overheard

Julianna to Jonathan the other night on the couch:
Daddy, will you please stop messing with my long gold hair.

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Jules after leaving Pirate's Voyage at the beach:
That was such a good movie.

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Julianna wants to know, "Mom, when does the ocean stop?"

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Josh pointing at the sunset across a corn field on the way home from the beach:
"BEACH!"

... and Froyoz for the Mama

Nostalgia Park at Broadway for the kids...

twenty months

Dear Joshy,

I suppose if we occasionally call you that then it's OK for you to call Julianna "Julesy."  Because whether we like it or not, you do.

Possibly the most endearing thing you've started to do this month is call your stuffed monkey "Ha Ha."  I'm pretty sure it comes from the noise we make when we say, "What does a monkey say?" but you've just started calling all monkeys "Ha Ha" despite the fact that you can say "monkey" fairly well if we ask you to.

The language explosion is still amazing.  You say so many words and phrases that it's getting pretty easy to communicate with you.  You ask for cake and candy almost anytime we go somewhere in the car.  It's odd, but also hilarious.  Especially when it's followed by you screaming "SUN!  EYES!"  You demand a "Poon!" and "Fork!" whenever we're at the dinner table and unfortunately fork sometimes comes out more like fuh-ck. This makes restaurant dining... interesting.

One day you pointed at the TV and asked for "Carly" meaning iCarly.  "Please. Now," you insisted.  This is a story I am going to save for your future girlfriends. 


On our usual bike ride each week you can tell me almost everything that's coming up along the way.  For example, you tell me before we get to the part near the golf course, you tell me before we get to the big rocks, and you tell me or ask me if the water part is going to be dry or wet.  It's a constant conversation during the whole ride with you.

You went to the eye doctor at the hospital to get your tear duct checked out.  You'll probably have to have surgery next month just so they can manually clear it out.  The doctor said it wouldn't get better on it's own.  While we were waiting for your eyes to dilate you squatted in the waiting room and told me you were going to poop.  I of course, had left the diaper bag in the car, which is beside the point.  I'm proud of you for telling me when you're about to go.  You're going to be a mess to get fully trained though.

You've had a lot of fun playing with play-doh over the last month or so.  You constantly ask for mommy to make it into a ball for you.  Another thing you enjoy is dancing.  It's easy to tell when you're happy because usually it's accompanied by an adorable little foot stomping dance.  You quickly tap your feet up and down and then lean your body from side to side usually with your eyes twisting off to the side as well.  I can't quite describe it accurately but you'll have to take my word for it when I say that you enjoy being so cute.

Timeouts are getting so much better.  When you hit your sister we ask you not to.  When you continue to hit her we ask if you want to go to timeout and you say, "No."  When you hit her again we pick you up and put you in timeout which you protest.  Sometimes you get down and we have to warn you to stay sitting down or you'll get a spanking but most of the time now you can make it through the whole minute in timeout without getting a spanking.  I'm so glad to see progress and understanding.  That first month disciplining you with timeouts was very hard.

Eating is going much better. You definitely don't eat quality food, but you certainly eat more quantities now.  I guess that's a good thing.  Every single meal felt like WWIII for a while there.

Joshua, we've had a great month.  I just love you as a twenty month old.  I know I'll love you every month after this as well, but sometimes I want to capture things you do at this age and freeze them for a while.  Like whenever you want someone to pick you up you always say, "Hold you."  I absolutely love it and there's no way I could ever turn you down when you say that.  Just so you know, you'll never be too big to come and tell me, "Hold you."

I love you, Buddy.
Love,
Mama

Getting to Happy

If you're looking for a good summer read and you enjoyed reminiscing about TV shows from the '90s then you should read my next book review.  No really, if you liked Waiting to Exhale then definitely check out the sequel, Terry McMillan's Getting to Happy.  I recently wrote about it over at BlogHer Book Club.

beach trip, pirates, and another book review coming up

Why is it so difficult to remember to take pictures when you have two kids?  I feel like I have all of these crappy camera phone pictures of our vacation this summer and no real, quality camera pictures at all and yet I still can't remember to get the camera out when my cell phone is already conveniently placed in my hand.

Ah well, such is life for now.  The kids and I have been at the beach for a week now.  My dad was able to come for a couple of days and then had to go home to work.  My mom left yesterday to go home for a few days and I'm hoping she'll come back and then we can stay a while longer instead of coming home Sunday as planned.  If not, then that's fine too as we'll have been here for 12 days.

We've had some good days on the beach and at the pool already.  Dad got to take Jules to play games in the arcade at the pier and worked with Josh in the pool.  We had a yummy gorgefest at Burro Loco before Jonathan got here and did some shopping at the outlets where believe it or not I managed to only spend 99 cents on this adorable dress.  (I had a merchandise credit.)

Jonathan got here on Friday and we've done more pool and beach time.  The weather has been gorgeous.  We took the kids to the Bass Pro Shops one day which was sorta fun.  Actually, Jonathan and the kids loved it but I think that place is about as fun as a night spent in Lowe's Home Improvement. It's just not my cup of tea.

Julianna was the sweetest big sister and rode with Josh on the mall train.  He was so excited about it and kept saying "Choo! Choo!" over and over again but then his eyes got as big as saucers when the train actually pulled away from us with him on it.

Mom kept the kids one night so Jonathan and I could go out.  We had Carraba's (the best restaurant on the planet) and Froyoz. Score!  I was having frozen yogurt withdrawals since leaving my beloved Yoforia back at home and was excited to discover this place as we were walking around Broadway at the Beach.

Last night we rode down to the old Pavilion which is now Plyler Park and they had a kids carnival with bounce houses and Josh's favorite of the evening: a tall man!  We had dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise (and their menu had changed a bit and we were both disappointed) but it was still good.

Tonight we've got tickets to Pirate's Voyage which is what Dolly Parton changed the Dixie Stampede into.  It opened a month or so ago and we're excited to see how the kids like it.  Should be an adventure, matey's!

I'll post more about that tomorrow.  Hopefully, I'll remember to get the real camera out so you won't have to see these yucky phonophotos anymore.  And I've also got another book review coming up this afternoon so stay tuned, friends!

Questions of the Day:
- Have you ever been to one of those dinner theater attraction places? What did you think? I've been to a wide variety and I think they're great one time.  I wouldn't go to any particular one more than that.

- What good books have you read lately?  I've been reading a lot lately.  You'll hear more about that soon.

- Do you prefer the beach or the pool?  I think I prefer the beach if you have nice chairs, but I think it's easier by yourself with kids at the pool.  Really, love them both.

Running from his shadow