Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Joshua put something back where it belongs!

Today Joshua and Caleb were rummaging through the lower kitchen cabinets, just as they do every day. In one cabinet Joshua stumbled upon the pot that goes in the rice cooker, and thinking it would make a fascinating toy, he removed it from the rice cooker and carried it out to the living room where he flung it around, kicked it, wore it on his head, etc. Then about 15 minutes later when he was done playing, he came back into the kitchen, opened the appropriate cabinet, and placed the pot back inside of the rice cooker, and shut the cabinet door! I was standing at the sink washing dishes the whole time, and was completely amazed to see him demonstrate such remarkable carefulness and thought, particularly in light of his recent bouts of wild and unruly behavior. What a smart boy!

Saturday, February 10, 2007

15 months old

Joshua and Caleb seem to have graduated from babyhood to boyhood just in the past few weeks. We now have on our hands two rowdy and boisterous boys. And they certainly do act like boys! They are constantly seeking out adventure and don't seem to be afraid of anything. They routinely throw, kick, and hit things (including each other!), and they vociferously make their presence known wherever we go. It's just about impossible for me to take them anywhere by myself anymore. They hate sitting still in the stroller, and would much prefer to be running- not walking- free.

Joshua seems to have really good foot-eye coordination. World Cup, here we come ;) He's really good at kicking toys around on the floor like a ball. Which reminds me, we really should get him a real ball to play with! Joshua is also very particular about his snacks. He will only eat a broken cracker as a last resort. If you offer him a mix of broken and whole crackers, he will separate the broken ones from the unbroken ones and eat the whole ones first. Leaving the broken crackers untouched, he'll reach for the box and try to convince you that he should have an unbroken cracker. What a particular 15-month-old! Aside from whole intact crackers, Joshua also loves to eat meat, preferably beef. He just couldn't get enough of the tender pot roast at Old Country Buffet!

Caleb has very good fine motor skills. He regularly uses his index finger to point to your nose, push buttons, etc. Caleb is also very good at entertaining himself. While Joshua is off looking for adventure, Caleb is content to sit in one place for a long period of time and play quietly with a toy. He's such a sweet muffin! Speaking of which, he tends to have a sweet tooth. He loves sweet fruits, especially pineapple and pears. Caleb also loves animals- stuffed toys and real live ones, too. Whenever he sees a dog or other animal, he squeals with delight! The other day I showed him a bunny nibbling on grass outside the window, and he thought that was just great! Caleb really loves to look at pictures and artwork. When he lifts up one arm straight up in the air, that means he wants you to pick him up and give him a tour of all the artwork and photos hanging on the walls. Maybe he will be an artist like his mom!

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Caleb the climber

First of all, the boys want to wish their Grandpa a very Happy Birthday today! They had fun spending the day with Grandpa!

Secondly, this evening Caleb figured out how to climb up onto our couch all by himself. He persisted in swinging and flailing that leg of his until he finally was able to hoist himself up. He was so proud of himself, and immediately got to work pounding on the wall behind the couch and knocking over the lamp which had previously been strategically positioned out of his reach.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Caleb knows his nose; Joshua makes music

This week Halmoni has been teaching the boys where their noses are, and now Caleb will point with his index finger to his nose or whoever's nose is in question when you ask him "where is Caleb's nose? Where is Halmoni's nose?" etc. Joshua's fine motor skills aren't as refined quite yet, and he will bat his entire hand in the general vicinity of your nose.

Joshua meanwhile has proven himself to be quite a musician. Today he picked up the recorder (a wooden version of the wind instrument everyone learns to play in elementary school) and started playing it on his own. Pretty impressive, considering I couldn't even figure out how to get it to make a sound at first!