Jack's 2nd 3rd birthday!

We celebrated Jack's birthday yet again, this time with Ed's parents.

He got another set of Lincoln Logs which are more complicated than I remember....here's Ed "helping" build the Fort and Jack waiting as patiently as possible!

Retro Friday

This weekend, last year.

Potty training (ugh.)

Hangin out

Ed and Jack giving Jemma her bath.

Ed and the kids playing Disney DVD Bingo (the best thing we got them for Christmas!)

The Pilgrims

Today was Ava's class play about the pilgrims. They have been working hard for weeks and she has been so excited! This is totally her thing--she has almost the whole play memorized and she practices for us constantly! She always gets Jack all lined up like he's in it with her and then she does everyone's lines while he waits patiently for his part (which never comes!). She was so excited last night that she was still awake when we went to bed and I could hear her in there singing the song they ended with.

Cute little pilgrims! They were great!

At eight o'clock last night she decided we needed to make a special treat for after the play--she was so earnest that she talked me into it--and she wanted it to be a special "pilgrim" kind of food so we made pumpkin oatmeal muffins (sounded pilgrim to me!) and then she packed up some Thanksgiving napkins to go with them. She was of course up first this morning and she followed me around saying we had to hurry or we were going to be late (sounds just like her daddy!). We made it nice and early and she was the cutest little pilgrim I've seen!

Giggle girls

We LOVE Bear!

Jack's very very favorite books are the "Bear Snores On" series. He has four of them so far and we have to read every one every day. And when we're done he always says, "read it again!"

Sisters

Lately Jemma has been a serious mama's girl and her little lip pops out if anyone else holds her. I was writing this in her baby book when I thought I should check Ava's and see if she was ever like that and sure enough at exactly the same age, I wrote almost exactly the same thing in her book too!

Jack's big day!

Jack's original Birth Day

Jack was a great little birthday boy...so grateful for everything! Full of thank-yous for his presents, the happy b-day wishes, his cool favor bags, the capri-suns--everything! It was like he couldn't believe it was all for him! Will invited him over for his birthday lunch of McD hamburgers and some fun in the snow. After naps, we had dinner at home (Jack's fave baked pasta and fruit salad) and presents from us. And then we headed to the bowling alley for a party with all his cousins. Jack really wanted a bowling party this year although I'm not sure he even knew what bowling was till we got there but he loved it! He is such a joy-full, lovey, sweet buddy that it is such a pleasure to have a day just to celebrate him!

His first treats of the day!

The boys.

Presents!

Showing off his new golf clubs....he suddenly looks a lot older and all grown up!

Cake!

Ed teaching Jack the finer techniques of bowling. Jack was pretty good but in the interest of full disclosure, Ed actually finished second at the junior national bowling championship. (seriously. those good ol' days.)

Here's Will watching his bowl rolling...I think laying down helps it get there faster!

The daddies helping out.

Happy Birthday!

to the best little buddy in the world!

The sweet sound of new toys....

Here are my busy little bees, hard at play with all their new Christmas toys! Ahh, quiet.

This little stinker...

.....got to come on her first shopping trip in Spokane and she cried the entire time (okay, she slept a little but if she was awake, she was crying!). Sadly for Jemma all that crying didn't really slow us down, we went ahead and did all our shopping anyway! Then we took her out to Starbucks earlier today and walked the mall and she was perfect--smiling at strangers, cooing at her birdy--it was enough to make me think yesterday didn't even happen, except for the fact that my ears are still ringing from all the crying! This picture is from today (obviously).

Just like his Daddy...

Ed here...I had to post this pic. Kelly went to Spokane with Paula to "get away" and she took Jemma. I had a fun packed day with Jack and Ava and to cap the night off we watched Tinkerbell. Looks as though Jack has watched me and enjoyed the movie. It's good to see he loves the dog.

Retro Friday

This weekend, 2007

He was a seriously cute almost-one-year old!

Looks like Spring

It was fantastically sunny and a whopping 42 degrees today! I'm knocking on wood as I type this cause I know it will start snowing 2 seconds after I post but it felt deliciously like Spring today....it gives one hope.

These two spent a good chunk of the day looking for their sunglasses...too bad they didn't find them till after dark.

My little helper

Jack has started doing his share of the chores here and he loves it! He has taken over setting the table from Ava (she still clears...he can't yet handle those plates when there is actually stuff left on them!) including folding the napkins in clever little shapes like she always did. His favorite chore is laundry (he did not get that from me!) and he even folds and puts away his little clothes--I've learned to let any perfectionism regarding this chore go and he almost always gets them in the right drawers so we call that a success! He thinks he is ready for even more responsibility....I took him and Jemma on a super quick trip to Costco while Ava was at school this morning and when I got there he wanted a special treat for "babysitting" Jemma in the car (she slept the whole way but he was prepared to entertain her if necessary!). Thank goodness for hard working little boys!