We're home!

 

 We are back from our trip and settled in nicely. Jack woke up at 4am this morning ready to go so hopefully we can get him back on west coast time asap. I have SOOO many pictures to post but I have a few things I have to get done first. Sadly, this blog falls into the "optional luxury" category of my time. But we had a blast and I can't wait to share the pictures!!

Week in Review - 8/11/12

 

 Well here are the pics from our week at home before we fly off to the east coast. Cute as usual. :) Jumping is very popular nowadays.

 

 

 And here are the rest of the pics!

 

reading with daddy

still have to work on his spoon skills

drum class at the park

asleep in the car...but doesn't want to let go of his laptop toy

chewing on a straw...just like mommy

beating the 105 degree heat

playing peekaboo with the curtains

And we're off!

 

Today we leave to fly to the east coast for an epic trip that will take us from DC to Philly to Harrisburg to New York state to New Jersey to Manhattan. We are excited to see everyone and nervous about our little unknown that we like to call Jack. How will he handle it? Scream on the flight? Not be able to sleep at all in a pack n' play? Continue this recent behavior of being a grumpy toddler who likes to say "no"? Truthfully, he'll probably be fine. We'll see. You'll certainly hear about it when we're back. 

Regardless of how he acts, he sure looks damn cute in his new backpack that's ready for travel. Thanks Grandma!

 

Terrible Twos?

 

 So my little adorable baby is all grown up. And for a few weeks, months, he was just so adorable. But the past two weeks has seen a bit of a shift. He's turned into a cranky toddler. He loves screaming "no" and shaking his head. If he doesn't want to do something he'll shriek and make his whole body tight and flail around. And all of a sudden he doesn't want to do things. He has strong opinions. He's stubborn (like his parents). I know all of this is 100% average and normal, it's just tiring. Especially since he's worst around me. Of course, I guess most kids reserve their best whining for mom. I was just hoping he'd be in a great place for our upcoming trip back east. But no, everyone will get a handful of a cranky toddler! (but a toddler with a haircut.)

 

Birthday Parties for kiddos

 

Check out that giant blow-up water slide. Whoa. That was at one of the two birthday parties we went to on Sunday. Quite a set-up for a one year old. Of course, it wasn't for the baby but for some of the 85 (!) guests who had assembled. I have to say, standing in 100 degree heat, I totally wished that I was 8 years old so that I could go down that slide. Looked pretty fun. Of course, Jack was too young for that but he did play around in the kiddie pool. The kid sure loves water.

 

jumping up to make a big splash

 

making a break for it

Our second party was for a two year old and they had a bouncy castle. Elmo's Fun House to be exact. And, man oh man, Jack loved it. I think his daddy liked it even better and the two of them were in there for probably an hour total. They had to keep taking water breaks because they were sweating but it was pretty darn adorable.

 

John showing Jack how to get some air

bouncing!

Week in Review - 8/4/12

 

 As Jack creeps closer to 1 1/2 years old he gets cuter and cuter and more and more difficult. :) First, the cuteness.

   

 I mean, really. He's adorable. And loves his mommy which is awesome. But he has also learned how to say no and has no trouble using it. And, something more troubling to me, sometimes he gets in these moods where he is seriously anti-social and doesn't want to share. He'll start crying if someone is using the truck he wants or on the slide he wants to go down. Not just sad but pissed off. Sigh. I have tried to do what I can when he gets like that but I guess it'll just take time before he learns to share and be, well, nicer and friendlier. In the mean time, at least he's pretty smiley when he's at home with me.

   

He is really into letters and numbers now. Here he is practicing saying his alphabet with daddy in the bath.

   

 As usual, he can't get enough running and climbing and jumping. The kid loves some good action-packed playtime.

 

the middle of a really intense jump

"ready, set, go!"

 

 And now, more pics from the week!

 

peek-a-boo

making chalk drawings

Get involved

 

Well, I feel like I've slowed down my blogging a little.  I certainly didn't mean to.  It's just that I can only work on my computer when Jack is asleep.  So that means I don't open my computer until 8 or 8:30pm and then I have about two or three hours until bedtime.  That sounds like a long time so I don't know what in the heck I'm doing but the time sure does fly.

One thing I've been doing is getting more involved in my Moms club.  I'm sure I've mentioned the fact that I'm in a club here locally for moms who are stay-at-home or work from home.  It's a national non-profit organization with chapters in different cities.  I guess one reason it's worked for me is because there's a structure to meeting people.  You have to pay dues (a very small amount) but it means that everyone wants to be there and wants to participate.  I was never going to be the person who would make new mom friends at the local Starbucks or the park.  But within this club I got to join a smaller 15-person playgroup with kids all Jack's age.  And I got welcome phone calls and emails from the President of the club and my assigned "big sister".  Really, the only unfortunate comparison I can make is probably to a sorority.  I guess I shouldn't say "unfortunate"...it's just that I'm clearly not a sorority type of girl.  OBVIOUSLY.

It keeps us busy though because we have our playgroup once a week.  And then there are activities for the whole club (about 115 members) about once or twice a week as well.   But back to why I haven't been blogging so much.  I've gotten more involved in the club so it's taking up a little bit of my "post-Jack bedtime" time.  First I took over the newsletter coordinator position so every month I put together our 20 page newsletter.  I volunteered because I knew it would be totally something I like doing.  Like a dork, I love doing the layouts and the graphics and working with fonts (so many different fonts!!).  But, man, it certainly does take some time.  I'm sure if I wasn't such a perfectionist and into making it look good it would take less time but, alas, it is what it is.

Then a week or two ago I got a call from the president (not THAT President, just a nice mother of two who lives a few blocks away) saying that one of the executive board members dropped out and would I become the new treasurer.  Sure, I thought.  Why not?  Well, I'm sure it'll be fun for the next year but it is certainly a commitment.  Board training retreat later this month, monthly board meetings, my name on a bank account and handling all the money...yikes.  But I'm happy to be busy doing something.  It's nice to have a job.

So, that was a REALLY long way of saying, I'm sorry I've been neglecting the blog a little.  I'll try to pick up the pace because, god knows, the internet needs even more pictures of Jack being cute.  :)

Vroom, Vroom!

 

 So it turns out that when you're fresh out of ideas for a way to spend an afternoon, there's one place you can always turn to. Too hot for the park, too crowded at the zoo, too tired to go swimming...head to Toys R' Us!

 Jack ran through the aisles like an excited crazy person. He cried when his daddy dragged him away from the train table after 15 minutes of playing. He whined when we wouldn't let him push the toy shopping cart through every aisle. He pushed every button on every computer game. But his favorite by far was this $350 Mustang car. Oh man, he loved it. And the car was so cool with so many realistic button and shifts and everything. It was certainly hard to drag him away but I think we'll be back the next time I need to kill time. Of course, getting out without buying anything was impossible. I'll try harder next time.