Time is flying....

I have been pretty bad about updating the blog lately! We have been busy here, watching Joel growing like a weed and trying to keep up with him and his 2-year-old behavior! He is using quite a few words. He is getting really good at picking items out in a book when you ask him. He is also really good at following directions....as long as he is in the mood! :0) He likes throwing things in the kitchen trash and throws his toys back into his crib after his nap, since everything ends up on the floor! He is such a wonderful little boy! I have been sick for the past week (YUCK!) with a nasty cold, and we haven't gone anywhere. I think he is getting a little stir crazy. Marty and Sue watched him for about an hour yesterday to give him a little change in scenery. Today he kept me entertained for about half an hour watching home movies on DVD from Christmas. He pointed out Daddy, Mommy and "Bay" and just laughed hard every time he was on screen! He also dances to the Elmo DVD now....which is hilarious! We love him, love him, love him. I can't believe he will be 2 soon! More later...

Crazy splashing bathtime boy!

Daddy and Joel....BEDTIME!!

Joel is bored while Mommy is home sick....can you tell? He opened the dishwasher himself and felt the need to play with the (dirty) dishes. Even Bailey was like, "What are you doing, boy?" :0)

Joel was too quiet for a few minutes and this is where I found him! He was VERY pleased with himself, sitting there munching on his pretzels without a care in the world!

Joel LOVES his ranch doritos! He gets into the cupboard and gets them himself. I thought this was cute....the child acts like he never gets fed! :0)

Happy Valentine's Day!

SO adorable! :0)

High-fiving on the way to the big game! (Steelers lost....not much high-fiving after that!)

Joel and Daddy....waving their "terrible towels" and practicing their "mean" football faces before the big game!

Almost forgot!

Wow...I just realized that it was Joel's 23-month birthday! I absolutely cannot believe that he is going to be two years old next month. It continues to amaze me at how much we love him and how much he loves us back. Happy Birthday, baby boy! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will EVER know! :0)

Miscellaneous catching up....

Joel's new favorite word...."CAKE!" A boy after his Daddy's heart!

Our sweet, sweet boy....obviously terrified of riding home in the storm! :0)

Comfort Inn in Piqua....He's getting big so fast!

Pure joy! I love his big goofy grin!

This picture was taken at about 12:30 in the morning after we pulled off in Piqua. Mommy and Daddy were exhausted, Joel was ready to party! It was about another hour before he finally fell asleep. Yawn!!

Playing Fred Astaire with Aunt Sherry's cane!

Dinner with the family at "Cock of the Walk". Not a fan of the paper hat.....

"My turn! I win!" Joel was so cute "playing" games with the cousins.(And they tolerated him very well!) He was right in the thick of things! :0)

Catching up with the Fosters....

Whew! It has been a whirlwind here lately! We went to Mississippi last week for Brandon and Naphtali's wedding. We ended up driving, which was fine on the way down but not so much on the way back with the ice and snow! Joel was amazingly well-behaved on the trip down. We stopped near Nashville the first night and stayed over, then continued on to Jackson the next morning. The weather was amazing (70+ degrees!) and the whole Foster family was together for the first time in years. There was a lot of visiting, game-playing, and, of course, Joel-spoiling! He loved all the attention! He did so well sleeping and going with the flow of all the activity. The ride home was long and he was not nearly as happy as he was on the way down. Even his beloved Elmo DVDs couldn't save the day! We tried to do the whole trip home in one day to avoid the weather, but we ended up pulling off the highway near Piqua and spending the night. Poor Joel was a mess by the time we pulled over, but he recovered quickly and was up until about 1:30. The next morning we got up, took Joel to the pool, and then headed home in the snow. It took us a while to get there, but it was good to get home! Joel's behavior has been not too good, however, since we've been home. He is hitting me and Bailey a lot and has taken to throwing anything he can get his hands on down the basement stairs. Amazingly he has done that only once or twice up until now. He has also had a quick temper and been an overall grumpy butt. Hopefully it is just going to take him a few days to get back into our usual routine. Wish Mommy luck! It could be a long couple of days...... :0)