Just plain awful...

That's how I would describe dropping Jackson off at childcare, awful, just plain awful. Ron is taking a class near Bandana Square today and tomorrow. He has to be there at 8 a.m. so it leaves Jackson and I alone in the morning to get the day started. As Ron was leaving this morning Jackson waved and said "bye" clear as a bell, what fun!

I dropped Jackson off a little earlier than his normal time, so I could still get to work before 9:00. His favorite teacher Nicole has started back after a year at St. Ben's University. Though, Jackson doesn't remember that she's his favorite, I'm sure he will soon. The second we walked in the door Jackson clung to me and started crying.

I left Nicole holding my screaming, crying Jackson in her arms, in the hopes that it wouldn't take him too long to get reacquainted and enjoy a day playing at school with his friends.

I thought to myself as I left: If I had to do this everyday, I'd quit my job.

Hope woman dies in crash...

Who wrote this headline? I was looking over the Star Tribune online today and came across the headline: Hope woman dies in crash. What editor let that headline pass over his desk?? Come on people, sleeping on the job, are ya?

Daddy got a new pair of shoes...

My Dad now has one of those fancy PDA phones, that costs an arm and a leg (or so Mom says). It's attached to his hip literally... and now he can answer emails, text and phone calls from work, at all times. I'm thrilled, can you tell? Anyway, here are some photos he took with his new little gadget.

Mom trying to teach me to take one at a time, but I prefer a whole hand full of Cheerios at a time

We all piled in the chair for this family photo, Dad kept complaining about Mom's butt bone, but I had fun!

Weekend photo upload...

This is what Jackson made for me at school for Mother's Day

While Jackson's face was turning a nice shade of red the other day, I asked him what he was doing. Jackson's resonse: "Poop" We decided to break out the potty chair, so he'd get used to seeing it around.

This backhoe (our $3 garage sale find) kept Jackson busy the remainder of the weekend.

An evening with Dolly...

Last night, after a rescheduled date, I finally got to cash in on my birthday present from my Mom. Fifth row Dolly Parton!!

It was worth the wait, my mom and I had a fabulous time. Seeing Dolly was as good as I dreamed it would be. I have always thought Dolly was amazing, and she is. While I do believe she lip-synched the first song she ever wrote, Puppy Love, the rest sounded genuine and wonderful.

I was afraid that she would sing more of her new stuff from Backwoods Barbie that I didn't know, but she got in EVERY hit I was dying to see her sing. She came out singing Two Doors Down and I clapped my hands and sang to all of my favorites, 9 to 5, Jolene, Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That, Here You Come Again, and Islands in the Stream. And as usual, a few tears fell during Coat of Many Colors.

As we arrived at the car I realized that my Top 5 Concerts of All Time had to change.

Old Order:
1. Pavoratti
2. Cyndi Lauper
3. Neil Diamond
4. Guns and Roses
5. Garth Brooks

New Order:
1. Pavoratti
2. Cyndi Lauper
3. Dolly Parton
4. Neil Diamond
5. Guns and Roses

Double take...

Today when I picked up Jackson from and put him in his car seat, I did a minor double-take. "Is this my kid? I thought." For some reason, today more so than any other day, Jackson looked like he had grown into a little man from the time I left him in the morning, until the time I picked him up. For a split second, I wondered if I took off with someone else's kid, an older, wiser, smarter kid that wasn't my own. But nope, his smile gave it away, this was my Jackson that I was straping in, he just changes incredibly fast.

Loads of weekend photos...

Another weekend behind us. Here's what kept us busy.

We built a tunnel in our living room that Jackson and mom played many games of hide and seek in:

Grandma Horwath found this great car up the road at a good garage sale price:

Dad spotted this Little Tikes picnic table in someone's yard with a free sign attached. (high-five dad!) I also got new shoes that you can see in this photo (thanks Grandma Leier):

And because our Texas friends were coming into town, and we wanted to be able to drive them to the zoo, we purchased this minivan:

Our Texas friends, Steve, Mason and Rosera (Waverlyn is in the carrier):

We took in a dolphin show at the zoo:

Jackson had fun pointing to the wolf's nose:

And Wavy came out to visit at lunchtime: