Joshua learned a new word the other day & he’s starting to use it frequently:  “no.”  While we’re happy that he’s able to express what he wants (or doesn’t want, in this case), I know this is the just the start of him saying no to things.  It’s actually quite cute at this point because he’ll say “no, no” & shake his hand back & forth.  Joshua has gotten pretty good at signing & now he’s added “milk,” “please,” & “bubbles” (or his rendition of them).

We all went to the zoo a couple of days ago—Erick’s first time.  It was bitterly cold but we ended up spending a lot of time in the buildings to make up for it.  Joshua still loved the small mammal house, pointing & running after the little animals while they ran back & forth.  He also had fun at the ape house, watching the gorillas with Daddy (after all, they’re monkeys, too!).  Sometime soon, we plan to go to Brookside Gardens (a park nearby) to see the Christmas lights.  They have a huge display that people come from all around to visit, & it’s just down the street from our house, so we should definitely check it out.

This afternoon, we went to a holiday party at my mom’s cousin Deb’s house.  It was nice to see them again & Joshua had a good time exploring.  He especially loved playing with the refrigerator magnets & watching another little one his age.  We’re looking forward to Christmas in a couple of days.  Joshua has been a good little boy this year so Santa’s sure to visit our house!