Joshua is an amazing kid.
First - and some would say foremost - Josh has an amazing sense of humor. I say this because his sense of humor is just like mine. We often laugh at the same funny things that leave Spencer (who is a bit more literal-minded) baffled. He especially enjoys the funny things that Tess and Cole say. I've also discovered that I can often diffuse tense situations with him if I crack a joke. (It's when he ignores those jokes that I know things are really bad!)
Josh is in second grade and really likes it. I don't know that he loves his 2nd grade teacher as much as he loved is first grade teacher, but he still gets really high on the good behavior chart each day. This is wonderful, considering 1) his older brother couldn't care less about good behavior charts, and 2) Josh made a rather notorious entrance in Kindergarten, making me wonder if he would ever even make it to second grade.
He is really good at spelling and math, but says his favorite subject is science. He likes to pepper me with fun science facts as he does his homework. As he and Spencer often fight at the kitchen table while doing homework (Spencer is not always an easy brother to have) Josh has taken to doing his homework on the floor in the front entryway. It works... for now.
Joshie has a condition that makes his eyes cross. This is one of the main reasons why he wears glasses. If you catch him looking over his glasses you will probably notice the eyes cross. (And if you catch him doing this then tell him "Look THROUGH your glasses!" He hears this from me all the time.) At the last optometrist appointment the doctor said that sometimes kids grow out of this condition, but he suspects Josh won't. When he's a bit older he will probably have to have surgery to fix it. (We could do the surgery now, but that seems a bit intense for a little 8 year old!)
Joshie just turned 8 and will be getting baptized in a few weeks. He is so excited about this and so are we! He is very ready to make covenants with his Heavenly Father and understands what he will be doing. He has also requested that I serve shrimp after the baptism. Sorry, kiddo. No can do.
Joshua is a NOTORIOUSLY picky eater. This is more of a choice and a struggle for power than anything having to do with his palate. What he likes and what he hates changes on a daily basis, depending on his mood and how many of my buttons he wants to press. He often hardly eats anything at dinner because he refuses to try any of it and I refuse to run my kitchen like a diner. Sometimes, if I'm feeling nice, I will let him make some toast for dinner, leading to a newfound toast love affair. He loves toast so much that for Sunday lunch for the past month we've been having lots of different kinds of toast in his honor. (Raisin swirl bread, apple caramel swirl bread, Texas toast, bagels, toast with Nutella, and more.)
Josh really likes playing on computer, but he's not obsessed like his older brother. His favorite game is League of Legends, which I loathe because you can't just pause or leave the game without dire consequences, leading to lots of me yelling "JOSHUA, YOU GET UP HERE AND (eat dinner/do your homework/clean up the mess) RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!" And him answering "BUT I CAAAAANN'T!! IF I LEAVE THE GAME I'LL BE BANNED FROM THE SERVER!!!" Thank goodness computer games are only allowed on the weekends.
But even more than computer, Josh loves his friends. Right now his best friend is Justin, a 10 year old boy who lives right next door. Every chance they get they are out in the back yard playing. They love swinging sticks at each other, making up games, being really loud, picking on Cole, playing dodge ball, and all sorts of other boys stuff. Justin in the reason Josh decided to get a Giant's hat. (Justin plays on the Giants for Little League.) Justin's over here enough that it feels like I have a fourth, very well-behaved son.
Josh has just started taking piano lessons. He is doing great and already has one of his October recital pieces memorized! It was a bit of a rough start, but that's because he gets really frustrated when he can't play the music perfectly the first time. *Hopefully* he's figured out that I'm right when I tell him that no one plays every song perfectly the first time - that's why we practice.
Josh and I are reading the Harry Potter series together right now. I would make him read it to me, but he's been having problems with his prescription lately, and his eyes are extra tired at night. Plus, I like reading out loud and being able to determine at what point to stop. (Josh would prefer I read for 90 minutes; I cap it at 30.)
Joshie is insurmountably stubborn. I have no idea where he got this from. (Sarcasm.) This can be good or bad - good, because when he puts his mind to something he gets it done. Bad because when he gets it into his head that he wants something or that he thinks he needs to behave badly to prove a point - no matter how much I spell out the consequences - he refuses to back down. He would rather take the consequences than listen to me. It's ridiculous. Somehow I've got to turn this superpower into something used consistently for good.
I've never had a child who cares about their appearance like Josh. He is very particular about what he wears; ALWAYS a polo shirt, and, for while the weather is mild, always shorts. (He will lose this battle in the next few weeks.) Every morning just before he goes out to the school bus he runs to the bathroom mirror to make sure his hair is just right. To his dismay he has inherited his father's curly hair. To my dismay he won't wear it curly, which I think is darling.
You are an amazing kid, Josh. Just before you were born I got really nervous that I wouldn't be able to love you as much as I loved Spencer. (I think every mom goes through this before they have another baby.) As corny as it sounds, you truly did teach me that love doesn't have to be divided - it just grows. Well, you taught me that when you were around 4 months old - you were a REALLY hard newborn.
Just kidding. (About the love thing, not you being hard.)
Ha! I know you'll laugh at this because we laugh at the same things. I love you love you love you, Josh bosh!
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