Getting Ready

One of the points of not finding out the gender was to prevent unnecessary stuff coming into our very little cramped, low storage space house. It will happen after but then if it's a boy, maybe not because the garage is overflowing with stuff already.

Lots of fun playtimes being had.  And wrapping up school in two weeks keeps us busy.

No beach needed

Mothers Day Tea at school

So anyway, the nice thing about having nice friends is that they will help you get ready for said baby and make you feel special by throwing sprinkles that make the birthing seem imminent and that we should probably start to address it.

Soooo, fires were burning not too far away so we got some refugees for a slumber party! Our buddies came to play and have dinner with us and everyone got along very well and slept well enough if not great.  Then Friday night, the ladies from the street threw me a little baby shower. I sort of down played their planning so there were no games or any of that, but lovely homemade decorations and some good salads and apps. But it was a good night to be kid free and catch up/gossip about the neighborhood.

Sleepover buds

Saturday, we got to host lunch for Rachels 6 day old baby and Mia and the three other boys that came along with those two friends. Rick worked 8-6 so missed all the fun, but came home in time for me to have a little girls night out dinner with my friends.

Sunday rolled around, Jake, Violet and Dexter came over early and somehow, I had managed to sneak back in bed for an hour so missed this playtime. But, we ran down to the playground to meet Troy and Liam then grab bagels with them.

Kids love sand. The end.

I was pooped from all this fun and then Bobby had no school on Monday so we got to extend the weekend!

Then Tuesday, my lovely friends again and the running club had a surprise baby shower for me after our run.  It was awesome. Nice spread, great food, even good decorations for a playground and I got lots of diapers.

I literally turned around when they yelled surprise.

Best donuts ever. And You know it's bad when brownies need an extra deep pan

And some healthy stuff. Really fresh actually.

So the stuff is coming in and I literally have nowhere to put anything.  Jacks room is set up for him. We have a portacrib/bassinet in the master and will have a changing pad on our dresser, but I have to rig some buckets for diapers and clothes or something.  A little dresser or shelves at least.

Not small.

Also I realized, as I've know for a while now, we really have all our eggs in one basket when it comes to special Vic times through the year.  My birthday, Mothers Day, Ricks Birthday, Bobbys birthday,  Petunias birthday, Fathers Day, Jacks Birthday. All within ten weeks or so, add in graduations in a few years and we'll be all partied out in May and June.

Unrelated but I took the long way home because it was so gorgeous out.
And unable to be captured on a camera phone.

Boys are doing well. Three 95-100 degree days with no air conditioning is not fun. Our house is on the end of the street and has no big trees or houses on one side, plus two high uncovered windows so half the house was at least 85 degrees, probably more. Is like to think keeping windows shaded in the bedrooms helped but they also got pm sun, so I don't know how any of us slept. Except Rick. That's his ideal weather. 

Bobby is in a good place. Getting more mature, listening decently, able to be reasoned with. His fascination with card games then rock, paper, scissors continues with board games and mazes and connect the dots. Much to ricks chagrin, he loves his sleeveless shirts. (We don't need more) it's usually not warm enough here even in summer to wear them, but he has gotten such a kick out of them; with his pale skinny arms, it's pretty funny. 

Jacks lack of language causes some outbursts. Luckily I can usually decipher what he wants though. He is doing this weird thing where when he gets mad, and he hits himself in the head or bits the skin on his hand. Hmmm...

37 week appointment today. Nothing happening. Hope to make it past Bobby's birthday. But I guess it's not up to me!

There are a bunch (like 8!) fires burning south of us on the base and in San Diego county. With the heat and winds, it's been rough. Some of them are big brush fires and one or two in more populated areas. Scary stuff, but far from us luckily. 

Bobby has apparently mastered War and other card games because he's now onto Rock, Paper, Scissors and he loves it.

He can also do a forward flip in the air on the trampoline. I've only seen him land it on his butt, but he's close to standing.

I'm thinking about speech therapy with Jack. I know its' not a big deal yet, but he really should have more of a vocabulary. He is very expressive and knows what he wants, but he's getting frustrated I think. He's getting more out, sort of an alphabet song and he knows that please (pees) is a magic word. If he 'eh eh eh' wants something, and you look at him, he'll shout out a please expecting to get it. He is in there though man. He is sooo good at matching pictures in books or puzzle pieces and can point out shapes.

And I can only hope everyone remembers what goes around comes around and how I support all these little people on the street and their school fundraising and lemonade stands.  I can't say no, but I could sure spend my discretionary funds much better.

April

What's new.
Jack is the best. I mean he's a total pain sometimes, but he's still great.

• We have this wheels on the bus book and I don't know why but it's illustrated in like 1950s Czechoslovakia or something like that. So the people are waiting in line for the bus, Jack insists on kissing the pages. 
• He notices the most amazing things in books.  If there's a picture on the inside that's also on the outside, he'll flip to the cover and point it out to you.
• And then in the Are you my Mother? book, when the big snort (construction machine) comes on the page, he will flip back to the page where the bird falls out of the nest.
• He's pretty good at recognizing shapes. And of course animals, adding to his repertoire daily. Fox, bull, donkey, puffin, etc - way past the farm animals.
• He can play memory / do matching decently.
• He is a creature of habit. He must have his clothes and diapers put on, and if you don't, he'll go to his room and get them for you. He doesn't like our new trashcan and keeps moving it away and pulling the old one back into its place.
• He is getting a lot more vocal and trying more words when you ask him. Still mainly grunts though. 
• He is crazy clingy and always wants to sit on my lap or drag me places.  He's fine once I'm totally out of the house, but if I'm here, he's at my side. 

Bobby is pretty great.  Doing well, playing hard, learning and using new words. He has gotten into baseball watching, not just playing it. He needs some activities but I've delayed too much and I don't know how to schedule it with #3 coming.  I think he would like karate and gymnastics, maybe even music, but he says he doesn't want to go anywhere.  What he has started doing is dressing like Daddy,  if daddy sleeps in boxers and a long sleeve, that's what Bobby wants to wear.  If Rick wears a short sleeve over a long sleeve, so will Bobby.  Bobby is crazy into card games.  Judy gave him a set of Rummy/War (dollar store) then Grandma got him a similar set totally without knowing, with Crazy 8s and Go Spidey (Fish) and brought some regular ones and man have we all had to play A LOT!

Easter was a good weekend.  We had a Stroller Warriors egg hunt on Friday. Jack helped hide eggs with me, which meant he spent the whole time picking them and handing them to me. But when it was time to hunt for them, he had no interest.  Saturday, we and the four young neighbor families went to the city hunt. It was a good time, we saw the bunny, there was a petting zoo. and Bobby did nicely at the hunt.  Again, Jack had no interest.  He got to a lollipop and quit.  It was the kind of nutty thing where some parents get really ugly and do the hunting for their kid, all for the sake of five bucks worth of free candy.  We let them go and did fine.  Sunday, we hid about 15 eggs in the backyard and they went after them together and shared really nicely.  Grandma helped stock our baskets and it was a nice weekend topped off with our return to soda pop at the Outback!

Grandma had a rough visit that started with Bobby puking the first night she was here.  Almost 5, his first time ever. He got the stomach bug from our ever sickly neighbors. He was up for about 3 hours then we had a quiet next day. Thursday - Jack pukes during his nap. All over the place. Then he finished his nap sleeping on me. But then he was totally fine after that. Thursday night, my turn.  I had what felt like morning sickness and just queasiness. Puke, then not really able to rest.  Grandma got the nausea all day Friday and basically lost that day to bed. Hopefully got some rest, although Bobby kept running in there asking if she was doing any better.  Friday night, Rick got really sick. So we were all sort of useless as it lingered a lot longer in adults than kids and presented as more flu like too.

Then we got better, spring break was over.  I went out to a lovely birthday breakfast with my girlfriends and dinner with Rick. Nice to have a babysitter in the house! Tuesday it got up over 90 degrees, so Bobby and Grandma went to the pool during Jacks nap time, and Grandma fell and fractured a bone in her foot.  Ever the trooper, she flew home, but then went right to the doctor and is now on crutches.

So May should be pretty fun and Grandma will have a chance at redemption and we'll do a pretend party for Bobby since his birthday week may be busy….

I truly understand now that toddlers experience things through all five senses. Taste included. This one loves to taste things.  It's more than just putting things in his mouth. He wants to eat/lick markers, bubble wands, and pretty much everything else he shouldn't. 

We are by no means potty training, but he does sit on the toilet whenever he doesn't have a diaper on. The problem with this and his particular anatomy is that he can hold on with one hand and now takes the other hand and sticks it right into the stream. 

Jack loves basketball, he has a really good jump shot and solid one handed form, but he also likes to watch it on tv now and claps whenever someone makes a shot. It's pretty adorable.

He is getting pretty good at the chunky puzzles and matching what should go where. His animal sounds and gestures are quite extensive as you saw and we've added in alligator too! He knows a lot of body parts too.  Don't ask him to say any words though. Thats on his own terms.

I have found the least gratifying activities of playing with your children.

1. Filling up water balloons
2. Building sand castles
3. Setting up kiddie bowling pins

 The set up to take down time ratio is so lopsided.

It was fairly early and DST

Must stop making impromptu trips to the beach, or at least put a towel in the car. It was 80-85 all weekend so we went both mornings after our walk and it was so nice. Jack is a little shy of crashing waves, but he warms up to it.

Loves the cold water

Loves the sand

Jacks dog bark is evolving. It used to sound like he was blowing bubbles but now he's getting a little more woof in there. I have to capture his oink and meow on video. It kills me. Still not so many other words but dang, if he isn't super bossy with his grunts and pushes. 

My favorite sight

After the beach Sunday, we went straight outside to ride bikes and other items, then the ice cream truck comes by (always right before lunch) more scooting over the ramp, someone got out a sprinkler, trampoline jumping and so on. 

Needless to say, they slept well that night. 

Circled up totally on their own (around the hamster)

Knees like his mommas

I don't want to be all stereotypical, but this one is all boy. I still have scars on my knees from skinning them, but you could attribute that to clumsiness rather than risky and fast moves like Bobby.

Practicing

I'd love to say he was loving on his baby doll and all that, when really, he was just stopping to take him out and put him on the floor, preferring to push an empty stroller.  He will give the baby kisses but regards it cautiously.  Jack doesn't even like when Bobby and I snuggle, so June will be very very interesting. Three years apart might have been a good separation after all, two is pushing it with a jealous/protective kid like Jack.

A little pat on the back tonight. We were outside all afternoon and when we finally came in it was six o'clock. Oops. And we had some followers.  So bag of meatballs and a bag of broccoli, and I fed six kids! And it was calm and everyone had good manners. And I was the only adult there. 

Jack got up at 5 today but we pushed through on a walk to the beach then to the playground and lunch out even, then he napped from 1 until  4. That's like the schedule bobby had at this age so I'm going to try to get to that. But I will be the first to admit, I love my Mondays and/or Wednesdays when bobby is at school and jack naps at 9 or 10am. But maybe that is too much afternoon time awake and it's affecting his overnights. I don't feel the need to have my mornings free to clean and plan and whatnot when I'm so pooped and cooking this bun. 

For as bad as the rest of the country had an eternal winter with record low temps and snowfall, we didn't have a winter at all. Last year, there were 50s ad maybe even some days in the 40s, but nothing this year. Just Christmas Eve on the beach. Huh. 

You know I thought 5:30 was bad, but I would give anything for those days. And I also thought he was getting up because he was hungry but nope. 4:30, or earlier, wake ups seem to be out of spite and he wants me to look and feel terrible. Mission accomplished. And I need everyone to know because my whining seems to fall on a deaf ear at this hour.

 

No one will ever enjoy those long lashes (without mascara at least)

#2 (The Middle One)

You can assume the second child is accelerated (like his parents) but no one tells you how much.  I don't look at 18 (19) month milestones, but I don't need to. I am putting our half high chair away. He will have nothing to do with it, even pulled up to the table without a tray. He wants to ride the big pedal bikes and climb way higher than he should.  Bobby teaches him everything, good and bad, (most recently to shake his finger and say no, no, no - and Jack is such a mimic. He's talking/chattering a lot more bit by bit. He only wants a real cup. This is all fine and not that shocking, but I want my little toddler, not this wannabe preschooler.  Speaking of which, whenever I drop off Bobby, Jack throws a FIT in the parking lot as we are walking away. He is absolutely CRUSHED to not be allowed to stay and play. Might not be a bad thing to do a short mommys morning out next year. Another incisor came through last night. I guess that could be blamed on the 12/3/4am wake ups. Time to stock up on tylenol again.

Another shorts and tshirt day here. But apparently an honest goodness rain storm is coming. Sooo exciting.

25 weeks, I think. 15 pounds gained but watch out for some serious acceleration. I've drastically cut back on running and don't have a gym or any other outlet for exercise. 

I think I need to get rid of that queen bed and give Petunia a semi real nursery. Most nights I would give my left leg for a soft rocking chair. 

Jack has gotten one of his incisors, I don't know if that's the cause but he definitely has a short wake up every night where it just seems he misses me. 

Bobby is a stud. Which we thought but we got results of his kindergarden evaluation and he is testing above his age level. Seemingly no big deal but the other papers I saw when they turned them back to us as a group was a mix of check marks in age appropriate and above etc. So he's smart and his teachers love him. His conference went really well and he must really save all his acting up for me. All the concerns I have about paying attention and following orders, don't apply, so school works for him. 

We are leaning towards another year at his current school, they have smaller classes, newer playground equipment, use smart boards and iPads, have PE, art, music, Spanish and computer classes. All things the public schools have to go away from because of money I guess. I also like uniforms and the faith formation. It's also a full day for kinder. The only issue and main deciding factor is the yearly seven grand that I could so much better save elsewhere or spend on gymnastics and music classes for jack. Guess we'll have to stick with free activities. I mean bobby taught himself to swim, the others will too. I do have to find summer camps or something for July when the babe comes. 

Now accepting applications

For a nanny. Hours: 4:30am to 7am. 

We had such a good day today, I almost forgot it started at 4:30am. I don't know why Jack has started waking again, but it's really annoying. It's usually just once, but last night was three times, so we were letting him cry, which woke up Bobby and then Bobby promptly runs into Jacks room, pulls over a stool and starts to get Jack out of the crib. !

We were at Jakes playing one afternoon and since the husbands were working late she invited us to stay for dinner. Then after sitting down, totally unprompted, Bobby said that we have to pray first. And then he led the blessing. Of course, dinner was a total chaotic disaster, but I was proud of him for that part at least.

I've always said how Bobby likes putting the lego models together from instructions so much more than free play with them. He'll play with the bat mobile, but not with the pile of bricks we have. But maybe it was just an access thing. We dumped the big box out onto a blanket and he went to town! He made all sort of inventions and it was really great. And that's what his teacher alluded to at our conference - not that he doesn't like art, he just needs to see the stuff.  Our crayons are out, but I cannot leave markers or paint just sitting there!

The boys are playing with each other in earnest these days. Its great to see and makes me so happy. Of course, I am just waiting for one of them to break a bone, but for now, they are really enjoying each other.

Jacks new thing is reaching in kitchen drawers that he can't see, and sometimes hanging on them if he can wiggle them open far enough. So thats just great.

Jack loves LOVES his blanket. Bobby never had a stuffed animal or blanket, so I think this is adorable. He goes and gets it at bedtime and loves hugging with it. Bobby technically has a blanket that he stole from grammys third floor only when he saw Cash and Cooper had one last summer, when Bobby was four. And he's pretty indifferent to it in general. I don't know what the difference in them was.

Jack loves climbing up to the top bunk alone, bouncing on the mattress, and then swinging his legs over the rail and dangling down the lower full mattress to get down. If you try to spot him, he'll get back up and move to another spot.  Side note, I hate changing bunk bed sheets. It's the worst.

We have these two little kids chairs.  Jack got his for Christmas and while they are more often upside down being climbed on or creating a fort wall, Jack sits in his occasionally. And only his. One is beige (was beige) and one is brown, and he only goes to the brown one. It's really interesting.

Jack can do a somersault and stay about 90% straight from where he takes off. I should probably splurge on a Little Gym class before Baby Petunia (this weeks name) comes.

If I stop running, will this child be calm and docile? Is it nature or nurture? A gender thing? These boys are so busy and will not sit still. And I've always thought it was because I was so active. Not exactly cause and effect, and of course there are anecdotes to all points (and of course -toddlerhood being the main cause), but they came out easy and moving and haven't stopped since.

The name fights have begun. I will share them, just so you can see how I will be bullied out of my choices.  First Ricks;  Mark Paul, or Mary. That's it. Sorry Grandma Dailey, nothing personal, but not happening. Mine: (and these have been mine since before Bobby) Luke, Charlie, Henry, (Ale)Xander, Tucker. OR- Libby, Caroline, Sadie, Campbell, haven't gotten too far on girls - way too many choices.

We also have to get serious about looking at a new car. The 4Runner is just so narrow. That and I seem to have the widest car seats ever. I'd like to put these two next to each other even now, but one would tend to lean away and theres no shoulder belt, let alone latch in the middle seat.  So what do we get rid of: a 2002 with 140,000 miles, or a 2006 with 260,000 miles? Actually the older for sure, it needs tires and probably a slew of services, but has been a very good mom car and could last another 100K for sure. So looking at used cars, do you pay more for a newer used car, or spend less for higher miles. Seeing as how, I'll probably have this car for 10 years, it's not bad to make an investment, Just have to make Rick see it like that. And then in five years, when business is really kicking, he can get his luxury sedan. We just need to do this, because house buying is put on the back burner, but more because the safety features between a 2002 and 2010 car are light years apart.  (Just thinking out loud, thanks)

This month also marks decision time for kindergarden.  We have to send in our letter to return to our current school which we applied for and did the evaluation testing.  Or, we have to start the process for the public school. Which seems cut and dry: check school reputation, budget, priorities (length of day, class size, uniforms, art, technology, music, language) etc. But we also have two schools in Laguna Niguel that, even though out of district, are only about two miles away and we can choose to apply to either of those. How does one know what to do? We want to be locked in by first grade, so we have one more year of wiggle room, but surely we can use this several thousand in tuition elsewhere. And then Jack enters school and we start all over again!

So that's todays update. I'm going to try to do better, especially when the Grannies are out of the country, but even when you all are here, I'm so bad about picking up the phone. Heck, I'm bad at blogging. Once they're in bed, all I want to do is sit around myself and go to bed early!

Tuesday (posting on Wednesday of course)
For as bad as yesterday was, we had a good day today. Yesterday was like all of December, except I take a lot of blame for that crappy time, but yesterday I didn't lose my cool at all and there was still nothing I could do to make them happy. It was just time for bed around 5pm, but we still had 2 hours to kill. We've all been sick but are pretty much all better now, but we spent this week weaning from too much tv while sick. But Tuesday, the tv didn't even come on, not even for the Olympics. We managed a successful grocery store run with no whining or squirming, which is huge because they do not like to sit still no matter how fast I am. Then we got 2-3 hours outside time before we went out to dinner with Mia and Jen and their kids. Bobby has the worst table manners. He never stays in his seat and just gives me so much grief, and he influences the other kids to be cheeky, which is the worst part.  Regardless, good day and we got to bed on time still and Jack slept through the night to 6:15am! Bobby of course woke up at 3:30 to pee and then came in our room demanding that I read a book to him. Sleeping was rough for a while, but I think Jack is back to normal, making it through the night, usually only until 5am, but maybe that is changing too.

Maybe what has changed is that Jack is weaned. YAY. It wasn't that hard actually (at 18 months it shouldn't be) But we cut out the nap nurse for 7-10 days. The plan was a week then work on the bedtime feed, but then he got sick and cuddly and it's so easy when we're tired in the middle of the night. But Rick was big help and jumped in when he could, so now we just substitute books and drop him in the crib and there's been no major whinging.

And now the updates/boasting portion:
Jack loves books. LOVES them. If he has a book or a basketball in his hands, expect him to be backing up into your arms.

The trampoline is still a huge hit and gets lots of use.

SoCal - where the leaves fall off the trees in January

The bunk beds are great. I don't expect Jack will be in there until Christmas but that will certainly be interesting. He has figured out how to climb up to the top bunk alone. And to get down, he won't accept any help. Hence, my new gray hairs.

Always camera first, help second

Because he loves to climb, other moms on the playground, ask me, how did he get up there? (when there's only a rock wall or rope ladder) And he's fast, at running - obviously, but also just at disappearing when I look around at something else or talk to someone, he'll disappear around a car or into a garage on the street. So many panicking moments, that are created by about 10 seconds of eyes off.

Jack is not talking much. Almost not at all. But it's almost as if you can look at him and know he's playing us, like 'you know what I want, I'm not going to say it.'  A couple more words have started coming out lately, but not because you ask him a question.  "What is that?" gets nothing, but if he sees a bubble, he'll say so, e.g. If you ask him what an animal says, nothing, but if he sees a lion, he'll start roaring. And he's really good at mooing. But what he's really good at is signing. He loves to pound his chest like a gorilla, or tweet like a bird or raise his elephant trunk. Along with more and done and he expects instant results when he gives you a sign.

Did not fall for the paint in the ziploc activity

Talking, bad. Eating, terribly picky. Being awesome, nails it. Jack is just a really fun and cool kid. When he got better from being sick, it was so obvious. He perked up so much, was smiling, bouncy around and that's how he always is.  Jack has to be benefitting a lot from seeing a lot of 3,4,5 year olds around. He just wants to do what the big kids do and nothing holds him back from trying it. And our friends are great at including him too. What's interesting to see is how Bobby will push/hit Jack when they play if Jack pisses him off, but in a larger group, Bobby is great about "watch out for my brother" "let Jack do---" All we've ever said is that Bobbys role is to take care of Jack and not hurt him. So now we need to implement that in the home!

I can do it too! (I swear I didn't dress them alike on purpose)

Bobby is getting more into art, well drawing here and there at least. He likes chalk. He likes drawing with markers in both hands.

I never said it was amazing art

We skipped organized baseball this year, for many reasons, but since he's not even 5, that's totally fine. I do want to find some summer camps, especially once Baby Porkchop shows up. He really likes building lego sets still - very instruction oriented. He would much rather play with the couch cushions and what not than the loads of toys we have, but the bat cave and superheroes get some action (just like a doll house)

Stupid loaner lion from school

We are waiting on results from his kindergarden evaluation, but he's right on track or a total stud if you ask me. Fine and gross motor skills are great. Bobby can do the monkey bars, yay! Hopping and scissors and all that stuff. Memory and differentiation and sounds - he has all the basics a 4.5 year old should. We are working on him writing (easy) and spelling (hard) our last name...

Kite flying = non stop running

20 Weeks

It's a….

Surprise.

It seems we're in that phase where all the toilet paper rolls will all have been rerolled and the tissue boxes all have clean but scrunched up tissues on top of them. Sorry guests. 

Jack is a climber. I need to just not have any furniture anywhere near the counters, but the house is not that big. He can scale everything anyway. Including the oven handle. Bad news there.  And once he gets up, he seems to bee line for the knife holder. Or the sink sometimes.

Sometimes it's easier to just not fight it

What goes around comes around. There are three babies under 4 months on our street, all with big brothers, so they end up here a lot. And that is totally fine, because Bobby disappears for hours sometimes too. I just hope he's not watching tv over there, but you can't control it all, and when Jack is sleeping, I'm not going to complain. I'm sure I was the same with Jack, although he was a summer baby so got a lot of ergo and outside time.

Boy Day

Sometimes, V comes and sees me, even when Jack is asleep, so I don't get all my laundry and DVR watching done, but it's okay and then Jack wakes up and we're all happy.  She is seriously outnumbered on this street. The only other girls are 6 months, 7,9, and 10years, but she really seems to like me and my house, which is a little weird b/c there's not that much to play with here.

Lunch date

Big news in the house this week is that we got bunk beds! I was going to wait until summer, but now Pop can stay on the bottom - cancel those Ritz reservations! And I think Bobbys friends are nearing the sleepover age. Maybe. Maybe. Either way, Bobby loves them. He sleeps up top every night without incident. They are a bitch to make and change sheets - as if I weren't bad enough at that already. 

It did come with a ladder which Jack LOVES. He also loves jumping on the top bunk, so we are all on super high alert anytime he disappears down the hallway. It makes great forts though so that's a bonus.

Adding a few grey hairs 

Update

It's as if they read my blog I make liar of me. Jack is totally into books now. He doesn't like to be an audience member when bobby is being read to, but he loves flipping through board books with someone and pointing things out. 

Look at that form. He loves basketball and basketballs. 

We had a real sporty day the other day and bobby got to try out his new racket. He's not half bad of course. But could use regular practice which is tough with the ever so slight downhill grade on our street!

This is how I've spent a lot of grandmas visit. We pushed through our regular schedule so jack has gotten a few car naps. Which is fine because 5:30 comes early. And he's a terror in the bowling alley and just wants to walk down the lanes. This is during indoor trampolining though which I know he would adore. Toddler time goes a few more hours so we might make an appearance. 

I 

Catching Up

Halloween - good, Batman and Robin. don't ask me to recap. I knew I was bad at blogging this period so I tried to be more descriptive in the flickr pictures.

Thanksgiving - nice to play it low key. Lucky we had wonderful friends to cook us dinner (Thanks Jen!) and send us home with leftovers (my second favorite part).

Christmas - seemed like we were waiting for it forever, then I was too exhausted emotionally and physically to do all the things I wanted. Rick went away for two weeks in early December, but it actually went by really fast - too busy to notice. We skipped the boat ride, but did do a train ride. We watched the boat light parade, did some tree lightings, toured lots of Christmas lights. Bobby was one of the three kings in his school pageant. 

Okay, this is even boring me. Christmas morning was pretty fun. Jack wasn't into it for the presents, but enjoying climbing as usual and batting some ornaments around. Bobby opened his tennis racket first and Jack just played with that most of the morning. The Hess truck was a big hit.  Some lego sets got big reactions but it was cute to see Bobby open his blue guitar which he had asked the two Santas for. 

We went to the Safari Park in there sometime, Long Beach Aquarium, lots of playgrounds, the beach a few times, but have spent a lot of time with our friends just playing and playing some more. There's a pretty solid revolving door of kids throughout all of the houses on our street. Which means my garage is full of ride on toys, trikes and scooters that aren't ours, but will make their way home soon.

Maybe I'll try to blog more often to get some interesting details in here next time. But at least I'm putting up a lot of photos (hint hint!)

Bobby...

Bobby is a handful to say the least. I really blame myself for any issues, but he has some good moments too.

We were listening to Blue Christmas by Elvis, and he asked me if it was Captain Hook.

He suggested "we should make a fake daddy, then he could sit at work and we would hook it up so when someone checked on him, it would say 'I'm fine, thank you'" You'd have to hear him say it in his little voice.

He has a creative little mind and is fun to hear him tell stories. He is also a smart little punk with an amazing memory. Don't ask me for examples (my memory is crap).

He loves Lego. He builds them all alone and I don't even supervise anymore, if it's wrong (which it isn't) who cares. I wish he would build from scratch or play with the models he builds, but he does a little and will more in the future I'm sure.

So many blogs in my head, so none written down.

October 12: The first time jack slept through the night. 7:30-6:30; and then woke up happy.  Originally, I would have said - and that was the last time that happened, but it's gotten much better. At 15 months, we'd had enough of the waking up, so he just had to cry through it. He was always good at falling asleep on his own, he just wouldn't stay asleep. So then we got through that and he would make it until 5:30am, then daylight savings blah blah blah, mama is tired. Recently his molars have finally come through the skin, and we've had a lot of 3/4/5am wake ups.  We are in between two naps, but generally down to one. If he sleeps in the jogging stroller for 30 minutes, he can get a long regular afternoon nap.

Other than that, he is a freaking awesome kid. Seriously, he is so happy and smiley and easy going.

He's doing his age appropriate behaviors - naming body parts, dancing at every piece of music that comes on, he waves at garbage trucks, when he hears the train horn miles away, he points to the sky, he loves to look for the moon and stars. He's really good at stacking and building. 

He copies everything Bobby does, good or bad. In the bath, on the trampoline, with toys, making noises, he is a complete mimic for good or bad.

The doctor thinks he should be saying more words, but he communicates with grunts and whines and points just fine. His comprehension is excellent and I'm not worried.  We are trying to read more books but it's still not a productive venture.  He is really into the lift the flap books.

He does the cutest palms up shrug the shoulder 'where is it?' move when looking for something in a book. And sometimes he does it on purpose like he's quizzing me.

He also can pee on demand which I'm fascinated by. I've tried putting him over the toilet with mixed success. But once he gets his diaper off, he will stare down at his legs and do this little grunt strain and usually get something out. Hopefully that will help us in the future…

Which reminds me - he LOVES being naked. LOVES. When I take off his pants for a diaper change, he tries to get away and take off his shirt. When he gets naked, he will take off down the hallway going to nowhere in particular but just needs to run fast!

He loves to go outside so much. He will make a break for any open door. I am glad we have this mild weather because he is often outside before 7am. He loves to walk our street and makes himself comfortable in all the neighbors front yards, especially with their Christmas and Halloween decorations.

He also LOVES screwdrivers, scissors, and knives. The biggest tantrums he throws are when you won't give him some dangerous item or make him get off the counter or some other dangerous perch.

Alright that's enough Jack for now until I remember more.