Josh's Funnies

Several months ago I started keeping a list of the funny things Josh says/does so I would remember them to add to this blog. Here are those that I remembered to add to the list:

1. After getting shots during his last checkup (back in August), the nurse put bandaids over the pricked spots, then we prepared to give Mary her shots. Josh was pretty upset about the whole ordeal (understandably so), and kept crying and crying and trying to pull the bandaids off. When I finally realized that it was the bandaids that were upsetting him and pulled them off, he calmed right down and started eating his fruit snacks. I've never heard of a kid who doesn't like bandaids, but he still doesn't! He'll never let me put one on him and fights it tooth and nail if I try. I guess he associates them with being hurt.
2. Josh LOVES his fruit snacks! One day while trying to get him to share one with me I started fake crying after he said no. He started almost crying seeing me "cry," so I stopped and explained to him I was only joking. Apparently it wasn't too upsetting to him, though, because he still wouldn't share with me.
3. One day I overheard him doing "This Little Piggie" on Mary's toes...so cute!
4. Several months ago I started singing the song "When We're Helping We're Happy" while he was helping me pick up toys. After singing it through a couple of times and finishing with "and we like to help Mama, for we all love her so" he added "MUCH!" I love that boy!
5. Back when it was still super hot outside I was putting Josh in his car seat and he said "Roasty toasty." Yes indeed.
6. David often has Josh feel his whiskers by taking his hands and rubbing them down his face and saying "Rub the whiskers." One day I saw Josh doing the same thing to Mary, complete with the "Rub the whiskers" saying!
7. While driving in the car around Christmas-time I was trying to teach Josh "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." He said "We Wish You a Baby Christmas." (Mary = Baby to him.) That one had me busting out laughing when I finally figured out what he was saying/meaning.
8. He calls his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Orr "Baby Grandma" and "Baby Grandpa." I don't know where he got that from.
9. When Josh does something really good I'll tell him "I'm so proud of you" and give him a big hug. The other day (and a few times since), while giving me a hug he told me he was so proud of me. I'm so glad he isn't embarrassed of me yet!
10. The other day we passed by a big crane on the way to David's work and Josh pointed to it and said, "A fishing pole!" I guess it does kind of look like a fishing pole, although I don't know where he even learned about fishing poles!
11. This afternoon I turned "Cars" on for him, and when the Disney castle logo came up he pointed to it and said "A temple!"
12. Pretty much every time I zip up pj's or jackets for him or Mary I sing the "Zip-a-dee-doo-da" song (got that from my mom). I guess Josh has heard it a time or two, since the other day he started singing it and was able to do most of it by himself. Actually, Josh has a GREAT memory and can learn songs fairly quickly. Some of his most recent are: "There's a Great Big Turkey," "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck," and "K-k-k-Katie."

What a funny boy!

Letter to Santa

Here is Josh's letter to Santa for 2009:

Here's what it says:

Dear Santa Clause,

I have been a pretty good boy. I am nice to my sister Mary. And sometimes I like to obey my mom and dad.

Please bring me a dump truck for Christmas. I will have lots of fun with it, especially if we move to a new house.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Love,

Joshua Flake Orr

Responding to Blog Comments

Does anybody else wish you could just directly reply to people who leave you blog comments via the notification email Blogger sends? I do, and have wondered about it for some time. I always wonder, should I respond to their comment by leaving a comment on my own blog, or should I go to their blog and post a comment in response? Or should I just send them an email...wait I don't have their email address (yes, it's true, I don't have email addresses for everyone I keep in "blog contact" with).

Well, I finally got around to researching my dilemma, and it just so happens that YOU CAN! But only if you edit your profile to allow it. I came across the instructions here, and have included them below, so that you can go in and change your profile. Then when you leave a comment on someone's blog, that person can just reply to you directly via the comment notification email. (Instead of the email showing a "noreply" address, it will show your email address). If you do it for me, I'll do it for you.

Here are the instructions:

• Step One: Open your profile page, click EDIT Profile on left side of profile.
  (If you need help finding your profile page let me know).
• Step Two: make sure the box marked show my profile and show my email address are checked.
• Step Three: Under Identity, add the email address you want comment replies to be sent.
• Step Four: scroll to bottom and click save!

Mary at 9 Months

I took Mary to the doctor on 12/21/09 for her 9 month checkup and here were her stats:

Height: 29 1/2" (95th percentile)
Weight: 21# 10 oz. (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18 1/4"

12/3/09: Mary (aka Stinkerbelle) getting into some mischief. I can't believe she was the one that first unrolled a whole thing of toilet paper...I definitely thought it would have been Josh!

12/8/09: Smiling pretty, showing off her new (then) hippopotamus teeth


12/16/09: Enjoying her first time sitting in the cart without being strapped in the carseat after getting her picture taken with Santa at Bass Pro Shop

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving this year was with the Flakes, and we had dinner at the ramada outside of Celeste's church building in Lehi. The weather was great! Travis and his family weren't able to make it, since Teresa was far along "with child" (she's now had little Baby Travis, hence the "was"), but everyone else was there, less two missionaires. You know you have a big family when you need a venue this size to accomodate everyone! We had great food and lots of it!

Josh and Mary just chillin' with Daddy

Don't worry, Mary really did enjoy the ice cream...she was just too tired to show much enthusiam for it

Kayla and Jaki were basking in the beautiful Arizona weather

Mindy organized a Stick Horse Rodeo for after dinner, which was good for a lot of laughs. We had a Grocery Race, a Rescue Race, a Tennis Shoe Race, a Wheelebarrow Barrell Race, a Stick Bull Riding competition, and of course the Keg Race (and probably a few more events, but I can't think of them at the moment). Some of the highlights were Crystal pushing Darrell in the wheelbarrow, but having Brady move the "barrells" closer togther so she could finish the pattern, and me totally biffing it as Kayla and I were doing the Keg Race together.

After the rodeo we had a testimony meeting, and it was nice to hear my mom and several brothers and sisters share their testimonies.

That night David got an early start on the Black Friday specials by standing in line at Toys R Us for their midnight opening. After coming home and getting a few hours of sleep he was off again to buy a gun at Dick's. After he come home, Kayla and I met and hit up a few more stores. That was the first time I had really done any significant Black Friday shopping, and luckily by the time I went out things were relatively calm. David said the line at Toys R Us CRAZY, though.

Friday night our family had another get together at Mindy's for some more visiting and food. My family loves to visit!

I'm so thankful to belong to two wonderful families, and especially to have such a wonderful husband and two wonderful children. I am so blessed!

EVMCO Christmas Concert

For the past several years my violin has been gathering some serious dust since it has only been played for a few funerals (too many) and church functions here and there. But no more!

Two of my sisters, a niece, and I recently joined the orchestra of the East Valley Mormon Choral Organization (EVMCO), and a sister-in-law is in the choir. I was a little hesitant to join "just another Mormon music group," but the timing was perfect for me, since I had just been released from YW. Plus, I decided that I really needed to start playing again so that all those years of lessons wouldn't go completely to waste! I figured this would be better than nothing, so I decided to give it a go. I am impressed!

Our premier concert is on Thursday, December 10th, in which we'll be performing several Christmas selections. I really think it will be great and that you'll be impressed, so I invite you to come and see for yourself! Here's the info:

Happy Halloween!

While we were at the dollar store perusing through the Halloween merchandise we gave Josh a few different options of what he could dress up as for Halloween and he chose a cowboy. Oh, he made his mama proud! We decided if he was going to be a cowboy, we'd better help him brush up on his skills. So we took him to Sheplers to ride the bull, and to the Halloween fun day at Bass Pro Shop where he got to try his hand at roping and stick bull riding.

How's my form?

Learnin' the ropes...literally!

Aw Mom, do I have to use the pink rope?

Let me go Dad, I'm ready!

Sweet! I get a s'more for winning?!

We decided he had learned well, and earned the right to dress in his cowboy garb for the ward Trunk or Treat party the week before Halloween. Unfortunately we forgot our camera, so these pictures from David's phone will have to suffice.

Josh had a great time handing out candy before going around to gather his own. After getting his first piece he wanted to eat it. Luckily, his mother was there to explain that there was much more gathering to do before the feasting could begin!

Mary also enjoyed the festivities dressed in her super tight 12 month pajamas and fairy wings. Are the pj's so tight on my 7 month old because they are cheapies from the dollar store, or because Mary is so chubby??? I don't know, but she sure is cute!

We carved our pumpkin for Family Home Evening a couple of days later.

We spent Halloween weekend in Thatcher with David's family, so Josh got to go trick or treating again at their ward's trunk or treat. Good thing, because he really had the "trick or treat" down pat. Joseph was also a cowboy, and those two little boys looked so cute together. We decided to put Mary in Josh's horse costume from two years ago to complete the ensemble.

Joseph says, "Don't worry ma'am. I'll save you!"

Nothing cuter than a horsie riding her daddy!