The Anderson Circus

Been a little while...

2009-12-31T18:00:00.005-05:00

Time sure does fly when you're having fun! The kids have all gotten bigger - Josh is now half way through Kindergarten, and Miri goes to preschool two days a week. Caleb is 18 months. He's just starting to talk. Sometimes he says things that sound like phrases; for example, today he said "he took it!" after Josh took the toy he was playing with. At least, that's how I'm choosing to interpret it...

Anyhow, since the New Year is almost upon us, we had a resolution to start posting on this blog again. We know how those who are far from us miss seeing pictures of the kids! My goal is to post at least once a week - though there may be a few weeks missed in February while we get used to the new baby!

Here's a cute picture of Caleb to tide you over!

And Miri's new hair cut:

And her with long hair:

What we've been up...

2009-04-16T14:42:00.002-04:00

Dave got a job (YAY!)

The kids went back to preschool.

Caleb is now cruising!

And we made a big tent...

Donut-ty Fun!

2009-01-20T18:46:00.003-05:00

We went and got free donuts at Krispy Kreme today. It's our new favorite donut place, as they have this huge assembly line making the donuts right in the store. They always have balloons and hats for the kids as well, so they really enjoy going there. The only drawback is Josh now wants to grow up and make donuts!

A little update

2009-01-13T21:10:00.003-05:00

Well, Dave is still looking for a job, but he had an interview at Smuckers yesterday that went well. Here's hoping we'll get to move to Ohio!

Caleb is getting too big to fast. I have a little photo story from Christmas to share...

A Christmas present?

Oh, I'm so excited!

Let's open it!

Oh. It's socks.

Peek!

2008-11-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

Hey, this is Dave. I just wanted to post an old pic of Miriam.. That is all.

The economy hits home...

2008-10-29T15:22:00.002-04:00

After several years of watching Visteon downsize every few months, Dave was downsized himself. On Monday, he was called into a conference room. As soon as Dave saw his manager and a person from HR, he knew. In a few short hours, he had completed the paperwork, cleaned out his desk into a box he had to ask for, and left. He was among the two hundred people who lost their jobs at the company this week.

The first day we were in shock. Intellectually, we understood it and thought we could get through, but emotionally, we were shaken. Today, it seems like it's been forever since he lost his job. We have a plan, and he's been applying to jobs like mad, but the whole situation still seems weird and surreal.

But in all this, we know God is in control. He's given us the grace to have been able to save for a while, and the wisdom to have very little debt. He inspired me in August to start using coupons and learn how to spend less on groceries, which will help us survive if the job hunt lasts for too long. We know that He'll make the jobs available in the place He wants us to go.

The hardest thing is to have patience. As I was driving home from dropping the kids off at preschool yesterday, the radio host was talking about how hard the wait is between the prayer and the answer to the prayer. Each hour, each minute seem to go by so slowly as we wait to see what direction He moves us in next. And this wait might be a long one. Before, when the economy was good, Dave would put his resume on Monster and have five or six phone calls by the end of the day. Now, it's the third day and we still haven't heard anything. So we feel nervous for a moment, then laugh and say, "it's only the third day!"

But there's been good in this as well. We've gotten to spend much more time together and with the kids, which was lacking when Dave had to work long hours at the job. And I feel badly for those who have to pick up all the extra work left at Visteon. People were already coming in early and staying late, so I'm sure that will be even worse now. And it looks likely that we'll need to move, so we'll hopefully end up closer to our families. Overall, our greatest comfort is knowing who's in control.

Matt's Wedding

2008-08-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

Josh and Miri looked so cute in their outfits!

Matt and Sara together and the bridesmaids sneaking a peek.

This is Josh flirting with the photographer. You can see his reflection in her camera.

Matt and Sara got married at "The Polo Fields" which despite what you'd think is really a golf course. It was very pretty nonetheless.

Children and Baby!

2008-08-16T13:53:00.000-04:00

Josh and Caleb

Miri and Caleb

Josh and Uncle Brae!

Gather.com

2008-07-27T16:09:00.001-04:00

I've been posting lately on Gather.com. There's lots of photos and articles over there from about the middle of April, so if you'd like to see them, head over to http://circusmama.gather.com/
I'll put a link on the side too.

Crazy day...

2008-07-21T21:31:00.001-04:00

We had a crazy day today. Why do children think it's a good idea to pour water all over a couch? I mean, we had built a pirate ship out of pillows...maybe they thought it would be an ocean. Still, Mama was not happy....

The craziness continues!

2008-07-20T21:22:00.002-04:00

Well, we have three children now! Three wonderful, crazy children! Caleb is now six weeks old. He gets up twice overnight, but if I am very lucky, it'll be only once soon. Josh and Miri still require someone to sit with them while they go to sleep, and I'm slightly tired...if you can tell by all this talk about sleep!

We've not been up to much except being pregnant, then having a baby, then going on a sleep deprivation watch...Josh had a birthday and turned four. It's amazing how becoming a four year old makes them suddenly so much older. Now he's so much taller and mature. He loves to play with other kids, and he's a great big brother! He's so sweet with Caleb. Miri also loves her baby, but still prefers her baby dolls, which she can dress and hold upside down without Mama flipping out.

Some more pics!

2008-04-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

He can spell his name! Isn't that awesome!

Crashed on the floor.

So cute!

They love to read!

Baby ultrasound

2008-04-19T13:58:00.000-04:00

We had an ultrasound on Thursday, and this child is already a Texas fan! Can you make out the horns?

Enjoying the warmth!

2008-04-19T13:56:00.000-04:00

Miri driving

They really wanted us to fill up the pool, but it still a little too cold!

Smelling the daffodils!

After eating Easter candy

2008-03-31T15:13:00.000-04:00

You can definately see the difference in their ages based on how messy they get while eating!

More Easter Pictures

2008-03-31T15:10:00.000-04:00

Cute kids!

Daddy with kids!

Mama with two and a half cute kids!

Easter Egg Hunt!

2008-03-31T15:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos from Easter last weekend. The kids had a blast hunting for Easter eggs. We used plastic ones with chocolate in some and marshmellow peeps in others. Josh opened the first one and said, "There's a chicken in mine!" They really enjoyed the hunt and eating the candy the next few days.

Getting ready for the snow

2008-03-06T14:13:00.000-05:00

We've had a lot more snow these last couple days with the weather people calling for up to ten inches this weekend, so I thought I would post some more snow pictures! Here are the kids getting ready to go out in the snow.

Miriam pictures

2008-03-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

Finally I am getting back to the present in terms of pictures...you can see how long Miri's hair has gotten! She is our little princess - always wants to wear pretty dresses and do her hair. Last night we checked on them before we went to bed and found her sleeping in a dress! She had changed out of her pajamas and into a "princess dress" as she calls it.

More snow day!

2008-03-03T15:02:00.000-05:00

Miri making a snow angel

Let me have a turn Josh!

Snow Day

2008-03-03T15:01:00.000-05:00

This was the day our old camera died, but I was still able to get the pictures off of it.

Miri and Josh

Josh throwing a snowball

They want to be just like Daddy! Miri cleaning the car, Josh shoveling snow!

Silly children under the chair

2008-03-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

I think we have pictures from when Miri was a baby of them doing this. Aren't they cute!

More Mamaw and Poppy's!

2008-02-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

Answering the phone - it was right at her level!

Shirtless cake eating

Why it must be shirtless

Thanksgiving at Mamaw and Poppy's

2008-02-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

Isn't she cute in her hat?

Relaxing on the couch

Silly Josh!

Are you taking pictures?

Making Dinner

2008-02-22T14:03:00.000-05:00

Now I really know it's been a long time!

2008-02-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

I looked at this picture and thought, "What is that in her mouth?" Then I realized that it was a paci, which we got rid of right after the Arkansas trip!

More Arkansas pictures

2008-02-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

Josh and Miri at Grandma Melva's

Miri drinking milk

Daddy and Miri

And Josh riding a dinosaur!

Arkansas Trip - October 2007

2008-02-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

Miri on a dinosaur

Josh on TV

Josh, Miri, Daddy, Grandma, and Great Grandma!

Josh riding a cow - he says they go faster than horses!

It's been a long time...

2008-02-21T14:52:00.001-05:00

since our last blog post! We've had a lot happen! We went to Arkansas and returned to have a computer die, then once that was replaced, the camera broke! Also, did I mention that we're expecting another baby boy! We're due on June 11th, but I've been on and off bed rest and now am restricted to limited activity. Which hasn't been a bowl of cherries, but we're starting to work out how to handle the everyday things like making dinner and cleaning the house.

Josh and Miriam have done a lot of growing since my last post. Miri is a little chatterbox and now is almost completely potty trained. She hasn't mastered the overnight portion yet, but she's not yet 2 1/2 so I'll give her a little longer. Josh is getting better at drawing and coloring. They both love playdough and making tents out of blankets. Both of them are very active with great imaginations! I know they can't wait for the winter to end and me to be back on my feet so they can go outside and play!

A lot of pictures will be following this post, so stay tuned!

Josh extreme closeup!

2007-10-10T10:42:00.001-04:00

We have some pics of Josh - the extreme close-up!

The Big muscles!

The cantaloupe sniffer!

Aunt Megan's Midterm Cuteness Dose

2007-10-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

Poor Megan is working so hard - she needed a dose of children cuteness. So she gets both children and Judah the cat! Good luck on midterms, Megan!

Fun day at Daddy's work!

2007-09-29T15:48:00.000-04:00

Today Dave's work had a family day! It was tons of fun - J and M bounced on the moonbounce, ate cotton candy, candy apples, and popcorn, watched a dog show, and watched a water skiing show. They also had the fire department there. Josh went and talked with the fireman for quite a while, doing a really good job of carrying on a conversation. He said, "You take kitties out of trees? We have kitties - Reuben and Judah" He turned to us and said, "I talk to fireman!" They also had a lumberjack show - Miri was given a little cedar chair. Anyhow, here are the pictures of J and M with the firefighters:

Miri and the water bucket

2007-09-26T13:50:00.000-04:00

What's this? A bucket of water?

At last! I can properly soak my cuticles!

Blowin' bubbles

2007-09-25T13:48:00.000-04:00

J and M

2007-09-23T13:47:00.000-04:00

Look at us! Aren't we cute!

C'mon Sis!

Driving the race car

I'm coming to see the picture!

Opening Gifts!

2007-09-23T13:44:00.000-04:00

Josh and Alex

2007-09-23T13:42:00.000-04:00

Miriam's birthday cake!

2007-09-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

She has her cake, and can eat it too!

Busyness as the norm...

2007-09-18T16:40:00.000-04:00

Again, we've had a very busy week. Josh continues with his swimming lesson. This week he did a little bit better, not clinging to the instructor's neck, but not much. Miri had her birthday, and her doctor's appointment. She just keep growing and growing! We have lots of birthday pictures and other pictures to come, that I will upload as soon as I can.

I am getting ready to teach 2s and 3s in our Wednesday night church, so that should be interesting. We are very excited though about this year. Hopefully I can get another adult to help out in the class though!

Big changes...

2007-09-11T20:40:00.001-04:00

We've moved Miriam in Josh's room! Right now I can hear them both screaming....but Dave is in there with them so it'll be okay. This is Miri's first night in a big girl bed. The trick is to teach her that she must stay in the bed, which means a lot of reinforcement on the first night. So Dave and I have been taking turns for the past 45 minutes. But Josh is distracting her and keeping her from falling asleep, so now they've just hit that point where they are so tired taht they can't do anything except scream. I wonder how long it will take for us to give in and move her back?

In other news, Josh started swimming lessons yesterday. The indoor pool at the Y was still closed, so he got to swim in the outside pool. It was an exciting adventure: the initial dash to the pool, the trip to the disgusting locker room, the sigh of relief from Mama since he was already in his swim trunks, the tentative putting of feet in the water, the clinging frantically to the instructors neck, the loud screams for Mama that caused the Active Older Adults to stop in their watery motions, the gradual change to "hey, this is fun!", and the screaming upon leaving the pool. It was a good thing there were only four children in the class. We got there early too, so Josh had some one on one time before the rest of the kids got there. Next week, the transition should go smoother. I hope.

Holding the baby with the baby.

2007-09-08T14:48:00.000-04:00

Opening presents

2007-09-07T14:47:00.000-04:00

Miri's pretty, but allergic reaction causing dress

2007-09-06T14:46:00.000-04:00

The first day

2007-09-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

Miri played shy at first with Mamaw and Poppy - the big pouty lip, the looking away, occasionally smiling but then frowning as soon as she realizes it...the people in the church nursery know what I'm talking about! We went to the Arts, Beats and Eats festival soon after. Josh saw a clown at one of the shows and he absolutely loved him! I'm going to have to find somewhere where he can see a clown again - hmmm, a circus, perhaps?

Before the visit...

2007-09-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

Miri and Josh had fun getting ready. Here's Miri posing in the bathroom.

Had to get one of Josh in there too! (Reuben's in the background!)

Fun weekend with Mamaw and Poppy!

2007-09-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

This weekend Mamaw, Poppy and Uncle Brady came up for a visit. We had a lot fun, celebrating Miri's birthday early, going to Arts, Beats and Eats, and the State Fair. We even went to downtown Detroit to go to a restaurant, and got lost finding it and then finding where we parked at. Quite an adventure! Pictures will be posted throughout this week, so stay tuned!

A Gallery of Miri!

2007-09-02T07:40:00.000-04:00

Sleepy Miri - she's cheerful even when she's tired

Pensive Miri - looking out the window is so interesting!

And now they both Bible sing!

2007-08-30T18:24:00.000-04:00

Here's both the children singing!

Pots and Pans!

2007-08-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

Josh is my budding drummer. Look at him play those pots and pans!

Messy Miriam

2007-08-30T14:31:00.000-04:00

Here's an example of what Miriam does to her seat at the table.

And the seat of her chair...

And this is just from breakfast! Ah, the joys of not quite two year olds!

Scary storms and Playground fun!

2007-08-30T14:24:00.000-04:00

We've had an exciting week of playing at the playground and big scary storms! Every time it storms, Josh and Miri still talk about when the branch fell down. They just keep expecting it to happen again! Fortunately, we were missed the big tornadoes that came through our area last Friday. It was a scary storm though. We watched it come in, a big wall of black with all these tendrils hanging off, twisting around. But we have what we like to call a "Moses Effect" in our area, where most storms pass to the south or north of us. So as we were watching this one, a wind came from the south and blew the majority of it north of us. So we got a bunch of rain, but that was it. Another storm came in last night at bedtime, so they got to stay up late to watch it. My children have no fear of thunder or lightning. They are storm lovers!
We went to the baseball field Tuesday with Josh's T-ball set. He had a ball hitting and running the bases. He's got the concept down pretty well, I would say. Miri also like running the bases, and she would even go and hit the ball. But she would carefully line it up, then gently tap the ball off of the tee. Josh liked to go sit on the bench while she did this, and cheer for her, and she did the same for him after a while. So cute! Today we had a playdate in the park, which was extremely muddy. Miriam certainly likes to get messy!

Miriam "Bible singing"!

2007-08-25T15:21:00.000-04:00

This is what Miri does all the time - gets our church songbook and sings to it. If you listen closely, you can hear her singing, "Bible!" She also likes to sing about Josh, and Daddy, and kitties!

Children in the chair

2007-08-18T13:31:00.000-04:00

What Josh does when he's supposed to be sleeping

2007-08-17T13:45:00.000-04:00

The other night we went into check on Josh and found him on the floor, like so...

Then another night we found he had set up a complete city with blocks, animals, cars and little people. It was very elaborate. We didn't get a picture of that one, but at nap time I got a picture of this:

He lined up all the flat blocks along the chair rail. He was "decorating"!

A mom on the go

2007-08-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

This is what happens to your coat rack when you are always on the go:

We're going to see how much weight this Ikea coat rack can really hold!

The secret to happy preschoolers.

2007-08-15T13:33:00.000-04:00

Josh has been acting up lately, and I had a brainstorm that maybe, just maybe, he was bored and tired of being at home all the time. So this week we've been to the Y monday and Tuesday and the park today. He's napped all three days, and his behavior and attitude have been a lot better. So that's just the secret. Keep them so busy that they can't get grumpy and aren't home enough to get tired of their toys and start performing experiments in the toilet.

This post was brought to you by:

The J: A thinking man's child.

Josh's new bed

2007-08-06T13:45:00.000-04:00

Josh finally got a bed - no more mattress on the floor. He and Miri both really love it. They love to bounce and take the mattress off and all sorts of games you can make up with a toddler bed. When we first got it, they both had to lay down together on it. These pictures are from that

Sleeping on a bed! At last!

Miri thru the side rails

I want this bed!

Ready for bed!

A gallery of Miriam!

2007-08-05T16:13:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of Miriam, in all her delightful ways! She's such a happy baby! As a side note, we got the computer working again, but we did it at the expense of several months of unbacked up photos. Boo! :(

If you look closely, you can see the playdoh she was eating!

She's always smiling!

The show must go on!

2007-08-04T14:37:00.000-04:00

First off, happy birthday to the Ringmaster! Dave turned the big 3-0! Yay Daddy! Josh and Miri enjoyed making a cake and cards for daddy, and Josh sang Happy Birthday with just the words, Happy Birthday!

We are currently looking for a new computer, but in the meantime we figured out how to get pictures onto Dave's work computer and we will continue posting from here. The show must go on!

Eating Ice cream

Licking the plate clean.

Reading a book with Daddy.

More fun children

2007-07-30T13:42:00.000-04:00

Dave came home to Josh reading this book to Miri while I was making dinner.

Yummy dinner!

Yelly dinner!

Mama and her babies!

And the computer is down!

2007-07-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

Well, it finally happened. Our poor computer finally kicked the bucket at the tender age of four years. I went to turn it on yesterday, and got an error message. Took it to Best Buy, where we found out it would cost $200 to repair. At that point, Dave and I are now thinking we might as well replace the poor thing. The only problem is that all our wonderful baby pictures are on it. However, after doing a bit of digging on the web, I found the only ones we are missing are Febuary through May 2007. So not too horrible. Now we just have to decide what to do.

Other than that, have you ever had one of those weeks where every item in your house decides to break? This was that week for us. Our dishwasher broke, and one of the light covers on our dining room chandelier got broken. This has been an interesting week to say the least.

We have had a lot of fun though. Thursday night marked the end of the summer reading program at our library, and Josh, having read 40 books, got to go to a puppet show and receive a goody bag. Yesterday we went to a party on the lake, which was a lot of fun. Josh got to drive the pontoon when we went on the boat ride. He did a pretty good job, except for wanting to go fast and then slow really quickly.

Anyhow, because of the computer situation, we won't have any pictures for a while. There will be one more post tomorrow because I made it last week, but after that you will have to wait until we get a new computer or figure out how to fix ours. Until then, we hope you can make do without your daily (or weekly!) dose of circusy fun!

Playing around!

2007-07-28T13:32:00.000-04:00

Josh in the morning.

Miri in the morning.

Josh and Miri ready for the park with fun glasses.

Playing in the tent.

Birthday with Mamaw and Poppy

2007-07-27T13:38:00.000-04:00

The same weekend as the airshow, Mamaw and Poppy came up to celebrate Josh's birthday. They went to the airshow, and Josh got birthday presents and cake! He has continuously enjoyed his new T-ball set and baseball glove. He can really nail that ball. Hits it clear across our yard. Still working on the catching though.

Judah (the black cat) jumped into the Panera bag on the left hand side of this picture. We didn't get any shots of it, but it was really cute to see the kids reaction to the kitty "present"!

His baseball glove. Josh actually hits the ball on the t left handed. But he writes with his right hand. We'll see how that turns out.

Miriam enjoying some birthday cake.

The Air Show

2007-07-26T13:27:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of July, Mamaw and Poppy came up and all the boys got to go to an air show! Josh really enjoyed seeing all the airplanes. Ringmaster Dave took along the sunscreen, but since it was all guys who went, no one coated themselves thoroughly! So poor Dave had half his face burnt and half fine, and the back of his legs were bright red. Josh fortunately only had a small patch on his shoulder that got red. I also heard a story of some guy getting very mad at Dave and Josh for Josh being up in a plane and touching all the buttons (As any self-respecting three year old would do given the opportunity). I don't know the details of that though. But all in all, they had a really good time.

Josh and Poppy in front of the plane

Cute little guy!

The Blue Angels

The Blue Angels in flight

Random pictures

2007-07-25T13:14:00.000-04:00

Josh and Miri relaxing on the floor

Josh getting his hair cut. It came out okay. A little uneven from the wiggling, but I think I did a decent job.

Miri eating her breakfast du jour - toast!

Hard Times

2007-07-21T13:02:00.001-04:00

We've had a miscarriage. On July 2, our baby was born 7 months too early. We have been very sad, but we are gradually trying to pull our lives back together. Hopefully we will return to blogging more frequently soon. In the meantime, I'll try to upload some pictures of the two wonderful children we do have for everyone to enjoy.

Playing in the Sprinkler!

2007-06-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

We've been doing this a lot on our hot, dry days. The kids love it! Lately, Josh has taken to picking up the sprinkler and chasing us with it though...

Getting Ready for Bed!

2007-06-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

Brushing Teeth!

They don't really sleep in the same bed...

But sometimes they like to play "Going to Bed"

....and we're back!

2007-06-29T13:09:00.000-04:00

Following our brief technical difficulties, I now have a new power cord for my computer and can post again! Yay! Hold onto your hats and prepare for some pictures...

Computer meltdown...

2007-06-24T14:37:00.001-04:00

Well, we will be unable to post any pictures for a couple of days. I went to plug in our computer on Friday, and the little adapter box starting sparking all over the place. Luckily I was holding it, so I quickly unplugged it before it could catch on fire. It was pretty intense though. So, our computer will not be working until we get the replacement part, which we ordered yesterday. (Dave wanted to just get a new computer, but I put my foot down on that.) At least it's something that can be fixed though, since all my pictures are on that computer! As soon as I get the part, I'm backing up everything.
So until then, the circus will be pictureless and posted from Dave's work computer.

In children news, we went to a birthday party last night and had a lot of fun. Josh showed a lot of proficiency with the soccer ball, which really surprised us. As far as we know, he's never played soccer before. Maybe it's a secret Sunday school activity? He also took a big tumble at a park before the party, which we are still very surpised that nothing was broken. Usually he's really good at not going for the open sections on those giant climbing things they have at playgrounds now, but last night he must have just decided to try to climb down the big kid ladder. Dave and I were both chasing after Miriam, who had gone for the big BIG slide, and next thing you know Josh is screaming! Goes to show that zone defense does not work. We should have stayed on our man-to-man. But he was okay. Still, what will we do with three? They'll outnumber us! :)

Catch up day!

2007-06-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

Alright, so I finally uploaded all the birthday related photos today. There were quite a few of them. Now, I just need to do all the movies and other pictures...
Josh's party went really well. He had a great time. So did Miri, who really enjoyed the sandbox. By the time we brought her inside, she had started pouring sand over her head. So sand was everywhere.
Pregnancy wise, been having a rough week. Went to the doctor today, but we couldn't hear the heartbeat. He says not to worry though, because it's still very early. So I'm trying very hard not to worry.
Other than that, kids are still growing "bigger and bigger!" as Josh says. Since he's been potty trained, he's gained a lot of self-confidence to try to do things on his own. Just the other day while I was with Miriam, he got down his birthday cake, ate a big old chunk of that, then proceeded to pour himself a glass of Sprite, without spilling a drop! At least it was the noncaffeinated pop!

After party shenanigans!

2007-06-21T13:49:00.000-04:00

Having fun with the tissue paper!

2007-06-21T13:48:00.000-04:00

Josh opening gifts at the party

2007-06-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

Chillin' wth the big boys

2007-06-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

J and M with their beloved Aunt and Uncle

Josh and Uncle Matt

Miri and Aunt Meggie

More party photos!

2007-06-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

Kids having a picnic.

Josh with his cake.

Two cute boys!

Cutting the first piece.

The Party Set Up

2007-06-21T13:42:00.000-04:00

Now begins the pictures from the day of of the party!
The side of our house
Flames on our front porch - Josh kept racing down the driveway. Too much freedom!

Gifts from Aunt Megan and Uncle Matt

2007-06-21T13:39:00.000-04:00

Josh opening gifts from Grandma!

2007-06-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

Here's Josh calling Grandma to say "Thank you!"

Josh opening gifts from Grandma Melva!

2007-06-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

Here's some photos from Josh's birthday. We have had lots of craziness here, so I'm just going to be posting a lot of photos and videos since our camera is full!

They like Elmo!

Birthday week!

2007-06-15T15:19:00.001-04:00

Josh's birthday was on Tuesday! Our little boy is now three! He was so excited. But on his birthday, he came down with a really high fever. It turns out he was infected with the coxsackie virus, which caused herpagina, or giant blisters, in the back of his throat. So he was miserable all day Tuesday and Wednesday, then seemed to be better yesterday. I'm just hoping he's completely healed by his party tomorrow!

The one thing that perked Josh up on his birthday was a new bike! Our friends the Albrights had a bike their son had outgrown, so they brought it over for Josh on his birthday. After they left, he was on it and riding for the next hour. Or at least pushing it around. He looked so big on a bike though! Here's a picture:

I just can't get over how big he's getting.

Otherwise, we've just been busy prepping for the party. It's kind of frustrating, because as soon as I get an area clean, it's messy again in about 15 minutes or less. So I've just given up on cleaning until Saturday. But I made the cake today. Here's how it came out:

I decided not to do the other one because I wasn't sure how I would cut it.

Well, Miriam has decided to join me on the computer, so I must end this post!

Some catching up

2007-06-09T20:34:00.001-04:00

Since I didn't get to blog this week, I have some fun posts to put up. Here's some pictures...

Josh and Miri hiding under the blanket.

Miri reading the magazine.

Can't mention how often I've done this in the early morning!

Birthday Madness!

2007-06-09T20:30:00.000-04:00

This week Josh turns three! We are actually having a birthday party for him this year, with other kids. I am trying to work out a fireman theme, but haven't had a lot of time to work on it yet. Right now I'm still getting the house and garden ready!

I did find this cake online.

Now I'm trying to decide if I'm brave enough to try to make it, or if I just want to get a fire truck shaped pan and cover it with red icing.

Josh wants a baby in HIS belly...

2007-06-04T20:25:00.000-04:00

...since I have one in mine. He keeps pretending to "take out the baby" and put it into his belly. He's really looking forward to having another baby "just like Josh" as he says. I think that means he wants a brother. He was telling me as I was laying him down to bed about how he would change the baby. First he would put on gloves (just like they do in nursery!) He also wants to give the baby a bottle.

We don't have any names picked out yet, so we'll have to think about that some more. We are now 7 weeks along, so we have some time.

Last, but not least, some older pictures for your enjoyment!

Josh smiling in bed. I can't believe how little he used to be! And how much he looks like Dave!

A two month old Miri. She looks slightly cross eyed in this one - she's definitely not anymore! Also, she looks a lot like Dave in this one. Maybe it's the lack of hair...

Pool Party

2007-06-03T14:21:00.000-04:00

Putting Josh's pants on...again!

Josh and Miri in the pool

What fun to splash and play!

Cute little girl!

Some Pictures, as Promised...

2007-06-03T14:18:00.000-04:00

I just posted some pictures from yesterday to enjoy. There will be more coming throughout the week, so stay tuned! We went to church today, and Josh kept his underwear dry throughout. Yay, Josh! Next step is overnight...

We've been having rain. Josh keeps talking about the branch falling down again, and we'll have to go downstairs, and Miri now is saying the same thing! Yesterday a storm came in and as the wind picked up, Josh kept pointing at the trees (we were outside) and yelling, "Branch fall down again! Branch fall down again!" That image is just permanently locked in his mind.

Here's a cute picture of them sitting on the porch before it started raining.

They're such cute children!

Busy week!

2007-06-02T20:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry didn't post the rest of the week - first trimester exhaustion is setting in. Whenever the kids are asleep, I usually am too. Getting...sleepy...
Anyhow, we had a fun week. Today we got out the little pool and Josh and Miri played in it for at least an hour. Josh kept insisting on taking off his clothes. And since he's not wearing a diaper anymore (potty trained, hooray!) he was technically skinny dipping. And our next door neighbor was having a garage sale, which is not the best time for your child to decide to go naked.
I have a lot of fun pictures on my camera right now, but for some reason it's not letting me download them. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some for you all!

The Big Announcement!

2007-05-29T20:07:00.001-04:00

It's here! It's finally arrived! The BIG ANNOUNCEMENT we've all been waiting for. The Anderson Circus will be expanding! That's right! On or about January 22, a new member will join the cast here at the circus. Will we have another acrobat? A tight rope walker? A lion tamer? A contortionist? It all remains to be seen. But stay tuned for further details...

Remember when?

2007-05-28T13:54:00.000-04:00

I thought I would start doing some retro photos of oh so long ago when Josh and Miri were just babies. So without further ado...

Josh just after he was born.

Newborn Miri right after a bath.

Josh with Miri in my belly (shortly before she was born!)

Josh and Miriam's first morning together at home - they were actually both crying.

Garden Time!

2007-05-28T13:42:00.000-04:00

Could you guess how old the last video was? I'll give you a clue...Look at Miriam's hair! Today has been crazy so far, and promises to be more so after naps. The Ringmaster made breakfast this morning (Yay, Daddy!) then I went to the garden store and got lots of plants. Then Josh and Miriam got to help me plant them! Josh really enjoyed digging in the dirt, but Miri got bored quickly and went off to sit in her little car. We planted a herb garden, with basil, rosemary, parsley, chives, lavender, marjoram, and oregano. We also planted a flower bed with lots of sunflowers, marigolds, and pansies. Then we planted tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers in our vegetable garden. Hopefully I don't kill everything this year!
After nap we're going to a church picnic. We made yummy Reese's squares (http://www.recipezaar.com/29679) and coleslaw (http://www.recipezaar.com/120602). Josh liked the food processor. The picnic is at a big park, so here's hoping Dave and I get to eat in all the craziness. It's always hard to keep an eye on them and do other things, like socialize and eat. I'm not comfortable yet letting them run free without keeping a constant eye on them. Josh will stay with a group of kids and play, but Miri still likes to run off by herself and get into things. And she always insists on climbing on whatever giant playset and playground has, which always gives me heart palpitations as I follow her around, standing right underneath of her so I can catch her. But she hasn't fallen yet...

Just to show you how long the dancing has been going on...

2007-05-28T07:48:00.000-04:00

Another video of Josh dancing!

2007-05-28T07:46:00.001-04:00

And Miri dancing!

2007-05-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

Josh Dancing

2007-05-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

Some Potty Training Pictures

2007-05-27T20:55:00.000-04:00

Here's some pics from the days we were potty training.

They were hiding behind the shower curtain and Josh said, "Take a picture daddy!"

Here Miriam decided she'd rather wear a bucket than pants!

Sunday Funday!

2007-05-27T20:46:00.000-04:00

Today the Anderson Circus had a very fun day! We went to church, then after naps, we got to go to Sarah's house - Matt's fiance. We had a lot of fun with Uncle Matt and Aunt Sarah and Aunt Megan and Uncle Sam and Lisa, Sarah's mom. Josh and Miri got to play with two dogs, which they absolutely loved. The only problem arose when I saw brown stuff on Miri's fingers and smelled it, at which point I realized it was dog poo! Gross! So after thoroughly sanitizing Miriam, we had a really good time. And a very busy day! The kids just now went to bed, so a little late, but they had to have a bath tonight.
Also, Josh had two accidents this morning, but other than that stayed dry all day. He even went on the big potty at Aunt Sarah's house, which was hard for him, but he still did it. Yay Josh!

And so it ends...

2007-05-26T20:10:00.000-04:00

Successfully for Josh, but Miriam will get to wait a few weeks and try again. She doesn't seem to have the control yet. Josh made it all day today without any accidents! He gets a bucket of popcorn and a ride on the elephants. Tomorrow we'll see how he does at church...

And potty training continues...

2007-05-26T12:54:00.000-04:00

It's gone surprisingly well. Josh only had one accident last night, and a small one as he got out of bed to run to the potty during nap time, but other than that he's done great. Miri has been having a little more trouble. She seemed to be doing by the evening yesterday, but so far today she's had about 3 accidents. But we'll just keep at it...

More Potty Training!

2007-05-25T13:01:00.000-04:00

Well, today is the big day. We're going to take the plunge and take the diapers completely off for the weekend, and hopefully forever. I told Josh that after nap, his diaper would come off and not go back on again. I just hope that I can handle it. He's been promised that if he can go a whole week with no accidents, he gets to take swimming lessons. He's very excited about that. On top of that, he gets M & Ms and stickers. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me! Now if he can just keep up with his side of it...
We're going to do Miri at the same time, so I'll have my hands pretty full. I'll try to post progress reports as the weekend goes along.
Still have BIG news coming!

Josh's funny sleeping habits

2007-05-25T12:51:00.000-04:00

Josh has gotten into a habit lately of not sleeping in his bed. Instead, we usually go in there at night or nap time and find him under his bed. Want proof?

He turned away after the flash went off. These are at night.

This was at nap time.

We don't know what his fascination is with being under the bed right now. I think he is pretending to hide. He's also going into his closet, and under the dining room table. Miriam usually follows him into those places!