"Cut...Grass"

I have a few quick (and random) updates from the world of Joshua...after you stop giggling about the broom pictures I posted above, of course. The photos I posted above are the result of Joshua getting hold of Jason's broom from the garage last evening and starting to sweep. We were out in the driveway for 20 minutes while he pulled that broom up and down the driveway. People must have been thinking, "That awful woman, making that adorable child sweep the driveway!" I especially like the last picture- he just looks so intent upon figuring out how the broom works. Hope you enjoyed them.

Now, for the breaking news updates:

Joshua's vocabulary has been pretty much limited to one syllable words (or two syllable words that he only speaks one syllable of). The dreaded checklist from his 15 month checkup said that he should be speaking in two word phrases by the time he goes back for his 18 month appointment. I've been a little worried (hello, can we say "neurotic") at having to tell the fine folks at the pediatrician's office that if it can't be said in one syllable, it isn't happening at our house. Well, last night, Jason and I were having a conversation at supper about him cutting the grass tonight after work. Let me see if I can recap. Joshua's contributions will be highlighted in green.

Jason: "Tomorrow after work"

Joshua: "Erk"

Jason: "I'm going to come home and cut the grass."

Joshua: "Gass"

Jason: "Then that'll be done."

Joshua: "Done"

Then Joshua started saying "Cut...Gass". To which I yelled and clapped! Then he said it over and over all night. "Cut Gass...Cut Gass...Cut Gass" Yay Joshua!

As if all of this wasn't exciting enough, we're also making progress in the counting department. Joshua and I count everything that we can find to count- coffee scoops in the morning, toes and fingers after tub time to make sure we got them all out of the tub (he finds this very funny), you name it, we're counting it. Well, yesterday he started to pre-empt me in our coffee counting. I said "one" which he repeated, and then as I got ready to scoop number two into the coffee pot, he said "two" and then "three". When I asked him what comes next, he said "one". So that's where the excitement ends. But if you only need to count to three, Joshua's your guy. We'll keep working on it.

That's all for today. We'll see what he comes up with tonight when I get home. Big excitement this evening--- we'll be heading to the polling place to vote this evening. Something tells me he'll be quite intrigued with the computerized voting machine.