A Small Traffic Accident

Joshua has two ride-on toys and he likes them both a lot. But not to ride. He mostly just likes to hit the buttons to play music and will sometimes push them. When I have tried to show him how to ride them, he looks at me like I am trying to make him do something dangerous. But today, for the first time, he was actually riding them and seemed to be enjoying them. From the picture you can tell that he still needs some help with steering, but he seems to be enjoying his new skill overall.

Overcoming Obstacles

Like the gate that leads down to the basement, there's another gate on the main floor that prevents Joshua from climbing up the stairs.  He's a good climber, and I've stood behind him many times as he climbed to the top, and not once has he even come slightly close to falling.  But still, you never know.  It's a pressure-mounted gate, so it can be securely attached.  But tonight I just propped it up against the stairs, thinking it would be good enough.  At some point I had bounced a ball up on the stairs.  Joshua noticed it and decided he must have it.  So he pushed the gate over and climbed right up the stairs toward the ball.  Note to self: next time, just go ahead and fully secure the gate.. 

Pictures

Today we went over to the home of our friends, Jason and Callie, and while we were there Callie took Joshua's one year photos.

A Fun New Accessory

So I got Joshua a baby with some of his birthday money. So far he isn't a huge fan of baby Stephen, but he does really love his pacifier. It's magnetic so he has a lot of fun sticking it to Stephen's face and also carrying it around the house.

Fun With Blocks

Joshua isn't quite old enough to build things with blocks, so we got him some that stack and nest (and they are easier for him to hold since they have no bottoms). So far he is really enjoying carrying them around, putting them in things and putting things in them, and knocking over towers that I build. Here he is about to start demolition.

A Tale of Two (or Three or Maybe More) Lansings

I went to high school in Lansing, KS.  Of course, the most famous city named Lansing is the capital of Michigan.  I went to college in Manhattan, KS.  The most famous city named Manhattan is in New York.  So while I always thought it was cool that K-State is in "The Little Apple", I never liked that there was a different city called Lansing.  For some reason it just seemed like it was stealing my city's name and identity, even though Michigan's version was settled several decades prior to the Kansas version, and even though Lansing, NY, existed prior to both.  Today I had to visit my nemesis city for work, as I was meeting with a potential customer there.  I wasn't happy about it, as I don't want to encourage those name-stealers.

When Pigs Fly

We have a gate at the top of the stairs to the basement to prevent Joshua from falling down them.  But it doesn't keep everything out.  Joshua loves finding things and throwing them down the stairs, either by dropping them over the top railing or by pushing them through the bars.  He's not picky either.  He'll throw shoes, balls, blocks, and anything else he can pick up.  Here the pig from Joshua's farm squeals for his life as he flies through the air as he begins the painful journey of bouncing to the bottom of the stairs.