fripp - playing on the beach

Last week, we went to the beach with the Moseley family and friends. As is custom, we joined them at Fripp Island, SC. It was nice to get to relax a bit and spend time with family and friends. The kids had a good time playing on the beach. Nathan mostly liked playing with the sand and carrying the water around. Caroline really enjoyed playing in the waves. Unfortunately, I don't think we have any pictures of her actually in the waves...because I think she was with the photographer every time. Anyway, here are a few at the beach.

and Caroline?

Caroline is a sweet little girl with a strong will. There are two areas where this is most evident at the moment. The first is eating. At times, she will just refuse to eat one food and want another. It isn't that she doesn't like the first food, it's just that she wants something different. We're ok with her not eating things, but she doesn't get to waste one for another. So, there have been several battles over food lately. She's going to learn about authority, though.

She loves her Daddy, Mommy, and brother. She loves to play with Nathan. She will follow him anywhere to do anything. She has really become a Mommy's girl. She often just wants me to carry her around. Last Friday, while trying to pack to go out of town, I carried her around. It wasn't the easiest, but I want her to feel loved. I was especially inclined to give her extra attention because I was about to leave for a day and a half.

She loves shoes and bows but could do without dresses. If I give her an opinion of which bow to wear, she quickly chooses one. When we went to try on shoes for the beach, there was one pair that she really liked and several that she obviously did not like. It was very funny to me that a 16 month old could have such opinions already.

She loves to eat. She is doing some major teething at the moment. She has one molar coming in and has several other teeth (at least four) that are really close to the surface. Poor girl!

Caroline is quickly picking up words. She repeats words and sounds that people say and has a good list of regularly used words. Here are some additions (and their pronunciations) since the last list:

hey - hay
ball - baw
juice - joos (also refers to anything in a cup)
bow - boh
please - peez
thank you - ay choo
all gone - ah gawn, gah gawn
bubble - buh bah
water - ??
bug - buh

She has actually gotten pretty good at using "please" and "thank you". It's quite adorable. She often says "thank you" when she means "please", but she's slowly getting that figured out.

She also sings. Most of the time she is imitating someone else singing or music that she hears. There are not words, but the sound is very nice.

Caroline knows lots of body parts. She has recently adopted a favorite, though - elbow. She calls it "bow bow". When I would first ask her where her elbow was, she would grab the bow in her hair. However, once she figured it out, she really decided that she liked elbows. In fact, on Sunday, while I was talking to the dad of one of the kids on my hall at church, she started rubbing his elbow. Glad he was a dad!

Ok. I think that's it. I'll keep thinking, though.

Nathan's art

This is a typical Nathan train. They get much more involved than this, but this is very very normal. I'm not sure I believe him, but he says that he spelled the name different on purpose.


Here is a song that Nathan wrote during one of his down times. In case you need it interpreted, it says "A toy dog would be good to go (he meant to the beach). And God and Jesus love you. And me and Nathan and Caroline and Daddy and Mommy are going to the beach tomorrow. And it's going to be a long trip to get to the beach. But we're going to have lots of fun at the beach."



Nathan has really been into drawing mazes lately. I particularly like this one, so I set it aside instead of "doing" the maze.


This is a multi-level car that Blue and Magenta (of Blue's Clues) drive.


And last but not least...a board game. He and I played it yesterday with a die (that would be the singular version of dice) and Dots (the candy) as playing pieces.

what has Nathan been up to?

The biggest thing in Nathan's life right now is reading and writing. He is reading so well. I am continuously amazed. He can read "normal" kids books. He doesn't read ones with multiple paragraphs on each page, but he is definitely beyond simple board books. He even reads with intonation and is comprehending everything he reads. It's just crazy!

He talks continuously. If you have been keeping up with him, you know that he didn't really talk at all until he was 2.5. Then, he talked in full sentences but not real often. Now, though, we can hardly get a word in. He is always telling us about the things around him or asking questions. He wants to know the details about everything. And we try to give him lots of information. At times, though, we just have to tell him not to talk for a little while. He's ok with that. We usually give him a time, though, and as soon as that time hits he's back at full speed!

One of his interests at the moment is anatomy. He's always interested in how things in the body work. So, the last time we were at the library I picked up a kids level book that explains the major systems. He enjoys learning about each thing...especially the digestive system. When we were looking at the picture of the heart, I explained to him how the blood went through each section. After talking about how the blood goes to the lungs and then comes back with oxygen, he began taking intentionally deep breaths and let me know that he was putting oxygen in his blood. So funny!

He is still drawing like crazy. Trains are always a part of his collection, but he has added all kinds of things. He often copies things that he has seen including games - like mazes and board games. I plan to go through his pictures today to figure out what to keep from the month of June. I'll try to scan a few to share.

For anyone who has wondered, Nathan still has a special spot in his heart for William (who is often accompanied by two blankets). That poor doggy has been well loved!

Personality-wise, Nathan is still a bit shy around people he doesn't know. Nobody who sees him often would know that, though. He is very well mannered and helpful. His latest "problem" has been with whining. I finally got tired of it and made a list of consequences. With each whining episode, we applied a consequence - no extra chances. While he wasn't too upset by the first couple, he REALLY REALLY didn't want to get to number 10. That was enough motivation to quickly limit the whining. I was thankful because we didn't have the continuous back-and-forth of trying to get him to act right. Since being back from the beach, I think he's only gotten to number one once. We might even be able to set aside the list soon!

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. If I think of something else, I'll come back and add it later.

several June pictures

pictures

Hello all! Sorry I've been away so long. I hope to get going again this week. Until then, you can enjoy updated pictures by clicking on the "More Moseley Pictures" link over on the right.

songs

Back on April 22nd, I recorded Nathan singing several songs. However, I never put them up here. Well, I am finally getting it done. I hope that you will enjoy hearing him.

The B-I-B-L-E

Jesus Loves Me

Lead Me Lord (words below)

Oh How I Love Jesus

Somebody's Praying For Me (words below)

The Wheels On The Bus

William Song -an original by Nathan

Lead Me Lord
Lead me Lord, I will follow.
Lead me Lord, I will go.
You have called me.
I will answer.
Lead me Lord, I will go.

Somebody's Praying For Me
Somebody's praying, I can feel it.
Somebody's praying for me.
Mighty hands are guiding me
to protect me from what I can't see.
Lord, I believe.
Lord, I believe.
Somebody's praying for me.
Somebody's praying for me.

the many names of Caroline

In addition to "Caroline", our little girl gets called many things around here. Here is a list of the ones that I could think of:

Daddy:
- baby girl
- Carolina

Mommy:
- sweet girl
- missy
- miss priss

Nathan:
- Caroween
- messy
- baby
- vavy

two months

I am proud to announce that Nathan has now been dry at night for two straight months! Yay! At this point, I think it's safe to say that we have finally said goodbye to nighttime accidents. I'm not completely sure, but I think a Thomas sticker book was finally enough motivation. And maybe, too, he was just ready.

changing the toilet paper

My son can change the toilet paper all by himself.

You wanted to know. I know you did.

The only way I know is because he always puts it on backwards. :)

quick picture

a shorter cut

Nathan was in severe need of a haircut, so we decided to cut it today. While we were getting ready, Nathan said that he wanted me to cut it short like Daddy's. So, we did. It made me nervous to cut it shorter, but I kept reminding myself that it doesn't take very long to grow out. Anyway, here are a couple pictures for your enjoyment. (You can compare how it looks now to the last couple posts to see how much of a difference it is.)

playing in the rain...almost

While it was raining yesterday, Nathan asked if he could go outside and play in the rain. Then, he asked if Daddy could play with him. They decided to head out so I followed with the camera (in true Mommy form). Unfortunately, about a minute after they got outside, it quit raining. They still had fun, though, and I was there to capture it forever!







(I know that you think that I got up at 4:44 in the morning to publish this post. Sorry to let you down, but I didn't. Actually, I've been enjoying taking advantage of the "post in the future" option. I figure, if I can pick any arbitrary time, why not way way early in the morning?)

they make me smile

Yesterday, Caroline was having fun playing by herself. When I went to check on her, I found her playing in the playroom in the middle of a pile of toys. I decided that I needed a picture. So, I quietly went and got the camera. As soon as I took a picture, she turned around to look at me and I got this picture.


After another shot or two, she decided that she was going to foil my plans for toy pile pictures. She headed across the room and then flopped down on the floor. She thought she was just the funniest thing!


Then, after a few more pictures, she decided that her baby doll needed its hat. This is funny to me because the baby doll NEVER wears her hat. Anyway, Caroline worked on it for a little while. She just can't quite get it around yet. So instead, she brought it to me to put on...and then immediately took it off...and then asked me to put it on...and then immediately took it off...and then asked me to put it on...her Mommy is such a sucker! (When Matt saw this picture, he asked me if Caroline was making her baby doll stand on its head like she does herself. Yes, she regularly takes up the exact same pose that you see her doll in there.)


Then, later in the day, I came home from...um...somewhere. I pulled up to find Nathan following right along behind Matt with his lawnmower. I thought it was very cute. Definitely worth some pictures! So, I went inside (oh yeah...I had been to the grocery store and had to put up groceries) and got the camera. By the time I got back, Nathan was hanging out on the porch. When I asked him to go back and follow Daddy, he happily complied. After taking quite a few pictures, I was headed back inside. But Nathan wanted me to take more pictures. So, I did. I guess Nathan has a sucker for a Mommy, too. Then, after taking pictures of another lap, I headed back inside again. Nathan again wanted me to take more pictures. Mommy did not comply.

an attempt at "real" pictures

Yesterday, we tried to get some pictures made of the kids at Sears. It went fine, but there wasn't a good picture. I decided to try to get some of my own. However, we didn't ever have the time. I did, however, get a few of just Nathan. Here are a couple of them.

a few more from Ringgold

the boys

the girls

a Caroline update

Ok. I am finally getting around to writing some updates on Caroline. As you may have noticed, I haven't been keeping up real great. :) I actually have a couple sets of pictures to put up, but I wanted to get this update in first.

Caroline doesn't do too much talking on a regular basis, but she is understanding lots of things. She has added a few words to her repertoire, however. She says:

apple - app le
octopus - oc puh
Nathan - nae nah

She is doing a great job following instructions. She doesn't always want to do what she is told, but she DOES understand. I can tell her to take something to her room and she'll do it. She helps clean up pretty well at night, too. Of course, we often have to tell her one item at a time to take care of...but...she does do it...eventually. I think she has already decided that she doesn't like cleaning up at night. She does have an affinity for putting things where they go, though...at least when she wants to.

Caroline loves to dance. She can often be caught dancing to music in stores or restaurants. She also likes to play the music on the sit-n-spin and dance to it. She has a very particular dance style. I will try to get a video up here at some point. However, our little digital camera has died, so it will take more effort now.

She is still a hungry hungry hippo most of the time. She knows where to find food and drink, too. If she's after food, she will go and pull on the pantry cabinet doors. If she's thirsty, she will pull at the refrigerator door. It's a clear sign, at least, of what she wants. She has a preference for juice over milk and doesn't really care for water. She'll drink water if there's just no other option and she's really thirsty.

She also eats lots of things outside. I have to keep a good eye on her because she'll pick up most anything and head to her mouth...acorns, weed flowers, dirt...just about anything. I caught her eating a clump of dirt one day. I thought I had gotten it mostly out, but she started drooling muddy stuff. Yuck! Last week, she picked up something little in the living room and put it in her mouth. I knew that it probably wasn't even a crumb of food since we don't eat in there much. I quickly had her spit it out. To my disgust, I found that it was a smooshed bug. I don't know what it was, but it had a small body and long legs. Gross!! At least she hadn't had time to bite into it!

Very unlike her brother, Caroline has no fear. She can do something and get hurt and be back to the same activity very soon. Of course, she makes a dramatic scene out of the initial problem, but once that is over, she's off. She also has no problem wondering off by herself. One day, we were at the library and she just headed off to talk to the other little kids. Not once did she look back to see where I was. Not once. Oh...I fear we are in for some trouble!

Just two more quick things that I can think of at the moment...toward the beginning of April, Caroline's 7th tooth came in. The 8th finally broke through last weekend. And last but not least...Caroline loves her brother! She loves to follow him around, play with the things he likes, and generally just spend time with him. It's very sweet when they play well together!

Late addition: Caroline is moving rather quickly these days. It's almost a run. And a quick story from today (May 1st)...This morning, I put a bow in Caroline's hair. Later, I noticed that she had taken it out. I told her that we needed to find her bow so we could put it back in. Well, she quickly headed down the hall and to her room. I figured that she thought that I meant that we needed to get something out of the drawer to fix her hair. Well, she went right over and reached up at the drawer where the hair things are kept. I asked her "did you put it in here?" while really thinking that she was just thinking we needed to get something. Low and behold, however, there in the drawer was the bow I had earlier put in her hair. Not only had she put it up where it went, but she knew just what I was wanting and took me to it. What a smart (and tidy) girl!

a Nathan update

Well, I think it's about time for updates...written updates...on the kids. I'm going to start with Nathan...for no other reason than that he's older.

The biggest thing going on in Nathan's life right now is reading and spelling. Much of his time is occupied by one of these two activities. The one thing that these two have in common is words. No really, I'm serious. Nathan is picking up words SO SO fast. It continuously amazes me. I really shouldn't be that surprised, though. He has his father's memory. Nathan spends much of the time that he has alone writing and drawing. He draws pictures and labels them with some of the people or objects in them. We are burning through notebook paper around here!

He can read a ton these days. While driving around town, he often reads signs and such. One day, he said "Do...not...block...what Mommy". To which I replied "Intersection". He now knows what those signs say and reads them regularly. On Thursday I heard him reading a book in his room during his down time. I listened for a minute and discovered that it was a book that I had not read with him in a very long time. Once he got up (at 3:00 on the dot, as always), he asked if I could help him read it. I take that back. He asked about reading it AFTER watching Curious George...which comes on at 3:00. So, here's the book:



I only had to help him with a handful (or two) of words. He knew all the rest...or had figured them out. He's actually pretty good at sounding out words. I am definitely a fan of phonics! He has even gotten confident enough to write words on his own by sounding them out. (If you know Nathan and his hesitancy to do anything before he really has it down, you know that this is a big deal.) He doesn't always spell things right, but he at least gets close. For example, the other day he made a picture and wrote "WATERORING KANN". That's pretty good, I think.

One day, while we were running errands, Nathan said "P-I-C-K spells 'pick'". I gave a little affirmation and then asked him how you would spell "sick". He proceeded to sound out the beginning "sss...sss...S-I-C-K". So I asked some more... "lick"..."llll...L-I-C-K"... "stick"...a little more thought here...(me)"how do you spell the 'st' sound?"..."S-T-I-C-K". Anyway, you get the idea. I was quite impressed. In case you are wondering, Nathan knows several letter combinations. He has mostly learned them watching Word World on PBS. He knows "st" and "ch" and several endings like "ing" and "s".

On a completely unrelated note, the other day, I asked Nathan to get the food out for lunch. When he came back, I asked if he had gotten all the food out and he said that he had. Then, I asked if he had gotten a knife out (a butter knife...for the mustard). He made some sound and then went to get it. Almost immediately, he returned and said "But Mommy, a knife isn't food." Smarty!

more pictures

When they choose to do so, Nathan and Caroline play well together.


They both had a good time playing the piano.


On Thursday, Nathan and I were fixing supper when I heard a funny sound behind me. I turned around to find Caroline eating the apple (core) that Nathan had earlier thrown in the trash can. I had not previously thought that I wanted to let her eat an apple whole, but I decided to let her try. I didn't think the one from the trash was a good choice, however. So, I got her a new apple. I started it for her, and she seemed to do pretty well for her first whole apple.

a few pictures

Caroline is not a big fan of sitting and being read to. However, she can regularly be found with a book in hand.


While playing the other night, Nathan took to an activity that used to be very common. He was wrapping "presents" for Daddy. He used to wrap "presents" for most everybody. His "presents" are generally some kind of toy...occasionally lots of toys. They are always wrapped in blankets.


While playing, Caroline decided that she wanted to wear Nathan's train hat. I think we're going to have to buy her some more hats. She seems to like them!


And last but not least, here's a cute picture of Nathan with his Daddy (and William).