Happy New Year!

Josh on his way out to a New Year's party. That is one seriously cute kid.
I am sorry to say Josh was more fun than I was. Of course it would not have been nearly so cute if I was the one jumping on the couch, I suppose.

Football

Josh got two new footballs and a real helmet (not a play one, a real one John found with chinstrap, air pockets inside, etc.) for Christmas. It has brought on a whole new level of competitive football play from him. He is so funny in the helmet. He loves wearing it, but it gives him such a big head that when he gets tackled (yes, John actually tackles him, I look away) he has to work himself into a flat position on the floor before he can get enough leverage to lift his head back up. It is funny. I guess it could be mean if he didn't love it so much, but the first thing he wants to do every day after school is put on his football helmet and play.

Mean Joe Josh. He will eat you for breakfast.


Keeping the ball high and tight, even when playing in froggy boots. With form like this, he will tear up Pee Wee football!


Trying out his new helmet:

(and, if you look closely, modeling his new game face)

The new guitar!

I have not yet learned how to control the order in which photos upload on this blog, so these are out of order. Deal with it.

This is the last in the series: Josh learning his new guitar.


This is the first in the series: still contending with Dad's oversized guitar, to Gammy's amusement. Note: only we thought it was oversized. Josh thought there were no problems at all and refused to hear otherwise.


Here he is upon discovery of what was in his package: ("ooh, a guitar!")


And, opening the wrapped guitar. The first 5-6 presents he opened, he did the same thing each time. He'd start to tear off the paper, gain momentum, and then get very excited as all the wrapping came off and exclaim: Hey! It's a box!
We needn't have even given him any gifts. He was perfectly happy discovering boxes all morning! Although, he was pretty happy once he realized there were different toys inside all of those boxes, too!

Christmas 2006--Josh's Take

Josh has really been into tunnels. He gets very excited and starts talking about the "tunnel" any time we make the turn that requires us to go through the short tunnel to the zoo or Children's Museum. So he got two "tunnels" (one is really a covered bridge, but it's a tunnel to him) for his train set for Christmas from Aunt Pat. He loves it! He says the trains are "hiding" in there ("trains hiding mommy").



He also got a scooter, which he loves and has been tearing up the floor with. His cousin Logan got the same one for Christmas, which they both found very exciting. Logan and Josh also each got "Power Ranger" outfits from Papa and Nana. Even Power Rangers need the speed boost from a scooter every now and then.


Santa brought the earth mover (or whatever this tractor is called, they are all tractors to me and I am still learning). Josh could barely fit in some time with it between scooter runs.


Modeling the scooter, fresh from bed Christmas morning:

Visiting Markleys

We were really happy to have all the Markleys--Gail and Gene (Gammy and Papa) and Curt and Jeni--in town for Christmas.

Curt:


Gene, Gail, John and Josh touring the Pittock Mansion:


Jeni and Monica:

She keeps getting skinnier while I am fully ballooning into this pregnancy. Hate it!

Gail and Gene with their arms full, literally and figuratively.

This is also the best picture we have of our tree. Such is life with a toddler; we never remember to get the pics we want amid all the activity that follows in Josh's wake.

Josh meets Otis the goat

Here is Josh having his photo taken with a goat (yes, that's a goat, not a sheep) at Zoo Lights. Although he was very exuberant about running past the ropes and into this area at first, when the time came for him to sit with the goat for the photo, this is what we got:

Josh: "Eeeehh."

Choosing our Christmas Tree

John and Josh with our tree, beginning to free it from its mortal coil:


I did it!

Thanksgiving Tubing

We spent Thanksgiving day on Mt. Hood, enjoying the falling snow and tubing. It was so pretty. The trees looked beautiful with their coats of snow, and Josh loved tubing. As soon as he reached the bottom of the hill, he started his refrain, "Again, Again!" Unfortunately this hill has no rope tow, so John and I were exhausted carrying Josh and the tube up the hill over and over. But it was still fun, and definitely worth it.

Here they go:


Starting the next trip:


John is happy to have reached the top of the hill;
Josh is wondering why we aren't going down yet:

Lunch in the Ski Chalet

So cute in ski bib and goggles:


Hounded by the paparazzi:


Okay, I'll give you a big smile, even though I'm eating:

You can also really see in this picture that he is losing his baby face and starting to look like a big boy.

Back out in the snow

Playing with snowballs:


Enjoying the falling snow:


Hi Mom:

Family Pictures

John and Josh summitting the hill:


Monica and Josh:


Our family, with the lovely snow-covered trees in background:

Josh's trading card

The Band Plays On

Little drummer boy:


Josh has really taken to drumming. In addition to his Remo drum, John found this great marching band drum for Josh. He actually will march with it, too. He hands out all of our assignments ("Mommy, drum" if I'm lucky, otherwise I get the two measuring cups for a cymbals or castanet-type accompaniment), and then the three of us march around and make music. That is what they call quality family time, folks.

He has found that the best drumsticks for this one are the spatulas (see above), though his Halloween pumpkin flashlight (see below) works well too.


Here he is with Daddy on guitar. We make quite a band.

Halloween Costumes!

Our little firefighter and his faithful dalmatian companion:



This was the first time Josh understood Halloween. After being happily fascinated by the "monsters" we saw in stores and yards all week, he got a little scared of them on Halloween night. So we went off in search of friendly faces and went trick or treating with our friends Matt, Lissa, Noah, and Leo. Josh loved that part: he particularly loved getting to ring so many doorbells, and because we forgot to bring his basket in our haste to soothe the monster fear, he also loved getting to eat each piece of candy while en route to the next house. We had fun, but only lasted about two blocks. Next year Josh will probably understand it more, and have a full-blown Halloween.

I bought the dalmation mask just for fun and play earlier in the week, without making the connection. John suggested that it would go well with the firefighter, and made his own dalmatian shirt the night before Halloween so that he could match Josh. He is one good Daddy!

Pumpkin Patch, Part 1

As we have the past two years, we took Josh out to Sauvie Island to visit the farms and enjoy the pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day. We had a great time.

First order of business was the hay ride to the pumpkins.


"Hi mom. I'm really cute, and the sun is really bright in my eyes."

Pumpkin Patch, Part 2

Here we are searching for our perfect pumpkins. The selection was good, and it was great not having to tromp through the mud as we have in the past.


Josh, however, though it would also be interesting to climb the hill and see where it went.


John recovered him, and he got into the game.

Pumpkin Patch, Part 3

We loaded up for the return hay ride. John and Josh showed off our bounty.


I wonder what hay tastes like?


Enjoying the lovely day.

Pumpkin Patch, Part 4

Upon our return to the farm, Josh spotted the ponies. He did not, however, spot the line. He was sooo eager to get a ride and was not going to waiting . He did not comprehend why he couldn't just go in. After an exuberant protest, John distracted him with a trip to see the pigs, llamas, and goats. Monica held the space in line. All's well that ends well.



Josh and "Pokey." Poor thing seemed bored to tears. (Pokey, not Josh. Josh loved it!) We gave him lots of ear scratches while we could.

Pumpkin Patch, Part 5

Finally, the best part of all (tied with jumping in the mud puddles repeatedly, but we did not photograph that). The tractors! Josh spent probably an hour of our 2 1/2 hours there on the tractors. Mind you, they were not for display or play; these were working tractors actually used by the farm employees. Every time someone came around I was worried we'd be booted. But Josh was oblivious, and so happy!

Little tractor:



Big tractor: