Crocodile Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Dennis the Croc's 1st birthday. Dennis is an add water and watch him grow crocodile that we purchased. He has happily been living in tupperware on the counter for the last week. He likes to be petted and given water. He also has had the pleasure of playing in the sandtable and getting baths in the hose.

Sydney sings Happy Birthday, all the time. Every day, no matter if its someone's b-day or not. Somehow it was decided that it was actually Dennis's birthday and we should have a party. On Tuesday we made crowns as a project and we decided that we should definitely wear these to the party.

The kids wore their crowns as well as special birthday smocks to decorate and eat their cupcakes. Yummy! Everyone had a great time, even though Dennis didn't get any cake.

Caleb is a parrot. We often walk to the playground in our neighborhood or play in Shauna's front yard which is at the end of our street. Between her house and the playground is a rather busy street that people drive entirely too fast down. The speed limit is 25 (a school zone) but there are no stop signs. I have taken to yelling out, "too fast" when I encounter these drivers. We were playing in the yard yesterday when four cars flew down the street. I of course yelled at them. The very next car that passed, an elderly man driving 10 mph, Caleb screamed, "too fast, too fast!" made me laugh

On a more disgusting, I don't know where he learned it note. Caleb was lying in my bed the other day as I was getting ready to go somewhere. He looked up at me and said, "I picka my nose and eat a boogie." I almost gagged as I ran to get a tissue to clean out his mouth and we had a long talk about germs and dirt. Still funny, though.

While Brandon was away

So, Brandon had his big weekend in Wyoming and Caleb and I spent the weekend having fun and trying to keep cool. Saturday we went to music class and then to the art store for some supplies. You can see the projects we worked on below. A visor with Caleb's name (he calls it a puppy hat?) and a hand painted, glittered and jeweled picture frame to send to his great-grandmother. He's really getting funny about the things he says. All through the store, we were talking about doing art projects and making the frame for Mama, and he kept saying, "I can't wait mama, I can't wait!" When it was all done he said, "Oh, its so beautiful!" man I love that kid!

On Sunday we went to Bounce U- A huge warehouse of bouncy toys and slides. He loved it. I was worn out, and the next time we go it will have to be with Dad. Caleb was very brave, there were some pretty steep slides and he was all about it. I did not try them out- Caleb has mastered the phrase, "oh mommy, your belly too big." thanks buddy!

After bouncing away, we headed to the beach. Caleb was content to water the sand while I cooled my feet in the waves. A nice way to spend the afternoon. Then we had pizza for lunch and the world's longest (or what felt like) tea party.

Caleb has rebelled against naps in the last few days. He has also mastered climbing from his crib. Its been really hot, so I moved his pack and play into our bedroom where its cooler, amazingly, he can climb from that, too. Go figure! I am attributing it to the heat and missing Dad, but I am ready for a break!

So, I worry about how much I do with Caleb. Is he having fun, being stimulated, am I teaching him something every day? Because while he is supposed to be napping, we just lie there and watch tv. Its the only way I can keep my sanity, but I still feel a little guilty. I guess as a parent, you do as much as you can and hope that its enough. He seems happy, he passed out at 8:00 while I was cleaning up the dinner dishes.

catching up

Fun weekend at the camp, after a lot of drama getting everyone there. The guys did a lot of clearing and the girls did a lot of swimming and sunning. Caleb and Jenet made friends with a duck family, and enjoyed feeding them until they were attacked by a giant fish. (Really a little fish nibbled at their toes)











We got a chance to visit Mamma, she seems to be doing well and will hopefully, be making her way home in a few weeks. Caleb especially enjoyed using her grabber, I am thinking of getting one for the house, as I have never seen him clean up anything so happily before.




Caleb and I are spending the weekend alone. Brandon is meeting his friends from Colorado in Wyoming for a camping trip at Yellowstone. It was supposed to be a family trip, but everyone started having babies, so we're staying home. We have a lot of fun planned. Swimming at Shayna's, music class, and a playdate at Bounce U- a bouncy house place we've been wanting to check out. Pictures to be taken and posted.






Super Bunny rules....Caleb put a dishtowel around his neck the other night and asked for tape. He wanted to make a cape- so we made it and them we had to film it and then we had to watch it again and again. Caleb movies are a big deal in this house. Grammy Jackie heard about it and thought it was sad he had a taped cape, so she's making him a real Super B cape. Can't wait!

He's also really smart. We were in bed today getting ready for nap, and Caleb was talking to Pappa on the phone. Baby Elmo was there with us, and I asked if Elmo wanted to talk to Pappa, too. He looked at me seriously and said, "No, mamma, baby Elmo doesn't have ears." HA!

The 3rd of July

Good news! You can see the beach fireworks from our back deck. So we decided (or Trisha) decided we should have a little cookout. We make some hamburgers and hotdogs, blew up the bouncy house and had a great time, minus the bugs.

I completed my first successful Craig's list transaction on Sunday. The double stroller I had been researching showed up 1/2 price last week- exact model and color. yippee! We picked it up in the parking lot of Babies-r-us. I wonder if the staff knows what kind of deals are going down out there.

This week's funny kid story....

Caleb loves to talk to pappa on the phone, pretend he is going to pappa's.....so the other day he was running around the house screaming pappawhistle pappawhistle pappawhistle....I could not figure out what he was talking about. We didn't have a whistle from pappa and I couldn't recall a whistle story. Anyway, it took me a while to figure out he was asking for "Pop goes the weasel!"

Instant Journal vol. 1

John Caleb Jones age 2 years and 2 months
( from Wondertime)




Ask your child what he wants to be when he grows up, and why.

He wants to be a monster ball clean up. This answer came because he was playing monster bowling with his dad and had to clean it up before they could have a tea party.




What are you learning from your child these days.

M&M's are a cure all and bribe all, kisses do make it all better, sometimes it takes longer to set up the craft than it actually does to make it, little boys are just as good at playing mommies as little girls, snuggling in mom and dad's bed watching cartoons is second only to reading his favorite book and him knowing all the words.


Likes

Pancakes for breakfast, the color blue, Apple juice, doing it (everything) himself , plugging things in, having tea parties, his bouncy house, cheese pizza, digging in the sand, Shauna, Shayna, Taylor and Sydney, talking to Papa on the phone, Mickey Mouse, washing his feet in the sink, sitting on the potty and making a pee sound, and Llama llama red pajama




Dislikes

fruit (except bananas), all vegetables, mom's new rule about keeping the milk cups in the dining room, bug bites, and getting his hair washed

well we got a lot done

It was another busy weekend here. I woke up Friday morning thinking, oh we should really think of something fun to do with the baby this weekend. Then I remembered how last weekend was all about him and decided he had probably had enough fun, so we could do some things around the house! (I think I am getting nervous about his adjustment to the new baby and am overcompensating a bit.)

Friday night was date night! We had one of our favorite babysitters (the other fave is her twin sister!) come over and we went to the movies. Here is a picture...clearly I do not get out of the house enough if I am putting on make up and heels for the movies. We did get wings first, so there was the excuse, and I just cut my hair off, so I wanted to see it all done up : ) BTW we saw Ironman, very very good. Totally worth the $100 is cost us to go see it. I think.

I spent the last week painting Caleb's room. Everything in our house is the same pale yellow, which is fine except when its every single wall. I had been wanting to paint for awhile and finally settled on this nice green. He is also getting a frog mural on the blank wall...when I get a chance and he will be upgrading to a big boy bed in the next few months.

Our other project for the weekend was new light fixtures. Brandon found this one, as well as a matching pendant light for our kitchen. (Its not hung, because it got late and you have to cut the power to attach and he couldn't see in the dark!) Its an amber tiffany dome with green trim- so perfect! You can see the floor lamp from our Pottery Barn escapade from a few weeks ago on the right, and there is a bench on the front side of the table in stead of chairs. So, little by little we are putting this place together. ps- disregard the yucko blinds, they are next on the list to go! We also spent a lot of time looking at floor and counter sample so that we can redo our kitchen soon. I can't wait!

Funny kid alert: Caleb calls shoes his shoeson...its especially funny when he says he wants he shoeson off!