Penultimate Post

Today was our last full day in NH. As I type, Jesse is already 20 hours into his journey homeward, and he got a Skype call out to us during his 10 hour layover in Nairobi. Thank you!! We can hardly wait to see you tomorrow, Jesse! Yesterday, when I asked Josiah who should read him a story before nap, Mommy or Nannan, he replied, "Daddy?"  And today he sprinted for the front door when a delivery man rang the bell, thinking it was you. Of course, his life hasn't exactly been hard here these past two weeks, as evidenced in the previous post, below. :) 

(Sorry no photos today...)

King Muck

Wow. It's going to be hard on this kiddo when we get back to Lancaster. Here he is having breakfast

of bacon and pancakes

in Nannan & Papa's bed

watching TV.

Mom calls him King Muck. I can't find any references to the moniker, but you get the idea.

 

Update on 12/11: Aha! Mom informs that it's Lord Muck. See link.

A Daily Sort of Day

When there's nothing else to write about, there are always tubby-time pictures. 

With bubbles. 

And one very cute boy. 

Who has started to call me "Sweetums," just to be cheeky.

We Love Auntie Kara

In the midst of many church activities today, Auntie Kara made it up for a last visit. Next time we see her, she'll be great with child...or who knows...maybe Baby Prahl will be here! She brought a bunch of larger hand-me-down baby items that she has already received in the past week since "going public," to store here temporarily, since storage at her and Matt's condo is at a premium these days. Josiah took one look at the infant bathtub and immediately wanted to get in. He sure loves Auntie Kara!

Tulips = True Love?

You've missed a fun evening, Jesse. My mother produced a cassette tape dated December 1985: the Christmas gift Kara and I made for them that year. Kara was 5 and a half, I had just turned 8, and the tape (both sides, mind you) is a treat. We recited Christmas poems, read the Christmas story, told jokes, and sang countless Christmas songs and carols. It's actually all quite sweet (well, apart from when we devolved to knock knock jokes to fill time), but the real highlight is the first item on Side 2: The Twelve Days of Christmas. Kara's job was to start off each stanza before I launched into the complicated numerical bits. "On the first day of Christmas, my tulip gave to me..." she sang each time. So cute!

And here's the day in photographic review:

Nannan and Josiah spying Papa felling trees out back.

Mom and Dad both independently ended up wearing their fisherman knit sweaters on this icy morning, so I put Josiah into his too for the photo op. Grandma White, we love you...and your sweaters!

"Mamma, do sweeping with Josiah?" is a new, daily request. We've learned to put his hat on to protect his head. Crazy boy (and probably crazy mommy who complies). 

Hey Babes

Just a bit ago, not long before bed, Josiah sauntered up to my mom with a twinkle in his eye. "Hey Babes," he said. 

This is a new game. Last weekend Mom called him "Babes" at one point, and he threw it right back at her. Our ensuing mirth was great, and he now has a precocious knack for pulling it out at just the right quiet moment when everyone is preoccupied and he wants to reclaim his self-declared title as Center Of The Universe. He hadn't said it for a couple of days until just now. Oh, Jesse, it's definitely going to take two of us to parent this monkey. Stay safe! We're hoping your boat ride over to the other Congo was uneventful today... 

And today's photo? Josiah with his current entourage of bears listening to a story with Nannan. I think the bear count is up to eight.

Jobs

Josiah loves to help with "jobs" at the moment. "I need jobs," he announces with regularity. He was immensely proud that today he got to help Nannan make a pumpkin pie for Papa. He helped make the pastry and roll it out, dump in ingredients, do some mixing. He was well-floured from head to foot by the end. When we heard Papa driving in at dinner time, we (with some misgivings) had Josiah holding the pie plate and waiting at the door. He was rigid with excitement and flushed with pride! 

DIY footwear

Who would think that decent toddler slippers are so hard to come by? They have enormous character heads, slippery soles, or some other design flaw that renders them treacherous for, well, anyone carrying my clumsy genes. So, I modified a pattern, bought some flannel, fleece, and grippy-footie fabric for less than $6 total, and coerced Mom into helping. And...let me present: cute, cosy, and sensible toddler footwear, a must-have accessory in this lovely-but-as-yet-unfinished house where half the floors are still plywood! Josiah's modeling them in "Train" here, and they also come in "Puppy," which are definitely my favorite. There's even enough fabric to make two more pairs for next year. I'm delighted, Josiah loves them.

Jesse, thanks for your oh-so-wonderful call today! Tonight before bedtime, as I was praying with Josiah, I prayed about you not feeling well with the anti-malaria pills. Josiah stopped me short, mid-sentence, putting his hand on my face. I opened my eyes as he said, with concern, "Daddy sick?" I replied that you were just a little tiny bit sick and you would be fine, not to worry. He kept repeating it and then said, "Daddy need medicine. Daddy need puffer medicine. Feel better." I had to reassure him several times that I'd tell you to take some medicine, and I thanked him for sharing his puffer medicine (an inhaler, for you others out there). He was okay in the end. 

And here are some photos from the last day or two. Water painting...going on an icy, rather ill-advised, very short walk...making brownies with Nannan...

Watching Daddy

Josiah loves the silly video we made for yesterday's post. We have watched it time and again, and every time he gets this small, content smile. "More Dadda? More bye bye?" he asks as soon as it's over. 

Ring-A-Round-A-Rosie

Enjoy, Daddy!

We recorded this just a little bit ago, and I think Josiah has already watched it two dozen times. "More 'bye bye Dadda'?" he's asked again and again. He misses you...

Tongue Twister

We got word that Jesse arrived safely this morning, weary after back-to-back overnight flights with hefty layovers in both Amsterdam and Nairobi, but doing well. Josiah and I are settling in comfortably for our two weeks with Nannan and Papa up here in Alton Bay, NH. (Miscellaneous pictures for Daddy are below.) And...in the midst of an idle conversation with my mother, who's ironing as I type, I've just created the world's best tongue twister. I challenge you to say it even two times in a row: Crinkle Skirt Sweater. 

Did I hear you say squirt? or skwetter?