Monday, May 16, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
TWO YEATS!
Errr, that would be two years. TWO YEATS is what you hear from Jack when you ask him how old he will be on his next birthday. Well, that birthday has snuck up on us, and I somehow find myself being the momma to a two year old man child.
Oh Jackie Jack, you are a delight. You keep your Poppy and I laughing so hard that sometimes I fear we'll collectively pee our pants. Your Poppy says that having you around is like having a tiny Bill Murray living in our house. You have your father's comedic timing, and your momma's love of all things mischevious.
It is so hard being two, but you are doing your best to be so good. Things can get frustrating for you, but you always take a deep breath when momma asks you too and that usually calms you right down. You wake up in the morning and the second you're done nursing you say "play" and rush off to the livingroom and the waiting arms of your proud Poppy.
You know so many words and speak in such great ESL sentences that sometimes I have a hard time remembering you're only 24 months old. I love that you love learning and choose books over almost anything. Your imagination has me wishing I could live in your creative little head because it must be so fun and happy there.
Every momma is proud of their kid, but somehow you've made me push the acceptable limit and I'm often bursting at the seams with pride. You are such a kind boy and are so polite; "please" and "thank you" are words that we rarely have to remind you to use. You were fully potty trained by 23 months, and you still are so excited each and every time you go "pee pee on the potty".
You love with a kind of love that eharmony.com wishes they could bottle and sell. Even though you don't know how to be super gentle with cousin "Parkah", you're often tackling him to try to hug him, rather than out of spite.
This isn't just a mother's pride speaking - you are seriously one of the brightest little munchkins I've ever met. I was so impressed with you when you told the 8 year old boy on the airplane that his dinosaur was an "Iguanodon" and it uses it "claw to jab foe". And you had to tell him this information because he didn't know. You surprise me every day with what you pick up, and are a constant reminder that I need to watch my language least you tell an errantic Lil Tykes car driver to fuck off some day on the playground.
You have your father's unconditional kindness and I hope you never lose that. You also have his calves, and well, let's just say that leg modeling could potentially be in your future. The two of you have the same little furrowed brows when you're thinking, and I love watching the wheels turn in your head while you try to figure out something new.
Speaking of your Poppy, he loves you so much and it makes him so happy that you guys are besties. You may not understand this now, but many daddies and sons out there in this world don't have the type of relationship you two have. Your father will never allow someone to say he is babysitting you, because a real father doesn't babysit his own child. You are the first thing on his mind when he wakes up, and the last thing he thinks about when his head hits the pillow. When he's had a long day at the fire station, he comes home and will watch you sleep in your crib for up to 20 minutes.
When the two of your hang out alone at home, I know that I will be greeted with a completely trashed house completed with a giant fort and every toy you own on the floor. But your laughter and smile from playing with your Poppy makes it worth it...even when I'm cleaning bubble residue off the TV, or prying a ninja sword out from under the bookshelf.
From me, you've gotten your love of adventure, your desire to collect as much information as you possibly can, and a strong core belief that you can do things on your own. Unfortunately, you've also seem to have developed my bossiness. We'll work on that together.
I adore that you love helping me cook and bake. Even though it takes 4 times as long to make something, and 10 times longer to it clean up, I look forward to turning around from the counter and seeing the chair you've brought over as you declare "Jackie help".
These next few years will be huge for you as you continue to learn, gain independence, and expand your world. Poppy and I can't wait to be there with you to hold your hand when you ask for it, and give you little nudges when you need it.
xoxo,
Mommy
Oh Jackie Jack, you are a delight. You keep your Poppy and I laughing so hard that sometimes I fear we'll collectively pee our pants. Your Poppy says that having you around is like having a tiny Bill Murray living in our house. You have your father's comedic timing, and your momma's love of all things mischevious.
It is so hard being two, but you are doing your best to be so good. Things can get frustrating for you, but you always take a deep breath when momma asks you too and that usually calms you right down. You wake up in the morning and the second you're done nursing you say "play" and rush off to the livingroom and the waiting arms of your proud Poppy.
You know so many words and speak in such great ESL sentences that sometimes I have a hard time remembering you're only 24 months old. I love that you love learning and choose books over almost anything. Your imagination has me wishing I could live in your creative little head because it must be so fun and happy there.
Every momma is proud of their kid, but somehow you've made me push the acceptable limit and I'm often bursting at the seams with pride. You are such a kind boy and are so polite; "please" and "thank you" are words that we rarely have to remind you to use. You were fully potty trained by 23 months, and you still are so excited each and every time you go "pee pee on the potty".
You love with a kind of love that eharmony.com wishes they could bottle and sell. Even though you don't know how to be super gentle with cousin "Parkah", you're often tackling him to try to hug him, rather than out of spite.
This isn't just a mother's pride speaking - you are seriously one of the brightest little munchkins I've ever met. I was so impressed with you when you told the 8 year old boy on the airplane that his dinosaur was an "Iguanodon" and it uses it "claw to jab foe". And you had to tell him this information because he didn't know. You surprise me every day with what you pick up, and are a constant reminder that I need to watch my language least you tell an errantic Lil Tykes car driver to fuck off some day on the playground.
You have your father's unconditional kindness and I hope you never lose that. You also have his calves, and well, let's just say that leg modeling could potentially be in your future. The two of you have the same little furrowed brows when you're thinking, and I love watching the wheels turn in your head while you try to figure out something new.
Speaking of your Poppy, he loves you so much and it makes him so happy that you guys are besties. You may not understand this now, but many daddies and sons out there in this world don't have the type of relationship you two have. Your father will never allow someone to say he is babysitting you, because a real father doesn't babysit his own child. You are the first thing on his mind when he wakes up, and the last thing he thinks about when his head hits the pillow. When he's had a long day at the fire station, he comes home and will watch you sleep in your crib for up to 20 minutes.
When the two of your hang out alone at home, I know that I will be greeted with a completely trashed house completed with a giant fort and every toy you own on the floor. But your laughter and smile from playing with your Poppy makes it worth it...even when I'm cleaning bubble residue off the TV, or prying a ninja sword out from under the bookshelf.
From me, you've gotten your love of adventure, your desire to collect as much information as you possibly can, and a strong core belief that you can do things on your own. Unfortunately, you've also seem to have developed my bossiness. We'll work on that together.
I adore that you love helping me cook and bake. Even though it takes 4 times as long to make something, and 10 times longer to it clean up, I look forward to turning around from the counter and seeing the chair you've brought over as you declare "Jackie help".
These next few years will be huge for you as you continue to learn, gain independence, and expand your world. Poppy and I can't wait to be there with you to hold your hand when you ask for it, and give you little nudges when you need it.
xoxo,
Mommy
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Sarah Bunch Photography
Over 1 billion years ago when my sister was in Jr. High, she met a wonderful girl named Tammy. My sis and Tammy had lots of adventures and a friendship that has been around since the earth cooled. I would link you to Tammy's blog, but eh hem, she hasn't updated it since NOVEMBER. (hint hint Tammy)
Tammy's sister Sarah took up photography a year or so ago while living in Spain. Recently Sarah moved home to Washington and decided to open a photography business. I've admired Sarah's photos for a long time now, and was sooooo excited when Troy, Jack, and myself got to be a family of guinea pigs for Sarah's new venture.
Sarah used to be a kindergarten teacher, so she was great with Jack despite the fact that he was a molar teething hellcat that morning. It was also farking cold, but it didn't seem to phase her as she climbed through bushes and mud to get the perfect shots.
Despite the subzero arctic temps, my rambunctious and pesky toddler, and pausing for me to constantly wipe snot from my nose, we had a fantastic time with Sarah! We are beyond pleased with the photos (click here to view a sample of our session), and are so thankful that these precious memories were captured by such capable hands.
So, if you're in the Puget Sound area, and are looking for family photos, my family highly recommends Sarah for your photography needs! Oh, and she is fluent in Spanish which is muy bien. And yeah, I had to look that up on google translator.
Tammy's sister Sarah took up photography a year or so ago while living in Spain. Recently Sarah moved home to Washington and decided to open a photography business. I've admired Sarah's photos for a long time now, and was sooooo excited when Troy, Jack, and myself got to be a family of guinea pigs for Sarah's new venture.
Sarah used to be a kindergarten teacher, so she was great with Jack despite the fact that he was a molar teething hellcat that morning. It was also farking cold, but it didn't seem to phase her as she climbed through bushes and mud to get the perfect shots.
Despite the subzero arctic temps, my rambunctious and pesky toddler, and pausing for me to constantly wipe snot from my nose, we had a fantastic time with Sarah! We are beyond pleased with the photos (click here to view a sample of our session), and are so thankful that these precious memories were captured by such capable hands.
So, if you're in the Puget Sound area, and are looking for family photos, my family highly recommends Sarah for your photography needs! Oh, and she is fluent in Spanish which is muy bien. And yeah, I had to look that up on google translator.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Cleaning out the camera
We've been using Troy's old Mac as a computer lately, and I didn't know how to upload photos for the longest time. So, here is a giant backlog of photos for your enjoyment. They start around 4th of July and span the year until Monday.
Monday, February 14, 2011
It's happening
My "little baby" is turning in to a big boy. Yesterday his uncle Scotty (one of two) saw him and said "Baby Jack, when did you become a man"?
And they say that kids always reflect parts of their parents. Jack has my pasty white skin and blonde coloring, my love of organizing and cleaning, a manic obsession with lights being turned off when you leave a room and chairs being pushed in, and my dislike of most vegetables. To date, Jack has Troy's furrowed brow scowl, and love of adventure, but nothing has really screamed "Troy".
Until Saturday...
My wonderful father-in-law Barry likes to tell a story about Troy when he was about 4 years old. Troy is known as "mumbles" because since he could first talk he has talked at almost a whisper or his mouth sounds like it's so full of marbles you can't understand what he is say. Verbal from The Usual Suspects was likely modeled after Troy.
One day when Troy was little, Barry took him to get his allergy shots. They were standing on a street corner and all of the sudden Troy yelled "dad that lady is FAT". Barry recounts how in Troy's whole life he never spoke above a whisper, and yet he chooses that to shout.
Flash forward to Saturday. Jack and I are at Fred Meyer when a very large man walks past us. Jack yells "Hi Santa Cwas"! Without stopping to think, I turn the cart out of the aisle and start heading the other way. Jack, thinking Santa was simply playing coy yelled "Hi hi hi Santa. Ho ho ho".
With all the rain we've been having this winter, I had hoped a sinkhole would develop in the baking aisle of Fred Meyer. Alas, it did not.
And they say that kids always reflect parts of their parents. Jack has my pasty white skin and blonde coloring, my love of organizing and cleaning, a manic obsession with lights being turned off when you leave a room and chairs being pushed in, and my dislike of most vegetables. To date, Jack has Troy's furrowed brow scowl, and love of adventure, but nothing has really screamed "Troy".
Until Saturday...
My wonderful father-in-law Barry likes to tell a story about Troy when he was about 4 years old. Troy is known as "mumbles" because since he could first talk he has talked at almost a whisper or his mouth sounds like it's so full of marbles you can't understand what he is say. Verbal from The Usual Suspects was likely modeled after Troy.
One day when Troy was little, Barry took him to get his allergy shots. They were standing on a street corner and all of the sudden Troy yelled "dad that lady is FAT". Barry recounts how in Troy's whole life he never spoke above a whisper, and yet he chooses that to shout.
Flash forward to Saturday. Jack and I are at Fred Meyer when a very large man walks past us. Jack yells "Hi Santa Cwas"! Without stopping to think, I turn the cart out of the aisle and start heading the other way. Jack, thinking Santa was simply playing coy yelled "Hi hi hi Santa. Ho ho ho".
With all the rain we've been having this winter, I had hoped a sinkhole would develop in the baking aisle of Fred Meyer. Alas, it did not.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Stylin & profiling
Please do not adjust your computer settings - his head is truly that big.
Sparkling pink sequined headband - CHECK!
Homemade superman cape - CHECK!
Thomas the Train jammies - CHECK!
Sly smile - CHECK!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Three cooks in the Kitchen
A few weeks ago I scored an awesome play kitchen for Jack on freecycle. If you don't already use freecycle - you need to! It's kind of like craigslist, but everything is 100% free. You can send out emails saying you're looking for something, or have something to get rid of. I've scored nearly new toddler rain boots ($20 at Target), an almost new pair of snowpants that Jack can use in 1-2 years, and now Jack's play kitchen!
J bone has LOVED to help me cook for months. It usually takes about 5 times as long to make the food, and 10 times as long to clean it up, but it's worth every second because it makes him so happy. I wanted to foster his love of cooking and encourage creativity, but there were two issues:
1) we don't have extra money for a play kitchen
2) we don't have extra money for a play kitchen
Er...I guess that is just 1 issue.
Anyhoo, I posted on freecycle that we were looking for a play kitchen. Withing 24 hours, someone responded that they had a wooden one that had been "rode hard and well loved, but it should clean up well". On MLK day, Jack and I drove out to the BFE portion of our county and picked it up. The little girl who had outgrown it came running out of her house with a huge bag of plastic food and said "he can have these too". SCORE! Freecycle isn't about bartering, but I did give them a fresh and still warm from the oven loaf of my bread as a thank you.
It stayed in Troy's truck for a few weeks, but finally this weekend we brought it upstairs after Jack went to bed and cleaned it up. "We" is a relative term because I made Troy do it all. We threw the plastic food in the dishwasher on sanitize. Troy covered the kitchen with a blanket, and we waited for Jack to wake up the next morning.
The kitchen was A HIT! And who cares that it's pink!
We've run in to a new way of teaching Jack about what constitutes "real food". I'm doing my best to make clear to him that an onion, banana, egg, and a corn cob are not the core ingredients of a successful birthday cake. You have to give the boy credit for creativity though! And hey, the dinosaurs LOVED it.
J bone has LOVED to help me cook for months. It usually takes about 5 times as long to make the food, and 10 times as long to clean it up, but it's worth every second because it makes him so happy. I wanted to foster his love of cooking and encourage creativity, but there were two issues:
1) we don't have extra money for a play kitchen
2) we don't have extra money for a play kitchen
Er...I guess that is just 1 issue.
Anyhoo, I posted on freecycle that we were looking for a play kitchen. Withing 24 hours, someone responded that they had a wooden one that had been "rode hard and well loved, but it should clean up well". On MLK day, Jack and I drove out to the BFE portion of our county and picked it up. The little girl who had outgrown it came running out of her house with a huge bag of plastic food and said "he can have these too". SCORE! Freecycle isn't about bartering, but I did give them a fresh and still warm from the oven loaf of my bread as a thank you.
It stayed in Troy's truck for a few weeks, but finally this weekend we brought it upstairs after Jack went to bed and cleaned it up. "We" is a relative term because I made Troy do it all. We threw the plastic food in the dishwasher on sanitize. Troy covered the kitchen with a blanket, and we waited for Jack to wake up the next morning.
The kitchen was A HIT! And who cares that it's pink!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
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