Monday, July 16, 2012

4th of July

the back row of spectators
 We had a very relaxing 4th of July, and the kids LOVED it!  We decided to go to the Greendale Parade (even though it was like one million degrees!) and we got tons of candy thrown at us.  Jack liked all of the old cars and fire trucks/police cars/police motorcycles.  Nora was really into eating the tootsie rolls as they came, and loved sitting on the curb just like her big brother. 

After the parade, we took naps and grilled out with Grandma & Papa Russ, and Dan's friend Grant and Emily.  It was GREAT!


Jack with his candy cup and green water bottle-he was ready!

how cute- pigtails and all!

 HOT HOT HOT

We brought out our speedy wagon (complete with flames) for the event!  The kids loved riding together!

Check out his treats!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Big Brother Jack

Jack Jack, Big brother, big boy jack, homer, whatever you call him (depending on the day) he is a pretty awesome kid and has really turned on the charm.  He is very sweet, and seems to know just how to get his way.   My favorite new thing he does is asks me at bedtime (potty & brush teeth time) if he can watch a mommy & daddy show and play on papa's ipad.  It is so sweet, and it never hurts to ask even if the answer is always no.

He is into all kinds of characters- he has moved on from just McQueen, Woody, Buzz, to Spiderman, Batman, and he LOVES the chipmunks movies. 

We are enjoying a little learning time together in the mornings.  We play Candy Land, fun letter games(in fun ways of course) and his favorite thing to do together is draw mazes and color pictures, each of us taking turns. 

He is into racecars, trucks, tractors, trains, etc.  He has a new book all about the different vehicles and he tests me.  He also loves to tell me all about the time we saw the car transporter on vacation with the new cars, or the skidsteer that was across the street, or you name it-he's got a story for it!

Every morning he wakes up and asks for marshmallow- big, giant marshmallows.  We bought some of the HUGE marshmallows and he didn't care for them- so only the big ones.  Every time we go to Aldi he says we need a new bag of big marshmallows and I usually say OK.  Guess how many bags of big marshmallows we have in our pantry/food storage. 

Jack does pretty good hanging with his big friends.  I feel like we are in the stage where he wants to do things that big kids do, but he is not quite tall, coordinated, or smart enough to make it happen safely.  I took him swimming and he went under the rope into the next pool area without me seeing him (the place for lessons) and I looked everywhere for him, starting to panic a little, and he was hanging with the swim teacher playing with her toys.  I apologized to the nice teacher and she just said she was more worried about him finding his mom-she didn't mind.  That was very nice of her.  :) 

Yes- he is still wearing his McQueen hat.  Any suggestions on how to get rid of it?  (I don't know if I'm ready, but soon enough we will have to.  It is getting close to not fitting anymore!)

He likes to call the shots- "Dad and me will go to the game, and mom- you will stay home with Nora." or "Just me and mom will go to the park, and daddy you will take Nora."  Or whatever it is.  He doesn't seem to mind when we don't do it his way though. 

He still loves to fly helicopters, visit papa's shop, and play outside. He loves to have friends come over, and is very interested in what we are going to do next.   He keeps me thinking ahead and planning something exciting for him to keep him motivated to do the not so fun stuff- like take a nap, get dressed, clean up, whatever it might be. 

That's our Jack!  we just seem to be on the same page these days which makes life a lot of fun!




Buzz Lightyear PJs
He loves his baseball clothes
Our new geotrax mom got from "work" (rummage sales)
Climbing- he tells me he is trying to be like Spiderman
He loves papa's FJ Cruiser





Nora, Nora, Nora

 Here she is, in all of her sweetness.  Now 15 1/2 months old she is becoming very enjoyable and SUPER cute (most of the time.)

Sleep is much more regular- sleeping almost 11 hours at night and one really good nap for 2 hours +, we are all getting by just fine. 

She loves to eat- really likes fruits and green vegetables, likes to chew on carrots and sweet peas but doesn't actually eat much of them, but surprisingly doesn't like some of our go-to foods for big brother- like quesadillas, grilled cheese, cheese & crackers.  

She has a couple of words- for sure cheese, mom, and dad.  I think she says Jack when looking at pictures. She loves to make noise and chat with you, especially when you go in to get her from her crib and she is standing and wants to tell you all about life.  It is pretty cute.

She doesn't mind being dropped off with a sitter, and very rarely cries when we leave, but if I am around she takes a little while to go to someone else. 

Likes to be held and is enjoying our nighttime routine- read a book, look at our picture frames, and sing a song.  She gets really wiggly and you lay her down and she is out.  It's awesome, except that the ideal time to do this all is 7:30 and we just aren't ready/home/with it enough to have her going to sleep that early. 

She is a nightmare during sacrament meeting at church.  We haven't found that magical activity that will keep her busy and allow us time to listen to the meeting.  And she roams the halls with either of us during the rest of church.  Less than 3 months until nursery with her big brother!

She loves her big brother.  She likes to follow him, do the things he does, and be close to him.  Her latest tricks are climbing on the ottoman for the couch and jumping into the lovesac, sitting in his seat on the couch, and sharing his treats (he doesn't share food, especially if it is good.)  She tries to talk to him, but he doesn't like that she says "ga, ga, ga" and no words. he just tells her "stop saying GA!"

Favorite activities- playing outside, playing with the dollhouse downstairs, swinging, water- pools/water table/bathtub/spitting it out from her water cup. 

Still uses a pacifier, although we are really trying to cut it back to just in her  bed (naptime & bedtime)

She is definitely more independent/opinionated/strongwilled, but she is great! 

Picnic with juice boxes!  She loves them-and likes to take others when they are abandoned.

 A catnap in the bike trailer.  She is a trooper!

 A stinker with the pacifier and getting ready in the mirror
And laying next to a sleeping big brother.  She really likes to be just like him!