We're Moving!

No, we are not leaving Papua New Guinea, the Kudjip mission station, or even our house. We are proud to announce that we are moving our blog address. You will still be able to visit this site and re-read all your favorite stories about Aden and Wiley. But to see new stories about the Riggins Boys, you'll have to visit the New Blog. A few weeks ago, we ran a poll to get your ideas for a new name for the blog.

And the winner is . . .

Uncle Andy and Aunt Judy Bennett,
with their write-in vote of
"Band of Brothers".

Perhaps they had some "inside information" and knew we were suspecting a third boy. Not surprisingly, when we tried to use "Band of Brothers" in the blog address, we discovered that it was taken, along with any variation on it. So, the address you'll now need to save is a rough Pidgin translation of the phrase: mipelabrata.blogspot.com. You can begin to visit the new site immediately, and if you forget the address, just come back to this post and click the link above to find new stories about our growing Band of Brothers.

"Hollo-cotchter" (Helicopter)

As we've posted before, patients are sometimes transported to Nazarene Hospital, where we live, by helicopter. Usually when we hear a helicopter circling, we grab shoes, hats, and camera and run out the door to see it land. Today, however, we already knew the helicopter was coming, so when we heard it in the distance, we left the house and leisurely walked the 100 yards or so down to the field where they usually land, just outside Daddy's office. There was great excitement around the field as a handful of the hundred or so gathered to gawk knew there would be a special treat today. After the patient (another missionary) was helped out of the chopper and moved to guest housing, the pilots agreed to give a short ride to Uncle Mike and Josiah. Uncle Mike was prepared to take some aerial photos of the new hospital, and Jo just loves airplanes and helicopters. (What 13 year old boy wouldn't jump at the chance to ride in a chopper?)

There was a short delay in the plans when the pilots requested help with charging the battery - apparently the alternator belt was broken and they could not get the helicopter started again. While we were waiting, I asked if Aden wanted to get a little closer and see the helicopter or meet the pilots. "No," he quickly replied. At his request, to get away from the wind and noise, we had already moved several yards away from the scene. Not wanting any regrets later, I asked again if Aden just wanted to stand near it so that I could take his picture. It wasn't moving and wouldn't be moving until a battery was found. Again, he answered, "No." But this time I realized that Wiley had also been answering my questions all along, as I heard a little, "Yeah." Without hesitating, I picked up Wiley and Aden followed as we walked back to the field. Aden got excited about getting close, but still refused to sit in the helicopter. I was able to set Wiley inside next to Jo long enough to get a picture, and then got a picture of Lydia with Aden and Wiley standing close to the helicopter.


When they were ready to take off again, Uncle Bill spotted us from a distance and we remembered there was more to this spectacle than the boys' getting to see a helicopter. Five of us (Uncle Bill, Lydia, Aden, Wiley, and Mommy) quickly made our way to the new hospital. As we stepped into a small open area between a couple of the wards, we held up our hands and waved at the chopper - and at Uncle Mike's camera hanging out the open door - a moment that will be etched in the history of Nazarene Hospital for years to come.

Bunkin' Up

Aden and Wiley have officially moved in together! Wiley essentially spends most of his waking hours in Aden's room since that is where most of the toys are, and so it was only natural that they become roommates. Although, having a baby on the way, in a three bedroom house, also has a way of making this seem like a great idea.
To save on 'play space' we decided to go with bunk beds. We found some old ones in the Mission warehouse (where furniture from the last 54 years of the Mission's existence here in PNG is kept) that we converted to a loft bed and then used Aden's existing bed to form 'L' shaped bunk beds. With Uncle Bill's help, we used his vast knowledge, experience, craftsmanship, strength, and patience as both a father and grandfather, and accomplished this in just one afternoon.
Aden slept on the top bunk right away as though he has been sleeping five feet off the ground all his life. The best part to him, of course, is going up and down the ladder. He fell from the second or third step once, and that has been enough for him to be very sure-footed as he backs down the ladder each time. Wiley didn't move in until the fourth night. We still had a little work to do for it to be completely ready for him to move to a 'big boy' bed. He seems to like the idea of sleeping in the same room with Aden though, and after two nights he has slept through the night and loves to be able to get out of his own bed in the morning. He usually walks out of their room in the morning, saying "Big Boy bed." Right now, Wiley is not able to climb the steps and will search to find anyone who is willing to help him up. When he does learn to climb the ladder on his own, watch out!!
With an 'L' shape, you get a little space under the top bunk and beside the bottom bunk that can become a natural 'clubhouse' of sorts. However, this quickly became the boys' cafe. Orders are taken on a magna-doodle. The space between the first and second step of the ladder is the window where orders can be placed as well as picked up. The menu is pretty wide open, but the specialties seem to be chocolate pizza, chocolate pudding, chocolate milk, and Pepsi. You can order whatever you want though. Chances are, they will have it. If they don't, Aden will be quick to let you know. This space has also been an airport and a hospital (probably reflective of where we live and spend a lot of time.) I am sure this space will become many other things over the next few days, weeks, months and years.

Cairns

After 3 days and 4 nights on the Gold Coast, we used Mommy's frequent flyer points to fly to warmer weather in Cairns. For Aden and Wiley, the best part of Treetops, where we stayed, was "upstairs," a room above the office with toys and books. One of Mommy's favorite finds at Treetops was in a swap box of sorts, where she found a sleeper gown for the baby. We spent part of our time just as we'd planned - relaxing and not doing much of anything, just enjoying the time together away from our normal routine. We also found some new things to explore. On our last day in Cairns, we managed to squeeze in all of the boys' favorite activities - a train ride, visiting animals, a ride on a skyrail, and swimming at the Esplanade (which we had already enjoyed earlier in the week).

We started the morning on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, riding up to a village a few kilometers away. Although we arrived at the train station 45 minutes early, the boys loved every minute of waiting on the platform. While we waited, we had a special treat of watching a steam engine pass through the station en route from Brisbane, in celebration of 150 years of the railway. We finally boarded our train and began the 1 1/2 hour journey up to the village, through tunnels and over bridges. The boys loved all the sights and sounds of the railway, from the train's whistle to the spectacular views of waterfalls and coastline. Although the train made one 15 minute stop at a scenic lookout, Aden was too excited to get off with the rest of the passengers, and he and Mommy stayed on board.

Because of the spectacle of the steam engine, we were late arriving into the village, where our time was already short. We had also discovered on our trip up that Wiley was running a fever (probably lingering symptoms suspiciously akin to swine flu - see "Honesty is the Best Policy"). So our first stop was to the local pharmacist for some medicine for Wiley. After lunch, Daddy took Wiley to the local doctor, just to make sure the ear infection was not raring its ugly head in time for more airplane travel, while Mommy and Aden set off to see some Australian animals. Aden seemed to enjoy the experience, but a playground had caught his eye on our way, so the animals only held his attention for about 15 minutes altogether - the same amount of time that Wiley was in the doctor's office, finding out that Mommy's worries were for naught. We met back at the skyrail station in time to catch our ride back down to the city. While the train was especially exciting for the boys, everyone enjoyed the relaxing ride on the skyrail, skimming the tops of the trees and making the return trip a bit faster.

After a full day already, however, our day had only begun. We finished some shopping, and took the boys to the Esplanade for one last picnic. This time we went at night, and had Pizza Hut dinner by the free public pool. Since it was later and getting dark, we had the entire pool almost to ourselves. Splashing through the fountains, walking through the sand, and swimming under the stars was a great way to cap off our family vacation.

SeaWorld

It rained quite a bit during our time on the Gold Coast in Australia, but the one day that the weather cooperated happened to be on the day that we had decided to go to SeaWorld. It was really a fun day for Aden and Wiley (and Mommy and Daddy) that started off by getting to ride on public transportation. This was always one of the highlights for Aden and Wiley to ride on a big city bus. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the bus takes you to SeaWorld, full of dolphins, seals, sharks, polar bears, penguins and fun rides and shows. We did our best to cram it all in, and here are some of the highlights:

The Dolphin Show - Aden and Wiley loved seeing them soar out of the water an do flips, and also throw the trainers up into the air on some of the jumps. This show really made an impression.

The Shark Tank - There was an underground viewing level making it like a giant aquarium. Lots of sharks, rays, large fish and other sea creatures to look at.

The Water Ski Show - Lots of acrobatics and jumps to enjoy watching while we ate our lunch.

The Sesame Street-themed amusement park - there were rides that the boys (along with Mommy and Daddy) could enjoy. Some were trucks that went around a track that we all rode on. The boys rode in the driver's seat and pretended to drive. There were helicopters that we were all able to ride in. Aden was the pilot and loved every minute of flying us around. It went up in the air about 15 feet or so. There was another that was an airplane that Daddy rode on with Aden. And there was a carousel that was a lot of fun too.

The Viking Ship - this was similar to a 'Log Ride' where you float around through tunnels and caves relaxingly and then go up the conveyor to the top of a hill, only to come sliding down into a pool of water which of course splashes everyone in the boat. Daddy rode this one by himself the first time, but later Aden asked if he could ride it. The two of them stood in line uncertain if Aden was even tall enough. When he was measured, he was just at the line and was able to go. They had a boat all to themselves. They went all around and then came splashing down. Daddy quickly asked Aden if he liked that (not really knowing if Aden would be terrified by such a ride in the first place) and the only response that came from Aden with a stunned look on his face was, "My pants got wet!"

Other fun things were the monorail and skyrail around the park, watching Daddy on the big roller coasters (not sure this was as much of a highlight for the boys as it was for Daddy) and seeing the polar bear and penguins. All in all, it was a fun day that was of course capped off by another ride on the city bus back to our hotel. That night, there was quite a splash in the bathtub when we were able to see the Dolphin Show re-enacted.

Honesty is the Best Policy

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are about to land into Brisbane International Airport. We have a small boy in the back of the plane, however, that has a slight cough. Due to Quarantine regulations, we are going to ask that everyone remain seated with your seatbelt fastened, once we reach the gate, until a Quarantine Officer can come aboard and have a look at the young lad."
As we flew from Papua New Guinea down to Australia, we were required to fill out a Health Check form for the Australian Quarantine Officials. This was due to the "Swine Flu" scare. Australia has always been very strict with their quarantine rituals, and rightfully so. Because the form asked specifically if you have a cough, headache (although I thought this one was rather random), fever, shortness of breath or other flu-like symptoms, we felt that we should be honest. After all, here was Wiley coughing quite regularly and it would be fairly difficult to hide that from any officials. Not as easy to do with a one year old as it might be for people to hide the fact that they did have a headache, but marked NO on the form. (I still find it odd that we were the only people on the whole plane who could say YES to any of those symptoms.) Knowing the stiff penalties of Australia, we just wanted to be honest.
The plane pulled up to the gate, and we sat there. Nobody entered the plane and nobody was allowed to get up. Finally, the silence was broken once again with an announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, again we are just waiting on a Quarantine Officer to come and check out the little boy in the back of the plane. Shouldn't take long. In the meantime, we have begun re-fueling the aircraft and we are not allowed to have passengers with their seatbelt on while doing this. Please remove your seatbelt, but do not get out of your seats until the little boy has been checked. (People are starting to look at us at this point since we are sitting on the last row and have a little boy who happens to cough every now and then.)
Finally, we see him. A man in a "Swine Flue Mask" (as we have seen them advertised for sale in stores here in Cairns) walking down the aisle to the back of the plane. He finds us and first asks us to put one of the masks (child-size with Disney characters) on Wiley. Yeah right. That wasn't happening as Wiley refused and fought every attempt. The Officer proceeded with his routine questions of whether or not we have recently been in the US or Mexico. How long has he had the cough and if he had any other symptoms. We explained that Wiley was coming off of an ear infections (still on the antibiotics) and had no other symptoms. After several more questions, they eventually let the rest of the passengers get off the plane and we followed shortly behind. The Officer escorted us inside and we were led through an area that appeared to have video cameras set up. We were told to walk separately through this area. Apparently, it was taking our body temperature. Daddy was holding Wiley and they appeared to have borderline high temperature, but not enough to worry about. After this, we still had to be seen by additional Quarantine Officers, which included a Nurse. He asked a few questions, but was not concerned by us so let us go on through after taking a few details from us. We were finally cleared, but still got a few looks from fellow passengers as we collected our luggage.
Ironically, after hearing and seeing that the cough was perhaps just part of the ear infection, or at least was no way a symptom of "Swine Flu," the Officer told us that we should have just marked NO on the form. We could have avoided having to be seen by the Nurse. As it turned out though, being seen by the Nurse helped us avoid having to stand in the long lines of people at Immigration. Proving once again that Honesty really is the best policy.

Drooling

About 6 weeks ago, Daddy came home drooling over the possibility of owning a Labrador Retriever puppy. A nearby missionary was leaving the country and had several lab puppies for sale for 2000 kina each (roughly 600 US dollars). Daddy had already done his homework and excitedly told Mommy that this was an excellent price for a lab puppy, that labs are great dogs for kids especially, and even showed her a picture of a lab puppy that he had found online. Mommy, however, was not convinced. She thought of the Baby on the way, and all the work and expense involved in owning a dog (feeding, bathing, making a suitable home - for us this would mean improving our fence, training, finding fleas, and the list went on). We didn't make any decisions or say anything to the boys, but a month later we received word that the price had been cut in half. The missionary really wanted to find good homes for the puppies before he left. This made the offer a bit more tempting, but Mommy still had a lot of good reasons not to buy one.

Then, over the weekend, we found out that a couple of single ladies on our station were going to purchase the last black lab puppy; there were two yellow labs left, and they would be offered for free to two interested families on our station. (Daddy had written that there could still be some interest at Kudjip - referring in part, of course, to us.) Daddy read the e-mail, then pulled up the photo on his computer and showed it to the boys, not mentioning that we could possibly own such a dog. That didn't seem to matter to the boys - Aden and Wiley sat in front of the computer drooling over the picture. Wiley kept pointing and saying "Doggie! Cute!" for about 15 or 20 minutes. To help pull him away from the screen, Mommy printed the picture for him, which he carried around the rest of the morning.

Perhaps that was all it took to push Mommy over the edge; perhaps it was only a matter of time. When Daddy came home and announced that the black lab and one of the yellow labs were being "retrieved" today, he and Mommy did some quick thinking and decided to surprise the boys with the last puppy. Mommy still had reservations, so we worked out a deal with the Radcliffe family - we will share the puppy some, sharing responsibilities and caring for him together. Without further delay, we piled into a truck with the boys and the other soon-to-be-puppy-owners and headed about 15 minutes down the road. The boys didn't know where we were going, but Aden's eyes lit up when we asked if we should take one of the puppies home with us. Now the boys will not be the only ones drooling around our house . . .

He's Back!

After 6 days of fevers on and off, crying or fussing most of the time, barely eating, and 5 nights of sleeping very little, Wiley is finally back to himself. After we discovered that he had an ear infection, we added a regimen of antibiotics and changed his cold medicine, and it made a world of difference! When we woke up yesterday morning, after nearly a full night of sleep, Mommy felt like a new person. Wiley must have as well. Our first clue was when he stood up in his crib and the first word out of his mouth was "Milk!" When we went to the kitchen to get him a drink, he started naming all the foods he could think of "Jell-o!" "Cereal!" "Apple!" He ate breakfast, then promptly decided he was done. He was immediately ready for a walk, donning shoes and hat overtop of his sleeper, and standing at the door, ready for someone to help him outside. However, we have also discovered that one of his new meds seems to wake him up rather than put him to sleep. The last couple of nights he's been so much happier at bedtime that he lays in his bed for an hour or more, talking, singing, laughing, and calling out for anyone willing to be an audience. It is nice to have our little boy back to himself, even if it means he doesn't fall asleep right away!

Aden and Wiley's Big Announcement

Well, if you didn't guess from the title of this post, and haven't already heard the news, Aden and Wiley are expecting a little brother or sister in early October.

Aden in particular seems to be preparing for the many changes this will bring to our lives. He has brought his blankets to Mommy in the living room, wanting to share them with the baby; he's offered to share his room with Wiley so that the Baby can sleep in the crib in Wiley's room (a change we were already planning to make); he continually offers to help Mommy and Daddy, at dinnertime, diaper-change time for Wiley, and anytime Mommy and Daddy seem to be busy. We're hoping he will be just as eager to help after the new baby arrives. Aden has also been eager to share his preference for a baby sister.

The "official" due date is October 5; both Aden and Wiley were about a week early, so we will see. As we wait and prepare, one of the dilemmas we have encountered is what to do with the blog. It will need to include a third child, and if we follow our pattern, we won't be ready to announce the name until the baby is born. So, as you can see in the sidebar, we would like your input into the official Renaming Of The Blog. To write in your own idea, simply leave a comment on this post. Once we make a decision, we will announce what the new blog name will be, and we will also change the URL. Be sure to change the bookmark in your web browser, as we know that the boys' blog is at the top of your bookmarks list.

The Great Nap Time Dilemma

Each afternoon, after lunch, the boys take naps. Some days, this comes easy. Mommy and/or Daddy read a book, turn on some soft music and they are out. Other days are not so easy. Aden has had a few days where he just can't fall asleep. He actually does well to get some books and read in his bed for awhile until he is told that he can get up. There are still times though, when being out of bed seems a lot more fun than being in bed. Here is a recent story from one of those times:

Aden had been in bed for about thirty minutes but was not falling asleep. Finally, a soft voice could be heard from his bedroom.

Aden: Daddy....Daddy....Daddy....
Daddy: Yes, Aden.
Aden: I need to go potty.

They go to the bathroom and after five minutes, nothing has happened. Aden has a slight smile on his face as they get settled back in bed (as if to say that he has found a naptime 'loophole'). Ten minutes later...

Aden: Daddy...Daddy...Daddy... (in a soft whisper again)
Daddy: Yes, Aden.
Aden: I need to go potty.

Fresh off the potty training, we certainly didn't want to deny him of the need and have him not tell us when he needed to go anymore, so we made our way to the bathroom once again. After five minutes and nothing happening...

Aden: Daddy, my body can't be quiet.
Daddy: Why not?
Aden: It can only be loud, and wants to wake up Wiley.
Daddy: Can you tell your body that it would be good for it to get some rest on your bed? Your body doesn't have to sleep, but just needs to rest.
Aden: (pulling up his shirt and looking down at his belly at this point) Body, can you just rest and not go to sleep? (short pause as if he is listening to the response) Daddy, my body said it could try.

Oh, the mind of a three year old. Watch for a Volume II of the "Kids say the 'darndest' things" coming soon once we can compile them together and get them written down.

I Want to Wear. . .

Aden has recently started picking out his own clothes to wear some days. It is often times the motivation needed to make getting dressed a big enough event so that he will do it. He has his favorite play clothes like his basketball shorts, Solomon Islands shirt, Third Day shirt, and Shark shirt (as he refers to them). He also has his favorite 'non-play' clothes though too. Recently, he kept asking Mommy to let him wear them to play in. He tried for several days. Well, finally Mommy gave into his persistence. After all, he generally does not like to be too dirty, (although that doesn't always stop him). So, included here are some pictures of what Aden picked out for himself to wear, (along with some of the "faces of Aden.")

The shirt and shorts that he is wearing, are affectionately referred to by Aden as "Bubu Jim shorts" and Bubu Jim shirt." The reason for that is because Bubu Jim has some shorts like this (not exactly, but plaid) and he used to have a shirt like this (same style and colors).  He was pretty excited about being 'Little Bubu Jim' for a day.
Incidentally, a couple of weeks ago the MK High School students had their Spirit Week. Each day was a different theme in which they would dress accordingly (e.g. Nerd Day, Mafia Day, Mis-match Day, etc.) In honor of this and because of the clothes Aden picked out, we decided to declare a Spirit Week of our own and this day as "Bubu Jim Day!" The rain boots are optional.

Aden, on Marriage and Handedness

Apparently, the two go "hand in hand." I'm not sure if Aden heard the phrase "giving your hand in marriage," or where he developed his concept of marriage, but over the last week, when we go for a walk, he asks Wiley to hold his hand and then explains, "so that we can be married." And as Wiley reaches for Aden's outstretched hand, he repeats, "Marriage." It is a little hard to explain where this may have come from, since handholding is not culturally accepted in PNG by married couples, so Aden does not see his parents, or anyone married really, holding hands.

Today as we walked, he gave a bit of insight on the question of handedness. He took Wiley's hand and pronounced themselves married, and then said, "Now I'm going to hold Wiley's left hand." (Amazingly, he had identified correctly.) He then declared, "I'm left-handed." Incidentally, this has been hard for us to distinguish, as Aden appears to be ambidextrous, often switching between hands for just about everything he does. We haven't wondered too much about Wiley yet, but are guessing he'll be righthanded since he tends to use his right hand for just about everything. But Aden cleared up any doubts we may have, as he stated confidently, "And Wiley is front-handed." . . . Then again, just as we thought Aden had cleared things up, he changed his mind again later this afternoon when he said, "I'm backhanded."

Mother's Day

Mommy decided to make a guest appearance on the blog just for Mother's Day, though you may not realize that Daddy is the one who writes most of the blog posts. Aden was thrilled to wish me a Happy Mother's Day many times as we ate breakfast and got ready for church. After I finished teaching Sunday School, I came home and Wiley greeted me wearing only a diaper. I commented, "Wiley, look at you in just your diaper!" "Diaper. Tummy," he responded, patting his diaper and then his bare tummy. Apparently Wiley took a spill on the way home and had to leave his clothes at the door. Aden proudly told me how he was sharing his cars with Wiley (and also how Daddy had taken the cars away for a while to help him remember to share). Then Aden asked how he could help me and quoted his Bible verse for me, "Honor your father and mother." As I was preparing for dinner, I heard Aden in the next room, announcing the things the boys were doing to help get ready for dinner. "Mommy, we got you a gift! . . . Mommy we made you a card! . . . Let's put the gift here on the table . . ." Aden and Wiley had each made me a homemade card, and I also got tea lights and a beautiful bamboo table runner. It was a wonderful day, and I am so thankful for the blessing of my children.


A few of the things I love as Aden and Wiley's Mommy:

I love to hear Wiley whisper when he is excited
I love to hear Aden learning Pidgin
I love to hear the boys laugh
I love to watch them imitate each other trying to get attention
I love to watch them grow
I love to hear Wiley learning to talk and put words together
I love to hear Aden's speech "growing up"
I love tight squeezes from Wiley
I love to see Aden's love of books and reading
I love to hear Aden pray
I love to see Wiley stretch out his arms to pray before meals
I love to watch them sleep
I love to see their love for each other
I love Wiley's curls (and can't cut them off!)
I love to hear Aden learning Bible verses
I love to see their unique personalities and how they are different

It is my prayer as their Mommy that they can see Jesus' love in me, and want to be like him because they see Him in me.

The Things We Will Do For Fun...

... and the people who help us to do them!
This past Friday night, the MK High School had been planning to have a bonfire and invited all of the families to join them. The plan was to cook hobo dinners over the fire and watch a skit that they had all come up with to cap off their Spirit Week. Sounded like fun. Aden has had a couple of accidents this week, so Mommy and Daddy used this event to get him to be more careful and alert when "nature calls." It worked, and he was excited for the bonfire with everyone. Well, the weather was not so cooperative and it rained Friday night. The bonfire was postponed to Saturday. It is still not the easiest thing to explain to a three year old, but he was finally convinced that Saturday would be OK. The anticipation began to build as the afternoon wore on, but also as the clouds began to roll in. We maintained hope. The bonfire was scheduled to start at 6pm, but at 5pm the call was made to cancel once again and move the party to the High School (with no bonfire). This did not go over to well with Aden who had been looking forward to this, for what must have seemed like an eternity to him. It was still not raining at 5:15 so Daddy went out to inspect the fire site. He coerced a security guard who was nearby and seemed to have plans of a fire for himself (for warmth), to help get a fire going. We called around to tell everyone that we were going to go ahead with our own bonfire if they wanted to come as we were convinced that the rain was going to roll past us. Aden was excited and we were determined to make it happen.
Well, in the end, Bubu Jim was the only one who came up and the rain eventually came. It was going to take a lot more than rain though to keep us from having this highly anticipated bonfire. Aden and Wiley got bundled up in their raincoats. Bubu Jim and Daddy worked tirelessly to keep the fire going (not easy to do when you start out with wet wood) by holding banana leaves over the fire to protect it from the rain. They eventually sheltered themselves as well under an umbrella. Meanwhile, Mommy was inside getting the hot dogs and bread ready for roasting. The rain did not seem to be letting up and everyone was quite wet, so Bubu Jim and Daddy decided that their fire skills had been proven enough and it was OK to let the fire go out... but not before they roasted something edible to make it a true bonfire for Aden. Mommy brought out enough hot dogs for each of us to have one, but after roasting one over what was left of the fire, it was decided that we could all share that one and call it a success. We were all soaked, but Aden and Wiley loved it. A hot dog never tasted so good, and the memory was priceless.

Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread...

At the beginning of each meal (or should I say when the boys believe it should be time to eat), the boys find their places around the table. Aden's first assigned chore, now that he is three, is to help set the table with plates and silverware. He is quite good at it, and it buys mommy a little more time on getting dinner to the table. Sometimes if the meal is not quite ready yet, they may get something to start with to 'keep them happy,' an appetizer if you will. By the time all of the food has been brought to the table and everyone is gathered around, mommy or daddy asks the boys if they are ready to pray. Without the slightest hesitation, and sometimes even before the words are said, Wiley throws his arms out in each direction (sticky fingers and all by this point depending on the appetizer) to hold hands, Aden offers up the blessing, "Thank you Jesus for this food. A(pause)Men!" Wiley then concludes with his emphatic "Amen!"



Aden has often times prayed longer prayers that include helping everyone who is sick and being thankful for everything he is going to do. He also sometimes confuses his asking for help and giving thanks. For instance, this week when daddy was not feeling well one evening, Aden said, "thank you that daddy is not feeling well." I think he meant to say help daddy who is not feeling well. We can only hope anyway. He also had quite an extensive prayer last Friday when he was thankful that mommy and daddy were going to have a date night with Uncle Ben and Aunt Katherine at our house, and Aden and Wiley were going to have a 'date night' at Bubu Jim and Kah-tee's house. (And that sentence was his prayer moreless.) What an incredible thing it is to hear your kids pray, but also to hear them pray about what is on their hearts and minds without any hesitation or care. Priceless!

Boys Will Be Boys

The boys have found a new place to play. It is within the limits of the yard, out of the sun and rain, on the ground and within earshot of mommy and daddy. Here is how it happened.
Recently, daddy went outside on the back porch to check on the boys who had been playing with their toy cars, dump trucks, backhoes and loaders on the nice covered patio. When daddy came outside, the boys were nowhere in sight.
"Boys, where are you?"
Aden's response came, "we are under here."
"Under where," daddy asked.
And then he saw some movement between the deck boards and realized they were under the porch. Of course! There is dirt under there and how can you play with dump trucks on cement?
"Wiley, are you under there too?"
No response.
"Wiley, if you are under there, say 'Hi, Daddy!'"
"Hi, Daddy" came in a soft voice.
We let them play for awhile, as they were just under the steps and not back under the part of the porch where there are lots of spider webs (although I am sure a day is coming when that part will be explored as well).
Finally, it was getting close to dinnertime so daddy went out to call the boys out from under the porch to get cleaned up. "Jill!" came the call as he watched the boys crawl out. Wiley was covered from head to toe, literally, after he apparently had been dumping the dirt over the top of his head several times. Aden was deserving of a bath, but not nearly as dirty. He seems to stay clean through all of this and it makes you wonder who is dumping the dirt, although he has always been pretty particular about being dirty. Needless to say, we had bath time before dinner. It took one tub of bath water to rinse them off and get the dirt and grime out of Wiley's hair. It took a second tub of bath water to get them clean.
I wish we could say that this 'not so delightful' head and body scrubbing was enough to discourage them from wanting to do it again anytime soon, but just today we had to have (two) baths before lunch. Boys will be boys....

Easter

To help the boys celebrate Easter this year, we colored eggs on Saturday. Last year Mommy ended up coloring the half dozen eggs she had boiled, since Aden was more interested in playing. This year, however, Aden and Wiley both enjoyed the activity and thought that a dozen boiled eggs wasn't quite enough. On Sunday morning we got up early for a sunrise service on the McCoys' deck. Wiley got up early with Mommy and Daddy, and Aden was carried to the service in his pajamas, straight out of bed. After a late, interesting lunch (sorry, Uncle Bill and Aunt Marsha!), we were invited to go to the Radcliffes' house to hunt for Easter eggs. Just as Wiley would find an egg, Aden was there to pick it up and put it in his own basket. Wiley did find a few on his own and would not-so-gently toss the "ball" into his Easter basket. Needless to say, Wiley's eggs were quickly consumed shortly after the hunt. We enjoyed a (much better) Easter dinner with the Radcliffes that evening.

We have realized that Aden does not yet understand the significance of the Easter story. While he knows the story, he often stops at the crucifixion and is quite sad. We continue to prompt him about what happened on the third day, hoping that he will soon realize the joy of the Resurrection. He did enjoy the Seder meal we shared with the Radcliffes later in the week.

Madang!

Last Thursday, we left for a few days' of much-needed vacation in the PNG coastal town of Madang. Aden, Wiley, and Mommy flew with the other ladies and children on our trip (Radcliffes and some volunteers), and the trip was only 30 minutes; Daddy drove with the men and split a rough 10-hour drive into two days. As we boarded the airplane, Aden started talking, and he didn't stop until we got off the airplane in Madang. His initial question (of many) for Mommy was, "When are we going back to PNG?" And so the trip began.

We enjoyed pizza we didn't make ourselves, watched the sunrise, visited the ocean and swam in swimming pools (Mommy and Daddy went snorkeling, but the boys were still a bit overwhelmed by the ocean), waited in the car while Mommy shopped at the market and bought lots of pottery, enjoyed many meals in restaurants and a few at the guesthouse where we stayed, and went to a new church. Although Wiley did not seem too excited about swimming, Aden quickly overcame any past fears of the water and was soon jumping into the kiddie pools. He even learned how to say the name of the hotel with his favorite pool, "Jais Aben."

The boys enjoyed the time away, though a lack of routine was quite taxing by the end of five days, and we were all happy to be back home again by Tuesday evening. We recently discovered a new way to get multiple pictures onto a blog fairly easily (thanks, Meghan, for letting us steal your idea) . . . So, since a picture is worth a thousand words, Madang in pictures looks like this:


If you click on the image, you can take a closer look at the individual photos in the collage.

Morning Entertainment

Eating scones and watching the lawnmowers

Success is Counted Sweetest . . .

. . . By those who ne'er succeed. We seemed to be able to relate to these words of Emily Dickinson as we worked to potty train Aden. After nearly a year (off and on) of trying everything in the proverbial book of potty training methods, nothing seemed to bring success more than once or twice. We even tried new things - dancing for success with his favorite CD playing in the bathroom, the "Potty Train" (making train sound effects while sitting on the potty), and moving into big boy pants. Our last attempt, moving into big boy pants, was a once and for all effort. We read about the technique online and decided to give it a try. After all, it had reportedly been used for a hundred years with guaranteed success. The method is simple: throw away all diapers and move into big boy pants. The child becomes so uncomfortable sitting in a mess that they are motivated to use the potty. The parents have to deal with a few messes until the child gets the hang of it, but this really shouldn't last long. As with all potty training methods, parents are strongly urged to stay positive no matter what. Tell the child with each accident, "That's okay. I'm sure you'll remember next time."

Mommy was pretty excited about the new effort, although we had to make a few changes and adaptations along the way. First, we were too cheap to throw away the diapers. We kept the cloth ones in a closet in case Wiley grows into them (we're hoping he is trained before he needs the bigger size), and he is already wearing Aden's few leftover disposable diapers (even though they are a size too big). We also began to realize that the experts have not met Aden. He has an amazing tolerance for discomfort, and can sit in wet or dirty pants for hours if you let him. When we told him "It's okay. I'm sure you'll remember to use your potty next time," he heard, "It's okay if you don't use your potty. Mommy will just keep cleaning up the messes with no complaints." While we had much support from our station family (even gifts of a new potty book and a potty DVD from Olivia), it was not enough.

After 72 hours, when we had seen no progress at all - every time he sat on the potty involved much effort - we began to enforce some discipline. Aden would have to start cleaning up his own messes, and he would have to start using his potty if he wanted certain privileges, like visiting friends. Cleanup didn't seem too bad the first time when he was wet. He wiped it up quickly and proudly - two times - that first morning. Then Uncle Bill walked by outside and Aden asked if he could play. Mommy said it was okay, if Aden would stay outside. Then she added, "Why don't you come sit on your potty first?" To her surprise, Aden immediately complied and had success. He called Daddy at the office, and then called Uncle Bill and was able to go play - inside. He was so thrilled with his own success and the reward that he agreed to sit on the potty again after lunch. Again, he had success, and this time we even called Grandma Karen and Grandpa Dan. The rest of that day he kept his big boy pants dry. There were some pretty big rewards in sight - playing with Cilla in the afternoon, and the promise of Aunt Kathy's birthday party the next night. Aden only had one accident the next day and was able to go to the birthday party at Uncle Bill and Aunt Marsha's. We even took the potty chair with us in case he needed to use it while we were there. After he'd finished eating, he came back to the table and told Mommy he needed to use the potty . . . and he requested that Aunt Marsha go with him! When he had success, everyone cheered for him and he said, "Let's do it again!" Mommy was excited, but also hoped the new trend would not die with the party.

We are proud to announce that Aden has only had two accidents since he started his "dry run." And he is now letting us know when he needs to sit on the potty - even when there are no major rewards in sight. Ahh, sweet success!

Kids Say the 'Darndest' things....

Here are a few of the favorites from the past couple of weeks.

Being a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine has taught him new words like "Comdumptor" for the Conductor. It took Mommy and Daddy awhile to figure that one out.

In this age of gadgets, you shouldn't go anywhere without your "ipod." In Aden's case, his ipod is a three-legged stand that holds your camera when you want to take a picture of someone. "Say Cheese" he (and now Wiley too) will say when the "ipod" is set up and ready. Photo shoots are often done in Aden's room (in a designated chair) before Daddy goes to work.

There is the classic, "When I was a little boy, I used to _______."

He recently noticed a chimney on top of one of the houses. He asked, "What will they say if a dog comes near their house?" We didn't know, but he promptly told us, "not by the hair on my chimney, chimney, chimney!"

One day, Aden told Mommy that they need to have a "meeting." When Mommy asked him what the meeting was about, he responded "a meeting about making some cookies." His meetings usually have an agenda of what we will eat or what we will make to eat.

Daddy was recently playing with Wiley on the couch and making him laugh by kissing him on his tummy. Not to be left out, Aden ran to the couch and said, "Daddy, come make me funny too."

I am sure there are more, and we will try to write them down and do another blog entry. So watch for more 'darndest' things in the future. It won't be long before Wiley is contributing as well (although right now he just tries to say everything that Aden says). We leave you now with one of our favorite Aden sayings,

"See you wayter, after a cwocodile."

Whatever It Takes

We have been working with Aden to sit on the potty for quite some time. Each time we have faced a severe lack of motivation on his part. But, now that we are settled in again after returning from our home assignment, we've decided to tackle potty training again. And we'll do whatever it takes to get him to sit for a while.

Such as . . .

. . . motivation from his younger brother. Although Wiley is only 17 months old, he has quite an interest in the potty chair just his size in the bathroom. He seems to enjoy sitting on the potty, and for a few weeks all we had to do was mention the potty and he would take off for the bathroom. There are certain books he likes to read on the potty, and he has even had some success sitting on the potty at just the right time. Aden is usually there, not necessarily ready to use the potty himself, but certainly ready to clap and cheer on his younger brother. Once we started rewarding Wiley with an m&m each time he had success, Aden decided to sit on the potty, too.

. . . the foot bath. One morning while Wiley was sitting on the potty we thought it would help him if we put his feet in water. (We had realized that he often feels a need to "go" when his feet touch his bath water.) So we turned the bathroom step stool upside-down and put some warm water in it. Almost immediately, Wiley had success! And Aden had finally found new motivation to sit on the potty chair himself! We put fresh water in the stool and called it a foot bath. The foot bath was so inviting that Mommy also put her feet in and gave herself a brief pedicure.

. . . motivation from friends. Aden's good friend Olivia came to our house with her family to join us for dinner last week. While the adults visited around the table after dinner, Aden came running down the hall from where the children were playing. He excitedly announced with wide eyes, "Mommy! Olivia went pee-pee in the big potty!" Although she didn't necessarily want to encourage co-ed potty time, Mommy responded with enthusiasm, "Wow!! Maybe you can learn to do that, too!"

. . . the timer. When Aden is in the middle of play, it can be difficult to convince him that he needs to stop and sit on the potty. So Mommy introduced the timer. He only has to sit on the potty until the timer goes off, but at least it gets him in a bit of a routine.

. . . a party. After Aden's birthday, he wanted to know when he could have cake again, and when we could hang the birthday banners again. We told him we would on Daddy's birthday (which was yesterday), but then added that when he learned to keep his diaper dry, and could sit on the potty, and then could wear big boy pants, we would have a party for him and he could invite whoever he wanted to come celebrate with him.

We're not sure which of these has been the greatest motivator, but we have seen some progress. Aden sometimes talks about the party he will have, sometimes is willing to admit that he wants to keep his diaper dry, sometimes has success on the potty, and sometimes even sits for a LONG time until he has success. This evening we were ready to head out the door, when Aden told us he wanted to sit on the potty. We gave him just a few minutes - when Wiley was dressed and ready we would have to leave. But while we were getting Wiley ready, Aden proudly announced that he had used his potty! We aren't holding our breath yet, but perhaps he is becoming a "big boy", and perhaps soon we'll be blogging about a Potty Party.

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor...

...and what about your cup of water that you leave on the nightstand overnight?
Aden is in the habit of needing a drink of water (once he has been in bed for 15 minutes already) each night at bedtime. Mommy and Daddy have been in the habit of then putting the cup of water on the bookshelf next to his bed.
Recently, Aden found his cup of water that was left from the night before and asked, "What is in my cup, Mommy? Someone is in my cup!"
And here is what we found....



Maybe it is time to roach bomb the house again.
Aden now makes sure that we put all cups in the kitchen, so that "someone doesn't get in my water again."

Another Party

This week, we had another birthday party. This time, it was for Aunt Marsha, who according to Aden turned 4 years old (since he knows that she is older than him at 3). She and Uncle Bill came over to our house for a birthday dinner on Monday. It then turned into a birthday party for her and Aden. Since Uncle Bill, Aunt Marsha, Bubu Jim and Kah-tee, Ceel-ya, Jo, Ee-dya and Auntie Erin were all gone for a medical conference last week on Aden's birthday, we had them all over for cake and ice cream.
Aunt Marsha helped Aden blow out more candles, he received more gifts and we had a good time playing with them. You can't have too many birthday parties when you're 'fwee.'

Aden Turns 'Fwee'!

On February 18, Aden turned three years old. And if you ask him how old he is, he will tell you just that, "On February 18 I will be fwee." Never mind that it is now several days after. He was so excited that he couldn't quit smiling, and what a day it was. Mommy stayed up the night before getting things ready, so that when he woke up (because sometimes that is before mommy does), there were already balloons hanging and a Happy Birthday sign. There was a Birthday banner that decorated Aden's chair at the table and a "This is Your Day" plate at his place. He got to pick what he wanted for breakfast, so of course we had pancakes and chocolate milk. There was one gift at breakfast. It was a miniature (but just his size) basketball. This turned out to be a controversial gift because Wiley loves balls so much. Because of this, it didn't always sound like a HAPPY birthday. The morning included going to the basketball court with Aunt Judy and inviting Olivia to come and play too. The basketball was part of that, but blowing bubbles proved to be the most fun. For lunch, another present was given. This time it was from Wiley and was two new books. This was perfect, and strategically given at lunchtime by mommy and daddy so that reading new books and taking a nap after lunch sounded appealing. The day was capped off by having Uncle Scott, Aunt Gail, Allison, Emma and Olivia over for dinner. Again, Aden got to choose what we had and so naturally it was "Torteeya" (Tortillas and the works). Mommy made an impressive chocolate/ice cream birthday cake that was delicious and we opened more gifts. We had lots of fun playing, eating and celebrating another year with Aden. What a special blessing he is to his mommy and daddy. Happy Birthday! We love you Aden!! -- Mommy and Daddy

A New Generation

Since our household has been sick for about the last week, we haven't taken the time to post on the blog in a while. But we are beginning to wonder if maybe the boys can take that on themselves. Aden has a toy computer he often opens to check if those he knows are "on call." (He probably has that confused with "online," since the doctors who live around us talk about being on call.) And at breakfast one morning this week, Aden proudly announced, "Mommy, I'm on Facebook!" Apparently, Wiley is his "Facebook" friend.

Bocce Ball, Anyone?

This blog post is dedicated to Uncle Kevin, who gave Daddy and Mommy a set of bocce balls when they were married. This morning Mommy played bocce ball (like lawn bowling) with Aden and Wiley. She had to re-learn the rules of the game, however. To start, all the balls must be rolled to the shade (Mommy's rule). Then someone throws the first ball. It could be the little white ball, or it could be any ball. Each person picks a color. They each roll their first ball; then if any of the balls has gotten dirty, the game stops so that the dirty ball can be wiped off (Aden's rule). All players roll their second ball. It does not have to be the same color they rolled the first time. As long as they hit another ball, it is a good toss. It doesn't matter where the ball lands. At this point, players sit down, and may find that sitting on one of the bocce balls is a comfortable place to stop and rest (Wiley's rule). Some dirt is thrown, Mommy unsuccessfully tries to get the game going again, and the game is over. Everyone wins!

A Boy and His Dirt

It goes without saying that Wiley is less 'blogged' about than Aden. It isn't on purpose, but just that Aden seems to have a lot more to say (literally) these days. Wiley can hold his own though and his vocabulary continues to grow as do his antics. He very much likes to do whatever big brother is doing, but does find his own adventures as well. On our porch sits a rectangular flower pot. It is full of dirt, but nothing is planted in it (for now). The boys seems to be obsessed with the dirt that is in it. What boy wouldn't, right? Aden likes to take off his boots and fill them with dirt. However, Wiley likes to take it to a whole new level. . .

Needless to say, we had bath time before dinner on this particular night.

100th Post!!!

For anyone who is counting, this is our 100th post. There were no balloons and whistles, but we were impressed that we have managed to keep it up for this long. Of course, with these two boys there is almost something that we could 'blog' about everyday. So, let's get on to what you are really here to read about...

As you may recall, Aden has been playing a lot of 'going to the airport' since we returned from the US a few weeks ago. This has slowed down a bit, although now he just talks about it and doesn't necessarily pack his carry on each time. He did pull Daddy aside today and say that he needed to talk to him about his trip. In all seriousness and even with some sighs and umms thrown in, he told him that his flight would be through Hog Kog (Hong Kong) and Sydiney (Sydney), while Aden's flight would be through London and Tokyo. We would also be going through Honowuwu (Honolulu). He even informed us that we would not have paper tickets, but e-tickets. WOW!
This week, instead of playing 'going to the airport', we played 'on the airplane'. The dining room chairs easily made nice airplane seats, as well as a pilot seat (booster chair complete with seat belt). We also had to have a seat for the co-pilot. (How does he know about this kind of stuff?) Mommy and Daddy were of course the passengers on the plane and had to take our seats. Wiley, unfortunately, missed out on this fun as he was taking a nap. You can see in the picture what our airplane looked like with all of us in it. And yes, that is Curious George as the co-pilot. Once we were all in our seats and ready, we heard Aden make the announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now ready to take off!"

Sunday Afternoon at Kudjip

After our naps and snacks, we needed something to do. So, Daddy and the boys went outside to play football. Now this activity has a different meaning to each of the three people who were playing it. For Wiley, it just means that we throw the ball, watch it sitting out there in the yard and wait for Daddy to go get it. In the meantime, he slips away to find some rocks to play with and throw around. For Aden, it is throwing and kicking the ball some, but mostly it is 'play' tackling each other (whoever has the ball). For Daddy, it is just whatever these boys want it to be, but we usually have to at least see how the catching skills are coming along.
We played at this for awhile, and the game eventually evolved into other things like trying to keep Wiley in the yard, and a little game of hide and seek. Aden would count while Wiley and Daddy were hiding. Aden was usually peeking so easily found us. You add to that the fact that he can't quite count all the way to ten in order and you can only hide so far away. After this, Wiley decided that he wanted to be the one to find us so he went over to the tree and covered his eyes as if he were counting. Because we were counting by the tree, we eventually had to try and climb it. We have a great climbing tree in our yard that has many low branches. It wasn't as easy as it looked though. In the end, climbing the tree consisted of each boy taking turns while Daddy held them up to a branch that they could hold onto.



Pretty soon, the McCoys came outside and of course Aden thought this meant it was time for him to go with Uncle Bill into his house to play cars and blocks. Grandpa McCoy arrived today for a visit though and was taking a nap, so we had a good reason not to go running into the house. Eventually, the Dooley family came up for a visit. They have three girls and their youngest one, Olivia, is just nine months older than Aden. They love to play together and ran all over the yards while everyone else sat on the porch and talked with Grandpa McCoy (fresh up from his nap by now). By the end of the evening, Olivia (who knows how to climb the tree) had taught Aden to climb up onto the first branch. I overheard part of the lesson while taking pictures. Olivia was already up in the tree and Aden was trying to get his leg up. Olivia told him to grab her leg. "Come on Aden, you can do it," she coached. And indeed he did. He was quite proud of himself. That's what friends are for.
By the time we had some of Aunt Marsha's chocolate chip cookies, and ran around the yards a few more times, it was getting late and Olivia had to go home. We started to play another round of football, but Mommy said dinner was ready so we went inside. More indoor activities followed, like preparing for our guests that would be arriving at anytime, according to Aden. He had grabbed his quilt and a pillow from his bed and spread them out on the kitchen floor. We asked him who was coming, and without hesitation he said, "Grandpa Jerry is coming to stay with us." It would be a long trip here from Heaven so it was a good thing we had prepared a nice bed for him (Aden has a picture of Mommy's daddy in his room and is learning about who and where he is). We played along with this for awhile and by bedtime we were all pretty worn out. The imagination is really taking off (as you will hear about in our next blog entry).