Joshua moments - October 2010

He just makes me smile ;o)

Some of his cute things to say:
He picked up the phrase "What time is it?" and he started asking over and over and over again! We'd give the answer and he'd immediately ask again!
When he pulled a cupboard or door closed he would say it was "locked".
For all sorts of things he liked he'd say "is coot".
We had a real cockroach problem, but Josh called them "co-chitch". Almost makes them cute ;o)
He'd say "umm" if he can't think of the name of something, and sometimes even if he does know, just to play...
He'd often say "I be back now!"
And he picked up "Check it out!"
He'll shout, "Hannah be quiet! Daddy trying talk!"
While we're driving: "Hannah, we almost there"
"Oh mine goodness!"
He was convinced for a while that a carrot was called a "parrot".
He'd say "Da da!" when he did something.
A picnic is a "picknickit".
He started saying Thanks, instead of Thank you, but it came out "'Anks"
He liked to coo at Hannah - it was so cute to see them talking to each other!
Joshua learnt how old he was. So if we asked him, he'd say "2". But I must be honest that he didn't get that consistently right.

He liked to pretend that his blanket was a rocket. He'd want his feet covered, and also often would cover mine or Andrew's feet, and we were then going off in the rocket.

He put the earphones on at one point, and decided that he was ready to "do digger games".

He learnt how to do a head over heels on his own.

He learnt about wearing boots to splash in puddles, and he really wanted a pair so that he could splash in the "muddle puddles".
Having some fun in the water and mud at Aunty Colleen's house




He liked to help with washing the dishes... Sometimes a help, sometimes not so much...

For a Family Home Evening lesson Andrew got Josh to role play fighting over a teddy with him, and I was the peacemaker who suggested that they could each play with a different teddy. Well! For the next week after that Joshua just wanted to pretend to fight over the teddy and then I had to suggest that we could not fight. He just loved the role playing!
Picnic with Daddy

Amazed, I think, that Mittens would stay on his lap in the blanket!

Going to the park outside his new school to try and get comfortable

Big shocolate milk (Milo) smile!

He was chasing me around at my parents house, and I was dodging him all the time, but then I went into the dining room and went around the table, thinking he'd follow me around. But no! He stayed at the open section and had me cornered! Each time I made to go one way around he'd come a little way, but if I changed my direction he'd mirror me. He had me completely stuck!

When we watched general conference the ladies in the choir were wearing white, and Josh decided that they were all getting baptised!

Playing in the bath.
Playing with Hannah. I love watching the two of them together!


Joshua's first hair cut. I finally succumbed. I was worried that he'd lose his curls. But there was no need to worry!









He made a piano with playdough!

Painting boxes.

Making a train with his farm animals. The train moved several times, but stayed very obediently in the correct order!



He liked to stick his cars together with prestick and then pull them around the board in the lounge.



Just beautiful when he's sleeping!


Why else would I build a tower, other than to knock it over!

Joshua moments - September 2010

I'm very late in doing this post, but as I look back on my notes about what Joshua was doing this month I can't help smile!

He started really getting how puzzles work - how the picture continues on the adjacent pieces, and how they fit together.

We often heard "Excuse Josh". He still hadn't got the personal pronouns right.

And when I sneeze I'll get a "Bless you Mom".

He discovered the camera and that he could take photos. So our cameras are now full of random photos...






One day he was playing with Richard and Andrew's old cars. He'd take the car up the ramp to the boom and say "Please can I come in. Thank you!"


We were trying to get him to be more independent, and to do the things that we knew very well he could do. So: "Josh, please do this" "I want see you do it!" "But I want to see you do it!" "I want see you do it!"

But then when he wants to be independent there will be a strong "Do on mine own"!

He could count to 12 reliably.

He decided that socks left "fluppies" on his toes.

He loved Andrew to read to him, so we'd often hear "Dad read!"

He picked up somewhere that food is delicious, and so he'll often savour a mouthful (even of plain food) and say "Delicious..." with a big smile on his face. Sounds so funny from a 2 year old!

He'd started playing imaginary games, but he was still so shy that he'd sit there whispering to himself while he's acting out the game.

He really likes Astros, and he loved it when he discovered he could sit on this step ladder as a little table!
He liked helping Hannah, and if she started crying he'd call out to her while we're walking "We coming Hannah!"

He loves to entertain Hannah as well. And one of his favourites was to jump on the bed while Hannah's lying there, making her bounce up and down. Of course she just loved it too!

But other times he's not so patient with her. When she was making a noise during a prayer one day he pipes up with "Hannah be quiet!" while we're praying...

Examining a snail. I think the snail survived after his experiments...

At one of the churches that we pass on the way to the day mother there was a poster for a holiday program with a picture of Rodney and Fender from Robots. This was his favourite thing to see every day! Started a whole love for all things Robots!

He loved pushing a dining room chair up against the bookshelf to get at the things higher up. And he'd also take a chair to the kitchen counter to help making his milk. With time that became a less messy affair...

And he also wanted to help with my vitamins every day. So he'd open the bottle, pour a few into his hand, give me one, and then put the left overs back into the bottle. He actually did it really well at first, but then I think he got lazy, and started messing more after a while...

Instead of getting dressed after his bath to get warm, he instead wanted to get under his blanket.

Feeding the birds at the duck pond.


Enjoying some quality time with his blanket ;o)

Wearing Daddy's birthday badge from last month.

If we cut his toe nails he'd then say he had "short toes".

He loved to drive, and always wanted a turn before getting out of the car. And often when I'm driving he specifically asks me to drive fast. Little dare devil!

And if we stop at a red light, he wants to race off when it goes green! "We race!"

And with all his independance I wasn't allowed to help him get into the car. I'd have to stand well back, and got quite a lecture if I didn't comply!

He started potty training, although it took ages to actually finish. He loved sitting on the potty though!

Sometimes if he lost sight of me, even at times in the house, I'd get a very sad "I lost you!" when he found me again.

One of his most common questions was "What's that?" but said in a real sing-song voice. And he usually did know the answer, so I think it was more a conversation point.

He started getting the whole gender thing. So he came up with "Josh, Daddy, Buzz all boys".

While driving one day he wanted to put a blanket over his eyes to "hide the hot".

And all too often his blanket wouldn't co-operate with his wishes and so "blanket not working".

One Saturday we told him we'd be going to church the following day. The minute he woke up on Sunday he started say "We going church".

But then sometimes he's not so patient. We told him we'd be going to Fish Hoek after he had his afternoon sleep. So he lies his head down, closes his eyes, then immediately sits up again, "We go now!"

The common accusation at this dummy was "dummy gobbing".

He discovered bargaining. And started trying to use it all the time!

He wanted some stickers, and he asked for them on his hands, and especially on his tummy. And they all stayed!

He started asking of his own accord to play a variety of different games, which was nice to get from his side for a change.




I showed him how to place shapes onto a picture for the first time. And these were his first few attempts. He got it really quickly!


He wanted to try and pretend to be talking on the phone. So he'd pick up the receiver, dial a few numbers then say "Hello, I go go go". Who knows where he got that from!

So how am I doing?

It's been over two months since I did a post, and the reality has been that I've just been too busy... But things are slowing down for the year, so hopefully I can catch up on the news that I've missed, especially with my kids. I've been making notes and taking photos so it's just getting a chance to sit down and blog it all.

But just before I went AWOL someone responded to all my news about my kids asking how I'M doing. So I thought I'd catch you all up on my life a bit.

I came back to work on 13 September, 4 days after my last post, and almost 2 months ago now. And that was definitely a huge contributing factor to my silence. Thankfully I can honestly say that coming back was not at all traumatic. When I went back to work after having Joshua I really struggled at first, and was never really happy until I finished my articles. I think that coming back to UCT has definitely made a huge difference. And I think that all working moms with more than one child will say that it's easier the second time because you know what it's like being a working mom, and you know that your child will be okay. Having Hannah going to the same day mother as Joshua, who I know that I can trust completely, also made a huge difference in my peace of mind.

I came back at a hectic time of year, with things building up to the climax of the final exams. But I've just finished my marking (finally) and now it's pretty much planning for next year, finishing my work on the textbook I'm helping with and a few other projects. But nothing like the mad frenzy I've felt for the last little while. Not that the work I've been doing has been so hectic, but it's been the work on top of everything else that has been a bit much at times.

The other work related thing is that I applied for a permanent position as a lecturer at UCT, and after a mock-lecture presentation that I had to do, and a reasonably gruelling interview, I was appointed, along with a few other contract employees and some new staff. It's great to have that out of the way now. And it's only when I apply for promotion in a few years (after I do my Masters) that I'll have to go through something like that again.

So that's pretty much me on the work front. In terms of my calling at church we've been preparing for our annual Primary presentation, which will be this Sunday. All of the kids have parts to say, and there are 9 songs that I've been teaching them and hopefully they'll do me proud. I must say that they've managed to bring me to tears every year I've been involved, and I hope that they'll do the same again this year ;o)

And then the big news in terms of Church is that Andrew was called as the Bishop of our ward at the beginning of October.

Just to explain, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints we have a lay clergy. So all of our leadership have regular jobs and then do their Church work in addition to it. As a result you will hold any calling for a limited period of time, and then move onto something else so that the heavy callings are not permanently on a single person. The average period of time that a Bishop serves for is 5 years, although our previous Bishop had served for 8 years. I hope that Andrew's time will be more towards average ;o)

None of our leaders have a formal theological qualification like happens in many other churches. Rather you become "qualified" through your faithfulness, experience and through your personal study. But then you rely very much on the Spirit to make up the difference. We believe that all callings are decided on through revelation and inspiration, so it is literally the Lord who is calling you to whatever responsibility you have, and "whom the Lord calls, He qualifies".

Most callings in the Church are decided on at a local level, so for a ward calling the Bishop and his counsellors will pray to know who should fill each position, and the Stake Presidency will pray about Stake callings etc. But the calling of a Bishop is unique, in that every Bishop who is called around the world (and there are over 20 000 wards worldwide) is recommended by the local Stake Presidency, but their names are then submitted to the Prophet and his counsellors and they will authorise the call (and I know of at least once when the First Presidency sent back to say that the name submitted was not correct and the Stake leadership had to relook at it). It's quite something to know that President Monson, who we sustain as a Prophet, personally signed off on Andrew's call.

The members do then give a sustaining vote by showing an uplifted hand whenever a name is presented for any calling, so everything is done by common consent, and it's not like a decision is made and then inflicted on the members.

You don't "apply" for any positions for the Church, and we certainly did not look for this calling. I think that when we got the phone call asking us to come and meet with the Stake President both of us had very sinking hearts, because we both know deep down what the interview was going to result in. No one who has ever been a Bishop, or had one in their family, will tell you that it's easy. As we've spoken to other people though they tell us that the blessings are significant, and I think at times that may be all that keeps them, and often particularly the wives, going.

So what does all of this mean. Well, Andrew is now the spiritual leader of the 250 odd people who live within our ward, and he has ultimate responsibility for seeing that everything in the ward runs well. But delegation is a wonderful thing, and just about all of us have responsibilities that we need to carry out, so he doesn't have to do it all alone.

But there is lots of time sacrifice - we're literally being asked to live up to the covenant we've made to consecrate our time and talents to the Lord. Just this week: Monday Andrew went to visit a family, Tuesday was Youth, Wednesday he's hoping to be able to visit another family, Thursday is free at this point, but who knows, Friday he has to go to the Priesthood Preview for the new Deacons, Saturday morning I've got a Primary activity/practice, Saturday afternoon we're going to watch Annie at the Artscape ;o) and then Sunday he'll be home much later than us after church... So yes, I miss him already... We have to learn how to make maximum use of the time that he is home, and he's trying to do as much as possible after the kids go to bed etc, so that he still has time with them. And where it's practical and not something confidential we want to try and involve the kids, so we've gone as a family to visit a few people.

Up until last week he was having also to fit in studying in addition to everything else, but his exams are now over and hopefully he's passed them and then just has 2 more courses to do.

And I've already seen changes in Andrew, it's been amazing to see him settling into this role and the responsibilities that it brings. It's hard to put it into words, but he's almost "grown in stature". And in fact I saw these changes starting to happen even before he was called, but as he was being prepared by the Spirit for this. I know he'll be a good bishop - I married a good man.

So life is hectic, and I hope you understand why I haven't had time to tell you all about my life. Thankfully I have quieter times of year with my job, and I'm heading into one right now!