This place is a zoo...

Josh and I went to the NC Zoo with Poppa and Grammy at the beginning of the month. It was a zoo!! It was the first day of spring break, the "opening day" for the giraffe deck, dinosaurs, etc and the nicest day of the week, weather wise so all of North Carolina was there! Despite the crowd, we had a good time and got to see almost all of the animals. The giraffes weren't out because it had rained the day before and their exhibit was slippery. They're prone to leg injuries if they slip and fall so they had to stay in. I was very disappointed  They're my favorite zoo animal! 

The ostriches were out and enjoying the green grass. They're so big and a good example of God's sense of humor. ;)

We stopped by the lion's exhibit and they had just been fed. The female lion came over and took the bone the male lion was gnawing on. He just laid down and pouted.

We went over to the apes from there (If it doesn't have a tail it's not a monkey....) but they were huddled all together on the far side of the exhibit so we couldn't see them very easily. Josh asked a million questions about what they were doing; grooming, chasing, etc. He especially liked the ape sculptures right outside the exhibit. 

The lemurs are always fun to watch! They were climbing up and down the rocks and bending those small trees down to munch on the leaves. The one closest to us sat like a human for a while and Josh thought that was funny.

The zoo has two baby gorillas! One was born on Aug 4 (my brother's birthday!) and the other was born on Aug 31st. They. Are. Adorable! I couldn't get a very good photo of either of them (again, the crowd was insane) but they were fun to watch. The one in the first photo is sitting in a water tub with his Mama. He splashed and played while she supervised. She looked bored to death and even propped her head on her arm. Maybe she was catching a catnap. ;) 

Before we got to the zoo, I explained to Josh how Mama gorillas carry their babies and then he got to see it live and in person! He thinks it's amazing that the babies don't fall off. Isn't that the most adorable gorilla baby you've ever seen?? 

We got to visit the Dinosaur exhibit and Josh was really impressed.  I wasn't worried about him feeling scared or nervous. He love to pretend but is very matter of fact about most things. 

Josh and Grammy pretended to be afraid of the dinosaur. ;) 

All of the dinosaurs moved and made noise. This one looked fun. 

These were the most real. They hissed and moved. They look so evil!

There was a fossil pit and Josh and Grammy spent a few minutes digging around for bones. Several people around us found shark's teeth, etc. 

Josh found a huge bear to climb on. He's crazy.

Mama took some photos with her camera and by the time we got to North America I had put the camera away and forgot to take it back out. Oops.  Anyway, we had a great time and Josh was very well behaved the whole day. I was proud of his patience and good listening skills. He's a really good kid.

Joshisms

-- Josh saw something amazing today and said "Well, damn!" I was shocked and asked where he heard it. He said someone on TV said it. Anyway...I explained that it was a bad word and we didn't use those words in this house. My very literal child replied, "What about outside?" *sigh*

-- I took Josh into the dressing room with me a few weeks ago while I tried on a few things. Ever the encourager, he said "That looks flabulous, Mom!"

-- Claire came for the weekend over Easter and brought Josh some freeze pops. On the way home from church he said "Let's go home and eat some ice pockles!"

-- While we made lunch on Easter Sunday, Josh ate some pineapple that had been on the ham. He really likes fruit and when I asked if the pineapple was good, he said "Yes. I like the spiky apples better." (English is hard and pineapples have no business being called any kind of apple! It's too confusing!)

-- On our way to the zoo last week with Poppa & Grammy (I'm working on a post about that), Josh and Grammy were having great discussions in the back seat. I overheard Grammy ask Josh if he ever cries. "Yes," he said "When I yong sometimes water comes out." (yawn)

-- Josh and I went with Mama to visit Grandad and Grandmom last week. Josh and Grandmom had a discussion about false teeth and it was quite hilarious. He didn't seem like he was sure about the whole idea but it made quite an impression on him. Later that evening as we all got ready to go to bed Josh told Grandmom a scary ghost story. It went something like this: "One night. One spooky night, there was witches and all their teeth can come out. And their heart got big and big and that's how they got witchy. I'm serious! And when their heart gets small, they get nice and nice and nice."

-- While playing the piano at Grandmom's, Josh made up a song called "Witches of the Bible."

-- "Mom, I don't like meatballs. I'm sorry, but God just made me like that. It is serious and I just don't like them!"

-- Josh saw a Weight Watcher's commercial with Jennifer Hudson on it and said "Man, she is screeeaaaming!"

-- While eating supper outside one evening, we had the rope lights plugged it and it was all cute and festive. Josh said "The lights are so pretty. I wanna put them in my tummy." I told him that if he did he would glow like Rudolph and when he pooped it would be glow poop. He said "That could be cool!"

-- Upon hearing a cricket outside: "I'm mad at that cricket. He hurts my feelings. That singing makes me go nuts."

Joshisms

-- Joshua colored a palm leaf in his class at church Sunday. He loves it and has carried it around all week. Today, while I was making dinner, he came in with the palm leaf and said "Mom, did you know the people put their palm trees on the ground for Jesus to walk over?!" I said yes and asked if he remembered what the people said as Jesus came by. He didn't so I told him "Hosanna! Hosanna!" He said "Oh yea...Hosamma, Hosamma, here comes Jesus!" 

-- While watching Willy Wonka (the original movie...like there's any other version worth watching), Josh said "Santa don't make the candy he brings. Willy Wonka makes it and Santa brings it. Santa makes the toys only."

-- While goading David to wrestle, Josh says to him "You want a piece of steak?!!" (You want a piece of me. Josh thought it was "piece of meat")

-- Joshua and I had lunch with my Uncle Doug a few Sundays ago while Aunt Bonnie and David were off playing at the basketball tournament. We were deciding where to eat lunch and Josh suggested Chick-fil-a. I told him that they were closed on Sundays and he asked "Is it Sunday?" 


-- "Mom, you say the blessing.....pinky please??"

-- We took Josh to the MonsterJam a few weeks ago. His favorite monster truck is Grave Digger and he was thrilled to see THE Grave Digger but he was really impressed that there were cars for the trucks to drive over. He was telling Uncle Doug about it at lunch and their conversation went something like this:
Uncle Doug: Was it your car that the trucks drove over?
Josh: No! Not my car.
Uncle Doug: Well, it wasn't my car, either. If it wasn't your car and it wasn't my car, whose car was it?
Josh: Well, when old people die, the monster truck people go get their car and take it to the show and run over it.

-- We've done some geocaching recently and one of the "treasures" we found in a cache was a little toy praying mantis with no head (must be a male mantis...). Josh loves to play with it but can't seem to get the name right. He keeps calling it a "Pocahontas." 

-- "Wanna hear a joke? If a monster comes to the pool, they will put him under the water and then put him on the ceiling." (I have no idea what he's talking about but it was his first made up joke and I laughed like a fool.) ;)

Joshisms

-- "Mom, look at that sunshine. It is so bright. That's how much I love you, Mom."

-- On the way home from Henderson, Josh said: "Mom, are we almost home? I'm so boring!" (He usually says he's "exciting" instead of "excited" so I assume he did the same with "boring" and "bored".)

-- While at Grandma's last week I asked Josh what color towel he wanted for his bath. He requested blue and when I offered two different blue towels, a light blue and a dark blue, he said "I don't want the sunny blue one."

-- Grandma, Aunt Sissy and I were in Sissy's living room talking last week. Josh came in with a toy firetruck and asked Sissy a question about it. She answered him and he responded with an "Oohhhh." She laughed and asked "Where did he get this 'Oohh?'" Before I could answer, Josh piped up with "I got it from in the kitchen!" (Thinking she was asking about the firetruck.)

-- Josh overheard me telling Sissy that I didn't want to give him a cough suppressant because his cough was productive but he wasn't getting any rest. He looked at me quizzically and asked "A coffee present??"

-- Josh and I love to listen to music in the car. He likes to pretend to play the guitar or drums while we sing. Somehow we got on the topic of (cousin) Chris playing the guitar. I told him that Beth plays an instrument, too and asked if he remembered which one she played. He said "Bef plays the drums. Why does she? Because she likes it? I like her. I loooooove her. I love her because she is pretty."

-- "This popsicle shivers me!"

-- Josh: Dad, did you eat all dat hamburger?!

   David: Yes.

   Josh: You pump!! (punk)

-- "I have a wife. She is pretty. She put lot of makeups on her face and her cheek and her chin. And on her lips and her eyes. And her feet. And her eyes is soooo pretty. She is a power ranger, too. She's the pink one. She's the pretty pink one. And I'm blue. I'm the dark blue one....I mean, I'm the sunny blue one. I'm the mascot for the shiny blue team."  (Don't ask...I have no idea!)

Joshisms

-- "Hey Mom, I saw a flying star!! (Shooting star)

-- Josh comes from a long line of biters. We don't bite out of anger and we just can't help it. There's something inside that tells us we just HAVE to bite. Noses, ears, toes...oh, especially baby toes! Josh has been bitten since he was born, as was I, as was my mother & her father before her. The Hall in us can't help it. Aunt Bonnie, who was a Hall & married a Hall, is the biggest biter of us all! Josh always wears a hoodie over to her house to protect his ears from her bites. ;) She had been away for a couple of weeks and when we left to go over and see her I told Josh that I bet she couldn't wait to bite his ears. Josh said, "Do Aunt Bonnie bite my ear & dat how her kiss?" Yep, that's about right!

-- Josh: Mama, is that commercial correct?
Me: Which commercial?
Josh: That one when the son says 'where do babies come from?' and the daddy says 'from up in space and they fall down from the sky' and the son says 'but mommy says babies come from a tummy and let's sing a song about a school bus'. Is it correct?

(Crazy, insane, ridiculously good memory!)

-- Josh & I were watching Rachel Ray's show the other day and she made her version of New York style nachos. She said that she loved onions and said something about piling them on a hot dog. She later referred to the hot dog as a "dog" (you know, because she abbreviates EVERYTHING) & it really bothered Josh. He said, "I wish I was there so I could tell her it's a HOT DOG."

-- "See this skateboard? It was my grandpa's and he let me have it and I been riding it a long time and it says spiderman."

-- Josh: I don't hear your heart beeping.
Me: That means I'm dead!
Josh: You are...I'm sorry.

-- After I replaced the lightbulb in Josh's closet he said, "Thank you, Mama. Thank you so much for my help."

-- "Cinderella is very beautiful. I really want to marry her."

-- Our waitress: I'll see you later.
Josh: I will see YOU lata!

-- Josh came into the salon after I had gotten my haircut. He didn't recognize me and I had to call him back over. He stared at me for a minute and said, "You didn't look like our Mommy, Mommy!"

-- "Tinkabell is my girlfriend. I think I'm gonna marry her. We're gonna get married at Disney World."

-- "Grandma, do you have any coffee drops?" (Cough drops)

Joshisms

-- J: Are we going to Aunt Bonnie's today?
D: No. She isn't even there.
J: But I want to go there, anyway!
D: Why?
J: Because they are cool kids and stuff.

-- David and I were goofing off in the kitchen and Josh came running in and asked me "Is he unresting you?!" (He meant arresting.)

-- Josh and I spent a few days at my Grandparent's house last week. Joshua is so blessed to have so many Great-Grandparents! Grandma and I enjoyed listening to Josh and Grandpa's conversations while they were alone in the kitchen. Grandpa was having a hard time hearing Josh and kept asking him to repeat himself. Josh became exasperated and came back into the living room. He looked at Grandma and said "Him just don't understand me."

-- Me: Beth is going to have baby Finley tomorrow!
Josh: Oh yay! I think I'm gonna go see him! 
Me: We aren't going to see him but Aunt Bonnie is up there and she'll see him and send us pictures.
Josh: Why is her there?
Me: Because Aunt Bonnie is Finn's grammy.
Josh: NNoooooo!!!!! She can't be his grammy!
Me: Why not?
Josh: 'Cause her is our Aunt Bonnie!!
(He's since warmed up to the idea but he's ready for Aunt Bonnie to come home.) ;)

-- My Aunt Brenda (We call her Sissy) spoils Joshua like crazy (just like she did me). She brought him some mini M&Ms and he offered one to Grandpa. Only one, mind you. :) Grandpa asked what it was and Josh told him it was an M&M. Grandpa looked at it closely and said "Are you sure it's not just one M? Looks kind of small to me!"


-- Me: Walk quickly, it's raining and we might melt!
J: Why would we melt?
Me: Because I'm made of sugar and sugar melts in the rain. 
J: Mom, you won't melt. We're made of bones, not sugar.


-- Grandma and I were talking about how sometimes Josh had trouble listening and doing as he's told. He interrupted our conversation to ask why he didn't always listen well. I jokingly told him it was probably because he was male. He was highly offended and said, "I'm not a mail!! Look at me. I don't have a package on my head or anything!!!" (Again, English is hard!)

-- Josh to David: I bless-youd and a booger came out!

-- Josh spent the weekend at Poppa & Grammy's last weekend. This is a text I got from her while he was there: I was standing in the kitchen and when Josh came in I picked him up. He looked on the counter and said, "Hey, I want that cheese!!" It was post-it notes! (The boy has a cheese obsession.)

-- Joshua and I sat in the car while David ran in to the store to return a movie. Josh said to me, "Let's time him up!" (He wanted to see how long it would take David to get back.) 

Joshisms

-- Josh was riding in the buggy at the grocery store and saw a work-out product (yoga mat or something) that had a photo of a man on it. He said "Man thighs? Gross!" (I attribute this to his Aunt Mae Mae, who detests man thighs.) ;)

-- While riding in the buggy he complained that his knees hurt. I asked him to show me where it hurt and he pointed to the back of his thighs. I told him those weren't his knees, that they were his thighs. He said "They're my underknees."

-- While unplugging the iPad, Josh noticed the cord also had a USB on it. He asked "How do you inplug this?"

-- We watched a show about porcupines and a few days later Josh told me, "Mom, you can touch pokeypines." I replied, "Are you sure?" He said, "Yes, under his belly, you can!" (It's true and proves he was paying attention.)

-- Josh and I went to Poppa & Grammy's for a night last week. It was very late and Josh fell asleep on the way so he was raring to go when we got there. Poppa had gone in the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee and Josh followed along behind repeating "I'm hungry, I'm hungry!" Poppa had heard enough and reached into the fridge, handed Josh half of a ham and said "Here, eat this!" Josh was appalled and exclaimed, "Not a piece of chicken!"

-- While at Uncle Doug & Aunt Bonnie's a few days ago, Josh was explaining to Tiffany the reason there was a "black Spiderman" (His name is Venom and I have no idea where he came from.). His explanation went something like: "Spiderman was a good guy and he came down and put a black costume on and he think he look cute and he became a bad guy!"

-- Josh: Why do we have windows, Daddy?
David: So you can see out while we're riding in the car.
Josh: But we don't need windows. If we take them out it will be just wind.
Me: If we didn't have windows it would be cold in the car.
Josh: (exasperated) Okay, we need windows.

-- While riding in the car Josh whispers, "Daddy, are we gonna tell Mama we gonna go get ice cream?" David says "No, but I think you just did!" Josh: "Nuh huh!! I said 'Daddy'!! (As if he didn't address me directly, I didn't hear him.) :)

-- Josh's blessing: "Thank you for God, and our blessing, and our food, and grandfathers, and bad guys, and police, and firemans, and fire, and alarms, and that orange thing right there, and drinks and Daddys, and Mommys, and sons. Amen." (We had had a conversation about the alarm in the restaurant. The "orange thing" was a toothpick with the fancy plastic on the end.)

-- Josh: Dora is my girlfriend.
Me: Why do you like Dora?
Josh: 'Cause that monkey and that map. Her is cute, though.

-- Josh, Aunt Bonnie and I ate at the (wonderful, huge, fabulous, amazing) Chick-fil-a in Cameron Village today. (It's 2 stories, has a double drive through with an elevator for food and a really cool track system to get food out to the drive through, which looks like a bank drive through.) Anyway.....on the way out we went through the revolving door. Josh went through and then turned around and, watching the door, said "That worked very nicely!"

-- While at the park today, Joshua was pretending to be a waiter (as usual) and was up on the playground equipment. Aunt Bonnie was asking if he could come down one of the rock wall looking things. Josh explained how one would climb up the wall and she suggested that he could climb down it by holding onto the rope that was attached. He became very serious and said "Excuse me, I'm holding a plate!" To which she replied, "Well, yes, I imagine it would be more difficult to come down while holding a plate." :)