Shaving

Casen gets very serious during certain activities. This morning when Josh shaved with him, Case got all serious. He was concentrating hard it seemed. After he finished shaving, Case came into the living room and told me all about it. Sweet Sweet boy.

My Little Sharer

Casen loves to feed the dogs. When he is at his Mamaw and Papa's, their little poodle gets all kinds of treats! Yesterday, Casen was sharing his marshmallows with our dog Padme. He ended up dumping the marshmallows for easy access. Case did get up upset when Newman came over and started eating too. Casen and Newman are like brothers - they usually just annoy and get upset at each other. But Padme is his favorite - he loves her!

Casen's Sign Language

We've done a little sign language with Case - just a few signs for main words that he needs to use. He has morphed the signs into his own little sign language.
His favorite sign and word is "more". More food. More drink. More play. More open the door for me. More playtime in the sunroom. More playtime with the dogs. As you can probably guess, we usually have to figure out what he is asking more specifically. Usually it's food though. So that's our first guess.
He knows the sign for dog so he does it from time to time (it's panting like a dog). He now usually likes to just say, "Dog." Over and over again.
I decided a couple weeks ago that he needs to start learning to say please and thank you. We taught him please (it's rubbing your chest right below your neck). He did not really want to have to say or sign that word. Why does he need to do that when he already said, "More?" At first he would either walk away and try again later if we insisted he say please OR he would do the sign on our stomachs. We let it count. Then it changed into him doing the sign on himself but usually it's on his stomach or chest - all over rubbing and haphazardly done, as if he is saying, "Okay, okay, please." A few days ago, I told him he had to ask please before he could have whatever I was eating. He did the sign for please and shouted, "No!" I told him it didn't count so he finally just made the sign. Stubborn boy. But very entertaining boy.
Today he came over and asked for more (made the sign) drink and made the please sign! Without prodding! Woohoo!
I guess we are going to introduce Thank You later this week. He's going to love that-he already will have gotten what he asked for. We'll see how it goes....

Playing with Water

After swimming, the babies played in the yard with the water hose. They helped to water Mamaw's flowers. Jaci kept getting Case which he didn't really mind usually. He did mind some of the time, but she didn't care. I told Case she was getting him back for irritating her all day. Case is the Master Annoying Cousin. He will go up to Jaci and stand right by her - but not touch her. He stands like that until she starts crying. Then he acts like, "What? I'm not touching her!"

Swimming

We went swimming one night. Casen hadn't gone swimming since last summer, but he did pretty well. He only wanted me to hold him so I was tired by the end of the night. He wore floaties but doesn't know how to use them yet. He has to learn how to kick so he can stay up. He wouldn't panic though when he would go under so I guess that's good. Well until the slide incident. There's a kiddie slide there, and he kept asking to go down it. I knew I couldn't take him. A few years back, I went down the slide with Tana and learned my lesson! I hit the water so hard and it's so shallow there (shallow for an adult) that I hit the bottom of the pool hard. My knee was black for a month. It's a wonder I didn't break my kneecap. So I knew I couldn't take him down the slide. Well, Jaci went down the slide in a lifejacket. So I decided to let Case try it. As I waited for Jessi to let him go at the top, I was standing in the pool waiting - nervous. Jeremy was making fun of me - but it was my baby! Case came down the slide, went under the water, and popped back up. I think he was in shock for about a minute. Then he started crying. He didn't ask to go down the slide again. Hopefully, he will go down the slide in the park though. Case got upset when it was time to get out of the pool. I was running on empty, and it was getting near to closing time. Well, he and Jaci went and ran around in the grassy area watching the birds. Then I look over, and he was taking off for the pool. Of course, it was the deep end. Jeremy told me he didn't know I could move that fast. I caught Case right before he got to the edge. He might have just stopped at the edge and looked in, but he probably would've just stepped into the pool. Just like he does when he walks off the couch or bed. I know he probably would've been fine. Between the lifeguards and all of us right there, but it still scared me. I'm sure I gave everyone a laugh by running to the pool to catch my baby - I'm already showing. Hopefully, I won't have to do that again. I don't know if I'll be able to move so fast by the end of the summer.

Softball

We went and watched Kota play softball later. Her team won! It was pretty hot outside, but I made it the whole time. I think the heat had zapped me because the next day I took three naps. Thank goodness I have babysitters in Chatty! : ) Case had fun running around. He especially liked his first ring pop that Tana bought him. Of course it was blue raspberry!

Case Visiting with Cousins

Josh left for camp, and his mom stayed with Casen and me for a few days. Then we came down to Chatty. On the way, we stopped in Elgin to visit Tana, Kota, and Graeson. Casen enjoyed them all. In the pictures, he is pointing out Graeson's nose and his own. He loved holding Graeson - so much so that he would cry when Graeson was taken away from him. So he got to hold Graeson quite awhile. Rocky cooked authentic German food for everyone for dinner - schnitzel and German potato salad. It was yummy!

Graeson

Zoo Warnings

Has anyone ever been bit at the zoo? Usually these signs are posted by animals that you can easily reach (like the tortoises) but I know I saw some people not heeding the warning. I have heard the story of my Mamaw getting bit by a monkey at the zoo when she was a little girl.

Dance of the Flowers

So the zoo had this special, hyped-up exhibit called the "Dance of the Flowers." Only a certain number of people could go into this area at a time where these butterflies were going to be. Of course my imagination got away from me, and I pictured hundreds of butterflies surrounding us as we walked through. It was a let-down then. sigh. But the white peacock was beautiful.

The Laughing Kookabura

Anyone remember that old kid's song about the kookabura sitting in the tree laughing? Seeing the bird at the zoo made me remember the song - I sang it to Casen today.

It's a Mountain Lion! It's a Puma! It's a Cougar! (It's the Same Thing!)

So my sis-in-law got into it with some smart-mouth 10-year-old girl at the zoo. Okay not really, but I think it was close. Ha! Someone in our group says, "It's a cougar!" Jessi replies, "It's a mountain lion!" The little girl turns around and goes (with attitude), "It's the same thing!" She continued to stare at Jessi waiting for an acknowledgement of her wisdom. (It didn't happen.)

Pushing or Carrying the Babies

With 4 babies at the zoo with us, thank goodness for two older cousins who like to push or carry the babies!