request his help in brushing your hair and teeth and other things like that. You're going to be a really helpful big sister! You continue to LOVE to read and Thomas the Tank Engine is a new favorite. You like reading books that your mom and dad loved when they were little. You are still hooked on Diego and you're allowed to watch him in the morning and sometimes at night if you've made good choices during the day. Your daddy is delighted that you've taken a liking to the song "Angel Eyes," which he used to sing to you in Mommy's tummy. You can sing along now and it's so cute listening to you two and your 80's music. Probably our favorite thing you do right now is to say out of the blue, "Mommy" or "Daddy" -- "I love you." November is going to be a fun-filled month. We're traveling every weekend! Having you around makes everything an adventure!
Summer Memories For Josi-Bear
Things you say that make us smile:
"Nice to MEET you!"
"Mommy, can we pray for that guy?" (when passing random people in the car)
"Do you want to join me?"
"I got a “froat” in my mouth." (instead of “frog in my throat”)
"Put your heart over your hand." (in a patriotic moment)
(in a VERY intense, quiet voice) "I'm gonna tell you secret. When we wake up from our nap, we're going to...." (various destinations)
"I have another option." (when given the choice between two things that you don't like)
Favorite songs to sing:
Itsy Bitsy Spider is still your most requested song.
Joshua fought the battle of jerichO, jerichO jerichO…(your favorite on the bible tape we listen to in the car)
Old man river, that old man river…he must know somethin’, but he don’t say nuthin…(papa sings this to you. you sing a short version, daddy gets a kick out of how hard you try to hit the high notes)
Names you've given your animals and baby dolls:
Sylvia (raggedy ann doll)
Noni bear
Lion
Bear
Grommit (this is one of your favorite names -- you've suggested it for your baby brother or sister)
Nonnit (a close second to Grommit)
T-Shawn
Summer happenings:
We had lots of fun on your 2nd birthday! Mommy and Daddy’s gift to you was a big inflatable princess castle bouncer in the backyard. You weren’t too sure about jumping in it, but you let daddy and papa hold you and jump in there with you. The kids all had fun, but the adults seemed to enjoy it even more! Grandma Jeanne made a cute baseball bat cake and you requested pizza, so that’s what we had. It was a nice 4th of July celebration with lots of family and friends.
We entertained guests from france in early august – mommy’s French teacher from college, Meg, and her family – Pierre, Jeanne (B.J.) and Ann Ducom.we took them to the Deanna Rose Farmstead and you, Gammi and Papa took them to the Royals game on a Friday night where everyone had a blast and didn’t get to bed ‘til midnight! You and the girls had so much fun playing dress-up and blowing bubbles together, too.
Other fun Royals games: We took your favorite priest, Father Tony, on a Friday night with Gammi and Papa
and we were invited to join Uncle Carl in his awesome suite on a Sunday afternoon!
You took a little vacation to Gammi and Papa’s for 3 days while mom and dad chilled out a bit. You played with your “camper” (a favorite toy that includes two little girls going camping with their sleeping bags. you named them “charli and suzie.”) You made great gram smile. You also spent hours in the swing papa hung up for you, as usual.
You had some nice visits with Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Carl too! They're still among your favorite babysitters -- always bringing you fun socks from their travels and entertaining you for hours. We visited LV when the Haas family was here and you warmed right up to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Raleigh. They brought a Dora memory game for your birthday, which you instantly loved.
Other favorite summer activities have included hanging out with neighbor David and his mom Gerilyn, picking tomatoes from mommy’s lame tomato crop in the garden), getting to know Logan Vanecek (his family just moved to town – his mom introduced your mom and dad to each other a long time ago!), visiting the Jessups in Blue Springs to hang out with cousin charli (of course!) , playing with your “gator golf” set and playing with any kind of ball outside. You love to collect sticks and acorns and give them to people.
We're planning to go to Riverfest this weekend in Leavenworth and have a slumber party at Grandma and Grandpa's house. You're sure to have a blast with your Aunt Sue and Uncle Doug, Gma and Gpa D.
Favorite books right now:
The Princess and Fairy books Uncle Doug and Aunt Sue gave you.
Each Peach Pear Plum (from our French guests)
Dora’s Sharing Day
Blue’s Clues (something about tomato soup)
Dr. Seuss books at Gammi and Papa’s
Daddy has taken you on quite a few TCBY dates. You two are definitely ice cream buddies.
You’ve really gotten into princesses (and your mom was a tomboy!) You like to use your magic wand to turn mommy into a princess and then have me turn you into a princess. Here’s a typical conversation:
Josi (as fairy godmother with wand): Bibbity-bobbity-BOO!
I turned you into a princess!
Mommy: Can I have a purple dress?
Josi: No, I’m sorry, we’re out. We only have pink.
You love to be helpful. Offering people water bottles, tissues, or a bite of whatever you’re eating.
You are just starting to use the potty, but we have a little way to go.
Your incentive is always that you can wear a princess “pull-up” if you go.
You’re not really into swimming. We haven’t visited a pool all summer! Hopefully next year. We DID go miniature golfing for the first time. Daddy showed you a few things. You used your putter for about 3 holes and then just ran around and picked up our balls while we were playing.
You have an incredible memory and an ability to recognize things you've only seen a few times before.
You are a definite observer - often stepping away from the others in a group to just watch and soak things in.
You're quite independent and you have a sweet nature. One of my favorite things you do is to spontaneously tell us you love us. We couldn't feel more blessed.
"Nice to MEET you!"
"Mommy, can we pray for that guy?" (when passing random people in the car)
"Do you want to join me?"
"I got a “froat” in my mouth." (instead of “frog in my throat”)
"Put your heart over your hand." (in a patriotic moment)
(in a VERY intense, quiet voice) "I'm gonna tell you secret. When we wake up from our nap, we're going to...." (various destinations)
"I have another option." (when given the choice between two things that you don't like)
Favorite songs to sing:
Itsy Bitsy Spider is still your most requested song.
Joshua fought the battle of jerichO, jerichO jerichO…(your favorite on the bible tape we listen to in the car)
Old man river, that old man river…he must know somethin’, but he don’t say nuthin…(papa sings this to you. you sing a short version, daddy gets a kick out of how hard you try to hit the high notes)
Names you've given your animals and baby dolls:
Sylvia (raggedy ann doll)
Noni bear
Lion
Bear
Grommit (this is one of your favorite names -- you've suggested it for your baby brother or sister)
Nonnit (a close second to Grommit)
T-Shawn
Summer happenings:
We had lots of fun on your 2nd birthday! Mommy and Daddy’s gift to you was a big inflatable princess castle bouncer in the backyard. You weren’t too sure about jumping in it, but you let daddy and papa hold you and jump in there with you. The kids all had fun, but the adults seemed to enjoy it even more! Grandma Jeanne made a cute baseball bat cake and you requested pizza, so that’s what we had. It was a nice 4th of July celebration with lots of family and friends.
We entertained guests from france in early august – mommy’s French teacher from college, Meg, and her family – Pierre, Jeanne (B.J.) and Ann Ducom.we took them to the Deanna Rose Farmstead and you, Gammi and Papa took them to the Royals game on a Friday night where everyone had a blast and didn’t get to bed ‘til midnight! You and the girls had so much fun playing dress-up and blowing bubbles together, too.
Other fun Royals games: We took your favorite priest, Father Tony, on a Friday night with Gammi and Papa
and we were invited to join Uncle Carl in his awesome suite on a Sunday afternoon!
You took a little vacation to Gammi and Papa’s for 3 days while mom and dad chilled out a bit. You played with your “camper” (a favorite toy that includes two little girls going camping with their sleeping bags. you named them “charli and suzie.”) You made great gram smile. You also spent hours in the swing papa hung up for you, as usual.
You had some nice visits with Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Carl too! They're still among your favorite babysitters -- always bringing you fun socks from their travels and entertaining you for hours. We visited LV when the Haas family was here and you warmed right up to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Raleigh. They brought a Dora memory game for your birthday, which you instantly loved.
Other favorite summer activities have included hanging out with neighbor David and his mom Gerilyn, picking tomatoes from mommy’s lame tomato crop in the garden), getting to know Logan Vanecek (his family just moved to town – his mom introduced your mom and dad to each other a long time ago!), visiting the Jessups in Blue Springs to hang out with cousin charli (of course!) , playing with your “gator golf” set and playing with any kind of ball outside. You love to collect sticks and acorns and give them to people.
We're planning to go to Riverfest this weekend in Leavenworth and have a slumber party at Grandma and Grandpa's house. You're sure to have a blast with your Aunt Sue and Uncle Doug, Gma and Gpa D.
Favorite books right now:
The Princess and Fairy books Uncle Doug and Aunt Sue gave you.
Each Peach Pear Plum (from our French guests)
Dora’s Sharing Day
Blue’s Clues (something about tomato soup)
Dr. Seuss books at Gammi and Papa’s
Daddy has taken you on quite a few TCBY dates. You two are definitely ice cream buddies.
You’ve really gotten into princesses (and your mom was a tomboy!) You like to use your magic wand to turn mommy into a princess and then have me turn you into a princess. Here’s a typical conversation:
Josi (as fairy godmother with wand): Bibbity-bobbity-BOO!
I turned you into a princess!
Mommy: Can I have a purple dress?
Josi: No, I’m sorry, we’re out. We only have pink.
You love to be helpful. Offering people water bottles, tissues, or a bite of whatever you’re eating.
You are just starting to use the potty, but we have a little way to go.
Your incentive is always that you can wear a princess “pull-up” if you go.
You’re not really into swimming. We haven’t visited a pool all summer! Hopefully next year. We DID go miniature golfing for the first time. Daddy showed you a few things. You used your putter for about 3 holes and then just ran around and picked up our balls while we were playing.
You have an incredible memory and an ability to recognize things you've only seen a few times before.
You are a definite observer - often stepping away from the others in a group to just watch and soak things in.
You're quite independent and you have a sweet nature. One of my favorite things you do is to spontaneously tell us you love us. We couldn't feel more blessed.
Dear Josephine...(an update on your life)
a few things i want you to know about yourself when you were two..you can recite the pledge of allegiance and sing all the words to "grand old flag." in fact, whenever you hear anyone say "heart", you tell us all to put our hands over our hearts. you've undoubtedly learned this at school. you can also sing all the words to both verses of "you are my sunshine." i can't begin to count how many times we've sung that song together.....................so, about june...so much happens in a month!
early in june, we had our first annual neighborhood block party. you had a blast running with all your new friends and eating popsicles. you met your new best friends on the block, brooke and abby. they're 9 and you think they're the cat's meow. (so does your mom, cause they come over and play with you sometimes and i get a little house cleaning done!) we've discovered IHOP, you and I, and i don't mean the pancake place. It's called the International House of Prayer and it's a place where people sing and pray together all day and all night long. tonight we went for awhile and you joined the other kids in a little section they've created for dancing to worship music. you danced your heart out and i have a feeling you'll want to go back...we also went to homer's coffee shop "pickin' on the patio" where they play bluegrass and gospel music and have an open mic outdoors on monday nights. you enjoyed it and even requested a few songs. they had you come to the mic to sing "twinkle twinkle" and afterward you wanted "itsy bitsy spider!!!" so we sang them together. ..this month we visited des moines, iowa to see your great grandparents, great aunt and uncle sue and doug. i think ggma marge and ggpa oliver really enjoyed having us. you always make them smile. ggpa oliver even went to the zoo. according to the rest of the family, this was a miracle as he doesn't like to get out much. we all loved watching you run around and get so excited about the animals. speaking of zoos, we took you and your cousin charlize ( you call her char char) to the omaha zoo last week. it was a great family vacation. you girls got to swim in the hotel pool and we all shared a room. we spent the next day at the zoo and then drove to marysville that night for a fly-in and memorial dedication at the airport for one of my old classmates who died when we were younger. there were lots of people there and you sat in cousin chris grauer's helicopter. we saw skydivers too and ate free hotdogs. then that night, we went to hanover, ks for one of the greatest fireworks displays any of us had ever seen (even your daddy!) you weren't sure what to think about the bright lights and loud booms so you snuggled up to daddy and just peeked out every once in awhile. afterward, though, you decided you'd liked them. you and charli loved swimming in the pool that grammi had waiting at their house for you. (at one point you went all the way under water accidentally. but you were a brave girl the next day and got back in!) grammi and papa weren't home, but jenn, alan and charli, your daddy, you and i took over the house and had a lot of fun together. you continue to love hanging out with our little neighbor, david, and you two are always looking for each other when we're outside. he got a swing set which you LOVE to play on. you can see it from our porch and you remind me often. you know that you're going to be 2 on julyyyyy fourth (that's how you say it). you also know that's the day we say "bye bye to sassy." your mom had the brilliant idea to have you let you of your pacifiers that day. not really looking forward to it. we've told you they're going to live at another house like the kitties did. in a nutshell, josephine, you are an absolute joy.
early in june, we had our first annual neighborhood block party. you had a blast running with all your new friends and eating popsicles. you met your new best friends on the block, brooke and abby. they're 9 and you think they're the cat's meow. (so does your mom, cause they come over and play with you sometimes and i get a little house cleaning done!) we've discovered IHOP, you and I, and i don't mean the pancake place. It's called the International House of Prayer and it's a place where people sing and pray together all day and all night long. tonight we went for awhile and you joined the other kids in a little section they've created for dancing to worship music. you danced your heart out and i have a feeling you'll want to go back...we also went to homer's coffee shop "pickin' on the patio" where they play bluegrass and gospel music and have an open mic outdoors on monday nights. you enjoyed it and even requested a few songs. they had you come to the mic to sing "twinkle twinkle" and afterward you wanted "itsy bitsy spider!!!" so we sang them together. ..this month we visited des moines, iowa to see your great grandparents, great aunt and uncle sue and doug. i think ggma marge and ggpa oliver really enjoyed having us. you always make them smile. ggpa oliver even went to the zoo. according to the rest of the family, this was a miracle as he doesn't like to get out much. we all loved watching you run around and get so excited about the animals. speaking of zoos, we took you and your cousin charlize ( you call her char char) to the omaha zoo last week. it was a great family vacation. you girls got to swim in the hotel pool and we all shared a room. we spent the next day at the zoo and then drove to marysville that night for a fly-in and memorial dedication at the airport for one of my old classmates who died when we were younger. there were lots of people there and you sat in cousin chris grauer's helicopter. we saw skydivers too and ate free hotdogs. then that night, we went to hanover, ks for one of the greatest fireworks displays any of us had ever seen (even your daddy!) you weren't sure what to think about the bright lights and loud booms so you snuggled up to daddy and just peeked out every once in awhile. afterward, though, you decided you'd liked them. you and charli loved swimming in the pool that grammi had waiting at their house for you. (at one point you went all the way under water accidentally. but you were a brave girl the next day and got back in!) grammi and papa weren't home, but jenn, alan and charli, your daddy, you and i took over the house and had a lot of fun together. you continue to love hanging out with our little neighbor, david, and you two are always looking for each other when we're outside. he got a swing set which you LOVE to play on. you can see it from our porch and you remind me often. you know that you're going to be 2 on julyyyyy fourth (that's how you say it). you also know that's the day we say "bye bye to sassy." your mom had the brilliant idea to have you let you of your pacifiers that day. not really looking forward to it. we've told you they're going to live at another house like the kitties did. in a nutshell, josephine, you are an absolute joy.
You have your own voice now...
Well, Josephine, we've reached the point that I can't keep making up a blog voice for you. You've definitely found your OWN voice, so from now on, these entries will be from your mom to you to help you remember the first years of your sweet life. It probably won't be as much fun for everyone else to read, but i hope it will be a keepsake for you one day. So much has happened since our last entry. We took you to your first carnival (in downtown Mission) and you rode what you referred to as the "steering wheel" (ferris wheel). After riding the carousel and a little car kiddie ride twice, you went home and threw up in your crib. What were we thinking?!? Anyway, it's a memory we'll always chuckle at...You've fallen in love with the stadium, Slugger, the carousel, and your favorite player -- Billy Butler. You talk about all of them quite a bit...You also love Dora the Explorer, which you watch faithfully every morning...You love to play pretend games -- pretend to drive to sonic and order a drink for everyone, pretend to drive to Hyvee, pretend to serve us all kinds of interesting concoctions from your kitchen - most frequently coffees of all sorts (which is what you always hear mom order-- my favorite is your term for decaf -- "de-coffee") You also serve chocolate, peaches, medium diet cherry coke, pancakes (of course), birthday cake, salad, and countless other favorites. You continue to develop an extensive vocabulary that now includes things like "are you SERIOUS?" -- "i'll come back to see you!" -- "pat me, mommy" (when you want your back patted) -- "i go to hyvee and ride in the SPECIAL cart!" (the one with steering wheels) -- "my birthday is july fourth" -- "there's a tiny little bit in there" (referring to the milk in your sippy cup) -- the list goes on...We've been spending a lot of time with Jenn and Charli. You girls get so excited to see each other and then you bicker just like aunt jenn and i did when we were little. But at the end of the day, you love each other. What a blessing to grow up together! You're now going to Little Sprouts only 3 days a week and staying home with me for 2 days, which we both love...You're really into "pretend" calling people and you love to sing all the time. You've become quite independent and you say "do it myself"a lot...You had your first "official" skinned knees today. You cried for about 20 seconds and then decided you'd much rather stay outside and play than go and get a bandaid. We went to the Morrises house for a little Memorial Weekend get-together this evening. You, Izabella and Isaiah have a lot fun together. Oh, and we've been visiting your old babysitters Miss Peggy and her daughter Missy once a week. You've gotten to reconnect with your old "buds" which has been great. You've grown up so much since you used to go there. Daddy took us to St. Louis this weekend to see "different stadium" where the Royals played the Cardinals. Even though the Royals lost, we had a blast together. Well, that's all for now. Going to post some pix!
My New Fish & Other Happenings by Josi D.
Lots of exciting things happening around here -- most notably, I adopted a fish! Mom and I went to Petsmart yesterday and she let me pick out a fish and I named her Dorothy (just like Elmo!) This morning, Dorothy was floating at the bottom of her bowl. Mom says she was sleeping in so we were really quiet and didn't disturb her. When I got home from school today, I noticed that Dorothy looked really different. I pointed and said, "DIFFERENT Dorothy." Did mom think I wouldn't notice that it was another fish? I guess the other one went on vacation... Daddy's been working so hard preparing for opening day, but he calls and comes home whenever he can. We know his hard work will pay off when opening day comes in 3 more days! I'm pumped about checking out the new stadium! A few other thing i'm excited about...I love to make "towers." This usually involves pulling all the clothes out of my dresser drawers and piling them up really high. I'm also really into pancakes--eating them and pretending to make them. Been saying some silly things. For some reason, I keep telling mom: "No clothes for YOU." I went to my very first official "playdate" with 4 boys! Their moms marveled at how much I talk. Like a typical girl, I was the chatty cathy of the group while the boys just wanted to throw balls and run around. I've been enjoying some great visits from the grandparents. For awhile there, they were staying a lot and mom was acting really lazy. Now she feels better and she's chasing me around again. We had a slumber party at the Jessups last Friday and went to visit Miss Peggy too. Gotta sign off for now. More soon...Night Night!
springing forward
i've decided to take time out of my busy day to write this for uncle carl. dad says he actually reads our blog, so he deserves a shout out! THANKS, UNCLE CARL! we've been having some awesome spring weather so me and the Little Sprouts are playing outside a lot at school. daddy and i play in the yard with the ball. i'm getting pretty good at throwing. On chilly evenings, mom and i invent things to do until daddy gets home. Most recently, mom turned a cardboard box into a playhouse for me. i think she's WAY more into i than i am. she has fond memories of the one she had when she was little. i have to admit, it's pretty fun to have my own place. had my 15 month check-up the other day (even tho i'm 20 months...we've been slackin'). got 3 shots but i was brave. papa came in with us, so he helped me feel better fast. i'm officially 25 pounds, and in the 75th percentile for height, so still considering athletics or maybe i'll just be a tall ballerina. the doctor asked if i have at least 20 words in my vocabulary. mom laughed cause i'm so chatty, they've lost count. did i mention that mommy has a baby in her tummy? sometimes i ask daddy if he has one too. i'm going to have a new brother or sister in september. not sure what that means, but i'll understand soon enough, i guess! i'm really starting to talk on the phone to people. before, i would just stare at the phone when they talked. but now, i chat them up. also, if you come over, it's likely i will want to read to you. yeah, people used to read to me, but that was soooo last year. now, i pick up my favorite books and just string together snippets of words i remember. guess it's pretty entertaining. we went to Taste of Leavenworth last weekend. It's a benefit auction that grandma and grandpa d. help with every year. they had great food to sample and so many people to watch. my favorite was a little coin funnel. it kept me mesmerized all evening as i mooched pennies and nickels off of people so i could drop them in. plus, my buddies aunt sue and uncle doug were there! yesterday, we had breakfast with the shums -- karmen,justin and kathy. they're so much fun. they always pay attention to me and there's always a lot of laughter and story-telling when they're around. here are a few photos. oh, speaking of photos, check out what mom caught me doing the other day. she said i could take ONE kleenex, but i just enjoyed pulling it out so much, i couldn't stop. going to close for now. we're getting ready to head out for a mexican dinner. until next time...
where did january go?
well, i'll tell ya. for starters, i spent the first month of 2009 getting adjusted to my new "school" (see previous blog :0) much to mom and dad's delight, i went from crying when they dropped me off to crying when they pick me up cause i don't want to leave. a good sign, indeed. i love to say the names of my new friends there: miss natalie, mr. david, miss laverne and all the kids. i'm learning to walk in my green rubber boots with the frog faces on them. when we play outside, we all wear boots. it's my first boot experience. i'll post a pic for you. i'm learning so much -- always coming home singing a new song -- jesus loves me, twinkle twinkle, i'm a little teapot, wheels on the bus, and other things mom and dad can't quite make out yet. other things i'm saying a lot: c'mere pleeeeease!...cutie patootie...amen, ALELULIA! (i shouted this at church with grammi and papa last week)...what happened?...kittie food, daddy said "NO" (indicating daddy's preference that i keep my hands out of the catfood)... MY mommy (as in, not YOUR mommy)...where'd mark and kim go?...mommy be back, daddy be back (when they drop me off at school)...right here!(showing mommy where to put something)... move please!...sit down here...go see OLD PEOPLE (mom says we need to start calling them seniors)...walk AGAIN. i like to put on mommy's stocking hat and grab my purse and other random items and pretend i'm going to mexico. i've decided i like baths cause mom and i always play with letters and numbers in the bathtub and dora and boots take a bath with us. today a package arrived in the mail. it was "helen" -- our dear friend sarah tripp's cabbage patch kid. sarah's husband jack sent helen to me to raise since sarah went home to be with jesus. we became fast friends, helen and i. i was delighted to discover she has a belly button too! oh, i also love serving people from my play kitchen--food and drinks of whatever sort. i often ask mom to get the coffee pot out (which i call a teapot) so that i can offer the good stuff. oh! i've fallen in love with the moon. tonight mom got the cutest picture of me reaching for the moon. she and dad think its cool that i think i can actually reach it. they say if more adults were like that, they would dream more and doubt less. whatever. too deep for me at this point. i'm just reachin' for the moon.
I'm a Lil' Sprout!
Announcing my first official week at Lil' Sprouts Montessori Daycare/Preschool. I'm not gonna lie, people -- it has been rough. Well, mostly in the mornings as i cling to mom and dad and cry "don't like it!" as they run out the door feeling guilty. However, the truth is, Miss Natalie says i'm happy most of the day, learning and interacting with the other kids (who are all different ethnicities --a bonus point with mom and dad). I've learned to sleep on a little mat at nap time. We all have our own spot that we sleep in every day. Miss N. turns the lights down low and plays soothing music and makes it smell really good. The only problem is,i can only have my pacifier and blanky during naptime, and it's been like quitting smoking cold turkey when she takes it away. I'm adjusting, but dang, it's hard. Mom says i'll thank them one day when other kids are still trying to quit. Whatever. So how did we find Lil' Sprouts school? Mom and Dad had been praying for a long time to find just the right little place to continue loving care i received from miss peggy during my first year of life. They were feeling like i was ready for the next step. One day, Mom was at our favorite coffehouse (Homers) and she found a business card for Miss Natalie Nelson's Lil'Sprouts Montessori Preschool -- Nature Based, Christ-centered, a little urban farm in the city -- mom and dad loved the sound of it! So, we visited and found a beautiful log home with a huge backyard that has raised garden beds, a green house, a big tree house, little fish ponds and best of all CHICKENS!! Miss Natalie is a really neat lady. She, her new husband, Mr. David, and her housemate Miss Laverne are the teachers. There's a neat little kitchen where we learn to cook organic foods and even to recycle! (mom loves it that this place is granola!) We kids have an "egg business" that includes collecting eggs from the chicken coop, putting them in cartons, and selling them to our parents. We have "circle time" where we sit cross-legged on mats and Miss N. says i'm good about sitting still and paying attention. We learn praise songs, things like days of the week and months of the year. Unless it is bitter cold, we go outside for awhile in the afternoon. We wear slippers inside and rubber boots to run around in outside. Mine are green and look like frogs. Well, gotta run. Week #2 is coming up. We're enjoying spending the weekend as a family!
Christmas 2008
We had a delightful holiday week! Mom says it’s one of the most relaxing she can remember. It started Sunday as we headed to Gammi and Papa’s (notice I changed her name to “Gammi,” so mom says we’ll go with that). I ate all kinds of good things (as usual) and we went to some fun parties – at the Bradfords I played with my new friends Reece and Ava Gray. Christmas eve we went to church and mom and I joined the procession of children who brought the baby Jesus up to the manger. Then, we went to Great Gram’s house for dinner and to open our stockings and a few gifts, too. I got a “cell phone” from Great Gram and a baby doll from Gammi and Papa. To mom’s delight the baby is not Caucasian (she wants me grow up appreciating many different ethnicities!) We named him Moses and now he has a brother T-Shawn, which I named after one of Grandma Jeanne’s friend’s sons. Afterward, I entertained everyone at the Shums with my favorite yoga position – the down dog! We headed for Leavenworth Christmas morning to see Grandpa Carl & Grandma Jeanne & Uncle Alex. We all gathered around the tree to open gifts – I opened some cool new books and then ran off with them while everyone else opened their gifts. Finally, they lured me back in and I discovered all sorts of goodies – even a high chair and a cradle for my baby dolls! We watched daddy played in an alumni basketball tournament at IMAC. I wasn’t sure at first about the whistles and the buzzer and daddy being jostled around out there, but then I decided it was pretty fun to run around the bleachers and watch people. As we watched, I kept saying, “Go Daddy!” He loved having us there. In the last week, my vocabulary has exploded. I like to say, “C’mere!” and “OH MY GOSH!” “I see you!” (which I kept saying at Christmas eve mass in the cry room). I like to point at the dollar bill and say “George Washington.” I like bust out singing “Happy Birthday, Jesus” like mom taught me at Christmas. Tomorrow is my last day with Miss Peggy before I begin Lil’s Sprouts next week. Mom and Dad are praying for a smooth transition!
From the desk of Josephine:
OK, I’m WAYYYY behind with my blog update. Mom and Dad have been dragging me all over creation (actually, being a true socialite, I love it!) Most recently, we spent a week together in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Our generous friend Jack gave us a week in his timeshare! Here are a coupla pix. I learned some Spanish and said HOLA over and over. Other favorites were: Buenos Dias, Buenos Noches, and Josefina (the name of my new Mexican doll). Our room was really nice with 2 balconies that I loved to play on. However, I just wanted to be outside ALL the time.“Outside! Outside!” I kept saying. And also “Elevator! Ding-dong.” I LOVE the elevator and the sound it makes. Still not sure about the water. I usually resist it and then end up having a good time in the pool. DEFINITELY didn’t like the wet sand on my feet. I saw the ocean for the first time, which was really cool.Mom and Dad took a MILLION pictures. Grammi and Papa flew down and spent a few days with me so mom and dad could have enjoy some romantic outings together. Whatever. I don't know how they could stand to be without me. I'm becoming quite independent and i prefer to go where i want to go. If you want to me walk left, i'll probably go right. I enjoy the word NO. Mom says i'm establishing my boundaries. Dad says i'm just being a turd like he was when he was my age. When we got home from mexico Grammi and Papa and Grandma Jeanne came to church with us for the annual Christmas program -- Walk to the Manger, so we could be reminded why we're celebrating. Then, we had a little "pre-Christmas" dinner at our house. Everyone else cooked and brought stuff over and we ate it. Good deal for us, huh! Oh, also, before we went to Mexico, we headed up to Lincoln to celebrate the Kopetzky Christmas at Aunt Julie’s house. As always, we had a blast. I played with my cousins since I could actually run around this year and get into all kinds of mischief. Oh, and before THAT we went to Des Moines for the annual Thanksgiving gathering with the Kellers and Great Grandma and Grouchy Great Grandpa. Everyone doted on me, fed me stuff and played cards together like always. Next week we head for another tour -- Marysville until Christmas day and then Leavenworth for the rest of the week. Guess what!?! I start Montessori school -- "Lil' Sprouts" with Miss Natalie on January 5th! There are chickens, bunnies, a real tree house, a green house, organic garden, and lots of other farm-y granola stuff mom loves. Also, Miss Natalie loves Jesus, so she'll carry on Miss Peggy's loving Christian care. Merry Christmas!!!
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