The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever

As you may have read in the last blog post, a few weeks ago Aden and Wiley were fascinated by the older kids' Christmas program and especially by their costumes. They were using baby blankets on their heads to be the shepherds. So the following week, Mommy was able to borrow some of the costumes and Aden and Wiley had a great time dressing up in them. Wiley was a shepherd and Aden was a Wise Man. They wore these around the house all day, and even around the mission station some. Looking at the makeup of our family, we realized that we practically had the complete cast of Christmas Pageant characters right here in our house. Thus, a family picture was taken and a Christmas card for family was made:

However, the dressing up did not end there. The boys were really enjoying all of us being dressed up and participating, so Mommy thought about us going to the hospital wards sometime (dressed up) and telling the patients the Christmas story. No sooner had she thought that, then we found out that some others had this same idea. This past Sunday, Christmas Sunday, a whole group of us went to the hospital. There were angels, shepherds, Wise Men, and of course Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. We went from ward to ward (three in all). There was a trumpet trio that played some carols for us to sing, made up of none other than Bubu Jim, Uncle Bill, and Uncle Andy. And then, while Uncle Jeff read the story, we acted it out. Mommy and Daddy were very proud of Aden's performance as a Wise Man (he was the one carrying the myrrh, by the way). Wiley gave a stellar performance as a shepherd, carrying his sheep to the stable. While we enjoyed getting to dress up, we were also very honored to be a part of such an important story being told, for maybe the first time to some of the patients. What a great experience for the boys. They even learned lines (from verses) that they are still quoting this week, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people." It really STILL is the greatest story ever told.

"Mewy Chwistmas Evwyone!"

Just after Thanksgiving, we pulled out all the Christmas decorations. The boys were right in the middle of the whole process, helping carry boxes, put up the tree, hanging the star and ornaments. A daily highlight is turning on our Christmas lights. Aden loves to wonder about what he is going to put in his stocking, and they both enjoy the advent calendar they use each morning. Wiley decided that his favorite decoration is the star on top of the tree, and Aden especially likes the stockings and the lights. One of the boys' favorite decorations to play with is the Nativity that sits under the Christmas tree. And the coveted piece of the Nativity is, of course, Baby Jesus. A new set of phrases has been heard around our house that we never thought we'd hear, nor find ourselves saying . . .

"We're not going to chew on Baby Jesus."
"Where is Baby Jesus?" ("The bathroom.")
"I want Baby Jesus!"
"(Baby) Jesus is not to leave this house."
"I want Baby Jesus to stay in the living room."
"Don't step on Baby Jesus."
"Baby Jesus is riding on the brown cruiser."
"I want to take Baby Jesus into the shower."
"Rock-a-bye, Baby . . . down will come Baby Jesus, cradle and all" (crash!)

Last Sunday in the monthly English service on our station, the children presented a special Christmas program. Aden and Wiley were quite inspired watching the program. After their naps on Monday, Wiley came out (as usual, recently) carrying his pillow and a blanket. He soon put the blanket over his head saying, "I'm a bear!" They played for a while with blankets over their heads, acting out a poem from one of their books. Then Aden came up with a new idea: "Look, Mommy! I'm a shepherd!" Mommy
tied the blanket around his head, and did the same for Wiley. They took their pretend play outside, grabbing the attention of all who walked by. Various pieces of the Christmas story were recited, such as "We're watching our flocks" and "Let's go to Bethlehem!" Then Aden decided to change roles as he laid down under a tree: "I'm Baby Jesus. Wiley, you can be Baby God." When Uncle Bill walked by, they were lying in the grass, Baby Jesus and Baby God, pointing up at "the star" - which was a rainbow they had discovered in the late afternoon sky.

The last line of the children's Christmas program stuck with Aden and Wiley and has been repeated over and over around our house over the last week. They pass it along to you as well - "Merry Christmas Everyone!"

The Doctor Will See You Now...

As promised, here is the story that was referred to in the previous post about the doctor's mask. You may remember this mask from Wiley's quarantine adventure in the Brisbane airport. But first...

One of the favorite 'toys' that the boys own is not what you would expect (or maybe it is). It's not their cars and trucks, although they do really love those. It's not even the assortment of balls, building blocks, or toy airplanes and trains that they play with each and every day. Possibly the most asked for 'toy' that they own, and that is often stored away in the closet, is none other than a cardboard box that we received two years ago from their Uncle Kevin that had Christmas gifts inside. I bet you thought it was going to be the doctor's mask, didn't you? We will get there, but first the box...
A cardboard box can be anything you want it to be, and Aden and Wiley can have quite the imaginations. It is almost essential for an MK living in a remote part of the world, and living at a Mission Hospital certainly fuels that imagination. While the cardboard box has been many different things over the past two years, this past week was definitely influenced by our surroundings. As most of you know, last month we opened a new hospital. We spent days moving equipment and patients from the old hospital to the new facility about 50 yards (meters) away. How could we not see this one coming?

One day, Aden and Wiley came pushing/pulling (one on each end) the cardboard box through the house. As they pass through the kitchen, we notice that it is full of toys from their bedroom. They empty it all into the living room, and return for another load. As they pass through again, we ask them what they are doing. They responded matter-of-factly, "we are moving from the old hospital to the new hospital." They were all business as they quickly dumped another load and returned to what would now be referred to as the "old hospital" in their bedroom. We somehow convinced them that they had moved enough, since we didn't want the entire bedroom in the living room. Shortly after this, here comes the box again. This time, it is the ambulance. It made one round with Aden pushing it and he said he had to go pick up a patient that was sick and take him to the new hospital. A couple of minutes later, here comes the 'ambulance' passing through the kitchen. At this point, Aden is now wearing the doctor mask. Wiley is sitting in the box being pulled along. He proudly says, "Daddy, look who is in the bambublance? It's Wiley!" (big smile) "I'm sick!" They proceed to what is now referred to as the "new hospital" in the living room. Wiley is instructed by Dr. Uncle Bill (Aden) to lie down on the bed. Still grinning from ear to ear, Wiley hops on the couch and lies down on his back and lifts up his shirt and says, "Aden, cut my tummy."
Dr. Uncle Bill left at this point, in the ambulance of course, to go back for supplies. He returns and proceeds to 'prep' Wiley for his apparent upcoming surgery. He was very efficient and fast as he went through all of his protocol. First, he gave Wiley some medicine (a random toy that has been designated as medicine). He then gave him the necessary shot. This was another random toy of theirs that he used to poke Wiley's tummy. And now, he was ready for the incision. With Wiley's shirt still pulled up, Dr. Uncle Bill makes a few motions on Wiley's tummy and finishes the surgery with the obligatory back massage, which apparently concludes all medical procedures in our house (hospital). After this, Wiley jumped up and hopped back into the ambulance. Of course, it was now his turn to be Dr. Bubu Jim and so he took the mask and traded places with Aden and it all played out again.

Once the Christmas decorations came out, we had to have a break from the box and its daily moving of the old hospital to the new. However, the medical treatment continues. Just this week, Daddy was told, "Daddy, I'm the doctor and you need to lie down. You have scarlet fever!" Who would have thought that a cardboard box and a disposable surgical mask could provide so much entertainment?

You Know You're an MK When . . .

While there have been books published with phrases to complete this sentence, Aden and Wiley have given us some fresh ideas to remind us that they have a unique life experience. So, from a 2- or 3-year-old's perspective, . . .

You Know You're an MK When . . .

. . . you start sentences with the phrase, "When we go on furlough" or "When we were in the States"

. . . you are fascinated when you drive down the road and pass cars or trucks.

. . . one of the highlights of your day is watching whatever cars happen to drive near your house.

. . . you only use your car seat when you are going more than 20 minutes away from home.

. . . your pretend play includes building a new hospital, then moving patients from the old hospital (bedroom) to the new one (living room).

. . . you wear a doctor's mask all day, pretending to be "Dr. Bubu Jim" or "Dr. Uncle Bill" and discussing your cases for the day. (Related stories coming in a future blog post)

. . . it rains and your first response is, "Oh, good! Now we can get water in our tank!"

. . . you hear an airplane and know what airline it is.

. . . you hear a helicopter and ask if it will land in the field near your house.

. . . you think that doing your chores means gathering sticks so that you can make a fire to cook dinner.

. . . your toy cars, on their way to remote places (such as Ukarumpa), have to stop and wait for the tribal fighting to move back to the bush before going on.

. . . you believe that you have to talk into your computer when calling relatives who are far away.

. . . you play "church" - in more than one language.

. . . someone turns off the lights and you think the power went out.

Let the Games Begin. . .

Aden and Wiley are just 20 months apart. Wiley has finally reached an age to where he can play with Aden and it works out great most of the time that there is always a playmate right here in the house. Or does it? They definitely have their moments, but I suppose that is just how it is with brothers.
The competitive spirit has awakened in each of them, although perhaps in Wiley more than Aden. Everything has potential to become a competition. It starts with the toys and who gets to which one first, although the best toy is ALWAYS the toy that the other person has. It moves into the kitchen to see who gets to stand on the stool and watch/help Mommy with what she is doing. It even is being seen in a chore. Helping to set the table is a job that nobody seems to ever want to do...until the other boy is asked to help. All of a sudden, both boys want to help (not help together, but be the sole helper of course). It is carried over into the bathtub and who will be the first to get in. The boys each have a hooded towel. Aden's towel has a hippo on it, while Wiley's has a frog. In order to get the boys out of the tub, Daddy only has to ask, "who will be the frog tonight?" and Wiley quickly yells, "ME" and is jumping out to make sure he is ahead of Aden. Later, when it is time to brush teeth, we only have to ask who is going to brush their teeth, and the race is on. Aden has actually learned to pull back at the end and lets Wiley win, knowing that Wiley has a harder time with not being first to the sink. Wiley is also very territorial (and this could have something to do with being a middle child), often 'fighting' for his spot on the couch next to Mommy and Daddy. I suppose these things are probably not too unusual for two brothers so close in age. But another dimension awaits us. Here comes the third boy, and he is only two years behind Wiley. This should be fun!
Recently, Mommy and Daddy were talking to Aden and Wiley about their roles as big brothers to Noah. The boys were quick to talk about what they would teach him as he got bigger. Aden said he would teach him how to ride a bike, draw pictures, play cars, etc. Incidentally, Wiley added that he would be teaching him the same things (and I am sure he intends to do it better and before Aden does). Had to see that one coming. Mommy and Daddy, of course, had to ask about who would be helping to teach him other things. With each question, it was a competition as to who would get that job, as they both yelled, "ME!" Finally, the question was asked, "Who is going to help teach Noah how to share?" With not a second of hesitation, Wiley quickly yells, "ADEN!" And so the competition drew to a close for once.

Here's Hoping that Pictures are Still Worth a Thousand Words...

Well, our intentions were in the right place. However, the reality is we have a three year old, two year old and seven week old in the house. We really wanted to go back and fill in the three week gaps, but are now thinking that we will be doing well to pick up in the here and now. Sorry to all of you who were anxiously awaiting the recap. In a feeble attempt to fulfill our promise, we will try to give a summary here in pictures, although I am sure it won't do that time period any justice.

First of all, we enjoyed a great visit with Grandpa Dan and Grandma Karen
(click image to enlarge)

Noah's baby shower (2 1/2 weeks old) - on arriving in his bilum, he was greeted by the paparazzi.

Noah's first Sunday in church, with Grandpa and Grandma

We took a 5-hour road trip over a very rough road to Ukarumpa, in order to have all the boys sighted for new passports. One of the highlights for Aden and Wiley was seeing the horses on the Wycliffe/SIL mission station

For the first month of his life, Dr. Susan had all of Noah's checkups on our coffee table - the baby scale found a temporary home in our living room until the new hospital opened.

Our quarterbacks at the Harvest Party in the park - Wiley came with his game face on

One of Noah's first smiles (amazingly reminiscent of Aden!)

One Last Hoorah!

Note: This blog is going to jump ahead a few weeks. We fully intend to blog about things from the past few weeks as well, but may have to go back to them after this.

Tonight was a special night because it was the last night before the official move into the new hospital. Tomorrow, patients will be moved over into the new hospital wards, and on Monday the new outpatient will officially make the "new" hospital simply "the" hospital. (You can read more about the move, complete with pictures, on Dr. Andy's blog. )
As you may remember from previous posts, the boys really like riding their bikes and pushing their toys around the smooth, empty sidewalks of the new hospital. Some nights, when we have been outside, we have noticed that the new hospital is quite lit up to where you could easily see where you were going on the sidewalks, despite it being nighttime....



Are you thinking the same thing Aden was thinking? An idea was formed. We would try to have a "night ride" sometime as a special treat for the boys and something different to do with our evening. Well, the days were slipping away from us due to sickness in the family over the past three weeks and it looked like we had missed our opportunity...until tonight! Everyone was well and it was the last possible night to ride. The plan was to go for a short 'errand' walk, eat dinner, and then head down to the hospital with the bike and dump truck. On our walk, Aden had mentioned our plan to Cilla and Lydia. They wanted to join us. During dinner time, we received a call from Allison Dooley. She and her two sisters also wanted to join. We called Uncle Bill and Aunt Marsha to see if they wanted to join in the fun. By the time, we got down there, all of the MKs, parents and most of the families had heard the news. There were bikes, scooters, rollerblades, dump trucks and just about anything that would roll available for riding. We spent one last evening, under the lights, with almost the entire mission family present. It was quite a memory.
Aden was flying around on his bike, weaving in and out of people, much to mommy and daddy's amazement. (Note to selves: find a helmet for the boy!) Wiley pushed a dump truck around and seemed perfectly content to do so. Noah was there, but slept through it all, and was passed around frequently.
We had a lot of fun, and were glad that we were able to leave without being any of the first patients in the new hospital.
We also left realizing that tomorrow a new era will begin in the life of the Nazarene Hospital in PNG. Please pray for the transition over these next few days and weeks. It has been a long time coming. May the Lord be glorified.

TWO!!

On Friday, October 9, Wiley turned two. We had prepped him for the day, coaching him to say "I'll be two!" and reminding him what a special day it would be. When Wiley woke up in the morning, he found the birthday banner hanging in the dining room window, a birthday banner on his chair, and balloons hanging over the table. He played with balloons while he waited for everyone to wake up, and then we started the celebrations with Wiley's choice of breakfast - "flackakes," as Wiley calls pancakes (even some with Aden's and Wiley's initials). He opened one gift at breakfast, some animal figures from Grandpa and Grandma, which would later be used to help decorate the table for dinner. Aden presented Wiley with gifts from his own toys, including some books that belong to the MK School library. Aden and Wiley took a walk with Grandpa to the new hospital, and came back home to play with play-dough.

Then the some of the Dooley girls came by and the festivities continued. Olivia and Emma had each colored pictures for Wiley, and put together their own gifts for him. Aunt Gail made a picnic set, complete with tablecloth, fabric foods, plates, cups, and spoons. It quickly became the entertainment for the day. They also brought the "Traditional Birthday Hat," which Wiley proudly wore throughout the day, and even for the next two days! After a real picnic lunch and a nap, Wiley had more visitors - Aunt Judy brought a special birthday cup, and Auntie Erin brought some dinosaur toys as well as some bath toys for Noah (which Aden and Wiley were quick to claim, realizing Noah wouldn't appreciate bath toys for a few more months).

Finally, it was time for the much-anticipated birthday party. Although by this time, Wiley was beginning to grow weary of all the attention. The Radcliffes and Aunt Marsha joined us for pizza and popcorn, and birthday cake and ice cream. Even before Noah was born and named, Mommy had planned a Noah's Ark theme, since the animals came two-by-two. The boys enjoyed special animal-face-mini-pizzas that Mommy had made. Then the theme got somewhat confusing, as the cake was designed as Noah's Ark, complete with animal crackers in pairs. Aden and Wiley weren't sure if it was going to be Noah's cake, or Wiley's cake. When it became evident that it really was Wiley's cake, and all eyes turned toward him as everyone started singing, Wiley did not want to be the center of attention. Grandma held him as Aden (and Jo and Cilla) helped blow out the candles on his cake. When it was time to open gifts, Wiley finally warmed up to the idea when he sat on Daddy's lap. Aden captured the whole event on his "iPod" (our tripod, which Aden uses as a camera). He eagerly watched each gift being opened, and later tried to claim some of them, stating, "some of my toys, Wiley got for his birthday."

The whole transition into being a big brother has made quite an impact on Wiley. He is still fairly mellow, and having lots of extra attention only added to that. But overall, in spite of all the attention, he enjoyed his special day and is already very good at being "two."

And On The Eighth Day.....

Let's just try to catch you up on the last eight days since Noah was announced.... Aden and Wiley have been making some adjustments as we have all been back at our own house and establishing and re-establishing some routines. Aden is still thrilled about his new baby brother. Wiley is too, most of the time, but still can be very clingy and was a little jealous of Noah on Mommy's lap at first.
Overall though, they are doing quite well and had even made a sign for Noah's bedroom door when we got home (at that point we still didn't have a name).... On Friday, the 25th, Grandma Karen arrived to PNG. Because of the early arrival by Noah, all of us (except Noah) were able to go to the airport to pick her up. The boys were excited to see her and we will enjoy having her here with us for the next month. Aden had a list of the things he wanted to show her and do with her, and they are working on that daily..... Noah's first bath was also a big event of the week, but ended up being rather uneventful. We will let the picture to the right tell that story. Needless to say, he didn't like it too much....Making hand and foot prints is also a part of the "Riggins Boys Initiation" and while footprints are relatively easy to get, it is next to impossible to get a hand print. But we keep trying....This brings us to the eighth day, for which we chose (as is customary) to have the circumcision done. As is also a tradition, Bubu Jim and Uncle Bill handled this ceremonious event. Unlike the delivery, Daddy did not participate in this, nor did he even stay close enough to hear the cries. He knew Noah was in good hands and waited for a sleeping little boy to be brought back to him. Incidentally, the procedure was delayed a bit at first so Uncle (or is it Grandpa?) Bill had a chance to proudly show Noah off around the hospital as people came by and wondered who this cute little boy was that he had in his arms. The procedure went well, and these 'grandpas' should not have to worry about him remembering what they did to him. Aden proved that when Noah came home and he was asking all about the 'gauzed' area on Noah, not realizing this was him just 3 1/2 short years ago... And so the first eight days ended. Stay tuned....

Introducing . . .

Noah Timothy Riggins!!

The newest member of the Band of Brothers!

Noah arrived on the scene on Monday, September 21, 2009, at 8:55 a.m., two weeks before he was expected. Around 11:00 on Sunday night, Mommy woke up Daddy and said, "I think my water just broke." So they called Dr. Bill across the road and he came to check things out. They went to Kudjip Nazarene Hospital and tried to sleep as they anxiously awaited those first labor pains, which were amazingly slow in coming. Finally, after some cytotec to get the labor going, things started happening around 6 a.m., during a walk around the station. They drew a lot of response as Mommy walked in between Daddy and Dr. Bill, both in scrubs. Around 8 a.m., Mommy was 3cm, by 8:30, she was 7cm, and Noah was born just 25 minutes later. Noah's middle name is his daddy's first name, which is quite significant with this birth - Daddy had the wonderful privilege of delivering Noah, coached along by Dr. Bill!

His big brother Aden was absolutely thrilled from the beginning. He has introduced or offered to Noah practically every book and toy that he owns. He sings, dances, and claps, hugs and kisses him, and seems to be all about this new member of the family. He was even excited to hold him, though once he had Noah in his arms, he wasn't as confident and almost immediately said, "Okay, I'm all done now." Aden's utter enthusiasm, though somewhat overwhelming, has been a wonderful reminder of how blessed we are by this new life in our family. What a precious gift from God, and a beautiful reason to rejoice!

Wiley seems to be warming up to Noah more and more throughout each day. At their first introduction, Wiley was not sure what to think of this little bundle that stole everyone's attention, and not sure he wanted to give him any attention. As Daddy coaxed him, he was able to touch Noah's tiny hands and feet. This morning, as Mommy rocked Noah, Wiley would not have anything to do with either of them, but when she finally put Noah into his basket bed, Wiley climbed into her lap. However, by this evening at bedtime, Wiley proudly gave Noah a kiss and a hug goodnight.

There will be lots of adjustments for us over the next several days and weeks, but we are thrilled with Noah's arrival. He is eating well, and so far sleeping well, too, allowing us to catch up on some rest. We're thankful for our missionary family who is helping to take care of us, feeding us, looking out for Aden and Wiley when needed . . . and we're eagerly awaiting Grandma Karen's arrival on Friday afternoon!


(Click on the announcement for a larger image.)

The Gardening Goes On . . .

Mommy's Landscaping List is apparently unending. Every day she seems to find a new gardening task that needs to be done. Most recently, she wanted to remove all the large stones from around the flower beds and use them to rebuild the stone pathway around the side of the house. Aden was ready to go first thing in the morning, saying immediately, "Mommy, I'm ready to get out the wheelbarrow and put all the rocks in it!" A couple of days ago, on PNG's Independence Day, she had told Aden she wanted to remove a tree stump from a flower bed in the front of the house. Before Mommy had the chance to get outside and begin the day's weeding, Aden was out recruiting help. First, he asked one of the security guards, who bent down to help with Aden's broken hand-spade. When the security guard had to move on, Aden called out to Aunt Marsha. She was unable to help, so he called for "Uncle Bill!" Uncle Bill couldn't resist and soon returned to the flower bed with his own tools, which were much more effective. Aden and Wiley helped him dig around the stump until he could cut it down with his chainsaw. When he was done, the boys enthusiastically set to work burying what was left of the dead tree.

Next, Mommy had suggested that she would like to remove some diseased hibiscus bushes. By this time, Uncle Bill and Daddy had repaired the wheelbarrow and Aden had found a new way to help with the yard work. As Daddy set to work on the hibiscus, the security guard stopped by again, ready to lend a hand. He helped clear out the bushes, while Aden worked hard pushing the wheelbarrow back and forth. While he helped pile up all the branches and shrubs, Wiley watched from a chair in the shade, drinking his milk.

Gardening has not been without some practical lessons for the boys. We're glad they are learning the value of hard work, and the enjoyment that can come in seeing what you have accomplished. They are learning how to help, how to weed, and enjoying digging in the dirt. Aden has also built his vocabulary through the experience. After Mommy finished weeding one of the flower beds, Auntie Erin helped to put tea dust around the plants for fertilizer. Aden couldn't resist the new layer of soft, dark dirt. After he took a couple of steps, he turned around and exclaimed, "Mommy, I made pictures of my feet!" Mommy recognized the teaching opportunity and identified the pictures as Aden's "footprints."

Weeds and Hugs

With two little boys in the house, there is a lot to 'blog' about, especially when it has been more than a week since the last blog entry. I am sure things have happened, or been said, that you would love to read about or see pictures of. Hmmm. Too bad that Mommy and Daddy can't remember what they were. Sorry. For the sake of getting something on here for you to read, we are just going to tell you that everyone has been busy getting ready for the new baby. We all worked outside this past Saturday, in the flower beds. Yes, the 'nesting' has moved outdoors now. Not sure if the baby will really appreciate how much work went into it, but really he would have had to seen what they looked like before. Aden and Wiley loved being outside pulling weeds, digging holes in the gardens for the flowers, or just digging up the flowers. Aden says that we were "planting the weeds" and wants to do more of it. Wiley just likes it anytime he can play in the dirt. We hesitated to tell this story because we don't have any pictures to go with it. We aren't done 'planting weeds' though, so watch for the continuation of this story to come.
One other 'blog-worthy' story from this past week comes from Wiley. He is really starting to talk a lot and put words together well to form almost complete sentences. This past week, Wiley was with Daddy down at the Radcliffe's house. As they were leaving, Daddy was helping Aden with his shoes and calling for Wiley to come get his on. He couldn't find Wiley though. After he called his name again, Wiley came wandering out of the pantry where Bubu Jim was. Daddy asked him what he was doing in there and Wiley replied, "I finding a hug for Bubu Jim." Have you found your hug today?
(This obviously isn't a picture from the above story, but is one of Wiley giving one of his patented "squeeze hugs.")

Super Helper

What do you do when there is so much that needs to be done to get dinner on the table and you don't have enough hands or enough time to do it all yourself? You call on Super Helper, of course. Wiley came into the kitchen the other day with his cape on and asking Mommy if he could help her. Besides dinner preparation, he also enjoys setting the table and washing dishes. That's good, because we are going to need all the help we can get in a few weeks. Just four weeks to the Due Date!!

The "Buzz" Around Kudjip

With each haircut, Aden expresses interest in getting a 'buzz' haircut. However, he always backs out of it when the time comes to do it. Yesterday, we noticed that his hair was getting pretty thick and mentioned the 'buzz' word again. He was pretty excited about it and wanted to try it. When it came time to do it, we figured he would back out again, but to our surprise he still wanted it. He didn't flinch when the 'buzzing' sound came on, so we started in. It actually tickled, he said, and was a bit disappointed when Daddy turned the "buzzer" off. In the end, we had a new Aden that all of a sudden seemed older than three. The new haircut marked the first time for Daddy to participate in the ritual (and I am sure not the last). The new haircut has become affectionately known as the "Bubu Jim cut" since he is currently sporting a similar do, and one of the first things we had to do this morning was go down and show him.

Going Solo

Aden's latest thing when he goes to the bathroom is that he wants to go all by himself with no help from mommy or daddy. He is finally tall enough to turn on the light by himself. He can get his shorts and big boy pants off by himself (he still likes to take them completely off). And he can 'do his business' by himself. Shortly after all of this, we will hear the toilet flushing. Washing hands seems to be next before getting dressed. There is a stool at the sink, but it isn't tall enough so that he can reach to turn on the water by himself. However, he has discovered that he can pull himself up onto the counter with his elbows and then turn on the water. I have walked in a few times to see him hanging from the cabinet, naked from the waist down. The other day was different though. I could hear the water running for much longer than it should have been. Since we haven't had much rain lately, and the rainwater is our source of life, I went to check it out before he emptied our tank. As I walked into the bathroom, I found Aden standing on top of the counter in a squat position, and yes still naked from the waist down, leaning over the sink. I asked him what he was doing up there, to which he calmly explained that he had an 'oww-ee' on his big toe that needed to be washed. While I was impressed that he was able to scale the vanity so easily at three years of age, a discussion was still necessary (and hard to do with a straight face) about how standing on top of the bathroom counter with no clothes on is generally not appropriate. (For obvious reasons, there are no pictures included with this post.)

Project Countdown

With just seven weeks to the due date, every weekend counts for getting things ready for the baby. The list of things that need to be done is getting smaller, although Daddy is fairly certain that this list will never be completely done, even after the baby comes. Call it a sneaky suspicion or just his experience with the last two boys, but Aden and Wiley are starting to agree with him.
This past Saturday was no exception. One of the big projects that was on the list was to paint the bathroom. It never got done after we moved in two years ago, and was in desperate need, showing colors from up to three different previous paint jobs around the room as well as the mold issue we apparently have. The process actually started on Wednesday when Mommy and Daddy went to town and bought supplies. On Friday, some hired help gave the walls and ceiling a good scrub with bleach and sugar soap. On Saturday, after realizing he did not get all of the supplies he needed, Daddy had to go down and borrow a couple of things from Bubu Jim's house. Finally though, the painting was starting. Daddy did the first coat, although it seemed like Mommy was the expert as she pointed things out to him that he needed to do, or that he had missed. Daddy was quick to remind Mommy that she should not be inhaling the fumes in her condition, so she took Aden and Wiley down to the new hospital with the bike. By lunchtime, the first coat was finished. After lunch and after naps, Aden and Wiley woke up to find that Daddy had almost finished putting on the second coat. It seemed though, that there were a few spots that he needed some expert help with so he called on Aden to help finish it. To protect his clothes, Mommy used one of her aprons and some creative clothes pinning to cover him all up. Aden was able to help Daddy paint the door as well as a hard to reach corner spot. He tried both the roller and the brush, but seemed to favor the brush.
What a day! We knocked off one of the biggest projects of the list. Not sure that the baby will necessarily appreciate it too much, but I think this project was just as much for preparation of Grandma Karen coming to stay at our house next month as it was for the baby. From here, the projects should only get easier and less messy. We can at least hope so, anyway.

One Man's Trash . . .

Recently, Wiley has taken it upon himself to be the cleanup crew on the station. There are not heaps of trash lying around, but it is pretty easy to look down and see something that needs to be thrown away. Our walks have grown longer as Wiley has taken note of these small pieces of rubbish. Each time he spots one (particularly candy wrappers), he identifies it as "rubbish" and then says, "bin" looking around for a place to deposit his find. Since he is too short to throw anything into the rubbish bins, he either has to be lifted up or hand his trash to Mommy or Daddy who can throw it away for him. This can really slow down a walk, but it has also drawn a lot of attention. We are hoping that as people around us see a toddler cleaning up rubbish that they pass by, or perhaps that they themselves throw on the ground, and as they see his great effort in getting it into the rubbish bin, maybe they will think twice next time, before carelessly tossing things on the ground.

Wiley's quest for a clean environment has also carried over into our home. This is helpful when it's time to clean up the toys. But sometimes we'll see him throwing something away and we don't know what he's found and declared to be "rubbish." When questioned, he only remains quietly focused on getting it into a trash can. So when he's done, we'll ask again, "Wiley, what did you have? What were you throwing away?" And he very practically responds, "Rubbish."

Another First for Wiley

At Daddy's encouragement, and after a few days of difficult deliberation, Mommy finally realized it was time for Wiley's Official First Hair Cut. He had a trim off the top before our trip to Madang in April, but his curls in back had remained untouched (giving him a bit of a mullet, no less). Lately, however, we began to notice that Wiley was looking rather shaggy. It was harder and harder for him to see, as his hair hung over his eyes, and his curls had so much length and weight that they were no longer very curly, hanging loosely down his neck. (Although Wiley had discovered that he liked the feel of the curls brushing his neck when he shook his head from side to side.) So, with some encouragement, when Mommy finished Aden's somewhat routine haircut, she mustered the courage to cut off Wiley's locks. It was not an easy process, and not just because Wiley doesn't sit still for that long. In fact, for most of the haircut, he was wandering around the porch, with Mommy following close behind him, poised with the scissors and waiting for him to pause long enough for another snip. But it was harder for her to see the curls go than to keep up with him.
She managed to hold the tears back mostly, as she watched her baby boy become a little boy very quickly. At one point he turned around and Mommy gasped, "He doesn't look like Wiley anymore!" (She actually said that many times for about the first 24 hours after the haircut.) But once she had started there was no going back, especially when she had saved the back curls for last, and the mullet became more pronounced. It seemed to us that in those few minutes Wiley grew up quite a bit into a little boy, but we'll let the pictures speak for themselves.