The Waiting Room

I must have a comfy waiting room. You know, a place where one can put their feet up and just relax...letting the worries of the world just wash away. One might have a brandy. Another might have a little scoop of ice cream. Whatever makes you comfy.

Unfortunately it is at the expense of my comfort.

Joshua found this plush waiting area first. He spent the final months before his arrival in the waiting room, making last minute touches on his cute little face. Getting every last hair in the right spot, placing some darling birth marks, and affixing that one little dimple in his cheek.

During this time I became very aware of my ribs.

This waiting room must also be very sturdy. It's great to use as leverage when trying to get out of a jam. Joshua wedged his foot into this support with all his might in his eagerness to meet the world.

My ribs have never been the same. I have been adjusted by the chiropractor so many times, and the ribs keep slipping.

Emily was given the key to the waiting room today. Josh must have told her where it was. She knocked on the door around 11am today, settled right in and shows no signs of leaving.

I feel a bruise coming on.

But I'm happy to know that she, just as her brother before her, is attending to those last few details. Is she curling her hair? Will she choose one or two dimples? Maybe she's trying out a crooked little smile.

Only time will tell.

(Hang in there ribs, we'll get back in the right spot someday)

Joshua's First Trip to Disneyland

For Joshua's second birthday, we took him to Disneyland for the first time. We wrestled with how old he should be for the first time, but settled on two. I think it will be a good age. We got annual passes, so we'll get to go lots and lots (for the one year while Josh still gets in free).


I expected his head to come spinning off with all that he would be seeing, but that was not the case. I think it was too much for him to take in. He was so serious the majority of the day. I think he enjoyed it, but he was in overdrive trying to process it all.

We were there right at opening time, so got to hear the announcement when they opened the castle gate. Since it was Josh's birthday, we got him a birthday pin so he could get a little extra attention from the Disney staff. He got some, but not as much as I expected. He turned shy each time anyway.

Our first ride of the day was the carousel. It was amusing to me how fast the carousel seemed. I also got a little dizzy. I wasn't sure if this was because of my pregnancy (and standing up while moving backwards) or because I was focused on Josh. Jim said it was because my focus was different since he was feeling the same way. I had the same feeling on the Dumbo ride. Funny how those protective instincts kick right in.

The first characters we were able to meet was a group of villains. Josh wasn't scared about any villainous demeanor, but he didn't really want to get close to these guys on his own. He would say "hi" and "bye" to them when prompted, but that was it.

I think the favorite spot all day was Goofy's house in Toon Town. It had a playground-type area and just fun stuff to play with that was his size.

But the best part of Toon Town was this phone. I think he could have stayed there forever. Josh would pick it up, "LLLOOOWWWW!" and walk around with the phone to his ear (as far as the cord would let him) and hang the phone back up. Over. And Over.

And of course we had to meet Mickey Mouse (Mee-Mee House). I was hoping Josh would be less shy with him, but he still wanted to be held. Hopefully future visits will be better.

We took the train around the park, mostly to take a rest from walking. Josh was looking pretty sleepy so we tried to find a quiet spot for him to take a nap in the stroller. He has never done this well, but we hoped he would be tired enough. I thought it was going to work, but he just wanted too much interaction and was starting to get cranky. We decided to head home and maybe consider coming back in the evening.

As we were walking to the front gate, he passed out. So we turned around and found another quiet spot by It's a Small World since it is closed in preparation for Christmas. Josh took a wonderful one hour nap. It was a nice rest time for Jim and me too!

He woke up and got to enjoy some popcorn and a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream (at least what little I would share with him). Yum-O!!

What was funny was not long after he woke up a four-man drumming band came thundering out of a gate very close to where we were sitting. Thank goodness Josh had already woken or there may have been an unhappy Mama (and maybe an unhappy child). Instead we got to enjoy these fun guys.

One thing we had to do was get the boy a Mickey Ear hat. I was trying to decide between traditional black or a blue one when Josh spotted the Kermit the Frog hat. It was all over from there. I tried to talk him into a Mickey one, but that only had him choosing other hats from the wall. So I walked him away from the wall, presented him with one Mickey hat and one Kermit hat and told him to pick one.

Yep.

We got his name embroidered on the back.

We left the park around 6pm. Jim and I were both shocked at how long we all lasted. My hips were killing me and I could barely walk by the end. Even though we have passes, there is just something that makes you want to stay as long as you can - on a first visit anyway. We only rode a few rides and didn't go to many lands, but we took the day slow and just enjoyed ourselves.

On the tram ride back to the parking structure we sat across from another family with two daughters, the youngest of which was 2.5 years old. The mom said this was her third visit and the first time she really seemed to be getting it. That gave Jim great hope for Josh showing a little more outward enthusiasm after more visits.

Happy Birthday Little Dude!

2011 Wish List

I can't believe this kid is two already. I still feel pretty stumped at what things he should have, but below are a few ideas if anybody is wondering...

Veggie Tales - CDs or DVDs

Music - Anything music related makes me happy. I so desperately want this kid to love and appreciate music and he seems to be showing some promising signs.

Bath Toys - the poor kid has had nothing but cups to play with. I'm sure he would love something a little more creative.

Learning Toys - anything that really helps with letter and numbers.

Art Supplies - We're not quite into them yet, but I'll bet this next year will be a big one for being artsy.

Themes - He's pretty much into Pixar Cars ("Keem" for McQueen) right now. He still loves Elmo. He's also getting good with Mickey Mouse ("Mee-Mee House") and his friends - especially now that we have Disney passes.

Pumpkin Patch!

It's getting into my favorite time of year. I really love fall, with the cooler weather, rain, yummy food, fall colors and pumpkins.

Josh picked up on the excitement of pumpkins pretty quickly and calls them "pump-pump".

My Aunt Judy and Uncle Ed were visiting from Indiana, so we took a day together to go to a fun pumpkin patch.


The hay maze was a big hit. I think it was really my dad's favorite because he kept wanting to go in there. He taught Josh how to get excited about it too by having him lead the charge and looking for "doors" or "no-doors".

"This-a way!"

Josh even taught his Great- Aunt and Uncle the proper way to journey with your hands behind your back. We're not sure why he does this, but it is a crack up.


The giant Thomas bounce house freaked his freak. He kept wandering over there saying "Thom-Thom". He must have been amazed at how big it was.


My dad is really good at getting Josh to experience everything and soak it all in. He'll say "try this" or "touch that". So when my dad saw a line of hay bales, he had Josh get on top and walk along.

So cute!

They also have pony rides. I wasn't sure how Josh was going to do because earlier in the day we sat him in a saddle that was on a hay bale decorated to look like a horse. He did not want to be on it. But once on the horse, he was a natural. Wasn't scared at all.


I love that they let the parents walk the pony at your own pace and not as part of some carousel.


You really would have thought this kid has been riding his whole life already.

"Don't wait up for me, little darlin'!"

My angel.