Twice a Week?

Well, clearly I have blown my resolution. And it's not even February. I'm ok with it though because I feel like it at least got me back in the habit of blogging. Here's what went on last week:

Monday Jackson went to Mother's Day Out (as usual) and one of the moms asked if we would like to go play at McDonald's after school. The afternoons usually drag on, and I really enjoy talking to this mom, so we agreed to go. We each had an oreo ice cream sundae and then Jackson and Rachel explored the play area. They had a great time!!

Tuesday we went to story time and Jackson was much better behaved than the last two weeks. We arrived a little early so he got to run some of his energy out. He doesn't get to see his playgroup friends very often, so when he does he is so excited to see them!! That night, I got to see my friends for a girl's night out! Our friends Rachel and Presley are, sadly, moving away soon. It is a great thing for their family, but sad for our play group. We got together to say goodbye to Rachel and had a great time! It's always nice to have a chance to talk without having to excuse myself to change a diaper or enforce a timeout.

Wednesday we decided to head to Chick-fil-a after school and Jackson played for two HOURS! It was amazing. I finally had to drag him away. We shared a large fruit cup (yum!) and Jackson had a great time. Most of the pictures on this post are from that afternoon.

Thursday we went to Gymboree and then out to lunch with our Gymboree group. That night, I had my second night out of the week with those moms + one dad. This was my first time going out with the Gymbo parents without the kids and we had a great time. We literally closed the restaurant. It was so much fun and I hope we start doing this more often!

Friday we spent time as a family since Steven had the day off from work and Saturday we went to my parents' house to check out their new TV and spend time with them. That night, Jackson went to his friend Lydia's birthday party. It was so much fun! He loved running around and wrestling with the big boys. After the party, we dropped Jackson off at home (with a sitter!) and joined my parents at the Allen Americans game. It was great! We had seats right behind the visitor's bench. Towards the end of the game, we had a literal front-row seat to a pretty heated exchange that ended in the visiting coach being ejected from the game. The Americans won (yay!), but more importantly, we had a great time together!

A Year in the Life

Jackson, here is what you looked like a year ago:

This toy box held most of your toys, but has since been thrown out because you used it to climb. We painted the wall tan (same color as we had around the fire place in this picture) and bought curtains and bamboo blinds for the window. We also finally gave in in March and got you a much-needed hair cut. I held on to those sweet ear-curls for so long!

Your friend Emma-Grace gave you this book for Christmas at our book exchange! I can't believe how little you were. I think your shirt is size 18-24 months (and look how big it was!!) and you sweatpants were 12-18 months.

...and this is what you look like today!! Now, your hair has really filled in, you can speak SO MANY words, and you wear a size 2T, which fits pretty perfectly. I can't believe how much you have changed in only a year!

A Note for my Littlest One

Hey Kiddo,

Just wanted to let you know that we are already head-over-heels in love with you and we pray for you almost every night. Daddy will put his hand on my tummy and talk to you and we are so excited for the day we can actually hold you in our arms. We won't always be the perfect parents (but I guess you already knew that - sorry about the double helping of coffee today), but I can promise that we will try and we will always love you.

You have a big brother named Jackson. I know that you will probably fight with each other some times, but he will take care of you and I know you will love each other.

Daddy is waiting for me to go to bed, so I better wrap this up. We love you! Stay safe, sweet one.

Love, Mommy

Baby Haynes - Sneak Peek!

Today we got to see pictures and video of our newest teeny-tiny boy or girl.

We opted to go to a perinatal specialist to determine if our baby is at an elevated risk for birth defects. They performed three tests: a blood test, a sonogram, and an age test. Basically, the age test was "are you under 35 years old?" That one made me laugh because, as I pointed out to Steven, I could perform that one myself, haha. They also measured the baby's nuchal fold during the sonogram and found that that measurement was in the normal range as well (yay!). Once the blood test results come back, we'll know our exact risk of having a child with birth defects.

Here is a picture of the nuchal fold measurement:

So, the most exciting part of all of this (in my opinion) was the chance to see our baby boy or girl!!!

Here he or she is, stretching out after being poked and prodded for a while. The sonographer told us that this was the first baby she had seen all day who was "cooperating" with the sonogram. Fingers crossed (but not holding my breath!) that this child turns out to be this cooperative in real life as well.

The sonographer had me cough so we could see the baby wiggle around. This is the first time we had seen a 3D ultrasound in person, and I was just so fascinated with it. After several forced coughs, baby finally started to wiggle. I can't wait until I can feel those wiggles throughout the day.

The sonographer guessed our child's gender, but the doctor said it was too early to tell. Any guesses? Steven and I both have openly admitted that we would like a girl, but today I felt like if they had told me we were definitely having another boy, I would be thrilled as well. I guess we'll have to wait until 18 weeks to find out for sure. We found out that if we had taken the original appointment I had been offered, next Friday, that we would have been able to find out the gender. Ahhh! We are not so great at waiting.

Oh well, Baby Haynes, your secret is safe for another few weeks. Until then, we still love you like crazy and think about you every day.

Hanging with Gymbo

Today was another Gymboree day!

Gymboree is one of Jackson's favorite activities - he gets to climb, run, squeal, and see his friends. I love it too because I can just let him go and be a kid without worrying whether or not he is disturbing anyone.

Today, the sweetest thing happened.

Jackson has always been very independent, but today he came over and took my hand and asked me to run with him around the mat. He grabbed my hand and said "Mama, go!" We had so much fun running around the mat together, and he held my hand the entire time. It makes me think that one day, not too far off, he won't want to hold my hand and he'll get upset when I walk him to his class and kiss him goodbye in front of his classmates.

For now, I'll try to remember that I'll miss these days when he's older.

Wednesday

Ok, so I fell asleep without blogging again!! Ahhh, I could blame it on the pregnancy, but really, that excuse only lasts so long.

So today will be a two-fer!

Wednesday morning Jackson had school (yay!) and he had a great day. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, when I came to pick him up, he had just busted his lip. Poor kiddo! We got him cleaned up and he was back to himself in no time.

For dinner, we met up with Daddy for tacos at Tin Star - yum. Jackson loved having dinner with Daddy, but he was sad when we had to leave and go home without him.

I love how much Jackson loves his Daddy and asks for him all the time. He also has been asking for my Mom and Dad almost every time we get in the car - it's so cute. We are so blessed to have both sets of Grandparents nearby.

Ready? Go!!!

This morning we went to story time with our play group. Jackson had to go in time out again because he wasn't behaving nicely, but the kids had a great time running around with each other afterwards. Here is a really cute video I caught while we were chatting and the kids were getting some energy out. I was so amazed that they were playing together and had organized a little game for themselves.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any really good still pictures, but this sweet video more than makes up for it. Hope you enjoy it!!

Date Day

Today Jackson's MDO program was open and Steven's school was not. We were so excited to have another day alone together before Steven went back to school, and we were determined to have a date. So we decided to go to a Japanese restaurant that had been recommended to me by a facebook friend. But before we could do that, we had some errands to run.

First, we had to replace my stolen car antenna. Some time on Saturday, some oddball decided that he or she would free me of my antenna. I can't really figure out why... maybe there is a lucrative business for black-market Dodge antennas? Anyway, after buying an antenna that didn't fit, we decided to just suck it up and head to the Dodge dealership. The part was only $20, so that was a relief (though it makes me doubt that black-market antenna dealing would be a successful venture). So, we installed my shiny, new antenna, and headed over to Target to pick up a few things.

One thing I love about my husband is that he truly cares about other people. He is the first one to stop when he sees a car accident, the first one to offer aide in a medical emergency, and the first one to tackle a would-be ironing board cover thief (great story). When we pulled up in the parking lot, we saw a woman and her middle-school-age son in the parking lot, staring at a flat tire. Steven asked if he should offer to help, and immediately I thought about how helpless I would feel in that situation. We decided to offer our... umm... Steven's assistance. We worked on the car for about an hour (it was a joint effort) and it finally turned out that we just couldn't get the tire off. We called Steven's friend, Steven C., who is a mechanic, and he suggested that we fill the tire with Fix-a-Flat and send her across the road to a shop he was familiar with. The lady was so sweet and appreciative and I really enjoyed talking to her while we all tried to help fix the flat. She told us that she would pay it back in her life, and it reminded me that being kind to strangers really leaves an impact.

We finished our shopping at Target, and then some! The work on the tire and the errand made us hungry, so we headed out to Richardson to have some sushi before it was time to pick up Jackson from preschool.

We went to Sushi Sake and I was floored. It was SO good. The fish was fresh and the menu was authentic. It had items I hadn't seen since we were in Japan. I really did not know that it was possible to have fish that fresh in Texas. We ate at the bar and had a chance to chat with our sushi chef, who told us all about growing up in China and the competition to get in to college. He was so friendly and I think we would have sat there all day talking with him if we hadn't been on a time restriction. I think we have found a new favorite date location.

We headed back to Allen to pick up Jackson from school, which is always the highlight of my day. I love having time to be just me and not worry about car seats and strollers, but by the end of the school day I am ready to see him again.

I love spending time with both guys in my life.

Ally's Hard Day

So Ally's New Year Resolution is to blog everyday this year, however she is just not feeling up to it tonight so I am going to blog for her.

Today, Ally and I went to church to teach our Sunday School classes. However, I had to leave early to attend the Hamilton Park Methodist Church, with my confirmand. I am a confirmation partner this year so part of the curriculum is to attend different services. So my confirmand and I had a good time till I realized that I had Ally's car keys in my pocket. So after the 2 hour service, we rushed back to the church to find Ally and Jackson playing in the hallway. I was expecting her to be upset but she was a really good sport about it.

After we had a free lunch on the youth group, thanks FUMC Allen, we headed over to Ally's parents house. She left her phone over there yesterday. By the time we got back to our house, I had a passed out boy and an exhausted preggers. Ally took a nap until I forced her out of bed, because we had to get back to the church to teach, "Gross, Scary Bible stories." It was a fun lesson but I was a little long-winded. It probably is a good think that I am not a pastor or else my congregation would walk out every week. Ally and I decided to hang out with the youth for dinner. We really miss our youth group in Japan, but we are really happy to be serving in our local church now.

So long story short, we had an exhausting day and we are all ready for bed. I hope this counts for Ally's New Year Resolution.

Scotturday

Almost every Saturday we go to my parents' house to spend time with them since we don't see them much during the week. My dad used to work in San Diego during the week and was only home on weekends, and my mom is super busy with school.

The conversation on the way out of our neighborhood went like this:

Jackson: Home? Doggies?

Me: No, we're going to Grandma's, but you can see the cat.

Jackson: No!! Doggies!!

Me: Papa will be there...

Jackson: Okay, I go.

He cracks me up. Phew, good thing he agreed to go, where would we be if he hadn't?

My dad had just come home from traveling this morning, so he slept almost all day. While he was sleeping, we took a(nother) trip to Dallas to get some cupcakes from Sprinkles. They are so amazing... apparently all of Dallas thought so too because it was packed! We bought 2 cupcakes each, plus a doggie cupcake for each of our dogs. Not that they deserve it, haha. On our way home, we stopped at Mom and Steven's favorite place - the Borders at Preston and Royal. I needed to find a travel book, and Steven and Mom don't ever have any trouble finding several books they want. As we were looking up books, Steven's second cousin and her husband came up and said hi! We haven't seen Wanda and Keith in months and they were so surprised how big Jackson is now. Strangely enough, they had gone to Sprinkles with Steven's parents right before coming to the bookstore too! The surprise meeting was definitely fun and I loved having a chance to catch up with them.

After spending some time in Dallas, we headed back to Plano to visit the Apple store. My mom has used the 30 gig iPod I bought back in 2006 for over two years now, and it finally gave out on her. We walked right into the store, told the salesman what she wanted, and we were out within 10 minutes. It was so efficient and well-run, we were all amazed. With a toddler along for the ride, efficiency is a big deal!! She is so excited about her new iPod and all the memory it has. My first iPod (the mini - remember those?!) held 4 gigs. Her new iPod hold 160 (!!!) gigabites. I wouldn't even know how to begin to fill that much memory!

By the time we got home from the Apple store, my dad still wasn't awake (and wasn't interested in waking up, haha), so we decided to go out to eat without him. Since Steven had just found out that he had been accepted to UNT's MPA program, we went to the restaurant of his choice (Macaroni Grill) and let him pick the appetizer (crab-stuffed mushrooms - yummm!). It was a great meal, but not quite as efficient as the Apple store. My dad was awake and alert when we got home, so we busted out some cupcakes (ahhhhh, so good!) and Jackson got in some good playtime with his Papa Scott.

I love that Jackson has the chance to live so close to both sets of his grandparents. I hope he never takes the short distance for granted. Growing up, I always wished I lived closer to my grandparents and I am so thrilled that that is a reality for our family!

26 Months

Jackson is twenty-six months old today!!! We missed our Friday play group friends today because I was feeling exhausted from not sleeping very well last night and I wanted to stay close to home, so we went to try an art class at Gymboree.

I won't say it was a total success, but you definitely had fun and made some art pieces that would make your Aunt Emily proud. We even got a surprise visit from Daddy who came to class with us after he was done running his errands!

Jackson, here are your favorite things at 26 months.

1. Chuggington

We're trainees, we're making tracks. Wheels to the rails! Clacketty-clack! The first thing you ask for in the morning is your choo-choos and it's also the last thing you ask for before we put you to bed. You are not allowed to take your choo-choos to bed because you will not go to sleep... instead you turn literally any surface into a "track" and go on adventures with your trains. After seeing how much you loved the show, we went in with your grandparents and bought you a train table, tracks, and several Chuggington trains for your birthday.

Santa brought several of the remaining trains and stock cars for your stocking this Christmas. You have re-purposed several of your toys to better accommodate your love of trains. We thought we bought you a play kitchen for Christmas, but you knew better. It is actually a train garage. You have a Noah's Ark toy from last Christmas. Unfortunately for the animals, you decided it was more important to save your trains from the flood. Sorry giraffes! Sorry Noah! The little Mater toy you received in your stocking at Grandma and Grandpa Scott's house has become the rescue-truck for any "chugger down" on your train table. You know the names of all the engines and you love to connect them to the different cars you have - a fire-fighting car, ice cream cars, a monkey car, and lots more. I secretly hope you never outgrow your trains because I love seeing them bring you so much joy.

2. Books!

Every night we read LOTS of books. I always plan to only read 3 or 4, but you keep handing me more and more, and I always give in. Your favorites change over time, but right now they are Dora Goes for a Ride, The Rhyming Dust Bunnies, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR, and Baby Colors. I don't think I ever get out of your room without reading the first three. You love to help me "read" the parts you remember and point out things that are exciting to you.

The Rhyming Dust Bunnies is probably your all-time favorite, which is so surprising to me. You know which words are coming next, when to scream "Ahhhhh!" and when to say "Help" at the end. I think you could say the whole book by memory if you wanted to. Story time is one of my favorite parts of the day.

3. Your dogs

Macy and Val Pal are our family's doggies. Macy is a german shepard/lab mix and Val Pal is a beagle. They both came from the Wylie Animal Shelter, but that is where their similarities end. Val sleeps a lot and is pretty calm for the most part. She goes outside to potty, but wants to come inside almost immediately. She doesn't chew on anything (except food) and has to be in the right mood to play.

Macy, on the other hand, is all DOG. She loves being outside, loves to dig and chase things, and chews any and everything she gets her teeth on, which drives Mommy and Daddy crazy. She is always in a playful mood and you love to throw things for her and squeal at her to get her to chase you. You love on Val, giving her kisses and gentle pats, but Macy is your play mate. You always want to pick out new toys for Macy at Target, and she destroys them almost as soon as she gets them.

4. Your friends

You have so many friends! You have friends at Friday Play Group, at Gymboree, and at Play Day (your preschool program). You know a lot of their names and love to play with them - especially your friends who like to run around and yell like you do! You really love to share your toys with your friends, but sometimes you forget that you let your friend borrow a toy and you try to take it back without asking. For the most part though, you really try to play nicely. I don't see you being the type of kid who will get shoved around though. You have a lot of confidence, and recently have started asking me if you can "try" different things. You have also learned to be more gentle when giving your friends hugs. You used to push a little too hard and knock over whoever you were trying to hug, but now you are a lot better at keeping your balance. I love that you are already so social and so comfortable with who you are.

5. Putting things away

I don't know where you got this from, but you LOVE to put things away. I do not, as you can tell by the state of our house. If I need you to clean up, you will almost always do it. Last night you stacked your books as I was reading to you, and you are so great at helping put up the maracas and other toys at Gymboree. All you have to hear is "Away?" and you are in pick-up mode. I really should harness this and start having you put away your toys at the end of the day. You are really good at putting your toys away at the end of your bath though. You also love to throw things away. You will empty out a plastic bag just so you can throw it away. You always ask me, "Bleh?" and point to the trash can. Usually you are so helpful, but sometimes it's not something that I wanted you to throw away.

6. Dora and Diego

Go Diego Go and Dora the Explorer are two of your favorite shows, and it shows while you're playing as well. When we are driving, you will yell "Go cars!" or "Go Mama!" or any other variation on the "Go Diego Go" theme song. You also sing along to the song and point out all of your favorite animals and characters. At the end, you yell "Wheee!" like Diego does. You love Dora too, and your favorite song is "We did it!" You jump around saying "Did it! did it! whooo!" Every time it comes on. The only thing I don't like about these shows is your recent interest in Swiper the Fox. You must think he is really funny, because sometimes you knock things over or throw them and say "Nowww, Ha-ha-ha!" the way Swiper says "Now you'll never find it! Ha-ha-ha!" It's kind of funny, but I have to remind you that Swiper isn't very nice and it's better to act like Dora or Diego. You also have started to say "Ohhh man!" Like Swiper does, which is pretty cute because you don't do anything mean or destructive along with it.

So, that's what you love these days. We love continuing to get to know you, even though I am starting to understand why these are called the "Terrible Twos." I think they are the "Wonderful Twos with Some Very Challenging Moments" - haha! One thing is for sure - you are a happy, confident, social, independent kiddo and you Daddy and I couldn't be more in love with you!!

Thursday!!

Oh man, I already missed a day.

I usually blog in the evenings, after Jackson has gone to bed. Tonight we watched Grey's Anatomy and then I passed out on the couch. I kinda remember Steven telling me it was time to go to bed and then escorting me upstairs. I just found a trail of clothes leading to the bed... haha. I guess I didn't want to waste time getting changed and decided to do it while I was walking.

Today I announced on Facebook that we are expecting a second child!! We are just beyond excited and now I can talk openly about the one thing that consumes my life right now - being pregnant and thinking about having another child. Some women don't even notice their first trimester. Not me! I am basically a useless blob for 6-8 weeks. My sweet husband has been trying so hard to be both Mommy and Daddy for the past month and I think we are both ready for me to pick back up the household chores and caring for Jackson.

We left for Gymboree this morning at 10:05 for a class that starts at 10:15, about 30 minutes away. I took the toll roads and made it there only about 10 minutes late, and Jackson's teacher was so sweet about it, but I felt totally out of it, Then, after class, we always go out to eat with our group of Gymboree friends. This week we went to Tin Star, and I made it a good 10 minutes down the road before I realized that we hadn't met our friends for lunch. I turned around and drove back, and explained that my baby-brain made us late.... again.

I am so excited to have another baby (especially the cuddles!) but I am sooo over the first trimester. Right now it is 4:00 in the morning and I can't sleep because I passed out at 9:00. I guess my body is preparing for the sleep deprivation with two little ones in the house.

2010 Survey

My friend, Ashley, posted this on her blog and I thought I would fill it out too :) Should be fun to look back on in the future.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
I became active in PEO, the Philanthropic, Educational Organization in which I am a fourth-generation member. I held a meeting at my house and accepted a position as Secretary. It's something special for my mom and I to participate in together.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't usually make resolutions because they just make me feel bad when I break them. My resolution for this year is to try to blog everyday for the rest of the year. Let's see if I can do it!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, Steven's friend from high school & one of my bridesmaids, Lauren welcomed her son, Aedan. Two of my friends from play group welcomed their second children, Bryn and Sophie. My friend, Casey, from Gymboree welcomed baby Chase, and our dear friends the Johnsons, brought home their first boy, Joshua, to his three older sisters.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but Steven lost a great-uncle.

5. What countries did you visit?
This is the first year since 2005 that I haven't left the country!!! We are planning a trip to Canada in May 2011 to visit my family and introduce Steven to the motherland for the first time.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A little brother or sister for Jackson and a family photo shoot (last one was in 2009).

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 15, 2010: My best friend, Jess, got married and Jackson and I were in the wedding party.

October 8, 2010: Went back to Boulder for the first time since college.

November 13, 2010: Jackson's first birthday party with friends. (second birthday)

December 30, 2010: Secret for now :)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
We finished painting every room in the house, and are continuing to raise a two-year old.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping up with the blog! haha :)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thankfully.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Jackson's train set. He is obsessed.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Jackson Haynes. Also, gas to get Steven too and from school.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing my sorority sisters in Colorado, enrolling Jackson in preschool, and seeing Jackson and my sister bond during her visits.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Probably "Like a G6." I know, I belong at a frat party.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?

Probably about the same overall, but last year I had just lost my Nana, so I was very sad about that.

b) thinner or fatter?

I've lost one or two dress sizes... so I'm thinner now (for now)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I had taken more pictures and video.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying about the little things.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Steven's family came over in the morning and we opened gifts together, then in the afternoon we had lunch at his Mema's house with Steven's parents, brother, memas, aunt, and uncle. Then we went to my parents' house for a light dinner and more presents. The next day we had both families to our house for more presents and a big turkey dinner.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I continued to fall in love with my husband and my sweet son.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
There are a lot. I started watching The Biggest Loser and Survivor and really enjoyed them both.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't really like to use the word "hate." I can't really think of anyone.

24. What was the best book you read?

I don't think I read any books this year (uh-oh, busted!)

26. What did you want and get?
To finish painting the house and the chance to host some friends from Japan.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I really liked Date Night with Steven Carrell and Tina Fey.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26 and Steven and Jackson took me out to breakfast at The Original Pancake House (big family favorite), then I went to a play date at the mall and one of my friends bought me a coffee. I wore my "#1 Mom" sticker that Jackson gave me.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I think we had a great year... I wish we had taken more pictures though.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
"fashion concept?" Umm... jeans, any clean shirt, some sort of shoe (no heels), and usually a ponytail. Make up optional.

32. What kept you sane?
Coffee, my Mom, my husband, and my play group and gymboree friends.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I really can't think of anyone... definitely no one that played in a vampire movie.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Also, any time I read about a woman being discriminated against for breastfeeding.

35. Who did you miss?
Right now and a lot of the time, my sister, our friends from Japan, and my college friends. Especially this year, I missed my Grandma and my Nana and my Dad's family.

36. Who was the best new person you met in 2010?
I really enjoyed deepening my connections with the friends I met at the end of 2009 (Namely, my Friday play group).

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Always wear your helmet.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"We did it, we did it, we did it, YAY! We always team up, we did it!" courtesy of Dora the Explorer

Another Day, Still No Pictures

Well, this morning was... fun...

Jackson and I went to the library to meet our Friday playgroup friends for story time! Usually, we meet some of them for coffee first and then walk over, but it was just too cold today. Instead, we headed straight to the library and hit a drive-through Starbucks on the way. Yum!

Unfortunately, this didn't give Jackson a chance to get his wiggles out with his friends before story time, so he decided to do it during story time. I don't think the story time leader was very amused. I wasn't either. We left twice to have time-out, and the second time I made him sit outside until it was over. I am shaking my head just thinking about it. Today was one of those days that I really felt lost in my parenting abilities. I try so hard to balance discipline with love and security and sometimes I just feel like a total failure. I want to wear a sign that says "I am trying, I promise!!"

After story time was over, we stuck around and let the kids run around in the story time room. We even closed the door at one point so the kids would stop running out in to the rest of the library. I'm not sure how the staff felt about it, but I was so grateful to give Jackson a chance to run around with his friends while I got to catch up with mine!! Those mamas keep me sane and grounded and I can say things to them that I couldn't tell people who don't have toddlers. They really get it.

After story time, we headed home to see our favorite Daddy! He had a couple inspections this morning, so he left early and wasn't able to help me get out the door. This is something I'll have to get used to since he starts back to school next week - ughhhh! It has been so nice to have him around to help out this past month. I am so blessed to have a husband who puts Jackson and me first in his life. As I collapsed on the couch, Steven fed Jackson and put him down for a nap. Jackson decided to protest, so I headed up there to lay down with him and help him calm down long enough to get to sleep. By the time I came back downstairs, I had another sleeping guy and two sleeping doggies on my hands! Steven went upstairs to sleep in our bed, and I spent the next 2 1/2 hours (!!!) alone in the quiet. I didn't even know what to do with myself!

Finally, they woke up around 4:30 and we headed to Nordstrom to use the rest of my gift card. My sister got me a pair of boots for Christmas, but when they arrived they were the wrong size and color (even though the box had the right size and color on it). So by the time I exchanged them, the price had dropped, so they put the balance on a gift card! It turned out to be a great mix-up. Since we seem to always be looking for Jackson's shoes (he wore crocs and socks this Sunday in the freezing rain since we couldn't find real shoes and we were running late - ahhhh!), I thought we should use the gift card to get him properly measured and into a new pair of shoes. He is a 7-7 1/2, which means he moved up to the so-called "big boy table" and the sales associate recommended a pair of shoes that were just perfect. Lightweight, good shape, and less than the balance on the gift card! I still have $1.30 left to spend... decisions, decisions.

Tomorrow Jackson goes back to preschool after having missed Monday due to the snow. The Coloradan in me was rolling my eyes at the roads that had schools all over Texas closed for the day. This from the girl who used to wear flip-flops year-round, even if there was snow on the ground. Anyway, I will try to remember to get photos of him tomorrow.

One of those Days

I'll be honest, today was boring... and I didn't take any pictures.

Here is a picture of Jackson from Christmas at my parents' house:

I had a hard time going to sleep last night. We went to bed around 11:00 and I couldn't get to sleep until after 1:15. Ughhh. So, this morning, I woke up around 8:30 (sweet hubs got up with Jackson so I could sleep in) and checked to make sure that preschool was cancelled (it was). At that point, I should have gone back to bed, but instead I told Steven to go take a shower and that I would take a nap after that.

Finally, I went to take a nap when Jackson did (at 12:45) and didn't wake up until 4:00. Wow! I guess I must have been exhausted.

This evening I had a P.E.O. meeting. It was great to get dressed up (anything but jeans + jewelry = dressed up) and out of the house. I always love seeing everyone and joking around during the meeting.

Texas in the Snow

Last night we went to bed wondering if we would have church in the morning because of all the weather reports about snow and ice. When we woke up, it was raining, but not icy, so we headed to church to teach our Sunday School classes. Steven and I started teaching Sunday School at the beginning of the summer to give the "regular" teachers a break and enjoyed it so much that we stuck around for the school year as well. Steven teaches 11th grade and I teach 10th grade. The students are so much fun and we really enjoy getting to know them while sharing the bible with them.

While we're teaching, Jackson goes to his own Sunday School with his teachers, Miss Susan (Su-Su) and Miss Shelly (She-shee). He gets to hang out with some of his friends from preschool, play with toys, watch Barney, and learn about how much Jesus loves him. He loves it! Every week he fights to stay when we come pick him up. I think it's really great that he spends 3 days a week at church and loves it so much... and he's making friends that he will grow up with, just like I did.

No sooner did we get home from church, but it started to snow. At first it was just melting when it hit the ground, but soon it started to really stick. We usually only get one snowfall like this a season, so it's always a special treat. Steven thought to bring in some firewood yesterday, so we've stayed cozy with our roaring fire all afternoon.

I just had to get a picture of our house in the snow. I love how elegant the trees look with fresh snow on the branches. This photo makes it look like our house has no roof on the left side, but I promise it's just covered in snow!

Unfortunately, because of the snow, the church decided to cancel all evening activities. Steven and I were totally bummed out because we're also teaching a class (together this time) in the evenings called "Scary Gross and Weird Stories from the Bible" and we had a LOT of fun getting ready for this week's lesson. We're gonna try to work it in anyway - it's just too good!

Hopefully school will be open tomorrow so Jackson can go to preschool, but I'm not counting on it. Maybe we'll have some fun playing in the snow at home!

I Sink I Love You

When Steven and I bought our house, we were beyond thrilled with all the possibilities it held for us. Unfortunately, as with all do-it-yourselfers, we made some mistakes. One mistake had to do with our porcelain sink.

A picture should go here, but the sink was so awful, I can't bear to show it. Just pretend there is a picture of a yellowed sink here - yuck!

Back to the mistake, we used the porcelain sink to wash our paint brushes, wood stain and mineral spirits we used on the wood floor. Holy cow - huge mistake. The mineral spirits ate away the finish on the entire bottom of the basin and the exposed material turned yellow quickly. I had to coat it with Comet constantly just to make it presentable... which it never really was.

So, to celebrate our five years of marriage, I asked Steven to buy me a new stainless steel sink. And he agreed!!

We picked out our new sink at Lowe's because they offer a veteran discount and we support businesses that support our service members. Steven then called his dad to see if he would be willing to help install our new sink. Papa Haynes agreed to come over Saturday morning to help.

Meet our new sink,

You'll have to trust me on this: it is so much better. I love the deep bowls (9 inches!) and the all-in-one spout, which allows for a bigger bowl.

And it is shiny.

I love that sprayer. I thought I wanted a side-sprayer, but this all-in-one system is great.

Not only did we get a new sink, Steven's dad also surprised us with a new garbage disposal! It's called a "Badger." That sounds like serious business... I'm gonna tell people I keep a Badger under my sink - haha. Thanks Papa Haynes for helping install the sink and for the new Badger!!!

Chuck E Cheese and Sprinkles

We are so lucky to have found two great group of friends Jackson's age who also have awesome moms that I love to hang out with. One group is our Gymboree Group, who we see every Thursday, and the other is our Friday Play Group. Every Friday we get together with our Friday play group and head to someone's house or on a field trip. This week, we met at Chuck E Cheese.

My sweet friend, Ashley, took photos of all the kids and emailed them out afterwards. I love this picture she took!

One of my favorite things about today was that all of the kids and all but one of the moms were there. A lot of our friends have been in and out of town and everyone has been busy with the holidays, so it was just great to have a chance to see everyone and catch up again.

Almost immediately, Jackson took off running and just knew that this was a place for kids to have fun. He bounced from ride to ride, asking to get in and wanting to put the tokens in all by himself. Actually, putting the tokens in was his favorite part. He would put in a token, jump out of the ride before it started going, and come over to ask me for another token. Haha, that's not exactly the point! Jackson's favorite ride had a camera attached, so we got 4 pictures of Jackson and Chuck E Cheese riding in a truck together. They are hilarious. I'll have to hook up the scanner and upload them soon. You can see one of them in my hand in the picture Ashley took.

Jackson and his friend Davey went for a few rides in this monster truck. This thing wasn't messing around. It was about 3 feet off the ground, rocked back and forth, front and back, and had a shut-off function if anyone stood too close. As you can tell from the picture, Jackson wasn't too sure about it. One second he would be yelling "YAY!" and the next he would reach for me and say "Help? Help?" in this pathetic little voice. I have another (blurry) picture of him laughing his head off two seconds later.

One exciting thing about arcades that I remember from growing up is the tickets. Oh the tickets and the crappy little prizes they buy. So, imagine my feeling when Jackson grabbed my hand and dragged me to the prize display. When we got there though, he asked to have a little mini-tootsie roll sucker worth 10 tickets. We counted our tickets out (counting is BIG with Jackson right now... he can count to ten but he may not hit all the numbers along the way - ha!) and had enough for the sucker! (the guy told me he would have given it to us anyway, how sweet) So, Jackson picked a raspberry sucker and actually managed to hold onto it for another 45 minutes of play time.

Finally, we ran out of tokens and I took Jackson home for a great nap.

In the afternoon, I developed this mad craving for cupcakes. Specifically, Sprinkles Cupcakes. Yum. Steven sweetly volunteered to drive our whole family to the Dallas store - a good 30 minute trip.

Jackson definitely thought it was worth the trip! He became VERY familiar with cupcakes when he was frequenting birthday parties this fall. He immediately saw the display case and said "Cake! Cake! Cake please!!" (As a side note, he has excellent manners. Especially when he wants something.) We told him that he could have one cupcake and asked which one he wanted. "Chocolate!" So I asked him, do you want chocolate and chocolate or chocolate and vanilla?" and he replied "Vanilla!" I don't really know how much he understands what he's saying and how much is just repeating the last word I said, but he seemed so certain and excited, that we went ahead and ordered it for him. It sounded so good, we got one for each of us too!

He was a mess! We sat down to eat in the store (which has a sweet kids' table, as you can see in the picture above) and spent most of the time laughing at Jackson trying to eat his cupcake. He got about halfway through before we decided that he was done for the day. Sorry kiddo! We saved the rest of the cupcake for later and we brought home two doggie-cupcakes for our bad doggies.

Resolution

As indicated by my recent post (in June - ha!), I am not super-great at keeping up with this blog, so after a lot of thought, I am challenging myself to blog every day for the rest of the year. I can't believe I am actually going to try to do this, but here goes!

Here is a little run-down of what has happened in the past few months:

July: We spent a lot of time swimming and playing in the water this summer. Texas sure is hot!

August: Jackson started preschool. I was so nervous about it all summer, but it has been such a blessing! He LOVES church more than ever and has the best time. Of course, it's nice for me to have some down time/errand time too.

September: September kicked off the "Birthday Season" as I like to call it. From September through December we had at least one birthday party almost every weekend. The most in one weekend was 4 parties. We also had a visit from our good friend, Nate, who we knew in Japan. The last time we had seen him I was 7 months pregnant, so it was great that he had a chance to meet our son. He has three girls and had recently become the proud father of a sweet little boy.

October: Of course, this was Halloween and the first year that I took Jackson Trick-or-Treating. We only went down 3 cul-de-sacs in our neighborhood, but it was fun. My parents came over and Steven and my Dad stayed at the house to hand out candy while Mom and I took Jackson around the neighborhood. I made his costume, which was a puppy dog (or a chocolate chip cookie, as one girl guessed - haha!).

November: Jackson turned 2!! We had his party at Gymboree, which he loved. They did such a great job. :) Also, Jackson learned how to climb out of his crib. Turned out it was much easier than he thought it would be. Because of this, we transitioned him to a big-boy bed much earlier than we expected. He now sleeps in a full-size bed in the old "junk room," which has been painted and transformed into a car-themed big boy room.

December: Of course, we celebrated Christmas and got to spend time with my sister ("Memi") and Steven's family, including his Aunt Karen and Uncle Keith. Jackson loves loves loves my sister. This is the first time he has recognized her at the beginning of a visit. He saw her and ran over to give her a hug, screaming "MEMIIIII" at the top of his lungs. On Christmas Eve, we took Jackson to service for the first time since he was probably 4 months old. He dressed as a shepherd (mostly because I spent all day making the costume and I safety-pinned it to him) and was noisy throughout the service. I apologized to the Senior Pastor afterwards (who sweetly said that he hadn't even noticed). This really confirmed to me that Sunday School is the best place for Jackson, he really isn't ready for service.

And that brings us to January. We celebrated our five-year marriage anniversary on January 3rd by going to Pancake House as a family. Our gift to each other this year was a new stainless steel sink, which Steven and his Dad are planning to install this Saturday. I can't wait! I have lived with that horrible, nasty, awful, yellowed, chipped, white porcelain sink for a year and I am over it.

So, here's to a new year and a new challenge. A lot of exciting things are going to happen this year, and I hope to keep a record of every one of them!