Jenn and Terry

Christmas Time

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Jack's Christmas Pageant at Rainbow Station

2012-01-28T08:16:00.001-08:00

Christmas Decorations

2012-01-28T08:15:00.001-08:00

Catching Up

2012-01-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving, when Terry's family came to visit from Cape Cod. It was so wonderful to be able to see them and the cousins had a blast with one another.

Disney World October 2011

2011-10-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch for this Fall

2011-09-22T17:57:00.001-07:00

First Day of School

2011-09-11T16:52:00.001-07:00

Jack started his second year of preschool last Wednesday. He will be going three days a week this year, which he is very excited about. Unfortunately, school was cancelled last Friday for rain which was causing flooding in the county, so he had to miss his second day of school. Here are some pictures from his first day:

Here are some pictures from the playground this weekend:

Pirates

2011-07-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Beach Boy

2011-07-23T08:29:00.001-07:00

We just got back from 6 action packed days on the Cape. Jack had such a great time with his cousins and his Bampy and Dani. Here are a few pictures of him on the beach by the pond that we went to. It was here that he submerged his head completely underwater for the very first time! He was so proud of himself and I loved watching his excitement.

The Birthday Boy

2011-07-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

My Summer Vacation (So Far)

2011-07-03T16:46:00.001-07:00

Last Day of School

2011-07-03T16:45:00.001-07:00

Terry's Rock Wall

2011-07-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

Backsplash

2011-05-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Terry was inspired to get a big project done in the house. Working together, we were able to install a glass tile backsplash in the kitchen. I love how it came out.

A few new pictures of Jack

2011-05-02T07:59:00.001-07:00

Jack's Trip to the Circus

2011-05-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jack's school went on a field trip to the circus. I went along as a chaperone. It was weird to be a chaperone, because I remember going on field trips as a child and having the parents be there to chaperone and, I don't know, I guess it made me feel like I'm officially a "parent". Here are some pictures from our field trip.

Grandpa's Little Sidekick

2011-04-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Jack was so excited to get this shirt from his grandparents. He wanted to put it on immediately and has been requesting to wear it everyday, even though it was in the wash. You can also see his "new" smile. He's started to tuck his upper lip under when he smiles which gives him a strange cabbage patch type look.

Jack's Spiderman Room

2011-01-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

When we moved into our new house almost two years ago, I had wanted to wait until our first year home inspection before deciding to paint anything. Then the one year home inspection came and went and I felt stumped by what to do with Jack's room. I initially wanted to do a Pixar/Disney themed room, painting different characters all over the wall, but the thought of all of the time devoted to painting each character daunted me and left me feeling overwhelmed. Then one day, about a month ago, it came to me--a Spiderman room! I could possibly paint a simple Spiderman on his wall and do some type of web. Easy peasy lemon squeazy! But then I investigated the idea of ordering a Fathead Spiderman for his wall. I initially was scared by the price, but thought that in the end, it would be worth it. And it sooooo was! I ordered Spiderman bedding for his bed, took the flat sheet that came with the set and sewed it to another flat sheet to make a duvet cover and even ordered a poster size picture of Jack in his Spiderman outfit. After working for a couple of weeks on the web, Terry and I were able to put up the Spiderman last night. I LOVE how it came out! And better yet, Jack loves it!

Just a few random things

2011-01-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

Jack only wanted one thing for Christmas from Santa--a remote control helicopter. Luckily, Santa brought it for him, along with a lot of other toys.
Jack actually likes school enough that he was upset not to be able to go it during winter break. Let's just say that mommy missed school, too, but for selfish reasons.
My parents got me a sewing machine for Christmas. I've started my first sewing project--a quilt. So far, it's going well. I'll post pictures when I'm finished.

And A Cute Shot of Merlin

2011-01-05T17:00:00.001-08:00

Random Christmas Pictures

2011-01-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

Holiday Presentation at Jack's Preschool

2011-01-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

Having Fun with Dani

2011-01-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

Bowling on Cape Cod

2011-01-05T16:54:00.001-08:00

More from Cape Cod

2011-01-05T16:48:00.001-08:00

Cape Cod November 2010

2010-11-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2010-11-01T08:34:00.001-07:00

Can you see me?

2010-10-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Flying

2010-10-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Making Friends

2010-10-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

Cox Farms Dancing

2010-10-13T19:20:00.001-07:00

Jumping

2010-09-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Scooting

2010-09-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

Conversation with Jack in the Car this Morning

2010-09-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Jack: What's this music called?

Me: It's called JAMES.

Jack: James Taylor?

Me: No, just JAMES.

Jack: Why he says Ya, ya, ya?

Me: Because that's part of the song. Do you like it?

Jack: Um....[long pause] it's kinda crazy. Maybe we listen to something that not crazy.

We're Turning Three!

2010-07-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Grandpa's Helper

2010-07-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July at Great Meadow

2010-07-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Staying Cool

2010-07-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

Riding the Train at Burke Lake Park

2010-07-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Fairfax Corner Fountain

2010-05-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

This past week, we met up with Kyle and his mommy and sister at the fountains. This was the first time that Kyle actually went into the fountains. Before, he would always stand on the sidelines, not wanting to get wet. I think it's fun to compare these pictures to the ones taken last year.

Jack and Mommy

2010-05-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

Jack and Daddy's Hat

2010-05-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Getting Crafty

2010-05-30T18:25:00.001-07:00

For whatever reason, maybe it's spring fever or something, but I have been in a very crafty mood lately. I've been working on a lot of different projects around the house and I finally went around and took pictures of everything.

I recovered the lampshades in the family room. They used to be white, but after having them for over 10 years, the amount of dust accumulated on them was not pretty. This was a thrifty alternative to buying new lampshades.

I redid the landscaping in our front lawn. I pulled out all of the plants, reorganized and bought new plants to fill in. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Now, if only I don't kill them.

I made this sign to hang on our lamp post. I saw some monogrammed signs at Kirklands and thought that I could make something similar with some leftover fabric. Jack was excited to help show off the new sign.

I bought some bulletin boards at a garage sale and covered them with fabric and ribbon to make a toddler friendly board for Jack's room. There's a matching one that says "Friends" and has pictures of Jack with some of his buddies.

My mother's day present was this dresser from an antique store. It was originally a dark wood color, but I sanded and painted it to match the curtains in our bedroom. I spray painted the original hardware a silver color. The mirror above was a garage sale find from my parents. It was originally a black and gold frame, but I spray painted it the same silver as the hardware. The candelabra was a Christmas present from my MIL and was sort of the inspiration for all of it. I love how this turned out.

Trip to Cape Cod

2010-04-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Frying Pan Farm Park

2010-04-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Easter Pictures

2010-04-26T15:56:00.001-07:00

I know that these are old, but I'm catching up on uploading pictures from this month. Here are our pictures from Easter.

A Beautiful Couple

2010-04-04T19:14:00.001-07:00

Meet Barney

2010-03-15T08:57:00.001-07:00

Jeanine and Bryan are the proud new parents to a six week old black lab. He's adorable, even if he did try to maul off my son's ear. Ha ha. Just kidding, Grandma! Congratulations Jeanine and Bryan--if this doesn't prepare you for a real baby, then nothing will :)

Happy 30th Birthday, Gigi!!

2010-03-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Jack's Valentine's Day Message to Mommy

2010-02-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

First (and last) Day of School

2010-02-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

I signed Jack up for a Mother's Day Out program, with the hopes of getting a few hours a week to be at home alone so that I could get some housework done. Today was our first day of the program, which I told Jack was "school." I stayed with him the entire time and decided at the end of the class that it wasn't the right fit for us. But he was awfully cute wearing his new Thomas backpack. Here are a couple of pictures that I took before we left. He has started to make a face that we call "fishy face", so that's what he is doing in some of the pictures.

Photo Practice

2010-02-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

Playing with Mommy's Make-Up

2010-02-26T17:27:00.001-08:00

Handsome Boy

2010-02-14T17:38:00.000-08:00

Snow Pics

2010-02-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

The Snowstorm

2010-02-14T17:33:00.001-08:00

Cute Things

2010-01-31T17:24:00.001-08:00

I keep meaning to post, but then just collapse at the end of the day on the couch, completely tired and uninspired. This is the result of Jack nixing all naps. In some ways, I feel like my life has been completely turned upside down. I now have 13 solid hours a day to entertain a 2.5 year old. Without a break. I mean, sure, I miss the break, but it's mostly about figuring how to fill our day and not go insane. I'm starting to get more into the groove of it, but it feels like it has been a major change.

In other news, Jack has started to say, "look at me" a lot more now. "Mommy, look at me!" as he spins around on the floor trying to pretend he is ice skating. "Mommy, look at me!"as he flies down his toddler rollercoaster. I think it is pretty adorable that he is starting to become aware of his abilities and needs acknowledgment that he is doing well. Not that he really needs me--he has started to compliment himself on the things he does. "Mommy, I a good singer" is something he says a lot, usually after singing Twinkle Twinkle or some other nursery rhyme.

He has also started to say, "Mommy, talk to me." When he first said this, I was confused and felt guilty, like I wasn't talking to him enough or something. Then I realized that he really meant for me to pretend to be someone and talk to him (like I hold up a stuffed animal and talk to him in silly voices).

So, that's what is going on with us. Lots of not napping going on and talking in silly voices. Don't you wish you were me ;)

Sophie

2010-01-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

This is Kyle's little sister, Sophie. She is a natural born model. When I pulled out the camera, she started posing and smiling--I have a feeling that she is going to be a ham just like her big brother. Don't you just want to eat her up!

Opening Presents

2009-12-28T18:20:00.000-08:00

Letter to Santa and Little Angel

2009-12-28T18:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas Boy

2009-12-26T18:13:00.001-08:00

The Cousins

2009-12-22T17:44:00.001-08:00

Visit with Bampy and Dani

2009-12-22T17:41:00.001-08:00

More Blizzard Pictures

2009-12-22T17:37:00.001-08:00

Blizzard 2009

2009-12-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas Spirit

2009-12-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

More Vacation Pictures

2009-11-20T18:01:00.001-08:00

Myrtle Beach

2009-10-27T17:36:00.001-07:00

Last week, Jack and I took a trip down to Myrtle Beach with my family. Terry wasn't able to go due to work obligations, so that was sad, but I did get to spend lots of time with my parents and sister, so that was a good thing. Jack doesn't really understand vacations; I think he doesn't realize that the vacation is supposed to be fun--although for a boy with as many toys as he has, he probably sees no reason to ever want to leave his room. The plus side for him was that he got to spend loads of time with Grandpa. If Grandpa was ever out of his sight, he would start worrying, "Where Grandpa go?" One morning he woke up and dashed out of our room to Grandpa's room, only to discover Grandpa wasn't in his room. He comes running out and shouts "AWWW, MAN! Grandpa's lost!" Adorable. Another night, Jack woke up in the middle of the night and walked out to the main living area where Gigi was sleeping on the sleeper sofa. She looked up at him and he exclaimed, "Scary!" Poor Gigi. Yet still adorable. Jack also declared one night that Gigi has a circus car. I guess she shouldn't have bought the bright yellow car--she just needs to get some clowns for it and she's set.

Cox Farms

2009-10-27T17:34:00.001-07:00

Stair Master

2009-10-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Little Van Gogh

2009-10-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Time

2009-10-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Random Pictures to Keep the Grandparents Happy

2009-09-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

The Next Wahoo?

2009-09-16T18:58:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jack and I made the trek down to Charlottesville to visit an old college friend who was in town and to tour the University. It had been six years since I had been back and it was neat to see some of the changes that have happened since then. I drove past my old dorms and walked down to the Corner to see what stores and restaurants were still around. Of course, I had to get pictures of Jack in front of the rotunda and buy us both UVA shirts. We spent the night at the Cavalier Inn, which happened to be across the street from the field where the marching band practices. Upon hearing the band, I thought it might be fun to go watch them practice. Jack loved loved loved it. Each time they would stop, Jack would start shouting "Again!" and "More bombones [translated to: More trombones]" Then I noticed that the cheer team was practicing nearby and asked Jack if he wanted to watch them, which he eagerly agreed to (which of course Terry was proud to hear). After watching the cheer time for a while I asked Jack if he wanted to go back to the marching band or stay with the cheerleaders. His response: Stay cheerleaders.

Adorableness

2009-08-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

The BFFs at Meadow Lark Gardens

2009-08-30T04:51:00.001-07:00

Playground

2009-08-14T04:13:00.000-07:00

Kyle and Jack: Eating Lunch

2009-08-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Party

2009-07-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

The Bear Turns Two!

2009-07-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

In just two hours, Jack will be two years old. Well, I guess technically it won't be until 1:20 pm tomorrow, but nonetheless, the day is upon us! I feel like this past year has been harder on me than the first year. Having a newborn was easy--you know, minus the not sleeping thing. A toddler on the other hand is just a ball of nonstop energy that seems to only know how to careen into the most perilous of places. How many heart attacks have I had this past year from fear that he was going to kill himself have been to many to count. I guess the bonus, though, is that he is actually a little person now. With likes and dislikes, which he is slowly learning how to communicate to us.

My mom wanted me to write down all of the words that he knows, but I don't think I could possibly remember all of them. He mostly speaks in just one or two word phrases, not any sentences yet, but he'll string together a list of various words to get across his ideas. Like, one day we walked outside and he said, "Sunny, windy, clouds." As you can see, he's a natural born meteorologist.

He has also become a Star Trek fan. This is something that I will blame solely on Terry. He loves the opening sequence, watching the planets (and can say "planet"), trying to repeat the words "Space, the final frontier." And when the spaceships fly by, he shouts ZOOOM!

Tomorrow we will celebrate his special day with his buddy, Kyle. Just a little celebration and then on Saturday a party with my parents and sister held at a local park. I've decorated the house so that tomorrow he will be surprised with balloons and streamers. I doubt he will know that it his birthday, but I hope he realizes that it is a very special day. We've been practicing singing Happy Birthday To You and I'll hear him in the backseat of the car trying to sing it on his own. He always ends by pretending to blow out candles, so I think that he will be a pro at it tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Little Bear. You have made our lives infinitely more full, fun and special. Your mommy and daddy love you to bits.

Video of Our Trip

2009-07-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a short movie of our trip to the cape. It's mostly just the kids running around in the yard, plus a couple images from our trip to ride on Thomas at Edaville. Enjoy!

The Cape Cod Concert

2009-07-07T03:31:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Jack, is a huge fan of country music. His first word was "Brad", as in Brad Paisley. I think he definitely has a future as a performer because at three he has already mastered the art of putting on a concert. Below is the concert that Jack put on for us, with Mia and my Jack as the backup singers. I think my Jack is more of a rocker at heart. At one point, he tries to bang his guitar against the floor, reminiscent of Nirvana. I hope you guys enjoy the show!

More Vacay Pics

2009-07-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Our Trip to the Cape

2009-07-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

For Grandma

2009-06-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

For Jeaner

2009-06-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

My Cutie

2009-06-03T19:26:00.001-07:00

Jack and Kyle Playing at the Fountains

2009-06-03T19:24:00.001-07:00

More House Pictures

2009-06-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Jack at Frying Pan Farm

2009-05-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Wearing Mom's Flip Flops

2009-05-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

Jack with his Best Bud, Kyle

2009-05-24T18:22:00.001-07:00

Say Cheese!

2009-05-24T18:18:00.001-07:00

Jack's such a little ham. This is the face that he makes when I pull out the camera.

More House Pictures

2009-05-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago. It's funny, but even in that short time, our house looks different now. We've added some curtains to the window, hung up some more pictures. I love to keep a separate photo album documenting the changes in the house. I did it for our old house and plan to do it for this one. It's fun to look back and see how much you've done.

Jack's New Room

2009-05-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

We're Back!

2009-05-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hello, my peeps! We officially have the internets now at our new house. Yippee! Let's just say that ten days without the internets and tv and phone can make you a very bored, but industrious person. And also a person who knows nothing about what is going on the world. Swine flu? What do you mean swine flu? Luckily, I don't cavort with pigs, so we are all good here.

We are getting adjusted to our wonderful new home. I'm still figuring out where the light switches are and how to avoid showing my girly parts to the construction workers who are building behind our house (blinds have yet to be put up; yay for walk-in closets!). I need to go around taking more pictures now that our house is starting to look like home.

Jack has been enjoying his new space (the movers were joking that a kid that little was going to get lost in a room that big), but I think the move has made him a little more clingy. With all of the changes in his surroundings, he's just trying to hold onto the few things that are familiar, namely me. It can be a little challenging when you can't even leave the room without him freaking out and screaming. Not even daddy can help ease his anxiety. Poor little guy. Poor me. Oh well. Hopefully, once he feels more comfortable and stable I will be able to get a little break.

Follow Up

2009-04-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

Just to follow up on my last post, Jack doesn't actually run into traffic. No one needs to buy me a leash to keep him from getting flattened by a semi. I'm prone to exaggeration occasionally and I was feeling a little snarky when I wrote that last post. Or maybe I was just tired and run down from all of the packing. Anyway, Jack is fine. I never let him loose near streets or cars. I guess I just needed to vent a little about how challenging this stage is. I think that this post by Linda at All and Sundry really puts into words a lot of the frustration I am feeling about this stage: http://www.sundrymourning.com/2009/04/08/monster-babies/.

In other news, the movers come tomorrow. After tomorrow, we will be homeless. Luckily, my parents are kind enough to let us stay with them for the ten days that we are between homes. I think that moving in with Grandpa may be Jack's idea of the perfect living situation. He cries (CRIES, people!) every time my dad leaves. So the next ten days will be a little slice of heaven for the boy.

The Trouble with Learning to Walk--What People Don't Tell You

2009-04-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've found the past six months with Jack to be more difficult than his first year. It mostly has to do with the whole walking thing. First, it was the learning to walk phase, where he was constantly teetering to what I feared would be certain death. Toddle, toddle, toddle, fall, cement, BAM! And repeat. I felt like I was living second to second, trying to predict the angle at which his body would most likely land and trying to place myself ahead of the fall.

I thought that it would get better when he was sturdier on his feet. What I didn't predict was that he would get faster. I know you are probably thinking to yourself--duh! But dude, I had NO IDEA! So, even though he's not falling every few seconds, he is darting out in front of traffic or running away from me in stores or generally being a pain in the a$$ to keep up with. It doesn't help that he never listens to me scream "Stop!" I'm just the lame-o mom who's trying to dampen his fun. The ingratitude for saving his life over and over again can get to me sometimes.

And I blame the walking for his growing sense of independence. No longer is he happy sitting in a stroller, roaming around the mall or letting me shop. In fact, I rarely pull out the stroller any more because it involves too much screaming and crying to get him in it. And that's just me, you should see him.

I know that these are all natural progressions, the milestones he is supposed to be hitting, but I'm finding it very challenging. This isn't to say that all of the progress he has made over the past six months is all unfun. I mean, the three month old Jack couldn't give me slobbery, wet kisses (atleast not intentionally). Nor could the three month old Jack try to sing "Ring of Fire" while dancing in the backseat of the car (which mostly just sounds like "Down, Down, Down, heahkc disi ciso").

I'm just looking forward to the day when I don't have to save his life every few minutes. Please tell me it gets easier.

Edited to Add: I just re-read what I wrote and I felt like I had to add that I love Jack completely. Each day, I look at him and I am in awe that he is mine--that this little ham-ball is mine. I just didn't want to leave anyone with the impression that I didn't love my little bear, even if he can be giant pain in the tushy.

Updates

2009-04-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty hectic here at Chez Jack. About three weeks ago we decided that we would put our house on the market to see if it would sell. With the market being what it is, we thought we might be able to get a good buy on a new home, but knew that we would probably have to be patient in the selling of our current home. Turns out we were completely wrong about how long it would take to sell our house. I don't know if it is a testiment to the popularity of our neighborhood, how we priced the home or how much time and effort my parents put into fixing up our house to sell, but we got an offer the first day that it was on the market. And now we have to be out of here by April 17th. Things are moving fast around here.

The same weekend we got an offer for our house, we put an offer in on a home near my parents. It's a brand new home, built as a spec home by the builder. We will double the amount of space that we have, not even counting the fact that the new house has a two car garage and about 1200 sqft of unfinished space in the basement. The downside will be that Terry will be adding probably a half hour on to his commute each way. We'll probably be getting a hybrid in the next few months in order for Terry to take advantage of the HOV lanes on 66 (although we know that will be temporary solution). Here's a pic of the new place:

As for updates with the little bear, he is becoming ever more opinionated. His new thing is controlling what we listen to in the car. For the past week, he has been obsessed with Johnny Cash. He'll listen to one sing ten times in a row, then will get sick of that song and will want to move onto another Johnny Cash song (which he has to listen to ten or twenty times in a row). I don't mind Ring of Fire or Walk the Line, but I do question whether I should let him put Folsom Prison Blues or the Cocaine Song on repeat. I'm sure that this is leading him to some future delinquency.

Well, I guess that's about all for now.

Mess Maker or Future Painter?

2009-02-28T17:12:00.001-08:00