NOODLE SOUP

As I write this update Grayson is in his highchair chowing down on some homemade Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Soup. This is only interesting because I made Chicken Noodle Soup for him last winter and he hated it. He wouldn't touch it! Tonight he is on his 4th helping. Thanks to my friend Cindy for the suggested addition of Cumin to my recipe. I decided to give it a whirl again because Justin is sick and Grayson and I both still have a bit of a cold. Not only that, but it is FREEZING outside today. I think the high today and tomorrow is like 49 or something and it is raining. PERFECT weather for soup.

Things have been really busy around our household. As you all know, Grayson went back to daycare and preschool pretty much full time following our vacation. The original plan was to keep him out one day every week or every other week for a day with Mommy. First because he was so accustomed to being with me every day all summer and secondly because I miss him like crazy. Well as it turns out we have been SUPER busy at work, which is a great thing for the company, but I haven't been able to spend much time with Grayson. I even typically take him to my office after I pick him up from his half-day at preschool so he can nap there and I can get more done. Don't get me wrong, he loves being at the office. All of the people there love him and spoil him like crazy. Today it was time for a break.

Today I kept Grayson out of daycare and we spent the day together. It was wonderful. He went with me to the office for a bit and then we went to play over with his friends Lexie and Jack. He was so excited when he realized that he was not going to daycare. When he saw that we were pulling into my office he gasped and then reached for me in the front seat saying "Oh MaMaaaaa". He had a blast at the office with Brenda and Gen. They just spoil him rotten and give him all sorts of love and attention. Then when we got to Cindy's house he had the opportunity to play with all sorts of toys that are different than what he has at home. Once he got comfortable in the new environment he has a blast and I had fun spending time with Cindy and her kiddos.

Grayson has been becoming more and more social. At daycare I am told that he is the last to go to sleep at nap and the first to wake up. Apparently he likes to try to talk to the kids in the cribs near him and the teacher has to stay by his crib to keep him from keeping the other kids awake. I wonder where he gets the "don't want to miss the party" attitude? She and the preschool teacher both say that he talks all day long. You can't understand most of what he says. I think it is adorable. Just the other day I got to the daycare and he was on the playground. I decided to watch him play from inside just to see what he is like on the playground without mommy around. All of the children were inside a little playhouse. Grayson was outside at the window. The window has two shutters that close over it. Grayson was closing the window and looking through the crack at the kids inside. After a few minutes of peeking in he would fling open the shutters and yell at the kids inside. They would all giggle and then he would close them back. He played this game for like five minutes. It was adorable. It's just another way that he is growing up so fast.

Grayson is finally starting to talk on the phone. Just tonight, after finishing his soup, he was talking on the phone to his uncle Jay. Prior to this last week or so he would just freeze when anyone tried to talk to him on the phone. He would take the phone as if he were interested in talking and then he would just sit there without saying a word. Not any more!!! He just gabs and gabs. You can't understand a word, but he is happy to be sharing his story with the person on the other end.

As far as fostering goes, we had our second class last night. We now have the paperwork to get our fingerprinting done, but even after that there are tons of things left to be done. Thank you all for the prayers and support. Also a special thanks to all of those people who have offered to keep Grayson on Tuesdays for us. It really helps to have people volunteering so we don't have to stress over it. A special, special thanks to Brian and Jodie who kept him for the first two classes. We are blessed to have such an amazing support system in our friends here since both sides of our family live at least an hour away.