July 4th

 We spent a few days around the Fourth of July with John's parents in Mentone. We decided to go to the Tennessee Aquarium since it was so close.

 It was a hit with both of them. Joshua cared more about the water than the fish but Timothy was completely in to seeing the fish, turtles, etc.

 There were people in the large tanks cleaning. Our kids were not the only ones excited to see people in with the fish!

Timothy watching the cleaning.

 Sporting a lobster shirt made by mommy! He looks grown up here. Joshua also had a shirt made by mommy but I never got a good picture of him that showed the shark.

 Daddy & Joshua at the touch tank. I don't think Joshua was able to reach anything but he liked putting his hands in the water.

 Timothy had been calling any fish that was slightly large a shark all day. When he finally saw this shark up close, he said "all done shark" & backed away from the glass!

 Both boys were up really early that morning so they were exhausted when we left. Joshua almost never sleeps in the car. It only lasted a few minutes....maybe because he had to be very uncomfortable in this position!

Sound asleep for most of the way back.

We did go to the fireworks in Fort Payne on the 3rd. We had never been to theirs. It was a really good show. Not as big as Birmingham, but still really good. Timothy wasn't sure at first, but he decided to like it. Joshua loved the beginning & end but had a bit of a fit during the middle because we wouldn't let him run wild. In the car on the way back, Joshua said, "I want go back fireworks."

Summer Update #2

This little guy isn't quite a fan of water yet, but we keep trying!

I really can't believe Timothy will be 2 next month! It has gone by way too fast! He also has changed tons over the past several months. We are continually amazed at how much he knows. He has been able to recognize & say his letters for a few months now but he has started saying the alphabet (leaving out N most of the time) & even singing the alphabet song. I have heard him singing the clean up song in the car. He sings other things but I usually can't quite figure them out :) He can count to 10. He finishes everything by clapping his hands & saying "yaaaayyyy". He knows his shapes & some colors most of the time. He sits down & "reads" books to himself. He has started some pretend play (something we never experienced with Joshua). Timothy has a pretty amazing vocabulary for his age. My favorite things that he says right now are dirty pronounced "door-yay" & wrinkles pronounced "minkles". He recently discovered wrinkles on his fingers after he was in the bath & cried because he couldn't wipe them off! He loves seeing animals at the zoo, or the cat at the end of our street. He is still a momma's boy but he has learned to show some love to other people. He still isn't thrilled about being left in the nursery at church but he hasn't cried for a few weeks. He still gives me a pained look when I hand him over though. I'm guessing he will be running in to play soon & I will miss the days when he didn't want to leave me! He seems to be enjoying having Joshua at home this summer. Joshua being in school every day this fall will probably be a bit tough on him, but I think he will enjoy having mommy all to himself some again.

Summer Update #1

Playing in the sprinkler at Grammy & Poppa's house. This kid really loves the water!

We haven't put alot on here regarding Joshua's progress in the past several months. He really has come quite a long way. Eight months ago he could only say a few words. Now, he talks in phrases most of the time....I would say sentences but he leaves out some of the smaller words still. We have even heard him singing (!) along with some songs recently (seriously, we NEVER thought that would happen)! His articulation isn't clear most of the time but John & I can usually figure out what he is saying. He really likes being understood :) He also really likes getting his way, which doesn't happen all of the time! Having a little brother has been quite the learning experience for him....he isn't used to having someone else have an opinion on which cartoon to watch or what we do. Joshua finished preschool in May & will be starting kindergarten this fall. I really can't believe it! Joshua has become slightly better at dealing with changes in his routine. We are working with him on self help skills. Doing things on his own is really hard for him, but once he has practiced a few times he seems to get things. He has difficulty in trying new things, like physical movements, but once he is shown how to move (for example, how to squat, tip toe, twist, kick a ball, etc) he can generally do it own his own & often really enjoys it. That is something he worked on this past year during school & we are now applying that to things like getting dressed, washing hands, etc. Joshua often amazes us with how smart he is. Of course, he has known his letters & numbers for quite a while now. We are pretty sure he can read at least some words, & that he knows how to spell some words. He seems to have an excellent memory. He remembers all the words to his signing time DVDs & all of his favorite books. He knows the Super Why episodes we have on DVR by episode title. Life isn't perfect by any means....he still has meltdowns on occassion, he yells & cries, he still has seizures every couple of months; but, overall things are so much better than they have been in the past. Summer has been quite an adventure since his routine is totally different! He is doing three different therapies this summer - all of which he seems to enjoy. And, he still loves going to church. He went to VBS for the first time this summer. This fall should be interesting for us....maybe I'll do a better job of posting about his kindergarten experience on here!