Penguins with Maryn and Updates with Josiah :)

We had such a fun day!  I woke up early, at 6:15, because the kiddos have been sleeping in till 8:30 pretty consistently.  I thought I could have breakfast with my hubby, have some quiet time, take a shower, etc.  And then this little one came down the hall at 6:30 am, ready to go:

 We have been learning about penguins.  Here Maryn is with her Mommy penguin, who has gone to the ocean to catch fish.  She left her mate with her baby for four months!

 Ella Grace visited today for a few hours, and here she is with the Daddy penguin.  He carried the egg on his feet those whole four months (we used a Kix cereal piece as the egg).  Then the egg hatched.  Here's the Mommy meeting her baby for the first time!

I also made two loaves of bread in the bread machine and experimented with some recipes and a new bread pan, but still not quite what I wanted.  I don't know why my amazing bread baking friends don't share their secrets.  My bread tastes good, like most homemade bread, but it's smaller and denser than Miss JoAnna's and Miss Hope's. Boo.  Everything they touch turns to gold.  Why are some people like that?

My little mister, Josiah, is saying lots of words, using lots of signs, growing more and more independent each day.  But the best part is that he's starting to really remember animal sounds.  Ah!  So cute!  His favorite is the elephant.  He can also do a cat and anything growly.  But his growl is the cutest thing.  He's not very intimidating :)

He has learned two new words.  "Mess," and "Sit!"  Ha!  I wonder how he learned those :)

He folds his hands when we sit to eat, ready to pray.  He walks to the bathroom when we're done to wash his hands.  He walks to the kitchen to get some milk when it's time for bed.  And knows just what to do at teeth brushing time.

He often lays down without a whimper at bed time, but is STILL waking up 30 minutes to three hours into his sleep.  It's driving us crazy.  We thought we nailed it down as a lactose thing, but it's not adding up.  I don't think it's his belly.  I suspect he's having nightmares/falling dreams...he wakes up freaking out, just wanting Mommy, and the only thing that consoles him is Mommy.

So it goes, life with kids.  If it's not one thing, it's another.  Once you think you have something figured out (like a way to have a quiet time, or a way to have an easy nighttime), it all goes out the window.