The Talens' Tales

The other day, Joash and I dove into the world of painting. We had tried finger painting before, which he was not into at all. We have also done paint with number, which he likes for a while. But we finally used real paints and paintbrushes  And he enjoyed it much more that any other painting he has done so far. He painted a lot of snakes. (Really. That is what he said he was painting.)                               He also painted his hand, which was lots of fun.  It will be interesting to see what sorts of things Joash draws or paints in the future. You can never tell where his imagination will take him.

I am not going to complain about the weather. We certainly do not have it as bad as some other parts of the country. Spring is on its way...slowly. Over the last week, we had some nice sunny days that were on the warmer side. Not really warm yet, but warmer. And the sun just begged us to get outside. And while I am a summer lover and love being in the sunshine, I would be very okay with a late  or even on time spring this year. That way baby #2 can arrive, and we can hopefully be a bit settled before Wilbert has the long field hours making silage. Last  year, spring was very early and Wilbert was in the thick of silage right when our baby is due. So whenever I get a little bummed about Spring coming so slowly, I just remind myself that it will be better this way. Joash really enjoys picking up sticks, which makes that clean up chore go easier. He helped at Oma and Opa's, too.  The sandbox isn't out yet (hopefully this weekend) but Joash found a bit of dirt to dig ...

Sorry to everyone who has been dissapointed with my lack of posts lately. It has been a bit busy lately. We have been busy moving things around, getting ready for the baby. Lots of meeting and different things have been taking place. I have been doing a bit of extra cooking trying to get some freezer meals and things in the freezer to have on hand for when the baby arrives. And I have hit the third-trimester tired stage, so I have been enjoying a few more naps lately, which has been very nice. Joash has been busy too. He helped his dad tune the piano.  He has also been busy fixing things. He likes to use his hammer. I was trying to get a picture of him and his hammer, so I told him to hold his hammer still. And this is what I got. It makes me laugh and I hope it brings a smile to your face too. Another story that makes me laugh every time I think about it. We have been working on getting Joash to not hit people. So, one day, after a warning to not hit, Joash was sh...

Some days...well, most days really, are really good days. Sure Joash has a melt down when I tell him not to do something, or when I won't give a treat to him...or his cow. But, for the most part he is a fun, sweet and smart kid. But, I still enjoy having a bit of a break when Wilbert comes in throughout the day. And nap time. I love nap time. I am so thankful that my boy takes naps most days yet. And now nap time is also once again turning into nap time for mom, which is really nice. So on days when I know Wilbert won't be around much, I try to have some different things to pull out and do with Joash. Yesterday we ventured further into the world of play-dough. I found a $2 set of play-dough tools at the Dollar Store and we were good to go. We played with play-dough and all fo the new tools for about an hour. As you can see, Joash give his approval.  He doesn't quite have the strength or dexterity to push the play-dough through the extruder, but he likes to fil...

Parenting. Every parent want to know if they are doing it right. But, every parent and every child is different.  The Christian Mama’s Guide to Parenting a Toddler is not just another parenting book. It is a book that recognizes and understands there are no fix-all solutions for parenting, but through love, prayer and humor, even the terrible twos can be an enjoyable experience. As the parent of a two year old, I enjoyed this book for many reasons. It made me laugh and assured me that my child is not abnormal and I am not the only parent who struggles with these issues. The chapters are short and sweet. Instead of providing a “do this and then this result will follow” type of book, the author give several lists of suggestions about things that might help in a given situation. The topics covered ranged from food battles to potty training, tantrums to taking care of yourself. There is even a chapter for dads and advice on getting ready for siblings to enter the picture. ...

Since Joash did not really want to look at the camera, this is sort of a weird video. But, it certainly is a cute one of some of the songs he likes to sing. And yes, in our house, the Farmer in the dell often picks a tractor. Makes sense, don't you think? Enjoy!