Monday Minute: Counting

Enjoy Drew and Daddy being silly in the car. I had never heard them do this before and it made me laugh!



Almost every kindergartner I test skips 15, just like Drew, and goes straight to 16. What's so wrong with 15?

Monday Minute: Trampline fun

At a baby shower for "Aunt" Sabrina...



First, I wish I could delete my awkward "huh huh huh"s that permeate this video. I reeeeaaaally hope I don't do that constantly when having small talk conversations.

Second, Jason totally freaks me out the way he plays with Drew. But I think it's good for him. If it were up to me the boy probably wouldn't even be holding his own head up by now.

Chip off the ol' block?

Jason's mom was in town this last week and we got to enjoy a few evenings with her over dinner and drinks. She lives out-of-state (always has since I've been with Jason) so I don't often get much time to chit chat with her. Seems that perhaps was a good thing because maybe I never would have married Jason if I had. NOT because I don't like Cathy (I love her!), but because of the stories she's been telling me about him! I'm pretty sure the thought of having children with this man would have had me running.... seems he was quite a handful! From chewing apart his crib (oh wait...), to smashing eggs from the refrigerator when her back was momentarily turned, to running his baby walker down the stairs... and laughing. She has repeated to us numerous times that he was "horrible!". Thankfully, she says, he mellowed out quite a bit. (I agree!)

With all that, I started thinking that my little mischievous pumpkin may have a bit of his dad in him (I think he knows his name as "DwoooOOOoo", with the "did you really just do that!?" tone). But really, he is quite a sweetheart. Here are just a few examples:

When we put up a tiny Christmas tree at our lake house to celebrate an early Christmas with my  parents and sister, Drew, of course, wanted to touch badly. After saying a firm, but quiet, "no" (apparently with a finger wag, according to Jason, which must have done the trick) Drew pouted then burst into tears. But, from then on, he simply looked and pointed at the tree without touching. When we pulled out the big tree at our house he never once tried to touch it. He will point to it and say "wow!" but he stays just out of reach.

A good boy gets to hold his special ornament

One of Drew's favorite phrases is "bessoo!" which means "bless you!". Jason has horrible allergies. Year round. So the phrase is pretty much a constant in our house. A week or so ago I was changing Drew's diaper upstairs when Jason sneezed downstairs. Drew shouted "bessoo!" (and of course Jason shouted back "thank you!")

Drew has also learned to say "san soo" ("thank you", though it can be confused with "bless you"). At first he loved handing me things and saying "san soo" knowing that I was about to say it. The other day, though, Jason handed him his sippy cup and Drew said "san soo!". Awwww!!

He loves bedtime and asks to go "night night". Last night we were late coming home from church and it was past his bedtime. He angrily screamed "nye nye!" the whole way home then laughed when we brought him upstairs to get ready for bed.

Just being a sweetie (and making sure B.A. Laura buys him
anything he wants!)

We stick to a bedtime routine every night- brush teeth, change diaper and put on PJs, get "deedee" (blankie), read a book, then say a prayer. When we get finished with our book I say, "now it's time to say our prayers" and he clasps his hands together. Makes. My. Heart. Melt! (And always makes me say an extra word of thanks to the Big Man).

Because of a cough, the doctor put Drew on an inhaler for a few weeks. The first little bit was rough trying to get him to sit still so we could give him the medicine. He kicked, screamed, thrashed, and cried (and made me feel like an evil monster). Suddenly, the other day, he sat perfectly still the whole time. I have no clue why but I smiled and excitedly said "good boy!". Ever since he sits still and takes it, then when he's finished, before I even get a chance to, he says "boo boy!" (good boy) and, once again, makes my heart melt. "Yes, VERY good boy!"

Monday Minute: Twirls

Drew randomly started doing twirls. Something he learned at school? We were just sitting around and he started twirling. He also started walking backwards down the hallway (thought he was going to do it for the video but didn't really). How fun! What I love most is Jason getting involved (minus his first comment.... we're working on that!)

Less Words Wednesday: Zoom Zoom

I couldn't resist saying a thing or two about this video.

First, those sounds Drew is making (besides laughing) is his "arf arf". Jason was making him "chase" Lucy.

Second, I was watching this video right after I took it and Jason said "is that me making those 'whoosh' noises? I didn't even know I was making noise...". LOL! I seriously laughed for like 5 minutes... to me it really highlighted just how much of a "dad" he's become. Heehee.... :)

Happy Fater's Day!

Last year we were supposed to have a baby before Father's Day, but that didn't happen. So, instead, we are finally getting to celebrate Jason's official first Father's Day!

As I told him in his card, I didn't know it was possible to love him more than the day I married him, but as I watch him with Drew each and every day I somehow fall deeper and deeper in love. He is so amazing with Drew, in ways I never imagined possible. Just a few of the things he does that I love:

1. He roughhouses with Drew in a way I never would/could/will. I think it's great for Drew to burn off energy, and even build muscle and coordination that way. I also love that they have that as a bond. I love the way Drew squeals and giggles and always comes crawling back for more.
2. Jason wakes up with Drew most mornings and feeds him breakfast and gets him dressed. I love that Jason always manages to find the strangest thing to put him in- completely mismatched shirts and pants, Christmas onesies in February, long-sleeves in June... I always scoff, but really it makes me smile. There's something so endearing about it, "what? I thought red plaid shorts and a striped orange onesie would look good together!".
3. Jason and Drew give each other "headbutts" as a way to give kisses. I find it adorable.
4. Jason tries to spend good quality time with Drew. Some days he works late and doesn't get off until after Drew goes to bed. Before he leaves he always spends lots of time playing with him. He's been disappointed with me if I've gone off with Drew to run errands on a day like this because it cuts down on his Drew time. Before he leaves for work he always gives him a big hug and kiss and says "Be good for mom, I'll see ya' in the morning!"
5. He already works as a team with me, "you heard what Mommy said" he'll often say. (It may mean nothing to Drew now, but it will!)
6. The way he looks at Drew... you can just see the love and tell that he is so proud of his son already.

To celebrate Jason's first Father's Day, this was his gift...

Father's Day Roulette!  

Gift-giving with Jason can be difficult. Not because he's difficult, but because together we're difficult. He's one of those people that doesn't like surprises. He likes to tell you what he wants, then expects to get just that. I, on the other hand, don't like giving something that's expected. I enjoy listening for little hints of things he might like, then I enjoy surprising him with something he wanted but didn't expect to get (likewise, I don't like to tell him what I want- I want him to figure it out). He thinks in terms of value and what he needs most, and I think in terms of showing I care by listening. The two gift-giving personalities don't mesh. In the past I've gotten him things and could tell he was disappointed, so now usually what ends up happening is I get him something, but tell him all the other things I considered, then allow him to exchange for what he wants. 

This time I made it a game. That way I could show him the things I wanted to surprise him with, but ultimately he made the decision as to what to get. I didn't have to feel bad if he returned my gift, and he got to pick what he felt like he needed most. I acted like he had to pick one "prize" without knowing what they were, but in the end I revealed all the prizes and let him pick. It was fun! (He chose a set of surround sound gaming headphones, btw).

He also got some handmade gifts. A card made at church (once again, thanks to Ms. Terry!!). Look! Drew even got one in the hole! And a cookie cake, one of Jason's faves, decorated by me at my favorite grocery store- Publix! (You may have read my comments about Publix on Facebook- love 'em!). The cookie cake decorating was a little activity they had set up yesterday, and I knew I had to do it since Jason loves cookie cake. I also knew I had to put the "World's Best Dad" plaque on there because Jason saw a "World's Best Dad" mug and jokingly told me he better get one for Father's Day.

Unfortunately Jason had to work today. His bosses apparently neglected to realize it was Father's Day and that Jason is the ONLY employee with kids. Oh well. We had a good morning at church, and he's off tomorrow (as am I) so we're going to go hang out at our local pool and have a nice lunch. :)

P.S. Did you notice my spelling error on Jason's game? Somehow when I'm spelling with stickers I almost always miss a letter. It's wonderful that I gave that to Jason along with a cookie cake! :-/ I, of course, didn't notice my mistake until hours after having given it to him. And he actually didn't notice until I pointed it out. Oh well!

My First Mother's Day

I had a fabulous first Mother's Day! It was very low key and simple, but that's what I like.

I started the day off with a simple but delicious breakfast. Nope, not breakfast in bed. Prepared by me (thus the "simple"). Jason unfortunately had to work today, but it was either 6am-12pm or 2pm to 9pm. I opted for the opening shift so we could have the afternoon together as a family.

Drew and I then ventured solo to church, where he made me my first hand made Mother's Day card! (With thanks to Ms. Terry! Seriously, I don't know if she knows how much this made my day!)

Love his "signature"

We spent the afternoon being lazy and napping while Drew napped, then headed out to the park for some outdoor fun. I had thought it might be fun to climb Stone Mountain, but perhaps you read about my toe?

Names and photos blacked for the sake of privacy

Yeah, I sat on my toe. Not just sat on it, but placed the chair leg on it, then flopped into my chair. OW! Not quite sure how one manages to do that.... but it's purple and blue today and it hurts to walk. I'm hoping it's just bruised and not broken, but I'm heading to the doc tomorrow to be sure.  Anyways, no mountain climbing for me, so we just hit up our local (packed!) park and had some fun on the play ground.

Just love Jason in the background of this one.

We finished off the evening with a not-so-simple dinner of grilled steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, grilled sweet peppers, and red wine! Fab-u-lous! Oh, and I can't forget the molten chocolate lava cakes (don't give Jason TOO much credit, that was my doing- I couldn't resist!)

My mother's day gift? Well... I'm not going to share Jason's gift to me, but it was very sweet. Drew's gift to me is *hopefully* a DSLR, but that's a combined Mother's Day and birthday gift! (Only 10 days until I turn 27! Eek!)

Day 13: Juxtaposition

According to Beth, "juxtaposition is the placing of elements in a photo for the purpose of comparing or contrasting them."

I had other plans for this photo (see below) but found my kitties like this on their brand new cat tree and it seemed all too perfect for a "juxtaposition" shot; you've got high-low, in-out, black kitty-orange kitty... even the cats themselves could not be more opposite. Rico (orange) is outgoing, friendly but bossy, loud, and acts like a dog. Jibs (black) is a cat in all senses, meanings, and connotations of the word- he's skittish, he's quiet, and he's moody. This is not my most favorite photograph ever (that's for Day 15, apparently) but I think it reflects them very well- Rico just looks bossy and dominating, ears perked, eyes narrowed, perched high on his pedestal, and Jibs, all dark and hidden in his cubby, looks aloof and sullen. Love my fur babies!

My initial thought when given the theme "juxtaposition" was to capture Drew and Daddy side-by-side, highlighting Drew's creamy, soft skin and Jason's rough 5 o'clock shadow. Unfortunately these did not turn out great either as it was getting late in the evening and there was little light to help. The photos ended up quite grainy (noisy) because of the ISO setting, nonetheless, you know I can't resist sharing a few cute ones...

*UPDATE* I used picnik.com to do a little editing to the above photo to see if I could improve it. I was able to sharpen it a tad and add a vignette, which I think is cute... I am more of a SOOC shooter (straight out of the camera), mostly because I don't have time to edit my photos, but also because I feel I don't really have the "eye" for it either. Anyways... updated photo...

P.S. I'm still using manual settings, but I'm being too lazy to look up the details (ISO, f-stop, etc.). If you really wanna know, which I doubt you do, just ask!

Old man

We've got an old man in our house today! Perhaps you're thinking, "nine months doesn't really make someone an 'old man', does it?" Nope. It doesn't. But 30 years does! Today is not only Drew's 9 monthiversary, but it is also Jason's 30th birthday! (And I'm kidding, babe, you're not old old, you're just "seasoned" :P)

To celebrate, here are some of my favorite photos of my favorite two boys...

Newborn

1 month

2 months, at the lakehouse

3 months, heading home from Canada

4 months, at the lake again

5 months, breakfast with Santa at church

6 months, one of our many snowfalls this year!

7 months, play time!

8 months, at Gymboree

Happy Birthday babe! I hope you have a good one spending it with your little "mini me"! :D

I actually have the monthiversary photos ready, but wanted to celebrate BOTH my boys today. You may know where to find a "sneak peak" for now, but otherwise come back tomorrow to check them all out.

Tickles and Giggles

Are you having a case of the Mondays? Me too, so I needed a little of this. (Make sure your volume is all the way up!)

If that doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what will!

Wordless Wednesday: Dad and Me at Gymboree

Wordless Wednesday: Chip off the ol' block

It's fixed!

So I figured out my photo posting issue, and I'm not going to explain what exactly the problem was, because really I was just being dumb (and I'm saying that despite the fact that, for Drew's sake, I forbid myself from saying I'm dumb, stupid, airheaded, unintelligent, etc.). In my defense I tried on a completely separate computer and was still having the same issue, but anywho...

And that's all I've got. Cuties, no? I'm pretty sure he looks a lot like his Daddy, but he does have my eyes. Yup, those are definitely mine! :)

Wordy Wednesday: Oops

So I was just about finished with this incredibly wordy post when it occurred to me that today is Wednesday! Oops! It would be just like me to have way too much to say on the day I'm not supposed to say anything at all. Oh well, here's a very "Wordy Wednesday" for ya' (originally titled "Of Christmas and December and wintry things)!




December is officially here and with it brings the start of the Christmas season! I, like just about everyone else (except my husband), LOVE Christmas, and it is so exciting to be coming into it this year with one extra smiley face to enjoy it with. I can't wait to start some of our own little family traditions, starting with holiday decorating of course!

Mommy is so silly!

Oooo, what's this?

Can I put the star on top, mom?

Actually, maybe I'll just grab a few more of these shiny things...

I may have gotten a little carried away by the Christmas spirit and started decorating the baby...

In any case the weather is getting cooler and it really is starting to feel like winter. Over the Thanksgiving holidays Jason and I had a fun, wintery date night. I knew my parents would love to spend some quality time with Drew, so we sent him up to the lakehouse for an evening and Jason and I had the night to ourselves. We found ourselves ice skating in Centennial Olympic Park- an outdoor ice rink in downtown Atlanta (with plenty of devices to keep that ice frozen!). I, being Canadian and all, love ice skating (though I do it so infrequently that I often need a good bit of time to warm up). Jason, however, despite his 10 years growing up in Wisconsin, does not ice skate. Nor does he roller blade or roller skate. Just as I used to tremble at the idea of trying to move whilst having my feet strapped together on one board (snowboarding), Jason hates the idea of moving his feet separately (except for walking, of course). He grew up skateboarding and in recent years has become quite skilled at snowboarding. For the sake of a fun evening and a happy wife, however, he sucked it up and put on some blades...

Do my feet still work?

Let me tell you a little story about snowboarding. My sister and I, boyfriends in tow, went out to Seattle one winter to visit our Aunt Sue and to do some skiing. Jason had never skied nor snowboarded before. Being a skateboarder at heart he decided snowboarding was the way to go. He took a few lessons and we hit the slopes. After getting off one lift we turned the wrong way and approached a slope. As we came to the crest of a hill we suddenly looked down to realize we were about to head down a black diamond- yikes! We realized we had turned slightly too far left, so we tried to quickly turn right and cut across a soft patch of snow to get to the slope we were originally aiming for. Well, that little patch of snow was a patch that was not often skied and was soft and fluffy. Not having enough speed at this point, we instantly sank. I can't even tell you how long we spent trying to dig ourselves out, moving ourselves only an inch or two at a time, before my sister and Michael came skiing by. Seeing us and thinking they'd come say hi, they skied right into the snow trap too. After easily a good 30 minutes of wading and digging the four of us finally freed ourselves, but Jason vowed he never wanted to see snow again. Several years later and now Jason's the one who insists we go snowboarding every winter. Ha!

So I was not overly surprised that, after spending the first 20 minutes or so whining and complaining about skating, he suddenly started to get the hang of things. And only a little bit after that he was talking about taking up hockey!

Jason is just the personality-type that doesn't give up (sometimes I call it stubborn). He said, "if I'm not falling, I'm not trying hard enough" (though he never actually did fall). Maybe I could learn a little from him...

I do have to say that there is something so endearing about watching a guy fumble around on ice skates. I could not get the silly smirk off my face as he teetered and tottered around on the ice. I guess it's something about seeing guys, who are usually so confident and sure of themselves, suddenly awkward and childish. Heehee!

Happy December!

Mom Is Away, So Dad Is Playing

Since Diane had Drew at the lakehouse for the weekend (sorry if that is a spoiler for any of Diane's upcoming posts), she went out for the night with some friends.  So I got my boy for the night to my self.  And this is what we are working on.

I'm going to assume those were happy cries at the end of the video.

I missed my boy, glad to have him back and just me for the night.

Like father like son

When Mommy's away the boys will play!