Joey and his Language

Joey is still growing in his use of language. Just lately he has started to use so many words, which, unfortunately, he has no idea what the meaning is for most for them. Or rather, he gets the context right sometimes, but he still gets it completely wrong.

Today he told me that a man with big legs was twenty pounds. Then he told me that a boy he saw pushing a shopping cart was twenty pounds. I believe he even used the phrase 'twenty pounds' to describe how long we had been in a store.

The other day he asked me if he could give a thumbs down to a song on Pandora because it sounded 'a little crooked'. I did laugh at that one.

He is also talking about 'couple months' all the time. He will tell me he is going to call Mamaw to tell her about having root beer floats in 'couple months'. Not 'a couple months', just 'couple months'. When he asked me to vacuum his room, and I told him that I would if he would pick up all his stuff, he thought about if and decided that I could do it instead in 'couple months'.

I am thrilled he is getting a better vocabulary. Now we just need to prevent him from becoming an Amy March.

That would be 'a little crooked.'

One other funny thing Joey said recently:

"Mamaw is a perfect lady! She comes to our house when we want her to come, and she leaves when we want her to leave."

Wow. Who knew it was that easy to be a perfect lady. :)

Parenting kids with delays

With adopted children, the oddest insecurities or areas of ignorance can arise without any warning. Parenting through these insecurities and areas of ignorance without making the child feel belittled or misunderstood is crucial to building a relationship with your child.

Today I was on the phone talking to Jessica about a Spanish class for our kids, and when I got off the phone, Joey started asking questions. He didn't stop asking questions or making comments all afternoon even though I explained numerous times about the benefits of learning another language. I also talked about how an auntie or someone else was going to have to teach them Spanish because this Mommy does not know it, etc..

Then through dinner he made comments. When Tim came home from his dinner out, the comments continued. I talked about traveling... Trying to explain again why knowing a different language is the pinnacle of cool. I talked about how it would be fun to be able to say Hola to Mr. Ben at church or talk to the Spanish speaking individuals we know. Still Joey was concerned.

I finally told Tim that Joey must be misunderstanding something.

Tim asked Joey why he was concerned about it, and finally, light dawned..... on me. Joey was concerned that he was going to have to speak Spanish all the time. And that his mommy wouldn't be able to understand him ever again. I think he even thought that God wouldn't be able to understand him if he prayed in Spanish.

I got out my trusty iPad (ok, who am I kidding. It was already out, so I just changed my screen from Pandora to YouTube) and showed Joey some Spanish. We watched a Sesame Street song that explains exactly what I was trying to-- except the song does it with puppets.

Joey went away from his Spanish watching lesson with a joyful step. He completely understands now.

Joey's difficulty with the English language is what caused his confusion. He just didn't pick up on the fact that one could learn Spanish and still speak English. He didn't pick up on the fact that Kim and Abby can speak all/some Spanish and still speak English. And for poor Joey to think he was going to have to go back to being misunderstood... for a five year old child who has only spoken intelligibly for a bit over a year... that must have been terrifying.

I am so glad I took the time to figure out what he was thinking and feeling so we could adjust our verbal planning as needed. Had I brushed him off or told him he was being silly, or told him for heaven's sake! Just stop talking about it!!! he would have gone to bed upset and been ill at ease for who knows how long. He would have been convinced his entire world was about to change at a time in his life where he desperately needs it to remain the same.

I don't know when Joey's language will be good enough to where he doesn't have episodes like this. He didn't learn to talk really until he was already four... And if it actually does take double the age then he could be eight before he fully understands the ins and outs of English.

Any parent of a child who has been delayed emotionally or developmentally for whatever reason has to be aware of things like this. There are potentially so many holes in a delayed child's understanding about so many things. For example, just two or three months ago Joey learned what first, last, and middle meant. He had no idea.

If I were to relate to Joey as I do to one of my nieces or nephews, he would be completely lost. And just because Joey acts like the 'big, strong man' that he desperately wants to be does not mean that in all areas Joey is ready to be independent... it is way fewer areas than the typical five year old, more than likely. While Joey can shower on his own, brush his teeth on his own, and is my go-to helper around the house, he still doesn't understand the most basic English sometimes.

Now Joey is different from Christopher in that he is more confident in life, but Christopher is much more advanced in his English comprehension. Still, Chris doesn't know some things, like nightstand and vanity. Also, Chris doesn't follow clause upon clause very well, which Joey does usually. If I say something is in front of x, by y... Joey is more likely to be able to find it. Maybe, though, that isn't comprehension so much as just being able to find things. Today is the first time I saw Chris systematically search for something that I told him was in a pile of clothes. Joey has no trouble with that.

Yes, both kids have odd insecurities, inabilities, and weird pockets of ignorances, and if I am not continually on watch, I could truly damage my relationship with them.

In fact, I almost irreparably damaged it the other day, just because they didn't understand I was teasing. I will never admit what I said, but they were both in freak out mode over it. I have had to take multiple opportunities since that infamous Sunday to show them with grand facial gestures that I am teasing as I say something completely outrageous. They are getting much better at recognizing a joke just from the unlikelihood of the statement instead of relying on winks and big smiles.

I am so proud of both of them, but when I compare the boys, Joey has had so much more to overcome. He has really done well and I look forward to helping him develop into the young man God planned from eternity past for him to be.

Brotherly Repartee

We were talking this afternoon about our evening plans, and when the boys heard we are going to Auntie Kimberly's to celebrate her birthday, Joey started in:

"I love to go to Auntie Kimberly's!"

Either Chris or I responded with something along the lines of how it is so fun to play with all the cousins.

Joey disagreed, saying, "I really just want to play with Abby."

That irked me minorly, because that is just so rude. So I took him to task sweetly....

"Joey, that isn't very kind. You need to be happy to play with Luke, Will, and Charlie, if they are there." And then, since we have to consider what the cousins want, too, I added, "And besides, maybe Abby wants to play with Chris."

Joey understood, but what I did not expect was Christopher's rapier wit coming loudly from the backseat.

Chris says, in sassy hearty agreement, "Yeah!!"

Joey

I was so impressed with Joey today. He has become the helper of the millennium. He pushed the basket almost all the way through Sam's tonight all by himself. He managed to steer around so many aisle blocks without hitting anything. He is pretty special.

Also, his speech is continuing to improve. Now we are working on things like putting the L on the end of ball, mall, y'all, etc.. Also, he is starting to self-correct his THs.

Instead of "da ma," we are beginning to get "the mall." I am so proud of his hard work!

Joey and helpfulness

Lately, Joey is Mr. Helpful.

We had an unfortunate incident over here recently that I don't feel free to write about, but it resulted in me having a long discussion with the boys about being helpful.

Our philosophy of helpfulness is this:

If someone asks for help, agree. Furthermore, it is necessary to agree with a cheerful, extremely helpful comment like, "Absolutely! I would be happy to help in any way I can. Just tell me what you would like me to do and I will do it."

Then you do it, without any complaining whatsoever. Furthermore, you help without any comment that makes the needy person feel, in any way, that you're inconvenienced at all. To let them think you are inconvenienced is not helpful.

There are only a few times it would be appropriate to say that you can't help.

1. Someone other than you would be hurt... like your infant child would starve if you were gone.

2. Sin would occur...... like when the person is asking for a getaway driver.

3. You would be physically damaged...... as in, it would break your leg.

There are maybe a few more that I can't think of right now. If they come extremely readily to your mind though, perhaps they fall more into the categories below of when you should help.

There are some times when it would certainly inconvenience you to say yes. Someone might call you in the night because they feel so sick and don't know what to do..... go help them. Someone might need a television..... Ok, want a television so they can watch a game that is coming on. Go help them. And that example leads us to another situation.

What about when someone claims they need help when you just don't think they do? Or maybe you think if they just did xyz a different way then they wouldn't need help.

Help them anyway. Nobody made us the police of the proper way to need help. No one decided that we could play God and choose when a need is holy enough for us to help with. No one decided that we could only help with things that we might need help with some day.

So after we had this discussion with the boys, Joey emerged triumphant. He decided he wanted to be a helper. A few times since then he has decided to test what would happen if he wasn't helpful, and we had the talk again.

Usually he says to me, "Yes! I am happy to help!" And that makes my heart so happy. One of my methods for teaching joyful helping to my boys is to give the most happy grateful "thank you!" that my voice can produce. I say it loudly, so everyone around hears it. That makes the helper feel good and it makes the other child want to receive a 'thank you' too. And lately, both boys have started helping without being asked. If one of them sees clothes of Ilse's, or an extension or a dirty bag on the floor, they put it where it goes. Ahhhhhhh. :)

There are a few people in my life who are helpful no matter what. My parents are two of them. My mother gives up her every Wednesday to come rescue me from my house. She encourages me, reads to my boys, and holds my daughter. My dad is unbelievably helpful too. He crawled up into my attic. He got up super early on his day off to watch my boys so I could get Tim to his surgery. He apologized over and over for forgetting to put a light switch plate back on.... He is the most gracious helper.

Tim's dad came over late one night to fix my washer. I appreciated that so much, I can't even tell you. If you have seen my laundry you know how important that was to me, and he happily fixed it.

There are a few others who help with joy.

And even though it makes me sad when someone obviously doesn't want to help me, I know that I am not the police of helpers. I can only teach my boys how to be helpers, and I can point out to them good helpers. And, most importantly, I can demonstrate good helping to them.

I want to be the kind of person who will drop everything I need to do and go help someone. I know I have done that before, and I am thankful that I know I can. In my teenage years, I loathed helping others, I distinctly remember hating helping Miss Donna and Mrs. Donnelly. I just didn't like to get my hands dirty. Oh, I would help, if I couldn't get out of it, but I only helped because of who would see me.

Thankfully the Lord gave me good examples, but, I am sad to say, even now there are definitely times I don't like to help. And most horribly, sometimes I discourage my husband from helping.

What complete and utter scandalousness. What horrible, horrible sin that is.

With the Lord's help, I can be a good helper.

And with the Lord's help, you can be too.

Joey funny

We have taught the boys to repeat when we pray so that they learn how to pray full, varied prayers.

Sometimes the repeating doesn't work out quite right. They have been praying for the people involved in a military plane crash that happened quite awhile ago, and tonight Tim said, "Lord, comfort the relatives..."

And in all sincerity, Joey repeated, "Lord, comfort the elephants...."


I am glad Tim's laughter didn't wake up the baby!

Happenings

So much has gone on the last week or so.

I had a birthday... 30 years old now. Wow. I don't feel older, just more somber, and that likely has nothing to do with my advancing age. :)

Ilse is sick, and they don't know why. Her white blood cell count was high a week ago, and we had it tested again Saturday to see if it has gone down. They also did another test to look for infection or something. I believe it is called an ESR and hopefully we will have the results today.

Last week we also did a total cholesterol on her, and her cholesterol was 62. That isn't great, and so the doctor said to give her two eggs a day instead of one. One was gross enough, and two is nauseous (that means it makes you/me/Ilse nauseated...) but so far she is adjusting well. The added calories can't hurt her for sure. We will retest in a month to see if her level is higher. If it isn't, I might go back to one egg. I have also heard that increased cholesterol won't help, but who really knows anyway. It is just egg, and it can't hurt her, so I will give it.

Mom watched me do her egg the other day and said that she was amazed it didn't break the way I do it. It doesn't break, though, even though I roll it around on a paper towel to get all the egg white off. Gross, I know.

Tim went to the orthopedist, and sadly, he has to have hip surgery. This is a continuing saga... Does he have to go out of state? Can he have it here? It is pretty specialized.... Does he just need a hip replacement instead of this other surgery? We don't know. We have an appointment coming up with a doctor who knows spastic dyplesia and hopefully he will have a better solution than an out of state surgery with a three month don't-put-all-your-weight-on-your-hip recovery time. Neither of us are open to leaving the kids behind if we are out of state for two weeks. Hard, hard, hard either way.

Also, Tim is having his tonsils out this Saturday. We are happy about that, and hopefully he will be able to eat really well by Thanksgiving, and even if he can't, both of us are going to enjoy completely the week he will have off of school.

The boys got their glasses, and by George do they look cue. I got them the really bendy ones, and while that is handy dandy, it also means that I can't straighten them. They are just too bendable. We will be making many trips to Walmart I think.

Ilse is growing out of her clothes, so I am setting them aside for Olivia, who, undoubtably, will be a very cute close second to Ilse. There is something odd and pretty special about having double nieces and nephews. For all my readers who don't know (as if I have a widely read blog or something, lol) but my sister Ivy married my husband's brother Marcus. So our kids are double cousins. I am hoping Olivia looks like Ilse coloring wise so that all the pink I dress Ilse in will look just as good on Olivia.

All this time I have been thinking that there is seven hundred dollars on my zero interest credit card..... But there isn't, because Walgreens Infusion Services never refunded my three hundred bucks from way back in June, even though I requested it a couple of times. I was really glad that Tim thought of that when we were talking about our card the other day. He is so smart. I called again this morning, and they wil finally process the refund. It will take thirty days, though, and as she said that, I was thinking, good grief. You have known that you owe it to me since August! They have been getting interest off something I didn't owe them, just like the anesthesia place and the hospital did. I just got my money back from the anesthesia place that did my c section.... Last week! They had it for months! Wow.

Joey is such a good helper with Ilse. He plays with her and makes her smile. I never have to worry about her while he is watching her. He called me the other day when I was outside.... "Mommy! You need to come check Ilse! She barfed!" I am so happy that he loves her and takes care of her.

Chris is so close to reading! He can spell some simple words with a little assistance. (an aside... As I was typing "little" I messed up and the iPad auto corrected it to "opitz". That is a snapshot of my life. :)

Anyway, I got some learning games that the boys both do on the iPad. Chris is super good, but right now Joey just really watches the animation. He will get it, though, with time.

Dad came over on Saturday and replaced the lights in my garage. I cannot tell you how much I am loving the bright light out there! I keep looking out the mini blinds to see if I accidentally left the garage door open since it is so bright, which is stupid anyway because the sun never makes it that bright in there. I told Tim yesterday that I loved him even more than my new lights, and that that was saying something. I don't know if he was pleased or not. I kind of think not. Thanks, Dad!

I have been realizing some things about myself.... Grace, what is it about turning 30 that makes you reassess your life? I realize that I am struggling with crippling fear in some areas of my life. I realize that I am so used to having an Ilse kind of baby that if I ever have a different kind of baby I will not know what on earth to do and I will freak out. 'What?! You mean the baby doesn't need seventy burp rags? She might not eat every three hours? There won't be endless doctors appointments? She can sit up?!?!?" You get the picture. It kind of makes me hope for another baby just like Ilse. Wouldn't a psychotherapist have a fun time with that mind boggling realization. That is just fear. I am glad that God is in control of everything that goes on.... From if we have more kids, to when, to who they are. To even if they live. He is such a good God.

Joseph says:

Mommy? When a lion comes in, we will tell daddy, and he will get dressed like a cowboy and shoot it! No, actually, I will shoot it myself. I will get out of my bed, get dressed like a cowboy, get my gun and shoot it! I will shoot it for Chris; I will let him be sleeping because he is still sleeping.

Me, ignoring the incredible improbability that a lion would be in our house: Can't you shoot the lion while you are naked? (because, really, if there were a lion in your house would you wait to shoot it until you'd gotten dressed like a cowboy?)

Joey: No, because I wouldn't want it to bite me while I was naked.

Me: Oh.




Now THAT is logic for you.

30 Week Appointment

I had my 30 week appointment on Wednesday, and surprise, surprise, my blood pressure went down.  I know.  What a shocker.  Even the doctor was surprised.  I don't know how that could have happened, because I certainly didn't do anything to warrant it.  It'd pretty much even stopped drinking my grape juice.  Nevertheless, down it was, and I'm glad.

Don't get any ideas, though, it was still high.  Really high, actually, but lower than it was the last time.  :) 

Everything is progressing well.  I'm not swollen, not diabetic, not anything, yet.  We're just hanging out... and when I say hanging out, I do mean hanging out.  Ilse's getting bigger every day, and she is making my stomach muscles ACHE!  Ouchie kazoochie!

After my two nap day yesterday, Joey has taken to asking me (several times already today) "Are you going to take a nap, Mommy?"  If I didn't know better I'd think he had something nefarious planned, but he's a bit too young for that.

I'm trying hard not to overdo it, but I do have a lot of things to do to get ready to go later.  I need to clean my kitchen, pack my bag, go to Sam's, get the food ready, and get another water bowl for my puppies.

Speaking of puppies, I guess I'm starting to like Faith a little bit.  It helps that she is learning how to sit down and let me pet her, although, I do shake a stick at her when she nips at me.  She just can't be doing that to get attention, either mine or Joey's.  That's like a kid that cusses to get attention.  Not.  Gonna.  Happen.

Back to the doctor:  I go back in two weeks, and hopefully my blood pressure will still be good.  I'll be excited when we get to 36 weeks.  I think I'll feel like she'll come any day, and I'll get really excited.  I'm managing my excitement at this state, and plus, I don't really have the energy to be too excited right now.  Ilse is making me




so




so



tired.

God Made Ilse, the Baby

God made Ilse, the Baby..... that's what Joey told me at breakfast this morning.  God made all the 'peoples', Joey told me also, but most of all, I'm glad that Joey knows that God made our baby.

Tomorrow is my second growth ultrasound.  I was worried before the first ultrasound because of the things the doctor said, but it looks to me like Ilse is completely on track and so I'm not worried before this second ultrasound.

At 28 weeks I was measuring a week ahead, and Ilse's size was a day ahead at 25 weeks.  I'm guessing she'll be even more ahead this time since I actually gained three pounds.  :-O  What a shock.

Here are some pictures from the 3D ultrasound that we had on Saturday.  Even the ultrasound tech was overcome with how giant Ilse's cheeks are.

 

The picture below is odd.  You can see right through her eyelids.

 Apparently, her nose and lips look just like mine, and her delicious cheeks come straight from a gene Kimberly has too.  Ivy claims to have seen in these pictures (maybe in one I didn't post) an expression that I make.  It's only two and a half months at the longest that we have to wait to get a look at her in person.


Birth Day prep is underway.  I'm beginning the housecleaning, and this week or next I'll pack the boys' bags and stow them in the car.  I'll also make our Herald List (if you want to get called when I go to the hospital, let me know, and also let me know your preference for possibly getting a call in the night), and I need to make the list of what I want to take with me to the hospital.  I already have a few things on my list.  They include my computer, phone, and a nice set of clothes.  I don't want to come home looking like a bag, because then I'll feel even more like a bag than I probably already am going to. 


I (Tim) needs to clean the car and we will put Ilse's seat in there, and I need to get ahead of the lady on Craigslist from whom I want to buy the pack n play.  Her dad has cancer, and so I hesitate to bother her too much.  At the end of April we're doing a test run for the boys' sake-- they will spend the night at Kim's and we'll see how secure they feel. 


I'm planning on taking Ivy's advice and starting to rest every possibly minute starting week 32 so that I will be fresh as a daisy on Birth Day.  We'll see how that goes.  Somehow my resting never exactly works the way I plan. 


Another exciting tidbit (at least to me):  I felt my first Braxton Hicks contraction on Sunday at Awanas.


29 weeks and counting.  If she goes to 40 weeks, we're only 11 weeks away from Birth Day.  I don't think she or I will last that long.  I'm thinking my blood pressure will skyrocket and we'll do an emergency something.  Something's bound to happen.  As I've been told, this pregnancy has been TOO easy.  But you never know.  Possibly the seven years we tried to get pregnant were the hard years, and maybe everything that's left will be easy.  Lol..... I can dream, can't I?  :)

Confession Time Again

 This is Confession Time.... the time when we can say things that we wouldn't normally admit and no one can fuss at you about it.  :)

I hate Faith. No, not the "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" ---  the dog.

Yes, I hate Faith the Dog.  She's just not my cup of tea.  We got her for the boys, and it has worked out great.  Joey isn't afraid of her at all, although if he doesn't swiftly learn how not to hit her on the head he might get to be afraid of her. 

But me, nope.... I could take her or leave her, preferably leave her.  I certainly wouldn't run into a burning building for Faith (why is that my standard for everything???) but I maybe would for my Stella.

Stella was with me back when I had nothing-- no kids, no purpose, nothing to do....  I'm not debating the godliness of my previous feelings, I'm just stating the way it felt at the time.  Stella was my cohort, my friend, my companion.  She walked around the house with me; she didn't demand anything but she was just there, being my friend, even when I got fed up with her eating the sprinkler heads and let her have it.  She still loved me.

Yep, she's my bud.  She knows what I want, and she obeys me really well. 

But Faith is just dumb.  She's fat looking (Marcus and Tim disagree with me about that, but she just doesn't have Stella's sleek physique, so she must be fat) and she's just dumb.  Dumb and stupid.  People say, "Well, why don't you just get rid of her?"  Well, I don't have to like her, do I?  I make sure she is fed, has food and water, and I'm never rude to her.  If I tell her she's dumb and stupid I make sure I do it in a sweet tone of voice so that she won't know what's really going on.

And Joey likes her.  He can get Faith to do anything.  She loves him and he likes her well enough.  I don't believe my parents loved all my cats... well, at the end, they might have loved Milky Way just as much as I did, which wasn't much.  I feel so evil about that, but Ivy still teases me about when she came to me, oh so gently, to tell me Milky Way was dead, and I said, "Really?!"  I know.... I was immature and unloving, but she had gotten to be SO annoying.  She would scratch on my window at night and keep me awake.  Yes, it was my fault because I hadn't fed her, but I just wasn't going to since her food was in a bag, on the back porch, in a smoker, and it was infested with giant roaches.  I don't know about you, but I don't put my arm into something crawling with giant roaches.  I hardly even touch the vacuum handle if the vacuum has sucked up a giant roach.  It's just not for me.

But Faith.... her food isn't infested, and she doesn't have fleas, but still, I just don't like her.

This was Confession Time.  If anyone has a confession, please, feel free to leave it in the comments.  I won't fuss at you.  :)

Consequences

As a loving parent, there are some lessons I try to avoid teaching my kids.  Or perhaps better put, there are some consequences I try to prevent them having to endure.

For months we've been trying to teach Joseph to wait until we answer him before he goes ahead and does whatever he wanted to do.  It's been an uphill road, since of course, which of us waits very well?

We've also been telling him not to touch the oven.  Can you see where this is going?

Today as I was pulling our lunch pizza out of the oven (yes, I'm SUCH a good mother  :) ), Joey asked if he could push the oven rack back in, as he was touching it.  I didn't even have a chance to say Watch out! before he was pulling his finger back again having burned it. 

Two things I'm thankful for:  it wasn't a bad burn.  And secondly... had he still been in foster care we'd have been heading to the emergency room, where you have to go for each and every burn, no matter how trivial.  Thank the Lord for adoption.

This is the kind of thing we've been trying to avoid by teaching him these concepts: wait for an answer before acting, and DON'T touch the oven!

Poor boy.  He didn't even cry, but I believe he understood for the first time why Daddy and Mommy have rules.  The rules are either to keep you physically safe in life or to keep you safely on the road to Life.

The Gospel According to Joey UPDATE

There are bad people who don't love God.

They disobey their parents.

They go out at night.

They cause trouble with their brothers.

They will be in a fire forever.



And you know, he's not too far off. Granted, he stated it all in the negative, but so does the Bible sometimes.

2 Timothy 3:2-5

"For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."

1 Thessalonians 5:1-10

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him."

Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.

John 5:28-29

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment."

Revelation 14:10-12

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Interesting, huh.

Joey's Thought Processes

We were eating Macaroni and Cheese tonight. I made three boxes because there are five of us to feed you know. I estimate I ate about a box and 3/4 myself, and Joey is still over there consuming mounds of delicious Kraft cheese product.

Tim says to Joey: "Wow, Joey, when you get big enough to get a wife, the way to your heart is definitely going to be through your stomach!"

Joey responds: "When I get big, I want to be a statue!"

What?!? :)

"I want to be a statue so you can look at me! I want Bam-Bam to be a statue with me, too!"

And now, he is begging Tim to be a statue with him instead of him being the 'big strong man' he is. Joey's begging goes like this: "I want to be still like a statue. Will you be a statue with me, please?"

Joey's adorable, and I'm never quite sure what he is going to say next.

Joey and the Plug

My child is growing up way too fast.

Joey just told me that someday he's going to get a plug just like me. He means a cell phone.... and that is disturbing.

I didn't have one until I went to college, and *neither will he*.

I can't believe he is getting so big.

Tim Blooper

Mommy slaves over the meal. Four delicious plates of nachos, specially tailored to each individual in the family adorn the table.

Then Joey says, "Thank you for the food, Daddy."

Daddy: "You're welcome, Joey."

Mommy sits in disbelief. ?!?

"Tim, you just took that like it was your due!"

Tim: "Well, we already thanked God!"

Me: "WHAT?!?!?"

Tim: "Oh..........." Tim's uproarious laughter.

"I was thinking about how I BOUGHT the food! Joey, you need to tell MOMMY thank you."

Me: "Thanks a lot, love." :)

Joey's Antics

Joey is utterly joyfully these days. He has such a playful personality and wonderful expressions. I wish I could capture all of these moments on video for eternity.

He wakes up happy and goes to bed happy. He no longer evidences any sign of that anger and frustration that he showed when he first came. It's like he knows his world is right and he loves it.

The other night I heard some stirring around in the boys' room, and I thought we were about to have an accident, so Tim and I rushed in there to take the child (whoever it was) to the bathroom. Joey was semi-awake, so we hopped him up and took him to the potty. That child smiled sweetly at me the entire time he was walking to the bathroom, peeing, washing, and heading back to bed. He just demonstrates such confidence in our love for each other.

Lately he's been playing various issues of our family life. I'll hear him in the bedroom: "Boys! Time to come to the table!" Or, "Boys, it's time to pray: Dear Jesus, Help us to obey, In Jesus' Name, Amen!"

This afternoon I thought him the age old, Foster-approved method of carrying laundry from one room to another. Maybe it isn't Foster approved, because I don't remember Dad liking it, but we girls LOVED it. It's simple. Kick it. Kick it all the way to the area you are taking it. Then, if you aren't washing the laundry right away, you don't have to wash your hands, and THAT is very important to a Foster. As much as we love washing our hands, we also love keeping them clean, so that when we wash them anyway.... well, I guess there's no logic to it. :)

Nevertheless, Joey was excited to be able to kick laundry and NOT have to wash his hands. He obviously 'inherited' the Foster genes. His hands are dry and cracked. Poor boy. But, it's only appropriate, since he's OUR son, and both Tim and I have very dry/cracked hands. Joey has learned the value of loshTen (lotion) and he asks to get some regularly.

He's perfectly precious and I adore him.

Joey Humor

I've been after Joey and after Joey to say 'Excuse me' when he farts, even it it's silent. I keep tellin' him: say 'excuse me' so everyone knows not to breathe it in!

Well, he apparently learned. Just now he gleefully said, "Excuse me! I farted!"

And I said, "Thank you! 'Cause nobody wants to breathe that in!"

Joey just laughed, and Tim said, "Just because you say excuse me doesn't mean you should go around farting all the time, though."

But Joey, ever logical, says, "I fart a lot!"

We died laughing.

Joey's Speech Continued

I'm just so impressed with Joey. He has made some amazing strides, he and acts more like a six year old than a four year old. One of the things he has really grown in is his speech.

The last time I wrote about this he was just barely learning to do his 'f' sound correctly, IF he used his fingers to keep his lips from making the 'p' sound afterward. Well, as of today, he can do it correctly without fail. No more 'p' sounds and no lip holding. He can say:

ChristoPHer
CoFFee
Food
For

and so many more things. He doesn't do it correctly usually without reminders, but.... who would? He's made a habit for months of saying it wrong. I'm happy to remind him for a while. Eventually he won't need them any more.

(Right now he is being a complete goofball trying to do something like the Russian kicking dance. I'm laughing so much.)

The other thing that has improved in his speech is his use of the 'v' sound. Just the other day he no longer needed me to split words up like 'mov-ing'. I could split it properly 'mo-ving' and he could say it! Today he no longer needs me to split it at all. He can say 'over' properly too.

(Now Joey is in his Daddy's face saying 'MOOOOOO!' over and over and over, making Tim laugh so hard. At the table, Christopher is remarking on Joey's antics: "Unbelievable!"

Fun family times are able to make the heart glad. I love my sweet little family.

More Joey Humor

We were walking through Kohl's today looking for some socks for me. We must have walked the complete wrong direction, through the scenic route, through the jewelry, and eventually I asked the boys: "So, don't you know where the socks are?!?"

And Joey sweetly says, "I don' know, Mommy."

"Well, what kind of person are you!?!!"

"A MAN, Mommy."

:)