Spitting

Add to the list of niceties for the week: Caleb has started spitting. At the conclusion of mealtime he and I are covered in tiny droplets of a spit, food mixture. It is lovely. Truly lovely.

We had music class today and Jonathan was much more participatory than he was last time. He really loved the instruments and the "up and moving" songs.

From the land of throwing and spitting, I bid farewell...

Phases

Life is full of seasons. When children go through seasons, we call them phases. Maybe that is because we desperately hope that the "phase" will be shorter than what we perceive a season to be.

Current phase in our house (for Jonathan): throwing. Not innocent, boys will be boys, throwing. Willfully defiant throwing. Throwing to see if I'll follow throw on a consequence. Ha! It took a little mental preparation for me to begin this battle yesterday, but I am still going strong and will not be defeated. Throw balls all you want, but do not throw toys at people in this house.

It seems as though the throwing is just his chosen vice for testing the waters around here. I am reminded of last summer's long, long process of teaching him not to enter the street. He is tired from a very hectic weekend with little sleep and this adds to his mood and his defiance (more on the weekend after I get some photos).

Patience and perseverance... God is teaching me these lovely lessons, ONCE again, through my children.

Sisters

What could be more perfect than having a sister? Having a sister who also happens to have a boy the same age as your boys. Carla came to visit last week and it was great fun! Jacob is energetic, smiley, and all together loveable. We had a great time visiting the zoo, heading to the park, getting sno cones... you get the idea.

Can you imagine the fun that they will have together in the coming years?

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Lana

We stayed with some family friends while we were in Chicago for the wedding. They have over an acre of land that gets mowed so Jonathan had a hayday playing there. Dave and Lana's daughter lives near us and her son, Isaac, is one of Jonathan's playmates. Jonathan started out calling them "Grandma Isaac" and "Grandpa Isaac" but soon changed it to "Grandma Lana" and "Grandpa Dave" after he heard us calling them by their names. Jonathan and Grandpa Dave on the "tractor"
Jonathan wanted to keep his helmet on the whole time he was outside... what a funny kid!

Outside the Aquarium

Jonathan saw this seagull and starting chasing it, saying "seagull, come here! I want to see you." As you can imagine, the seagull complied well...

Fish and Fun

We were in Chicago last weekend for a wedding of Jamie's college roommate. We took the opportunity to visit the Aquarium. Jonathan really liked the dolphins, penguins and this "submarine"...

The name is...

Caleb Thomas was decided upon soon after we found out we were pregnant with our second child. If a boy, that would be the name. If a girl... that was hard and we were only feeling good about our name for the "she" possibility about two weeks before the due date. Alas, we didn't need the girl name: Caleb Thomas arrived and we quickly named him.

Jonathan Samuel was named after Jamie (his middle name is Jonathan) and my father, Samuel. Both men of God whose character I pray that Jonathan emulates. Caleb is a name we liked from the Bible and Thomas is a family name for both sides of the family. Jamie's Uncle Tom is very near to his heart. Jamie lived with Tom and Mary during college for a period of time, and Tom and Mary visited Jamie's family often and were integral parts of their lives. His Uncle Tom exemplifies much of the Godly character that we pray that Caleb develops. We learned even more of Tom's character when they visited this weekend. We had the opportunity to hear about their story as a young married couple, and it convinced me even more(as though I needed any convincing!!) that Caleb is honored to be named after such a man of God.

Aunt Mary and Jonathan "jumping" in the pillows.

Caleb Thomas and his namesake

Jonathan and Uncle Tom

Would you ever believe that Tom is almost eighty (79 to be exact) and Mary is 74? They were jumping in the pillows without hestitation. Add to that the fact that Tom was a victim of cerebral palsy as a child and currently walks with the assistance of a cane. I think few would disagree that these two are delightful children at heart.

Thanks for the wonderful visit, Tom and Mary!

Aww.. how cute!

When looking at certain photos, the sentiment, "Awww... how cute!" is uttered. These are such photos for me: Caleb delights in Jonathan's attention, even when he is on the brink of being decked in the head.

This is one of about five total times that Caleb has slept like this since he was about two weeks old. He has been unwilling to relax for cuddling or sleeping on our shoulders. Jamie was elated to shared this moment with the little guy!

Personalities

Several people that I know comment often about the differences in personality between their first and second born children. It often seems as though the second born is of the laid-back, easy-going variety. Caleb is NOT of that variety. He is loud, in constant motion, and highly sensitive to his surroundings... not easy-going. Jonathan was just like this (minus some of the loud... he was not THIS loud.).

Suffice it to say, I haven't noticed the stark differences between my children like other parents. Until today. We started a Music Together class today. Jonathan has always been a quiet observer in new situations (except the pool - yikes!). He says almost nothing and just watches intently (only to talk incessantly about it at home). Caleb is just getting to the age where his reactions to new, stimulating situations is observable. He is nothing like Jonathan in this regard. He squealed with delight at the music and the clapping. He grabbed for the instruments and shook them with vigor. No sitting back and observing for this kid.

I knew that they would be different, but I am just beginning to see some of the little quirks of Caleb that are unlike Jonathan and it is fun. Each their own little God-given grooves. It will be fun, fun, fun to watch this unfold.

Momma and the Boys

I wanted a picture of the boys in their patriotic outfits and Jamie insisted that I hold the boys, thus being in the photos. It's rare that they are both smiling in three photos so here they are:

If you look closely, you can see Caleb's two little teeth.

The little loud one

Loud is the word for Caleb these days. He is still screeching but not just when I'm out of the room. There are other varied occasions that result in some screeching. It's lovely. God makes them cute to help with some of their less desirable traits (such as the screeching). Here are some of the latest of the cute boy: "Hmm... I really want that toy over there but I can't crawl, yet."
"Oh, Mom!"

"What is up with that bright flash?!?!"

Tyler and Drew

Tyler and Drew are the teenage boys who live next door. One might think that two active teenage boys might be far to busy or disinterested to talk with Jonathan, let alone play with him. Not the case for these two guys. Jonathan will go over and ring their doorbell on occasion and press his face against the window of their door, waiting for "Tywer or Drew." They could not be better neighbors. Drew showing Jonathan the best ways to dribble
Two tough guys :+)

Mommy, I See You!

We have entered a phase with Caleb that provides some challenges. He screams when I am not in sight. Problem: preparing dinner. His play area in the living room is just around the corner, but he cannot see me. He doesn't just fuss. It is an entirely new sound for him: LOUD screeching and screaming. Not crying. Screaming.

Oh well. Such is life. I had just forgotten about some of these phases since Jonathan is two years removed from them. Jonathan has his own phases now. Most of them involve LOTS of opinions. His opinions are certain to differ from mine especially if I offer my idea first.