Today

We had Kindermusik again today. Jake is getting the reputation of "class clown." He is much more animated and interactive than the other children. The other kids sit on their mother's laps with a "deer caught in the headlights" kind of look. But not our son. Today, during quiet time, he went over to a woman lying on the floor with her son and spanked the woman's rear end. He thought it was so funny (and so did I)!

After naptime, we made our weekly visit to the mall for shopping and playtime. Our mall has a nice play area for very young children. Jake went up to another children and had this conversation:

Jake: Hi
Girl: Hi
Jake: How you?
Girl: Good
Jake: Good

Sometimes he completely amazes me.

Good-bye Green Couches!

We posted the green couches on Craig's list and had many people respond. I'm going to miss those couches.

This Week in Pictures

"Gentleman" magazine? Who are they kidding!?!

He wants to be a plumber.

Eighteen Months

We've had such a busy week. Jake started Kindermusik this week and really seemed to enjoy it! He is the oldest child in the class and much more verbal than the others. He ran around the room, opened all non-baby-proofed cabinets and stole pacifiers right out of the mouths of the other children! The other women looked at me like he was crazy. Despite the drama with the other women, Jake loved it. Kindermusik is a great place for children to learn about music, dancing, rhythm, pacing, etc., all skills that enhance verbal and motor skills.

Jake is saying so many words. It's hard to keep track of what he says because he parrots just about anything. We are focusing on animals and animal sounds. He can identify dogs, cats, turtles, fish, birds, cows, and sheep. We went out to eat today and he pointed to a woman and said, "Kitty." Eventually, I realized that the woman was wearing a Cincinnati Bearcats jacket. LOL!

Jake is such an affectionate child. He will play for a period of time and then run over and give us a big hug. He loves to bring books to us and plop down on our laps. When he is tired, he will snuggle up against us like one of the dogs.

Happy Belated Birthday Pop Pop!

This is one of my favorite pictures. This is a scanned copy of the picture. We don't have the digital image. As you can see, the picture is bent and worn. Jake loves to carry this picture around the house and say, "Pop Pop."

Happy Birthday Pop Pop! Hope you enjoyed Vegas!

Counting

He has something against the number four.

We Survived!

We survived our first week of my increased work hours. I'm really enjoying my new job/school practicum. Most of my time is spent working in a partial hospital program for teenagers. I facilitate 3 groups a day, on top of individual sessions and some outpatient stuff later in the evening. I work 12-13 hours a day and I'm completed exhausted when I return home. I like the partial's fast pace and crisis-oriented nature. I forgot how much I enjoy working. It gives me a sense of productivity and accomplishment. Not that raising a child isn't a huge achievement, but I realize that I need to have a life outside of our home.

Greg picks up the slack when I'm at work. He does a fantastic job as a stay-at-home daddy. Maybe we should reverse roles?

There was one day last week when Jake had to go to daycare. Our schedules overlapped so Jake spent the day in childcare (at the agency where I work). I always feel guilty sending him to out-of-home care, but he really seems to enjoy it! He loves the toys, the other kids and interaction with the staff members.

I'll post more pics soon.

A Wicked Good Night

Greg and I went to see Wicked last night. It was a good musical, but not the best I've ever seen. We both agreed that we enjoyed Mamma Mia more (another musical we saw recently).
While we were at the theater, dear Jake was giving his teenage babysitter a run for her money. She said that he got really wild at one point and knocked over a glass lamp. Apparently, the lamp shattered into many pieces and Jake laughed and laughed. The babysitter seemed most disturbed about Jake's lack of remorse and attempted to tell him that his actions were not funny. Despite the good role modeling, Jake continued to laugh hysterically. What are we going to do with this kid?!

Enough

Someone recently sent me this poem:

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much
bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the "Goodbyes."


I keep thinking about how much is enough as I increase my hours at work and begin my first school practicum. It's nice having time away from Jake because I look forward to returning to him even more. But, I'm worried that it might be too much. I pray that school and work are just enough rain that I appreciate my sun even more.

Christmas Trip

We spent the past 2 weeks visiting friends and family in Pennsylvania. It was a great trip. Jake got to celebrate Christmas with lots of family members that we don't often get to see.
Jake got lots of toys, but remains most content playing with boxes, toothpaste containers and of course, clocks. He showed little to no interest in unwrapping gifts. He was more interested in chewing on boxes.
I discovered something terribly addictive while visiting with my nieces and nephews -Guitar Hero! It is one of the most fun games I've ever played. The whole family was battling each other. Even Nana played "Slow Ride", using the whammy bar for every note!
Jake did get sick during the visit and was very crabby at one point. But, I'm relieved to say that he is feeling better and is more like his happy, silly self.
We were most grateful for Aunt Sarah's return from the hospital. Feel better Sarah!!

Christmas Pictures

Jake checking out Nana and Pop Pop's Christmas tree.

Jake and the Smiths.

Happy Birthday Mamaw!

Hope you had a wonderful day!