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!

Tell Us How You Really Feel...

We did a little shopping today for Cassady's upcoming birthday. Jack is a real trooper when it comes to shopping trips, but as you can see, he is not shy about letting us know how he feels about being confined in the cart!

Out Like A Light

Looks like all the climbing and running is wearing him out. Seriously...climbing. He figured out how to get up on top of a file box and was standing, proud smile firmly in place, just waiting for us to notice. We noticed all right...and immediately Jack-proofed the room (again). I relish his naps - if he's sleeping he's not being naughty!

Sharing The Love

Winter Walk

We celebrated an amazing 64 degree day with a trip to the park. The sun was shining, melting all the snow (note the bottom of my jeans: Jack and I got stuck in a muddy lagoon/sidewalk) and it was great to be outside. We are eagerly anticipating spring....we're almost there!


Today's photography provided by Cassady, which is why she's not in the picture with us. Next time we will ask a fellow park-goer to snap a family picture for us :)

Splish Splash

Jack reached a very important milestone today. He figured out how to splash! As you can see, he took to it very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I was soaking wet by the end of his bath. The entire bathroom was too, thanks to the fact that he discovered how to use his toys to splash the water even harder. He had so much fun - which is good, since he's a bit under the weather today and had been a little grumpy. Splashing perked him right up again!

It's a Firetruck!

Jack is an artist. His medium for today: crayons. For a first timer, he did quite well at not eating the crayons. He did sample a small portion of the green crayon, but quickly spit it out. After that, he was more into throwing the crayons. He also enjoyed coloring on the high chair tray more than the paper I'd provided. (Hooray for washable & nontoxic Crayola products!) No matter. After a 5 minute coloring session, we are the proud owners of limited edition original artwork. Price available on request :)

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!