High Five Dad...

We are raising a brilliant kid!

We took Jackson to his first birthday party last night (pictures coming) at Pump it Up, a warehouse filled with large inflatables for kids to jump in. Since we got the invitation we've had the song Pump Up the Volume in our heads... you know... Dance! Dance! Well we couldn't remember who sang it. After a bit of Googling at the dinner table, the answer: MARRS.

So I say MARRS? Who's MARRS?
And Ron repeats MARRS? Who is MARRS?

It's then that I realize that Jackson has said twice already... it's a planet.

Did you hear that???

Jackson says "Mars, it's a planet"

Ron says "Where'd you learn that?"

Jackson's response "when I pretended to be a rocketship"

High-five dad!

More Christmas in photos...

We spent Christmas Eve at Jan and Joel's. Joel is in transitional care right now at a nursing home, but Uncle Steve and Ron picked him up and brought him to the party. We had a lovely time. Jackson has two cousins that he can play with, Anthony and Baby D, the boys had a good time and couldn't wait to open their gifts so it was one of the first events of the evening!


Jackson and Mom opening gifts


Addie and cousin Jackie


Shannon Kim and June


Steve, Chris, Great Grandpa Jim

Goals for 2010

Personal:
Less soda intake. I would like to decrease to drinking one can of soda each day and increase my water intake.

Put more into friendships. I've been spending the last three years growing my family and not putting a lot into my friendships. I hope to put more time and energy into maintaining my friendships.

Pack a lunch. I don't need to eat out to eat with friends. I need to pack my lunch and still get up from my desk to eat it.

Household:
Create less food-waste. I want to encourage our family to eat leftovers or to make new meals with leftover ingredients.

Buy in bulk. I'd like to make my Target visits last longer. Why only buy one box of diapers when I know we will go through many, many more? I am needing to go to Target once a week, my goal is to spread that out a little more. Buy a few packages of wipe refills, not just one!

Parenting:
Broaden Jackson's diet. I'd like to introduce a new food every other week and get him to eat a more grown up diet. I've been staying safe and feeding him kid-friendly food which I'm afraid will turn him off to adventurous foods.

Encourage Jackson to help with chores. Currently, to get chores done I send Jackson to hang with Dad or watch a show. I'd like to be better about getting him involved even if it does take longer to do the chore.

Get Addie signing. We did really well working with Jackson to use sign language and it made life easier. I want to do this same thing with Addie.

Heart melts...

Today when I was headed off to work Jackson shouted down "love you." It was so sweet and the first time that he said I love you unprompted. That little boy melts my heart. He can be a monster at times and often forgets to turn on his listening ears, but moments like that make it all worth it.

I have to download photos one of these evenings in order for the Christmas posts to continue, so bear with me.

The Christmas posts begin...

We celebrated Christmas with my dad on December 19. We started the day baking cookies. Jackson had a blast rolling balls in powdered sugar, cutting out gingerbread men and mixing frosting. I was surprised at the length of time he was interested in making cookies -- his attention span was longer than I had expected. After cookie baking we moved on to a delicious fish boil and after all of that it was finally time to open up those presents under the tree that had been taunting the boys all day.

Addie slept through most of the days' events but was wonderful to have around, she was such a good baby.

Everyone recieved great presents and Ron and I were lucky enough to open a flat screen tv!! Ron had it set up before we even went to sleep that night!

Photos from the day:


Jackson making Russian Tea Balls


Paul and Jackson playing with dough and flour


Gingerbread! Is that a little frosting I see in the corner of your mouth?


Addie is awake!


Merry Christmas

Wordless Wednesday...

Random updates...

Jackson is regressing greatly in his potty training expedition. I don't know what has happened, but apparently we have made far too many changes in his world and it's showing. Friday was one super long day of accidents and by the end of it I was clearly ready for a long winter's nap. However Sunday, he showed some improvements and we are back to using the rewards system. By far his favorite thing these days is the television so naturally that is the key to the rewards system. Which means I can't use the easy way out and put him in front of the television to keep him entertained while I clean, wrap, cook or whatever the case may be.

Addie is getting a bit better in her sleep habits and waking at 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. I'm not sure why I don't feel like I am getting more rest. I'm wondering when the need for toothpicks will subside.

The girl likes her rice cereal. We tried it for the first time on Sunday after getting the okay from her pediatrician to start her on solids a little early. She is a big girl and clearly ready for more than just breast milk. (Pictures to come soon.)

Classes start up again on January 2 for me and I can't even begin to understand how I'm going to fit it all in. I'm signed up for Feminist Literature and Management Communication.

The Bug claims he had a dream last night: "I went into a big dark cave and when I came out... I was at McDonald's" I have no idea where it came from. We had fast food ALL THE TIME when we were in the process of packing and showing our house, but since moving to the new place we have had KFC once and Subway once that I can recall. And before today he always insisted on calling it "Old McDonalds" or "The French Fry Store."

Joel is back in the hospital again, his kidneys were failing on him. Ron went to help get him off of the floor and he had some kind of seizure so an ambulance was called. We'll have to see what the next course of action is and it's unknown if he'll be home for the holidays.

Likes and Dislikes...

Jackson likes: Singing songs, learning Chirstmas songs, swimming, licorice, making Christmas ornaments, hanging ornaments on the tree, frosted flakes, shoveling snow, jumping on the couch, peas and sweet potatoes

Jackson doesn't like: pizza, using the bathroom, losing the race, playing by the rules and the sound of the vaccuum

Addie likes: Smiling, eating, her nuk and flying overhead

Addie doesn't like: being left alone and poopy diapers

A family update...

The House: There are still a few boxes in every room yet to be unpacked. It's been a slow process with two youngins in the house. Jackson makes a mess that needs to be cleaned up before the next box can be one-handily unpacked because I'm holding Addie in the other. The layout of the new house is so different that it's been difficult to find a home for all of our possessions.

We've ordered window treatments to replace the see-through lace curtains and Grecian drapery. The first thing to go in the new house was the acrylic and brass chandelier that was hideous too formal for our taste.

And the garage: holy-mountain-of-hoarded-crapolla. If there is one thing I learned in this move... my husband is a hoarder. Screws, pulleys, thing-a-ma-bobs, scrap wood, light bulbs galore. Oh and I can't forget to mention the VHS tapes. Who holds on to a massive collection of VHS tapes? He actually wanted me to categorize them as I put them into the cupboard, he thinks I did, but I didn't. And he won't ever know, because he won't ever watch them.

Addie: The little monkey is really starting to interact; making noises and faces, smiling and even starting to giggle. We get nervous when Jackson entertains her as he can be pretty rough, but she LOVES it. He snuggles her and gives her toys and she keeps her eyes on him and laughs all the while. She is finally starting to stretch out her feedings to 3 - 3.5 hours, giving me a small break from nursing. So far the nursing has gone well and we have not had to substitute with any formula.

Jackson: He's really so much fun to be around. On Saturday I dropped Addie off at Grandma Jan and Grandpa Joel's so I could take the boy to the swim-in movie at the community center. We had so much fun together and he was so independent, going into the water to play with his buddy Mason while I watched from outside of the pool for a bit. He knew not to go in too far and had a blast splashing around in the water.

Childcare: Since going back to work Ron's mom, Jan has been doing our childcare for us at the house. It's been going so well, she enjoys being with them and Jackson is excited about her coming every morning. We go off to work knowing they are in great hands and I never worry about how well my kids are being cared for. And the best part: she comes to our house. So on days like today when it's 3 degrees, we don't have to bundle up the kids and take them out in the cold!

Addie's Four Month Check Up

Addie had her four month check up this morning and the stats are:

Weight: 16 lbs. (93%)
Length: 2' 0.75" (71%)
Head: 40.4 cm (35%)

Wordless Wednesday...

Oh tannenbaum...

Jackson and I listened to Christmas carols and put up the tree this year all while Addie watched from her jumperoo. I thought Jackson would be far more helpful this year than last, but I was wrong. He was more interested in hitting me with the branches this year. However, the tree is standing (for now).

What's that?

What's that song?
Why is she singing?
What's that say?
Why are you talking?
What are you saying?
What's Dad doing?
What's at Target?
Why?
What does that mean?
What is she saying?
Why?
Where is Target?
What did you say mom?
Why?

This was Jackson's side of a 10 minute car ride. And it's going to get old, fast. Why? Because I said so (Thanks mom).

Sonic the hedgehog...

The boy learns Playstation 2. I know what you are thinking... but winters are LONG!

We have a park...

The previous owners of our new house left us with a play structure in the backyard that Jackson calls his park. This week we went to the park down the block. At the end of our cul-de-sac is a trail that leads to a great park. Jackson was so excited even though we didn't stay long because of the low temperature.