What a busy day

I always enjoy the weekends that Wayne has off because we definitely are able to get in some wonderful family time! It is even better after he is coming off of his night shift rotation because we hardly ever see him, but in passing, when he works nights. Today just happened to be one of those days. We just spent the day together, enjoying each other's company with Jackson included.

I got up around 7:30 to pick up my mess in the kitchen from baking a cake. I also needed to finish one up before it had to be delivered. Jackson watched some Tom and Jerry cartoons on DVD while I worked. Wayne knew we had to take Jackson to get his hair cut around 10:30 so he got up around 9. I had already finished my cake and the cleaning up. The cake recipeient came to pick it up and all of us got ready to head out.

Our missions today were to: Jackson's hair cut, Lowe's to get some nails to fix our fence that blew over some in the hurricane last weekend, and check on the new house. We did the whole hair cut thing and then headed to Lowe's While we were there, we got Jackson his own tool kit so that he could help Daddy with all the fixin' of the fence. He was so excited. We also wanted him to hold our hand in the store because there were a lot of people there and he is really begining to wander... but, in his resistance to hold hands he said "I want to walk like a big boy!" So, I had to remind him that he could walk like a big boy, but he had to stay with Mommy and Daddy. He had to be reminded a few more times before we left too. He is definitely showing some desire for independence...

After Lowe's, we had lunch and then went to the new house to find this...

Well, I have to say that when we arrived just after lunch, they only had the two front walls up (with the window holes in them). This picture was taken when we went back later in the afternoon (after the workers had left) to see how far they had gotten. They are definitely rollin' now! They had to wait a few days to start again because of all the moisture from the hurricane, but hopefully we will be relatively dry for a little while so they can get a large portion of the framing done.

After the visit to the lot right after lunch, we went back home and started working on fixing the fence. We really had some minor damage, but it did need to be fixed. Jackson was so excited because he could use his new tools with Daddy. The kit came with a hammer, two screw drivers, goggles, and a tape measure. Wayne put the tape measure on Jackson's shorts and Jackson hammered on any and everything he could. :) Wayne also reminded him that this tool kit was for outside and he could play with his Handy Manny tools inside. The new tools could definitely do some damage inside by a two year old!

Wayne started off by trimming down a piece of wood with his hand saw. Jackson didn't like that too much. I guess it made too much noise. He did get better with it after Wayne used it a couple more times. I guess he had to get used to the sounds it made. He is such a skiddish kid! He does take after me on that!

Wayne then started to pull the peice section of fence that blew over back into it's place. Jackson stood with him and watched every move he made. Not only did he watch, he asked questions. And more questions, and even more questions. Wayne asked me several times if I could become the favorite parent again! :) I just laughed at him.

I really enjoyed just watching Jackson today. There were a couple of times that he asked me to hold his hammer and I got a little aggrivated because I was trying to help Wayne and I just didn't have any hands to hold it and he got mad a me because I told him no. Yes, the typical two year old, I guess. 

And after a long afternoon in the heat and playing around at the new house, Jackson was ready for something cold. So, we went and got shaved ice and he had to have a blue one! I told him after he was done that he looked like a smurf. He just said "huh?". He has seen the movie but I guess he doesn't know what they are. Oh, well, I would say this was a good day spent. I sure do love my boys!

The bathroom floor is NOT your bathtub...

Did you ever really think that it was? Apparently Jackson did tonight. :( There is the ONLY rule we give him during bathtime... "NO water outside the tub!"

Usually we give him a few minutes to play in the tub before we bathe him. It gives me some time to do a few things around the house. Am I a terrible Mom for allowing him to play in the tub alone and yelling at him ever 3-5 minutes to make sure he is okay? Maybe. But for now, it works. I guess. Well, until tonight. Maybe I did some Mom things for just a little too long. Before I knew it, there was a whole bunch of water splashing and it just didn't sound right. Not right at all. It's that "I-know-I-need-to-check-on-him-but-I-really-don't-want-to-see-what-he-has-done" kind of feeling. Annnndddd, I was right.

Not only did he fill up his cup 1 time to completely pour OUT OF THE BATHTUB, but he filled it up 4 to 5 times. So much for Wayne just finishing our load of towels in the dryer! Lesson learned... no more cups in the tub UNLESS the child will be supervised.

Goodnight.

He's so silly!

On Thursdays during the summer, Jackson's daycare does a special treat and gives the kids a shaved ice snow cone. I think he really loves them because they always end up all over his face. He has done better about not getting it on his clothes (as much) but at least it always washes out pretty good.

Not only is the treat cold and adds color to his face, it tends to give him a sugar high as well. And for some reason, it doesn't kick in until I get him home! :) As he runs back and forth through the house, making lion and t-rex noises, I often just wish that I had only 1/4th of the energy he has. If you notice, his hands are clinched into fists, you just need to imagine FFFFRRRROOOAAARRRRR sound coming from his mouth! :) That is his t-rex noise. And yes, I did add an "F" purposely to that onomatopoeia because Jackson add the "F" when he says it! You gotta love that kid! :)

Ode to the potty?!

Or maybe not. Honestly, I couldn't think of anything else to title this posting, so it is what it is. Let me start this by stating that I believe that potty training is the WORST chapter in a mom's life as being a parent! I have been dreading this day from the day Jackson was born and I am still not looking forward to diving in full fledged. However, I still have pee-pee parties and poopy trains going around the house!

Eh em... back to the post...

A friend of mine recently sent me a message through Facebook inquiring how Jackson's potty training was going because she is trying to train her daughter as well. So, instead of just responding to her email (because I know she reads my blog as well), I thought I would let EVERYONE know too.

Let me just tell you... um.. it's going. I guess the best way to put it is, we are still doing the "introduction" stage. If there is one of those. When we first started all of this, he really was just using it in the evenings when HE decided he was ready to "pee-pee in the potty". The few times that I tried to get him to go in the morning, his quick answer was NO! and he would start crying when I started to take his PJs off. And... since I get up at the very last minute in the mornings, I didn't have time to fight with him. So, I just got him ready and he peed in his diaper.

This week, I have started making him go on our toilet. Monday morning, I woke him up and told him that we needed to go try and pee-pee in the potty. I thought he would react a little better than he did because he did use the big toilet the night before. I told him that I wanted him to try the big boy potty, and the no's started. We got into the bathroom and he started crying... But, I was persistent. He is not going to win this battle. I got his clothes off and his diaper and sat him on the toilet backwards. I had a thought that it may help him to see the process. He fought me getting on the toilet and wanted me to pick him back up. I just stayed close to him and told him that he was going to be okay and that he wasn't going to fall. It didn't help. The only thing that did was to find something to divert his attention -- the water drop on the back of the toilet lid in front of him. He finally stopped crying. I looked at him and told him that he could pee-pee in the hole. "Wouldn't it be so great if you did that?!" He sat for a minute and then wwaallaahh! He did it and was rewarded with "fruit snacks".

He does so much better in the evenings because he goes right after his bath. I have been telling him that he cannot pee-pee in the bathtub. So in his little rebelious mind, he gets to giggling whenever I am getting ready to put his towel on because he wants to pee in the tub. I tell him that he better not do it and then we run to the potty. And he goes like a charm. No crying, no fighting, nothing...

I have been persistent every morning this week to get him to go. We start with the tears, then go into the diversion, and then he gets happy again, and then he goes. After that he gets really excited because he gets to flush and get fruit snacks (with a hand washing in between there). Like I said though, the evenings are so much easier... with peeing...

Tuesday night, he went hiding to his room to go poopy. I heard him start to grunt and I told him the he needed to poopy on the potty. He said "LEAVE ME ALONE, MOMMY!" "GO!" and was shooing me away with his hand. AHHH!

I bet you are wondering about mid-day. You see, day care doesn't allow me to train him cold turkey with underpants. They want pull-ups and I am boycotting them. I personally think they are the worst things ever made as it is just another form of a diaper that leaks like a swimmer. So, during the day he is still in a diaper. His teacher told me the other day that she asked him if he wanted to go to the potty because he had a dry diaper all day and he said no... so she didn't take him. Hmmm... he is going to tell you no... even if he has to go... but that is something I have to take up with his teachers. Right now though, I am still just trying to get him to LIKE going to the bathroom. I am not going to push so much for day care to start helping me until I can get him to go at home. Happily.

I am sorry if this posting seems a little choppy. There was so much I wanted to say but I just am so tired and not really in the mood of typing. So, I hope you get the jist of what I am trying to say and hopefully when we meet again, you will have fun reading what I have written to you. Goodnight.

Birthday

Today, I turned 29 and this is what was waiting for me when I got home...

Doesn't look very "jacked up" to me!
Wayne picked Jackson up early today from daycare and they spent the afternoon getting prepared for me to come home on my birthday! Jackson helped Daddy make my cake.






It looks like they had a lot of fun! You know what? It tasted great too! Wayne said that he didn't ask anyone for help -- he had been watching me make mine, so he knew about what to do! I will tell you that this just made my day! :) I also got a cute little card and a new pocket book from Jackson. They are always nice to have.

This has been a great day and I am looking forward to the year to come!

He's growin' up!

... and my hair is getting longer! :)

Our annual town festival has arrived again. The Blooming Festival started this past Wednesday night and ended tonight. Since Jackson arrived, I usually only go on Saturday morning just to check out the booths and watch the parade.

Last year, my mom was so instistent on taking a picture of me and Jackson (because we had one in 2009), that I think this year I have made it a tradition. However, lucky me... :( all of my family members were "busy" this year... so, it really made it hard to pin-point someone to take our picture because I wasn't sure if Wayne was going to be available with him working the festival. Luckily a friend of mine was able to make it (after her son played soccer this morning) so she was able to take our 3rd Annual Blooming Festival Photo!

Oh, and I really don't mean to "toot my own horn", but I do have to say that my favorite one is this years! Maybe, just maybe, soon there will be a third party in our picture. :) Wishful thinking, I guess. (Love you, Sweetie!)

We had a poopie party...

... and I was going to take pictures, but I thought I would spare you. You're welcome!

Jackson seems to reach "milestones" in his life only when HE wants to reach them. I mean, really buddy... did you really have to wait until you were EIGHTEEN months old to walk!?! Anyways, I was thinking that potty training would be the same way. (I am still thinking it by the way.)

Over the past 3 days, Jackson has really taken to going pee-pee in his potty. Monday night, I think he went 3 times. Tuesday night, he told me that he had to poopie so we RAN into the bathroom and began playing the waiting game. "Book, Mommy" was his first statement. Goodness child, can you at least do your first poopie without a book?! Apparently not. I gave him one of Wayne's police magazines and he flipped a few pages. The magazine was two times bigger than his lap, but, he managed. He also made sure that he pointed out every ... little ... picture ... in the magazine and said "What's that Mommy?" and when I answered him, he just had to repeat my answer. Like this:

Jackson: What's that Mommy?
Mommy: They are boots, Jackson
Jackson: Boots?
Mommy: Yes, boots
a few seconds later
Jackson: What's that Mommy?
Mommy: a gun
Jackson: A gun?
Mommy: Yes.
a few more seconds pass
Jackson: What's that Mommy?
Mommy: A police man
Jackson: O-leece man?
Mommy: Uh huh.
and another second passes
Jackson: What's that? (pointing to the original boots)
Mommy: Those are boots Jackson. Do you still need to poopie?
Jackson: Yes.
Mommy: (sigh) okay, please try to go.

And with a few grunts, and a few more "What's that, Mommy?"'s, Jackson poopied in the potty!! WOOO HOOO!

Will he do it again in the next few days? Umm... probably not. He refuses to pee-pee in the morning - to the point of screaming and crying when I try to take his PJ pants off. I think he still thinks it is some kind of game. But I know that I am really excited about getting potty training underway! I know it is going to be a long process, but hopefully this milestone will not be slow to reach!

One Saturday Morning

There is a hands-on science/children's museum in a neighboring town to us. Jackson and I were able to go with a group from our church today. Jackson was really excited because his friend Bennie was able to go as well. They really had a great time. Jackson made sure that he stayed with Bennie -- wherever he went.

Jackson did fall asleep on the way to the museum so it took him some time to wake up and be ready to play. At first he didn't want to do anything but hold Mommy's hand but shortly after he saw Bennie running around and playing he wanted to get into the fun.

Here they are building with some blocks.

Here they are sitting together on a spaceship. It was very hard to get a picture of them both looking at us (Bennie's mom and myself)!

Look at that iguana!

and the turtle too!

They took some time playing in the play room and sliding down a slide.

and back to the blocks!

and back to the spaceship!

We really had a great time this morning! The group went to lunch afterwards except for Bennie and his mom. They went home to watch the Carolina/Clemson game. More on that later in a later post...

we have a wanderer...

I woke up to find Jackson not in his bed, yet again. Mom told me that he may be like his uncle and wander around in his sleep. I guess it is good that I keep his door cracked open at night. Otherwise, I would have to search the house for him.

You really can't tell what kind of perdicament he is in through these pictures. His glider rocker is to the left side of his crib blocking some stuffed animals and toys. He has gotten behind that glider and is laying UNDER his walking toy that he used last year. I hope your comfy, buddy!

Ever play "Where's Waldo?"...

...With your son?

I went in to check on Jackson this morning while I was getting ready and I found this... An empty bed. I have been leaving his door cracked in the evening just in case he gets up, he can get out of his room. No, he hasn't learned how to turn a door knob yet. I count that as a blessing too, sometimes. I will tell you that after finding the empty bed, my first emotion was worry... Where could he be? I kept thinking that he might be curled up under the blanket on his pillow but then my next thought was he was much too big for that little spot. I opened the door a little more and I could hear his congested breathing. I knew then he was in there some where. But, where? Just to the right side of his bed, we have all of his toys, so I opened the door a bit more to see if I could see him in that corner. No luck.

Not until I looked all over the room did I find him... Lying flat on his belly with his arms underneath him in the opposite corner of the room. I am really not sure what happened from the time I went to sleep last night til the time I woke up, but it looks like he had a hard night. I asked him if he fell off the bed and he shook his head yes, but I would hope that I would have heard him... He did still seem very exhausted this morning so I am not sure how much good sleep he got. He was right under the window... hopefully he wasn't too cold. Glad I had his footie pj's on.

He did change positions right before I took this picture. That is why he is all curled up in a ball.

New do...

It was definitely time for Jackson to get his hair cut again. He was beginning to look like a shaggy dog. Really. Shaggy. So Thursday afternoon, I took him to get a trim. Well, for some reason, this time he seemed to be way more anxious about the hair trim and would not sit still. So after several attempts to use the scissors to cut his hair, Christine finally just pulled out the electric clippers and cut all the hair away. Well, not all of it, but it is now really short! But, I am not upset at all. I actually love it this short. He looks like a little man now. Guess turning two means that we need to get a 2-year old hair cut too!

before ... (with his "horns")

after ... with Ganga

Guess what?!?!

Yay! Another year older... can you believe it? I sure can't. However, we are saddened because "Ganga" cannot be with us this year for the party. We will miss her but I am sure that she will be enjoying her once in a lifetime trip to Israel! We love you Ganga!

Jackson's birthday isn't actually until the 27th so I am sure that I will be posting a few more things about the big day including pictures! I am also working on his letter that I will post on his birthday with his traditional "birthday picture". Yay! I am so excited!

Sneek Peek

Just a preview to Jackson's eighteen month photoshoot! Stay tuned for more!

Our Saturday

This morning we traveled to a nearby outlet center. The mission: to purchase a pair of Stride Rite walking shoes for Jackson. As you may have noticed in my last posting, Jackson is still not walking on his own. I honestly think fear plays a large part in the reason why he isn't letting go. However, I want to be able to help him in any way I can.

I have heard several moms say that these shoes are they best thing they could have ever bought... and to be honest, the only reason why I hadn't purchased them yet was because they aren't the most "stylish" shoes. I and Wayne both, just didn't think they were all that cute. This week, though, the daycare ladies were talking about this other little boy that started walking basically the same day he had the shoes on. They told me that he had gained much more stability because the ankles were being supported. So, I made the decision to buy some.

We arrived at the Stride Rite store and they had every single size imaginable... even extra wide. We found out that Jackson needed a 5 extra wide. However, when I actually put those on his feet, they seemed to be too big. So, we ended up with a 4.5 wide. Oh, and much to my surprise, Jackson did not fight me to try the shoes on. It almost seemed as though he was excited to try them on... all four pairs I put on his feet!

After his nap when we got home this afternoon, he pushed everything he could around the house. Did he ever let go? Not yet, but I can definately tell that he enjoys walking in them. We will just have to wait and see how this week goes.

Oh, and you ask, am I worried about his late walking? Um, some days. But most of the time, I am really okay with it. I joke with everyone by telling them that I am not expecting him to walk on his own until he is 2 and I think he is trying to not make me out to be a liar! However, we go to his 18 month doctors appointment on the 13th, so I am going to mention it to his doctor if he still is not walking on his own. Maybe he can offer up some advice on tricks in getting him to let go. We'll see.

We will definitely have a party when he does let go though! That will be such a happy day! :)

Food Fun

wordless wednesday

Take me out to the ballgame!

Last night, we went to a minor league baseball game in Zebulon. The Carolina Mudcats are home to Zebulon and we had tickets to go with our Sunday school class. I have to be honest and say that I was a little worried before we left about how Jackson would do, but he was great. He seemed to have a wonderful time and really enjoyed the french fries. A boy after his mom's own heart! :)

We even got to see a really exciting game... The Mudcats were up against the Braves and they were tied at 0 for the 1st 3 innings but the Braves continued to have an average of a 1 run lead through the middle of the game. Starting the bottom of the 9th, the score was 3-4, Braves. And would you believe it, the Mudcats finally pulled through and got 2 runs. They were VERY close in not getting that second run but the batter hit the ball straight towards the short stop and the ball went right past him and the runner that had previously stole 3rd base, ran home! And the crowd roared! A round of fireworks were shot off.

Friday evenings are special at the stadium because they always do an OUTSTANDING fireworks show after the game. Jackson started out okay with the fireworks but as they continued to have several in a row, he just got a little bit too scared. However, this was expected as it was really the first time he had ever seen them... that close any way.

We had a very enjoyable evening with the group and between the 3 of us. The sport of baseball goes back a long way in my family and I would love to continue the tradition with Jackson. We will definately be back in the near future.

To end things, here is one of the shots I took of Jackson and Wayne.

An Accomplishment

And I SOOO wish I had my camera ready...

I am not sure what struck Jackson today, but he was just ready to try this whole walking thing. We walked circles around the house (on the inside of course) and he only held on to one hand! Oh, and he was very stable this time. He has been good about walking holding on with two hands, if I could ever get him to stand up and want to practice. I guess the saying is so true about them doing things when they are good and ready.

However, he was in the crawling position today after we had been practicing and he got to the squatting position. His back was to me and I am so glad it was because I don't think he would have stood at all if he knew that I was looking at him. But, he did. No hands, just stood straight up. All by himself! FINALLY!! For about 4 seconds... I think he could feel the smile on my face beaming through his back! I just wanted to run over and hug him, but I didn't. I let him do his thing and then when he sat back down and saw me, I just told him over and over what a good job that was. Then he kept trying to do it because he got a reaction out of it the first time, but wouldn't let his hands go. We are definately getting there. He walked around at chruch tonight holding one of my fingers and he walked back to the car with me.

I have just decided that he is getting just a bit heavy for me to carry all the time so I hope that the learning process on this whole walking thing goes pretty quickly. We will just have to keep on practicing.

OOOOOHHH FUN!!

I am really liking this website!! So, she also has put storyboard templates on her page! Here is my first...

Like?

This was going to be a "wordless wednesday" post, but I just couldn't go without putting something here. I found a website that provides free actions for Photoshop Elements and I am really excited about it. This picture includes 2 of those actions. It almost looks like the pictures of me when I was Jackson's age. The "vintage" look with the rounded edges. I am really on the fence on if I like the coloring or not, but I thought I would post it anyway for your opinions.