Funny Farm

I know these posts have become somewhat of a photo bomb lately...it's just that Jack is so super cute these days & I have a tough time choosing just one picture to share. Also I might be trying to make up for the month of March when I missed pretty much every day. Hmmm. Either way, enjoy these lovely photos of Jack in his jammies :)

Top Chef

Jack is very helpful in the kitchen. He helps unload the dishwasher, as well as all the cupboards and drawers. He has a few favorite items - the ones he usually steals (and carries off to hide around the house) are: the giant spatula, a red cooking spoon, a small frying pan & lid and his multicolored baby spoons. After a busy morning of cooking, he was quite worn out. He snuggled with his favorite stuffed animal (he loves Baby Tad - best Craigslist find ever!) and quickly fell asleep. perhaps he is dreaming of the next meal he will help prepare...or the next item he will swipe from the kitchen!

Friday Fun

After a week full of work, school and being busy...Jack just needs some time to unwind. He spent the evening eating pizza, playing with Daddy, hiding my iPod (I still can't find it...even after searching for almost an hour), annoying Cassady and her friend, jumping in his Johnny Jump Up, dancing (until I got out the camera - so I have yet to capture his cool moves), , destroying the living room/getting all his toys out, and trying to steal my camera. He also practiced being as cute as possible - so that all the not-so-fun things listed didn't really matter one bit! (except the missing iPod - I'd really like to find that!!)

Drumroll, Please

After months of intense practice, Jack is ready to debut his newest skill.

We'll need a volunteer from the audience to assist.

Your line: "How Big Is Jack?"

His (non-verbal) response: "SO Big!"

A Lovey For Jack

Jack has found a new favorite toy. Sorry, game controller, but Baby Tad is the top dog...err frog..now. Tad is quite gifted - he sings songs and has buttons that light up. He also requires frequent battery changes, or his normally friendly voice takes on a rather sinister tone. That doesn't seem to bother Jack much - he loves this stuffed frog!


PS: Tooth update. Jack grew 5 teeth in the last week. Yes, You read that correctly. FIVE.

Jumping Jack*

Jack has figured out the mini trampoline. He thinks climbing on it is pretty fun. Once on top of the trampoline, he will stand and survey the room with a very proud look. He then bounces up & down for a few minutes, still sporting the very self-satisfied expression. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of getting down yet - he stands on the trampoline and yells loudly until he receives assistance. And then, 9 times out of 10, he climbs right back on and begins the process all over again.

* You knew that title had to happen someday!!

Wordless Wednesday: Kickin' Back

(Remote) Control Issues

I picked up this snazzy remote control car (found it on the clearance rack - yay!) a few days ago. He understands the basic concept: hit the button and the car goes. He's also figured out that it's really fun to pull JoJo (the blue bunny) out of the car. Cassady, however, enjoys the fact that if you drive the car into the wall enough times, the bunny is ejected from the vehicle and says "ouch!". She is teaching him lots of bad driving habits!

A Puzzling Situation

We've been on a "quiet toys" kick lately. First there was the shape sorter, then the ball pit (he can be noisy while using it, but it doesn't technically play music/make noise...so it counts, right?) and now we have a puzzle. He understands the basic concept: remove the pieces and then replace them. He has a bit of trouble putting the pieces back in the right spot - he likes to just set (okay...throw) them on top of the puzzle. I'm not too worried about that - it is an ages 2 and up puzzle, after all!

Team Edward?

Twilight fever has hit our house. Hard. I do want to point out, however, that it is mostly Cassady who is affected by this obsession. Jack seems to be rather unimpressed with the sparkly vampire. Perhaps he's more of a Jacob fan?

Can't Fence Me In

Oh wait....turns out I can fence him in! We decided to purchase a few new items for Jack today: a play yard/baby cage and a blue pool, which I filled with (200) balls. Jack really liked being in his new play area for about 5 minutes. After he realized that he could not get out, he became rather agitated. Ball pit to the rescue - he was quickly distracted by the new toys and was happy for at least another 5 minutes. This new set up may take a little getting used to!

New Toy # 4876

I was so excited to find this awesome Fisher Price shape sorter toy! My favorite things about this toy: it doesn't play music (!!!) and it was only $2.00! Jack loves playing with it. He had fun trying to get the blocks into the corresponding holes. After trying for several minutes to put the circular block into the rectangular hole, he figured out the easiest way to do it. He took the blue lid off and threw the blocks in! He's brilliant :)

Hand Me Down Fun

Jack discovered this new-to-him toy recently. (It was hiding in the toy pile - no wonder he couldn't find it before!) He pushes the car all over the house, and when he tired of pushing it, he'll pick it up and carry it around. He also likes to put the car on top of things - chairs, shelves and Daddy's stomach have all been handy places to stow the jeep. He even figured out a way to play with his two favorite toys at the same time - the controller and the car. Wow! (We just won't tell him that it's his sister's former toy...hopefully the barbie license plate won't give the secret away!)

Good Til The Last Drop

Farmer Jack is quenching his thirst after working on his truck :)

The Music Man

Here's another item on the "Do Not Play With" list for Jack. My iPod. He found it (I obviously need a new hiding spot!) and figured out how to make it play music. He enjoyed dancing when the music moved him. He has some pretty cool moves. Mostly shaking his head and wiggling his arms, but occasionally he'll throw in a booty shake or two. He'll be break dancing in no time!

Problem Solving - Jack Style

As you may recall, Jack is rather fond of his video game controller. He carries it around most of the day and even tries to take it to bed with him. He also likes to hold it in the Johnny Jump Up, but sometimes he drops it, what with all the excitement from a successful jump. Until the other day, we were responsible for picking up the toy & handing it back to him. This changed when he figured out how to retrieve the controller himself. He snags either the cord or the actual controller with his toes, then lifts up his feet so he can grab the toy. Then he looks around, completely proud of himself, to make sure someone was watching. Of course we are!

Climb Every Mountain

Jack's been up to all sorts of new things lately. For example, he's learned to open drawers and cupboards. If the room is suddenly quiet, it's probably because he's found something he shouldn't be playing with - like markers.He hasn't figured out how to get the cap off yet, but I'm guessing it's only a matter of time. (Note to self - hide markers!)

Another newly discovered bit of fun: the hallway outside our apartment. While helping Cassady start a load of laundry, Jack found the stairs. It took at least 10 seconds for him to figure out how to climb them. Maybe 15. Now that he's experienced the magic that is stair climbing, he is rather obsessed with getting out the front door. He's even started trying to turn the doorknob. (Note to self: keep the door locked!)

Cause & Effect

When you sleep like this:

You're bound to get hair like this:

I am so excited that he finally has enough hair to have a little bedhead. It's not much - but it's a start! PS: You may have to click on the 2nd picture to actually see the bedhead. It's there...really!

Basket Case

Cassady loves to play with Jack and is very patient with him, but there are times when she just needs her space. I returned from cleaning up the kitchen to find Jack stashed away in this makeshift play pen. He didn't seem to mind his confinement at all - Cassady thoughtfully provided his favorite toy. Once the picture was snapped, however, he quickly lost interest in being cooped up. Annoying Cassady is much more fun!

Game On!

I'm not really sure what's going on here, but his expression made me laugh. The video game controller he is holding has become his favorite toy. He carries it around with him while walking around, while jumping in his Johnny Jump Up and even while sitting in his high chair, waiting for his food to be ready. It's also the first toy he goes for in the morning after waking up for the day. It's quite amusing to watch him walk around with the cord dragging behind him. It's like a high tech version of Linus and his security blanket!