All About Jack

1.  How old are you?      four

2.  What is your favorite color?     blue

3.  What is your favorite animal?     pig

4.  What is your favorite song?     The Wheels on the Bus ...

5.  What is your favorite book?     Dump Truck book

6.  What is your favorite food?     hot dogs

7.  What is your favorite toy?     bulldozer

8.  Who is your best friend?     Dad

9.  What is your favorite thing to do?     ride Dad's 4-wheeler

10.  What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?  bake with her

11.  What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?     ride his 4-wheeler

12.  What do you want to be when you grow up?     a construction worker

First Day of School - 2017

The girls started back to school today.  On one hand, it seems like summer is hardly over (since they are now back to starting before Labor Day), but on the other hand, I know that they are more than ready to settle into a routine.  The first few weeks will be partial ones -- only two days this week and three the next; then four because of Labor Day.  It's nice to ease back into things and to give ourselves a bit of time to adjust.

We went to the girls' school two nights ago for the Open House and they were able to officially tour their classrooms and formally meet their teachers.  They are in the same building this year, which makes things easier for me.  However, Samantha is at the other end of the building (for the bigger kids).  She is in 4th grade this year and somehow that does seem really big to me.

Sophia is starting first grade this year and she's not one bit anxious or nervous about her first day. She knows a lot of the kids in her class already and her teacher is the mother of one of Jack's good friends from preschool last year.

The girls are using the same book bags (and lunch bags) as last year; they held up so well and washed up perfectly this summer.  And we are excited to learn that the bus route has been changed/updated this year to include a new driver (hopefully this will cut back on the number of days that they have a "standing bus" -- no driver available) ... but better yet, a later pick-up time in the mornings.  Yes, they will be boarding their bus around 7:30 am, rather than 7:00 am!

One last picture taken this morning ... in front of the sunflowers that we grew from seed!  Most of them are officially taller than the garage roof!  We planted them at the end of May and in three months they blossomed into the most magnificent flowers ever.

Jack will start school on September 11th and will attend three mornings a week -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  He will be going to the same school as last year, but moved up a level to be in the 4/5 year-old class that prepares them for kindergarten.  He is also more than ready and has begun counting down the days.

In the meantime, he decided to join us outside, in the background, during our photo shoot this morning in perfect "Jack fashion:" a tee shirt, underwear and sunglasses.

James is Eighteen Months Old

James is 18 months old today ... a year and a half.  Tomorrow, he will be closer to two years old than one, and that seems like a really big deal.

By then, the baby stage will be completely gone.  Yes, the next six months will fly by and I will no longer have a baby sleeping in a crib.  He will be talking in phrases and maybe even some sentences and his onesies will all be retired.  He will be running everywhere instead of walking and his sippy cups will be upgraded to actual drinking cups.  His age will no longer be measured in months, but rather, years.  And I will find myself wishing that time would slow down ... just a little.

James has a big personality.  He loves hard, smiles a lot, can cry huge alligator tears in the blink of an eye and wants to be friends with everyone.  He loves music dances the second that he hears any beat (on the radio, computer, TV).

His hair continues to grow, but it will be a long time before he gets his first haircut!  He reminds me a lot of Sophia with his blue eyes, very light-colored and limited hair.

The climbing has started.  Ahhhhhhh!!!  He now prefers to climb on anything and everything.  It's not unusual for me to walk into a room and find him standing in the middle of the coffee table, on the fireplace hearth, on the back of the couch (trying to climb into a window ledge!), in the middle of the kitchen counter or on the dining room table.  He likes to keep it interesting and keep my blood pressure at an all-time high.

I anticipate that we will be transitioning him out of his crib soon.  The first time that he climbs out of that, it will get dismantled and we will set him up with a mattress on the floor.  We need to get one soon.  Just to be prepared.

James officially has all of his teeth now (until his 2-year molars).  He cut the last two (bottom eye teeth) simultaneously this last month.  With all of those teeth, there is very little that he won't eat.  He eats anything that we do and we encourage him to try everything.  He's not a fan of cantalope melon, but eats any other kind of fruit.  No broccoli or cauliflower, but most standard vegetables are consumed. He drinks only milk and water; no juice yet.

Jimmy rarely walks anywhere now.  He mostly runs.  And his feet grew 2 sizes over the summer.  I've also noticed that he is becoming longer and leaner; he's losing that baby fat and turning into a little boy.

With that transition into more of a little boy, I have noticed that Jack is encouraging Jimmy to play with him more and more.  He includes him (without being prompted)  in lego-building and games. He turns the radio on specifically so that they can "dance together," and I often hearing him calling for Jimmy to come and play.

By this time next month, the girls will be back in school full-time and Jack will be preparing for three half-days (mornings) a week of school.  That will leave just me and my youngest sidekick for errands and some much anticipated one-on-one time.  I foresee lots of book-reading, walks and playtime ...