Amore e formaggio: The July-December Archives

The July-December Archives

December 1, 2005:

December! How time flies when you're chasing a toddler. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, it'll transport you back to those lazy, hazy days of July -- surely a sign that the page is in need of archiving.
Busy day today. Chris had his third day off of work this week (three days off? Is it the Apocalypse already?) so we decided to be productive, hitting the mall for some Chick-Fil-A and Christmas shopping. Despite not taking a nap, Josh was very well behaved, patiently munching on chicken nuggets while his parents dragged him around to store after store. Only when the chicken nuggets ran out did Josh start to get fussy. Luckily, they were still giving out free samples at the food court.
After being foiled in our attempts to procure a Christmas tree last year, we wanted to guarantee that we'd be able to get one this year. So following our mall visit, we stopped at Farmer Red's Tree Farm to pick the Perfect Christmas Tree. It took a good half hour of wandering around, agonizing over the selection before we finally found the right tree, a nicely shaped seven-and-a-half foot tall Leland cypress that just barely fits in our den. Josh still can't believe that we have a tree inside the house. Pictures will follow once we actually decorate it.

November 27, 2005:

What a weekend of feasting! We had Thanksgiving dinners at both the Tingles' and the Conyers Carusos' houses. Each family sent us home with several containers of leftovers, which we just might finish off tonight. Josh ate very well. Chris introduced him to the all-important post-Thanksgiving bowl of mashed potatoes, turkey, and peas mixed together. However, Josh's holiday favorites seem to be apple pie, green beans, and dressing/stuffing (what IS the proper name for it? The debate rages on). Josh was also pleased to see the Dora balloon in the Macy's parade. All in all, a great holiday.
Then came....BLACK FRIDAY. Chris got up bright and early to help crowds of frantic shoppers find their electronics at Staples. The doors opened at 5:15 am and all the good buys were quickly snapped up. This did not stop people from coming in at 2 pm angry that the "early bird" specials were gone. Luckily, Chris has infinite patience.
The traditional festivities were topped off by the Georgia/Georgia Tech game last night. After an evening nap, Josh woke up to watch the fourth quarter with Chris. Our little Bulldog was not disappointed - Georgia prevailed 14 to 7! GO DAWGS!

November 21, 2005:

For the past three days, Snellville's Staples shoppers have been treated to a poster-size copy of Josh's Christmas picture from last year. It seems a clever sales manager put it up to advertise new wide-format photo printing services in the copy center. Josh is a supermodel!
Twinkie and Josh entertained each other today by tossing a squeaky toy back and forth. Each time Twinkie fetched the toy, Josh went into gales of giggles until he fell down. Mommy tried to capture this on video, but neither small creature would comply.
This evening, our little man took another step away from babyhood. He had his very first kids' meal from Chick-Fil-A! Josh ate one and a half chicken nuggets and quite a bit of the fruit cup. The physics of a straw, however, continue to elude him, so he required some assistance with his Hi-C.

November 20, 2005:

Several people have mentioned....repeatedly...that we have not updated the website in some time. Thanks so much for noticing.
Quite a few exciting events have transpired since our last post. These include Josh's first trip to Six Flags, a visit from cousins Anne, Will, and Ethan, a trip to a pumpkin patch, and Halloween. We emailed out several pictures from these occasions, so hopefully everyone got their Josh fix despite our neglect of the website. If you were somehow overlooked, take a moment to check out Josh in a lion suit.
In addition to his regular Staples gig, Chris worked on two music videos during the past month. It's always exciting for him to do camera work, and we enjoy the extra income.
This income is needed now more than before because....Chris got a new car!!! Yes folks, the 1989 Honda Accord has seen its last days as a Caruso-mobile. Now occupying that coveted spot in the garage: a white 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer. Snazzy!
We'll conclude this entry with a Josh milestone update. The skill of the moment is CLIMBING! Our little guy's newest feat is pulling himself onto the couch or coffee table, then bopping up and down with glee. Shelves around the house scuttle upward in terror.

October 10, 2005:

Many exciting events since last we updated. Josh now toddles around with expertise, courting danger in all corners of the house. This Saturday, Josh, Renée, and Grandpa attended the Lilburn Daze festival. The adults scoped out the arts and crafts while Josh rode a train, got a balloon, and played on the swings. Good times!
Yesterday was a true landmark occasion: Josh's first trip to Athens! We trekked out to visit Kate and pick up Hannah, who'd spent the night in the dorm. The first order of business was Sunday brunch at O-House, where we gorged on all manner of breakfast fare, chicken parmesan, chocolate-dipped fruit, and assorted other goodies. Next, we headed downtown, which is the intellectual haven one might expect.
We visited Junkman's Daughter's Brother, where Renée got lots of Pez and Josh showed off his inner Super Fly. Next up was Bizarro Wuxtry, a fun comic book /vintage toy shop. Chris engaged in geeky comic talk with the clerk while Josh made himself at home in a friendly looking chair. We left with more Simpsons Halloween figures for our collection and a 1984 Go-Bots lunchbox. Even Hannah picked up some Garbage Pail Kids and two comic books.
Then it was time to venture onto campus for some reminiscing. Josh posed under the Arch with his parents and aunts. Then it was on to the Chapel, site of our wedding festivities. Unfortunately, the doors were locked, so we were left to pose on the front steps. Figuring Grossvogel would not be around on a Sunday, we meandered back to the car.
After spending a little more time in the dorm (and leaving a sad note at Kevin's empty apartment), we bid farewell to Kate and drove to Conyers. There, we discovered that Nana's friend Tammy had kindly picked up nineteen new outfits for Josh at a consignment sale. Josh will be quite snazzy in his new winter wardrobe. Thank you Nana and Tammy!!
The only thing that cast a shadow over this lovely day was the Braves' 18th inning loss to the Astros. This season-ending defeat means no more Braves baseball for six months. While Chris is sulking now, having free time to watch Gilmore Girls and Lost will ease the pain.

September 27, 2005:

Josh went in for his 12-month checkup yesterday, and the official stats are in: he weighs 20lbs 10oz (17th percentile), is 30" tall (55th), and has a head circumference of 19.25" (97th)!! He may be proportioned like a bobblehead doll, but we love him anyway. The nurse gave Josh two big scary shots, but he was very brave and only cried a little. Afterward, pizza and a few sips of cherry slush at Target lifted his spirits.
Earlier in the day, Josh had accomplished yet another milestone. He made his very first poo poo in the potty! This was cause for much rejoicing, particularly on Daddy's part, as he was at work and did not have to scrub out the mess. Mommy now believes every new home should be built with a flushable kiddie potty.
Today, Daddy was home from work and the family went on an outing to the library. Among several other fun things, Josh checked out a book called Flanimals, which has pictures and descriptions of many funny monsters. Daddy loves this book too. It makes him giggle like only the Simpsons or Dave Barry have before. Kudos to Ricky Gervais.
In other news, we have kittens under our house! There are two of them, and they are very small and cute. Our neighbor thinks they are about three weeks old. It seems the mama cat got into our crawl space when a screen fell off of a vent. Ah, the miracle of life.
And finally, the long summer television drought is over. We can now see new episodes of The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives! Huzzah!!

September 24, 2005:

Happy birthday, Josh! Today the little guy turned one year old -- he's on his way to becoming a big guy! We celebrated with a big birthday fiesta (that's Spanish for "party" for those who don't watch Dora) with the Tingles, Carusos, Kevin and Courtney in attendance. Josh got lots of great stuff (books, clothes, toys -- you name it, he got it) and even had his very own cake to dive into. This pleased him for a little while, but then he was overwhelmed by frosting. After a Birthday Bath, however, he perked right back up again. All in all, it was a very fun party and a terrific way to spend a day with our friends and family.
This past Tuesday was Chris and Renée's second anniversary. Unfortunately, Chris had to spend the entire day -- from 7am to 11:30pm -- at Staples, because one of the employees was caught stealing. Fun fun fun. At least we had already had our anniversary date the previous Sunday, going to see Just Like Heaven and feasting at Chili's, so it wasn't a total loss.
We also attended the Gwinnett County Fair last week. Josh was treated to his first fair food: corn dogs, french fries and funnel cakes -- yumtastic! He and Chris rode the merry-go-round, while Renée braved a terrifying ride that resembled a furiously spinning tarantula. Josh even won a fuzzy flower in the "Bobbing for Ducks" game. A good time was had by all.

September 16, 2005:

Yes, we know. We have not updated the page in some time. This is because we are running out of web space. We have several ideas on how to remedy this and hope to do so soon.
Josh has improved his walking skills over the past two weeks, bringing his record up to twelve steps. He's learned that shrieking while running behind a push toy is high comedy. Better yet, he can point to your nose.
With the change in seasons, Josh is learning about all things fall- and festival-related. We went to the Yellow Daisy Festival last weekend, and Daddy gallantly carried Josh around in the backpack carrier. Josh was entertained by puppets, Mommy spilled pineapple Fanta Freeze down her shirt, and we purchased the ever-necessary Ginny's Fudge. Great family fun!!
The Gwinnett County Fair is now in town, and we hope to attend so that Josh can see carnival rides, livestock, and Miss Toddler Gwinnett. Stay tuned.

September 3, 2005:

Is it September already? Where did the summer go? This month, of course, features Chris and Renée's second anniversary as well as the Joshman's first birthday. The latter event in particular will prove to be quite the shindig as we are planning a Dora the Explorer party for the little guy. This afternoon we started our preparations, purchasing some necessary items (plates, cups, monkey-shaped cutlery -- stuff like that) and scouting out potential presents. More on this as it develops.
Josh continues to improve his mobility as he attempts to become an expert walker before his birthday. So far, his personal best is six steps, which made both mommy and baby very proud (Daddy was at work, but was quite pleased when he heard of Josh's exploits over the phone). It won't be long before Josh is dashing across the room, terrorizing his parents with his recklessness. We can't wait.
Again, the lawn exacted its revenge on Chris as he tried to mow it. This time it wasn't the visceral terror of a yellow jacket attack or the sudden shock of discovering a snake under the lawnmower blades, but instead the much more mundane exposure to poison ivy. Luckily, it was contained to a single arm, but it's still enough to make Chris think that maybe he needs to hire a lawn service before he gets eaten by an overgrown Venus flytrap.

August 28, 2005:

Munchkin, much to her pleasure, has returned to her true home. The house is much quieter now, as we only have one flea-bitten dog gnawing herself raw at all hours.
Newlyweds Nick and Jenni are also back home now after their honeymoon in Fort Myers. We visited with them on Friday night before they had to leave. If you two are reading this, your wedding present is coming -- really!
Last night, Chris came home from work two hours late. This would normally make Renée mad, but Chris had the foresight to come home with a Blue Coconut Creamslush from Sonic. Nick, take note -- tasty frozen treats cure all marital strife.
We took advantage of a "Buy One Dinner, Get One Free" offer from Frontera tonight and had a delicious meal. Josh thoroughly enjoyed shoving fistfuls of cheese, rice and beef into his mouth, though the man with the broom did not seem quite as pleased with Josh's enthusiasm. Josh, however, cannot be constrained. A cute moment occurred halfway through the meal when we heard the sounds of people singing "Feliz Cumpleaños" across the room. When the song finished and people started clapping, Josh joined in with his own applause. He's a genius, I tells ya!

This mat says 'No' but my heart says 'Yes!'

August 25, 2005:

Not much in the way of news this week. Chris has been working a lot, even putting in one day at the Staples in Suwanee, complete with a two-hour-long commute home. As a result of this extra work, Chris had to miss some family milestones, including his mom's birthday (yesterday) and his dad's retirement party (today). These are some of the sacrifices that come with the grey shirt.
Renée's car seems to be in body shop limbo. Apparently, it sat around for three or four days without anybody looking at it because there was an identical Lancer at the shop. Then when they finally checked it out, the mechanic gave the not-so-heartwarming assessment, "Well, it's not a total loss yet." The return of the Lancer seems anything but imminent.
Josh is sprouting a new tooth, and now that he has five teeth, he's decided he's too big for baby food. He won't let a spoon get anywhere near his mouth, so we've had to resort to sneaky means to get him fed. One of the new favorite tactics is to give him "Josh-wiches": take two slices of bread, fill with various ingredients (baby food, cheese, applesauce -- whatever strikes your fancy), press flat, and then cut into baby-friendly pieces. Josh loves them because he can feed himself, and we like them because they provide sustenance without the difficulty of trying to navigate a spoon past Josh's defenses. Happy days all around.

August 21, 2005:

Work on Renée's car continues. It is now in the hands of the body shop, where they will presumably start repairing it soon. Meanwhile, she's got a rental car and a new car seat for Josh, so our mobility has not been impeded too much.
Yesterday we had planned to take Josh to his very first Braves game, but a gametime heat index of over 100 degrees cancelled those plans. (Good thing, too, because the Braves suffered a painful loss in 13 innings.) Instead, we ventured to Nana and Papa's house for dinner (yum....Chinese food) and an evening swim. This was a much more sensible way to spend a hot afternoon. As for the Braves, we'll try to catch a game next weekend -- at night.
One of Josh's favorite new library books is The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton, author of the perennial favorite Snuggle Puppy. In TBBB, a group of hippopotamuses (hippopotami?) sing the praises of their belly buttons, or as one baby hippo calls it, the "bee bo." After reading this book, Josh has learned to successfully identify the "bee bo" on Mommy and Daddy, though he doesn't seem to know that he has one himself yet. It's very cute: Mommy will say to him, "Josh, where's the bee bo?" and he crawls up to her, raises her shirt and points to her belly button. What a smart boy!

August 18, 2005:

Yesterday started off so promising. We went to the library and each got new and exciting things. We toured a local neighborhood called Moonrock Acres (a true relic of the 70s) looking for our next house. We played in the park for a bit and let Josh swing in his merry way. We were even going to make smoothies when we got home. Then everything got all screwed up.
Less than two miles from our house, we were stopped at a red light when we were suddenly rear-ended. Luckily, aside from some initial achiness, we were all okay. Renée's car, however, was not so lucky. The back got banged so hard that the trunk can no longer close. Furthermore, we now have to get a new car seat for Josh because you can't use one that's been in a crash.
Fortunately, the insurance people have been very helpful and prompt. Renée is getting a rental car tomorrow, and her poor Lancer is being towed to a body shop. They're going to give us money to get a new car seat as well as "inconvenience money" so we don't sue them for medical fees. All in all, we'd rather have not been in the crash, but at least they're being quick about taking care of things.
In other news, Chris had a tough day at Staples today, as it was discovered that over $2500 worth of merchandise had been stolen (including a $1200 laptop computer that had been taken off of the display). The headache from yesterday's accident had been gone, but today's misadventures brought it right back. Gotta love the world of management.

August 15, 2005:

Before the wedding, certain events had to take place. On Wednesday night, the elder Caruso boys (Nick, Chris and Rick -- no Josh this time) and Nate attended a Braves game as a bachelor party for Nick. It rained all night long, but that did not put a damper on our fun, and the Braves held up their end of the bargain, winning 5-4 in 12 innings.
The next night featured the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, where the Carusos, the Clines, and friends gathered to celebrate. Even Josh partied late into the night before finally tiring out.
Then on Friday came the long-awaited day. It looked like the skies might open up on us, but the weather held out long enough to get the ceremony in before the downpour began. It was a beautiful ceremony, including readings ranging from a Cherokee prayer to the Word According to Brak. Afterward, we all headed inside for the reception, where there was much singing and dancing. Everyone had a blast and it was a great way for the newlyweds to begin their new life together.

August 13, 2005:

Congrats to Nick and Jenni, the newlyweds!! They had a beautiful ceremony on Friday evening. Jenni was a gorgeous bride, and Nick was looking pretty spiffy himself. Now that they're all legal......Josh sure would like a cousin.
What with the wedding-related hoopla of late, we have been lax in our updates. Fear not, we will soon post pictures from the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception. There was singing, dancing, good food and good times. It was great to see all of the relatives who traveled down for the occasion, and Josh enjoyed showing off his babbling and peek-a-boo skills.
For now, we must turn our attention to more mundane tasks, such as obtaining groceries and selling printers. Check back soon for glamorous pics of the Caruso clan in their wedding finest.

August 8, 2005:

David is gone again after just a brief visit. On Saturday night he and Kate came over after Becca's wedding. We were all craving milkshakes, and Josh was still awake and in a good mood at 9:30, so we hopped in the car to go to Sonic. Bad idea. About two minutes into the ride, Josh became suddenly very sad and we had to abandon our Sonic plans, getting milkshake supplies from the much-closer Ingles. Then we returned home and gorged on gigantic jamocha shakes and watched embarrassing home videos. The next morning, he and Kate left -- Kate to Philadelphia, David to Waco. As always, a short visit, but a nice one.
Also in town for a wedding is Nick, who's getting married in four days. He stopped by Staples to visit Chris, but Chris was busy helping a very difficult (read: annoying) customer and didn't really get to do much other than say hi. Alas. Nick also swung by the house to hang out with his favorite nephew. Josh showed off all of the skills he has developed since Nick saw him last, impressing Nick with all of his newfangled mobility. He's come quite a long way since December.

August 5, 2005:

Last night we had a pair of visitors show up on our doorstep: David and his girlfriend Kate arrived, fresh from a visit with the Conyers branches of the Ramsey and Caruso clans. They were understandably tired, having made the drive from Annapolis earlier that day, but we stayed up for a little bit before crashing for the evening.
This morning Chris and David went out to get the traditional feast of a dozen doughnuts from Krispy Kreme. As always, they were scrumptrilescent, although eating three doughnuts in ten minutes -- especially when combined with a huge glass of chocolate milk -- can wreak havok with the digestive system. Still, that's a small price to pay for such goodness.
Josh and Renée had a fun outing today with the Atlanta Mommas. They went to a place called Miss Jamie's House, a babyproofed sanctuary for infants and toddlers to play in. Josh had a good time socializing with the other youngsters, getting sad only when he pinched his fingers in the door of a toy oven set. Clearly he has his Daddy's cooking skills.

August 3, 2005:

Chris had a very silly surprise for Renée today. He told her that they were going to Barnes and Noble, where they looked at some books by Mo Willems of Knuffle Bunny fame. But unbeknownst to her, the actual surprise was over at On the Border, where Chris had planted a personalized menu for Renée, complete with a meal recommendation and a sappy love note. Renée was a little embarrassed when the waitress handed her the menu, but overall she was pleased by the goony treat.
Then it was Chris's turn to be embarrassed. The manager of the restaurant came over, sat at our table and proceeded to tell us that one of the regional directors of On the Border happened to be in the building when Chris dropped off the menu and that they were so impressed, they wanted to feature us in their company newsletter. To add to the mortification of Chris, the hostess (who was learning English) was copying the love note onto a piece of paper -- ostensibly to try to decipher later on at home. This was a little more attention than Chris had hoped for, but oh well.
On the way home, we stopped at the library and the park, where Josh got to crawl around in the grass for the first time ever. He seemed to enjoy it until some little insects started swarming him, forcing him to be rescued by Daddy. Then he played on the swings for a few minutes, happy as a clam. It is indeed a charmed life he lives.

August 1, 2005:

August already. Where has the summer gone? It was a nice cool morning today, overcast with a bit of a breeze. Renée and Josh decided to take advantage of the respite from the heat by going to the park for a stroll. Josh relaxed in the bucket swing, getting that oh-so-content look on his face that always appears when he's swinging. All in all, a pleasant way to start the day.
After dinner this evening, we played a silly game that Josh and Renée discovered. Basically, it goes like this: Mommy and Daddy stick their tongues out at Josh. Josh sticks his tongue out at Mommy and Daddy. Mommy and Daddy pull their tongues back in. Josh laughs. A very simple game, but one that never fails to amuse the little dude.
That's just the latest in a growing list of goony games that make Josh happy. Also included is the game in which Josh smacks the tray of his high chair and Daddy counts each smack, and the game where Josh tries to crawl away from Mommy and Mommy drags him back by his ankles and tickles him. Josh's sense of humor is, needless to say, extremely sophisticated.
What is not so amusing to Josh is his new library book Knuffle Bunny. It tells the tale of a little girl whose stuffed bunny gets accidentally tossed in the washing machine, causing much distress. Josh just can't seem to get into it, though Chris and Renée love it. Perhaps as Josh gets older, he will come to appreciate the excellence that is Knuffle Bunny.

July 31, 2005:

It's been a busy few days for us. Chris has been working very long hours for the Back To School bonanza, and Josh has kept Renée pretty well worn out with his shenanigans. As a result, no website updates for a few days, though there has been lots to discuss.
Renée and Josh went to Jenni's bridal shower today at the Carusos' house. Josh got some quality time with Papa while the girls partied upstairs. Renée provided a handcrafted centerpiece, and there were dress-up games galore for both Jenni as well as everyone else. After the festivities concluded, Josh continued to entertain the guests with his cuteness. A good time was had by all.
Yesterday, Renée bought Josh some markers and crayons. He still doesn't quite grasp the concept of drawing, but he did enjoy banging the crayons against the paper and leaving dots all over it. Of course, we now have a new masterpiece on our refrigerator door.
Thursday is Josh's last day in the Bugs class at the Little Gym -- when he returns for the fall class, he'll be a Bird. It's hard to believe that our little boy is too big to be a Bug.
The whole family ate at El Torero yesterday before Chris went to work. Josh dined on little bits of cheese, beef, and tortilla chips from Chris and Renée's plates. Now that he's a little older, he can handle many types of "big people" food, provided they're in small pieces. We also got him some diced apples from Target, though he seems a little unsure about them, choosing to feed them to Twinkie rather than eating them. We think he'll come around, though, and learn to love them as much as he enjoys his fruit and veggie puffs. Guess we'll wait and see.

July 27, 2005:

The Back To School rush is beginning in full force at Staples. Yesterday Chris worked from 7am until 9:30pm with only one short lunch break mixed in. With the tax-free holiday starting tomorrow, more late nights are to be expected. Welcome to management, Chris.
Today, though, was an off day, and we packed it with as many activities as we could fit. First we took a trip to the library to return one large stack of books and check out another stack. A sign language DVD that Renée had requested last week came in today, and we watched it this evening. Josh is such a quick learner -- he already did the sign for cheese! We're so proud of our smart guy.
On the way home, we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. It doesn't matter what time of day you shop at Wal-Mart -- it's always going to be crowded. Today was no exception as everyone who was not shopping at Staples seemed to be packed into Wal-Mart. Not very pleasant.
Josh is an excellent helper around the house. Sure, he occasionally makes a little mess, but he also helps clean up by putting his toys back in their box. Tonight he even helped Chris prepare dinner! Chris was making Ritz chicken and got to the step where you have to crush up the Ritz crackers. Josh took the mallet and bag of crackers and proceeded to smash them up, with a little help from Daddy. We have the next Emeril in the house -- just wait and see!

July 25, 2005:

The Josh-Man turned 10 months old yesterday. Time sure does fly when you're trying to keep a little boy from scaling the television set.
Josh reached another personal milestone yesterday - he waved goodbye to Daddy for the first time! Chris was most pleased. It almost made up for the fact that Josh has been waving at both sets of grandparents for some time now.
Today we downloaded the trailer for the new Reese Witherspoon/Mark Ruffalo movie Just Like Heaven. We are both excited about seeing this, but with our recent track record on new releases, it will be on TBS before we catch it.
Renée finally gave up on getting Chris to watch that cornerstone of American cinema, Center Stage, and watched it with Josh. Josh, having high standards for character development and dialogue, started crying two minutes in.
More pleasing to his sensibilities was Big Sister Dora, which arrived from Netflix today. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed Boots's happy monkey frolicking as well.
This evening, Renée took a break from all of this filmtastic fun and met up with an old friend from high school at Stone Mountain Pizza Cafe. Good for Mommy to get a bit of practice conversing about things that are not related to cartoon characters or poop.

July 23, 2005:

Today started out most unpleasantly. Josh was out of fruit puffs, so after feeding him breakfast Renée gave him a wagon wheel to occupy him while she fed herself. The wagon wheel�s soggy chunkiness did not agree with our little man, and he promptly puked up his cereal and peaches as well. Needless to say, mommy and baby�s first outing this morning was a trek to Target in search of puffs.
The rest of the day was filled with family. Josh and Renée had lunch at Grandma and Grandpa�s house and saw Mike, who�d just returned from New Orleans. Grandma gave Josh some Dora books and a potty book. In the evening, Kate, Hannah, and Papa visited, since the girls have just returned from Cape Cod. Josh's aunts brought him a new T-shirt, and Renée got an �I Love Josh� keychain. Josh showed off his talking during both visits with a jolly �Doodle doodle doodle.�
Josh has become quite skilled at his greetings and farewells. Over the past 2 days, he has said �hello� to Grandma on the phone, waved goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa, and greeted a wooden chest in the bedroom with �hola!�
Tonight, we had a baseball themed mini-date. Renée surprised Chris with Twizzlers, peanuts, and root beer, and we camped out in front of the TV to watch the Braves play the Diamondbacks. Being the wild pair that we are, we both fell asleep before the game�s end.

July 21, 2005:

Josh continues to practice using his newly-expanded vocabulary. This morning he looked at his Ball Blast toy and politely said, "Hello, Dora." Though his Ball Blast does not resemble Dora at all, we do give him credit for having a vivid imagination.
A short while later, Josh threw a remote control down onto the ground, pointed at it, and said accusingly, "Doodoo." Quite the scathing commentary on daytime cable television, especially from one who can entertain himself for hours watching a ceiling fan.
At the Little Gym today, Josh and Renée tried a daunting new move: the forward Whooptie-do. It's much trickier than the reverse whooptie-do, but Josh doesn't seem to mind -- he loves it anyway. He also loves his classmate Elsa, preferring to crawl to her when he's supposed to be doing his stretching exercises. That's our boy -- ever the ladies' man.
Chris scheduled his lunch break to coincide with the end of Josh's class so that we could grab a quick bite to eat. We headed to Moe's, where Josh attempted to join the staff in their cry of "Welcome to Moe's!" Josh's rendition, however, sounded more like "Lo lo lo lo lo looooooooo!" Not quite up to par, but pretty darn close.
Finally, Renée made a very tasty no-bake cheesecake for dessert tonight, which we feasted upon while finishing off disc two of Gilmore Girls. It took a great deal of restraint to keep from finishing off the cheesecake as well, but we did manage to save some for later. It will be very surprising, though, if there's any cheesecake left by the time the site is updated tomorrow. We shall see.

July 20, 2005:

Busy day today. Chris's day started off with him having to go into Staples to try to identify a thief from a series of photographs. The theft occurred way back in May; Chris, who can't even remember what he had for breakfast yesterday, understandably had some difficulty pointing out the suspect. Hopefully he selected the correct person -- justice must be served.
After that excitement was through, we went to the Carusos' for swimming and dinner. Early thunderstorms kept us out of the pool for a while, but once they passed we were able to take a quick dip. Josh had a great time, although his lack of a nap caught up with him toward the end.
Josh was full of tricks today. He blurted out a loud "Nana nana nana!" much to Nana's delight. He also impressed everyone by proving that he can eat a Twizzler just like Daddy (although he really just gummed it into a big drooly mess, letting Daddy do the actual eating. That's love).
On the homefront, Chris and Renée continue to make progress on the new Harry Potter (up to Chapter 8) and Season 2 of Gilmore Girls (six episodes so far). It's hard to find time to read and watch TV with a nine-month-old ball of energy dashing around a coffee table -- especially when said energy ball skips his afternoon nap -- but we sneak in a chapter or episode whenever we can. We're pretty sly that way.

July 19, 2005:

Josh used the potty 4 out of 4 tries today! Yippee! Maybe it's just coincidence, but if it saves us a couple of diapers a day, we're happy.
In less exciting but tastier news, Renée made scrumptious strawberry muffins for breakfast this morning. Our tummies are pleased.
In addition to showing off his peepee prowess, Josh did something cute today. He was cruising along the couch and came to the laundry basket at the end. Mommy told him, "That's laundry." Josh replied, "Launder." Mommy said, "Yes, laundry!" Josh thoughtfully turned to the basket and said "Hello, Launder." Well met, indeed.
Chris had his first day on the job as an official manager at the Snellville Staples. His new uniform is complete with gray button-down shirt and "Asst Manager" name tag: a power suit if ever there was one. If Chris screws up on the job, he will be docked a "t."

July 18, 2005:

Happy birthday to Courtney! Our South-Georgia-bound lobbyrat pal turns 26 today.
It is a momentous day in other ways as well. Today, Josh went peepee in the potty for the first time! Renée and some of the other September 2004 mommas are beginning an experiment with �toilet learning� this month. Basically, when the parent has to go potty, they take the baby in the bathroom with them, where baby and parent each sit on their own potty seat. The idea is that the baby will learn by association. We got Josh his �royal throne� today, and he was successful on his second try!! Hurrah!
This was a day not just for potties, but for Pottheads � Harry Potter fans, that is. We picked up the new book and began reading it aloud this afternoon. So far we have finished the first four chapters. We know many of our friends and loved ones are through with the book already � please, don�t spoil any secrets for us!
Josh and Chris discovered a new game this evening. Josh crawls around the coffee table, giggling madly, and Chris crawls behind him in hot pursuit. Then Josh stops, turns around, and holds his hand out in front of Chris in the �Swiper, no swiping!!� pose from Dora the Explorer. Chris, thwarted, replies, �Aw, man!!� Then Josh takes off and the game begins anew. Good times.

July 17, 2005:

Last night we ate dinner at the Tingles' house and played a great new board game based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's called "The Fantastical Factory" and it takes you through each of the rooms of the Chocolate Factory (the Nut Room, Invention Room, etc.) on the way to the Great Glass Elevator. Each room has a different obstacle to overcome and a unique goal, so there's always something new. Fun for the whole family!
Later, after Josh had fallen asleep, Chris and Renée had a mini-date. We put in the DVD of Sideways, broke out a bottle of wine, some cheese, grapes, and croissants, and enjoyed a tour of the wineries of Napa Valley from our own living room. We're such goony people.
We also dined at the Stone Mountain Pizza Cafe yesterday afternoon. While Chris and Renée ate their pizza, Josh tried a little bit of everything: a bit of sausage from Mommy's piece, a smidgen of beef from Daddy's, and a piece of napkin that he shredded himself. Strangely enough, he seemed to enjoy the last one best.
Josh finally said "dada" in front of Chris! He also says "Dora" and really seems to enjoy that one, rattling off such memorable quotes as "Dora Dora Dora Dora Dora dada Dora Dora Dora!" No matter how much he pales in comparison to Dora the Explorer, Chris is still thrilled to hear his name coming from Josh's mouth.

July 15, 2005:

Yesterday we kept busy with a variety of fun activities. Josh and Daddy went to the Little Gym, where the theme of the day was "Upside Down and Backwards." Josh did many flips and rolls and impressed his mommy with the way he picked up a ball while dangling upside down. He's the next gold medal gymnast -- provided there's a Upside Down Ball Picking Up event in the 2008 Summer Games.
Then we headed to the mall to use our Marble Slab Creamery coupon before it expired. Renée had Amaretto ice cream with cherries mixed in, and Chris had Double Dark Chocolate ice cream with Kit Kats. Josh was content to watch the fountain shoot water high into the air while we ate outside.
Since ABC Family stopped airing its Gilmore Girls Saturdays, we've been without the exploits of Rory and Lorelai. Not anymore, though. Using the Carusos' borrowed Netflix account, we've started watching Season 2 from the beginning again. We got through disc one yesterday and eagerly await the arrival of disc two in the mail. Isn't Netflix great?
The Carusos returned from Florida yesterday and came by this evening to pick up Munchkin. Sadly, this means we're back to a single dog household, but there were some treats to lessen the blow. Twinkie got a bone; Josh, some new toys, Chris, beef jerky; and Renée, a new book. These goodies will hopefully take some of the sting out of losing one more inhabitant of our bed.
Finally, Chris was promoted today! He will now be the Operations Manager at the Staples store in Snellville. Hooray!

July 13, 2005:

Josh was very sweet today to his mommy today. For the first time ever, he was giving out real kisses! Renée kissed him a few times and then Josh pursed his lips, leaned forward and kissed her right back! Renée was so excited about this that she called Chris at work to let him know what his cute little dude was doing.
Later, Josh's third tooth finally broke through the gums and made and appearance. It's the right one of his two front teeth, and the left doesn't look like it's too far from cutting through itself. Hopefully this will relieve some of the pain that he's been having -- it's hard work growing teeth!
We watched a great episode of Dora the Explorer today. Swiper the Fox was at his most resourceful as he tried to swipe a present Dora was carrying. His schemes included building a robotic butterfly, dressing up like a tree, piloting a fish-shaped boat, and using rocket-powered roller skates to chase Dora and Boots. Finally he succeeded in swiping the package but gave it back once he discovered it was for her new puppy. He even got to cuddle the puppy at the end -- a happy ending for all.

This doesn't taste like a veggie puff...

July 12, 2005:

Yesterday was a day of much fluid emanation from Josh. It all started innocently enough when Chris was holding Josh and leaned him close to Renée so the little guy could give his mommy a kiss. Josh opened his mouth -- and then sneezed right in Renée's face! She was pretty grossed out, though Josh found it rather amusing.
Later, Josh was sitting on Renée's lap when he let out a terrifying rumble from his pants. Her worst fears were realized: Josh had made a gigantic poo that had soaked through his diaper and clothing, not to mention all the way through Renée's pants as well. Two changes of clothes, one load of laundry, and many, MANY baby wipes later, the two were all cleaned up.
Today was a much less fluid-filled day for us. We took a family trip to Target, where Chris and Renée dined on Taco Bell while Josh ate some of his new apple-flavored Wagon Wheels. They're quite a bit messier than the puffs, so we may not give these to him again until he can actually bite them -- soggy wheels are pretty nasty.
Josh made up for yesterday's explosions by being very good this afternoon. He and Mommy had a very nice park outing followed by a visit to the library, and later he and Munchkin snuggled up against Renée for a pleasant two hour nap. These little things go a long way to block out the image of a quickly spreading brown stain.

July 10, 2005:

We drove out to Conyers today to check on the Carusos' home, since several branches had come down in the storm the other night. There were quite a few large branches on the ground, but fortunately they all missed the house, and the downed power line had been reconnected. So that's all good. We would have liked to have gone swimming, but the gloominess caused by Hurricane Dennis ruled that out. We did grab the Netflix DVD of In Good Company, which we watched at home in two large chunks separated by several hours of Joshly exuberance.
While in Conyers, we hoped to hit everyone's favorite Tex-Mex place, On the Border. We even had a coupon for a free Ultimate Loaded Queso, which sounds delicious, even if we're not sure what it is. So imagine our surprise when we arrived at On the Border only to discover that the restaurant had closed down! Alas! It seems we'll have to drive out to Duluth if we want to use our coupon. Tragic news indeed.
Making the best of a sad situation, we stopped instead at Atlanta Bread Company. It was delicious as always, if not quite what we were craving. Renée had an Asian Chicken Salad sandwich with Shanghai Vegetable soup while Chris had a ham sandwich with Chunky Baked Potato soup. Josh feasted on cherry fruit puffs, which he seasoned by rubbing them all over the high chair and table top.
Josh was feeling especially goony today. He learned that he can make a very satisfying noise by rattling the side of his crib, and he also discovered that he can get a reaction out of Mommy and Daddy by coughing. His favorite new game is turning on the ceiling light by hanging from the pull cord, although the game of whacking Daddy in the face runs a close second.

Someday I'll be tall enough to do this myself

July 9, 2005:

The gods of lawncare decided to punish Chris for letting the yard get so overgrown. Last night he attempted to mow the front lawn and got about a quarter of the way through when he felt a sharp pain on his leg, then another and another. At first he thought he was being bitten by fire ants until he saw a yellow jacket on his shirt. Chris fled inside the house but not before being stung a total of eleven times. To make matters worse, the bees followed him inside, prompting Renée and Josh to take cover in the bedroom while Chris and the dogs hunted down the remaining insects.
Then today, when Chris tried to finish the lawn, he ran over another brown snake. Fortunately for the snake, Chris now knew that it was a harmless creature and did not decapitate it. Not a fun time spent mowing the lawn.
In other news, we went back to Publix to return the deformed Superhero Pops. We wanted to exchange them for the same thing, but it appears that in the four days that have passed since we bought them, Publix has stopped carrying Superhero Pops. Perhaps we were not the only ones to have problems with them. Instead, we picked up a variety pack of regular Popsicles so that we will always have fruity goodness on hand. Yum!

July 7, 2005:

No update last night as we were trapped in a raging storm and the computer had to be unplugged. Luckily, we made it through the night without losing any of the trees around our house. We have been spared to continue our website ways.
While surfing the web yesterday, Renée saw an ad for a consignment sale that was going on in Snellville today. The ad promised over 150 sellers and tons of great merchandise. Intrigued, we got up early to make sure we had time to browse the terrific deals. As it turned out, the huge consignment sale was actually a little store that probably had less than 150 items. Needless to say, we were disappointed and didn't buy anything.
Undaunted, we decided to take the time we had allotted to shopping and go to the library. Everybody checked out goony books today. Chris got one about the government's attempts to kill goats using mind power. Renée's book tells the story of a woman who develops clairvoyance after falling in the shower, and Josh's book is called "Never Poke a Squid." No one can say that our tastes are not eclectic.
At the Little Gym today, Josh got to hold on to a bar and do flips over it. He is the baby without fear! Mommy helped him do his flips and tumbles, and Josh showed off his bubble-popping skills, which we have been practicing at home. What fun!

July 5, 2005:

For the next couple of weeks, we're going to have a guest in the house. Munchkin has come to stay with us while the Carusos go on vacation. After the initial excitement passed, Twinkie and Munchkin both settled down and pretty much ignored each other. Hopefully their good behavior will continue.
When Chris's dad and Kate came by to drop off Munchkin, Kate brought over the long-awaited five-year anniversary present: a delicious cookie cake decorated with Lilo and Stitch figures. We'd show you a picture, but we've already consumed a large portion of the cookie. Sorry.
There's a program making the rounds on MTV, VH1, and BET right now called R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet. It's basically a serialized story told entirely in music, with the drama and intrigue of a hourlong soap opera condensed into every three minute section. We watched the first five chapters this evening and it's absolutely hilarious. Anybody who appreciates absurd music videos with convoluted plot lines would do well to seek this out -- it's definitely worth your fifteen minutes.
Chris received a call this morning at 9:15 from his manager. Apparently nobody showed up at Staples to open the store and let in the other associates. And since Chris lives closer to the store than any of the other managers, he got the enviable task of coming in on his day off to open the store nearly two hours late. Joy of all joys.
We do have some sad news to report tonight. We purchased a box of Superhero Popsicles at Publix today (they're sorta like Bomb Pops but with different flavors) and opened them up to find that they were deformed. The topmost flavor of each pop is deformed and stumpy -- not what we would expect from the fine Popsicle brand. We are going to have to take this up with Publix tomorrow.

July 4, 2005:

Happy Independence Day! Today America is 229 years old. That's pretty old. To put it in perspective, Josh is 289 days old. Sigh....our country and our little guy are growing up so fast!
Josh spent most of the day at Grandma and Grandpa's house, where he had a delightful time crawling around everywhere and getting lots of attention. He even took a very long nap on Grandpa's shoulder. The grownups ate barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread and deviled eggs, while Josh feasted on an entire jar of Apples and Chicken. Everyone enjoyed themselves very much, and Renée even brought home leftovers for Chris, who spent the day attempting to sell printers to nonexistent customers.
When it grew dark, the inevitable barrage of fireworks began. Twinkie predictably began freaking out, barking and scurrying around frantically. Josh was startled a few times by the loud bangs, but mostly just wanted to look around to see what was keeping him from falling asleep. After trying in vain to get the little dude to go to bed, we gave in and decided to embrace the festivities as best we could. We turned out the lights, opened the blinds, and watched as the shellbursts lit up the sky around our house. Eventually it quieted down and Josh finally drifted off, visions of fireworks dancing in his head.

July 3, 2005:

Renée's been fighting a cold for the last couple of days so we haven't done a whole lot of exciting stuff lately. Hopefully she'll get better soon -- Josh doesn't realize that sick Mommy doesn't have the energy to be a jungle gym all day long.
Speaking of our little dude, he's having a great time these days. We bought a gigantic bottle of bubbles from Wal-Mart the other day and he gets a big kick out of the bubbles we blow at him. Sometimes he just watches them, sometimes he tries to catch them, and sometimes he waits for them to hit the ground so he can smash them like King Kong. Whichever way he plays with them, it always makes him laugh. Best $2.63 we ever spent.
As Josh gets more and more used to solid foods, he's beginning to think that he can eat anything. Yesterday Renée was eating a Little Debbie's Oatmeal Cream Pie, when all of a sudden Josh, displaying his lightning-quick speed, lashed out and grabbed a handful of it. Before Renée could react, Josh had stuffed his prize in his mouth -- and he seemed to enjoy it, too! At least he's got good taste in junk food. Can Twizzlers be far away?

July 1, 2005:

After work today, Chris headed to the Southlake Mall area to meet his dad at After Hours. There they were fitted for the tuxedos for Nick's upcoming nuptials. Contrary to previous promises, the tuxes will not be baby blue leisure suits. This is unbearably disappointing.
Following the fitting, Chris and his dad proceeded to the AMC theater to catch a showing of War of the Worlds. Chris thought the movie was okay, though not great. Sure, the carnage caused by the aliens was impressive enough, but when they started singing "It's Not Easy Being Green" while the giant tripods did high kicks, the film got a little silly.
Since Renée missed out on the extraterrestrial excitement, Chris brought home shakes from Steak N' Shake to make up for it. Renée got a Caramel Macchiato shake while Chris had a Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge shake. Yumtastic! We also shared an order of cheese fries, with the cheese on the side to prevent sogginess. So good..... The perfect end to a day of a) driving around in the ridiculous heat with no air conditioner, or b) chasing a little escape artist all around the house.

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