On the Road Again

Fun with Aunt Joan & Lola

Aunt Joan, Chris, & Jack...& Lola the dog

Mommy & Jack

We took a 2 night road trip to the eastern side of the state to visit Aunt Joan & family...we had lots of fun and Jack was great in the car seat for the long trip.

Jack Loves School

Bellevue Community College Baby Class 2009
We are standing, 3rd from the right. Here are the names: Grayson, Brook, Evan, Nate, Jack, Hannah, Ella (standing); Lucy, Terry, Izzy, Nico, Sarah, Kira (seated)

Tasting the crayon & drawing (aka scribbling)

Jack took over the boat!

Jack helps lead the class in music....he has this shaker at home and we play the game...shake, shake, shake, & we shake and we STOP. He actually gets the stop part.

Jack Does HI, Again

More pictures from HI...Jack smiles after his shoe fell off the 3rd floor balcony....Jack may be a future discus thrower...we'll be able to prove that he got his start with volcanic rocks!

Aloha...and Mahalo for Being Patient

Jack likes to climb now...a new trick...opening the oven door and climbing up to get some Cheerios.....

Jack loved swimming & jumping into the pool...we went to a black sand beach...Jack now loves rocks and wanted to stand beside a big one for a picture. His new love...picking up rocks, collecting rocks, and throwing rocks (we're working on that)...

So you can probably tell...we went to the Big Island again and had such a great vacation. I won't use the word relaxing & toddler in the same sentence but I did come back rested. I figure we'll have easier vacations when Jack is older. I love this stage anyway.

New words: fish, NO, good, hello, plane, bird...but if you ask Jack what something is and he doesn't know....he says...COW! His favorite word is cow and he likes to give hay to the cows when we visit them in the Big Red Barn. By the way, both Chris & I can recite the Big Red Barn book and we can even sing the words by heart!

Jack is getting the other 3 molars...ouch! He will be able to eat his favorite grilled chicken dipped in ketchup easier!

Jack & His Broom

Jack gravitates toward brooms...he even likes a Swiffer...what does this mean..a future helpful husband?

We bought a new broom, in honor of Grandpa Myers *the original sweeper*...

He even likes to sweep in the rain...but of course, a true Northwesterner must like to do everything in the rain!

Happy Easter 2009

Mommy & Jack

Our rainy Easter went off without a hitch...Kjersti taught Jack how to look for eggs under couch cushions and there wasn't even one piece of chocolate brought into the house! Jack's too young for candy & Tarheel88 doesn't even like chocolate. We used last year's basketball basket again with the fake "blue grass" that Jack loved to string around the house. We had some empty plastic eggs that even a 16 month old could open/close.

In his basket, I added 1st crayons for coloring, Pooh bubbles, & one of his school favorites...a Doodle Pro! He can already erase his "doodles" and start again. I couldn't find a good Easter coloring book, so Jack's first coloring book (the white pages above) was printed off the internet for *FREE*!

I added an old favorite for decoration..."Pat" the bunny! Then we all went out to dinner at the Rainer and had a great evening. He said a new word today..."turtle"! I know it sounds like a hard one for a 16 month old to say but it's very similar to Tucker, so it was easy for Jack to say. I've been working on pig for a week & he has yet to say it...but I'm patiently waiting!

Like Father, Like Son

Jack has lots of new clothes--size 24 months for our 29 lb boy with a "generous" waist! Grandma California went shopping & sent the best, most comfortable clothes! Thank you!

Nannie made a Bob the Builder, special pillow, for Jack and he sleeps on it every night. He loves his grandparents....but wishes he could see them more often....we'll have to make the best of all the special days that we'll have together...!

More Joy....

Jack loves to see himself on the digital screen of the camera. This makes him laugh alot. I love to hear him laugh---it warms my heart! I was trying to teach Jack to take a picture...& guess what....he did...he officially pushed the button (he loves to push buttons) & took the picture of me above. It's even better than some of the ones that I take. Photography may be in his future.

Tomorrow is the UNC vs Gonzaga game---the Sweet 16! Go Tarheels!

Sick Jack

Jack still loves bathtime and it's easier to get a nice picture of him because he can't run away. That boy is busy! Today, we were off to the "urgent care"...Jack's had congestion & coughing and today, he started wheezing. His official diagnosis is "bronchiolitis"...he was negative for RSV (YIPPEE)! He's been a little irritable, but overall, he's a trooper! Antibiotics & nebulizers to the rescue!

Climbing Jack

Jack likes to climb now...at first, I laughed and thought it was cute. Now, I see a curious boy, who has no idea the danger involved. He especially likes the frig, as you can see in the picture.

I love to see him laughing!

Brushing Those Pearly Whites

Jack is now 15 months old, weighs 29 lbs, & is 34 inches tall. He now stands on a stool at the bathroom sink to wash his hands & brush his 8 teeth! We are still waiting on those 1st molars.

He had his 2nd bout of being sick this week...vomiting & diarrhea...& Mommy was at work for the worst of it. Thanks to Daddy & Kjersti..Jack was well cared for! He's feeling better & loves that the Tarheels are back to #1!

March Madness is in the air!

PS: Safety experts...Jack can get up & down on his 2 step stool but we're never far away!

Long time...No Blog

Jack enjoying some "spilled" Cheerios off of the floor...Tucker enjoys Cheerios too!

Mommy & Jack...happy together. Jack making his beginning "muscle man" pose!

Sorry to all my lurkers...one day passes into the next & posting on the blog is low on my priority list. Jack is one happy boy and usually only cries if he's hungry or tired. Well..of course, he cries for his "Mommy" when she's gone to work...not really. Daddy & Kjersti take such great care of him!

New words...cow, Mommy (instead of MaMa), moo/boo (a guess which one is which) and the beginning of ball (no L sound yet)...He can twirl around, bounce up & down (the beginning of dancing & he does have rhythm), and stomp his feet. Now, why did I try to teach him to stomp?

Life at home is good!

Abounding Happiness

The curious look...inquiring toddler minds want to know how things work by putting their little finger prints all over everything. Usually, I'm backing away.

Jack loves to get really, really close to the camera!

Jack is so...well, fun. We play together and he laughs his sweet little boy laugh and I smile that protective mother smile. I wish these wonderful days would never end (metaphorically speaking) but alas, when the evening bewitching hour begins...our boy turns into a pumpkin. It takes alot of sleep to keep him happy.

This is the tell, tell sign...give me a bath, a bottle, & rock me to sleep. My favorite moments with our boy!

Prep for March Madness

My all boy, in size 24 months! Size 18 months is too small around the middle. This is Tucker's life...staying out of Jack's way.

Jack wouldn't wear the famous wig!

This was a great week for all Tarheel fans! #3 Tarheels beat #6 Duke, in their house! The silence of the Cameron Crazies was deafening. 4-0 in their house...on their own Coach K Court....it's the real beginning of a reemergence of the Tarheel basketball dynasty!

Jack enjoyed watching his crazy Tarheel Mommy...he would not wear the wig...believe me, I tried....

Loving Blackberry Jam

Jack loves toast with his favorite (ours too, what a coincidence)...blackberry jam. Self-feeding is a long & complicated process and involved lots of after meal clean-up!

Smiles All Around

A big smile for Mommy!

The cutest boy in the world!

I know, I know...I seem to have forgotten my blogging...well, I have a new computer passion...facebook! Plus, this old Tarheel is tired b/c she's running after that fast boy. Yes, he can run now. He kisses him Mommy with a wet open-mouth & it's so, so cute! I've been trying to get a good Jack & Tucker picture...but they haven't been very cooperative.

UNC is now #1 in the ACC! YIPPEE...you know I shouldn't celebrate #4 Duke losing to #10 Clemson last night...guess what the score was? No. 10 Clemson tops No. 4 Duke 74-47 ....now that's what you call a butt-whooping! UNC plays UVA tomorrow...on to April 6th and the National Championship!

Walking Around the Sunny Farm

Isn't his matching coat/hat cute? Thanks Brook~

In case you didn't know, Jack is heavy...about 29 lbs now. So we're working on having him walk everywhere possible. On one of our rare Northwest winter sunny days, we took a walk around the farm. The gravel was initially a challenge but now it has been conquered! Sorry, there's no cute smile shots...Jack was too busy to look at us to smile....there's a world out there to explore!

Tarheel Mania

Tonight is UNC vs Clemson...at 6pm PST, you will begin to hear the hollering coming from the plateau...Jack & Tarheel88 will be watching & cheering on her team...We are up to #5 this week...who would know that Wake Forest is the new #1. The Dookies are still #3 (BOO, BOO)! Keep your fingers crossed!

Finally Eating Bananas

Actually holding a banana
& taking a bite of it~

You might be wondering what is so significant about eating bananas..they are healthy and most people like them...well....Mr. Jack took about 50 attempts to even keep some in his mouth. I had to tell myself over & over...it is not my "job" to have Jack like bananas or even eat healthy. My job as a mother (& director of nutrition) is to OFFER healthy foods. So offer I did. Over & over & over. At least 50 times. That took lots of patience and saying to him...so you didn't eat any of your bananas...that's OK, maybe next time. I would let him see me eating banana and make yum yum sounds...to tease him. It finally worked...one day, lo & behold, he actually walked over to me to take a bite of my banana.

So, I've been rewarded...he actually likes to bite the banana and even hold them now. Next we'll work on teaching him to peel his own. Tucker was my 4 legged helper through all this...he is one dog who loves banana!