Flight of Ideas

Yes, I did plant sunflowers and God grew this one!  Smile!




Look at those lips & the sparkle in his eyes!

 

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Jack chose to be a "Kitty" when he got his face painted



Sumantra Tiger & her twin cubs



Yes, we are riding a camel!

On a recent outing, Jack & I went to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma.  Last time, Jack was too young to ride the camel, but he was so excited to finally do it.  After I saw the safety straps (or lack thereof), I decided to ride along.  A camel has a hard hump!  These are docile, domesticated, well-cared for animals and we had a great time.

At the zoo, Jack has a few favorites:

1. seahorses
2. fish feeding
3. elephant bathing
4. penguins with bubbles
5. riding the camel with Mom

Saltwater State Park



Despite cool temperatures, Mom allowed Jack to go barefoot!  You don't get viruses from cold feet, huh?



Action shot of Jack running back from the "little" waves

A rocky, log jam shore on one side of the park

A true Northwesterner...loves cold, wet sand!  As long as it's sunny here, we never complain about being cold or wet!

No bucket or shovel but we always have our hands, right?

What's this, Mom?  Picking up partially buried shells.

We made a recent trip to a local site in Des Moines, WA...Saltwater State Park.  On a sunny, "I'm not going to take a nap day" for Jack...we went for a local adventure.  While September was wet & cloudy...so far, October has been gloriously sunny (as compared to average).

The beauty of the Puget Sound coastline is second to none!  Wow...is all I can say. 

Jack doesn't mind cool wet feet & walking in the sand.  There were a few squeals of protest when I had to dry him off & change wet pants in the back of the car.  But I couldn't say no to him walking in the water & sand.  We had a ball! 

Wandering Blogger, Found

Jack--2 years, 10 months
Looking up into the sun is a learned skill here in the Northwest!

Carson & Jack on a hay ride at the Pumpkin Patch
"Little Brook & Little Teresa"

There have been many blog posts started in my head of late.  There have been non-repeatable responses to computer & camera problems.  And of course, there have been many wonderful days of having fun with Jack, watching him grow & change, and working through the inevitable challenges of being & parenting a 2-year old.

I won't be able to say 2 year old much longer...Jack will be 3 in a mere six weeks.  Where has the time gone?  When I look in the mirror, I choose not to focus on the tired & wrinkled eyes of a 44 year old mother of a toddler...my gaze gravitates toward the sparkle, the twinkling in my eyes as I look at Jack & feel the happiness & gratefulness in my heart for him.

Borrowing from Dr. Suess----Thing # 1  (The Good)

1. Jack now goes to (gasp) daycare every Thursday & Friday.  The gasp was totally from me, not Jack.  He loves going to play & learn and he has surprised us by actually taking a nap on a mat on the floor.  Wow, I have had a glimpse into my future life when Jack won't need me.  It felt both liberating & lonely.  I accomplished so much on my to-do list.  I read a book while I was slowly eating my lunch.  But about every 5-10 minutes, I thought of him.  This will have it's own post very soon!

2.  Jack takes swimming lessons with Miss Kristen on Tues/Thurs evenings.  He is in the Penguins class and he loves to swim underwater.  The kids stand on a table and he actually tried to swim around the other kids, under the water.  I foresee a future scuba diver, which makes Chris very happy.

Thing # 2 (The Not-So-Good)

1.  Jack has no interest in potty training.  Doing my research (as everyone who knows me, would expect), I am not alarmed.  Only 50% of boys are potty trained when they turn 3 years old.  We put him on the potty a couple of times a day and most of the time he says & I quote, "there's no pee in there"!

2.  Swimming, as fun as it is for Jack, is not so fun for Mom.  There is something about swimming that relaxes Jack enough to poop & this is on a regular basis, at least 50% of the time.   There is only 1 thing that has ever turned my stomach as a mother & that is changing a poopy swimmy diaper.  TMI (too much information!)  Enough said.

More, more, more...very, very, soon!