Our First Family Home Evening

Last night was our FIRST official Family Home Evening. Lesson, Activity, Snack, ALL of it! Not surprising, but we didn't get past the lesson... it must have been that good-

We started by looking at a picture of Jesus.
M- "Jack, who is this?"
J- "Jesus"

We said "We belong to Jesus' church." Then we sang "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ" as we marched around the living room, "agee" and again and again. We tried distracting Jack by coloring a picture, but it didn't work so well. Next time we will save the song for the activity, and color as part of the lesson.

It was great! What kind of tricks will we have for next week???

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Dan got the day off today- first one in what seems like MONTHS! We put up our Christmas Village as a family, it looks GREAT! Thanks Dan and Jack for bringing up all the boxes!
Jack loved stacking them too!


We celebrated Christmas with Auntie Melissa and Uncle Aaron over the weekend (they were in town from DC.) Jack got away from dinner and found Cars on TV.
Auntie Melissa got Jack "Color Wonder" Toy Story! He loved it, and really liked coloring with his cousin, too!

And finally, a video. I don't quite get it. He was eating a brownie... did he like seeing the brownie drop into the toilet, the echo, Dan & I both have had the flu in the past month- did he see us?

I don't know, but it is funny! (Maybe kind of inappropriate... sorry!)

A conversation with a 21 month old...

Last week, after visiting our friends and their new baby, Jack and I sat in the Love Sac and talked...

M: Jack, Do you like Mickey?
J: Mickey!
M: Jack, Do you like baby?
J: Baby!
M: Jack, we're going to have a new baby very soon-
J: No!

Does he understand, probably not. But you have to love his honesty!
So there it is-I'm letting it out into the blogger world- we are having a baby! I am 21 weeks along, due April 2.
We had our big ultrasound and everything is healthy, baby is active, and of course measures big. We are not finding out if we are having a boy or girl- the tech did not write it down so really our chance to change our mind is gone. It is kind of exciting- we get to talk about boy and girl names, still call the baby "it" or "the baby" (which we are still working on what we can call it until the big day), and just enjoy life for now... once this baby comes along things may change a little!


Other than that exciting news in our life, life is still busy! Sadly my camera has not come out much in the past 3 weeks... a couple of exciting things: voting, Grandma Diane visiting from NC, visiting our cousins for a sleepover, and lots of fun with friends.

Jack enjoyed our cupcakes from the voting day bake sale.

Jack and his cousins at the Christmas tree (at the restaurant)

The tractor riding toy at the mall No, Jack doesn't shop. He plays while everyone else shops! That means mom doesn't shop either...

That is our life in a nutshell... Jack's favorite things these days are "Cars," the movie, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, trains, tractors, cars, macaroni & cheese, raisins, cookies- the list is long!

A month in review

We are BUSY, and I mean BUSY! Lots of fun things to do, so many people to see, and somehow we get things done around the house and enjoy just being together.

Besides our trip to Indiana, here's a little bit of what we've been up to...

A quiet moment- in our tent. Jack LOVES this book! He will sit and read it, talk about it for at least 10-20 minutes. It is wonderful!

Playing at the Pumpkin Farm

Attempting a festive portrait

Playing in the leaves

Painting Pumpkins

Packer Game with Friends- too busy with toys to smile for a picture.

There is very little I do without help. Making pizza is no different!

The Children's Museum with Friends

Our Church Halloween Party... Elastigirl, Jack Jack, and Mr. Incredible

Trick-Or-Treating with friends today

I watch the Office (Dan does not.) On this last week's episode Jim kind of rolls his eyes at Pam's Popeye & Olive Oil Costumes. At the end of the episode Jim is very sweet and says something like "Pam may be a little dorky, but she's my dork" as they walk around as a family TOGETHER in costume. I loved it!
I'm sure that's how Dan feels about me sometimes- I am a little dorky but with good intentions.
Dan was a trooper- the 2 times we dressed up as a family he was quick to notice that he was the only adult male dressed up. I loved dressing up together (we usually don't do anything for Halloween so this was very exciting for me!) I think he would admit he kind of liked it, dressing up all together.
He is my Mr. Incredible!

Happy Halloween!

A little vacation...

I hate goodbyes... About 2 months ago our close friends moved to Indiana and I was really sad. Many times when friends move away I tell myself "oh, you're moving to Utah. We'll see you again!" So- this was no different. Only 5/6 hours away, I knew we'd see them at least twice before they moved with their next job assignment.

This was our first adventure. We went to visit them for the weekend and celebrated their youngest baby's blessing at church. The weekend was packed with lots of fun, and lots of relaxing! We loved it!

Thanks for the wonderful weekend!

Great friends

Feeding the animals

A family hayride

Picking Pumpkins

Just having fun
Funny story: I leave these two to play kitchen. I am just organizing our things in the room next door. I hear Jack's friend say "No Jack, No Jack." So I run in to save her (who knows what Jack might be doing. I was afraid he was trying to bite her-which rarely happens but if someone is in his way, it might.) and her arms were covered in spit. I asked her if Jack bit her? She said "no, he was licking me." Where do kids learn these things?

The Big Day

Saying goodbye- we'll see you again soon!

Dan was so good feeding the animals with Jack and the kids. I am very good at giving orders, but notice what side of the camera I am on... I like it that way!

Luck be a lady...

This week I found 2 4 leaf clovers. Yes, 2 of them all in one quick look! I think it comes from a long line of 4-leaf clover finders... My Grandpa found me a lucky 4-leaf clover on my high school graduation, my dad finds one any time he looks (it seems like), and Marcia, well she's got the eye. Me, not so much, until this week.

Now I wanted to flatten them, take a picture, save them, something. But sadly they dried out. Dan and his friend that visited us from Chicago this week witnessed my 2-4 leaf clovers.

Well, today as Jack and I watched the "car" and "truck" (No "bus" on Saturdays, bummer) I decided to do a little look, and GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!! A 5 leaf clover-I am pressing it and saving this one! You might ask, what does a 5 leaf clover mean? Well, according to answers.com "four leaf clovers bring luck, five leaf clovers bring money, two leaf clovers bring love." I must be one lucky, rich lady! :) Now I will work on the 2-leaf clovers.
If that were to describe my current state, maybe not because I did just lose my job, but I consider myself rich in many other ways! How lucky am I that I get all of this extra time with Jack? That we get to take walks every day, go to the park, run errands together. We play, sing, dance, talk on the phone, visit friends- all of that and MORE!

A couple of highlights, or things I remember to bring the camera out for, from the last couple of weeks...

This would be our first official dance party. Dan went to play frisbee in the rain and we "ballet danced" to real classical ballet music. Our friend loved it, Jack got right into the action too!


Dan and Jack building blocks together. Jack is ready for church, Dan just got out of bed (to put life into perspective.) See the video at the bottom for a good laugh!
We went to the Botanical Gardens this week with our friends. At the end we let the boys run in the field- Jack is getting a little bit more daring and RUNS as far away as he possibly can. Too bad he has a quick mom and I'm right on his tail!
Our favorite show, even I don't mind it, "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." Jack watches an episode as we wait for breakfast, or as I make sandwiches for Dan. I'm not going to lie, it's an easy babysitter for me to get something quick done. (He sticks with it maybe 10 minutes.)

Today Jack was on the table, obviously, counting apples. Out of the bowl, one at a time, to the table. Then I showed him how we count and point- he pointed to each one and said, as good as he could "one, one, one." It was very cute. By the time I got the camera, he did "cheese" for one good picture, then wanted the camera. He was done counting.

When I was teaching, I often asked myself "Who is the parent?" Especially when kids came to school in shorts in the middle of winter, wore slipper flip flops for graduation ceremonies, or any other obnoxious thing I saw and parents used the excuse "that's what he wanted." That was my thoughts as I recorded this:


(In Dan's defense, he did just wake up and wasn't quite ready to share, at least that is the excuse I would use for Jack if he didn't want to share. Or maybe Dan is using this as a teaching moment...)

And, Jack's moves. Notice what each arm/hand is doing. We don't know where he got this but he does the same when he runs- one hand swinging at his side, and the other hanging on!



I probably should note that I am happy, lucky, rich in many other ways... Our blog seems to be all about Jack-but we are lucky to have eachother (Dan and I), we're healthy, we have a home, we have the things we need, we have family and friends, we have our church/faith, we are very happy, and for all of that we are grateful!

Monkey See, Monkey do!

Dan and I are finishing up breakfast this morning, and a birthday card for my dad is sitting on our kitchen table. It is a picture of a baby picking his nose- the saying on the card "You had a birthday... (open to the inside) gotta boogie!" ha, ha.

Jack is standing on the chair, looking at the card and very thoughtfully puts his finger up his nostril. AWESOME!
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Well, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I have just been busy. I am amazed at how little time I have to just sit and blog, check email, facebook, etc. now that I am home full time. It's also amazing at how I very easily forget to take pictures now that I am with Jack all day. I do love my time at home with him, it's just not a walk in the park all the time. I'm sure you all are thinking "I could have told you that!"

A couple of pictures I actually remembered to take...
I had to change the batteries in his riding toy- Jack doing a little fix-up afterward.

We went down to the Chicago temple on Dan's day off. My parents went early, we met them later and did a little hand-off with Jack, and then met up at the outlets for lunch. My parents shopped with Jack for a good hour (and I forgot the stroller for them.) They are good people.

Homemade pizza for dinner, Friends were coming over and we seem to let a lot slide when we are tight for time. Jack "helping" with the dough. (I was done with the dough, he just was helping roll out the table.)



After buying a kitchen at my favorite bi-annual rummage sale, I found this one (the one I actually wanted) at a neighbor's garage sale for $5. I hid the other one for Christmas, but I couldn't quite hide this one. What are we going to do with 2 kitchens???


Jack talks A LOT! One of my favorite things he just started doing (who knows where he learned it) is rolling around on our bed, pulling up the covers and saying "ni, ni." It is very cute. Now at night we just ask him "do you want to go ni, ni." and he goes to his crib and says "ni, ni." We've got it good!
Not to forget the first Packer Game. Dan and Jack enjoying some snacks (ignore the mess.) Jack was very cute decked out in his Packer sweat suit from Grandma Diane, but none of our pictures of him turned out very well.


Jack surprised us with "circle" yesterday afternoon. That again, WE DIDN'T TEACH HIM! It must be his school experience sticking with him! Of course in the video he calls everything a circle, but he knows which one really is (and we let the oval be a circle for now.)


What else are we doing with our days together- running errands, playdates with friends, walks to the park, STILL sorting through the remainder of my classroom things. PLENTY to keep us busy!

Change is good...

I am an unemployed stay at home mom. I was laid off on Tuesday, being told that it was my last day due to low enrollment at my school. I was a little shocked, I didn't think that the day would ever come but I am very excited for what the future holds. Will I have my own classroom again and teach? Will I stay at home with Jack (and maybe brothers or sisters in the future), or something in between? I know I can make any of those options work for ME & my family, but what is it that I truly want? That's the biggest question now! But for now, I am home and loving it!

This is Jack and me relaxing after a busy day- Jack's last day of daycare and packing up my classroom for me! We were EXHAUSTED! (And not a great picture for either of us.)

My things in my classroom-right before the big tear down. I was a little sad packing things up, but my mom was there to help!

2 1/2 hours later-My things in the van (We probably would have been smart to take the 15 passenger van over the mini-van. Things were tight!)


And everything in my living room after unloading this morning. I started sorting/repacking and then decided to just move it all to the basement so I can take my time. It will be quite a project when I TACKLE it officially!

Here is our little monster. We went to WI Dells over the weekend. We stayed in a hotel with a small waterpark and went to Mt. Olympus Waterpark, so we swam and swam and swam. Unfortunately we took very few pictures. This is one of our only- Jack eating grapes! YES, he eats a FRUIT now!!! Now to tackle other delicious fruits! (I know vegetables are a long shot- one day.)