Likes and Dislikes

Jackson Likes: Potato chips, riding on the carousel at Maplewood Mall, going to the library, putting on his rain boots by himself, playing with plastic food, his Menard's race track mat, bananas (again), feeding baby goats, playing with Grayson, hamburgers, edamame and going to Home Depot.


Jackson Dislikes: Big dogs, Muzzy and anything to do with sleep: nap time or bed time.

Updated...

Ron sent me this picture of Jackson at nap time, in his big boy bed. The picture is taken with a camera phone, so not the best quality.

Big Boy Bed...

My mom, Ron and I spent all day yesterday getting our house back in order. I barely sat down, if you don't count meal times. We had a lot of fun getting Jackson's new bedroom in order. And for the first time, he slept in a big boy bed! After multiple attempts to keep in his bed to fall asleep, Ron had luck resting in bed with him, both listening to music on Ron's phone. Ron and I were both a bit nervous to leave him in a captain's bed downstairs while we slept. Ron made a temporary bed rail for one side of the bed, and we attached another on the other side. I turned the baby monitor on, but Ron worried too much to sleep and camped out next to Jackson's bed instead. I'll be interested to hear how nap time goes today.

I was so tired last night that I didn't drag out the camera, but will tonight, so we can get some shots in the new bed!

Trike riding...

First trike riding of the year, caught on camera:

Farm babies are here...

My friend Joanna and I took our babies (and the ones inside our bellies) to opening day of farm babies at the MN Zoo. The kids really enjoyed feeding the goats!

He asked for blue...

Jackson asked for a blue room, and he got a blue room! I can't wait for the weekend so we can start getting the room together for the little guy. He's excited about his "big boy room" and his "big boy bed."

Give the battery milk...

Mom: "It just means the battery is out of juice."
Jackson (while holding up milk cup): "I'll give it some milk"

One dented range...

Our new range made its way to our house on Saturday morning and arrived with a nasty blemish (one big ol' dent). Ugh. We refused delivery and will now be eating take-out until mid next week. Silver lining: $50 Home Depot gift card for our trouble. Oh, and I had plenty of time to clean the floor under where the new one will live.

Cheese Gromit, Cheese...

A road trip for cheese. This is a place I remember going to as a child with my parents and grandparents. It brought back a lot of memories, and had to get a photo to remember the little road trip for cheese.

It's a very big bandaid...

I just told Jackson that a panty liner was just a really big bandaid. He asked. I answered to the best of my ability.

A new stove on order...

We are replacing our charred stove, so we made a trip to Home Depot to pick one out. As disgustingly dirty and hugely awkward as these carts are, the trip is far more bearable when Jackson thinks he's driving around in a super sweet race car. Our new stove will arrive on Saturday! First thing on the agenda is baking up some dairy-free Easter cookies.

A cut above the rest...

Jackson got his first "not-by-mom" haircut!

He did great and sat super still

He got to pick the color for his spikes.

And I took my super cool kid to show his dad.

A trip to the mall...

We decided to get up and get out of our smelling house this morning, so we headed to the mall. The mall is actually quite fun when just the big department stores are open and nothing else. There are very few people milling about, and the play areas are nearly empty. We had a blast spending the morning there and all the playing put Jackson to sleep on the car ride home.

Flaming hot banana bread...

After I got Jackson down for a nap I preheated our oven and started mixing together a batch of dairy-free, egg-free banana bread. I replaced the eggs with pumpkin. I was never able to find out if pumpkin/banana bread was any good because while mixing the batter it started to smell hot, I turned around to flames shooting out of my oven. Ahh! I grabbed the telephone and headed into Jackson room. I informed the dispatcher that my oven was on fire and she transferred me to the fire department who advised that I get my young son out of the house and that they would be on their way. I felt that the phone call was taking FOREVER, as I was still in my house trying to wrap my sleeping baby before taking him outside, all the while, holding the phone to my ear, making the task much more difficult.

Whew! Finally outside. Now what?

Jackson peeked his sleeping eyes open and said "Where goin' Mommy?" Aww, how cute. "We are going to go the neighbors house kiddo." And off we went. Luckily Barb, our across the street neighbor was heading outside to take her dog for a walk. We headed back into her house where I could leave Jackson in the company of Barb, Sponge Bob Square Pants and Barb's dog Mickey. Yay! The boy is safe, and now I hear the fire sirens.

The St. Paul fire department put out the fire and used their mega-powered fans to blow the smoke out my front door where I stood waiting. By the amount of smoke that came out my front door, you would have thought we had lost the entire kitchen!

After getting the all-clear, we headed back into our smoke and soot-filled home and called the husband. Of course in a moment like this, he isn't to be found, but was located by some coworkers on the guard stand. Knowing that it must be an emergency, he came quickly to the phone. I made sure to tell him our story quickly: "Everyone is fine, but we had a fire in our oven."

Now we are in the next stages, cleaning and getting rid of things that were damaged. Ugh!

Likes and Dislikes:

Jackson Likes: coloring with markers, playing with play-doh, carpenter pencils, playing Wii bowling, mahi-mahi, looking for a big boy bed, putting raisins in his oatmeal, using a step stool to help make dinner, jelly sandwiches, tangerine mango fruit smoothies, playing with train tracks, library books, story time at the library, singing Kookaburra ("cookie bear song"), fruit snacks, pancakes, making choices and freezy pops.

Jackson Doesn't Like: asparagus

Our weekend in pictures...

We went to the library. Don't tell Ramsey County Library what sometimes happens to their library books.

We went to Value Thrift Store in Sunray and found this great Crayola coloring set still in the package for only three dollars.

Jackson had jello for the first time, green jello

We painted with paints and with finger paints. Jackson's favorite color this week is purple and he likes painting circles.

Jackson got to eat a cupcake made especially for him.

The Horwaths all played with play-doh for the afternoon.

We went to the Home and Garden show where Jackson picked up the materials to build this toolbox. Jackson and Ron built it together when we got home.

A moose under our table...

This morning at breakfast Jackson told us that there was a moose under the table.

Mom: "Really? A moose under our table?"
Jackson: "Yeah, my moose is under the table."
Mom: "What will the moose be having for breakfast?"
Jackson: "Oatmeal with blueberries."
Mom: "Oh!"

I wonder how long the moose will live under our dining room table, or how much oatmeal a moose will eat for breakfast?

New Desk...

My birthday present made by Ron with a little help from Jackson

Round 2...

On Jackson's second birthday we shared with family that we were expecting baby number two. Everyone was thrilled, as you can imagine. I was still in my first trimester and having a rough go of it. I was actually quite surprised that people weren't on to our news, as I had spent every evening on the couch from week five until week eleven. I was so tired that when Ron would put Jackson to bed, he would come back out to the living room to find me asleep on the couch. Some nights I had laptop in my lap, trying as hard as I could to get my homework done, but I didn't win the fight against the sleepies. I had morning, noon and night sickness so bad that I had forgotten what it felt like to feel good.

Then suddenly during week twelve I felt as though I was human again and happy to share my news with the rest of the world. I often wonder how the logistics of having two children will work out and how I will manage to continue school and work with the extra body needing my attention. At the same time I am thrilled to have the challenge and can't wait to meet the little one!

We had our sixteen week ultrasound this morning and everything is looking just fine. The baby was all curled up and comfortable this time around (during the last couple of ultrasounds the baby was moving all about)! Heartbeat was measured at 162 beats per minute and our tech told us that she was leaning toward one gender a little more than the other. We'll save that surprise for the next new baby post, when we know a little more from the 18 or 20 week ultrasound.

Full sentences...

This kid is speaking in full sentences! I watch him and am just amazed at how much he's grown. He doesn't seem like a toddler to me anymore, he's a little boy. He's saying things like:

"What doin' mommy?"
"I'm going to watch a movie."
"I'm washing my puppies."
"I can turn off the water, mommy."
"Bob the Builder is building a snowman."
"May I have a napkin, please?"
"I'm going to put the man in the truck."
"The man is going to drive the truck."

I'm sure he's no different than other kids his age, but we think he's brilliant, so we'll go with it.

Monday Feature: Likes and Dislikes...

Jackson Likes: Jumping on his car mattress, mandarin oranges, the bird show at the Minnesota Zoo, edamame, coloring on the floor, playing DVDs in the portable DVD player, picking out books and movies at the library, french fries, read books, identifying shop tools for dad, pushing the button on dad's drill, blowing his OWN nose, playing in the snow and making snow angels.

Jackson Dislikes: Taking a nap, listening, and putting away his toys.

Jackson Knows Shapes: Circle, square, rectangle, diamond, heart, oval, star and triangle.