David's Third Birthday

David turned three-years-old on April 26! We had a great time celebrating him and thanking God for him!

Here are some things we enjoyed:
- A train cake




- Cowboy boots from his brother




- A Lightening McQueen Sleeping Bag



- A pass to the Zoo and Science Center for our family from Pappap and Grandma



- A party with Bonura cousins in Louisville



- A very cool police hat and fire helmet from Gramps and Grammy



- A firefighter celebration with Anderson cousins in Missouri











- Family time at a Louisville Cardinals' Baseball Game
















Also, chewing his first gum first thing on David's birthday morning was much anticipated and he is enjoying that privalege!

We thank God for David! And we had a great fun birthday celebration! :-)

David's Scripts

David (just turned three-years-old) sometimes has ideas of how conversations should go. I think he scripts them in his mind.

1. David was talking in a very whiny voice. I told him firmly, "Please close your mouth and do not speak again until you can talk in a clear calm voice."

He immediately replied in a clear calm sweet voice, "No, Mama, you say, 'Awwww, David, what's wrong?"

Oh wow - I was definitely taken back by his reply! And I thought to myself, "We are not going by your script, David, but by mine!"


2. David was sitting with me on the back outdoor steps, watching Daniel and two friends (ages almost-five and two) play in a puddle in our driveway. David suddenly yelled across the yard to the boys, "Hey guys! (pause) Hey guys!"

Daniel replied from the puddle, "What, David?"

David said loudly, "Say, 'David, come on!'"

Daniel, confused, responded again, "What, David?"

David repeated from the steps, "Say, 'David, come on!"

So Daniel motioned and yelled across the yard, "David, come on!"

And David replied casually, "Naw, I'm sitting with Mom," and he leaned over to cuddle with me.

?????? Maybe he just wanted to be wanted by the boys! :-)

Stomach Flu and Salad?

Both our boys like salad. Real salad - with veggies in it! Maybe it is because we only feed them one meal a day and it is always salad?! Just kidding.

Daniel (4 years 9 months - he's counting!) especially prefers salad. He will choose a salad at a restaurant every chance he gets - even over a burger and fries! And he likes cool dressings -- honey mustard, poppy seed, raspberry vinaigrette, etc.

Today Daniel woke up with the stomach flu. After throwing up for the 2nd time, he moaned, "Mom, I don't want breakfast, (sigh), and I don't want lunch. (sigh) But I do want dinner."

I was thinking "That's reasonable - maybe you'll be feeling better by dinner time."

Then Daniel added, "I do want dinner - if we are having salad."

Hmmmm ... generally we follow the stomach flu with toast and Sprite. Salad?!?

Homecoming 2006 - Naked Toddler Jumping!

Oct 2006 - We went to Taylor University Homecoming. Professors from each major were in the gym so students could come visit with them. Lots of kids were jumping on the pole vault mat at one end of the gym, so we let Daniel (almost 2 1/2 years old at the time) join them as we visited.

Suddenly, from across the gym, Joseph saw Daniel start to take his shirt off, so he excused himself from his conversation and started walking towards him. In the mean time, as Daniel proceeded to take off his pants, Joseph started running across the gym towards him. Daniel continued to undress, until he was happily jumping on the mat in nothing but his socks!!!

After increasing to a full sprint, Joseph tackled Daniel to cover him! As he began to re-dress Daniel, and he asked, "Daniel, what were you doing? Why did you take your clothes off?"

Daniel answered simply, "I was hot!" :-)

2006-2007

I found some memories I jotted down from 2006-2007. Here they are ...

1. Oct 2006 - Daniel (2 yrs 4 months) prayed, "Thank you God that you are so kind and gentle."

2. Oct 2006 - We potty trained Daniel, at the encouragement of our dear friend Amy Morello, who was potty training her twins Alex and Peter! It is always better to potty train with a friend, right?!

3. Nov 2006 - Daniel (2 1/2 years old) had an ear infection, and after we explained this to him, he said, "Does David have an ear-itation, too?" :-)

4. Feb 2007 - Daniel (2 2/3 years old) was repeatedly struggling to stay in his toddler bed, and so he had been disciplined quite a bit. This led to two notable conversations:

- Over time we had shared with him that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin. After being disciplined again for getting out of bed, Daniel asked with a deep sigh, "When will Jesus take my discipline?"

- Later he asked, "Mama, when you lived with Gramps and Grammy, and when you slept in the bed I sleep in [he usually slept in my old room on Belleridge Pike] , and when you got out of bed, did you get disciplined?" Yep, sure did, son!

When I am afraid ...

David's (almost 3) memory verse for Sunday School is Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You, God."

One of the teachers reviewed the verse with the kids as she got their snack. After saying the verse with them, she asked, "So, children, what do we do when we are afraid?"

David answered enthusiastically, "We run, run, run, run [picture him pumping his little arms in a running motion] ... weally weally wast [really, really fast] ... and go hide!"

The other boys chimed in passionately, "Yeah! We hide from the monster!"

Monster?!? The teacher said all thoughts of the memory verse were lost at this point as the boys discussed the monster and what do to about him!

And all she was asking for was "I will trust in You, God." :-)

Quotables

Daniel (4 1/2 years old) commented tonight while eating a McDonald's Sundae, "Ice cream is the best thing in the world, (reflective pause), except for Jesus!" :-)

David (almost 3), was talking about food he likes, including "maca-cheese 'n roni." :-)

Hydrangea Hair

We just got home from a pleasant couple days at Joseph's parents' house in Pennsylvania. The following conversation was hilarious to us as we enjoyed lunch after church. Gigi is Joseph's grandma, Daniel's Great-grandma. You'll also need to know that there was a vase on the counter filled with a bouquet of hydrangea blossoms.

Daniel, sincerely: Gigi, when I came in the door I thought those flowers were you because they look like your hair.

Gigi, matter-of-factly: Well, thank you, I think those flowers are lovely.

Daniel reiterated: The flowers make me think of you because they look like your hair. They are the same shape, but they aren't the same color.

Gigi, with good humor: I could probably do something about that! :-)

"Dig"

I generally pick out our boys clothes, but today I went in David's room (he'll be three-years-old in April) and found that he had sorted through his shirt drawer to find just the right one - messing up all the piles in the process.

I called him into his room and said firmly, "David, you cannot dig through this drawer."

His quick response, "But Mom, I'm an excavator!" :-)

Are you okay?

Daniel is learning to sound out some simple words. Tonight in the car, he confidently declared, "I know how to spell 'Are you okay?'"

"Oh, really?" we said, curiously.

He answered, "R-U-O-K!" :-)

He's ready to text message! :-)