Cocoa Puffs

We are finally home from our amazing extended vacation. I feel really lucky to - have a husband willing to live alone for 5 weeks - have parents with an amazing house in the most beautiful place - have parents willing to pay for our plane tickets - have parents who love their grandboys and are willing to entertain them all summer long - have siblings who are equally willing to do the same for their nephews - and again have a husband who's willing to stay back and work so hard, never complaining.

My boys had the best summer. Luke grew up so much. He's so much more expressive, verbally and in his face. By far his favorite part of Montana was the boat and wave runners. He would even clap for the skiers and wake boarders. He's more adventuresome than Joshua and wouldn't be surprised if he is the one pushing Joshua to do things in a few years.

Joshua went on the morning ski runs almost every morning. Always as an observer. He loved watching everyone and would make comments on who was the fastest! I also forced him to seat ski a couple of times. If you saw the scene prior to getting up you would have thought I was causing permanent damage to my child. But I know Joshua. So for the ten minutes leading up to getting up - he's totally balling saying how he doesn't want to go. Everyone is looking at me with weary eyes. I throw him into the water with my dad and his balling turns to screams as he kicks in the water trying to get back to the boat. Bop finally grabs his foot and pulls him on to his lap. Joshua calms down slightly. By the time the boat pulls them up Joshua has a huge smile on his face. After he was done he was so proud of himself and agreed that he had tons of fun.

Here are Bop and Joshua post ski. Thanks Bop for always being up for whatever!

Leaving Montana I had only Joshua - Robin, Redge, and Tanner were kind enough to take Ruby and Luke with them the day before. This was especially nice because my flight had a 3 1/2 layover in Salt Lake. Something I've always known about Joshua, but I've never really realized it's intensity before, is his need for physical touch. He's all over me all day - while I was in Montana it wasn't really an issue because there were so many adults around for him to hang on. So it wasn't until it was just Joshua and I flying home, that I was reminded of this need. The funny thing is that somewhere along the way he's lost all concept of strangers and their need for personal space. 2 examples: we were in the play area and Joshua goes up to a little girl. They are the same height. Joshua puts his arm around her shoulder and scoots so close that the whole sides of their bodies are touching. His had moves up to her face as he leans his head in so that his nose is touching her cheek and he asks "What's your name?" - Then when we were at the gate, sitting, waiting for boarding, Joshua goes up to each person near us, putting his hands on their foot, or thigh, or hand and asks them what their names are or what their doing. Luckily everyone was super nice and thought he was adorable, but does he really need to rub a 45-year-old mans leg while he talks to him?

Let me preface my next story by saying that the Clayton family arrived in Montana the day before we left bring yummy sugar cereal with them. Sunday morning Joshua had Cocoa Puffs for the first time. So when we get on our second plane to go home Joshua notices that there is a black man sitting in front of us and asks "Mommy is that a cocoa puffs man?" Luckily the man didn't speak English (I think - or at least not well) - otherwise I would have been really embarrassed!!

Brad and Kori were kind enough to let the boys come visit baby Tanner in the hospital - despite the massive exhaustion and pain Kori is currently feeling! Joshua couldn't stop "petting" baby Tanner - as he called it. Luke hasn't stopped saying baby. This morning my visiting teachers come over with an 8 week old and Luke was excited to once again have an opportunity to use the new word.

The funniest story of all is what happened in the elevator on the way back to the car. And I think it's the best example of how Joshua has no personal space boundaries. We are in the elevator with 3 other women. We have not talked to them at all. Joshua, while standing next to daddy, reaches up and grabs one of the ladies hands and continues to hold it the entire way down. He doesn't say a word - just holds her hand. The lady of course commented on how he's going to be a ladies man. Who is this child??