Happy Father's Day!

I think Mike had a pretty good father's day... and a long celebration of it! The weekend prior to father's day we went to Pops because we knew we couldn't fit it in the weekend of father's day. The kids always enjoy it there & Mike does too. On father's day we had breakfast at home and the kids gave Daddy the book we made for him of pictures of him & the kids throughout the year (they are looking at it in the pic above). Isabella gave him a couple pieces of artwork she made for him at her gymboree art class. Then for lunch we went to another one of Mike's favorite restaurants, Johnny's. Then for dinner we joined my parents, the Polliards, & the Gray's at the Elephant Bar to celebrate with my Dad. It was a busy day but lots of fun. Happy Father's Day, Mike (Daddy) & to my Dad! :)

More Dance

A few more dance recital pictures from my sister, Jennifer's camera. Thanks for taking them, Jenn!

Isabella's Dance Recital- June 2011

After finishing up gymnastics last summer, Isabella really wanted to try out dance classes. We talked to her about what a commitment it would be & about how she'd have to stick with it for a full year. (There are lots of up front costs for the recital & such that we didn't want to invest in & have her quit.) She still wanted to do it so we signed her up at a local dance studio, Karen's Kids. I think she bored fairly quickly of doing the same dances over & over each week (they started practicing their dances for the recital back in August!) & she would sometimes complain & say she wanted to go back to gymnastics. But as we'd said at the beginning, she had to stick with it the full year. So she did. And now finally comes the recital, the culmination of the full years rehearsals! (And the week leading up to the recital she had dance practic Monday-Thursday from 530-7p every night to practice her 2 dances & learn the finale dance!!) I felt almost like it was my recital with all the articles of costumes to gather & bring, the hair to fix, the costume changes, etc, etc! The whole night was an experience!

She did so well & looked so cute on the stage in her costume. We were so proud! We were happy to have lots of family come to see her (& she was excited to know they were in the audience watching her) & to take pictures since my camera battery went dead at the very beginning (thanks Mom & Laura for your contributions to this blog ;o).

You Are My Sunshine ballet dance. (In the bottom left picture she is trying to put her fingers in the "I love you" sign.)

Dinosaur Rock N' Roll tap dance. She does a really cute turn around in this dance where she is tapping her feet all the way around & you can tell she is really enjoying this bit! (When she sat in the audience with us in this costume, Jackson was petting it like it was an animal!)

After the finale, in her finale outfit... Karen's Kids t-shirt.

Raspberry/Blackberry Picking

We visited a local orchard with our MOMS club friend, Ashley & her children, Randy & Ryan. Sunberry Orchard is a Upick orchard with many different kinds of yummy fruits. Last year we picked their sweet cherries & this year we got there just in time for red raspberries (w/ a few black raspberries thrown in) & black berries. The kids had fun & did really well picking the berries! They did get a bit cranky towards the end but they were a bit hot & tired. We've been enjoying the fruit all week long!

Kite Flying @ Hefner

We had a long Memorial weekend so we wanted to think of some fun things to do with the kids. One day we took them out to Lake Hefner for a picnic & kite flying. We also wanted to play on their little beach area but the wind was kicking up too much sand & it was painful on the kid's little legs. So we had lunch & flew the kite. The kids had lots of fun! We went for gelato afterwards & the kids really loved that.

Mother's Day 2011

I had a lovely mother's day with the kiddos & Mike. I didn't cook or clean one single bit & Mike even got the kids dressed first thing in the morning & took them to breakfast out of the house so I could sleep in peace (although I didn't really sleep in very late due to noisy dogs!). We had a nice brunch at Cheever's, spent a little time at the book store, & then had dinner at Upper Crust with family. It was a nice relaxing day. (This was the best picture we managed to get!) Oh & the kids & Mike got me the rest of the stuff I needed to make wine from the kit I got for Christmas so it is on... let the wine making commence!

Dallas Trip - May 2011

Mike had a conference in Dallas (Grapevine), TX for a week so we decided to tag along for a change of pace. (Plus Mike had been in Boston the week before & I didn't want another week of single parenting!) The kids & I did things around Dallas during the day & at the end of our trip we stayed a night at the Great Wolf Lodge b/c the kids loved the place last year.

This is at the Museum of Nature & Science. They had a cow you could milk & other farm type things, dinosaur dig along w/ dino fossils & a bunch of other fun things for kids to do.

Of course the kids love to go eat at the Rainforest Cafe!

This time we stayed in the wolf den suite at Great Wolf Lodge & the kids loved it. (The kids can howl like wolves really well!)

Jackson was actually brave enough to go on the water slides in the baby area & went over & over again. Isabella enjoyed going on nearly all the waterslides in the park once again. She was a bit upset that we didn't stay longer & threw a little fit when it was time to go asking why we couldn't just live there. :)

Jackson is two

 

The announcement of his arrival.

 

Jackson newly born, in the tub @ home.

 

Jackson at his first birthday party.

 

1st birthday invite.

 

Jackson at his second birthday party on his actual birthday.

Looking back it's hard to believe it's already been two full years since we first met our little boy! We have loved seeing him grow & watching his personality develop during this time. I can't report on his physical stats at this point because his ped appointment isn't for another week or so but we can definitely attest that he has grown despite his picky eating habits. ;o) And on this topic, I am happy to report that he is doing better at eating more foods... he now will eat rice if it is separate from the rest of the meal, some pasta, and most veggies as long as they are not all mixed up with other things. But I will be interested to see where he is on his percentiles... for some reason I see him as being on the short side but I don't know where I get that from! I'd say he is probably average weight. But I'll report back when we get the numbers.

As far as personality... wow! It has been so interesting to see the differences between Jackson & Isabella. We can definitely see the "boy" traits in Jackson! He is very active & seems to always be on the go... running here or there (and he often runs with a little gallop) or doing this or that. He is sweaty a lot (and definitely smells more boyish than Isabella! haha!) He is very rough and tumble and likes to jump/climb all over us. His motor skills are really great, he figures out how to work or open most things. He likes to climb and jump but does have some reservations for new things (so not total dare devil but still adventurous). He loves to swing and to go high. He's been sitting in the big kid swing for a long time now (he still likes the baby swing but alternates between all of them). Jackson can be a bit stubborn at times and it gets worse the more you push. When he gets frustrated or angry, it usually comes out physically... he's pretty good at hitting, pinching, kicking, and biting so we have to watch him! Isabella dishes a lot out too and things escalate fast between the two of them sometimes. I will also add that they love each other very much and whenever they've been away from each other (even if for an hour or two) they are happy to reunite. Jackson usually exclaims, "Bella!" when he sees her again & runs to give her a big bear hug. It's very sweet to see. He is a good cuddler and loves to be comforted by being held and hugged. He also asks for a kiss (he says "kees") if he hurts himself. I think he is a bit of a momma's boy still but I am a bit biased. :) He does like to point out when his clothing items are like his daddy's (even if they're not really). 

Developmentally Jackson is learning lots. He loves to point out circles & is learning his other shapes. He knows a couple colors and points those out as well. He points to letters/numbers and says random alphabet letters like he is reading them off. He also likes to count the first few numbers, especially to say "1-2-3, go!" or when I start counting for him to do something, he finishes it off, "2-3!" He loves to read books and will sit still for a bit if the books interest him. I have to say I'm not as good at remembering to work with him on learning things as I was with Isabella... I guess it's a bit busier now with 2! But thankfully he is learning anyway. :) He also now goes to Gymboreeclasses once a week & really enjoys those. His speech is progressing and he has just recently started with 3 word sentences. He can say many words but putting them together is really what he is working on now. You can almost see him think as he pauses briefly between the words in the sentence. 

Jackson is a great sleeper (such a relief after Isabella!) & he still takes a good 2-2.5 hr nap in the afternoon. He goes to bed without a problem almost always and most of the time he sleeps through the night. He typically wakes about the same time every morning which is usually a little before 8am. I was thinking I would wean him at 2 years old as I did Isabella but he was not crazy about that idea! I didn't want a traumatic wean so I compromised by just dropping one of the two times he nursed and so we're just down to one time a day. Mike now puts him to bed at night which is how we dropped the night time nursing. Not sure how I'll gently wean him from his nap time nursing... when I ask him if he wants to rock or to read a book his reply is always "no" & he points to the chair saying, "me" meaning nurse. Ah well... in due time, I'm sure. I just read a post about Michael Jordan nursing to 3 and his mom attributing his skills to his extended nursing and I know that research has proven the benefits to extended nursing so I figure all is okay in this department. 

We have lots & lots of fun with Jackson. One of his newer things to do is to point to something & say, "mean guy!" In the pool at his swim lessons the other day, he had a turtle & he pretended that it bit him saying, "bite!" and then "mean guy, mean guy!" I then explained he was nice & he didn't bite. While changing his diaper the other day he added a third word saying, "mean guy poopoo!" I had to agree with that one! Another favorite thing that Jackson likes to do (mainly in the car) is to say, "mommy?" and then I say, "what, Jackson?" and then he replies, "Nothing!" He can do this multiple times in a row and we get a good laugh after each one. Isabella has even started doing it or Mike will do it to the kids. 

I think I could go on & on (& I also worry that I won't write enough & the memories will be lost!) but I'll stop for now. :) We look forward to another year having fun with our little boy!

Jackson is 2!!- The Party

Anyone who knows Jackson knows that he is absolutely crazy about Toy Story... more specifically Buzz. He does like all the characters but LOVES Buzz. I have never been crazy about the idea of commercially themed parties but I knew Jackson wouldn't like anything as well as he would like a Toy Story party. A few months before his birthday, when asked what kind of party he wanted he would simply reply, "Buzz." So there you have it... a Buzz party it would be. :) The party was a sucess and Jackson had fun.

Picture description, top left to right: Adult favors- chocolates wrapped in Buzz & Woody outfits, goodies in kids favor bags, Mr Potato headkid favor bags I made along w/ an Andy's bed cake my mom made, Sheriff badges to make, previous birthday pics of Jackson & Buzz space treasure hunt, another pic of favor bags, label on favors, Jackson's invite, part decorations, craft/coloring table.

My sister Jennifer made his really cute Buzz shirt w/ his name on it & a "2" candle on the back. He loved the huge mylar Buzz balloon & didn't want to let it go (unfortunately it hit the fan & popped at the end of the party but distraction worked & minimal tears were shed). He actually blew out the candles himself & didn't need any help! Jackson devoured the yummy cake but didn't want to pick it up w/ his hands.

Party guests!

Easter 2011

The kids & I dying easter eggs Toy Story style. :)

Easter morning: Easter baskets & hunting Easter eggs.

(Of course we know the real reason we celebrate Easter, as does Isabella. These are just some of the Easter traditions we enjoy & that make great memories & pictures.)

Jackson's Animal Sounds

Here is Jackson at 23 months with his animal sounds.  The rooster is my favorite. :)

Jenks Aquarium Jan 2011

We had planned a trip to visit Granny & Grandpa Abla in January but once again we had to cancel. This time due to weather- icy roads in AR. So instead we decided to take a day trip over to the Tulsa area & go to the Jenks aquarium since we had never been. It was a fun day! The kids enjoyed all the animals & even got to touch some of the animals which they loved. We ate at an Italian restaurant on the litte river by the museum & then went to a used book store Mike had heard about.

Christmas 2010

Our annual MWC Christmas lights carriage ride. Both kids had lots of fun!

This year we visited the North Pole City store in south OKC. Both kids loved it & didn't want to leave. Isabella wasn't feeling particularly photogenic that day though so I just have a pic of Jackson & Mike on that trip. Isabella & I made a gingerbread house (from a kit) for the first time this Christmas. I finally found one that didn't have hfcs or hyd. oils. Yay! It was fun & she enjoyed eating the candy, of course.

As usual, the kids got too many toys! But we all had fun opening presents & playing all day. :)

Snow Storm 2011

As those of you in OK know, we got a lot of snow this year! Of course the kids loved it. Isabella played out in it for awhile despite being super cold & having snow in her socks. Jackson didn't last as long outside & was a bit fussy at times but he was pretty amazed by the stuff. As you can see in some of the pictures, the snow drifts got pretty high! Mike got some snow days off from work & we tried to stay warm. :)

Christmas Family photo/card 2010

Here is the picture we used for our 2010 Christmas card. Thanks Jennifer for taking it for us!

And our Christmas card...

Randomness- winter 2011

From left to right:

*Jackson likes to play dress up with Isabella... even though that means wearing a pink princess dress. ;o)

*Isabella likes to pose with her stuffed animals (I think her stuffed animals are her all time favorite toy to play with). This bear is a bear made out of antique quilt pieces given to Isabella from her great Grandma (thanks Grandma! It's one of her favorites!)

*Bella & Jackson on a bench at a park with our MOMS club friends

*Another stuffed animal pose

*Jackson came to me one day with one of Isabella's dresses & handed it to me saying, "me, me!" So I asked him if he wanted me to put it on him & he said "yes". :)

*Cutie pie Jackson