Jonas - 16/17 months; Josie - 4 years old!

Josie's 46/47 month stats: 43 lbs, 3'6" inches, 5T/6T in clothing, size 9.5/10 shoes

Josie's favorite books/songs: Halloween Scare in New Jersey; Here We Go, Inside Out Human Body 

Josie's favorite movies/tv shows: Aladdin (live action), The Little Mermaid; Peppa Pig, Shimmer and Shine

We went to see the Little Mermaid summer musical at the Barton Springs Theatre with some friends and Josie thought the tap dancing seagulls led by Scuttle was one of the funniest things she has ever seen. When we got back home we watched the movie and she was paying close attention to the parts that featured Scuttle. In this photo we were sitting at the kitchen table and the song "Kiss the Girl" is on from the movie. There's a part where well-meaning but helplessly goofy Scuttle tries to "sing" and fails. It sounds like a big fat squawk accompanying by a series if medium squawks. I've always thought that part was really funny myself and have learned how to imitate the character. This photo captures the moment Josie realizes I can squawk like her idol, a fictional, dopey seagull.

Josie's greatest hits: She is full of hilarity and wisdom and sass, as per usual. Read on.

• "I need a snack so my blood sugar won't drop"
• Grandma: "Josie, do you think Jonas looks like mommy or daddy?" Josie: "Jonas looks like a meter maid"
• What do you want to me when you grow up? Josie: "A princess...no, a dentist"
• Jonathan: "Are you ready for your poetry reading tomorrow?" Josie: "Dad, it's a RECITAL. Re-ci-tal! Not a reading."
• While on the toilet: "How many syllables does 'pee' have?" 

Josie's new tricks

Josie turned 4! We had a verrrry special birthday party with Josie's besties (which obviously includes Elsa). Honestly, it was really, really fun.

Look at this sweet photo of Josie checking out her make-over given my none other than Elsa herself.

Josie has joined a dance class through her school. She has 2 performances this year and I cannot wait! She is learning ballet and tap. Josie will refuse to show you anything she's learned in class but she and Jonas put on weekend recitals.

I found evidence of our first family drawing! I'm not sure why my face is a bowl of spaghetti but I'll take it.

She continues to love make-up and is really excellent at application.

We are becoming a pro at swimming! Here's a post-lesson swim with Grammy & Grampy. Josie was actually at an event and (with her swim vest on) jumped right in to the pool. Well, sashayed into the pool via the steps but she was totally comfortable swimming around! 

She's gained so much confidence since starting her lessons with Ms. Luana. We graduated for the summer!

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Jonas' 16 months stats: 28 lbs, 31 inches; 24 mos in clothing, size 6 diapers, hazel eyes, blonde hair, and 4 teeth!
Jonas' favorite books/songs/tv shows: Wheels on the Bus; Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes; Noisy Things That Go; Bubble Guppies

New words/sentences: "nack, nack" = snack, "Deedee" = Josie, "me up", "book, book" = read me a book

Jonas' 17 months stats: 30 lbs, 32 inches; 24 mos in clothing, size 6 diapers, hazel eyes, blonde hair, and 4 teeth!

Jonas' favorite books/songs/tv shows: Wheels on the Bus; Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes; Because I'm Your Dad; Bubble Guppies

New words/sentences: "Daddy nene" = Dad, I'm all done with the thing I'm doing, "itchy"/"itchy butt" (thanks Josie), "open", "off", "toooooo" = me too (as in don't just hug her, hug me too/or, better yet - don't hug her at all. hug me instead.) "Poopoo" (pointing to diaper), "mess" (as he is messing up my hair), "hurt" (pointing to the toes Josie ran over with a battery-powered truck), "purple", "oval" "heart", "hat"

Jonas' new tricks

This kid is going to be an athlete - no doubt about it. Even in a diaper with a pinata, he looks like he could hit a homer. 

He can brush his teeth! This is huge - especially because he only has 4 of them.

Jonas can count! He can make it to about 10 before he Godzillas whatever the thing is we're couting (i.e. plastic cups). I need a video of this.

He got his first haircut! Honestly, he kind of hated it and I kind of hated it too but he rocked it.

Smizing - look it up. Nevermind, I'll save you the trip. It's a word Tyra Banks coined and it means "smiling with your eyes, but in a knowing way that says 'I'm clearly attractive'". I mean, right?

Do we have our first crush? Enough said. I don't know if this is a trick but it kind of qualifies. 

Jonas (likely inspired by his favorite tv show) LOVES blowing bubbles.

In other Young family news...

We celebrated Grandma's birthday (not on the day of this photo but in life)!

We also celebrated Daddy's birthday!

We had a nice visit with Grammy and Grampy. We saw a show at the Palace.

I had a work trip which enabled me to see Ashley, Adam, and Ellie!

We celebrated Rosh Hashanah or as Josie calls it: "Monster Ball Soup Day"

We saw a GORGEOUS rainbow.

We celebrated Jen's birthday!

Overall, it's been a goooood summer.

And...Josie and Jonas continue to be obsessed with each other.

Until next time...

Xoxo,

J Cubed

Jonas - 14/15 months; Josie - 3.98

Josie's 46/47 month stats: 43 lbs, 3'6" inches, 5T (sometimes even 6T) in clothing, size 9.5/10 shoes

Josie's favorite books/songs: Goodnight Goon, The New Baby; anything Footloose

Josie's favorite movies/tv shows: Ella Enchanted; Daniel Tiger, Bubble Guppies, Peppa Pig

Josie's greatest hits: She is full of hilarity and wisdom and sass, as per usual. Read on.

"I can put on this puppet and make it tell me a funny story if I'm feeling scared in my bed."

This morning when Josie was getting ready for school she said: 'When I get these boots on I'll look like the girl that gets around." When we asked where she heard that she said 'Footloose".

"The reason I don't want you to run is because you could fall and get hurt. Then the police will remind you to be more careful with a ticket and you will NOT like that!"

"It's quite complicated."

"Jonas, how do you manage to be such a grinch?"

"I have good news!"

This, however, takes the cake...

Just in case those in the back didn't hear, let me repeat: A LOVELY GARDEN AND A MAN WITH A BROKEN HEART.

Josie's new tricks
Josie has begun swim lessons! She is SWIMMING! When I tell you I've stressed thought about the need to schedule swim lessons every single week for the last 3 years, I'm not exaggerating.

Jonathan and I have been trying to recruit her preschool teacher, Ms. Luana for as long as we've known she teaches swim. This woman is an actual angel on Earth. I've called her the female Mr. Rogers before. 

Josie had no idea she was learning to swim! Luana set up toys all over the pool and Josie was saving mermaids, rescuing precious jewels, etc. I am super impressed and excited and and and...exhale.

Josie has a rolypoly obsession. She "rescues" and re-homes them. I'm not sure they end up in a better place upon their relocation but I'd like to think so.

Where did my little baby go? Sniff. 

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Jonas' 14 months stats: 28 lbs, 31 inches; 24 mos in clothing, size 6 diapers, hazel eyes, blonde hair, and 3 teeth!

Jonas' 15 months stats: 29 lbs, 31.5 inches; 24/2T mos in clothing, size 6 diapers, hazel eyes, blonde hair, and 4 teeth!

And we have vocabulary/animal sounds lift-off!:

Our words: Pup, up, me (or me me), a-weee (we'll get to THAT in a sec), star, moon, mine, stairs, bye (but he says it as if he was E.T. "byeeeee", shoes, uh-huh (this is his affirmative), and ummmm
Our first sentence-ish: "Me up"
Our first song: Jonas can sing "all" as in: The wheels in the bus go 'round and 'round, all day long!
Our second song: I've been singing a nonsensical diaper song to Jonas since Day 1 and very recently has begun to chime in. This is trademarked in case anyone sees this as the next baby hit.

The cow goes moo
The chicken goes bawk bawk
The rooster goessss cock-a-doodle-dooooo
The Jonas goes beep beep
The mama does it too
De de de de de de
Do do do do do dooooo

Jonas's new tricks

This little man loves his books! He can identify them in his Jonas way (Counting on the Farm is called "Moo, moo"). He loves to read them each for 7 seconds, he loves to organize them (throwing them from one side of the couch to another), and he loves to beat you to turning the pages.

Jonas is eating like a big boy! He ate some 4th of July corn. He likes to "blow" on food to cool it off, or really just disperse sweet, little Jonas germs on it.

Jonas is a couch surfer. If you are at my house and hear "a-weee!", run - don't walk - over to the couch and tell that little boy with his giant, goofy grin to sit on his bottom. He knows he isn't supposed to jump on that couch and thinks it's very funny to "get caught". It doesn't help that all of us laugh at his a-weeeees. THIS KID.

In other Young family news...

We lost our family matriarch. 

As I said on social media, you don't say goodbye to a legend - you thank them. Grammie, your impact, like your style, is timeline. Your quiet elegance and composed power will influence people for many generations to come and we will be better for it. Estelle Krause: 1917-2019. 

Super Grammie's passing brought our family together, which doesn't happen often. That, in addition to Grammie's presence in our lives, was a gift to us. <3

Mama and Dada celebrated 4 years of marriage! 

We went to the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and it was gorgeous.

We celebrated Father's Day! We've started a tradition where we spent Father's Day at the local ballpark. Jonas is not a fan of being confined so he was less interested than the rest of us. Instead we pretended Jonas was a seagull and kept feeding him fries. He'd eat them, squawk, and return for more. 

We attended our family reunion!

We spent a day in Washington DC and visited the Natural History Museum.

We then headed to Frederickburg, VA under a delightful heat wave and got to spend time with every single OG Krause family member and their offspring! 

Just look at sweet Cousin Elly Belly! 

We also exchanged big hugs with Cousin Pierce!

Jonas was there too but wouldn't really sit still unless held captive in a baby wrap or contained for a sweaty family photo. :)

We spent a ton of time in our hotel pool to conceal our otherwise melting faces.

And got to spend a lot of time in the hotel lobby hiding from the heat.

Our return plane ride lead us to make the new family rule: no flying until age 2 for Jonas.

And, in general, we've been summering pretty hard.

Josie is headed to a new school on August 5th. Here's her reaction from meeting one of her classmates, Henrietta Chicken. We think she's gonna like it there!

Just look at this place!

And...Josie and Jonas continue to be obsessed with each other.

Until next time...

XOXO,

J Cubed