Billowitz Baby Blog

Gramma and Grandpa Visit

2012-01-24T22:47:00.000-05:00

Grandpa had another business trip that brought him to Charlotte. And this time Gramma hid in his suitcase! Jack was super excited to show off his room.

He also took Gramma to his favorite place.

Too sweet!

Jack even inspired Gramma to build some Lego Heros.

And then they played.

It was a short, but wonderful visit. Jack is looking forward to the next trip...a flight to Jersey in February. We might need to pack his snow boots!

Second Short Track Race

2012-01-22T22:08:00.001-05:00

After a rainy week that led to a cold race day, and his first case of Croup, Jack still wanted to race today. As usual he was all smiles before the race.

Someday he'll learn the game face.

On this cold, wet, muddy day, the kids field was quite small. Only the tough kids showed up!

Jack's new real tires really helped in the slippery conditions. He did great.

Loving our time in the woods together!

Jack crossed the finish line so fast he forgot his medal!

It was an awesome family race day. Mama even got a trophy for 2nd place. I am so loving life right now. We all get to spend the day together with friends, doing something healthy and fun. It doesn't get much better than this!

Jack's First Winter Short Track Race

2012-01-15T23:16:00.001-05:00

The Charlotte Winter Short Track Series added a kids race this year for children 8 and under. Perfect timing for Jack. Here he is sizing up the competition :), Max.

And doing his favorite thing, getting dirty in the sand.

Finally it was time to start lining up.

Yes, he is popping a wheelie at the start line!

Down the trails we went, reminding him that he couldn't ride sections he loved over and over.

Still smiling towards the end of the lap. Pure joy on his face.

His big finish and medal time.

Jack took a picture of his bike after the race. His camera skills are really improving.

Tilley race at 11:30am, Jack raced at 1pm, and I raced at 1:50pm. It was a great family race day. I look forward to many more in the years to come. On the way home Jack asked when was the next race...

Homework

2012-01-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

Tilley works full time, takes care of Jack, me and the house....

and still makes time for the important stuff.

13 Times

2012-01-08T23:18:00.001-05:00

Today I am now 13 times as old as Jack. You can do the math....it's pretty old. A few weeks ago, I finally let go of a ton of teenie-bopper-ish clothes that I've been hanging onto since I moved to Charlotte and I haven't worn. So I'm ready for this next phase in life.

Jack let me sleep in and greeted me with gift and cards he addressed himself.

For lunch, the boys took me to Cabo Fish Taco. It wasn't quite Maui, but the food was really yummy.

Jack had his first Shirley Temple. That brought me way back to my childhood.

After lunch we went to Amelie Frech Bakery and I had my favorite Russian Tea. Jack got some sweet treats too.

As a special gift, I asked Jack to sit down and take a picture with me. After about five minutes, these are the best we came up with. Check out Jack's new 'gun.' Gotta love having a boy!

And after dinner, by boys surprised me with a pink cake with white frosting and sprinkles.

For some reason after having a kid, getting older isn't so bad. I am enjoying every moment. My smile lines are deep for a reason.

73 Degrees In January

2012-01-07T23:18:00.002-05:00

So Charlotte weather is not all bad, especially considering how much I complain. Although I do have to say, it has been unseasonably warm lately, wonderful, but still not the usual.

Today, I over-dressed the boy and we headed to Renni so he could practice for the race next Sunday.

By the time we got out of the single track, just was lifting up his shirt.

When he finished riding, he was so happy to cool off.

Even at home, it was hard to get him back into his shirt. It was so nice today! Check out the cool bike moves and silly face.

Then Optimus Prime was after me...

Yes, we are all Transfomers, all day, everyday!

BTW, I got these cute jeans at the Gap Outlet. They are super thin, have cool slanted pockets and elastic waist (good for independent potty trips) and elastic cuffs. So European, so adorable. Just had to share!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T21:20:00.001-05:00

I keep saying the weather is so nice, but really it has been amazing. Today, on new year's eve, Jack and I moved the picnic table outside, enjoyed lunch and then decided to paint in the sunshine.

We told Jack he could stay up till midnight to see the ball drop and celebrate with us. He started yawning at little after 10pm. I finally went to sleep at around 11:30 and I a little while later, I could hear Jack saying he wanted to come check on me. Finally with less than ten minutes to go, Jack gave up. Tilley told Jack he was so close, but no, he climbed into bed with me six minutes before midnight and slept till after 9am.

Today, after days and days of pleading, Jack finally gave in and let us pack up the xmas decorations and take down the tree. He even helped vacuum up all the needles. He's such a good helper.

Oh and I should tell you about Jack's new obsession: Transformers. It started with a few toddler Transformer toys, but then he saw the show on the HUB. It was all over, he was in love. Of course he found the Transformers section at Red Ball. Thanks Aunt Lisa for Jack's Red Ball gift card!

We finally cleaned out Jack's baby toy box and have made it a Transformers (and a bit of Star Wars) box.

This is a huge change for Jack (and me). My little boy shoots, fights, punches, kicks, etc. All in play, but still. He knows about guns and weapons, and good guys and bad guys. He's way too young for this stuff. He's all boy and he's growing up, way too fast for me.

The Good Old Days

2011-12-30T20:41:00.001-05:00

Remember Jack's favorite train at the outlet mall? I don't think we've been there since I started working because I wouldn't dare go there on a weekend. But this wonderful slow time between xmas and the new year has allowed us to have some time to do those favorite things we both miss....like hitting the outlet mall on a weekday!

We also got to go to the park almost everyday. The weather has been so nice here.

Next week it'll be back to work. This special time, 'working from home,' has been so wonderful. It was like being a SAHM again :).

Oh The Joy!

2011-12-26T21:42:00.001-05:00

Can you see it in his eyes? 'Santa came? He brought these presents for ME?'

Can you see the concentration?

Santa brought Papa replacement sunglasses for the he broke in his big bike crash last January. See Santa doesn't forget.

Santa brought me a cute little bamboo box with earrings.

We opened gifts for so long that eventually Jack got tired and quit.

So we just let him play with each toy and enjoyed the long morning.

Here are just some of the gifts. We're going to be building Lego sets for weeks!

Oh and he finally checked to see if Santa ate any cookies.

Then it was time for a run race. Yes, he has to do laps several times a day.

At some point we needed to get out for some air. I asked Jack if he wanted to go the Fancy Baby park and feed the ducks. But Jack wanted to ride the trails. Okay, we can ride the trails too. No Mama, I want to go to Renni, I like to ride the dunes!

So we went to Renni again and Jack rode two laps. I rode 20, merry xmas to me! It was a great day. Thank you to all the Santas out there that made it so incredible. Merry Xmas to all!

Our Xmas Eve

2011-12-25T22:21:00.033-05:00

I found out a few days ago that our local Winter Short Track Race Series that runs five Sundays in January in February, will have an 8 and under kids race. I am so excited, I mean Jack is so excited. But I am way more excited. So today, we decided to go check out the course, since Jack's only been there once.

He loved the course and flew through the berms and downhills, and even did great on the hill he had trouble on last time.

Here are a few video clips of the boy in action.

And tonight, Jack and I made cookies for Santa.

Rod was out and I could not find the cookie sheet, but Jack found a mini muffin pan. So we made little kiss cookies. Later when Rod got home, we made some sugar cookies that Jack decorated. He's becoming quite the little baker.

Santa got Almond Milk this year and a good sampling of cookies. Jack took a bite 'to make sure they're okay for Santa.'

We also made plate of candy for Santa, just in case the cookies weren't enough.

And then when the boy went to sleep, Santa arrived and the Elf on the Shelf, Glide Clyde, flew home.

Thanks to all of our Santas out there!

The Eve of Our Eve

2011-12-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

Yes, we did brave the mall of Xmas Eve, which is the Eve of our Xmas Eve. Huh? Yeah, I'm a bit confused too. Since AJ comes over on Christmas night, we celebrate that evening as Xmas Eve, so we do Xmas a day late. Still fuzzy, oh well, it works for us; for now. I know Jack will wise up soon.

And the mall was pretty tame. It was totally worth it as I was able to pick up all our embroidered stockings :)!

That match the cute little tree skirt.

And I know I could get something cool, or fancy, or posh. But I love that Jack picked all this stuff out. And someday he and AJ can fight over it :).

Cheesy Fries

2011-12-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

Here's an idea: pile four kids and two Moms in a truck and head Uptown (Charlotte's downtown) to see an animated bears xmas concert. The kids loved the car ride. This was Jack's first time driving with other kids: Emmi 4, Caroline 4, and Marli almost 2.

Before we left Jack entertained the girls with a song. It's just the very end since it took me so long to dig out the camera out.

After parking in a big garage and taking a little walk, we found the bears.

We watched for a little while and then had an early lunch. Jack was more interested in the escalator than the bears. I think we went up and down it 30 times. Pretty soon, the girls got into the action too. After a while we decided the check out the ginger bread house at the Ritz.

I tried to get the kids to pose in front of a cool wood model of the city.

Instead of saying 'cheese' for some reason I said say, 'cheesy fries.' Apparently this means charge the photographer, and that's just what Jack did.

Within minutes the girls got into it too. After the tackle, they would run back and 'reset' and charge again on the 'cheesy fries' command. This was one of those games that's really cute and fun when you start, but then three years later, you wish you never started :). And at about 40 plus pounds each, they totally out-weighed me!

We finally did make it to the ginger bread house, which was real and organic. So cool.

The kids all took apples from the lobby of the Ritz and we headed to the park and then home. It was a crazy, but absolutely fun day. Thanks Aunt Taryn! As we were leaving Jack said, I miss Aunt Taryn. It was so sweet.

Discovery Place Kids

2011-12-22T21:07:00.002-05:00

This place is incredible. I mean really so awesome. I cannot believe we waiting this long to visit Discovery Place Kids. Thanks for inviting us Aunt Taryn.

This is a huge improvement over the Los Angeles Children's Museum and totally dedicated to toddlers. Although I have to say I really missed the xray room that takes pictures of your silhouette every 30 seconds. Remember that room?

Anyway, DPK had a fire truck, ambulance, grocery store, pet clinic, puppet show, restaurant, arts and crafts area, airport, roller coaster creation and car race area, brick crane, auto repair, and water play area. I'm sure that's not all. We could have stayed there all day!

Here are some pictures from our visit.

Next year we will definitely ask Santa for a membership to DPK.

Maybe our reindeer Cube can send the message to Santa!

Getting Into The Spirit

2011-12-11T23:19:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, we went to Hunter Farms to 'cut down' our xmas tree. Jack came prepared with his foam ax of course.

Being the clean freak that I am, we set up the tree when we got home and then hosed it off and brought it into the house this morning.

Just had to share Jack's new invention: wrap a paper towel around a lint roller, and you get a napkin roller. It works well with popsicles, I swear. Yes, he is a genius, and the patent is pending.

Jack couldn't wait until we could finally decorate the tree. This year, we even put up some of the crazy fragile, $50 glass ornaments. Yes, we are brave. It was actually pretty amazing sharing each ornament with Jack and explaining the story behind it and the meaning is has for our family. Good times.

After the tree, we decorated Jack's room. He got a little purple xmas tree from Red Ball, and flannel xmas sheets from Pottery Barn.

Oh, and Jack found this awesome truck wrapping paper, that had to be hung in his room.

Jack's really gotten into this whole decorating thing, and I have too. Xmas is so much more fun when you have a kid. I know it's corny, but I really do feel the spirit this year. Hope you do too!

Papa Tilley's Birthday

2011-12-04T23:00:00.003-05:00

I know we're a day early, but this work stuff really gets in the way of our celebrations! We started the day with some presents.

Cooking stuff...yeah!

Then we sent Papa on a nice bike ride while Jack and I took care of the yard work ;).

Jack reminded me that we that we needed to get a cake for Papa. So we headed to the grocery store. Jack of course wanted to buy the ingredients to 'make' a cake. Are you kidding me buddy?!? No matter how many cakes I showed, him, big small, pink, purple, ice cream....'Mama we need to MAKE one!'

So Jack picked a box of white cake mix, pink frosting, white frosting, purple icing, and watermelon sprinkles. Okay Betty, here we go.

What? We need a mixer. I've got muscles and a hyper three year old...same thing, right?

Here's how the first cake of my life turned out. The top layer broke into three pieces and was glued back together with frosting. Not gorgeous, but made with lots of love.

We were going to go out for Sushi for dinner, but Jack suggested take out. Great idea buddy!

Jack's getting really good with chopsticks.

Then it was time to taste my cake, yikes!

I have to say, the cake was so moist, the frosting was so mild and yummy, and the berries were a great idea. Thanks Betty, and thanks Jack! Happy Birthday Tilley. I promise I'll bake you a cake every year.

Swimming in December

2011-12-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

No, we didn't make it to the Caribbean, just the indoor pool at the Y.

It was a tiny but chilly for me, but my warm blooded little man absolutely loved it.

It did feel great to swim and play in the water. Jack skipped lunch and played for hours. When we finally got cleaned up, he inhaled his sandwich. It was pretty funny. I don't ever think he's ever skipped a meal.

We'll have to do this indoor zero entry pool thing again. Next time we'll bring friends.

First Visit to Santa

2011-11-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, this was the first time I took Jack to see Santa. Am I a bad Mom? Thing is, I've seen so many scary pictures of babies and kids screaming on Santa's lap that I've never really had the desire to put Jack, or myself, through that. Until now. Cuz he's older and I think he's so excited about Santa. He talks about Santa in his sleep. When I check on Jack at night, he mumbles, 'I love Santa' with his eyes closed. It's so sweet.

Jack put on some 'fancy clothes' and off to the mall we went. I took a few shots at home before we left. Loving the new camera, btw. Check out this cute kid. I love it when I can almost capture his enormous personality.

We got so lucky. Santa was all alone when we arrived. And it really helped that he looked like Grandpa Wally :). Jack spent some time telling Santa how good he's been and just what he wants for xmas. He kept asking Santa where his reindeer were. And can Jack go visit them too?

His wish list included Legos, stickers, and 'little flowers we can plant in the ground.' He also taught Santa how to 'ET phone home.'

The photographer took some cute pictures, which I had to buy of course.

After we saw Santa, we ate lunch in the food court. A man came over to our table and said your son is really gorgeous, you need to get him into modeling. I said thanks. He said no really, he is beautiful, he would get so much work. Thanks. I know a good agent, her name is blah blah. You should really call her. Weird!

Jack has been asking when we can go back and see Santa again. And when we can visit the reindeer in the North Pole. Oh joy, the fun of xmas with a three year old. This is going to be the best xmas ever!

Coordination

2011-11-27T21:10:00.002-05:00

Were you expecting Jack doing acrobatics? Nope, just the fact that his wheel and grips now match his camel back. And he has to have it every time he rides.

And today was Mama and Jack ride day.

He was very well hydrated :), and was able to ride farther and faster today.

Now we know. Can't wait till next season.

I Wish We Could Live Here

2011-11-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

As we drove into Fancy Baby Park today, Jack said, 'I wish we could live here.' Buddy, it only took us five minutes to get here. 'Okay, then can we live in the purple house next to Red Ball?' Sure, buddy.

He loves this park, and I do too. This is where Tilley taught me to mountain bike 6 years ago. And this is where we walked the day before Jack was born while I was in labor. I can still picture leaning on Tilly in the woods during each contraction. And yes, Jack was born almost 24 hours later. That was a long walk.

And look what a big boy he is now.

Taking a lovely pile of acorns some other nice kid collected on a picnic table and throwing them in the air.

We put that good arm to use feeding the ducks and geese.

Feeding animals can be hard work. Sometimes, we need a snack ourselves. Yes, he always acts like we don't feed him.

Then we rode around the lake.

Isn't it beautiful, when it's not 95 degrees, 100% humidity, and full of bugs?

Jack learned a new trick, riding standing. This will definitely help on the hills since he'll be single speeding for a few year, if he ever starts pedaling that is.

Oops, Tilley spotted this sign.

After a quick trip to Costco for some berries, Jack got a treat. That's a big Churro and berry smoothie.

After dinner, AJ and Jack had raspberry wars. The white walls did not win!

Being home this long weekend has been so much fun and yet so relaxing. I'm not ready for it to end.

Jack's Thankful

2011-11-24T23:41:00.000-05:00

We had such a wonderful thanksgiving this year. The best part was having AJ home for a long weekend. Jack was over the moon. Tilley was pretty happy too.

The weather was beautiful, in the high sixties, so we had to get outside. We went to the park so Jack could ride his bike on the trails.

Then we played at the playground for a while and went to feed the ducks and geese some bread. You could call the big geese super tame or boarderline aggressive. Either way, they came right up to us and tried to bite the bread right out of our hand. They mistook one of Jack's sweet fingers for a piece of bread. Yes, Jack's entire finger was in the goose's mouth. I pulled it out and Jack was just fine. He thought it was pretty funny and scolded the goose that 'my finger is not bread, you silly goose.'

We had a yummy, light (yes that is possible) turkey dinner. Rod roaster turkey breasts with carrots and green beans and baked sweet potatoes in foil. Of course we had cranberry dressing, my favorite part of the meal. I know this sounds simple, but it was so good, and easy, and healthy. We forgot pie, but Aunt Taryn made up for that the next morning.

I wrote down everything Jack said he was thankful for, in order:

house

pink & purple

Mama

Papa

Evie (his baby doll)

toys

stickers

candy

paint

everything

Mama's healthy (I almost cried)

beads

juice

our couch

That's a thankful three year old for you. Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving!

Pantry Dominoes

2011-11-24T22:10:00.008-05:00

I don't know why we buy him toys. Jack entertained himself for over an hour taking all the food out of our pantry and turning it into a huge dominoes set.

And yes, we let him. It's a holiday weekend, remember? BTW, this is not a bad way to get your kid to help you clean out and reorganize the pantry :).

Little Helper

2011-11-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

I can tell you Tilley surely doesn't miss taking care of our old yard. He gets a sly, goofy smile on his face every week the gardeners come into our town home neighborhood. Jack clearly misses it. Today, he got out his mower and flirted with all the guys.

The gardeners were all pretty good sports and smiled and waved back, even when Jack messed with their nice leaf piles.

I actually miss raking leaves, and making fun piles to play in. I know, I know, be careful what you ask for...

Party Boy!

2011-11-20T23:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's that season again. Today was Haley's 5th birthday party at a cool new bouncy house. This one had a huge area with these large stack-able foam blocks that Jack loved. He spent most of the party playing with them.

I had to physically remove him to get him to try the bouncy things.

He liked the basketball court, he gets that from his Uncles.

Since the party was from 3:30 to 5:30pm, we skipped nap. Jack did great, but definitely ran out of fuel at the end.

I guess he'll be napping for a few more months....thank you!

Guy's Ride

2011-11-20T23:50:00.000-05:00

Today Jack and Papa went mountain biking. I came along to chase them, with the camera of course :). While we loaded the bikes, Jack warmed up with some mowing.

He found a little lady bug. A few have invaded our master bath. I love that!

The boys got ready to ride.

And into the trails they went.

I had a really hard time keeping up.

Hey Papa, where's my tree break?

Next weekend, I get to ride with Jack and Papa can chase. Or wait, maybe all three of us can ride...duh!

Here's a short clip of the boys in action.

Still loving that helmet hair!

After our ride, we went to the park and Jack loved the big kids swing.

We're loving living near the park, and this great Fall weather of course.

3 Year & 3 Months

2011-11-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned that Jack loves purple? he loves purple so much, that he'll take the shirt right off Tilley's back, even though it's a tad big. He's pretty cute, huh?

And after watching the flying squirrel Diego last night, the big purple shirt came in handy.

We didn't get a cake, but we celebrate everyday!

Let the shopping begin...

2011-11-18T23:04:00.000-05:00

After having lunch at our favorite new spot, Zoe's, Jack takes off down the side walk. He's stopped in his track by a purple sweater in a store window. He bolts it, touches it, and says yuck scratchy. I try to get him to leave this lovely women's clothing store, and he says NO. He picks out a #$%^& and says we have to buy it for Grandma Lo for xmas.

I guess we're offically xmas shopping. When you get your gift, please remember they were picked out by a three year old :).

Right of Passage

2011-11-14T21:58:00.001-05:00

This is one of them, right? Jack of course spit all the whipped cream out and then grabbed a paper towel to wipe his tongue. Yeah, that's my boy. This was the start of an attempt to make strawberry shortcake.

It went pretty well and Jack even decorated them.

He held one up and I thought for sure he would take a bite. But no, he put it down and asked for some 'clean' strawberries. Oh well, I tried. The process of making them was fun.

Growing Up Too Fast

2011-11-12T22:25:00.001-05:00

My boy is getting bigger, taller, and smarter everyday. He's more particular about his clothes, his hair, his shoes. It's just fun to watch and listen.

Today on our way to Emmi's 4th b-day party , I tried to capture his hair that had to be 'pretty for all my friends.'

Oh, and let this shot be a little foreshadow.

Jack spent most of the party playing with one of his favorite babies, Marli Moo.

The bouncy section of the party was fun.

After bouncing, the kids had pizza and cupcakes. Then it was time to play in the arcade area. This is where things got scary for me.

I know boys like guns, and Jack is getting older, but I'm not ready for my three year old to hold a gun, shoot a gun, or even know what a gun is. I so much preferred when he called it a shotter (and no that is not mispelled).

And as if that wasn't enough, Jack played his first arcade game.

Yes, my boy is growing up and I have to get used to all this big boy stuff.

At least I can still count on his sweetness, for now...

Visit From Grandpa

2011-11-08T21:31:00.001-05:00

Grandpa Wally had a customer visit in Charlotte, so he got to spend the night with us. Jack loved is of course. He gave Grandpa a tour of our new house, ran around screaming, and then settled down with a John Deere magazine.

Tilley made his famous chicken....yum!

It was so nice to catch up and spend time together.

Jack was pretty sad to see him go and is already waiting for for Grandpa Wally to visit again, and next time bring Grandma Lo.

Our New Home In Pictures

2011-11-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

You've seen Jack's awesome room. I thought it was time to show you the rest of the place.

Rod's office / Jack's art & play room.

My office.

AJ has her own room and bathroom, and we also have one empty room. We're setting in well and enjoying all the extra space. We still have some pictures to hang. But overall, it feels like home. Visitors who don't mind sleeping on a futon or the floor are welcome :).

Bike Party

2011-11-05T22:07:00.003-04:00

Our bike clubs celebrated their year end party today with a nice ride, some good food, and family fun.

It was so nice to see friends and catch up. With work being so busy, I haven't been riding much at all. So it was great to get back on my bike too.

After over two hours of riding, carrying a huge toddler, piggy back, was no easy task.

This is one of those moments when I wonder if I should've had kids when I was younger and had more energy.

Nope, now's good. The right guy, the right baby, and the right time.

Thanks you Tilley.

Pink Wheels!

2011-11-02T22:36:00.001-04:00

Jack wore his Strider tires all the way down to the foam. So we knew it was time to order a new set. The online selection of replacement wheel colors was awesome. I showed Jack, thinking he'd pick green or blue or red. Nope. He had to have pink. Of course, I got the matching grips. And most importantly a new seat with taller seat post.

Jack loves his new bike.

I guess he'll be Stridering for a while longer. At this rate his 12 inch pedal bike will be too small by the time he starts pedaling. Oh well, he loves to ride and is happy. That's all that matters.

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T22:57:00.001-04:00

Jack enjoyed trick or treating this year and loved his purple pumpkin. We woke him up early from his nap to join some friends in their neighborhood. It started out great, but Jack was done when it started getting dark. Still we had fun. Jack ate one lolly pop and three little Snickers as we strolled from house to house.

And he did some tricks....poor kitty!

Check out the loot.

Don't worry, we're all doing our part to help eat the candy. Happy Halloween!

Training

2011-10-30T21:55:00.001-04:00

Jack was so excited when I told him we could go ride at Renni and practice the race course. I unbuckled his seat belt as we entered the park and he jumped out of his seat to check out the view.

He did fine on the downhills that I was a little worried about.

And really liked the first half of the course.

He was all smiles in the woods on this cold, sunny day.

The hills towards the end got a little steep and rocky and tough, but he muscled his way up them.

One lap today, maybe more the next time. It's so amazing that Jack's now ridden at so many trails. I spent my entire first year riding at one park.

He's a lucky boy!

Halloween Festival

2011-10-29T21:49:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago, I asked Jack, 'what do you want to be for Halloween?' Immediately, he said the the big bad wolf, and that lasted for a while. Then as I'm about to order it from Pottery Barn, he says no, I want to be a purple kitty.

So I scour the web and can only find a Cheshire cat costume, which he doesn't like. I decide to try and make one myself with the help of a friend. We head to the Halloween shop to find a tail and ears, and he found a Handy Manny costume. That was it, he loved it, we bought it. He even tried it on when we got home. I returned all the cat stuff.

And then today, when it was time to finally get dressed up, he didn't want to wear it. He opted for a a construction dress up set that Aunt Ira (thanks!) bought him for his birthday.

Luckily I had a nice flannel shirt that Jack received as a gift a few years ago, and we were all set...

Turns out the vest is not car sear approved. Duh, Mama!

The little Not So Spooky Festival was really small and cute. It was designed for 10 and under kids and it was perfect. Jack met Blaze the fire dog and gave him a kiss on the nose.

He played the 5 little carnival games.

Jack really loved collecting all the candy prizes.

We did some arts and crafts.

But the best part of the festival was the Smoothie King booth. Jack had three full cups and wanted more. He's so funny. He said the smoothies make his tummy super happy.

And then one nice fireman let Jack sit on Blazes's four wheeler.

I think we were there less than an hour. The perfect size and perfect type of a festival for a three year old. Thanks Matthews!

Fall Riding

2011-10-26T21:25:00.001-04:00

Lately it's been pretty tough for me to squeeze a workout into my day. I'm not a morning person, so those 5am workouts aren't even up for consideration. And when I get home from work on an early day, I'd love to see Jack, rather than spend more time away from home working out. But I need my exercise. It's tough. A few night ago, I ran around the track next to our house. Jack rode a few laps with me on his bike. And then a few more laps on my back. Let's just say it was a short, but good workout.

Tonight, we compromised. I took Jack to the park with me. He rode out on the trail until I couldn't see him anymore and then I would sprint to catch up.

I made one little boy very happy going mountain biking on a week night! Can you tell from his smile? I took a few short video clips of the boy in action. Don't worry about the OTH stunt. I turned off the camera and ran to get him, fully expecting screaming and crying. He got up, thought it was silly that he honked his horn with his tummy, told me falling is fun, wiped his hands on my shirt and took off again.

Jack loved the log piles.

And had to stop to check out trail work equipment. Thanks to the guys for working on the wet spots.

We took lots of breaks to enjoy the scenery. Jack collected all the purple leaves.

Jack called 'rider up' when another rider was going by and quickly moved to the side of the trail. It was super cute!

This boy really loves his bike.

And I love to see his real smile.

And the helmet hair.

After half a lap at FB Park, Jack still had enough energy to play on the playground. For the first time he got really adventurous climbing all sort of things he had never been on before.

He even went on the super tall slide all by himself, over and over again.

And then he slid on the rail/rings.

After all that fun, Jack was super hungry for dinner. He couldn't wait for our food to arrive, so the waitress brought him some rice. He couldn't get enough into his mouth with a spoon.

Yup, that's my boy. I'm so proud!

Bedtime Snack

2011-10-25T22:44:00.001-04:00

Some nights I get hom from work really late. On those night, I try to do something fun with Jack. Tonight we made banana bread. Jack added cranberries, blueberries, and walnuts. He did a great job mixing all the ingredients.

I only helped a little.

The banana bread baked while Jack took a bath.

Then we enjoyed some warm, yummy sweet bread.

I Miss AJ

2011-10-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Those are the three most often heard words that come out of Jack's mouth lately. He says it every day, several times a day.

So today, we make the long drive to visit AJ at her school. I think we may be entering a new phase in the driving department with Jack. As we were driving, he kept saying how he loves long drives, likes to look around, and just rest. Road trips, here we come!

Anyway, were finally able to reunite the matching shoes. Yes, I can match a 16 year old and three year old's clothing, so ha!

We visited AJ's dorm room, which smelled like feet. And Jack, being a super honest three year old, was not shy about pointing out.

We took a walk around campus and walked, well Jack rode, to lunch.

Jack wanted to sit next to AJ, of course.

Then we carved some pumpkins we brought from Riverbend.

Then we said some sad goodbyes.

Jack wanted to take AJ home. It was so sweet. They may be separated by many years, but they are so connected.

Riverbend Farm Take II

2011-10-22T21:46:00.004-04:00

Remember how much fun we had at Riverbend Farm last year?

http://tilleygooseranch.blogspot.com/2010/10/riverbend-farm.html

We just had to go back again this year. Jack rode the combine.

And then we went to the pumpkin patch.

He's such a boy....Jack don't kick the pumpkins!

And don't throw the pumpkins either!

But Mama, I'm having so much fun.

And I want to sit on Emmi's huge pumpkin.

Could they be any cuter? The tractor ride to and from the pumpkin patch was fun.

Did I mention Jack loves Marli?

After a little picnic lunch, we played.

And visited the crooked pumpkin house with slanted floors.

Jack drove the plow.

And the manure spreader.

Last year, Jack could barely peak into the windows. Now he had to bend down to get his head into them.

You can really see how much he's grown.

Now we just need to get the boy to settle on a costume...

Class Picture Day

2011-10-20T23:01:00.001-04:00

I did the impossible. I got Jack to wear something other than 'softy mofty' pants. And I even managed a button down shirt and shoes other than crocs.

Isn't he adorable!

P.S. I did have to bribe him with a trip to the Lego store. But whatever, it worked!

?

2011-10-13T22:22:00.001-04:00

It's Jack's favorite symbol. 'Look Papa, I made a question mark!'

Since I work so much and am away for so many hours during the week, it's really nice to know that Jack spends three mornings a week learning so much. He clearly loves symbols more than letters. He can now count to 20 easily and is working on the higher numbers. Most of all, he is really into comparisons, which are so cute:

'Mama your toes are colder than mine. My toes are colder than yours. Our toes are not the same temperature.'

'Your hair is darker than mine. My hair is lighter than yours. Our hair is not the same color.'

And his vocabulary surprises me everyday. I love his new words and new phrases. It's so much fun to just listen to him think and talk.

Because I'm working so much, Jack's also become a little clingy when I'm home. It's not that he hangs on me or needs to be so near me physically. It's just that he wants me to do everything with him, dinner, bath, bedtime, books, every game, park, etc. So on the weekends, I definitely try to oblige. At this point it's getting tough to find time to work out though. Imagine me, running around the track next to our house, with a forty pound toddler on my back (piggy back). Yes, Jack's a little clingy!

Jammie Day at School

2011-10-12T22:19:00.000-04:00

Who me?

Yes, this is Jack, apparently shocked to me wearing jammies to school.

Squinkies

2011-10-09T22:10:00.000-04:00

Jack's latest little obsession: Squinkies. These are tiny little rubber thingies: characters, vehicles, people, super heros. Jack loves them. And we have a ton of them.

What are we going to to do with all this nonesense when Jack's grows out of it?

I'm so cool in my Lego Crocs, I gotta wear shades!

2011-10-08T23:21:00.001-04:00

Yes, I did spend $30 on plastic shoes, but they have LEGOS on them. How could I not buy them???

And for some reason, Jack's new shoes inspired him to want to wear shades. The red ones (from Aunt Ira) are for when he's a fire man.

The black ones for being a police man, of course.

And we discovered another play ground at the park next to our house. That makes three total. This smaller one has a cool rock wall. On his first try, Jack went right up it, like he knew what he was doing. He may be late in developing his climbing and daring skills, but he seems to be catching up pretty well.

I love weekends and spending time with my boys!

Jack's New Room

2011-10-08T23:08:00.000-04:00

My favorite part of our new place is Jack's room. I feel like we finally have enough room for all of Jack's toys. And there's plenty of room to play and grow.

And most importantly lots of room to organize our, I mean Jack's, Legos.

And the closet, oh the closet is amazing.

It's so nice to spread out all of Jack's clothes and see everything he has. It really helps with my clearance, end of season, shopping for next year thing.

And Jack loves it. I am amazed how the transition to a new place has been so smooth. Since day one, when 99% of the house was empty or in boxes, Jack has been so happy and excited to be in this house. No sadness about the old one, no questions even. He only asks why this one is not ours, or why we don't own it. Explaining renting to a 3 year old is tough.

We all really love our new place. Papa doesn't miss mowing 2.5 acres and we all love the extra family time!

Rings

2011-10-03T23:01:00.001-04:00

The rings are Jack's favorite thing at our new park.

He's getting much more daring and adventurous, although I think he's still way behind for his age. That's okay. My heart doesn't need him to be any more crazy than he is.

Today I worked from home. It was so nice to be able to take Jack to the park next door after his nap. And I also got to spend some time with him after school. It's funny, I don't miss the stuff we used to do so much as the time. I really miss the the new phrases, the new questions, and the new ideas swirling around in his head. That's the stuff that amazes me everyday.

Tonight in the shower, he recited the months of the year. He gets everything. I love his sense of humor and his inquisitiveness. He's all boy when it comes to trucks and tools, but picked out a pink and purple baby doll today and named her Evie. He's such a sweet lovey boy!

I'm Not Ready

2011-10-02T22:28:00.001-04:00

But someone thinks he's ready to sleep on the top bunk. He did recite all the months of the year in the shower tonight. Who taught him that?

He's still my baby. Although there's really no baby left. He's a big boy now. A little man. It's amazing how fast he's grown up. Can I really be lamenting Jack growing up too fast when he's only three?

But he did get his first tattoo tonight. So that means he's ready. Kids these days!

Touch A Truck

2011-10-02T21:37:00.002-04:00

After driving about 45 minutes up to Huntersville to Touch A Truck, I realized I forgot the camera. So my IPhone got a good workout today. This was such a cool event that included fire trucks, police cars, tractors, garbage trucks, moving trucks, mail trucks, ambulances, TV vans, construction vehicles, race cars, etc. It was amazing. And it only cost $3, a great deal! I should have taken an overview picture. Sorry.

Jack loved the big rig, and almost jumped out of his skin when he pulled the horn.

He thought the bed inside was pretty cool.

He imitated some of the huge vehicles.

And of course ran to the fire truck.

Mama had to drive once.

And the police car was definitely a favorite.

Until he saw the moving van. They had two ramp for kid to run up and down and a long open trailer. It's the simple things that kids love. Jack ran and played with all the kids, even this big guy in the jersey.

Until Jack accidentally ran into his fist (ie. got punched while running). He brushed off the dust and just got up. Kids!

A few seconds late he was playing again and Touch a truck became bite a truck. I'm sure those moving ties are super clean.

After being punched in the gut, Jack got a hug from Two Men and a Truck Moving.

He wasn't really sure about the bobcat though. Check out those eyes.

And then we got to pet a baby kangaroo, named Jack! The posing for the picture part was kind of silly. The best part was just touching him and petting him when he was sitting comfortably.

It was a fun day and definitely worth the drive. And it didn't hurt that we parked at Osaka Sushi bar for the event. So lunch was yummy. It's definitely been a busy weekend. And I still need to work on unpacking the house....maybe next weekend.

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day

2011-10-01T22:28:00.013-04:00

It's Take a Kid Mountain Biking! Hey, we have one of those and he loves to ride his bike! How lucky are we that the local event is just minutes from our house at Fancy Baby Park!?!

This is just one of the groups of kids. It was amazing to see so many kids on the trails. The event was sponsored by the Tarheel Trailblazers, Dirt Divas, and REI.

Jack and his friend Max made a group of their own.

The boys rode well together. Jack's about 8 months older than Max so he has a little speed on him, but Max is the endurance king. Slow but steady the entire way.

They had so much fun together. Jack may be getting a little too friendly!

And I can acutally say I got a pretty good run out of it. There were times when I could barely keep up. After the ride REI grilled burgers and turkey sausages and has lots of healthy, yummy snack, fruit and homemade icecream. It was quite the treat!

Jack spilled juice down his shirt and pants, so had to do a wardrobe change. Which apparently meant an attitude change too. Check out my cool kid!

It was a great event. I highly recommend this to everyone. I can't wait for the next one!

True Joys of Childhood

2011-09-22T22:23:00.000-04:00

Jack's taken playing in the puddles to a whole new level!

Here's the action footage.

After nap today, we went down to the beach for the last time. Jack had to say goodbye to the dunes.

The beach was empty as usual, so awesome.

Getting ready to go back to school next week, Jack practiced his J's.

And used his 'shotter.' Not a shooter, to be sure. Yes, we're in that stage. He hasn't figured out what they do to the recipient of the shot, just that you can make shots with them. We'll leave it at that for a while.

Sad goodbye's.

Don't forget the sun.

And then we're off....food was mentioned. Check out the ribs. Jack's starting to lose his toddler belly.

Tilley found this awesome diner called Andy's. And Jack's Red Hot dog and fries came in this cool Mustang.

Yum, yum! I hope they open a location is Charlotte someday.

More Beach Fun

2011-09-22T21:39:00.000-04:00

Our days are so relaxing here. We ride bikes.

Make funny faces.

Bury sticks in the sand.

Work on our natural highlights.

Learn how to fake smile.

Check out the ocean.

Get sand between our toes.

Spend time together.

And enjoy every moment.

I love this vacation and am so sad it is almost over.

Sand Play

2011-09-21T23:58:00.000-04:00

Jack was more into drawing in the sand than shoveling it today. He loves asking, what does this look like? What does that look like? He's also all about his punctuation and loves making periods and exclamation marks.

Until he figured out he could bury me...

We had an awesome sunset dinner at a nice place on the water tonight. We enjoyed Mahi Mahi and fish tacos. Yum!

Don't you love our family self portraits!

Beach Boy

2011-09-21T23:49:00.000-04:00

Jack's gotten so used to this casual beach lifestyle, he doesn't even want to button his shirt.

He keeps asking if we can stay here at the beach. Do we have to go home? Why?

Jack's also been fascinated by the dunes, and why we have to stay of them. Here he is calling John Deere to mow down the dunes.

Silly boy!

Blowing kisses.

And then finally getting off the dunes!

That's my beach boy. Maybe someday we'll be able to live at the beach, maybe.

NC Aquarium

2011-09-21T11:16:00.001-04:00

Just a few minutes from our hotel was the North Carolina Aquarium. So we had to check it out since Tilley loves fish, I love turtles, and Jack had never been to an aquarium before. There was a beautiful two story waterfall entrance.

Jack loved climbing on all the statues.

And there was a cool interactive, digital pond to play in. Jack even 'swam' in it on his belly. Yup, his shirt didn't stay white for long.

They had lots of turtles, all kinds, even a wild albino turtle.

And of course big fish. They even had four river otters, which I love to watch.

Sharks!

It was a great little aquarium. Jack wasn't really into looking at each type of fish, or frog, or snake. He mostly wanted to run around. There were kids younger and older than he, calmly looking through the glass, listening to their parents describe what was inside. Jack just wanted to climb and run.

So he'd not there yet. He was really into the gift shop though. We'll try again in six months.

First See Saw

2011-09-20T23:42:00.001-04:00

I know Jack's already three and it seems like we should've ran into a see saw by now. But with all the parks we've been to in his short little life, we've never run into a see saw. So it was a great surpise to find one at our resort.

Who knew my quads would be sore for days?

It's the little things in life.

Fort Macon

2011-09-19T23:35:00.003-04:00

Today we took Jack to visit a cool fort just a few miles away from our condo.

He really loved the little museum. We listened to the ocean in sea shells,

and climbed all over large sea creatures.

We had sushi for lunch. Jack tried a wasabi pea, ouch! We had a nice peaceful lunch, thanks to the markers of course. Jack is all about drawing and asking what does this look like?

After a little nap, during which Tilley and I took turns working out, we headed down to the beach.

Jack flew around and had a blast. I think the best part of the beach is that is feels like we're the only ones here.

The waves are small and the beach is flat. It's really Jack-sized.

After weeks of spending time searching for rentals, packing, and moving, it has been so nice just relaxing and spending time with my guys. Jack has been in his new 3 year old class for only a few weeks, but I can already see a huge change in him. He is becoming more outgoing, introducing himself, saying nice to meet you. He sings all the time, makes up his own songs. He loves to rhyme and is really good and it. And just when I thought he couldn't possibly talk more, he does. He's a total chatter box. And he never misses a beat. If Tilley or I say something he doesn't understand or doesn't quite hear because we're trying to be sly, he asks. And he won't let it go until he gets an answer.

I am so glad to spend this time with my boy. It's only been six months since I've been back at work, and I can already see the need to take a week of more that twice a year.

Atlantic Beach

2011-09-18T21:13:00.002-04:00

It's was a cool, overcast, perfect day. I miss CA, but I've learned to love East Coast beaches off season. The boardwalks and dunes are beautiful. And the shells are my favorite.

Tilley was so smart to pack Jack's bike since we are staying at a pretty large resort. It's great fun riding along the boardwalks.

Within minutes of getting to the beach, Jack had to make some artwork in the sand. Luckily the beach was pretty empty. Again, my favorite part of visiting off season.

We played at the beach for a while and then explored the town, had lunch and shopped for supplies. Our little condo has a full kitchen which is great to breakfast and snacks.

For dinner, one of my customers recommended the Crab Shack, yummy fresh seafood.

And this is where we discovered that Jack's in the drawing phase of toddlerhood. With some washable markers and a little paper, he will sit quietly and eat his food. Amazing. I'll never leave home without them.

We may even need to get Jack a pocket protector!

We Arrived

2011-09-18T02:10:00.000-04:00

After a sixish hour drive that included dinner and a short nap stop, we arrived in Atlantic Beach at our condo for the week. Here's Jack at 1:54am on his bike with some warm milk. Please, just one lap Mama.

Tomorrow buddy, tomorrow...

Papa's Long Lost Friend - Uncle Greg

2011-09-17T15:42:00.001-04:00

It's sad when you don't get to see your good friend's until your kid's parties bring them together. Guys make the best of it, I guess.

Uncle Greg's daughter Ansley turned 4 and Jack was invited to an Under the Sea Themed Party at Noah's Art. The kids played, then the teacher read a story, and the crafts began. The first project was a sticker and marker hat that Jack refused to wear.

Then the kids (and me) made beaded bracelets that Jack did not want on his wrist.

And finally there was water color painting. That's the birthday girl next to Jack on the right.

Jack enjoyed gold fish crackers and juice and Tilley and I had his cake. That's my strange kid. I do have to say, Noah's Art did a great job and all the kids, even Jack, were very well occupied and had a great time.

We went to a Greek place for lunch and then headed home to pack...wait didn't we just move and need to unpack???

The New Place

2011-09-15T22:23:00.002-04:00

I guess I should rewind a bit and explain. We listed our house for sale a few months ago, and in the beginning of August got a low ball offer from an out of state buyer. After negotiating for three weeks, we settled on a decent cash offer and were given three weeks to close, two weeks to move out. Nice, especially with a three year old. But in this market, you just say thank you and move on. So we did.

With just two weeks to vacate, we didn't have enough time to buy another house. So we're going to be renters for a year. With AJ in boarding school and me back as work, this gives us great flexibility in choosing our next home.

For now, we're at McKee Place:

It's a townhouse with a small yard, but it's right next to a great park with a cool little bike track.

The condo is about twice the size of our house, so we're enjoying spreading out a little. Give me a few weeks of unpacking, and I'll post pics of the inside.

For now, we are closer to Jack's school, closer to the Y, closer to the freeway (which saves me about 50 minutes of driving each day), and don't have 2.5 acres to mow. What will we do with all that extra time?

Two and a Half Men and a Truck

2011-09-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

Yup, that's our moving service. It doesn't get any better than a brother who will drive all the way down from NJ to help you move for a two days on very little food or sleep. Thanks Uncle Eric. You are the best. Jack said he really likes Uncle Eric because he's funny. After Eric left, Jack said he wished he lived here. So cute!

Jack checked out the riding driveway at the new place. We only had to remind him a million times not to drive up and down the U-Haul ramp. And yes, he still did. We really should have taught him the word no! Oh well it seems a little late now.

Jack's favorite part of the new house is the tub in the master bath. This boy that has been taking showers since he could barely sit up is now all about the bath.

So far the transition has been great. Jack is happy and well adjusted. He's sleeping fine, eating, playing, etc. I on the other hand am sad, totally having sellers remorse. I miss our old house, miss my huge shower, bamboo floors, Jack's room, and mostly all our plants, bushes, and trees that Rod and I planted and have watched grow over the past five years.

We close on the house on Friday. So while I head back to work, Rod is taking next week off to get all the little stuff our of the house. Uncle Eric's moving services were for furniture only :).

Jayden's Bike Balloon Birthday Bash

2011-09-10T21:42:00.002-04:00

It's toddler birthday season again. Today was Jayden's turn as we celebrated her fourth birthday at Freedom Park. Aunt Patty hired a cool balloon guy that was such a hit with the kids and adults too.

Jack got the first one, a purple (of course) airplane.

The kids rode bikes around Freedom Park, such a great idea for our mountain biker crowd. Maybe we can do a trail ride for Jack's next birthday party. It's so tough with a hot August birthday though.

Here's Jack next to Jayden, on the right, and of course Emmi on the left. He's always surrounded by cute girls.

Once in a while I get these crazy glimpses of Jack as a 12 year old, or 17 year old. Here's one I was able to capture.

Then he does something like this and I remember he's three. Fshoo!

It was a great birthday party, thank you Aunt Patty for inviting us.

Jack left happy and talked about it all the way home, to the new home. Well that's another post...

Labor Day

2011-09-05T22:40:00.001-04:00

Labor Day for the past few years has been kind of a weird day. It was Jack's original due date. He came a little early and was fine of course, but still I remember it each year. I wonder if that will ever change.

This afternoon, I woke up Jack early from his nap to enjoy the pool for the last day of the season. And we had the entire pool to ourselves.

It was pretty cool. Jack loved it you know, cuz he's so social. Just Mama, Papa, and Jackie...his favorite.

Since we had a ratio of one life guard per person, we made them useful and tried to take a family photo.

Awesome huh?

Friday Night Park Picnic

2011-09-02T23:27:00.000-04:00

Tonight after Jack's nap, he wanted to go for a trail ride and go to the playground. Since he naps so late, usually till 5:30ish, we had to throw dinner in there somewhere. So we packed up a picnic and headed to the park.

Jack caught me at the bottom of the slide.

And loved just running around like a crazy boy yelling, 'gotta zip, gotta zip,' from Jungle Junction.

Then he wanted to swing. With Rod on one side and me on the other, we counted to 100 several times and did the alphabet letters and sounds. Who knew a swing could be such a great teaching tool. In the past month or so, Jack has been asking me how to spell lots of words. I spell them for him and then he repeats the spellings. It's pretty awe inspiring, but then he's my kid, so I might be biased.

After our little class, Jack wanted to go 'super high.'

And had a super good time.

Then I did my new shoulder exercises with a 40 pound toddler.

And we headed into the woods for a trail ride at dusk.

We ended our little 10 minute ride (note that it used to take Jack 25 minutes when he first started riding this section of trail) with a thunderstorm. The wind and rain picked up just minutes before we exited the trail. And it started pouring as soon as we got in the car. So no picnic tonight. We ate dinner on the way home. Still, perfect timing, and a perfect Friday night!

Sunday Funday

2011-08-28T22:00:00.004-04:00

In prep for our home inspection, Tilley did a little handy work around the house today. He had a great little helper. Just call him Handy Jack!

Of course he rode his bike. He's been doing tricks lately, so we're in the 'watch me' mode.

In the afternoon, we went to the pool. Jack loves to dive. I can't believe the pool will be closing after Labor Day, especially considering how hot September is in NC. So we're trying to get the most of out of our Y membership.

Then he had a chip snack extravaganza. I brought home some free chips from a meeting I had in Atlanta. And Jack loved trying all the flavors.

Most of the time he's an organic veggie and fruit eating kid, but once in a blue moon Jack's a little junk food junkie.

Quack

2011-08-27T22:37:00.001-04:00

Today was a little tough for Jack. We accepted an offer on our house on Friday. The buyer wants to close ASAP, so we went rental hunting this morning. We saw two houses and two townhomes. And in between, we went to the park, let Jack ride his bike, and visited the ducks.

It's tough for him to understand why we're selling the house and why we're moving. Poor kid just wants everything to stay the same. In his perfect little world, Mama and Papa and AJ would be home all day everyday and just play with Jack. Wouldn't that be nice?!?

First Day of School

2011-08-22T22:25:00.001-04:00

Today was the first day of the new school year at Jack's school. And Jack was promoted to the three year old class. Before school, he had to do a few laps.

The goof ball would not stand still for a first day of school photo.

I was immediately impressed when we walked into the classroom and the cubbies were labeled with initials instead of names. After reading a very interactive story, the class did circle time. The teacher wrote 'Good Morning!' on the dry erase board. Then she asked the kids how many words were in the sentence, how many spaces were in the sentence, and what punctuation was at the end of the sentence. Then she called up one kid to draw a line where the space is. Wow!

She gave a little lesson on punctuation and changed the exclamation mark to a period and question mark. The kids then said good morning as a statement and question. And you know what, they did it perfectly. I was amazed.

Next she wrote 'Today is August 22, 2011.' She had different kids underline the number 22, the word is, etc. Incredible.

Jack will be going to school M, W, F from 8:30am till 1pm. All the other 11 kids in his class are full time (meaning all day). I actually think Jack may get behind or not be able to keep up. We'll see. His teachers (two young girls) are really great. I love the way they address the kids as 'friends.'

After lunch Tilley brought cupcakes in for Jack's birthday. Tilley handed the teacher the cupcakes, giving her the impossible task of distributing the different colors and flavor to the kids. As she passed them out, she had all the kids chanting, 'I get what I get and I don't get upset.' Again, amazing.

I love Jack's school. And am seeing and hearing what he learns each day.

Party Time

2011-08-20T22:47:00.002-04:00

Woo Hoo...party time!

I ony took a few pics. My friend Doc, who is an amazing photographer, brought her camera. So I'll share more later.

Thanks to everyone who came. Jack had a great time and the bouncy house / water slide was a big hit!

3 Years Old

2011-08-19T21:01:00.000-04:00

Three years ago, I met a tiny little baby we called Jack. I had no idea how much he would change my world. Thanks little dude!

The birthday boy woke up to some fun presents. We spent most of the morning playing with Cars play-doh. After being gone all week, it was so nice to just chill. That was the best part of the day for me.

But we had a party to prep for, so off we went, after Jack rode his bike for a few laps of course.

Jack's been asking about dragons for days. He thinks they're scary and mean. So I told him about Puff the Magic Dragon and sang him the song last night (sorry Tilley's ears). During our car ride today, I was able to find the movie on my phone and Jack watched it during our drive. See, this new job is totally paying off.

We gave Jack the choice of Smash Burger or a fancy Chinese food place for lunch, and guess what he picked? His pineapple juice came in a special cup :).

He was quite a character at lunch, prefering to eat only his bean sprouts.

We were surprised with a yummy chocolate moose.

Our last stop was at Trader Joe's as you can see from the background of our 1:34pm picture. Happy Birthday Jack!

There he got a free mini cone and three bars of belgium chocolate. Running errands on your birthday has it's perks!

After a nap, we put Jack to work and he helped us clean the garage for the party, just in case it rains tomorrow.

Jack also helped put the bikes in the rack. He loves to put his next to mine.

Can you see how proud he is of himself?

But then he got both his bikes in the rack and could barely contain himself.

Our boy is three! Life is crazy good.

Check-Up

2011-08-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

I've been in Atlanta for a training course since Sunday, and I don't get home till Thursday night. So it's been a really long and tough week away from home. This is the longest I've gone away from my baby. And to make matters worse, I missed his dentist and doctor's appointment this week. Fortunately, Papa Tilley was there to fill in for me. (So please note that Papa dressed him and that's why he's wearing a PJ top.) And of course, this doctor's visit is the best he'd ever had.

When I take Jack to see Dr. Sam, Jack gets all quiet and won't talk. He fusses, hates getting weighed and measured, and is so not himself. Sometimes I worry that they think Jack is behind.

Not for this visit. According to Tilley, Jack would not stop talking the entire time. He pulled up a chair next to Dr. Sam and never shut up. Jack happily put on the blood pressure cuff.

Laid down for Dr. Sam.

And followed directions.

He passed the intelligence tests with flying colors and even answered the extra credit questions that weren't asked. Yup, he's my kid! Doc: how many ears do you have? Jack, I have two ears, two eyes, two hand, two knees, two feet (recited at turbo speed). Dr. Sam burst out laughing.

Jack weighed in at 37 pounds 8 ounces and is 39 inches tall. In the past six months he grew two inches and gained three pounds, although it feels more like 10.

Our boy is healthy and for that I am so grateful. I can't believe he's almost three!

Go Mama, I Love You!

2011-08-14T23:12:00.000-04:00

There's nothing better anyone could say to cheer me on. My boy, yelled I love you to me each time I passed him. That alone made it a great race.

Jack got stuck on his bike.

But loved riding around the lake.

Should I go with pedals to without? Tough decision for an almost three year old.

The park had a beautiful lake and nice little pier.

After the race we had lunch and Jack fell asleep on the way home. I hope we can do this more often as the weather cools down. It's so nice to be able to race and still spend time with my family.