Jack

Tough Boy

2012-02-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

We found this just after the start of the new year. No idea how it happened. Jack offered no assistance. You would think this would have hurt when it happened...apparently, it didn't bother Jack that much.

Creative or Crazy?

2012-02-01T08:18:00.001-07:00

Jack took the helmet from his storm trooper Halloween costume and taped the comfortable rubber inserts from his dad's shoes into them.

Why? He has his reasons.

New Year's Eve

2012-01-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

This past New Year's Eve, something strange happened. Our family stayed up until midnight to ring in the new year. This hasn't happened since Jack was born, and actually longer, since I was pregnant for New Year's Eve in 2006, I was too tired to stay up that late...so this is the first time since 2005!

We celebrated 4 houses down the street with a neighborhood party. I was so proud of Jack. We walked in and there was a couple there we had not met. Jack went up and introduced himself, "I'm Jack." Awesome!

Uh, despite how much food you see, there weren't that many of us there.

We had a lot of fun.

Check out my cute husband.

The idea was for a few of the older kids to babysit the younger ones downstairs. One was 13 and the other two were 12. Either they weren't quite ready to be babysitters, or they were more interested in hanging out with each other, but either way it didn't go quite as smooth as planned. Anyway, in the course of the playing, the older kids were running around in the basement, locking each other out of various bedrooms while the little ones were watching a movie on the couch. At one point, Jack ran over to see what was going on and got his finger slammed in the door. Bad. It was smashed so flat I was certain it was broken. (I think the appearance of his finger completely dented in and flat freaked out Jack a little too.) Thank goodness our hostess is a nurse. This picture was taken a couple of days later...still looks painful, but much better than it looked previously.

I walked home with Jack to get his blanket and tried to get him to go to sleep, but he said his finger hurt too bad to sleep. So, Jack and the 3 older kids stayed up till midnight. (He is such a happy kid, even when he is hurt.)

They even had sparklers.

I think I got more use out of his blanket than he did.

At 1am we gave up on Jack going to sleep and I carried him home (in my heels...good thing we were close by.) Stuart stayed a little longer and we all went to bed at 1:30am! I love our neighborhood.

A new injury for Jack isn't the best way to start out the new year...my poor baby.

Jack's Girl

2012-01-23T07:45:00.001-07:00

So, December 29th, Jack's favorite girl got married. Yes, Jack's babysitter, Chloe got married. We couldn't be happier for the girl, and we were honored to be at the ceremony.

The setting was beautiful.

Jack was an angel during the ceremony. (Mommy cried a little.)

The bride was stunning.

My camera did not do her dress justice. It was so beautiful.

The bride and groom were adorable together.

Instead of wedding cake, they had cake pops and ice cream made on-demand.

So yummy!

Jack was hanging out with 2 other boys that Chloe babysits. Can you see why the kids adore Chloe?

Jack's good behavior could only last so long. Eventually, dancing turned into wrestling.

Jack took this picture of Chloe.

He seriously loved dancing and would have danced all night if we would have let him. His favorite was sliding across the dance floor.

He got one last dance with his girl.

He cried when we made him leave. He kept telling us he wanted Chloe to come back to our house with us. We tried to explain that she had other plans for the evening...

Oh, because my pictures are not great, I stole a couple from Chloe's facebook page. These are from a photo shoot she did about a week after the wedding. They are so stunning I had to share them.

Christmas Loot

2012-01-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, we had presents for Christmas!

Santa got Jack a remote control shark. It is the only thing Jack asked Santa for this Christmas. Jack refused to even look in his stocking and, instead, had to find the the remote control shark first.

Jack also got roller blades! He insisted on taking his jammies off before trying them on...big surprise.

He had to try them out right away.

Another cool LEGO. He's so proud you would think he put it together, instead of mommy.

It was a full day of playing and it wore a boy out. He decided to sleep with his Darth Vader LEGO watch...and his ball.

Did I mention the ball lights up? And, changes colors?

He had so much loot we didn't put his wall tracks together until 2 days later. I think even Bremen was impressed with that toy. It's not often that Jack can impress his older cousin.

I love helping him put his new toys together, but it's exhausting. Couldn't everything come pre-assembled?

Countdown to Christmas

2012-01-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Nothing puts a kid to sleep faster than the promise of Christmas morning. (Coupled with the threat that Santa doesn't come while kids are awake.)

While sleeping, Santa followed his standard tradition of wrapping up the presents, tree, and stockings!

I love watching him run through it Christmas morning. Yes, we waste a lot of paper. Yes, the environmentalist in me feels guilty. Yes, I will do it again next year.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

Guess who liked his Christmas eve jams?

And Stuart was worried Jack would be disappointed to open one gift on Christmas eve, only to find out it was jammies.

Christmas with the Grandparents

2012-01-16T14:56:00.002-07:00

We spent the morning of Christmas Eve at Grammie and Papa's house. I really didn't take any pictures...once again. But, I did capture my newest niece that I got to meet for the first time! Prior to Christmas, we had only chatted on Skype, well, I chatted, she babbled, but whatever. You improvise when she is in the Czech Republic.

She was obsessed with the cups in this basket and kept trying to sneak them when no one was looking.

I love this age, when the love the wrapping more than the toys.

Our oldest, Heather was home from college this Christmas...the first time in 4 years she spent Christmas with us. (The last time, Jack was only 5 months old, so he was thrilled to have her home this Christmas.) Karen didn't make it. Now that she is a senior in high school, she is busy with her new job and her boyfriend. (Although, I suspect, with the limited hours she actually works that the boyfriend was the bigger reason she didn't make it down this Christmas.) This is the only pic of Stuart and Heather. Sorry, the focus on Christmas tends to go to the most enthusiastic participants.

Jack loved opening gifts.

This car was a BIG hit. He even did a little happy dance, with his fingers pointing in the air...I really wish I had gotten video of it. Oh, well. I remember how cute it was.

Our Christmas with Grandma and Ira was on the morning of New Year's Eve...I know, we do weird holiday dates in this family. The sad news is, I didn't get ANY pics there. Probably because the kids were having such a great time with the craft project Grandma put together for them. It was so fun!

Singing in the Shower

2012-01-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

OK, once again I am behind on the blog, so hang in there and I will try to catch you up on all things Jack. This video was from prior to Christmas.

It's so cute when he gets stuck in a loop while singing!

Jack's Playroom

2011-12-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the Christmas postings, I thought I would share some pics of Jack's completed playroom. As he grows and develops new interests, we are constantly rearranging it, so I thought I would share what it looks like today. It's right outside his bedroom and bathroom, so it's kinda like having his own wing of the house. Spoiled boy!

Notice we converted his train table to a LEGO table last year. Yup, he's growing up fast! If you've never seen this, it's because we put his LEGOs away before other kids come over. Mommy does NOT want to rebuild these LEGOs again!

Tom's home...I think he is a little lonely with Jerry gone.

Notice his reading table is getting taken over by HEX bugs.

Man, does this kid have a lot of toys!

Have I mentioned the fact that I cleaned out my storage closet to make him a Star Wars room? I'll post pics if I ever get that one finished. Yes, I know, I need help. But, I love getting to relive being a kid with him.

I LOVE Making this Boy Smile

2011-12-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

About a week before Christmas, I was out shopping and found these new pajamas. Jack needed new winter jammies, so I bought them. Now, he always gets to open one present on Christmas eve, and they are always pajamas, so I already had a pair of Darth Vader ones wrapped under the tree. These, however, were a much bigger hit! The minute he saw them, he stripped down and put them on (it was lunchtime.) He then wore them for the next day and a half before we convinced him they needed to be washed. I should have saved them for Christmas. Oh well. Look how happy he is in his Tom & Jerry jams!

Edible Ornaments

2011-12-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

Mmmm...rice crispy treats. For all the baking Jack and I have done together over the years, we have never made rice crispy treats. So, we decided to make rice crispy treat ornaments. Jack had so much fun. He especially loved rubbing butter on his hands so that he could shape the treats into balls. The messier the project, the more fun it is!

And don't forget the decorating.

This is serious work.

I thought they turned out pretty cute.

But, Jack wasn't satisfied until he had squeezed the entire tube of sparkle blue icing onto the ornament.

Don't question his artistic vision, because the result is pretty spectacular.

Homemade Christmas

2011-12-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Jackson going to preschool is that he makes some cool things to bring home.

I love every one of them too!

This Year's Ornament...

2011-12-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Every year Jack gets to pick out a new ornament for the tree. I like that when he is older, I will be able to look back and be reminded of what he was interested in as he grew. He often surprises me by what he selects. This year I thought for sure he would pick a Star Wars ornament, but instead, he went with Tom & Jerry. He loves it!

Winter Festival

2011-12-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, our neighborhood held it's winter festival. Because we had just spent the previous weekend visiting Santa, we decided to skip that portion and enjoy the other festivities. They had a cute little train for the kids to ride, but Jack couldn't wait. He immediately headed over to the snow!

We didn't plan ahead and just grabbed a plastic box lid for Jack to use as a sled. It didn't work and stalled him in the snow after just a few feet. Another family was kind enough to let Jack use their inflatable tube for a run down the hill.

After that, Jack was happy just playing in the snow.

Dad had to talk to him about throwing snowballs at kids. (The boys at the park didn't mind, but the little girls seemed a little upset when they got hit.)

Jack was thrilled when his friends Connor and Elaina showed up to play.

Yes, Jack hit Connor's dad too...no one was safe.

He had a blast.

Then it was time for the bounce houses!

Then, back home to dry off, warm up, and have some milk and donut holes. (And, yes, he is naked from the waist down under that blanket...who is really surprised by that?)

Visiting Santa

2011-12-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

I had a crazy idea a couple of weeks ago to drive to Anthem to see the largest cut Christmas tree in North America. I thought if we got there right when they opened, we could also see Santa and avoid a big line. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea. It was FREEZING cold. And, everyone in front of us had multiple kids...that each needed an individual picture with Santa, and a group picture with all the kids with Santa, and one with the parents...you get the idea. We waited in line for 2.5 hours! We tried suggesting to Jack that we come back another day, but he was already too excited. Stuart actually had time to drive home, grab some heavy jackets and come back.

The tree was impressive, as usual.

I was so impressed with Jack. He played with all the kids in line. He was so outgoing. He would go up and introduce himself and ask if they wanted to play. (Of course, once it got a little weird when he approached a couple of older girls and said, "Hi, I'm Jack. Do you like candy? I've got candy in my pocket." We'll have to work on that approach.)

By the time we got close, Jack was literally, jumping with joy.

When it was his turn, he didn't hesitate, but went right up to Santa and climbed on his lap.

He's so grown up!

It's a Star Whores Christmas

2011-12-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

This year, Jack picked Star Wars for the little Christmas tree in his room. (Or, as Jack would say, Star Whores.) I found a string of Yoda lights on-line that were super cute and some cheap Star Wars ornaments.

I love the way it turned out this year.

Blue Goo

2011-12-19T09:18:00.002-07:00

OK, I know I'm behind on the blog. I have written lots of blog posts in my head, but just haven't had the time to post them. So, hang in there while I catch everyone up on all things Jack.

A few weeks ago, I ordered Jack some bathtub goo. He was so excited. You put the powder in the tub and it turns the water to goo; when you are done, you add another powder to turn it back to bathwater. Jack picked out the blue goo. It was a hit.

It was pretty cool. If it were cheaper, I would order it all the time.

Look At Me Now!

2011-12-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Jack found his dad's roller blades in the garage. They are a size 13. Jack doesn't care. He insists on wearing them all the time. He loves them. It is so cute!

Weird and Wacky Jack Fact #12

2011-12-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

I think I may have mentioned that Jack talks in his sleep. A LOT. As he gets older, it is funny because we can better understand what he is saying. Now, Jack is great when it comes to bedtimes. We kept him in a crib till he was around 3 and were clear that if he wanted a big boy bed, he was NOT allowed to get out of it in the middle of the night until we gave him permission (except to use the bathroom.) This is a zero tolerance policy in our house and it works great. Jack calls to us from his room if he needs us (even in the morning) and stays there until we tell him he can get up...as a result, we get no middle of the night visitors. It's pretty awesome. But, because we cannot hear his room from our room, we still use a monitor. So, we are privy to lots of his night time talking. Some of the things we have heard:

One night he yelled out, "Look at all the LEGOs!"

The other night we could hear him loudly exclaim, "Say excuse me Dad!" over and over.

A recent nightmare had him crying, very hard. The reason is not really clear, but he said something like, "They ate without me. Mom, you ate without me!" He was VERY upset.

I really wish I wrote more of these down, but I'm usually pretty tired when they happen. Seriously, some of them are hysterical...but I can't for the life of me recall any. Such is life.

Worn Out

2011-11-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

What happens when you spend the day after Thanksgiving playing with your favorite cousin, Bremen at Grammie and Papa's house? You fall asleep in the car on the ride home...at 5pm! And, you sleep until 6:30 the next morning!

Awesome.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T22:13:00.001-07:00

I know I have much to be thankful for that I won't get into in this post, but know that this cute kid is at the top of my list!

Thanksgiving day was a quiet dinner for 3 in our house. Jack helped make the pie. Well, after he kept stealing my pie dough, I gave up and made a second batch of it and let him just go crazy with his. He felt it was too dry and needed more water. It was a disgusting mess...but oh, so much fun!

Dinner was very nice. Jack was excited because it was the first time he got to use grown up dishes, including a wine glass filled with Sprite.

As well behaved as he was, he still doesn't have much patience, so it was a quick dinner. He ate very little. I was impressed that he ate broccoli (although I'm sure it helped that I made it with a cheese sauce.) His favorite, not surprisingly, was the dinner role.

Yup, he makes holidays fun.

I love the enthusiasm of a 4 year old. Life is good.

My Cat Spider

2011-11-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, Jack really wants another pet. Don't misunderstand, he loves his robot butterfly, his fish, and his guinea pig, but he wants a pet he can play with; so, he continually asks for a cat or a dog. I made a very big mistake a couple of months ago and told him he once had a cat named Spider, when he was a baby, and that we gave him to another family because Jack was allergic. (All true. However, Jack appears to have outgrown the allergies because he has no problem being around cats and dogs now.) I never should have said that to Jack. For WEEKS he couldn't stop talking about his pet Spider and could we please get him back? Sheesh. To shut him up, Stuart told him Spider died. Now, we don't know this for a fact, but it is highly possible since Spider was at least 11 or 12 when we found him a new owner 4 years ago. So now Jack still asks about Spider, but less often. He tells everyone that he has a cat Spider who is in heaven.

When taking out the Christmas decorations, I found this stuffed cat. The girls bought it for me years ago and they used white-out to paint whiskers on it so that it would look like my cat spider. (It was very sweet.) I explained the story to Jack and now he is very loving with his new stuffed cat spider. But, he still reminds me that one day, when he dies, he will see his cat spider when he is in heaven.

Making Christmas

2011-11-30T13:22:00.004-07:00

No, we couldn't wait to decorate for Christmas. So, about a week before Thanksgiving, we broke out the decorations. As usual, Jack attempted to decorate naked.

We told him he couldn't help unless he at least put on underpants. He cooperated.

I love that he keeps rearranging my nativity scene so that everyone is nice and close to baby Jesus.

I told Jack he had to wait for me to put the lights on the tree before he could hang the ornaments. He decided he could do it quicker. (Especially, if you put the lights all in one spot.)

You'll notice the first ornament up is his baby's first Christmas ornament.

Once again, Jack focused his decorating on one portion of the tree. We decided not to correct that this year, so when you come over and see our unbalanced tree, just know that our happy 4 year old was a big part of creating our masterpiece.

It was hard to get a picture of him next to the Christmas tree because he wouldn't hold still. Maybe it was because of all the excitement. Maybe it is all the marshmallows he ate while decorating.

But, we did get a brief video.

Jack said this was the best way to look at the tree.

Afterward, we watched a Christmas movie. Jack picked Elf. I didn't think he would like it, but was surprised how much he enjoyed it.

He really loved the end, and kept smiling and exclaiming that he believed!

P.S. We have been watching Nightmare Before Christmas a lot. I'm glad Jack seems to like it as much as me. He keeps telling me with a concerned voice that Jack Skellington is making Christmas, but he doesn't know how to make Christmas. It is so cute! (Yeah, if you don't know the movie, this doesn't make any sense to you. Sorry.)

Learning

2011-11-23T10:30:00.001-07:00

As parents, we have tried to facilitate a love of learning with Jack, instead of pushing memorization. So many kids can parrot back things, but it doesn't mean they understand it. I loved school as a kid, but Stuart did not, so we have really tried hard to get him excited about learning from the start. Now, Jack is a smart kid, but his interests are selective. He has always loved science, but has never been crazy about art. And writing? Forget it. He had no interest, despite my best efforts to encourage him. His grandma sent over countless preschool activities for me to do with him. His grammie and papa bought him a preschool kit for Christmas last year. But, trying to get him to work on writing was like pulling teeth. We tried alphabet flash cards, but he always lost interest after about 4 cards. I really gave up and thought maybe it will be better when he starts preschool. But Jack always knows more than he lets on. He might refuse to sing a song, telling you he doesn't know it, but if you stop in the middle, he will happily tell you the next line. And, while making his birthday banner last August, Jack identified each of the letters as I made them. We were shocked. Maybe there was hope for him.

Last week I noticed Jack was being too quiet. I was worried, of course, and went to look for him. I found him on the couch, drawing. I credit his preschool for this.

Friday we had our first parent/teacher conference. It was such an encouraging discussion. Jack is the loving, friendly boy in the class. He follows all the rules and participates really well. I was so relieved, I teared up in the meeting. He still struggles with staying focused. (That wasn't really surprising to us!) But, I love that the teacher said she anticipates that with 4 year olds, and always has an alternate activity they can choose if they want. She said they will gradually raise the expectation of following the structure through the year, to prepare him for kindergarten. I hugged her! We thanked her for all she did for our Jack.

I wish I could show you his class journal. It was so cute. He had a picture that he had titled "Our Pets." It was a picture of Jack, mom, and dad. It cracked me up! I did get a few of his pictures that I scanned.

I love that every child goes through the phase of drawing people that are just heads with long limbs. This is Sheila the Brave and her little sister.

Did I mention he has homework most nights? At first it was hard to get him to do it, but with lots of cheering him on, he is getting better.

We always cheer after he writes a letter. He expects it and will even ask us to do it louder as he grins. Yes, I am convinced that 99% of parenting is cheerleading.

Helping

2011-11-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Another good thing about 4 year olds? They think cleaning is fun!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

2011-11-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Jack has never been a big one on singing. He loves for me to sing to him all the time, but is usually shy when you ask him to sing. That started to change this year, although he normally just likes to sing songs that he makes up himself. Last week, however, I caught him singing Jingle Bells.

So cute! Although, if he takes after his parents, he may not have the genes to excel in this area.

Making Biscuits

2011-11-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, while daddy was sleeping in, I got a craving for chicken biscuits. I suggested to Jack that we go to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. He refused and reminded me we have all the ingredients at home and should make them ourselves. I thought about it, and realized he was right. So, with my sous chef by my side, we set out to make breakfast. Jack loves when there is flour and a rolling pin involved in cooking.

It got a little messy, but it was fun. And I got to record some great conversations. They are long, but it is so rare to capture any of his conversations, that I didn't want to edit them.

I left him alone for a few minutes to finish making his biscuit snakes, and came back to a bigger mess. Note to self, never leave a 4 year old alone with shortening.

I love cooking with Jack.

New Jammies

2011-11-18T14:19:00.002-07:00

It's finally cool enough to wear jammies with feet! I know a 4 year old who is super excited!
He would wear them 24/7 if we let him.

ROCKS

2011-11-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Guess what I found on our family walk around the neighborhood?

That sure is a lot of rocks!

There's a good spot for them.

The joys of little boys.

Handsome Boy

2011-11-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

I took these pics before Jack went to school the other day. He was just so proud of his "Night Fury Dragon" sweatshirt that he didn't mind posing for me.

For some reason, he can't smile without putting his whole body into it, so I asked him not to smile, but I guess that translates to, look mean.

He is just the best!

Everbody Just Calm Down

2011-11-08T10:06:00.001-07:00

Ever since Jack started school, he has become some much more vocal...not that he didn't speak well before, but it's constant now. He also picks up new phrases all the time. Normally, I don't have the video going, but I did catch this little clip.

Halloween

2011-11-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

We bought 9 pumpkins this year. (3 big ones and 6 little ones.) However, we were so busy we didn't start making jack-o-lanterns until the night before Halloween. Jack and I looked up pictures on-line to get some ideas. I thought for sure he would want to do one of the cool Star Wars ones we saw, like a death star or Darth Vader, but no. He thought they were cool, but wanted a traditional jack-0-lantern. He did want his to look like Jack Skellington, from the movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. I was so proud, since I love that movie! But, I didn't take any pictures of our decorations. Oh well.

But, the good news this year is that Jack agreed to wear a costume...including a mask! He was a storm trooper!

Have you seen a kid happier about his Halloween costume?

Stuart wore a great gorilla costume, of which, I took no pictures. Oops!

Our neighbors came over and met at our house before we went out for the night. The kids played and we ate. They were so cute! (We actually had 3 more kids in our crew, but they arrived later.)

Our neighbors did not disappoint. I still love the ones that do the Mad Tea Party.

The kids had a blast and the adults had a hard time keeping up with them.

We did bring a wagon in case the kids got tired.

We ran into this cute girl along the way. (She is the younger sister of one of Jack's babysitters.) I love that he can't take his eyes of her.

In a moment of tremendously bad parenting, Stuart and I both realized by about the 5th house that Jack wasn't wearing shoes...just socks. And to further secure our position as terrible parents, we did not go back for shoes. He actually wore holes in his socks. Good thing we had that wagon!

Neighborhood Halloween Fun

2011-11-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, our neighborhood held it's annual Halloween festival. As usual, Jack had a blast.

They had a petting zoo. Jack loved holding the bunnies. They were hard to catch.

I have no idea what these boys were showing Jack, but I thought Jack looked so cute.

He was thrilled that he got to hold a chicken.

Pony rides were fun.

Man, I can't believe this kid is only 4, he is so long and lean.

When we went to line up for the hayride, we ran into one of Jack's best friends. Jack adores Connor. (Me too. Connor always gives me hugs and kisses, which means Jack gives me kisses to compete with him. I was really feeling the love!)

After they picked out their pumpkins, we walked back to the clubhouse so we could decorate them. Jack decided to throw his pumpkin down the hill. Well, he started a trend. All the kids decided to follow his lead. They kept throwing the pumpkins down the hill and then chased after them. So cute!

I love that Jack and Connor shared a chair while decorating their pumpkins.

Jack decided to make a cat.

He then decided to give it one more eye so it could be a monster instead. Awesome.

As we were leaving, we ran into some other friends, who all excitedly told Jack what they were going to be for Halloween. Up until this point, Jack was unenthusiastic about dressing up and only agreed to be a ghost because that is what he wore last year. He doesn't like costumes. When we got into the car, he asked if he could be a storm trooper instead for Halloween. Stuart and I were a little shocked and asked him if he was sure. He said yes. We told him we would buy him a storm trooper costume...and the Star Wars blaster he wanted only if he really wore the costume. We threatened him that we would return it all...blaster included...if he didn't. He agreed. We didn't hesitate. We drove straight to Target and bought it. He wore it all that evening and asked to wear it to bed. We were so excited! (Stuart and I are BIG costume fans.) I will save those pictures for my Halloween post. More to come.

Money Lessons

2011-11-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Stuart and I feel very strongly that Jack should be taught the value of hard work and how to manage money. We think this should start from a very young age. Earlier this year, Jack started to get opportunities to earn money. And no, he does not get any money for cleaning up his toys or his room, etc. He is expected to contribute to the house he lives in by cleaning. He was, however, able to earn money by helping with other projects, gardening, etc. OK, if I'm being honest, I occasionally offered him money to try a bite of something new to eat. (In fact, once I offered him $100 to eat peas...this was big because he knew he could get a robot cat for $100. He still refused. He did make a counter offer that he would eat something he liked for $100. Nice try Jack!)

It has been a slow process. To help him along, we allowed him to keep his birthday money this year. (Normally it goes into his bank account.) So, last week when he started asking for a new toy, I informed him he would have to use the money he was saving. He decided he wanted to buy "robot bugs." (That darn advertising on the Cartoon Network!) Anyway, he had $33 saved, so we went shopping at Walmart. The robot bugs and track were just over $26 with tax. I made Jack count out each dollar at the check out. (I explained to the nice couple behind us in line what we were doing and they were so patient while we did this.)

He really loves them! And I am so proud of my little boy.

Of course, now I have to continually remind him that his $6 and change doesn't really buy much, so he will have to start saving if he wants something else. The conversations around this are exhausting. He wants me to buy him something new, but I am insisting he gets nothing else from me until Christmas. (I am trying to stick to that, but you all know I am a sucker for this kid!)

Spider Cake Pops

2011-11-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday baking season for me. I love baking, even though I don't have much of a sweet tooth myself. So, we often give our treats away to friends and neighbors. Jack loves baking with me. This Halloween we decided to try something different, cake pops. I should note that I tried twice before to make cake pops and failed miserably, but Jack didn't mind. They are hands on, messy fun to make and you get to eat all of your failures. Stuart, on the other hand, was getting annoyed with my failed attempts, so we were determined to get it right this time.

Jack was my quality control taster, as usual.

They turned out pretty good.

Jack was so proud of the results.

We might have gotten carried away; we created an entire spider cake pop army.

When we were done, we loaded up the wagon and took them to various neighbors. Hmmm...now I can start thinking about Thanksgiving desserts....yum.

Good Teachers

2011-11-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last week Jack's school had a fall literacy festival. It was fun. His best school friend was there. They had a haunted house and a cake walk. I think Jack just loved that we took him to school and for once didn't leave him there, but instead stayed with him. I really didn't take any pictures until the end.

His teacher read a book to all the kids at the end of the night. If you ever have a doubt that the right teacher makes all the difference, check out the proof in these pictures.

There was chaos going on during the set up, as kids and parents were running all over the place, but notice Jackson.

He stayed in his seat and waited patiently for the story.

It was "Llama, llama, Red Pajama." Jack loved it.

Look how happy he is.

In his last school, the teacher had 4 kids (that is including Jack,) and she felt Jack was too much of a disruption and she didn't know what to do. She even said she tried to google ideas on handling him. From DAY ONE at his new school, Jack was great. This teacher manages 10-12 kids and said he was never a disruption, only that he had some difficulty sharing at first, but she worked with him and he got better once he got used to being in preschool. She couldn't understand why I kept asking her if he was behaving, because she said he was great. Never underestimate the importance of a good teacher!

We are so grateful for her. And the good news is, last week Jack finally stopped negotiating school. He goes without discussion! (Or very little discussion.) YEA!

We Miss You Jerry

2011-11-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard, Jerry died last Thursday. It was a tough day for Jack. It was tough day for mom too. I picked up Jack from school in the afternoon and didn't notice the guinea pigs at all. When Stuart got home later, I heard him make a comment about Jerry. He then asked me to take Jack out of the room so he could check on him. Sure enough he was dead. (No, we're not sure of the cause.) We decided the best thing to do was to be up front and honest. We told Jack that Jerry had died and let him see his body. Jack cried, so of course I cried. It was tough. Stuart had a brilliant idea. He explained to Jack that someone had to tell Tom that his friend died and would need some comforting to feel better. So, Jack bravely went to Tom and explained that Jerry died and proceeded to try to make him feel better. It was so sweet to hear him.

That night I set up the tent again in the living room. (I had been promising Jack for awhile that we would do this and it seemed a good distraction.) I laid with Jack in the tent for a long time as he was so sad about Jerry. He kept asking me to tell God to let him see Jerry again. I tried to explain it didn't work that way. After much conversation, he seemed ok with the idea that he couldn't see Jerry, but that Jerry could watch over him. I offered to print a picture of Jerry so Jack could see him whenever he wanted. So we printed the above picture for him to hold. He said when he dies he will get to see all his pets again.

I suggested to Stuart that we bury Jerry, but my sensitive husband refused. He explained to Jack that Jerry was going to the landfill and his body would become food for the earth. Jack didn't like the idea, but eventually seemed to accept it...until the next morning. Jack and I were in the office when he heard the garbage truck outside and got very upset again because he didn't want Jerry to go to the landfill. Not a great morning.

By Friday evening, however, Jack felt a little better. When I picked him up from school he told me we should go make sure Tom was still alive. Jack wants to get a replacement Jerry. I told him we cannot give a new guinea pig the same name, so he decided on "Nibbles." (Also, from the Tom & Jerry cartoon.) He tells Tom all the time that we will buy him a Nibbles so he won't get lonely. Of course, our dilemma is about the new pet. A guinea pig does need a friend so he doesn't get lonely. But, do we really bother with another guinea pig, or just bite the bullet and buy the boy a dog already?

Here is a last picture of Jack with Jerry. Jack really loves animals and misses Jerry so much.

Haircut

2011-11-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, dad may be mad that you cut my hair, but I know I'm cute either way...

Weird and Wacky Jack Fact #11

2011-11-01T12:02:00.001-07:00

Jack loves this towel. We bought it just before we went to Hawaii last January. Because he used it when we stayed in a hotel, he always calls it his "hoteling towel." It has been months, but he still refers to it as "hoteling towel." It cracks me up every time.

DETERMINATION

2011-10-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

Never underestimate how much you can accomplish if you set your mind to it.

Milkshake Grins

2011-10-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

Want to know how to make a boy this happy?

Have daddy make milkshakes.

Thanks Dad! You are the best!

Tears of Joy

2011-10-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I worked from home. Stuart came home early and we decided to go pick up Jack from preschool together. We watched through his classroom window for a moment, and he was content. The second he saw his parents, he ran toward us. When I scooped him up in my arms, he was crying...tears of joy. I have never seen that before in a 4 year old.

Although he is doing well in school, and having no problems, we spend hours at home where he attempts to negotiate school. He doesn't want me to work, or he wants me to work from home while he plays, or he wants Chloe to teach him things instead of school, or he just doesn't want to learn any thing else.

Man, I love this boy. I wish I didn't have to be away from him.

It's HALLOWEEN Time!

2011-10-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, we broke out the Halloween decorations last weekend.

I don't know what is happening with Jack and skeletons, but he still loves them. We can't seem to go past a Halloween display without picking out a new one. He even likes to sleep with them. Good thing the kid isn't scared of much! Oh, and we have bought 2 new small ones since this picture was taken.

So, you may know that Jack really wants another pet. Specifically, he wants a dog or a cat. He knows that cats are out of the question with dad's allergies. When we took out the decorations, he found one of our Halloween cats and gave it to his dad, saying, "Try and not be allergic to that cat."

I love our silly boy. He is unique.

Too Many Transitions

2011-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I haven't posted in awhile. I've been a little busy. This is not just because of work, but because of Jack. He has had a rough few weeks. His mom (and his best friend) got a full time job, 2 days later, he started preschool. After just 2 weeks, we pulled him out of preschool and put him in a different one. It was a tough decision. I hate that he went through so much change in just under a month. It's a lot for a little boy to take.

We did learn some important lessons. First, trust your instincts. When we first saw the private school we enrolled him in, we were impressed. We also loved the director. However, 5 days before school started, we took him to meet the teacher night and red flags went up for both Stuart and I. First, there was no teacher for his class, and we were given multiple reasons why, but ultimately, they had to hire a new teacher. Second, the classroom was very sterile compared to the other preschool rooms. We just felt like it wasn't what we had signed up for in terms of schools for Jack. Then, on the first day of school, we weren't crazy about the teacher they did hire. She wasn't bad, she was just better suited for older kids. (She normally teaches 3rd grade.) It made it worse when she was late on the second day of school and we waited in another classroom. The other classroom was so different, and so was the teacher. She got down on the same level as the kids and interacted with them, and the room was set up for fun and learning. It made Jack's class look sad by comparison. It wasn't the right environment for Jack. It was such a negative experience, and I cried a LOT. I won't go into all the details, but I regret every day we made him go there.

Thankfully, he is in a better place now. He never cries in school, he is learning, doesn't have any issues, and is a happy participant, instead of a "disruption." But, even then, the first 2 weeks at the new school were rough. Although he cried every afternoon at the old school, he was familiar with it, and the kids...as a result, he asked every night if he could go back to his old school. It broke my heart.

I hate when he is sad. I'll never stop feeling that way about him. The physical pain I feel when he is upset is impossible to describe. I wish he never had to be sad.

So, in the midst of all of these changes, we have been trying to make sure he has some stability. He still sees his babysitter, Chloe, when we have date night. In fact, lately, he tries to negotiate; he asks for Chloe to come watch him while mommy is at work. He is adament that she could teach him stuff, instead of the school. We have also scheduled some fun playdates with his old neighborhood friends. This has been challenging since everyone is attending different schools, but is so worth the effort. Even a couple of times a week makes him so happy!

I did take some pictures during one of our outings last week. We went to our neighborhood park to meet his friend Jamie. The sunset was bright orange. It was so cool...although, you can't tell from this picture (my camera isn't the best.)

How do you calm 2 crazy 4 year old boys? Give them a 5 year old little girl to watch. We were shocked at how long they sat and watched her sing and dance around a tree.

Of course they are still 4 year old boys and eventually got bored, at which point, she cried because she lost her audience.

Well, I won't dwell on this any longer. Things are getting better, so I will try to share some happier posts about Jack. There is much more happy than sad...we just have to remember that sometimes.

The Official 4 Year Old Pictures

2011-09-25T09:05:00.005-07:00

Jackson is, by far, the cutest 4 year old ever!

We did discover that he was willing to pose for pictures if he was allowed to hold his pet guinea pig, Tom.

I can't believe how grown up he looks.

He may look like a little boy to you, but I still see my baby in him.

Although it's not your traditional portrait, this one is my absolute favorite.

4 Year Old Picture Challenges

2011-09-24T16:30:00.003-07:00

OK, I'm a little late at posting these, but we've been really busy in the Allen house. As you may remember, we do our own photo shoot at home for Jack's birthdays. Sure, on his first birthday, we took him to have them done professionally, but thought it wasn't worth the money and instead decided to do them each year on our own. (That, and we're cheap.) It was working well, until this year. Jack was very opinionated on everything, from where he wanted to stand to what he wanted to wear, and he had plenty of complaints about the heat too. It was exhausting. I initially tried to do it on my own, and gave up. Stuart helped out a few days later, but it was no easier. We did the best we could, and got a few cute shots. (Only because I cropped most of them into head shots.) I'll post those later. In the meantime, here are the crazy ones.

He didn't want to stand the way I requested, and instead went with his own poses.

After a mild power struggle, he just got annoyed with me...

Changing clothes only made it worse...

He thought it was too hot on his feet, so I tried to sit him in the grass.

But soon he became distracted, then annoyed, and then he complained it was still too hot.

We moved to the shade...judge for yourself how well that turned out...

He really wanted to sit on the couch...which annoyed me.

So, we moved indoors.

As frustrated as I was at the time, I have to admit these are my favorites, because they show his true personality.

Breakfast in Bed

2011-09-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

My boys are so spoiled...

Oh, and Jack is showing us how to do the pledge of allegiance that he learned in school.

Progress?

2011-09-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we just finished our first full week in our new routine. I go to work, Jack goes to preschool, and Stuart does a great job of filling in all the gaps in our new schedule.

The good news is, Jack does NOT cry in the morning. He is also very happy when we pick him up at the end of the day. The bad news is that, apparently, he has either a minor or major meltdown mid-day...almost everyday. His teacher doesn't think it is about missing mommy and daddy as much as it just becomes too much for him. He has a hard time keeping his hands to himself and following along in the activities. So, he and I have been practicing at home. We practice verbalizing his frustration as opposed to crying. We talk about things like, saying, "I'm so frustrated," instead of crying, or putting his head down on his hands at the table when he doesn't feel like coloring. I am optimistic, but don't think we are going to see any overnight changes.

We also struggle with the fact that Jack cries when he wakes up and finds me gone. I'm not too worried since this won't be a normal thing. I have just been going in early to beat rush hour and to allow myself time to pick him up from school in the afternoons. Normally, I will work from home when I'm not travelling. (So, I guess those trips will be a challenge for poor Stuart.) I do try to tell Jack the night before when this will happen so he isn't blind-sided, and that helps a little bit.

Thursday morning, I had my first attempt at working from home. Jack was adamant that he couldn't go to school because he had the flu. He pointed out that he didn't want to get the other kids sick, so he should stay home. I told him to rest on the couch to see if he got better. He said he wasn't going to get better. I realized this might not end well, so I got dressed and kissed Jack good-bye. Stuart then distracted him while I went into our office and closed and locked the door. He never knew I was there when he left for school. (Stuart convinced him a vitamin would get rid of the flu...good thinking daddy!) Of course, that night Jack told me he had the flu again and could I please tell daddy not to take him to preschool? (I don't know why he thinks I am his best bet on this issue.) I told him to get some sleep and if he had the flu we definitely would not send him to school, but that I thought he would be better by morning. He said he didn't think he would be better, that he thought he would have the flu forever.

Stuart bribed, uh, I mean provided Jack with an incentive at the beginning of the week. He promised if he didn't cry and was good at preschool all week he could get the Lego alien space ship he wanted. So, we celebrated the end of the week, with a new gift for Jack. Of course, he changed his mind on what he wanted and we took a trip to Toys R Us where he picked out a new Star Wars spaceship and a Luke Skywalker action figure. He was thrilled. Once he found them, he didn't want to look around the store any longer...he wanted to pay for it and leave right away.

My favorite thing is that EVERY day when I pick him up from school, he squeals, "MOMMY!" and runs to me with his arms open wide for a hug. He then tells me, "You're my best best friend." In fact, one of the other mom's stopped me in the parking lot one afternoon to tell me that her son told her that Jack's best friend is his mom. It's not the same as getting to stay home with him every day, but it certainly makes me feel a heck of a lot better.

Preschool Days 3 & 4

2011-09-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

Day 3 of preschool was hard for me, since it was also my first day of work. Stuart took Jack to school in the morning. I hated that I couldn't be there to help Jack with this transition. I was told he cried and screamed, but calmed down pretty soon. Luckily, everyone at my new job was wonderful. My boss isn't in AZ and was in meetings all day, so some of the local folks were showing me around and getting me acclimated. Around 1:30, the HR manager told me she knew it was a long day and I hadn't even had lunch yet, so I should just call it a day and go home. She said she knew I was worried about my little boy (yeah, I might have mentioned him a time or two...) She said they were all moms and understood and I should go home early. Although I am salaried, I didn't want to leave that early on my first day and went back to my office. She stopped by my office 10 minutes later and asked what I was still doing there and again told me to go home. I was so grateful and decided to do the rest of my work from home. I called Stuart and told him I would pick up Jack from preschool. Jack was thrilled. I was told he did cry for me a few times during the day, but they felt he would do better. As we were walking out the door to head home, he told me he liked school. Yes! However, as we were getting ready for bed, I asked him if he liked school and he said, "Yes....but, not really." Sheesh.

Day 4, I was planning to observe one of the clinics I support to get a better feel for their day to day work. After talking to the Operations Director, I found out she was going to be in the office early (it's a 24 hour clinic) so I made plans to go in at 6am...and I actually got in earlier. The plus side was the I could pick Jack up in the afternoon. The down side was that I had to leave the house before Jack woke up. This is a challenge because Jack only wants me to get him up in the morning. (Yes, we are lucky that Jack still doesn't get out of his bed in the middle of the night, or the morning, until we come and get him. No middle of the night surprise appearances in our room. It's nice.) But, even though Stuart will try to go get him in the morning, he refuses and demands mom. Stuart told me Jack cried for 30 minutes in the morning when he got up because I wasn't there. And, or course, Stuart had a challenge in taking him to school. Jack told Stuart, "I don't want to be 4 anymore...I want to be a little guy." Then, Jack told his dad he couldn't go to preschool because it was closed. He did his best to convince his dad of this. Stuart told him they would go check to see if it was closed. When they got to the school and went inside, no one was at the front desk and Jack said, "See, it's closed," and tried to leave. So again, tears ensued. Meanwhile, I am in a medical clinic, trying to pay attention, and feeling very anxious about Jack. Luckily, the director started sending me text message updates. She let me know that he stopped crying after 5 minutes and then was all smiles. She let me know when she caught him singing in the class. She even sent me a picture of him working with his teacher. Oh, I felt so much better. I had a nice talk with her and his teacher when I picked him up and felt so much better. In fact, it took a good 30 minutes to drag him out of the school because he didn't want to leave. We celebrated the end of the week by taking Jack to the Mellow Mushroom for dinner. He loves going to a restaurant and we never take him, so it was a nice treat.

We're still not sure about everything. We definitely love the school. We just know we might need to move him from the junior kindergarten class to the 3 day a week, half days, 4 year old class. Although, that will leave us with a day care scheduling nightmare, we will do that if it is better for Jack. So, we're going to give it another week before we make any decisions.
But, I am so proud of my little boy. He is do so well, all things considered. It's a big adjustment for all of us.

Preschool Day 2

2011-09-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today sucked. Sorry, there is no nicer way to say that. As happy and eager as Jack was to leave the house and go to preschool, he got very shy when we got there. (It didn't help that his teacher was late and we spent the first 15 minutes in a different classroom.) He was clingy and kept telling me he didn't like preschool anymore and he wanted to leave. After 30 minutes, I said good-bye and walked away while his teacher kept him from running after me. He was crying so hard. I waited in the lobby for about 10 minutes, until the director assured me he had stopped crying, and was fine. I went home and cried, feeling awful. When I returned at the end of the day to pick him up, the director informed me he had hit someone. Great. Then, she said he cried for me several times throughout the day. Now, I'm feeling worse. She then told me he is quite the disruption in class. I could barely hold it together at that point. After that, it was just some additional information about how he kept taking his shoes off and could I please try running shoes instead of crocs...like I haven't tried that before, to no avail, and something about him continuing to think he could just leave the room whenever he wanted. She was nice about it, but I felt like crap. I tried to go and talk to his teacher for more details and maybe some suggestions, but she is a little standoffish so that didn't really make me feel any better.

I talked to Jack about it on the way home. When we got in the house, I looked at his papers and asked if he practiced writing his name...he said he didn't know how. I feel like I threw him into an environment that is too much for him. I still like the school, and the director, but when I got my job offer, he moved from a very active environment, to a CLASSROOM. He is now the youngest kid in his class...he's never been to preschool before...and even though he has gotten much better, he is still an active boy. I don't want him to be miserable and I feel terrible right now. On top of it all, I have my first day of work tomorrow, so Stuart has to take him and pick him up. I hate it when he is hurting and just want to find a way to make it stop. Stuart wants me to give it 2 weeks before we make a change because I am too emotional to be rationale, but I can't help it. He's my baby! I've cried so much today, my eyes are going to be swollen for my first day at work tomorrow.

Stuart didn't want me to write about this yet because it is too raw and I am too stressed about my new job. But, I thought getting it out would help.

This pic is from a few days ago, Jack was playing doctor on himself. Notice the bandage on his ear, the modified stethoscope for breathing medicine and the foot brace. I love my creative boy. I just want him to be happy. I hope it gets better.

First Day of School

2011-09-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

Jack started school today. He was so excited. Stuart took the morning off so we could all go together.

He looks so grown-up standing outside of the school.

When we got to Jack's classroom, he got very shy. He did not want us to leave. School started at 8:30am, and we hung out for awhile.

Here he is showing the teacher that he is 4 years old.

As we neared 9am, we said our good-byes. Jack started to cry. Hard. So, of course, I cried. We left him in his class, with the director helping hold him back as we left. He began to wail. I'm a wreck by this point and Stuart and I go and sit in the lobby of the school and I cry. We can still hear him screaming. One of our neighbors who was dropping off her daughter in the 3 year old class tried to help, so she brought her Cara over to say hello. She thought a familiar face might help. It didn't work. Meanwhile, Stuart and I are still in the lobby listening to Jack cry hysterically. Apparently, Jack was stronger than the director and made a dash for the door to the lobby to look for us. The director asked if I could stay, I agreed. Stuart left to go to work...and I told him I would call when it was clear for me to leave...stupid of us to bring only one car.

At first Jack clung to me, but eventually we convinced him to join the fun. The more involved he got, the more I stepped away, until I was just watching from the doorway. I thought snack-time would be the perfect time to leave. As they moved to the lunch room for snack, Jack grabbed me from the door to make sure I came with him. As they began to eat, I told him I was going to leave. His eyes began to well up with tears again. Luckily, he has an awesome teacher. She called him over to tell him a secret. After she told him, of course, he came and told me...they were going to make a surprise present for their parents today. Jack asked what the surprise was, she cleverly said she couldn't tell him while I was there because then it wouldn't be a surprise. That is when I jumped in and said if he wanted to stay and find out what the surprise was, he would have to tell me "good-bye" and "see you later." He promptly said "good-bye mom...see you later" and then gave me a hug. I left without looking back and called Stuart when I got to the lobby. It was after 10am.

The director and teacher assured me he was fine the rest of the day. What a day! When I picked Jack up at 2:30pm, he excitedly told me about his day. We then went home and had ice cream.

He does say that he wants to go back. I guess that is a good sign.

P.S. While I was there, one little girl fell and hurt her knee. She came and showed me her injury. Jack promptly knelt down and kissed her knee to make it better. Man, I love this kid!

Zoo Day

2011-09-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thursday, we went to the zoo. It was HOT. I'm not sure exactly how hot, but I know it was over 110 degrees. I normally don't go to the zoo in the summer, but knowing that I was going back to work soon, I wanted to get in as much fun as I could with Jack. Our neighbors had some extra passes and invited us. We thought if we went extra early, it wouldn't be so bad. We were wrong. We were melting, but the kids loved it and that's what really counts.

We didn't do our normal activities, because it was so hot, we wanted to rush through quickly. Also, many of the animals were hiding from the heat. But, we have to make time to ride the tractors.

And go to the petting zoo. Jack really wishes all the exhibits were hands on...

Jack and his friend Jamie had lots of fun!

We had to stop for something cold before we got heat stroke. Jack decided he needed to drink his Icee and my frozen lemonade together. I think he may be a genius.

It's more fun if you drink something that makes your tongue a funny color.

Although we skipped some of our favorites, we did do 2 new things. We rode the train and the carousal. Both were firsts for Jack.

The second the carousal started up, Jack's face lit up with such joy, I will never forget it. I need to strive to create that look of joy more often. I live for that!

He did fall in the pond once, while trying to get closer to the turtles. I should have anticipated that. He really loves turtles. Luckily, it was at a shallow part where I could pull him out without jumping in myself. And, we had his swimsuit with us, so we changed into that.

I love days with my boy.

Big Changes

2011-09-03T18:18:00.002-07:00

So, mommy is returning to work. I am very sad. Don't misunderstand, I feel completely blessed that I was able to stay at home for 4 crucial years with my little boy, something I know not everyone is lucky enough to do. I really am appreciative of it. It has been wonderful. And, if I could, I would not work while Jack is still at home, but I need to return to work for financial reasons. We need to do better at saving for our future, and I won't sit at home and watch my husband struggle when I can help. We're a family. We're a team. But, know that I will miss Jackson every second that I am away from him.

So, let me fill you in. I've been looking for a job for a little bit now and luckily, we have been able to wait and be selective about finding the right position. This job has a lot of good things to it. I'm going to manage training for a company's west zone offices (7 zones, each with many offices.) I get to do a lot of consulting, which I love. Down side is the zones are in Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and California, so that means a little bit of travel. (Oh, and my boss is in Dallas, so add Texas to the travel list.) I'm more than a little nervous about that. Stuart and I talked about the fact that any position that paid enough to be worth my going back to work would require some travel, so that was a lot to consider. Luckily, I only have to take 1-2 trips per month, and they will generally just be Tuesday-Wednesday, or Tuesday-Thursday. Although, I think it will be a little more than that in the beginning as I go to meet all of my clients. But, this is better than a lot of other options out there. Besides, my boss agreed that days I am not travelling can be worked from my home...so no commute. Gotta love that.

So, where does that leave Jack? He was scheduled to start preschool, attending M-W-F mornings. I called the school and moved him to the junior kindergarten class, which is M-F, 8:30am-2:30pm. I'm a little worried that he hasn't been to preschool before and this may be a bit much, but the director really helped me feel good about the class. It is small and we can always change this later if it isn't working for him. Stuart is going to adjust his schedule to spend more time with Jack, and will pick him up at 2:30pm each day.

I am so excited that Jack will get some extra time with his dad. But, I'm still jealous. I'd like to be the one. I know that sounds selfish, I don't care. I don't want to miss a thing. And, what's going to happen when he has a nightmare at 1am while I'm out of town and he only wants me? I cry when I think about that...like now.

I did negotiate a start date with my new company that will allow me to take Jack to preschool the first 2 days. So, I hope the transition goes well. And, this week we went to meet the teacher night at Jack's new preschool. Although his school uniform hadn't arrived yet, he did dress up for the event.

He is so cute I can't believe it sometimes!

Unfortunately, there were some changes at the school and we didn't get to meet his new teacher, which made me really concerned. I think I am more nervous than Jack. I didn't take many pics at the school, but here is the indoor playground.

And, Jack got to do a little self-portrait project...a present for his new teacher. Stuart cut out pants for Jack to put on it, but Jack insisted he needed underpants first. YEA Jack! So, we did give him underpants too.

His first day of school is Tuesday, and my first day of work is Thursday. Wish us all luck because this will be a big transition in our house. It's a good thing, I know it is, but I just wasn't ready for this day to come so soon.

Jack is 4

2011-08-26T13:10:00.001-07:00

Jack is four years old. Here is a glimpse inside his life today:

He is 43.5 inches tall! (97%)

He weighs 40 lbs. (82%) Long and lean!

His favorite movie: The Empire Strikes Back

His favorite book: Scrambled Eggs Super by Dr. Seuss

His favorite toy: the robot cat (Imperial Walker) of course

He prefers to wear his night furry jammies (from the How to Train Your Dragon movie)

He gets dressed with enthusiasm each morning...wearing his long jeans (he can't be fooled by jean shorts) and his Ben 10 shirt. He will accept the occasional Spiderman shirt substitute, but the jeans are not negotiable; he will pull them out of the dirty clothes if needed.

He loves macaroni and cheese

He loves when I buy him strawberry soda...pop is a rare treat in this house

When he counts to 20 he always leaves out the number 15.

He loves going to the doctor. He got 4 shots at his last check-up and actually looked forward to getting them. He insisted on watching, despite the nurse's discouragement. They brought in a second nurse to hold his legs down and were shocked that it wasn't necessary, since Jack didn't move a muscle. He didn't scream or cry. On the 4th and final shot, he grimaced. That face was the only reaction to the shots. Of course, afterward, he said his legs hurt and insisted I carry him to the car, saying, "maybe ice cream will make it better."

If you leave him alone in the family room, he will build a fort on the couch, using every pillow in the house.

He thinks his dad can build anything.

He only wants his mom when he has a nightmare.

He tells us everyday, "You're my best, best friend." When dad teases him about which one of us is his best friend, he says, "We're all best friends together."

He is spectacular, amazing, cute, sweet, funny, energetic, happy, brave, handsome, and adorable.

He is loved, more than can be expressed in words.

Birthday Party

2011-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday party for Jack this year. He was so excited. He insisted on a Spiderman party. Since Jack is getting older, we decided to make all of his decorations. It was so fun because he got to help with everything.

As you know, we made the paper mache Spiderman, but decided against using it as a pinata.

We made a Spiderman poster. (Well, this one was mainly mom.)

We made a birthday banner, and Jack helped color in the letters.

We made our own gift bags. Jack picked the images from the web, mom printed them and cut them out, and Jack glued them on the bags.

We decided to make a giant web. Jack helped pick out the yarn, but mom decided to make the web while he was asleep.

The morning of his party, Jack played with his robot cat, while we got the house ready.

Jack dressed up so nice for his party.

The party was so crazy, however, that we didn't actually take pictures. All we have are these 2 pics.

Oh, and we did get video of him blowing out his candles:

No other pics of the day. So, instead, I'll just share a few highlights:

Jack was so excited when the first guest arrived, he ripped open her gift before we could stop him. In fact, whenever he was out of site, he was usually found in the living room, opening another gift. So, instead of formally opening gifts, we had to bring everyone in so Jack could find out who gave him what and he could say thank you.

By the time the second guest arrived, Jack insisted on changing out of his nice outfit and into his standard uniform of choice: jeans and his Ben 10 shirt.

Stuart hung out in the pool most of the day (in extreme heat) so the kids could go back and forth from the pool and the bounce house without fear.

Jack ate NOTHING all day, because he was having too much fun playing. I finally forced a piece of pizza on him around 4pm. (Party started at 11am.)

When his cousin Bremen arrived, he literally screamed and jumped for joy. Have I mentioned that he LOVES Bremen?

Later in the evening, we were hanging out with our neighbors who had stayed late, while Jack played with their son, Jamie. While the adults talked, the boys decided to cannibalize the extra gift bags. I think they opened every piece of candy they found.

I love that he repeatedly thanked us for making him a nice party. Happy 4th Birthday Jackson!

Birthday Morning

2011-08-25T10:58:00.002-07:00

After months of anticipation, Jackson's 4th birthday finally arrived.

Yes, he got to open presents immediately. First, I don't think he could have waited another minute. Second, it worked out well because he played with his robot cat (Imperial Walker) while mom and dad got everything ready for his birthday party.

I just love making him happy!

Dear Jack

2011-08-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

My Dear Sweet Jack,

Today, you turn 4 years old and, once again, I am overwhelmed by my emotions. My heart is full of love and admiration for you, but perhaps more than anything, I feel pride. I am so proud of you. You are growing into such a sweet, caring little boy. I wish I could take credit for it, but if I am being honest, I can't. Your sweet spirit is something you were born with and despite all my parenting mistakes, you just get better each day.

You are so happy, and you try so hard to make others happy. You are the first to hug and care for your friends and family. Just today, you sat next to your dad on the couch and said, "Dad, let's be happy together." You then flashed him the biggest grin I have ever seen. Your happiness and enthusiasm is contagious. Our house is brighter with you in it.

You wear your heart on your sleeve and your feelings are hurt easily. It's a trait you and I share. And, I know you will experience pain as you grow; I wish I could shelter you from that, but I also understand I can't protect you from everything. Just know that when you hurt, I hurt. And no matter what happens, I will be on your side. I will be there to help you up, to comfort you, to cheer you on, to love you. I will be whatever you need me to be for you.

I am so blessed to have you as my son. You make me a better person, as I strive to be the type of parent that you need. I will continue to try to be the mother you need, to help you develop and grow into the best person you can be. I am so grateful to God for trusting me with such a special child. I love you with every part of me.

Your Mom

Little Boy...

2011-08-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, I laid with Jack until he fell asleep. In all honesty, he was tired and was asleep in about two and a half minutes, but it was so beautiful to watch him as his eyes closed and he fell into a blissful sleep. It is a rare thing to see these days. For years now, he has gone to sleep on his own. But, when he was a baby, he almost always went to sleep in my arms. I sometimes miss that. He is too grown up to need me the way that he used to. In fact, one night when I was putting him to bed, I teased him and told him to stay awake because I was going to come back in a few minutes. He told me, he couldn't, that he was too tired, and that I would have to just check on him when he was asleep.

He is growing up so fast. He straddles the line between little boy and big boy. He loves grown up cartoons, like Ben 10, but still love Curious George. Sometimes he asks me to carry him cradled in my arms, but he will always correct me if I call him my baby, telling me he is a big boy, not a baby.

I love this picture. I took it after he went to bed one night when he asked to sleep with his Jack Russel dogs and his kitten Aiden...something he doesn't do very often anymore. It reminds me that he isn't grown up yet, he is still my little boy.

TOOL TIME

2011-08-18T18:36:00.001-07:00

Helping dad is serious business.

Birthday Anticipation

2011-08-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Jack has been asking for his birthday almost every day since early April. (That's about the time we attended two different birthday parties for his friends over one weekend.) As we are now in the final days leading up to his party, the intensity is growing. Yesterday, he got a birthday card in the mail from Nana and Grandad. He was ecstatic.

Oh, the "robot cat" he is referencing is the Imperial Walker from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back. (I blogged about it previously.) It is THE gift he wants. We told him no, because they are too much money. ($100.) However, I found a special offer with Amazon to open a new credit card that gave me $40 off. That, combined with his birthday money from Nana and Grandad put it into the realm of reason. So, we told Jack he could ask Nana and Grandad for one. (You know you love your kid when you don't care who gets credit for the special gift...as long as they get what they love.) He talks about getting a robot cat...EVERY day.

I'm really looking forward to his party this year. It's going to be so much fun. His enthusiasm is contagious.

Only a Little Jealous

2011-08-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Jack adores his dad. Anytime he does something new and I ask him where he learned it, he tells me his dad taught him...even when that isn't the case. Lately, Jack refuses to kiss me. He offers hugs instead. If I do convince him to kiss me, he offers me his cheek, never his lips, and then promptly wipes the kiss off his face. His dad, however, always gets a kiss. In fact, if dad starts to head out the door in the morning without one, Jack cries. And if his dad tries to kiss him anywhere but the lips, Jack gets upset. What the heck is that about?!

I'm not jealous. Not really. I mean, I am still the only one he wants when he is hurt or upset, but his dad is his hero and always will be...I just can't compete with that. And really, I love watching them together.

Meet Tom and Jerry

2011-08-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today, my husband insisted we get Jack an early birthday present...2 guinea pigs. I'm not sure if this was a good idea, but Jackson is so happy, how can I complain.

Let me back up the story a few days. You all know that Jack has wanted a pet for a long time. The fish is nice, but since he can't hold it...it just isn't the same. The last few days, Jack has been asking for a dog AND a cat. His rationale is that he wants them to run around and chase each other around my kitchen. (He really thinks this point will help sell me on the idea...oh, how wrong he is.) When I explain that although we might find a dog that dad isn't allergic to, there are NO cats that he isn't allergic to. Not to worry; Jack has a plan. His idea is that the cat can live in his room so that it won't bother his dad. (Good thinking Jack.)

Well, this morning, we drove down near the airport to find an office building that I have an interview at Monday morning. I didn't want to be driving around Phoenix trying to find it the morning of the interview and wanted to know where I was going ahead of time. (Yes, I am looking to return to work...long story...kinda sad...I'll save it for another post.) Anyway, we talked to Jack about what we were doing and he cried and got upset about my going to work. Let me clarify that he was only MILDLY sad and this is not the first conversation I have had with him to gear him up for mommy going to work, but this was the first conversation that Stuart was present for. As we were driving home, Stuart wanted to stop at Petco to look at some filters for a bigger fish tank for Jack (one he bought at a garage last weekend...a silly purchase if you ask me.) In the course of looking around Petco, Jack got to hold one of the guinea pigs. Before I knew it, Stuart was picking out a cage and 2 guinea pigs to take home. (You can't buy just one cause they get lonely.) WHAT?! Money is tight right now, so what the heck was he thinking?! 2 guinea pigs, plus a cage. What happened to not getting anymore pets? Jack was so excited he couldn't get to the checkout quick enough...because he's no dummy and knew his parents were likely to change their mind any minute. I was in shock at what was happening. Stuart explained to Jack that it was early birthday present. He then explained to me that Jack was so upset about my going to work that he thought this was necessary. When we got home, Stuart sat Jack down and explained that the guinea pigs were nervous to be in a new home, but that they would feel better after a few days. He also told Jack that although preschool would be new and he would miss mommy while she was at work, that he would feel better too. I was touched. It was so sweet and unexpected.

But, I still don't want to clean out the cage.

P.S. After much argument, I convinced Jack to name them "Tom" and "Jerry." He thought we should just call them "guinea pig." Only after I threatened him with returning them to the pet store did he agreed to naming them Tom & Jerry.

P.P.S He sang to them the whole way home to make them feel better...a made up song telling them to they shouldn't be scared and they would like their new home.

Inventive Mind

2011-08-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Jack invented a new use for his Spiderman web.

He said this was used to suck the juice out of my brain. Should I be worried?

Our Latest Garage Sale Find

2011-08-12T11:45:00.001-07:00

Jack and his latest garage sale find...only $2!

Jack really likes going to Saturday morning garage sales. He is good at spotting toys. While driving by one house, Jack spotted this Nerf gun and insisted we stop. Stuart got out to see it. I was against the purchase because it is big and we are running out of room for Jack's stuff. When I got out of the car to go tell Stuart my thoughts, Jack kept calling from his car seat, "just put it in the car...just put it in the car..." It was so cute we caved.

Projects

2011-08-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Jack has never had a strong interest in art. Coloring and drawing just isn't on his list of favorite things to do. He does, however, really love science, so I try my best to encourage him in this area. It can be really fun. Last week we made volcanoes. (Jack's is the one on the right.)

It's a good thing we painted over a heavy duty tray, because Jack insisted that he needed to thoroughly paint inside the volcano...because that is were most of the lava is. (Note to self: next time use a box with a bottom on it.)

This next project was Jack's idea. He came to me one morning insisting that we do paper mache. I asked him if he knew how to do that and he told me, in great detail, all the steps. I was impressed. Apparently, he learned this from an episode of Curious George. (Some of our best project ideas come from Curious George.) We decided to make a Spiderman pinata for his birthday.

Paper mache is serious business.

It's very messy.

Waiting for it to dry is so hard.

Jack painted it and mom drew the lines.

It's a little rough, but Jack is so proud of it.

It's HOT outside

2011-08-11T08:30:00.001-07:00

When it's too hot outside, you have to get creative. Jack and I did some indoor camping. It was so much fun that we kept the tent up for a few days.

We pretended to camp. We had picnics. We invited all of Jack's favorite toys. And, we hid from Boba Fett.

I love his active imagination.

Weird and Wacky Jack Fact #10

2011-08-08T08:06:00.002-07:00

Jack loves balsamic vinegar. Really loves it. While helping me make dinner last week, he asked for some. I poured some in a little bowl and Jack drank it up.

He was so happy.

Worms

2011-08-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Who knew you could go to Cabela's for an afternoon and come home with some new pets?

Although Jack really loves his fish, it just isn't the same as having a pet he can touch.

Unfortunately, one must have gotten away, as we found a crispy one on the carpet the next morning. Jack was very upset. He really wanted to make him better. We buried him in the front yard.

I feel bad that he is so lonely sometimes. Stuart and I did agree that if we won the lottery, we would adopt, but until then, we might need to reconsider our anti-pet policy.

I Love My Happy Boy

2011-08-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just a few of the reasons I love Jack...

Even when I am only gone for 5 minutes, he greets me as if I have been away for a week.

He shakes his butt when he walks. Seriously, so cute!

He always swallows too much water while swimming because he can't stop smiling to close his mouth.

When we play hide and seek I can always find him because he can't stop giggling.

When he is sad, I ask him if he can be happy for me, and he will stop crying and flash me a big grin (even if it is through big tears.) The best part is, if I am upset with him, he will ask me to be happy and offer to show me how to smile.

The Obession Grows...

2011-08-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

OK, once again, if you don't know the Star Wars movies, you don't need to read this post. Wait, forget that, if you don't know the movies, then you are missing out...seriously. They are awesome. Stop reading this and go watch them first. I mean it. Now.

Anyway, Star Wars is quickly taking over in our house. We watch the movies all the time. Jack's favorite is The Empire Strikes Back. (Convenient for me since that is my favorite too.) He asks for "Episode 5" all the time. Stuart tried to get him interested in episodes 1-3 and assumed that since they were newer, he would love the special effects. But, really, he didn't like them nearly as much. It also backfired. You see, Jack really is invested in the characters, and at the end of Episode 3, when Anakin uses the force to choke Padme, Jack cried. I mean really cried. Big tears. He was so upset. I don't think we will watch that one again.

We tried to join in the fun with Jack this weekend, but we were quickly rebuffed.

Saturday morning we went to McDonald's for breakfast and drove around to check out some garage sales. At the very first house, a little boy was selling a whole pile of his old light sabers. (They no longer make any sounds, but Jack didn't care.) He was thrilled. He only wanted a blue one...like Luke. We insisted he get two so he could play with his friends when they visit. After the purchase, Jack insisted on going home...can't really blame him, I mean, really, how could we top such a great find.

Both boys enjoyed the new toys.

I still crack up when Jack talks about using the force. I swear it sounds like he is saying, "forest."

Helpless

2011-07-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night I woke up to Jack calling to me from his room. He wasn't crying or upset, so I ignored it, hoping he would go back to sleep, or at the very least that my darling husband would be generous enough to go check on him. It worked, Stuart went to check on him. Jack was very adamant that there were "eyes" in his room watching him and that the "eyes" were scaring him. Although, he wasn't crying about it, it was a little freaky. (He still asks what the eyes were doing in his room...) Anyway, it turns out he was burning up with a fever. A fever that has held on for the last few days. Stuart was worried to the point of insisting that he sleep with us a couple of nights so we could monitor him. He is better today, but I really hate when he is sick. Not that you can really tell when he is sick. God blessed us with the happiest sick baby ever. He laughs and plays, despite having a fever of 102.7!

We are very blessed that he is so healthy. In 2 years we haven't had any doctor visits, except for his well checks and flu shots. It's good because I hate when he is sick. I just feel so helpless. I just want so bad to take away his pain.

It's Good to be Jack

2011-07-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

This is the life...

Oh, for the record, he is wearing underpants. They are just hidden behind the bag of popcorn.

Silly Boy

2011-07-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Normal kids are so boring...

Slow Down and Enjoy the Ice Cream

2011-07-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

We ran some errands this morning...in the heat...and Jack was an absolute angel. So, as mom, I made an executive decision. Ice cream for lunch! And the best part for Jack was that we got to go into Dairy Queen to enjoy it, instead of hitting the drive through.

He's a smart kid. It tastes so much better when you take time out of your day to really enjoy it.

Forever a Part of Me

2011-07-21T11:58:00.002-07:00

Stuart snapped this picture while I was watching TV last month. Jack had to sit next to me...cheek to cheek. No matter how much I moved, he repositioned himself right next to me...like we were attached.

It reminds me of when he was a baby. I had an overwhelming need to keep him close to me. Maybe it comes from carrying a child for 9 months, but after I gave birth, I felt like part of me was missing if he wasn't right next to me.
I still feel that way. If I am driving in the car without Jack, I can't help but turn around and check his empty car seat. What can I say? He's forever a part of me. We are bonded forever.

STAR WARS

2011-07-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

If you are not familiar with Star Wars, feel free to skip this post as most of it will not make sense to you...

For those of you still reading, if you haven't heard, Jackson is becoming increasingly obsessed with Star Wars. He wants to watch the movies all the time...well, really just the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, which is just fine with us. As Stuart put it, at least he is watching something we want to watch too. Let me share a glimpse of Star Wars through the eyes of a 3 and half year old little boy:

His names for the characters are great. He calls Obi-Wan Kenobi "Oh One Nobi." R2D2 is "RD2." Jabba the Hut is just "the slimy guy." Oh, and it's not Star Wars...it's "Star Whores"...I just love it!

He loves the "robot cats." (Imperial Walkers, but you have to admit, they do look like robot cats.)

He talks about the storyline all the time, specifically about Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. He continually asks why Darth Vader was bad and tells me, in a very concerned voice, that Luke doesn't want a bad dad, he wants a good dad. He is so happy when Darth Vader redeems himself in the end. He has a Darth Vader action figure. He loves to put the helmet on when he is bad and take it off to show when he is good again.

After watching the original Star Wars movie, Jack and I had this conversation:

Jack: Why they get a medal?

Me: They did a good job.

Jack: RD2 wants a medal. RD2 did a good job.

Last week we were driving in the car. Jack was in his car seat playing with a light saber one of the older neighbor boys had loaned him (he slept with it most nights until we returned it.) Jack dropped it and tried to use the force to pick it up. It was so funny. He kept saying his force was broken.

He gets very involved when watching the movies.

These last 2 videos are long, watch them if you want. I just wanted to give you an idea of how much we talk about Star Wars in our home now.

New Injury

2011-07-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

We interrupt our current blog posts with a report on Jack's latest injury. We spent yesterday morning playing with some of the neighbor kids, Jack's friend Connor and his older sister, Elaina. They had a great time watching Star Wars and building a fort, oops, I mean a Millennium Falcon.

No one wanted the morning to end. When their dad showed up to pick them up, Jack eagerly ran to the door to walk the kids to their car. Unfortunately, he pulled the heavy front door right over the top of his foot.

He really wanted to make sure he didn't lose too much blood, because he didn't want to die.

Lucky for us, he's a brave kid.

And pretty handsome in this picture, if I do say so myself.

Robot Butterfly

2011-07-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I believe we may have found the perfect pet for Jack. The little electronic butterfly. No allergy problems for dad, no smells, no messes, and we don't have to remember to feed it.

Forts are FUN

2011-07-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Where's Jack?

There he is!

Lessons from Jack

2011-07-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Don't do anything half way. If you are going to decorate a cookie, remember frosting and sprinkles are to be used in abundance. If there are still some left in the jar...eat them.

SIDE NOTE: I completely left out the best part of the story in my "Girl Crazy" post in June. Being the sicko that I am, I had to go back and add it.

Bad Dreams

2011-07-12T06:46:00.002-07:00

Last week Jack woke up crying in the middle of the night. Stuart went in to calm him, but Jack only wanted me. When I came in, he stopped crying. (It's hard to be frustrated when he just loves me so much!) I asked if he had a bad dream. He said he did. I asked him what happened and he told me:

I was driving your car.

(sob)

But, I didn't know how to drive.

(sob)

And I crashed... (sob) in the water.

(sob)

And I was crying.

I helped him calm down and then told him he should never drive mommy's car because he is too little to drive. He replied, I'm sorry mommy.

Luckily, most nights he doesn't wake up, but occasionally, he has a bad night. Like last night. 3 times he woke up with nightmares. Once we could hear him loudly say:

Go away bad dream!

Leave me awone!

Fireworks

2011-07-05T12:37:00.001-07:00

After much debate, Stuart and I had all but decided against taking Jack to see fireworks. It is HOT and we didn't want to drive somewhere, park a long way away, walk in the heat to a park, then sit in the heat waiting for a show. We thought we would just drive Jack around in the car and see what we could see from the air-conditioned comfort of our car. Well, a few of our neighbors decided to go up to Anthem Saturday night to see the fireworks. They assured us they knew a place to go and park...further away from everything, but still with a great view. They let us know the kids could play in the grass, but we would be nowhere near the carnival so we wouldn't have to worry about Jack begging for treats and kiddie rides. Stuart and I discussed it, but were not convinced it was something we wanted to do. Jack, hearing our conversation, felt otherwise. He was so excited we had to go. He was, literally, bouncing around the house in anticipation.

Jack picked out a special outfit for the occasion. Apparently, he felt a celebration of America's independence was more of a formal affair than we did.

First thing he put on was his tie.

Then, his shirt. Backwards. He was more than a little frustrated that I insisted on taking his picture before helping him turn his shirt around the right way.

He even insisted on a belt. Although, his only belt did not match, I thought it was too cute to make him change.

The kids had a blast and ran around like crazy waiting for the fireworks.

Stuart took a few pictures.

Since they lasted till almost 10:30pm, Jack was a little tired and was asleep the second we got him in the car.

Going...

Gone...

Sewing with Mom

2011-07-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

This week I broke out my sewing machine to finally finish some pillows for our bedroom. Jack was very excited. Anything mechanical excites him. When I finished, I decided to hem a pair of his pajamas that were too long for him. In my continual effort to let go of my desire for everything to be perfect, I let Jack cut and sew them himself (with my help, of course.) They look a little weird, but Jack is so proud of them!

And, the pillows look awesome.

They make the bed look so much nicer.

I asked Jack if my tools were better than his dad's tools. Nope. He still thinks dad's are cooler.

Father's Day

2011-06-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Because we returned from Canada very late the night before Father's Day, it made planning a surprise breakfast a little tricky. So, on Father's Day, Jack and I woke up early and snuck out of the house. Jack was thrilled to be part of the surprise. He dressed very quietly and we went to Einstein's to pick up dad's favorite bagels, some fruit, and coffee. He whispered as we gathered dad's gifts, cards, and food and prepared his breakfast tray. He was so cute.

Jack loves his dad. Me too.

Girl Crazy

2011-06-30T10:07:00.002-07:00

On our journey to Canada, we changed planes in Chicago before heading to Buffalo, where we drove the rest of the way there. (It's cheapest that way.) On the flight from Chicago to Buffalo, Jack met a friend. A 4 year old girl sat directly behind him and he was immediately smitten with her. They were adorable. Jack kept giving her his stuff: his headphones, his toys, his handheld game player, everything. She reciprocated by passing snacks up to Jack. It was so cute to watch. When we got off the plane, Jack and I were waiting outside the bathroom in the airport for Stuart when Jack spotted the girl. He took off running after her. I had to abandon our bags and RUN to catch him. Full out run! Sheesh. Later, at baggage claim, they spotted each other and ran to meet, giving each other a big, looong hug. Jack then took her by the hand and started to try to escape out of the airport with her. Sheesh.

Jack is a big flirt. And he loves girls. Lucky for him, his Aunt Alicia rents out her basement apartment and her tenant babysat her granddaughter, Sophia, the last night we were there. Jack was thrilled. He was very homesick on this trip because it really is more of a grown-up visit, without much to entertain him and no other kids around. But, the arrival of Sophia was great. They swam in a blow up pool and played in the garden. They even played Legos together the next morning while I packed. In the middle of Lego playtime, he turned and whispered to me, asking if he could change into his jeans and Ben 10 shirt. (This is his go to outfit when he wants to impress a girl.) I said yes and he ran out of the room. He returned a few minutes later, completely naked, with one hand cupped over his penis. I told him to go get dressed. He grabbed Sophia by the hand and said she had to come with him! (Heather and Karen about rolled off the couch laughing.) He still asks about Sophia.

As a side note, I delayed blogging these stories because, although they are cute, there was a sad ending. About a week after we returned home, we heard that Sophia's grandmother died suddenly, and unexpectedly. All I can think of is her conversation with me about moving back to Canada to spend more time with her grandchildren, and how lucky those kids were to get to spend some time with her before she died. Those memories will be so important to them.

Just like Caillou

2011-06-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

In case you are just tuning into this blog, Jack loves Caillou. It's a PBS cartoon about a 4 year old boy, which is actually produced in Canada. As we prepared for our trip to Canada, Stuart told Jack about all of the things we would do that were "just like Caillou," things Jack (and apparently Stuart) had watched on various episodes.

We looked at Caillou's house. OK, it was a house that resembled the one in the cartoon, but Jack bought it. In fact, Jack pointed out the neighbor's house must be Mr. Hinkle's home (also from the cartoon.)

He really wanted to go to a maple forest to help make maple candy. We couldn't do that, but we did take him to a farmer's market that sold maple candy. Good enough for Jack!

The only problem we had was strawberry picking. Stuart promised him we could pick strawberries. Jack asked to do it every day. We put him off each day, telling him we would do it tomorrow. Toward the end of our trip, we realized we better do it soon, only to find out there really wasn't any place to do it since we arrived during the wrong time of year. We convinced Jack to settle for buying some at a roadside stand. He was happy. He did not, however, eat any of the strawberries. For all of the talk and excitement, he only licked them.

The Garden

2011-06-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Can you even find Jack in this picture? He's next to the giant tree. These were taken in Jack's Aunt Alicia's backyard. She has an incredible garden, which was a good place for Jack to run around.

She does all of the gardening herself. It is just beautiful.

I asked Stuart if he'd ever want to move back, after all, the landscape is beautiful. He said something like, "hell no." (I'm paraphrasing.) As beautiful as it was, his allergies were making him crazy. (Heather's allergies were even worse, she had a hard time even being outside for a few minutes.) Even Jack and I were feeling the impact...and we don't normally have issues. Oh well, it is a beautiful place to visit.

Daddy has the Coolest Friends!

2011-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sure, sitting on that tractor at Granddad's was fun, but it was nothing compared to the days that followed. You see, Stuart knows a lot of farmers. A couple of visits to these friends turned our trip up north into a dream vacation for Jackson.

We started with a visit to one of Stuart's oldest and best friends, Jeff. Except for being bitten by a horse, Jack had a good time.

And when Jeff agreed to take him for a little ride around the farm, Jack was thrilled.

A few days later we went to Stuart's friend Danny's vineyard where Jack found more equipment to explore.

Jack was nervous around Danny until he gave him a tractor ride, which quickly won over Jack.

Have you ever seen such a happy boy?

Nana & Granddad

2011-06-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

Jack loved hanging out on the farm at his Nana and Granddad's. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of Jack with Nan and Grandad. (What is wrong with me?!) I did, however, get some pics at their house.

Jack was thoroughly entertained by his cousin Daryl.

But, the real fun was exploring the outdoors.

We didn't come at the right time to pick any fruit, but it was still fun.

Notice Jack trying to sneak into the barn in the background.

He was obsessed with the water pump.

The bubbles were fun too.

Granddad's tractor was an exciting find...and a nice sneak preview for later in the trip. More on that in a future post.

One of my favorite moments was during one dinner at the house. When Jack saw the beautifully set table, he asked me if it was thanksgiving. I guess that was the last time we set a formal table at our house.

Butterflies

2011-06-23T15:16:00.002-07:00

While in Canada, we took Jack to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls. It was so cool. I mean, seriously, I have been to the seasonal exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo, but they aren't even in the same league. Jack loved it. I loved watching Stuart explore with his son.

I had to get video, because pictures just cannot adequately demonstrate how many butterflies there were.

There were so many that they were constantly landing on you. I'll share a few of the pictures we got of the butterflies.

The flowers were pretty spectacular too.

Time with Dad

2011-06-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

One great thing about staying at Jack's Aunt Alicia's home is that about 5 houses down the street is the lake.

It's a great spot for Jack and his dad to feed the geese.

Geese really like sausage mcmuffins from McDonald's.

Stuart is such a great dad.

REUNION

2011-06-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a week of visiting family in Canada. I have lots to share, but thought I would start with the most important pics first: Jack with his sisters.

He missed Heather and Karen so much!

With Heather in college and Karen in high school, they are no longer on the same schedules. This makes getting all 3 kids together at the same time very difficult. These are the first pics of the 3 of them together in almost 2 years!

Smells Good

2011-06-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, one of Jack's friends gave him a flower from his yard. Jack smelled it and I asked him if it smelled good. His reply?

Mmmm...it smells good. It smells like pancakes.

He does this kind of thing a lot. He will sniff perfume and tell me it smells good, like dinner. It is really odd because his description is never something expected.

Pool Play

2011-06-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

Most evenings you can find our family playing in the pool. Now, technically, Jack doesn't swim; he dog paddles...with the help of his inflated swim top. He is so good that we were fooled into letting him try without the swimsuit...he didn't do so well, so we are back to the life vest.

Jack always looks so happy when he is swimming.

It's a great way to spend our time together.

Jack loves the time with his dad.

I love how well he sleeps after playing in the pool.

Jack Loves Bremen

2011-06-07T14:11:00.001-07:00

Last month Jack got to see his favorite cousin, Bremen. He was thrilled. Bremen turned 8 and we went to Gilbert to see him be baptized.

Bremen and Uncle Kevin (Grandma is smiling in the background.)

Afterward, we went to Bremen's house to celebrate with some water play.

Later we had some ice cream treats.

Obviously, Jack was impatient that I made him wait until I took a few pictures before I helped him clean up his mess.

As an added bonus, Bremen came up to stay the night at our house.

Luckily, Bremen is becoming so much more patient with his adoring cousin.

Silly Boy

2011-06-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know a band-aid can fix anything? Even a runny nose? I didn't, but Jack insisted on it.

Perfect

2011-06-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

I knew from the time I was very young that I wanted to be a mother. Motherhood, however, wasn't something that came to me until later, so I had lots of time to think about it. I admit, I had visions of what parenthood would be like, what my child would be like. Pre-parenthood is a wonderful, blissful time when you can imagine perfection. Actual children, however, are seldom like we imagined. They are messy. They are stinky. They are loud. They are challenging. And, they are exhausting. I am certain God made the most challenging ones extra cute so we don't kill them. (And Jack is REALLY cute, so you know what that means...)

Despite all the work, it is worth it. And, fortunately for the sake of my sanity, I have a pretty relaxed attitude when it comes to children. Maybe it is because I was in my 30s when I had my son. Maybe it is because of the years I spent as a babysitter, a nanny, and a daycare worker. Maybe it was the elementary education courses I took in college. Maybe it was being the oldest of 6 children. I don't know. I do know that parenthood is way too competitive. Children are pushed to an extreme to excel. And, we all get sucked into the contest. Mothers brag because their kid can recite the alphabet first, are potty-trained the youngest, or are the most obedient. They push their kids to do sports, study, and act perfectly when they are so little.

It's really hard not to get drawn into the battle.

However, I believe very strongly that kids should be kids...not mini adults. Now, I'm not a overly lax parent who thinks children should be without boundaries or discipline, but I do try to keep my expectations realistic. I also try to remember that the best thing I can give my son is a childhood. Why do I need to rush him into anything? This is the one time where he can have fun and act a little crazy. (It's much less socially acceptable to do when you are 40 years old.)

I'm also blessed to have people in my life who are supportive of my attitude. And I know God sends them to me when I am feeling the most discouraged. At the risk of making this post into a novel, I will share a recent story. A couple of weeks ago, I took Jack to his Aunt Marcy's house to celebrate the baptism of his cousin Bremen. For a couple of days leading up to the party, I was feeling very frustrated...for silly reasons I won't get into. (As I said, it's easy to get sucked into a place where you let others make you feel like an inadequate parent, or worse, that your child is less that he should be.) Anyway, there were a group of boys running and playing in the backyard. I stood and watched them with my mom and my Aunt Cindy. My mom noticed some mud splattered on the fence in the backyard and asked what it was. I replied that Bremen is an 8 year old boy and I am certain he threw mud at the fence at one point or another. My aunt chimed in and said the question should be why there wasn't more mud, that was the real concern, Bremen is a typical boy after all. She then joked with me about the challenge of raising boys and how she often had family members make her feel like she shouldn't bring them to events because of their wild behavior.

I can't tell you how much she brightened my day. She helped me remember that my son is perfect the way he is and if anyone thinks he is too much to handle, then they don't have to see him...and that is definitely their loss. Because, Jack is awesome...and I wouldn't trade him for another kid...ever. God gave me the kid that is right for me. He runs and plays and laughs and I love everything about his personality.

Saving the World

2011-05-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Jack informed me he was "saving the world" while he was playing his little video game player that Stuart bought in China last year. Of course, I had to get video. I know this is long, but I was cracking up over his facial expressions while he was playing.

Summer Investments

2011-05-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

I know I spoil Jack...just a little bit. And, I was determined not to buy any new toys until his birthday....except...I had to get a few summer essentials this year. We bought a slip and slide and a "snow cone making machine" (as Jack would say.) Less than $40 total and it is was money well spent as it is helping us have a very fun summer...so far.

Jack loves the snow cones.

He really loved having his friends over to play on his new slip and slide. However, he much preferred playing with his dad on it.

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer, I know we are.