Ducks For The Tub

On Sunday our family ventured out to Phoenixville, Pa to visit friends and family and to enjoy Canal Day, an annual tradition with canoe races, live music, even jousting (? if that is even what you would call it?) over the water.  The favorite this year, surpassing even the craft table and blow up bounce house was the rubber duck pond where every child is a winner.    Not only was this great because they could choose from a myriad of blowup baseballs or footballs with arms and legs (Jackson actually chose a soccer ball man), but for the sheer fact that they could cool off in the duck pool.  The above picture was snapped by the photographer for the Phoenixville Patch newspaper, showing our happy toddler delightfully splashing away....right before the meltdown and tears when I told him that, "No buddy, I'm sorry we can't take ALL (or any for that matter) of these ducks home for our bathtub." 

The (Busy) Beach Bum

Taking a two year old to the beach is a production all it's own...one that really can't be managed without some help.  When I was asked to do a beach family photo shoot for one of my very favorite families I jumped at the chance.  When Frank told me he would be away that weekend, I quickly became re-grounded to the earth.  I didn't take me long to figure out that I was going to need a helper to come along for the day, and by the time Sammi (babysitter extraordinaire) agreed I was back to jumping for joy. 

The photo shoot was great and Jackson LOVED playing in the sand with Sammi while I blissfully snapped away.  Easy breezy day at the beach.

Ha ha ha ha ha.....until he discovered the ocean.  Which he did not want to ever get out of.  Needless to say, by the end of the day not only were Sammi and I both exhausted, but my back, arms, and legs were all sore from the workout of chasing a non-stop (and when I say non-stop I really mean didn't-stop-for-one-minute-to-even-have-a-drink-or-a-snack-or-give-mommy-even-one-second-to-catch-her-breath kind of non-stop) two year old around in the hot sun all day.

The gleeful shrieks and screeches of "Mommy we're in the ocean!!!" and "Ha, ha, I wanna swim again" made it all worth while!  I can't wait to take him back to the beach with Daddy, I have after all been told that he takes after his father when it comes to the water!

 I will conquer the ocean!....(and, he did)

Father's Day Preview

With Father's Day this weekend, I thought I would post a few of my favorite pictures of Jackson with his Daddy.  Sadly this daddy will be out of town for the weekend and won't be returning until the ending hours of actual "Father's Day".  We will miss you Daddy, while you are away, and I guess it just means that we will have to celebrate extra hard when you return!

 Sons with their Daddies

Say Cheese!

Usually when I try to take a picture, Jackson runs away from the camera full tilt or turns his head away in a flash leaving only a hazy trace in the picture.  Lately though, he has been saying "Cheese Mommy!" when I pull out my camera.  Here are some of our latest pieces of "Cheese" (which, yes, just in case you are wondering he loves the edible kind too).

 Would you like some cheese whiz with that?

 How about some cheese fries?

 Yum!  More Cheese Please!

Update And The Crayon Shoe

It has been a really long while since I have posted a Jackson update.  I am horribly awful at keeping up with his baby book (this blog is my version....).  Since I have forgone the traditional writings, aka. favorite foods at 24 months and so on.... Here are a few of those basic boring stats (and some not so boring ones too).

Jackson:   2 years, 2 months and 20 days

*Weight:  29.5 lbs (taken at a play date at Shea's house on their bathroom scale- Melissa swears it is accurate- I weighed myself....I am not so sure....)

*Height:  ?????? On the tall side....I think.

*Sleeps through the night every single night -goes to bed around 8-8:30 and wakes up around 6:30-7:00ish - and takes a nice long nap too.  (The last few days however, he has been going down for his nap with no problem what-so-ever but then a few minutes later I hear the pitter-patter of his little feet running about the room or kicking the crib bars, or whatever it is that he is doing.  When I open the door and check on him, like lighting he throws himself back on his pillow pet and pretends to be asleep...I close the door again and laugh to myself.  I remember doing the same thing as a child.) 

*Talks in complete sentences.  All the time.  Says things like, "Rhinoceroses live in the Jungle Mommy, not on the farm" and "I would like to have chocolate milk with my dinner tonight please' and "Daddy, go over there, I want you to sit on the other couch"....we laugh.....most of the time.  Until I hear this little favorite popping into the daily rotation at dinner time (or lunch, or breakfast).  "I don't like that"  **that can be anything from food that he used to love, to trying anything new, namely vegetables.  He is totally on a veggie strike.  I have tried to sneak it in too...he will painstakingly pick out every single pea, green bean, sweet potato, carrot shred...you name it.  "I don't like peascarrotsgreenbeanssweetpotatocarrotshreds MOMMY"

*Is extremely decisive.  Gee I can not imagine where the stubborn streak comes from????

*Is not potty trained.  Will sit on the potty and pee every single time, proudly squeezing out a few drops.  Has pooped once.  Will tell us when he needs to go and/or is going, but refuses to sit on the toilet.  Loves to talk about how doggies pee in the grass outside and he should pee in the toilet.  --A work in progress--

*Can count to 20 (maybe higher?), can say the Alphabet and can recognize most letters and numbers by sight.  Knows most colors and shapes including but not limited to, circle, square, triangle, diamond, hexagon, octagon to name a few.... Mr. Smarty Pants.

*Loves Animals, Mickey Mouse (who just happens to be an animal with a persona), swimming in his pool and playing outside.  Also loves, Zoe (who he still calls "My Zoe", giving kisses (the nice wet sloppy kind), pancakes, waffles and anything covered in syrup, just about any kind of sandwich (except with vegetables), Annie's brand Arthur Loops (he often will refer to them as noodles), ice cream (especially chocolate) and riding anywhere in the car.

*Reads (to me) Good Night Moon every night before we shut off the lights.  It has to be the last book we read.  Sometimes I try to get it in earlier, but he seems to have a required reading of 27 books before we can even begin to discuss the prospect of Good Night Moon.

*Still does not play well by himself, but has a really great imagination. Always touching, climbing, looking, asking, smelling, hugging.  Even though he is mine, he is a pretty amazing kid.

And now....a quick little story.

The other day I was sitting at the dining room table having coffee and watching Jack play with his easel and crayons when soon it seemed that the crayon cigar box was no longer appropriate for storing his crayons.  He decided it was much more interesting to have, as he called it "a crayon shoe".  He was very proud of his crayon shoe (for about 5 minutes until he on to the next interesting and engaging activity as with most 2 year old's).  Wasn't Daddy surprised to when after wearing his shoes later that day, that his toes had a purplish tint...(ha ha, not really but that would have been funny right???)

 Jack's apparition all done with his crayon shoe

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

We are in the midst of our first heat wave here. Well maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, but it did hit 90 degrees over the last couple of days, and for May, that is way to hot for me! Without air conditioning in my classroom, I come home in a daze and try to remain as still as I can for the remainder of the evening. I can tell you with a two year old that is virtually impossible!

We have found a few ways to beat the heat though. Jackson has been LOVING his 'baby pool' as well as his buddy Shea's pool.

And yesterday in a unexpected and actually relaxing shopping trip to target -courtesy of Babci and Dziadzi agreeing to babysit- Frank I spied a family size blowup pool perfect for splashing in our yard (actually I feel like it could fit the entire neighborhood and is utterly ridiculous, but that is what an hour of adult shopping in the heat will do to you). I was really only looking for a pool slightly bigger than the one we had, another plastic one but this time large enough to put in his slide and allow him to slide down with a little room. Instead, Frank sees this mammoth inflatable pool, on sale of course, and just could not resist. I have to admit it is really fun. We all are having a blast with it. And, at the end of the summer when we have patches of dead grass and dirt and have to re-seed, I will think of all the joy that this little (huge) pool has brought (in a moment of ingenious heat stroke) and all will be alright with the world.

 Babci in the pool

 I have to be able to laugh at my ridiculous self....

Playin' In The Kitchen (again)

I read an article this morning about how difficult it can be to be a toddler and it really made me think.  Toddlers live in a world of mystery.  They are learning and exploring through, just about everything, they do.  They find excitement in the things that we simply find an inconvenience.  They find joy in what we might find annoying or bothersome.  What is the harm in taking all of the pots and pans and Tupperware, and every other kitchen item out of a cabinet and spreading it all over the floor to play in it?  Who does it hurt?  Why does it bother people so much?  (I know and understand the answer to that last one....I, just like the rest of you am really tired of cleaning up after everybody else.) I am speaking on a grander spectrum I suppose.

It was worth the three minutes it took me to clean up, to watch him occupy himself for 25 minutes while I cooked dinner.  Him laughing and experimenting with all of the wondrous sounds that the lid of a pot can make, banging against a spoon, the floor, the pot, while I side step the containers and lids and pans to grab the olive oil.  What does it hurt?  Why are we always so quick to say "not right now".  I try really hard never to stifle his creativity, even when it is an inconvenience for me.  Sometimes it is easy to be patient and sometimes it is downright difficult and trying.  But, I always try remind myself to look through my sons eyes.  He doesn't see that is a mess, he sees FUN.  Well, I think we all need a little fun in our lives.

I am proud to say that I read that article after this had occurred and it made me feel really good!  I want him to be independent and confident and if playing in the kitchen is a step towards that then so be it!