Joshua/Josh/Best Buddy/Bubba/Yaya

Haven't given updates on each of the kids lately so thought now would be a perfect time!  Think I go overboard when writing about each kiddo specifically, but I look at this as a way to remember who they were for my records twenty years from now:).

Joshua has, and probably always will be, a pack of cards.  Have you ever seen the movie Jerry McGuire?  The little boy in that reminds me so much of him.  Full of random facts, good heart, but still can be a bit of a pill sometimes.  He has such a unique sense of humor and never ceases to amaze us with his insightful ways, big vocabulary, and creative abilities.

We have also loved watching him grow in his faith which may seem silly for a four year old, but his prayers are sweet and he is so interested in Jesus' life and what Heaven is like.  He had a fever the other day and went to pray by himself because he said he needed to talk to God.  I didn't hear the beginning but heard, "Please help my antibodies to get bigger and fight the germies, God.  And if you do, I'll be your best friend. Amen." :)  Oh how I love him!

Language has always been one of his strong points and we often hear from others that there is no way that he is just four years old with the way he talks.  Sure his size doesn't hurt either!  He is still tall, and husky, and looks like a kindergartner easily. Books are one of his favorite things and he loves hearing stories and telling you stories.  He also loves to make up words and tell you what they mean.   He also LOVES science and learning how things work and why they are the way they are.

And music.  If you know anything about Joshua, you know his love for music.  He drifts off to a different world while listening.  All kinds of music.  Kids, classic rock (Elvis and the Beatles are two of his favs), pop, country, classical, you name it, he can probably sing it and on pitch/key too.  He is STILL OBSESSED with the song "It's a Small World".   Art and I are WAY over it.  However, when asked the other day why he likes it so much, I appreciated his answer, "Mom, it's the only song I know that you can hear every instrument and kind of music and the people sing too."  I respect that.  Although I have to admit I'm cool if he never plays it again!

Trains are his other obsession.  He is CRAZY about watching trains, going over train tracks, playing with trains, learning about trains, watching informational train DVDs.  You name it.  It was funny because he was able to meet a train conductor while at Costco a ways back.  He sat down and shared his wealth of knowledge on various locomotives and which train tracks end up where in the US and so much more.  The guy could not stop cracking up and said he knew more than the average railroad employee:).

Other Fun Facts:

• He recently got a chore chart (make bed, get dressed, brush teeth, help set the table, and clean up toys at the end of the day.) 
• Mac and cheese is probably his fav food while Jose Pepper and Panera are his favorite restaurants.
• Always fun to see what he chooses to wear since he know dresses himself.  I have to bite my tongue a lot and remind myself what a nice part of growing up it is.  
• He is just getting interested in spelling words and sounding things out in the last few months, although it is inventive spelling:). 
• Desserts.  Sweets.  Wow.  This kid loves his sweets which is bad news!  
• Still not very interested in sports.  Oh well.  There will be time for that.  
• He still refuses to ride a bike and prefers his Harley Big Wheel.  

AND THE BEST JOSHUA QUOTES AS OF THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS-

• While Sadie was babbling, "Sadie, you know I don't speak Spanish yet!"
• J- I'm a bad buy and I'm going to shoot spider webs all over you! (Me) Why don't you be a good guy and fight the bad guys? (J) No. I'm a bad guy.  It's more fun.  I have no love in my body.  (At this point he exits to the garage and then comes back in) I've just destroyed the garage and..Oh hi Masey!  Do you need some love baby girl?  Oh, you have cherry eye!  I'm so sorry.  Do you want to come see everything I destroyed?  Okay, let's go."
• While watching a man push a car that had stopped, "Look at that man!  His family left him at the pool and he is trying to catch the car!"
• I said some unkind words about someone who was not being a very careful driver.  The extent was something like "You jerk" or "Idiot".  I know, not right to say, but I thought I said it under my breath and when having a bad day.  Well, Joshua heard and told me that it wasn't very nice but it was okay and he would not tell Daddy.  "Your secret is good with me."
• When the carpet cleaners were over he approached them with the following, "I have a question.  I know that hose there has water, and the water cleans the carpet and the water comes from your van.  But how does the water get into the van?  You see I'm only four years old and I just don't know these things."
• When Sadie was sick, "Guys, it's just a process!  And we have to get her better!"
• I walked into the bathroom to find toilet paper ripped and all over the floor.  When I asked him what in the world had happened, he said, "Well I was pretending that the toilet paper was snow and it was falling to the ground.  It was beautiful."
• For some reason he likes to pretend Sadie is the cleaning lady when he is going to the bathroom.  I know.  Weird.  Heard this one the other day, "Hi cleaning lady!  Could you start upstairs?  Good.  Well I'm going to the bathroom right now and I would prefer if you didn't vacuum up my pants and undies."
• When asked what his favorite drink is "I prefer lemon with water."
• While looking for houses with our realtor, we saw a stalled car.  He said to all of us, "The problem there is that car got all jacked up so the policemen had to come help get it."  (Thanks Daddy for teaching that terminology)
• (Me) He skinny legs! (J) Yeah, I'm starting to get hair on them you know. (Me) Yes you are.  Just like Daddy! (J) Yep (Me) Do you think you will get hair on your chest like Daddy too? (J) Oh yeah.  I really think so.  And then I can be a train engineer finally!
• After all of the smart things he says, he always manages to bring us back to reality and remind us that he is just four with comments like this while looking at pictures of Albert Einstein.  "Einstein has a really weird bottom.  Haha!  You just looked at his bottom!"

OH HOW WE LOVE YOU, LITTLE MAN!!