The Talens' Tales

That's right! Joash is testing out his feet and getting more confident each day. Here is a little video we took of him showing off his new skills.

Joash had a bit of fun with a box yesterday. I put him in the box to start off and then he crawled in and out of the box several times throughout the day. He thought it was a lot of fun.  What a silly boy! "And this is how I get out of the box."

Today at Coffee Break, I took part in a Christmas Sweet Swap with several other in the group. I now have a /2 dozen of 12 different yummy goodies. How fun is that? I made Cake Balls for the swap and I hope that people enjoy them. We also got the recipes for all of the sweets, so now I have even more ideas for great things to make. During our social time at coffee break we were talking about different sweet recipes, and I mentioned the Cookie Bar recipe that I make. I got this recipe from my mom. She made it one time when we were in Michigan and Wilbert just loves these bars. He could eat the whole pan in one sitting, I think. So, my friends at coffee break wanted me to share the recipe, so here it is. Cookie Bars 1 box yellow cake mix 2 eggs 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup margarine - melted 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips Combine first 5 ingredients - mix at medium speed for two minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 375 for 20-25 minutes or...

Joash got a this little pair of wooden shoes when he was a baby and I noticed the other day that they sort of fit him now.   He is starting to get that certain things go on his feet. Yesterday he was struggling with a sock trying over and over again to open it up and put it on his foot. The same thing happened with his wooden shoes.  "They go on my feet?"  "I can do this!" "I am still trying, Mom. This is harder then it looks." Someday he will figure out how to dress himself. But it is pretty cute to see him try.

Since we are going to be in the States for Christmas, Opa and Oma thought Joash should get to celebrate Sinterklaas. So they came last night with a new outfit for Joash and this cool dump truck. It was so cute to see Joash's face just light up when he pulled the truck out. He made his great engine noise and pushed it all over the house before bed and then again this morning. Thanks Opa and Oma!

Our house has really low counters . So low that Joash can reach stuff that is on top of the counter. Every day is seems like he can reach further, so things like knives have to go way to the back of the counter or in the sink. The other day I made some bars (or squares for you Canadians. I had scooped them out of the pan and put them in another container for storage. I had set the pan and the spatula I had used to scoop the bars out on the counter. I turned around to do something and when I looked back, this is what I saw: Joash had located the spatula I had used and was licking off the crumbs. What a sneaky little guy.

You remember Pavlov's dog? Mr. Pavlov did some experiments with his dog where he would bring the dog food and ring a bell. Eventually, he would just ring the bell and the dog would start to salivate, thinking food was coming. This concept is known as conditioning. Well, apparently it works with humans, too. Joash and I were out and about yesterday morning and we were on our way home again right around nap time. I had taken a snack for Joash with me in hopes that I could keep him awake on the way home and then he would take a nice morning nap like usual. (This plan failed miserably. He stayed awake on the way home, and the rest of the morning, but he had a good afternoon nap, so that was nice). I gave him a few crackers when I put him in his car seat. Then, as we were driving home, I handed him a cracker every now and then. When I would reach in the bag to grab a cracker, it made a nice crinkling sound. One time, I glanced in the rear view mirror...

Funny: The other day, Joash was splashing in the tub and I stepped out to get a towel. When I came back, Joash was sitting in a tub with no water in it. He had pulled the stopper out of the drain and let all of the water out. When I tried to put more water in, he really didn't like and kept trying to pull the stopper out. Thankfully, this seems to have been a one time only incident. Not So Funny: Joash took a tumble down about 5 steps yesterday. I felt sick watching him tumble, not able to get there fast enough to do anything about it. Thankfully, he seems like his normal silly self today. Funny: While we were grocery shopping yesterday, Joash kept putting his hands in the air like the does while he is standing and squealing. I don't know if he thought he was standing or if he was testing out what it might be like to ride a roller coaster. It was funny made a lot of people smile.

M(om): Joash, even though it looks like you are having fun, can I interupt you for a minute? J(oash): Sure Mom. See, I have been busy just like you. I have been 13 months for a few days now, Mom. M: I know. So, what should people know about you at 13 months? J: Well, I am turning into a big boy. I can stand for while all by myself. But, sometimes I get so excited that I plop right down. I can eat big people food like you and Dad. I am using a spoon and I can make my wishes known by pointing. I can show you were my toes, mouth, and belly are at. Do you want to see? M: Maybe in a little bit. What are your favorite foods? J: I still really like bread, cheese and fruit. I am drinking more of my milk from a cup. I also had spaghetti for the first time and it was delicious! I didn't even need applesauce with that. M: I am glad that you like it. We will have it again sometime, I promise. What are your favorite toys right now? J: I still like my tractors a lot. And my books. I...

This is a pretty common sight right now. Joash practicing standing on his own. It is really funny because he will stand up next to something, and then puts his hands up in the air. We usually cheer and then he falls down. Then he gets into this crazy cycle of standing and falling, laughing the whole time. I think he finds falling on to his bum just a fun as standing on his own. We will see how soon he starts walking. In other news, it is snowing again. We are supposed to get 15 cm (6 inches) so here comes winter. I am also gearing up for my first craft fair with Usborne Books this weekend. Hopefully the roads will be fine by Friday and lots of people will want to get out to check out the craft fair. We shall see.

Joash seems to enjoy relaxing in his high chair. He likes to link his hands behind his neck and just sit for a bit while eating. It is pretty cute. He also getting more confident on his feet. He likes to stand up by us and then let go and balance for a bit. I hope walking is a ways off yet. I don't know if I am ready to chase after him yet.

Joash continues to eat pretty well, though eating is often an adventure. He is starting to feed himself more and more. When he is finished with things like bread, the likes to clear his tray off by dropping any leftovers on the floor or sticking them next to him down the side of the seat. You never really  know what you will find on his seat when you take him our after a meal. He is also trying to use a spoon a bit more, which can lead to experiments with applesauce as hair gel. This picture show some of the results. "Do you like my hair, Mom?" So, we put a sheet on our floor now so clean up is a bit easier. Because you never know what will happen while Joash is eating

We had a bit of a rough start to this week. First of all the time change really threw us for loop. Joash woke up at 5 am Sunday and Monday. Tuesday was a bit better and today we are back on track. Then Monday morning, I was dusting by the piano and Joash was behind me playing a little song. As I took a step, he was making the switch to lean on my legs. He fell down and somehow hit his face and got his first black eye. But things are looking much better today. Hopefully we are over the rough start of the week and we will have a nice end to the week.

Wanting a child more than anything, Jade Benson’s life is turned on its head when she learns her husband has a child with another woman.  As her world crumbles around her, Jade questions everything she has ever believed. Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck follow Jade on a journey back to her childhood home. Her mother’s health, her marriage and her faith are all teetering in the balance. But coming home also helps Jade to understand that her life and her future doesn’t rest in her own power, but in the power of God. This is the second book in the Songbird Series and I loved it. I really want to go back and read the first novel and I eagerly look forward to the release of the third in the new year. It was a captivating novel and one to add to your list for a beach read for next summer. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com < http://BookSneeze®.com > book review bloggers program. I was not re...

I am amazed every day by what Joash can understand. He doesn't say any words yet, but he understands a lot of them. Here are some examples: "Joash, where is your tractor?" He makes his tractor noise and then looks around for his tractor and points or crawls over when he finds it. "Let's look at a book." He crawls over to his book basket and pulls one out and hands it to me. "Apple." He loves his applesauce and will always open his mouth for a taste when you remind him it is apples. And today I asked his where his barn and animals were and he crawled right over to his barn and showed me his pig. It is amazing to see a little mind in action.

Apparently Joash got the hang of tearing off wrapping paper from his birthday. He and dad had a bit of fun with fliers after we were finished with them this past week. Joash also had his 1 year check up and immunizations. He is 25 lbs 2 oz and 30 inches long. That puts him in the 70th and 50th percentiles, respectively, so he is a very average sized kid. His immunizations went really well. He only cried for the last of three pokes, and otherwise just looked very nonchalantly at the nurse. His top two teeth are slowly making their appearance. I still can't believe my little guy is a year old already! Where does the time go? 

On Sunday, we had cake to celebrate Joash's birthday. We gave him a piece to see what he would do with it. He didn't want it at all. He just pushed it off his tray. Wilbert tried to give him a little taste of frosting, but he didn't even what that. All he wanted was the puffs he usually has after his nap. So, we tried to persuade him for a little bit, but he really didn't want it. So, when it really was his birthday on Tuesday we thought we would try again. And this is how it went:  "Oh, Dad is offering me something. Okay, I will give it a try."  "Hmm...not bad."  "Maybe one more little taste."  "Wow! This is the best stuff ever! I am going to stick this whole piece in my mouth."  "This is really good.  What was I thinking on Sunday?" "I really liked my first taste of cake!"

Joash had a wonderful first birthday. He really likes all of the presents he got from everyone. Here is a little run down of Joash's birthday. This is the cake I made. I know, one color looks a bit pink. I was really going for red, but it just didn't happen. The little block on the top what supposed to be Joash's first taste of cake. More on this tomorrow.  Opa, Oma, and Tante Reina came over on Sunday for lunch to celebrate. Joash caught on quite quickly to the whole tearing paper off idea. Now he is well practiced for when Christmas rolls around.  He really is enjoying playing with his new toys and wearing his new clothes. All in all, it was a great first birthday!

M(om): Joash, can I interupt you for a few minutes? J(oash): Okay Mom. But I really like looking at all of the farm magazines. M: Thanks. So, how does it feel to be 1 year old? J: It is good. I didn't know what a big deal it was. Everyone kept singing to me and I got to tear a lot of bright colored paper off of things. How come you won't let me rip paper any time I want too, Mom? M: Umm... you can only rip paper on special days. So what are you up to these days? J: Well, I love to be on the move. I can crawl any where I want, even up the stairs. I also like to stand by furniture and walk around holding on the furniture. The coffee table is my favorite thing to stand by. I like to put things on top of the table and them push them off the side. It is really fun! And getting down is really easy too. M: What are your favorite toys these days? J: I really like the new toys I got for my birthday. I got some fun puzzles and a barn that makes noises when I open up the g...

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Joash! Happy Birthday to you! I can't believe that Joash is 1 already. We are going to have fun today. I will interview him tomorrow and share all of the birthday festivities later this week.

Today we are going to go on a little adventure with an almost 1 year old. Joash is going to be our guide to the great outdoors.  "This is a leaf. You might want to taste them. I do sometimes."  "It is fun to be in the great outdoors."  "Let's explore! Come on!"  "Let's go over hear by this tree."  "I love being outside. Leaves are really fun to crawl through" "Look over there. A truck! There are so many wonderful things to see when you are outside!"

Well, Joash has mastered going up the stairs. And he is fast! This is where I found him one day. He turned his head and looked at me, smiled and kept climbing. We had been putting off getting a baby gate to block of the stairs. He didn't really seem to be all that interested in the stairs until this week. We needed one that was extra large, since the opening to the stairs is quite wide. Thankfully, our friends , who have just about any baby item you could want, let us borrow a baby gate they had, and it works great! So, no more stair climbing for a little while, unless Mom or Dad lets him.

I brought these bars to a get together last night and some people wanted the recipe. So, I thought I would share it with all of you Mississippi Mud Bars Beat together: 4 eggs 2 c. sugar Add: 1 1/2 c. flour 1 c. margarine 1/3 c. cocoa 1 tsp. vanilla 1 c. coconut (optional) Grease 9x13 pan and back at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. As soon as it is out of the oven, spread 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream over the top. Then swirl on the frosting. Frosting: 2 Tbsp. cocoa 1/4 cup margarine 3 Tbsp. milk Bring to a boil and add: 2 c. Powdered Sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla Enjoy!

The other day, I was brushing my teeth while Joash was in the tub. I looked at him and thought, "You have teeth. We should probably be brushing them." So, we have started brushing Joash's teeth and he really likes it. I think he likes both the tastes of his baby toothpaste and the feeling of the bristles on his gum. As soon as he sees the toothbrush coming toward his mouth, he opens up. Just another big boy step for this almost one year old!

So Joash's latest thing is when ever he sees a window, he point at it and make a little noise, like he is asking, "What is that out there?" He really likes to look out windows, and we are not really sure what is grabbing his attention. It is pretty cute because it sounds like he is really trying to talk to us.  "Ha, ha, Mom. You thought I was going to look out the window and point like Dad. That is silly." "Oh, wait. What is that over there?"

A few mornings ago, I was in bed, enjoying the last few minutes of rest before I got up for the day. Wilbert had just left and Joash had not made a sound yet. THWACK! "Great," I thought, "That was a mouse trap. And he just had to wait until after Wilbert left to get his breakfast of peanut butter." Bang! Scamper! Bang! Scamper! "Oh man! It's not dead yet. It is trying to escape, but it is pulling the trap with it. Yuck! I hope it not running all over my house. Maybe if I wait here a little bit longer, it stop moving and die." A few minutes later the racket is still going on down stairs. So, I get up, get dressed and psych myself up to be tough and take care of the mouse. I can't have a mouse running around the house when Joash gets up. It is still stuck between the wall and the oven. Only one of its hind paws is stuck in the trap, so it is not going to die any time soon. I got a small trash can and laid it on its side hoping the mouse would r...

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving a day late! We have a lot to be thankful for this year. One thing we are thankful for is being to be a farm family. We spent quite a bit of time at the farm this weekend as Wilbert's parents were biking Tip to Tip on PEI raising funds for Africa. Joash and I went to visit Wilbert every morning. We went out to the barn to say, "Hi" since Joash would be down for his nap by the time Wilbert came in for coffee. It is fun seeing how Joash's reaction to the barn is changing. When he went to the barn when he was smaller, he was a bit scared. I think there were a lot of noises and the cows were really big. Now, he is really starting to like it. He made a lot of noise over the weekend and he really liked to watch the cats. He would even pet the ones that came close enough. It probably won't be too long and he will want to be in the barn all of the time. And that is okay with us.

I don't really think you can count this as a first word, but Joash certainly knows what to do when he sees a tractor.

Here is Joash sporting his new hair cut! We had to take a picture at home because Mom didn't have her act together this morning. As we just a few miles down the road on our way to coffee break this morning, I realized I had forgotten my phone. Oh well...no big deal right? Then after coffee break, on the way to the hair cut appointment, I remembered I for my camera. Oh well...I can just take pictures on my phone. Oh wait... So, we just have a nice after picture. Joash did really well for his hair but, until he decided to demonstrate his gymnastics skills by doing a somersault out of the chair. So, he is also sporting a new bump on his head, but as you can see from the pictures, he is just fine. What a big boy he is!

No surprise here. Joash like music. Now that he has mastered standing by things, he is starting to pull himself up by the piano and playing a few notes. He gets a pretty big smile on his face while he does this. He thinks he is pretty big stuff.