jack taylor

goofball...

2012-01-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

that about sums jack up these days. when i politely asked if i could take his picture, this is what i got...

he has also had a bit of a rough go at school this past week. he has been crying during circle time. when the teacher asks him why, he tells them it is because he already knows everything and he doesn't need school-oy!? the real issue is that jack doesn't like to sit there and be quiet. i think i'm going to be the one who gets the "now if jack would just stop chatting in class, he would do so well." speech at parent-teacher conferences-lol.

we also had our first substantial snowfall of the season last week, and we didn't waste any time getting out there. pictures are courtesy of mike, or should i dub him the chauffeur as daley had him pulling her in the sled the entire time they were outside!

you guys gotta come see this...

2012-01-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

this is how we were woken up this morning, when jack came into our room very excitedly. turns out we had our first snowfall of winter during the night (well, it was more like a dusting, but there was coverage-lol). he was so excited, you could tell he was peeking out his window because his blinds were all wonky! of course, mike and i crawled back into bed afterward, and jack followed us in and in his most hilarious grown-up voice goes "so guys, how was your night?" the funniest part was that he was totally serious when he said it, just asking us a question as if we were his best buds:) you gotta love this kid, he really is something, and did i mention so grown-up? just look at these pictures...

merry (belated) christmas!

2011-12-27T17:40:00.001-08:00

what a fun couple of days jack has had! a lot of holiday treats and gifts has left him one tired little guy! not too tired of course to try out his favorite gift--golf clubs! uncle greg scored with the best gift:)

these are the best i could do...talk about not cooperating!? all i wanted was a nice picture of both of them in their holiday outfits!?

a bedtime story from one of their favorite people-jillian!

checking out his chair from mimi and apa

trying out his news clubs at the golf simulator!

it's a bird, it's a plane, it's.....

2011-12-19T17:52:00.000-08:00

super jack!!!!

nothing like having two sick kids cooped up in the house on a freezing winter day!? thank goodness jack's imagination runs wild these days or the day would have been loooong.

like i said the day was long, so super jack made an appearance in the am and pm!

this one is just cooky, and taken by mike...these two have become characters lately, it is so funny to watch them together!

we also went to the children's museum on friday. it was a big day for them as we took the boat to boston, met uncle timmy (who played hookie) and then had lunch with mike! a very fun, napless day;)

trains!

2011-12-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

it could not have been more miserable yesterday. it literally rained from the moment we got up until we went to bed. it was a good thing we had a playdate at our house yesterday, because the day would have been very long otherwise!? after nap, i had promised jack that we would make the train layout to end all train layouts, and i do believe we succeeded! we used every single track we had, and since we were quite certain we'd never remember how to duplicate it, we decided to takes lots of pictures!

these are sooc (straight out of camera), so they're nothing too fancy, but we had a lot of fun, and then we ended with a dance party!

it's beginning to look a lot like....

2011-11-28T18:05:00.001-08:00

christmas!

as per our tradition, we went this past weekend to cut down our tree. this year was even more fun because daley is so interested in all that is going on. oh and it was 60 degrees!

jack is always my little ham, and willing to wear the silly santa hat...

ugh, i wish the power lines weren't in this one!

shhh...it's elf on a shelf season!! i wanted to do this last year, but i thought jack might be too young. so, introducing Connor our "elf!!"

my sweet boy...

2011-11-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

jack really truly is such a sweet kid. he always wants to give me hugs and a kiss, and he loves to do the same with daley. i hope he always stays this sweet!

on another note, he is doing really well at school, and we seem to be past the "mommy don't leave me." phase. he even asks to go to school when he doesn't have to! he's got a couple friends, and it is so cute to hear him tell me about the things they did together. he may even have a little crush on a girl named mackenzie, but he refuses to give me any details, he just talks about her a lot!

double ear infection-ugh.

2011-11-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

it is no joke when i say that we have been sick for over 2 weeks. we just can't seem to kick this cold, which has now turned into double ear infections for everyone(note sarcasm). i really hope this isn't a precursor to what our winter is going to be like, because i might just jump ship now.

despite both j & d being sick, we have manged to have some fun playing trains, reading, "helping" (this term is used loosely-lol) me cook, and since it is so nice out today we managed to sneak out for some fresh air.

on another note, jack has really begun to show interest in reading. he's always loved to have books read to him, but now he is asking what specific words are. it is so fun to watch his mind process things. he really is a sponge.

and i'll leave you with this, along with pictures of course...a little "jack" funny...

while playing trains yesterday jack discovered that some of his cars fight perfectly on the tracks(their wheel base was the perfect length). so he began to line up his cars, and before long most of the track was filled with cars. he then proceeded to exclaim with excitement "mom, look at my thank you cars all lined up!!" it didn't dawn on me until a bit later that he confused cars with cards, and low and behold came up with "thank you cars" lol! i smiled about that one for the rest of the day:)

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

xoxo,
tinkerbell & hook

you know you're in trouble when...

2011-10-28T15:21:00.001-07:00

your four year old tells you "it's nonsensical to clean up his cars." um, right...all i could think of was good use of the word-lol!

pictures!

2011-10-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

i am just adding some pictures of jack from the weekend...we took a walk to the water in front of our house and i managed to get some nice pictures of him for a change:)

same old, same old...

2011-10-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

i've come to realize that when the daily routine seems to get monotonous, i need to learn to relish this as it can and will change all too quickly! right now we are still getting acquainted with our area, and it gets easier every day. jack seems to really like it here, and he has said on more than one occasion how much he loves our house. actually i think he worded it this way "mom, haven't you always wanted a house like this, because i really like it." i have no idea what about this house in particular he likes, and i have asked, but just knowing that he is comfortable here makes all the difference.

apple picking!

2011-10-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

we took the kids apple/pumpkin picking this past weekend, and they had so much fun. this place is so awesome. you can go year-round as they also have many other stone fruits to pick as well. it was a really beautiful space, and there was an awesome "kids" play area with a playground, burlap maze, bounce house, petting zoo and caterpillar train. they really had a lot of fun!

two more of jack, playing his favorite: cars and having a "sleepover" in my bed!

2011-10-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

jack,

happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear jack, happy birthday to you!

as each year passes, i begin to realize just how precious our time together is. every time you ask me for help, there is a little part of me that is well aware that once you figure out how to do it yourself, you will no longer need me to do it for you. just one more reminder that you're growing up and finding your independence.

the year of three has been a year of change for you. you learned to go to the bathroom on your own. you decided you didn't just like, but love pizza. you are able to get yourself dressed-for the most part, i know one day you'll put your underwear on the right way!? there is nothing you'd like better than to help, especially if there are tools involved. you finally took an interest in your bike, and now i can't get you to stop riding it when we're outside. you still love playing cars, any sport, games(candyland, uno moo, i spy/memory), and i'm pretty sure you've mastered the ipad quicker than we have!

last, but not least, you love your sister so much. you always give her hugs and kisses, and for the most part you are willing to share or play with her. watching your relationship grow and develop has been so amazing for me. i hope that you both stay the best of friends as you get older, even if she does, and i'm certain she will, annoy you to no end!

happy birthday to my almost four year old. i love you to the moon and back.

love,
mama

first day of school!

2011-10-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

just a couple pictures of jack on his way to his first day at preschool (yesterday). he loved it. for some odd reason he was a bit hesitant to go back today, but once he got there, he did just great.

so hard to believe he is on his way to being school-aged...

of course, he had to be "jack!"

settling in..

2011-10-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

i know i am well overdue for a post, but alas life has gotten in the way of, well life!? this has been our first full week here in hingham. i refuse to count/admit how many times i have gotten lost, because it is severely embarrassing. we are pretty much settled, save a few curtains/pictures to hang.

jack seems to have adjusted well. we've had a little bedtime anxiety, but that is typical jack, so i was armed and ready for it! he was very excited to see all of his toys again. it is a little like christmas in september.

we also took a tour of jack's school this week. i would be lying if i said i wasn't having a hard time with this. i know it is good for all of us. it will give daley and i time together. it will give jack a chance to interact with children his own age, and gain some independence. however, it feels like the beginning of the end of our time together. there will be fewer mornings where we can wake up slowly and snuggle together with a snack, a drink and a show(our morning routine). another milestone and reminder that he is getting so big. i promised myself i wouldn't cry because i don't want jack to get upset, but i can barely type this without getting a lump in my throat-oy!?

i promise to post some pictures when i get a chance. i need to use my favorite muses for my photo class this week, so stay tuned:)

circus extravaganza!

2011-09-20T04:53:00.001-07:00

we had jack's birthday party a little early this year because we are preparing for our big move this week! the theme was circus carnival, and i think it was a big hit. a certain someone (ahem, mike) decided that jack NEEDED the biggest bounce house they make, so of course that was probably the best part of the whole day for the kids! i've just uploaded a lot of pictures from the day...of course as per usual i have not one single one of all of us or jack and daley together, who looked quite cute in their matching circus monkey shirts i might add!

i'm breezing over the fact that he is turning four, because he isn't actually four yet and i'm still holding onto him being three. i still have no idea where the time goes, but i digress...pictures below as promised.

let the games begin!

pinata!
it should be noted that after all the kids had a turn, jake came up and walloped it...here i was thinking we would have to "help" it along!

cake time!

a big kid at heart...thanks for participating uncle timmy

i asked ben to give me his angry face-lol

james was a great ticket taker;)

the bounce house!

so grown up!

2011-09-08T19:14:00.001-07:00

i had one of those moments as i looked at the pictures i downloaded today. it dawned on me that jack looks so much like a boy, and not so much like a baby anymore. such a bittersweet feeling knowing that with each passing year he becomes more and more independent. it of course doesn't help that his birthday is just around the corner and no matter how much i try to embrace it, i still feel a pang of nostalgia for the day i brought him home.

despite the fact that we just had an all out brawl-ahem it is ten o'clock and he is still awake-he is such a good, kind-hearted kid.

i forgot i took these pictures on our "boston" adventure last week! i think these are what made me realize just how big he has gotten.

with all this rain the last few days. we have had to get creative...break out the old sheet and voila..a fort is born! of course, there's always room for a "spot" of tea as jack would say-lol!

take that hurricane irene!

2011-08-28T17:29:00.001-07:00

by about 10 am it was clear that the day would be verrrry long if i did not get both jack and daley outside at some point. that feeling of claustrophobia was slowing beginning to creep in, and so armed with rain jackets, hats and rain boots outside they went! to say they had fun would be a giant understatement. there was not only puddle jumping, but puddle diving as well...they had so much fun, the shape they were in at the end can definitely prove it!

before

after!

jack and i also went to the track this week. he had so much fun, and had his first shake shack...i have fond memories of waiting on a ridiculous line in union square while pregnant with jack for one of those shakes!

and this is what you get when you ask a 4 year old to take a "nice" picture...the old adage, you can dress me up, but can't take me anywhere definitely applies here;)

lake george!

2011-08-20T04:50:00.001-07:00

we went up to lake george for the day to visit some friends, and jack had a blast! he had so much fun jumping off the docks, on the boat, tubing and playing basketball with the "other" jack! it was such a beautiful day and i always forget how pretty it is up there.

jack 1 and jack 2 thinking about their jump

the jumps...

the view from the house

for the first 15 minutes of the boat ride this was how jack chilled...i've dubbed it
his "weekend at bernie's" pose-lol!

getting ready for his first tubing experience!

right before he ate a huge mouthful of water

about 5 minutes post-tubing...he passed out!

horses, horses, horses....

2011-08-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

we went to breakfast at the track yesterday morning to watch the horses workout, and after the library we headed over to see uncle greg at the farm. jack had a lot of fun and of course was "hamming" it up!

taking it all in

it is way too hard to get everyone to cooperate and look at the camera simultaneously...here they are will jillian, their favorite person and babysitter:)

striking a pose;)

ready, set,

2011-08-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

dance!!

my aunt sent me this from the wedding, and it is just too hilarious not to share. further proof that jack is in fact a dancing machine! he had moves that we've never seen;)

first wedding!

2011-07-31T17:56:00.001-07:00

we went to my cousin's wedding this weekend, and both jack and daley attended. jack was so excited teh night before that he could hardly get to sleep/. he kept asking if he could get married, and he was going to marry me, daddy, apa, mimi...he was going to marry everyone! they had so much fun, but jack had the most fun out of all us hands down! he was a dancing machine...he definitely found his moves and kept all of us entertained!! he was also mesmerized by the "princess" (a.k.a. the bride) and wanted to know where her princess clothes were the next day at brunch-lol!

here are a few pics, and some other beach ones i found on my dad's camera...

he looks like such a little man in these-it kills me!

napping peacefully on the beach:)

uh vacation?

2011-07-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

our annual HHI trip started out with such optimism. however, our optimism quickly dissipated and was replaced by one hiccup after another. to put it into perspective, projectile vomit didn't even make the top ten-lol!

all that aside, the kids really had a blast. they love the water so much, and had a blast bouncing back between the beach and the pool. jack loved the waves, and despite being knocked over a couple times showed little hesitation to get right back out there!

i think one of his highlights of the trip was "playing" 18 holes with he guys. he literally made it a full round, had some lunch, and then wanted to go back out in 95 degree weather less than 24 hours after having a stomach bug...he is pretty die hard!

we love america!

2011-07-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

that's what jack was going around saying today as he held the flag-so cute! we took him to the fire works last night, and it is so amazing to me what a difference a year makes. last year he was ready to go after about 5 minutes, last night he was sad they were over!

he had a lot of fun today in congress playing a little old-school bowling and croquet. he was also pretty stoked to see the classic cars all lined up.

happy father's day!

2011-06-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

when i asked jack why he loved his dad, the first thing he said was "because he runs around with me and kicks the ball." i just love the simplicity in his answer. if only it would always be this simple for him.

i know he loves mike more than anything. he is very lucky to have such an amazing father, who also happens to love sports!

happy father's day! xoxo

this was so fun to clean up-lol

haircut!

2011-06-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

i am woefully overdue for a post. to say things have been hectic around here would be an understatement! i never actually had the chance to blog this, but we are moving to boston this summer. mike has already started a new position there, and we will follow him once we find somewhere to live!? needless to say, it has been crazy. we're staying at my parent's house while we look for a new house, which is great, but kind of crazy as they are in the middle of a complete kitchen remodel!?

jack seems to be both excited and apprehensive. after being here for a little over a week, he seems to be a little more at ease, but he is definitely having some trouble understanding what is going on. he is so afraid that mike is moving to boston without us. as a result, we have had some serious separation anxiety and bedtime issues. i can only imagine what his little 3 year old head is thinking...

on another note, we took jack to ruby's one last time for his haircut. what's not to love cool airplanes and cars to sit in, your own tv to watch a plethora of movies, finished up with a lollypop:)

bronx zoo!

2011-05-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

my mom and i took jack and daley to the zoo on saturday. we haven't been since last year. it was so much fun! of course jack's favorite part was the bug carousel! we didn't get to see as much as we would've liked, but it was still a lot of fun. jack and mimi finished off the day with some cookies from arthur avenue while i hung out with a very sleepy little one;)

words cannot explain how much this picture makes me smile...

caught on camera...a stoic jack, now that's a rare moment!

this was supposed to be a cute picture of the two of them on a caterpillar...alas a certain little person was NOT cooperating-lol!

some day i'll get the perfect picture with my little ones!?

a day out with thomas!

2011-05-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

nothing like getting up at 5am to take the kids to see thomas! when the alarm went off, i looked at mike and said we must really love our kids!?

we actually kept it a surprise until we got to the train station in essex, ct. jack was pretty excited to ride thomas, especially because we were meeting up with hudson! i think they had a really good time and held up pretty well considering we had to wake them up at 6.

we then headed to mystic, ct. for the night. we did some sightseeing and took the kids to the aquarium today. i think the highlight was the hotel pool, and despite the fact that daley slept horribly and started the day at 4:30am, i think it was all in all a good trip!

jack holding a real fire hose!

jack and hudson holding hands-so cute!

a little golf, baseball, basketball, hockey...

2011-05-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

am i forgetting any key sports? this seems to be jack's favorite thing to do these days. if there is a ball involved, he is there! he is however, officially not allowed to use a real golf ball while playing outside as he almost took out our car the other day! he is getting a little too good and still not completely in control. on another note, we're still trying to figure out whether or not he is left-handed or just confused-lol. he now has a right-handed and left-handed glove, but has yet to commit to one hand. hopefully this isn't an indication of future commitment issues later in life;)

as usual, golf clubs in-hand!

i just love his expression...caught ya!

"mom! i'm sick...

2011-05-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

and i'm never going to be able to eat ever again *sniff*!"

jack and daley have been really sick this past week. i have too, but that's besides the point! whatever spring bug they caught really threw poor jack for a loop. he has been napping twice a day since saturday, and has been asking to go to bed or just lay down and rest. anyone that knows jack, knows that this is far from the norm! and while i really have felt badly for him, out of all of this have come some really hilarious statements!? here are a few;

"no, i don't want to drink anything. i will never drink anything ever again."
"nothing, i want nothing at all." (in response to my pleading with him to eat/drink something)
"i'll never play sports ever again."

this last one is funny...
"i'm never going to be able to go outside again."
mike's reply "oh you're never going to go playground or to mimi's house?"
"oh well, i guess i could just go from the house to the car to get to mimi's house."
"and i guess i'll just have to play basketball downstairs."

all i have to say is, and the academy award goes to....?!

easter fun!

2011-04-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

despite the fact that jack spied his big easter gift from the "easter bunny" the day before, the day turned out to be a lot of fun! what a difference a year makes in regards to his egg hunting skills...he was so into it. however, for the third year in a row despite really wanting to like them, he decided he didn't like the easter eggs(hard boiled). and if you can believe it, he got to try his first chocolate egg(i have no idea how he hadn't had one before, well i mean i'm sure i had something to do with it, but you know;).

and just a bath one...i can't believe how big he looks in this picture!

let's go metsssssssss!

2011-04-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

jack went to a game today with greg, and he had so much fun! they did lose, but he didn't seem to mind as there was sports and ice cream involved;) he kept shouting out "come on guys, throw the ball to me!" i just love this kid, he is too much sometimes!

note the chocolate ice cream...good thing he was with uncle greg, giving jack chocolate is like giving him speed-lol!? i'm sure he started running circles after that one!

off to a new home...

2011-04-04T05:58:00.001-07:00

we (or rather i) said goodbye to the infant seat this weekend. *sigh* just another realization that a phase in their lives has passed. i know i really shouldn't be such a sap over the whole thing, but we brought them home from the hospital in that seat...they went from tiny little things to these little people way too quickly in my opinion. of course, they are so much fun and i am so lucky to be able to watch them grow and learn, it is just still hard to let go...

here are some fun pics, as we said goodbye to infancy...

as you will read on daley's blog she has recently become a bit obsessed with fruit, specifically pears?!

pretend play!

2011-03-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

i love this age! you can often hear jack having conversations with his "friends" (stuffed animals) or cars, and it is so fun to listen in on. he has gotten very independent when it comes to play. he can race his cars for hours. of course, there are many hockey, soccer, golf, baseball & basketball breaks in between in which he insists i play with him!

just today while i was putting daley in for her nap, jack constructed his "mouse house"-i have no idea where that idea came from. he did inform me of said house's structural "contegrity"-at least he has the concept down even if the pronunciation is off! i made him promise to leave it be until after his nap...i had to take a picture of his "mouse house!"

enter "the steamroller" as we like to call her;)

he is so my son...

2011-03-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

there are moments when you can absolutely see glimpses of yourself in your children, and today was a perfect example. we're moving jack up to a 5-point harness booster seat, and giving daley jack's current car seat. i thought jack would be so excited, and i even sweetened the whole event by telling him all about the cup holders it has for his snack and drink-lol! but alas, you could hear the apprehension in his voice as we were telling him about it, and then when he comprehended that his seat would be no longer, he started to get really upset and in his little voice he proclaimed that he wanted his seat to be his forever. it was then that i realized that much like me, jack resists change. he loves his routine, and for the most part can go with the flow if we're out and about, but dare i switch things up in the morning when we're just at home, he is not a happy camper. he likes things the way that they are, and i can definitely not blame him because i too like the constant in my life day in and day out.

kiss me i'm irish:)

2011-03-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

such a ham these days....

he's still getting over being sick, but i could not keep him inside on such a nice day! here he is "riding" his bike. the term "riding" is used loosely, because he really just likes you to pull/push him around-lol. typical jack, he's mastered getting everyone to do it for him, and he does with such charm, irish charm i might add;)

lion king!

2011-03-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

my mom and i took jack to the lion king(play) this past week, and he loved it! he was a bit apprehensive prior to going, because he thought the lions would be real, but once we watched some clips and explained it to him, he seemed to be at ease. it was very late for him(8pm start), so about 5 minutes prior to intermission he began to ask if he could go home. all in all he did great, and asked to go again the next day!

jack decided he wanted to get "dressed up" for the play, but when it came time to take a picture, the three year old in him shone through;)

mike took him to the saratoga auto museum as well this week. he really liked it, and was very excited to be able to get into an actual car! he is of course obsessed with all things "wheels!"

i stand corrected...

2011-03-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

it might be the first, but i am certain it is the first of many:)

here's how the conversation went:

jack: mom, did you see that?
me: that was a really cool race.
jack: i know, chic beat mcqueen.
me: oh, chip beat him, wow.
jack: no mom, it's chic, not chip.
me: (thinking that he is obviously wrong, because what guy is named chic) no, jack isn't it chip?
jack: mom, it's chic (in his most "duh" voice)

fast forward to later that evening, when i replayed said conversation with mike, and come to find out, that i was in fact wrong. i had to smile to myself, as i realized that it would be the first of many!

oh *%@#....

2011-02-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

well it finally happened, jack said the "f" word. not only once, but three times-oy!? i cannot claim ownership of this one though;) the person who can however, shall remain nameless (ahem, mike).
completely astonished, i calmly told jack that we do not say that word and should he say it again we would be taking money out of his piggy bank and putting it in the poor jar. when the jar is full, we would then bring it to the poor box at church. it was the best i could come up with on the fly! thankfully he has not said it since, so maybe he was just testing the waters...

here are some cute pics of jack with his trains...he has gotten so good at playing independently, especially when a certain little person isn't around to wreak havoc (we call her the human tornado:)

xxoo

2011-02-14T10:28:00.001-08:00

could this be any cuter!!

*side note: jack was so excited for his lolly pop that it was hard to get him to stop trying to bite it and look at the camera! surprisingly he was fine with me throwing it away shortly thereafter.

2011-02-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

jack,

i just wanted to tell you how much i love you...right now you are downstairs playing hockey with dad, and you are having so much fun. i also wanted to let you know that while i love that you have a "jersey" for every sport, if you continue to change into said jersey every time its game time, i'm going to have to teach you how to do the laundry!

love,
mama

oh the weather outside is frightful...

2011-02-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

and we're all going a little bit crazy!?

seriously, this weather is keeping us all cooped up and thus resulting in severe boredom. so today we decided to break out the finger paints-i realize that i am a brave woman for doing so, but it gave us all something to do and made for some pretty fun pictures!

jack also got a hockey helmet this past week, and he LOVES it! he actually woke up the next morning, after sleeping with the helmet, and put it on and walked down the stairs in his helmet and pajamas!?

J-E-T-S

2011-01-16T12:22:00.001-08:00

jets, jets, jets!!!

practicing the "heisman!"

we're just a little bit excited around here today:) jack has been "warming" up all day-lol.

what's your name?

2011-01-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

my name is john johnny...be prepared to lol:)

sledding!

2011-01-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

we took jack for the first time over the weekend, and he loved it. there are some really awesome hills here, and beneath the snow was complete ice, which everyone knows makes for some super fast sledding! little lum didn't get to go down the big hill, but she really enjoy touching the snow and watching me shake it off the tree branches-lol.

here are just a couple pictures, not the greatest as we just brought the p & s:

i guess i was the only one to get the memo that you're supposed to actually look at the camera! *sigh*

jack and mike making it down the hill

jack and i heading up the hill-he got totally stuck half way down the hill on this run!?

we're having a binky party!!

2011-01-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

it's official, we live in a crazy house!? yesterday, jack decided that he and daley were going to have a binky party which involved getting all of the misfit binks out and crawling around with them in their mouths while chasing after each other?! at least i was able to prep dinner in peace, sort of...

*i keep a bag of misfit binkys(a.k.a. the ones daley rejected-$35 later and she picks the only one you have to specially order, naturally, but i digress...)

part I:

part II:

merry christmas!

2010-12-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

what a crazy holiday it has been. my poor little guy has been very sick. so sick, that we took him to albany medical center's pediatric er. thankfully, he is ok and it wasn't what they were thinking it may be. the best christmas present in my book:)

speaking of christmas, jack received some awesome gifts this year from santa, his parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles...he really is a lucky boy.

here are some pics from the past week or so...

making his way towards his presents!

his santa gift...

even not feeling well he's so cute

he kept his tie on the entire day...he's all business;)

the best family gift we could get!?

playing a little "chest" as jack calls it!

this was the day he started to get really sick...you could tell he wasn't feeling well,
but i had to get his smoothie "mustache"

do we have enough ice?

2010-12-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

we had our first "snowfall" this week. if you can call a half inch of actual snow accumulation!? on the eve of the fall, i surprised jack and let him head out after dinner with mike to play some hockey (it was way too cold to take little d out during the day, but jack was dying to play in the snow). they had so much fun! jack associated the snow as "ice" for the game (hockey, of course!). so now he is always asking if we have enough "ice?" to play!? he is just too cute.

oh brotherly/sisterly love...

2010-12-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

or is he secretly trying to kill her?! i kid, sort of:/

jack goes back and forth between loving his sister and tackling her. like all things, he loves hard and plays hard, but what he doesn't realize is that he is much stronger than her. regardless of whether it's a hug or a tackle, he practically bowls her over every time! i literally have to ask him to stop about 40 times a day. nothing actually seems to stop him, and i secretly think he is doing it for attention.

here is a cute moment i caught of the two of them over the weekend. it was an early morning for us...6:30 i think, hence their crazy hair/puffy eyes (both of which i'm afraid they've inherited from me unfortunately. the hair at least, for obvious reasons;)

daley now insists on her own snack trap of cereal in the a.m.
i can't believe she's got it figured out already!

it's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-12-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

christmas!

as per tradition, we cut our tree down the weekend after thanksgiving. this year there was no snow, but it was certainly cold. in typical fashion, one of our children decided not to cooperate, and about 5 minutes from the tree farm daley fell asleep!? so mike hung back in the car while jack and i set out to find the perfect tree! we also helped mimi and apa find there perfect tree as well.

we took about 10 "family" pictures...yup this is the best of the bunch?!

smiling next to "our" tree:)

ice skating!

2010-11-27T07:16:00.001-08:00

jack has been dying to get out on the ice. he absolutely loves hockey, and if he's going to play i suppose learning to skate is the first step! who better to take him out on the ice than uncle timmy, and daddy of course! they went yesterday, and jack had a blast. here are some fun pictures from the day...

just for fun:)

2010-11-15T07:42:00.001-08:00

jack and i had some time to play outside the other day while d was napping. you know we played a little hockey, frisbee, basketball...you name a sport and we were probably playing it!? i did catch jack attempting to climb this tree in my parent's front yard--he saw uncle greg do it so now of course he has to do it too (umm, thanks greg, hope you're paying for the inevitable er visit;)

never a dull moment...

2010-11-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

a jack funny:)

he went to the bathroom this morning, and his new thing is that he has to close door, because to put it in his words, he needs some privacy!? anyway, he had been in there for a while and i heard the water running, so daley and i decided to go and check on him. i opened the door and jack looks up at me with bubbles all over his face...i asked him what was up, and he looks at me and said "mom, i just wanted to see how soap tastes!?" he had decided to eat the hand soap and he quickly decided that it didn't taste good and could i please go get him some water-lol!?

oh the joys!

"let's get bowling!"

2010-11-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

you can really insert just about any sport into that phrase these days with jack. he is absolutely sports obsessed!? ironically, while mike and i both love sports, we really didn't purposely influence jack in any way. he took to them on his own and i have to say he is pretty good at some of them for being three!

however, we took jack bowling for the first time over the weekend, and he loved it! mike and jack played, while i took pictures (i am admittedly not a good bowler and the competitive person that i am doesn't like to lose so i gracefully bowed out;). it was really fun and jack thought he won every turn, which was so cute as he went around high "fiveing" us!

here are some cute pics...and you may be surprised by the final score!

mike is probably going to kill me for posting this shot, but i couldn't resist:)

technically jack had a bumper, but he is only 3 and mike is 33!?

happy halloween!

2010-11-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

i'm ashamed to admit that in all the craziness of getting the kids out the door for trick or treating, i got one lame picture of...super jack!

he looked so cute in his little superhero cape:)

we also went to sunnyside farms earlier in the day to ride "thomas." it was freezing and dreary, but jack had a fun time and was just mesmerized by the trains they had set up...

riding "thomas"

taking it all in...

two goofballs:)

party pics and well check...

2010-10-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

i am woefully behind on the blog...between getting ready for jack's party, and both of the kids getting sick, time has just gotten away from me.

jack went in for his three year check up, and i am happy to report his iron levels are back to normal! what a relief because i was really starting to get concerned, considering some of his other vitamin levels are twice what they should be! his weight/height put him in the 75%, which is about what i expected. although i have to admit i thought he was kinda short, but i guess i was wrong!

he really likes his dr., and he always cracks her up when we go. he continually impresses her with his language, to which she always asks him if he ready for college! he's making mike and i look really good;)

on another note, we had a little birthday party for him. the theme was pirates, and i think judging by the pictures, he had a fun time! we were lucky to have a nice day weather-wise...

behold: the pinata!
it didn't take long for the kids to get into it!

pretty madison:)
who by the way, can certainly hold her own with the boys and had the best swings at the pinata!

digging for "buried treasure"

"i'm wearing big boys, ya know"

2010-10-10T07:26:00.001-07:00

for those who have not spent any time with jack recently, you would be surprised to find that he is quite possibly the most talkative three year old i know. seriously, he will talk to just about anybody...in fact, the title of this post was what spurred this topic as this was the conversation he had with the checkout guy at whole foods yesterday!? he then proceeded to tell the guy that when he was done potty training he was going to use his money to buy a car (not a real one, obviously)!

this brings me to the aforementioned potty training, and the lack of motivation on jack's part. i decided that i had put it off long enough, and this past week we went for it...how is it going you might ask? well, let's put it this way...by 9:30 a.m. this morning we have already had one pee and poop accident. y'all would get a real kick out of the fact that mike nearly gagged and i had to take over the poop one;) this might all be too much information for anyone, so i'll get back to our "car" incentive...we decided to give jack money for his piggy bank each time he went successfully on the potty, and we told him that when he was completely potty trained he could take his money and buy something with it as his reward. sounds pretty good to me, but it unfortunately is not working. his issue is not that he can't go on the potty, his issue is that you cannot tell jack to do something if he doesn't want to, and well he's too busy to stop playing and would rather just go in his pants-oy!? perhaps said "car" incentive will work better when he's sixteen;) for the record, this was the part of parenting that i have been dreading and it is living up to its horrible reputation...we might never leave the house again for fear there will be an accident!

anywho...here are some pictures of a certain hard to photograph crazy kid:)

Guest Blog: Happy 3rd birthday, little man!

2010-10-05T17:37:00.001-07:00

Dear Jack,

It is so hard for your mommy and I to get over the fact that three years ago today we welcomed you into the world. You have brought us so much happiness, and challenged us in so many ways, we cannot begin to tell you how great the past three years have been. However, let me give it a shot...

Top 10 reasons you are cool/we love you:
1. You have a better vocabulary than many of my co-workers.
2. You just want to hang around with us, nothing more, nothing less.
3. Your eyelashes. Period.
4. You are a great big brother -- always willing to help us with Daley, and always offering her your affection. (editorial note: please stop smothering her; she's fragile).
5. Vampire Weekend is your favorite band, which is pretty "hip" considering you are three.
6. You like to take Uncle Timmy to Uncommon Grounds to "check out the chicks...I mean the REAL ladies, Tim(s)."
7. You are a renaissance man (or "Homo Universalis" in Latin) -- you love classical music, art, and are a chiacchierone.
8. Your predictability. Every morning all you need to start the day is the "hat trick" -- a little snack, a little drink, and a show.
9. You are a man in a little boy's body...wise beyond your years.
10. You and I are going to make great golf partners.

Here are a few pics from today:

on the eve of your third birthday...

2010-10-04T18:32:00.001-07:00

jack,

i am astounded by the fact that yet another year has passed so quickly. there just aren't enough hours in the day to spend with you, and as i sit here i realize that this will always be the case. as you get older i am sure that time will fly by even more quickly, and before i or you know it you will be off on your own, but for now you are still my little guy and i secretly hope you will stay this way for a long, long time.

i know someday you'll look back at this (at least i hope you will), and you will tell me that i am such a sap, but you and your sister truly are my world. there are so many things about you i wish i could catch in a jar and save for later...like the way you often come up and give me an unsolicited hug or i love you, the look on your face when you're truly amazed and in awe, the smile you give your sister and your excitement to run up and see her the moment she wakes up, your decisiveness which could easily be mistaken for stubbornness but you're certain of what it is you want and rarely waiver, and last but certainly not least your love of cars...someday you'll figure out that a simple matchbox car isn't the best thing since sliced bread, but for now it is and it makes you so happy.

tomorrow morning at 5:09 a.m. you will be three years old, and it still seems like just yesterday we were bringing you home...

i love you to the moon and back buddy.

love always,
mommy

vintage jack:

wagons, pumpkins & gourds...oh my!?

2010-09-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

greg and i took jack to sunnyside farms while we were upstate. these pics are actually from last week, but due to a lovely virus that has hit our household, i have been unable to do much of anything unless it involves administering tylenol and wiping up vomit!?

jack had so much fun...he was so excited to explore that he couldn't decide what to do first. if you've never been, this place is fantastic. there are corn mazes, cut-outs from kids favorite characters and literary works, a "thomas" train & pumpkins of course!

here are some fun pics...

showing me "the best pumpkin EVER!?"
*sidenote: every pumpkin was the best pumpkin ever:)

the wagon began to fill up pretty quick, so when jack went to gather more, the pumpkin fairy carefully put some pumpkins back;)

look-- it's quincy!

doesn't greg just make the cutest dora;)

i'm pretty sure the this was his favorite part

caught in the vine maze

"uncle greg...where are you?"

mmmmm...rice krispie treats!

2010-09-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

jack and i decided to make some rice krispie treats this morning while daley was napping. he was so excited as we had bought the halloween marshmallows the other day and he had been dying to eat one;) he is very interested in helping, but is also a pretty good listener for a three year old (don't get me started on the fact that he is almost a three year old *sniff*). here are some fun pics...

testing out the marshmallows

stealing another while mom is too busy trying to take a picture!?

the marshmallows were so cute, but looked like a mess once they melted together

just making sure they came out ok;)

melt my heart....

2010-09-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

this is what i heard this a.m. while cleaning up after breakfast....

"daley, i can't stop kissing you, i can't stop hugging you, i can't stop loving you."

*sigh* could that be any cuter? he really loves his sister, and it amazes me just how sweet he can be with her. on the flip side, she absolutely adores him as well. her whole face lights up when she sees him...she even goes crazy when she sees a picture of him!

remind me of this moment in about 5 years when they're driving each other crazy!!

central park

2010-08-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

we took the kids to central park on saturday for a picnic and play a little baseball...jack had so much fun on the great lawn running around. he is so determined when it comes to playing sports, he takes them very seriously as you can see by the look on his face in the pictures below!

i want to sleep in a baby bed...

2010-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

so we're experiencing a bit of a regression these days...a lot of whining, clinging, tantrums & insisting on using daley's high chair, climbing in her bed, needing to be held-oy!? if i didn't have a clingy, teething infant this would all be fine, but by the end of the day i'm about ready to walk out the door!

ironically, jack climbs into the crib all by himself, leading me to believe that he does not in fact need a "baby" bed-lol!?

it's just a phase, it's just a phase...

2010-08-17T06:35:00.001-07:00

this is what i keep reminding myself when by 9:30 am i'm already ready to pull my hair out!? here i was thinking i skated through the "terrible two's" and they weren't so terrible, but alas jack was just slow to find his independence and voice. not only has he gotten quite bossy, but he has become more defiant. this is also coupled with the fact that separation anxiety had reared its ugly head once again (think bedtime woes and the inability to do anything without him needing to be right.by.my.side.!?). i know all of this will pass, and we'll be on to the next phase, but man when you're in the middle of it the outlook seems bleak!?

here's a cute pic of mike and jack "cheers'ing" their ice pops:)

six flags fun...

2010-08-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

we took jack to six flags/great escape last week and had so much fun! it was his first time on a ride other than a carousel. he was a bit tentative at first, but by the end he couldn't wait to get to the next ride!

he wasn't too keen on the rollercoaster...

he did love driving the big rigs though!

here we are waiting in line for the dreaded swan boat ride...we only rode it in honor of my mom--it is one of her favs and she was home babysitting daley!

we ended the day at the "wiggles world" splash pad...jack certainly got his second wind and did not want to leave:)

funny story behind this one...we were waiting in line for the cars and at the last minute jack decided he HAD to ride with me. needless to say there was no negotiating, and mike and my dad ended up driving the car together-lol!

uncle greg playing "nice" as he rams his bumper car into the back of me!

finally this was taken at the big truck show this past weekend in saratoga...pic courtesy of mike (i opted to shop in lieu of attending;)

more HHI pics:)

2010-07-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

i hijacked my dad's pics off of his computer...there were some funny ones of jack just being well, jack!

always the ham...a little pre-dinner entertainment!?

if only it didn't look like my mom was strangling him in this one;)

we took a bike ride and met up with the guys during their round of golf...it was his first cart ride!

as usual, not cooperating for a picture

first face painting experience...he obviously chose a car!

on another note, we finally decided on a preschool for jack. he seems very excited, and during the tour said that he didn't want to leave! we'll see if he has the same reaction when i drop him off for the first time...

and so it begins...

2010-07-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

jack's love affair with his sister is beginning to dwindle. when we first brought daley home i was both amazed and relieved with how enamored jack was with her. he really loves to help with her, whether it be feeding her, helping with her bath, trying to pick her up (eek), etc. however, since we've been home he has become a bit more territorial of his "things." he gets quite annoyed when daley scoots over to his cars and starts to eat them. she is kind of like a slow moving bulldozer- when she gets herself over to whatever he is playing with and inevitably destroys it! i knew this day would come, but in the back of my mind i was hoping to avoid it. just this morning jack told me to stick daley in her jumper because he only wanted to share his blocks with me! fast forward to a little later on and he was none too pleased with my letting her join in on our fun. i believe he told me to put her in her sleep sack and put her down for a nap! yikes!? its a good thing she is completely clueless when he rips said car/block right out of her hands. just wait until she has even more motor control and can take whatever it is she wants right back! stay tuned, this should be fun:)

hilton head

2010-07-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

we made our annual trek with the kids down to hilton head for two weeks. we were brave and drove the 14 hours. on the way down we decided to break it up into 2 days...hoping it would go a bit more smoothly. well, we had a rough start...poor jack had some tummy issues and needless to say by mid-morning we had already managed to change 6 dirty diapers between the two of them. following the multitude of dirty diapers, jack decided to throw up somewhere around maryland...picture yogurt, milk and blueberries all over--nice!? we finally made it to richmond, checked into the hotel, grabbed a quick dinner and mike and jack went to the pool to get out some energy (we had promised him the pool all day)...not ten minutes later they're back in the room because jack had yet another dirty diaper--oy! the poor kid couldn't catch a break. the second part of the trip really couldn't go anywhere but up! we finally did make it to hilton head with minor scrapes and bruises, two tired kids and two parents in desperate need of a drink!

to say jack had a good time would be an understatement! he is quite the negotiator and managed to stay up late every night! we had to barter with him to get him out of the water, and even then he managed to get right back in. we had a lot of fun, and a couple of firsts: fireworks, face painting and a boat ride (other than a ferry).

4th of july fireworks at harbour island

visiting grandma smith (mike's grandma) in georgia

as usual, being a ham

building his favorite: a drip castle

having a serious conversation with mimi and apa!

all aboard the pirate ship. captain jack sparrow reporting!

nothing like a *fun* round of mini golf

taking a walk along the beach looking for shells

i'm so excited to go to the beach...

2010-07-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

everything has ended or begun with the above statement for about 3 weeks now! or he'll finish a sentence with "when we go on vacation?" do you think he's excited?! i mean we've only been talking about vacation for 6 months now, and it's finally time. we're leaving tomorrow for our annual 2 week hilton head vaca...driving with the 2 little ones should be interesting. let's just hope jack will still be excited when we FINALLY get there!

on another note, jack has really gotten into "pretend" play as of late. he loves to have puppet shows, and to play in his big fishy tent, which i took out one rainy day and will now be a permanent staple in his room i think! it is so fun to watch him grow and change. oh and he is also finally getting the hang of blowing bubbles! this has been a long time coming:)

NO! and please, oh please!

2010-06-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

jack has recently started asserting himself a bit more. along with this new-found assertion comes a bit of defiance, and quite frankly i'm over it!? most of the time these "no" statements occur when jack is asked to be quiet because daley is sleeping--grr. he then follows this up with a "i'm so sorry mommy..." (insert coy grin)...ugh, he's so cute, but he is totally manipulating me!?

there is also a lot of "please, oh please" being thrown around these days...he's usually asking for a show or snack. he's too much that he realizes that if he uses his manners and asks nicely it really is hard to say no!

these were my best attempt at getting a nice picture of him--he was not in the mood.

happy father's day!

2010-06-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

we spent the day doing many "golf" related things to appease both daddy and jack! jack got to go "golfing" for the first time, albeit mini-golf, but to him he was golfing just the same. jack requested to play with a pink lady, which is not all that surprising and pretty funny if you know the back story. ahem, i do believe it was mike that lost a friendly wager last season and had to play a round of golf while on vacation with pink ladies. we all still get a good chuckle out of it!

mike is also doing this funny little trick, and i use the word trick loosely, because if you saw it in action you would roll your eyes...he keeps "pulling" golf balls out of jack's ears and jack is none the wiser, so he of course now assumes golf balls grow in his ears!? one day i'll remind him that we weren't necessarily laughing with him on this one;)

and finally, i haven't blogged about the fact that the poor little guy wound up with poison ivy in the beginning of the week. thankfully it didn't seem to bother him all that much, it just looked like his ankles were attacked. apparently it is rampant around our house, so it should be fun chasing around after him every time we're outside to make sure he doesn't go near it!?

perspective...

2010-06-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

this picture puts it all into perspective for me. it wasn't all that long ago, or so it seems, that jack was daley's age. i miss my little monkey. there aren't enough hours in the day, days in the week, or months in the year it seems. time just keeps flying by and before i know it, daley will be jack's age. i wish i could bottle this time up with them and revel in it.

i want a new mommy...

2010-06-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

"mommy can you open the door and turn on the car...i need a new mommy, i gotta go get one!" um, yup that was our breakfast conversation this morning. i'm pretty sure the impetus for this statement was because i wasn't wiping him up post-breakfast fast enough!? so of course i stooped right down to his (2 year old) level and told him that i couldn't open the door, and maybe his new mommy would do it for him! ha, so there, i told him didn't i;) of course, this conversation was quickly forgotten about when i suggested shortly thereafter that we head upstairs to play cars. voila, i'm the best mommy ever again according to jack! man if only all our problems were so easily solved by playing cars...

here are just some random pics...

uncle timmy's graduation

first night in a big boy bed!

big boy bed!!

2010-06-01T10:11:00.001-07:00

i knew we had to move jack to a big boy bed, we needed him to be in one by vacation in july (we can't possibly rent 2 cribs!?), so when jack finally started to express real interest in one, we followed his lead. we're on day 3 and i am pleasantly surprised by how well he has done. he may take a bit longer to settle down, but he's so excited about being in a "bed" that he really hasn't gotten out. i guess he never ceases to amaze me:)

on another note, jack has been sick on and off for a while now. first he contracted coxsakie virus, and then while he was recovering from that he managed to get a sinus infection. ugh, poor kid. ironically we never even really go anywhere (kinda trapped with the routine of a 5 month old;), so i can't believe he's managed to get sick like this. anywho, when we both started this sinus infection, it hit pretty hard. even i went to the dr. because i was so sick. i took him in just to be sure there wasn't some other underlying issue we were missing. he has been mentioning for a while now that he is tired randomly throughout the day. at first i thought nothing of it, because he would run and get his blankets and pillow and want you to snuggle with him--i thought it was a phase. i mentioned it to the dr. while we were there and we decided to run some blood, which by the way jack handled like a champ--not one tear! we thought we'd rule out mono, and we did, but it turns out jack has zero iron stores!? i never would've guessed this because he really is a pretty well-rounded eater. i'm so thankful we caught it because had we not, it could've been a more serious problem. as of right now, he's on an iron supplement, and we'll re-evaluate in two months. i wish i would've caught this sooner, but i'm just relieved we caught it at all, because really who would've guessed iron deficiency.

honey, honey...

2010-05-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

everyone is "honey" these days. thanks to mimi, jack (or flo as we like to refer to him) has picked up this little moniker for everyone. almost most of his sentences begin with "honey, honey..." it really is hilarious!

we went to visit school yesterday, and jack did great. we're planning to enroll him for 3 days/week in the fall. we went to observe and jack jumped right in. he didn't even think twice about. i thought he might be a bit clingy, but he wasn't at all! he of course referred to the other kids as "honey," which i'm pretty sure confused the heck out them! he even sat for circle time and joined in during "song" time. :sigh: my big boy...

lastly, we are still working on these 2 year molars...he's pretty miserable over it. he keeps waking up from a much too short nap telling me his teeth hurt--poor kid.

beautiful....

2010-05-06T08:59:00.001-07:00

this is jack's word of the moment!? everything is beautiful (with a breathless voice!)...who knows where he got it from, but it is too much.

however, not everything is beautiful in the behavior department these days...jack is for sure testing my patience and his limits. we have had a lot of "no" lately which is generally said in a not so "inside" voice!? i realize this is just another phase, but he can definitely move past it any day now as far i'm concerned;)

on another note, we started swim lessons 2 weeks ago. on the first day jack was in the class with 3 other girls, and lets just say that jack was the remedial one...as these girls swam across the pool unassisted, and there was jack chatting the instructor's ear off rather than kicking his way across! however, i did have a very proud mommy moment when mike reported back that he instructor told him jack was by far the most well-behaved child in the class this past week. so he may not be able to swim across the pool, but he's a good listener....as with everything, baby steps:)

jack's reaction when we told him we were out of tequila on cinco de mayo!?

dress up:)

2010-04-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

jack has recently started to enjoy playing dress-up and pretend play. i know i'll catch some flack for the pics i'm about to post, but its really all in good fun and its not about what he's wearing as it is more about the fun of it!

he has also started to show some signs of aggression and anger lately. he won't actually punch/hit the person he's mad at per se, but he'll "punch" the air. i guess its better that it isn't directed at someone specifically, but it is still frustrating nonetheless. ah the joys of raising a toddler:/

mike took these today at the park...

don't you wonder what he's thinking about?!

my little ham:)

2010-04-14T10:35:00.001-07:00

just when you think...

2010-04-13T11:32:00.001-07:00

your 2 year old is getting sooooo big...

they finish their dinner looking like this!

and the vocal stylings of jack taylor:)

funny easter outtakes!

2010-04-08T05:57:00.001-07:00

don't you just love trying to convince a 2 year old they can play golf after they take a family picture!? complete.meltdown.

really giving it his all...if only you could see his face here!

family picture *fail*

baby you can drive my car...

ace ventura style:)

happy easter!

2010-04-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

i have literally been trying to post for days now, but someone (a certain non-sleeping 3 month old) hasn't been cooperative and i have gotten zero time to myself!

we had a nice easter up in saratoga this year. we usually stay home, but mike was lured upstate by the amazing weather and chance to play some golf! this is the first year that jack really got the concept of egg dying and hunting, and he was totally into it! of course "gentle" and jack don't mix so some eggs were colored inside and out thanks to cracks in the shell!

the day started with church and ended with his first bath with his sister!

after a couple "plopped" eggs it was obvious he needed some assistance!

spotted!

oh, another one:)

he insisted on leaving his tie on!

the ever-present golf club that doesn't seem to leave his hand these days!

oh, he looks so innocent doesn't he...stay tuned for that story over on daley's blog!

"moms, i got poopy pants!?"

2010-03-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

"oh and i just climbed out of my crib!"

this was what occurred in our house this past friday. i was downstairs, and i heard jack's bedroom door open and about 2 seconds later the above was yelled from the top of the stairs! that and, "mom i was calling you, i've got poopy pants!?" of course, jack reminded me that i had also forgotten to close the gate--oops.

quick back story: i had already gone in once to check on him because he was jumping around and yelling. this typically means he has a dirty diaper and there will be no chance of a nap. mind you he will happily play and talk in his crib with said dirty diaper, but nap, forget about it. so as i was leaving, it was a negative on the dirty diaper, i reminded him to just call for me and let me know if he had a dirty diaper as i would come up and give him "fresh pants" as he calls it.

just a regular old day here in our house...he really is such a character!

erin go bragh!

2010-03-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

poor jack is so sick with a head cold and you can tell in his pictures below...he tried to give me a smile, but he just wasn't into it:(

we did power through the day though and make our best attempt at celebrating st. patrick! in keeping with all things green, there were shamrock pb & j sandwiches, green milk, pesto with ravioli (we obviously skipped the traditional corned beef and cabbage;) and jack helped make yummy st. patty's cupcakes--which he wasn't too sick to eat i might add!

funny little aside...when i was explaining st. patrick's day to jack on tuesday, his response was "i don't want st. patrick to come. i'm gonna stick him in the woods, i'm gonna stick st. patrick in the woods." he said it so deadpan. i have no idea where he got that from!? he's too much:)

the big move.

2010-03-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

i realize it has been a while since i've posted, but we've just undergone a move and we are still recovering! weve spread our wings so-to-speak, and now have more space than our previous 2 apartments combined!?

jack has transitioned remarkably well. i think i was more stressed over the move and how it would effect/change things for him than the actual move itself. he has seemingly warmed right up to the place. i think the most exciting thing for him is the ability to go outside, weather permitting, without all the bells and whistles it took for us to so before--we literally just step out our front door! it truly is the simplest things that can make them happy:)

i've taken lots of pictures over the last two weeks, but just finally got to uploading...

one shy guy, one very tired mom & one bug-eyed girl=the best pic i have of all three of us at the moment!?

a moving day "hockey break"...

jack!?

2010-03-03T18:18:00.001-08:00

this is what i find myself yelling way too much during the day...seriously, who said raising a 2 year old would be so trying?! if i'm not asking him to keep his voice down, then i'm asking him to pick up his 4 million cars he has all over the place! i know i totally sound like my mother right now, geesh!

fun little tidbit...jack would much rather go for a timeout in his room than pick up his toys. nice, that makes parenting so much more fun when you can't even scold him for his behavior! just today when i told him if he didn't pick up his cars he would go to his room for a timeout, he literally looked at me, turned around, went to his room and closed the door behind him...oy! if only he wasn't so cute most of the time;)

thanks uncle timmy!

2010-02-28T17:48:00.001-08:00

my brother tim had his last senior home hockey game last weekend, and in the beginning of the game when the seniors were honored jack was able to go out on the ice with my parents and tim. he loved it! so a big thanks to uncle timmy for letting jack be a part of your big moment;)

i like cookies ya know....

2010-02-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

jack really is quite the character! he's like a little man in a 2 year old's body! i'm not sure where he comes up with some of the stuff he does, but it is always fun to have a conversation with him.

we were baking cookies the other day, and he was very good about not trying to take them off of the pan before they went in the oven, but boy did have this tormented look on his face...it was definitely torture for him to just look and not eat! when the first batch came out, he of course got to try one and he looked over at me and said "well you might as well just give me another one!" so now he goes around saying "i like cookies ya know..." hence the title:)

so my attempt at nice valentine's pics was big fat FAIL! it is much harder to wrangle a 2 year old and keep a 6 week old happy!? i'll post what i was able to salvage...

fun in the bath...i went in to see what jack and mike were up to because i had heard all this laughing, and low and behold, mike and jack were in the bath together!

snow fun...

2010-02-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

i stole these pics off my dad's camera because i have been a bit delinquent with uploading my pics. not that its an excuse but i am typing with one hand with a snuggley little one in the other;)

jack has definitely gotten to experience the snow this season and he loves it...he has also consumed about two cups of freshly falling snow--i guess its kinda clean, right?!

here are some fun pics...note the hockey stick that was a custom job by uncle timmy. its a good thing he breaks sticks fairly frequently!

mmm...snow.

trying to play hockey in the snow...not as easy as you'd think!

playing coy;)

to my valentine's...

2010-02-14T05:19:00.000-08:00

i love you with all my heart. you make me smile and laugh each and every day. you've taught me strength, patience & humility. without all of you my days would be, well, very quiet, but lonely! thank you for showing me how fulfilling my life could be and is.

happy valentine's day!

love,
mom, mama, mommy, kris

oh the irony...

2010-02-04T03:08:00.000-08:00

i couldn't wait for jack to finally say my name, and when he did it was so awesome. however, lately i would love to hear a little more daddy around here!? i mean does it really matter if daddy or i change your diaper buddy? that being said, i think we have finally entered the post-new sibling regression phase. there has been some food throwing, trouble going to sleep, extreme (i cannot stress extreme enough) whining, and lots of "i'm two" behavior--good times!

we were at the dr. yesterday for daley's one month, and i spoke to her about it. it is all normal, to be expected behavior that we'll just have to ride out. it will also more than likely return when daley can start to crawl and get into his things...maybe he'll surprise us and not freak out over his sister touching his toys!?

speaking of toys, jack did ask daley if she would play cars with him yesterday! it was the cutest thing and literally made my heart smile:) he is so loving, and if daley makes the slightest peep he has to go check and see if she is ok!

here are a couple pics from the week...

we created...

2010-01-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

a hockey monster!! seriously, jack runs around playing "hockey" all day--ahem, thanks uncle tim for the not-so-indoors indoor golf set!? not only does he talk about how he's going to shoot the puck, wear skates and gloves on the ice, but he insists on watching the NHL network, as well as hockey montages on youtube. he can sit and watch a hockey game almost in its entirety, which i think is pretty good because they can be long. oh and what 2 year old has a favorite player already?? in case anyone is wondering, jack's fav player is alexander ovechkin. i don't even know where he saw him first, but he is constantly asking to "watch" ovechkin. i think we're in for a lot of cold, early weekend mornings at the ice rink;)

the biggest hug ever!

2010-01-26T09:46:00.001-08:00

recently jack has been into giving all of us the "biggest hug EVER..." most of the time it is awesome, but then there are the times that he decides to give daley a hug and literally lays on top of her--he has yet to grasp his strength and weight! he has also conveniently learned to delay bedtime by asking repeatedly to give you the biggest hug over and over...making this once cute habit a tad bit annoying!?

on another note, i am constantly amazed by his recall/recognition skills. he truly is the elephant that doesn't forget. we're currently working on letter/number recognition. he has been a bit slow to pick it up, but i can already see that some of it has started to sink in as he will repeat letters and their corresponding sounds, as well as, remember the object that begins with said letter. preschool here we come;)

he absolutely loves his sister...he also really loves mr. smiley face--some habits die hard!

all better!

2010-01-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

thankfully jack seems to be all better:) just in time for some "warmer" weather...its only january and i'm already dreaming of spring. keeping a two year old occupied along with a newborn is quite a task!

jack had a lot of fun today holding his sister and taking pictures..he didn't want to hand her back to mike afterwards! he's always wondering where she is or what she's doing. it really is too cute...except of course when he gets in her face while she's sleeping. once she's out of the newborn "i can sleep through anything phase" it'll get a bit tricky to keep him away from her!

here are some cute pics of jack and daley--he's such a ham!

this one is from the other morning...they were just hanging out on my bed!

oh the double ear infection:(

2010-01-12T17:08:00.001-08:00

it is a first in our house and i feel so badly for the little guy. he has been a trooper though, it really hasn't slowed him down too much. he was a bit lethargic and clingy today, but for the most part he's in good spirits! the doctor was shocked that he was even sleeping given the shape his poor little ears are in...just writing this has set me up for a night of sleeplessness between a sick toddler and a newborn--yay!? we're on some antibiotics, so hopefully we'll kick this quickly. i know he probably got this from his class, which is so frustrating because he so looks forward to it each week, as do i in this frigid winter weather. oh well, i'm sure the worst is yet to come once he's school-bound!

a little sledding and some harmonica

2010-01-10T17:17:00.001-08:00

mike took jack upstate yesterday to see uncle timmy's hockey game. jack had a blast visiting grandma and grandpa taylor, his cousins, hung out at mimi and apa's for some sledding and then off to skidmore's game. he had quite the busy day and seemingly had a blast!

a little sledding...

he also got a new harmonica (thank you uncle dennis and aunt melissa:)...

jack the big brother

2010-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

days leading up to daley's birth, i had such a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we were going to bring home another child and my time with just jack and i was limited. my fear that he would regress or become aggressive with this change was quickly vanquished when jack showed only minimal hesitation to accept her. i don't even think it was a matter of accepting her as it has been more so that he has to share me. in fact, he seems to really like her. he has to get his step stool and help me every time we change her, which as you know with a newborn is quite frequently! he'll casually walk by her in the bouncer and say "hi pretty girl!" or "hi dales, how are you today?" it really is too cute!

i just liked this side-eye look he gave as his pic was being taken

he finally agreed to hold daley, but as soon as i put her in his arms he quickly asked me to take her back--i think he got nervous!
fyi--this isn't as bad as it looks, he was resting his hands around her head and i was really still holding her. he couldn't get comfortable with her.

two classics...

2009-12-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

there have been two classic jack moments over the last few days that i feel need to be documented, if not for anything other than preserving the memory for him to read about when he's older!

story #1:

we're in church on christmas, and politely decided to stay in the "cry" area since jack tends to get a bit fidgety. mike was walking him around a bit and they happened upon a statue of jesus on the cross. well jack proceeds to tell mike how jesus "looks stinky, he stinks...he's dirty and stinky." um, right, i'm pretty sure that is not what was going through jesus' mind while he was dying on the cross, but only a two year-old could come up with that!

story #2:

mike took jack to the park this afternoon so i could attempt to nap. he wore his rain boots because we got a ridiculous amount of rain yesterday--the boots don't really stay on his feet all that well. anyways, mike and jack are playing with his ball...mike misses a b-ball shot (ahem, big surprise;) and jack says to him "let me do it." he throws the ball, misses, and then face plants...tears ensue and jack pleads to go home so "mommy can kiss it." well, on their way home while mike is carrying both jack and the ball, jack's boot falls off not once, but twice...when it happens the second time, mike let's out the following: "f'ing boots!" jack immediately looks at mike and says "f'ing boots!" quickly mike tries to alleviate the situation by letting jack know he's not supposed to say that word, and jack looks at him and goes "you're not supposed to say f'ing boots!" mike then says yes, please don't say that and especially not in front of mommy (ha)! so what do you think jack does as soon as they come home...he runs up to me and says "i got a boo-boo because i fell at the park and you're not supposed to say f'ing boots!" i about fell over and mike could barely contain himself. mike was promptly given a time-out and jack now goes around saying "we're not supposed to say bad words!!!"

merry christmas!

2009-12-25T18:56:00.001-08:00

this was the first time that we didn't head upstate for the holidays. since it was just the three of us on christmas eve, we headed into the city to see the tree to get us into the holiday spirit! it was about as ridiculously crazy as you would expect it to be, but nevertheless we survived...

jack had the best seat in the house;)

reading our stories by the tree before bed

opening presents!

mike got the best "cheese" face of the day!