Busy busy boy!

I forgot to mention that Andrew measures 35 and 5/16th inches now. He's good at standing in the doorway and letting us measure his height. I'm not sure what he weighs. 

Sunday the 25th, we surprised Aunt Eese by showing up at her meeting in the morning. I was having a rough day physically and emotionally and was pretty much tapped. Andrew definitely tested my patience with him. He wouldn't stop talking, asked to go potty and wouldn't go pee once we got in there. I took him outside and calmly reasoned with him and headed back to the seat. We did it all over again too. While I'm squatting in a tiny stall keeping him from falling in the toilet - he's touching the grout on the wall and anything else he can reach, messing with the toilet paper rolls, beating me on the head, trying to take my glasses - and finally started head butting me. I nearly lost it at that point.  One of the times back to the seat too he started applying the brakes and pulling on my arm and trying to sit and drag himself on the floor. I spanked him right then and there - apparently hard enough to make him cry which he's never done before when I had spanked him in the past. I just couldn't take it anymore. I took him back to the seat and then I went outside and did some praying and crying and breathing. I didn't come back until the meeting was over. Evidently, Andrew didn't like my leaving and when I returned he had soaked Ted's shoulder with tears and was very solemn and clingy to me.

After the meeting we went to a Thai restaurant with Annelise and Eileen. We couldn't find anything on the menu Andrew would particularly be interested in so I was going to share my curry with him. I've never been to a Thai restaurant where the curry has been hot so I thought a 3 out of 5 heat index would have been okay. It was way too hot to give to Andrew. So he ended up eating white rice and some miso soup. Then when Eileen was done with her Pad Thai - she offered Andrew some of her leftover noodles. He ate them happily and started saying, "Thank you Eileev. Thank you Eileev." It was SO cute. Annelise got it on camera.

Wednesday the 28th, we were at Storybook Village again. Today though - Andrew seemed so grown up. He tackled the rock climbing wall three times and successfully made it to the top every time without any help at all. He's never done that!  AND he has never been willing to go down the big twisted slide by himself either, and after I put him down it once - he went over and over again all on his own.

 Wednesday night we had two answers prepared for him. One during the bookstudy and one during the Bible Highlights. We rehearsed several times before going, and even printed out his answers on paper so he could read them. At home, he read them nearly perfectly. At the hall - he got bashful when the microphone came to him and seemed embarrassed. The second time - I dont even know what he said, but it wasn't the answer we prepared!

One night while we were eating dinner, Andrew got his fork full, made a stiff face, and then tensed up his whole body and started shaking hard (like being beyond cold) and kept shaking until he'd put the fork full of food in his mouth. It freaked me out at first - I thought he was having a seizure and still managing to feed himself but then I realized he was doing it on purpose. We all busted out laughing. Where does he come up with these silly things to do?

He also has learned what "zap" means. The static electricity zap. He thinks its hilarious!

Wednesday October 5th we went out to the farm and dug up more privet to plant along the perimeter of our yard. Thursday night we planted 40 of them. Andrew was so cute out there helping daddy dig holes, and shovel dirt to fill the holes after we put the plants in. He got his first wheelbarrow ride too - but he didn't really like it.

Here are some more pictures I found on my camera:

the only time he's ever been so tired to fall asleep eating!

helping mommy make gluten free cookies - he's stirring the eggs and sugar

his favorite time of day on Tuesdays!

saying goodbye to the first carseat he had.

riding a train!!