Just Your Average Guy

Moses had his 15 month dr.'s appointment this week. His height & weight are in the 40th - 50th percentile (31" and 24 lbs.), but that head of his is still way above normal in the 90th percentile! The doctor said that he was a healthy little boy and Moses ended the visit with three shots. As always, he handled those very well. We are so thankful for our average, healthy toddler.

For his first birthday, Moses received a basketball hoop from my friend Molly Jo and her husband Jared. Well, to be precise, they were very generous & thoughtful and gave Moses a gift card to Toys R Us. Naturally, he picked out the hoop all by himself :-) Aaron thought that we might as well get the ages 3 & up hoop instead of the 2 & up hoop because Moses would be able to use it for a longer time period. Little did we realize that the basket for older children would be way too big for Moses nor did we think that Moses wouldn't actually understand the concept of shooting the ball. So, the ever creative father rigged up some furniture and cushions so Moses could enjoy his gift. Even though his dunks aren't quite YouTube ready, he absolutely LOVES it! Thanks so much, Molly & Jared!

Tot Time at the Pool

This week we've enjoyed "Tot Time" at the Morton pool. From 10 until noon the toddler pool is open for $2/kid & parents are free! Perfect time for toddlers, perfect price for families :-)

Moses absolutely loves the water! He is still very cautious when trying to walk in the pool, which makes me not have to worry about him as much. Thanks, Uncle Nathaniel, for helping Moses with the slide :-)

Eliza, loving the spray toy.

"Yes, I have a big belly!!"

Micah, under the water umbrella.

Good Ole Days

On Saturday Uncle Gary & Aunt Ann had a cookout that coincided with Stanford's "Good Ole Days." Although we didn't see the parade or any of the vendors, we did witness the fantastic firework display put on the village of Stanford. It was a sticky, hot day with no air movement. A perfect time for Ann & Gary's air conditioner to break down :-)

Dale is trying to help Moses shoot a basket, something that Moses obsessed about all night.

Aaron & Nathaniel trying to stay cool while discussing their favorite topic: basketball.

Great-Uncle "Farmer" Gary helping Moses with the backhoe? I have no idea what that is, but I'm told it is not a "digger."

Moses enjoying the fireworks with his dad (above) and his Grandma Meiss & cousin Micah (below)

Micah getting up to get a better view of the fireworks.

Sprayground

Last week my mom and I took Moses & Eliza to a small sprayground in Washington. Moses LOVED it! Every five minutes or so, the water would turn off and after pushing a nearby button it would start again. Each time it occurred, Moses was confused that the water shut off and then his pure joy when the water came on again was priceless. We had a fun time. Great idea, grandma!!

Waiting for the water to turn back on (above). Sheer joy (below)!

Summer Reading

Aaron & I have a lot of things in common. There is one thing, though, that I love that Aaron is not really interested in---READING! I'm so happy that Moses is showing signs of being a reader :-) I know I have a huge task for the next 17 years to keep him interested, but I'll enjoy it for now. He will take out each of his books and want us to read to him, a few pages later he's ready for the next book.

Enjoying a book with Grandpa Meiss

As of right now, Moses doesn't pay much attention to TV: unless it is the Toddler Sing-a-long Songs at my parents house. He is completely mesmerized by this early '90's video with children lip syncing a few classic children's songs and a few not so well known songs. He will stop playing, eating, or crying to sit and stare at this video. His favorite song? Jonah.

Moses also loves the baby stroller and my old Cabbage Patch Doll, Duane (my mom wouldn't let me change his name). I'm not sure if he loves it on his own, or if it is because Eliza & Micah love the strollers and my mom only has two. They have to have something to fight over :-)

Fireworks & Family

I apologize for the short intermission I've taken with the blog. Pure laziness on my part. I guess we've been enjoying our summer vacation too much :-) Moses is a busy boy, and I'm not just talking about his social calendar. When he plays, he is always on the go. He sits down only to eat. It has kept Aaron and me on our toes.

We spent 4th of July weekend in Ipava. It was so great to spend time with Dianne & Cody, who were visiting from Missouri. Aunt Marilyn & Uncle Garry hosted an extended Dohner family reunion on Independence Day. Moses loved all of the attention he received there! He has been going through attention detox this entire week.

Moses with his Aunt Dawn (above). Below, he is playing with his cousin Lily.

Moses with his dad, grandpa, and great-great uncle Russell. If my family history is correct, Moses is the fifth generation of the Dohner family since Russell's father moved to Illinois.

The David & Ethel Dohner clan (below).

Moses playing "way high" with his grandpa Dohner.