You are never too young for Starbucks!

Trying two new things: one probably a bad idea introducing Callan to smoothies from Starbucks, two trying a blog posting and photo from my phone. I know I owe two of them today since I was a slacker yest

Sounds Like

You know, as we add words to our vocabulary, and we work on our annunciation and pronunciation....sometimes what we mean and what we say aren't exactly the same.
I only hope that we don't have the need to say sit, duck, or caulk in a public setting in the near future.

Lucky

I was sitting here trying to think about what to post---Callan saying "Jimmy James," or him calling his blankey "so soft."
But instead how about what I was thinking about today, how lucky I am.
In a world full of things that are sometimes awful and a little rotten. I am as lucky as they come. I have a beautiful, healthy, brilliant little boy. A helpful partner. A mom who continues to help me create my whole universe through her generosity. A dad who finds being a grandparent to be the most thrilling thing in the universe. A family that is more loving and supportive than anyone has a right to. Friends that make me laugh.
I am so lucky.
And even more thankful.
I hope I can pass along some of this good fortune to Callan.
If his life so far is any indication, and the love he receives any measure, he might be the luckiest boy ever born.

Number Two, Take Two

Well hell. Things have gone to crap around here! ; )
Poop is our new favorite topic of conversation.
This morning I was persuaded by Callan to let him take a shower (he said Peese when he signed--heartbreakingly sweet!) and when we got out he was spending a few minutes sans diaper. The first thing he saw when he started exploring the closet was a small piece of brown fuzz. He pointed to it and declared--POOP.
I explained to him, no, not poop--fuzz. We need to take it to the trash. He insisted.
POOP!
No, look---Mommy will take it to the trash see?
POOP!
No, just trash.
POOOOP!
Oh shit. Poop.
There it was. Laid out on the closet carpet, a nice fresh poop. Aurgh. Nothing like starting the morning out with a little carpet cleaning.
I need to learn my toddler inflection so I can better determine the difference between, declaration, inquisition and warning.
Something tells me I'll get plenty of practice!

UFO

We had to have a take two on our bath yesterday...we were interrupted by an unidentified floating object.
Some how, a poop magically appeared in our bath. It was FASCINATING stuff! Callan had to run right out and alert Eric. Eric asked him what happened--Callan told him "poop!" He then proceeded to squat down and show him how such a thing might have occurred. Luckily, it was just a reenactment, not a repeat performance.
I thought we'd be recovered from the excitement but when we went to take our bath tonight, it was accompanied by a chorus of "POOOP, poop, PooP, pooooop, POOP MAMA! Poop!" So we had to talk about it and discuss why there are lots better things to find, or to make, in the bath.
The only things we had in there tonight were bubbles and toys.
Thank goodness!!!

Chef? Infomercial host?

Only time will tell. But Callan is showing promise in both areas! This morning I was getting a few things ready for the crockpot...which sounds easy enough but is a little more challenging with a 30 pound toddler on your hip. So you make some adaptations. You let him dump in things here and there...and you might teach him to use a handy kitchen appliance. One that is "As seen on tv," or at least similar to the ones on TV...the SLAP CHOP! You know--the Slap Chop/ShamWow guy has been having some personal issues anyways, so if those products are looking for a new razzle dazzle sales fella...I think I have their man! He says Chop Chop Chop while he pushes the button...it's catchy, it's go a beat, and you can dance to it. Winner.
Plus, the stew was good too.

Lawn Mower with Envy

Doesn't have quite the same ring to it---but the meaning is the same! We've been working on learning our colors---we have BLUE down pat, and we sure know what green looks like...the only trouble is we think it is called Lawn Mower instead of green....I guess that's because we have---for soooo many months now said, green lawn mower...that the two are synonymous. So if you ask Callan what color the grass is: lawn mower. What color is the tree? Lawn mower. Is that sweet or what?
He has been working on lots of words--and will try like crazy to repeat any of them. This weekend we learned zoo, Lizzie (the neighbors dog) sunset and couple. Couple is a weird word to teach you think? Well...actually, we were trying for pickle...but it comes out coupkul. So maybe we should count that as two---pickle and couple? There's enough effort, I think it sounds fair.

Tie it up

We had an exciting first today---our first tie!!!! We went to Nate & Sarah's wedding tonight, and sorry Nate---but Callan was the handsomest fella there! Check him out!!!!

And YES, for anyone keeping track, I did dress Callan in four things that Eric refuses to wear...argyle, plaid, sweater vests and corduroys. All in one outfit! See---there are a few things I CAN control--people not so much--but occasionally things. Check!!! (Speaking of checks, that's another one to shoot for...Eric won't wear checks either.)

Our love to Sarah and Nate!

Men Who Stare at Goats

Almost. Instead we have a little man who looks away from goats. Close enough. Look out Clooney. We decided to take advantage of the great weather today and check out the zoo.

Here's Eric and Callan looking at the Gorillas...




Callan 'listening' to the birds

A lift up for a birds eye view of the birds...

ooooooooooooo what's in there?!?!

Dang those silly monkeys!!!

OOOOOooooo SIT!

Ok. Missed a day. Making up for it now!
Had a looooooooong meeting yesterday which interfered with my blogability...dang that work!
So here's a new and funny thing Callan has been doing--he's learned a command. SIT!
He plops down on the floor/street/sidewalk/driveway/store floor and pats the floor next to him and says "sit." SOOO cute. Now if he says "good mommy" afterwards, we are going to have issues.

Pretenders

Who was crawling around on all fours panting this evening?
If you guessed Vegas, guess again!
If you guessed Eric, please stop!!!!
It was Callan! He has learned to pretend! He was crawling around panting and headed straight over to Vegas' food bowl. I had to intercept him at that point....we'll not leap ahead into method acting just yet.

Num nums and Dum Dums

Trick or treat! Callan had a fabulous Halloween season! I don't know what to call it other than a season---it certainly is more than one measly day!!!

FIRST we started out modeling our monkey costume, which was paired with our very sought after banana costume (which I was only able to secure after a bidding war on Ebay. Damn it.) Here's a picture of our models. Callan was considerably more cooperative than Vegas---but then again that's every day! ; )

Up next? Pumpkin carving! I'm glad we chose the small pumpkins to work on, because lets just say that other than the initial exploration, I was pretty much the only interested party. Callan wanted to get everyone involved and worked very hard on selling Vegas on the idea of eating the pumpkin guts. Fortunately, pumpkin seeds can be added to the list of things Vegas actually won't eat....so lets see...that is officially two things: onions and pumpkin guts. Here are some pictures of Callan showing me his big smile just like the pumpkin!

And we weren't done yet! Then we got to take a test run of our Dragon costume at our very first Halloween party! We went to the QLI party with PaPa. Callan had so much fun! There was dancing, balloons, bubbles and num nums---what could be better?

Where can we go from here? You guessed it---more num nums! Time for trick or treat practice at NiNi & PaPa's! I think NiNi wanted to give the whole bowl to Callan, but luckily the dragon paws interfere with dexterity a bit---so handling one piece at a time was about as good as we could do. Phew!

And then, we were ready for the BIG time!!!! The Trick or Treating! Callan was totally excited---mostly because the night involved ringing doorbells and seeing LOTS of DoDos (dogs). It was however, a little confusing, because for the first time we rang the doorbell but did NOT go inside. Although not for lack of inviting ourselves...there was lots of leaning, pointing and GO GOs! But no tears when we had to turn around and do it all over again--the candy really does help soften the blow. The other thing that was a little difficult to understand is that we've worked hard on the idea that when we eat, we sit. So every time Callan got a treat---he wanted to eat it, and he wanted to sit down to do so. Even in the street. So next time we'll have to bring a chair I guess.

All in all, a very Happy Halloween!!! Thanksgiving---here we come!

NaBloPoMo

My guilt has gotten the best of me and I thought perhaps peer pressure would help push me towards the goal of being a better blogger. So I joined NaBloPoMo...National Blog Posting Month. I am supposed to post a blog EVERY DAY! Every SINGLE day!!!! We'll see...it can't hurt to try, right??? I had to sneak two in today, since I missed the first day. And I am hoarding my Halloween stories until tomorrow--something tells me I am going to need a stock pile of stories and pics.
Wish me luck!

An Unfortunate First

Dang IT! 16.5 months of Purell, antibacterial soap, limited outside contact with the real world, and spending every night in a degerming chamber....and it happened anyway. Our first Dr. confirmed illness...a sinus infection.

Boo hoo hoo! Callan is feeling MUCH better now, and good news for me he likes amoxicillin. Bad news for me, his father is an overzealous amoxicillin administrator and has splattered me, the innocent bystander/Callan-holder, not once but twice! Accident? Suspicious.

These pictures have pretty much nothing to do with Callan's sinus infection, except he was still healing while these were taken. Other than that. Nothing at all. But they sure are cute!!! Roger and Elaine brought in a 'spare' Tickle Me Elmo they happened to have lying around their house. Callan loved it!!!

P-P-P-Pump It Up!

SDJ (Sleep Deprived Joslynn): Please. You can't figure out HTML coding. GIVE up on the slide show already. GO TO BED.
OCJ (Obsessive Compulsive Joslynn) : Ooooooooooo no. I can't give up! I am going to make this work!
SDJ: NO you really aren't. You can barely spell HTML let alone figure it out. Wikihow can't help you---you can't help yourself. GO TO BED.
OCJ: But I think I can get it! If I just keep trying. Ok. Maybe I won't figure it out tonight. But I'll at least post something.
something. or I'll be even farther behind!
SDJ: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

These are my private conversations. With myself. Think I might need to get out more? Perhaps? Think I make a good point, I am BEHIND!??! Definitely. So let's go with that one. Solution. A quick post.
Just a little one.
Just a catch up.
SOOOo two weekends ago we had so much fun! We went camping! Yes---you are reading that correctly. I Joslynn Ann Hon had fun camping. Granted we were in cabins..but the refrigerators were small, so therefore roughing it. We went to Mahoney State Park with Eric's whole family. We had a great time! OCJ was able to set aside the germaphobia and allow Callan to play in his first ball pit. He loved it! He loved it even more that his cousins were showing him the ropes...jumping, throwing, climbing---all the good stuff! We were also able to squeeze in a visit to the SAC Museum and top off the day with a trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch for our first ever hot dog roast. Good times were had by all. Any day that ends with a s'more is a good day by me. Callan loved having so much company and being able to watch Ryan, Luke and Rachael was a very special treat for him! Vala's was super great--especially compared to our last Pumpkin Patch visit! And bonus---no injuries or calls to PETA. Win win.
Here are some of the pics...or you are welcome to see the slide show in all its glory (even if I can't get the damn HTML coding to work. I can make a freakin' link people. A link.) http://picasaweb.google.com/joslynnhon/MahoneyWeekend#slideshow/5389307221251829938

C is for CAT

but Callan hasn't tried to say cat yet. I guess there is no need--we don't see a lot of cats around here (I think I just heard Vegas say 'Thank GOD!'). So he doesn't hear us say it, therefore he doesn't try to repeat it.
However.
He does try to repeat other words.
Other words that start with C.
Like Crap.
Whoops.
I guess it is officially time to start self censoring.

Take THAT Bell Curve!

Average shmaverage, that's what we say! We are off the charts people! Off the chart growth--and off the chart SMARTS! (I guess that's not genetic or the previous sentence would have been complete and grammatically correct. Anywho...)

We had our 15 month check up last week. Can you even believe it? One year, one quarter---one great Callan! So here's how we measure up to the rest of the 1.25 year olds.



height: 35 inches

+

weight: 29 pounds

+

brain case: 19 cm

HANDSOME



According to the Dr., 1.25yr old boys are supposed to know three words? Only three??? PUH lease---here's some of his latest and greatest/and the old standbys:



lawn mower

helmet

umbrella

papa

mama

dada

nini

dodo (dog)

num nums (ice cream)

go

bye bye

bottle

ketchup

moo

downstairs

open

yogurt

pull

up

football

ball

bubble

pop

GG

vroom vroom

UHoh!

uh huh



Take that bell curve, we don't even need a curve on our chart!!! Just a straight line up up up!

Staycation

That's the newest term for vacations where you don't work but stay close to home, right? Well Mr. Callan had a staycation of the best kind. He got to stay at home but have vacation from his parents! Nini and Papa spent all weekend with Callan while Eric and I headed to the Lake of the Ozarks.

Here are my thoughts on what was happening at our house.

Callan's weekend:

PLAY!

breakfast in bed

mid morning snack: ice cream

play

lunch: pizza, to drink: malts

nap

afternoon activity: eat ice cream

dinner: pizza

evening activity: blind taste test: ice cream vs custard

play

night night

repeat.

Meanwhile, here's what we GOT to do:

DAY one:

6 HOUR car drive to Missouri.

Check into world's most HORRIBLE motel. Officially marks new worst place I've ever stayed...worse than a leaking tent. Seriously. This place was horrific. I thought it would be bad, but it was way worse than bad. The good news is there was electricity. Just enough---one outlet for the room with a power strip and one outlet in the bathroom. There was also carpet in the bathroom, 75 thread count sheets, one porthole/window that looked into the hallway, and since obviously you'd want to spend ALL your time relaxing in your resort like accommodations, all the HBO you can watch on your 9inch TV. It should have occurred to me when one of their property 'pluses' was FREE HBO. If that is the only good thing you can say about your place, times are tough. I knew I was in really bad shape when the 'amenities' included a trial size bottle of Breck Shampoo. Seriously. I've never in my life used Breck and I'm fairly certain it stopped being manufactured about three decades ago. Think this place could use some updating??!?!? UGH!

WHY was this happening to me? All in the name of J-O-B. No, not Jobe, Job. Eric's job. Let the back patting begin. Good and dutiful wife. Good and dutiful wife. Yay me.

Day 2:

14 hours on a houseboat.

good news, beautiful scenery.

bad news, no CALLAN!

Day 3:

speed all the way home.

Phew.

We were both so glad to be home and see our baby! Here are some pictures I took at the park on the evening of our reunion...who would choose to be away from this guy???

Fair Well

Last week Callan got to partake in a Hupf family tradition. The Nebraska State Fair!

What's that you say?

Another excuse to eat ice cream?

YES. Any excuse to eat ice cream!

side note. I discovered that the question that most often follows my declaration of "FAIR day!" is, "Did you buy a pool?" Answer. No. People, that was a one time thing. If you think Eric would fall for that again, you are sorely mistaken. Sheesh. One time you make an impulse purchase of an above ground pool at the fair and no one lets you forget about it.

Callan had a great time getting to spend the day with his Ni Ni and GG! Not to mention getting to meet horses, pigs, chicks, lambs and a funnel cake! (kidding. we just smelled them, I didn't let him indulge. He was still eating his breakfast round of ice cream at the time. one thing at a time!)

I had forgotten all there is to see at the fair, and then there are the exhibits, too! ; ) There is something about being at the fair that makes me seriously consider vegetarianism. Prize winning tomatoes don't stare back at you making you feel sorry for every capresi salad you've ever eaten. However, a sweet little baby piglet makes me reconsider my past breakfast meat indiscretions. In fact, I was totally relating to the pigs this fair. This scene alone had me totally thinking---"oh girl, I know how you feel!" But I don't think this sow was into telepathy, or perhaps relating. But then again, you are busy when you've got 10 little ones on your hands, so I'll try not to take it personally.


Callan did an awesome job of staying in his stroller, provided we kept up our end of the bargain and were actually strolling. When we slowed down some place where there were no animals, or marching bands or food Callan would point to the EXIT sign ( I swear he can read!) and shake his head so vigorously you'd swear it was going to roll right off his little neck.



When he finally did get out of his stroller, he was a man on a mission! He ran through the fair grounds whooping and hollering. He was a streak from the orange cones to the garbage can to the dirt to the wood chips. A lap over to the smoker shaped like a pig and back to the the chainsaw sculptor. Had I mapped him I imagine it would have looked something like one of those old Family Circus cartoons of Billy going to get something (remember those?)


I suppose this might just be my last trip to the fair...next year it moves to Grand Island, and I think driving 2 hours to explore the stick food group is a little over the top. Even for me. I have so many great memories of the fair growing up. Heck, the fair introduced me to a few great life experiences. 1. Monster cookies. 2. NKOTB! (first concert ever!) and 3. the joy of purchasing with my hard won allowance a beautiful feathered roach clip (SHEESH!) that I would try to clip on my ear for a sweet earring and then when I couldn't take the pain anymore transfer to my hair for a make shift rat tail. (The 80s were full of great ideas, I totally see why we're reliving them.) It was really special to share something that I have such great memories of with Callan, my mom and grandma. And even more special to get to share things like Pineapple Whip (mmm!) that my Grandpa shared with me. But Grandpa, if your listening---I draw the line at pop!!! So, fare well Fair. Thanks for everything!

Cous(in) I said so

So in my newly (ha!) belated fashion, a past due post.

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to host Eric's family for a pizza dinner. Callan was LOVING getting to see his cousins in action. He watched Ryan and Luke show him what his golf clubs can do---besides be toted around and banged on the floor. And he got to spend some time with Rachael, who he seems to just adore. Proof below.

In other cousin related news, last week Callan was treated to a first ever baby sit by Uncle Grant! What a lucky guy (Callan)! Grant cleared his schedule to watch Callan for us while I had a work dinner and Eric a golf tournament. Grant shrugged off my 15 paragraph email with instructions on the two hours he'd be spending with Callan--what we usually do when, etc. (Fine. Yes I can appreciate that it might be a bit controlling to send detailed notes on what to feed a 1 year old to a Chef. Perhaps even ironic, but Grant's been the subject of my neurosis for years, he's accustomed.) Callan was happy to see Grant and got so excited showing off for him that he needed a nap. So Grant let him take a little nap...but when Callan woke up Grant was no longer in the company of a happy go lucky little boy, but instead a crying sad little guy. Apparently, it was a fairly trying two hours for them both. So much so that when I asked Grant how it went, he relayed this story to me:

Johanna called to see if she should come over and heard Callan crying. She said "Oh, great, I suppose now you don't want to have kids?!!" and I said was "you wouldn't either if you were here right now!"

So I guess I'll have to wait a while before I ask for that favor again? And I suppose we don't have to wonder if Callan will be having any new cousins in the immediate future.

Controlling the population, one family at a time. Who's next?