Musings from Jonathan's Mommy

Pioneer Woman!!!!!!!!

2011-02-19T16:53:00.002-05:00

She was just as amazing as I'd hoped. Perhaps even more. I wanted to bring her home to Louisville with me :)

I.love.her.

S Word

2011-01-28T00:12:00.002-05:00

Some people might think of another word when hearing the term "S word" but for me, at least right now, it's SNOW. Way too many snow days here in the 'ville. The smallest Fantoni obviously feels differently.

Keeping Focus

2011-01-21T08:00:00.004-05:00

This year started with the best of blogging intentions. A few things of note occurred during this month, however, that have gotten me off track--my birthday weekend (super fun, maybe TOO MUCH fun), followed by strep throat certainly hindered my blogging momentum. Then Bryan's brother passed away last week and the Fantoni family was thrown into a whirlwind. Now things have returned to "normal" and I'm ready to get back on track, thus a couple of catch-up posts below.

In positive news, I've started my Triple Crown/Mini-Marathon this week. This week's schedule calls for 13 miles and 9 of those have been completed with the remaining four to be logged tomorrow morning (it's going to be a VERY cold four miles, I'm afraid; must.run.faster.) We have an event-packed weekend ahead, starting with a half day at work for me today due to the snow and school closures yet again.

In sum, like everyone else, life is a bit crazy and you never know what is going to be thrown your way. I'm just going to try to forge ahead. Stay warm everyone and stay tuned!

More Boys and Their Toys

2011-01-21T07:55:00.005-05:00

Even bigger boys like their toys, particularly of the electronic variety. How I enjoy seeing my two favorite guys play together. Recently, Jonathan announced that he and Daddy are a team. I think he means a team against Mommy but, after many Mommy-centric years, this new team concept is OK with me.

Boys and Their Toys

2011-01-21T07:43:00.003-05:00

This is what life is like living with a five year old boy. Any surface can become a play area. Anywhere can be a traffic jam.

I love it.

Deliciousness

2011-01-06T20:36:00.002-05:00

What's better than a fresh Krispy Kreme for breakfast? Why, having one for dessert, of course!

A boy and his cat

2011-01-05T18:42:00.004-05:00

"Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose." - Garrison Keillor

Tell that to the feline-loving kiddo in this picture.

Southpaw--January 4, 2011

2011-01-04T19:54:00.003-05:00

Our little lefty hard at work playing my Cooking Mama 3 DS game. The fact that he can't read yet greatly hampered his ability to play the game. His persistence, however, was admirable as he continued on with sheer determination for in excess of thirty minutes. Now if we could just get him to give actually learning to read the same effort...

One Frame a Day--January 3, 2011

2011-01-03T20:49:00.003-05:00

Due to bad weather the week before Christmas, we just received Jonathan's handmade Pre-K gift this morning. I think it was worth the wait.

One Frame a Day--January 2, 2011

2011-01-03T20:46:00.002-05:00

She thinks my lovely new bathmat is for her. Heck, she likely believes the whole new house is hers too--she is, after all, a cat.

One Frame a Day 2011--January 1, 2011

2011-01-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

As one of many New Year's Resolutions, I am attempting the One Frame a Day project. And wouldn't you know it--I'm already three days behind! I've taken the photographs, though, so it still counts, right??

Brad Thor's "Blowback"?? A bit heavy, in my opinion but he insisted that he needed to read it because it is "about America." The kid loves the stars and stripes.

Colorado

2010-07-07T21:36:00.008-04:00

Bryan and I recently took a trip to Colorado.

It was beautiful and we loved it.

The end.

Just kidding! I've wanted to post some pictures from the trip but have been hampered by "economy" high speed internet. Back when only one adult Fantoni in my house had a job, we cut some expenses. One of those expenses was to go from Insight 10.0 internet service to Insight 0.75 internet service. While it was still infinitely better than the dial up of yore, it was very slow in certain areas, the two most notable being while I was trying to shop Amazon and when I tried to upload pictures. So we recently (read: TODAY!) decided to go back up to our old internet service as everyone is now happily employed. It also seemed to be a good idea to make the change back before both of us ended up bald from the sheer frustration of waiting ten minutes for one measly picture to load.

I digress. Back to Colorado.

The purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding of a good friend of Bryan's; the wedding took place in Buena Vista, Colorado, where the two pictures posted above were taken. It also seemed like a good time to take advantage of Bryan's uncle's condo in Silverthorne so we made a long weekend out of it. The trip could have started better--we were diverted to Pueblo, Colorado after a tornado and hail hit the Denver airport as we approached it. After almost three hours on the plane, we finally landed in Denver only to have to travel via car through a torrential downpour, straight up a mountain in a Hyundai. Oh, and when we got to Buena Vista the next day, they had booked us in the hotel and charged us for the previous night. It was straightened out but UGH.

After that messy ordeal, however, the rest of the trip was a lot of fun. We experienced every sort of weather while we were there--rain, sleet, hail, snow and sun. The Sunday we were there, the weather was finally nice enough for us to take a hike and also for me to take out the camera without fear of getting it wet. I am glad that we got to use it as I traveled across the country with it as a carry on because I was too anal to put it with the checked luggage.

Some photos from our hike, in no particular order:

I am still learning about my Rebel, but I am still in love with it and I think that I love this picture the most so far. I posted it on Facebook too and now I am putting it here. My mother in law has not even seen it yet. I need to do something nice with it for her birthday next month!

Bryan flew back a day early but his momma and I stayed an extra day and shopped 'til we dropped in Denver. Thanks to the amazing shopping in Cherry Creek, I am now the owner of a pink patent leather Kate Spade purse and my sister the recipient of a belated birthday gift from Tiffany's. THAT is my kind of vacation! If you could have just thrown in some beach, it would have been perfect!

Unfortunately, as with all good things, this trip had to come to an end and we returned to Louisville and back to work and the real world. Sometimes being a grown up is no fun at all!

And sometimes it's nice to get to escape from the regular daily responsibilities and act like a dork. Isn't that what vacation is all about??

Ten on Tuesday: A Photo Montage of Our Latest Exploits

2010-06-08T20:41:00.014-04:00

I hate when I get behind on blogging and then I feel like I am SO FAR BEHIND that I will never catch up. We Fantonis have been so busy these past few months, what with Bryan's new job, a Buffett show, a trip to St. Louis and the start of summer. In lieu of continuing NOT to post because of a need to post the backlog of events that are currently stored in Picasa in my computer, here are a few photographic highlights to bring everyone up to speed. Then maybe, just maybe, I can start fresh with photos from this coming weekend's trip to Denver, Colorado.

Yes, I realize that I have made this promise before but I will stick to it this time. Really. Definitely.

Maybe.

Anyway, without further ado...

1. We attended the Pegasus Parade this year (an annual event that is part of the Derby Festival for you non-Louisvillians). Jonathan's favorite part--when a horse took a huge pee right in front of us. I swear, that horse urinated for 15 minutes!!

2. Jonathan recently completed his fourth session of outdoor soccer. We had an amazing coach this season, Chris, who was so great that, although we were going to switch to HYR for soccer in the fall, we will likely stay with the Y for one more season as Chris will be coaching 4-5 year olds again in the fall (Disclaimer here: Bryan coached Jonathan's team last fall and totally rocked it. If I don't say that, it's grounds for divorce).

3. I had an awesome Mother's Day. I received this lens as a gift and I love it. We went to Huber's again for Mother's Day and it was lovely. I like that this is becoming a tradition. I took the new lens along with me and this is now one of my current favorite non-Jonathan themed pictures:

Oh, and this one. I love wine almost as much as ice cream. Or maybe more, depending on what sort of day I've had.

4. Also over Mother's Day weekend, we added to our family. Meet Pearl. She is an itty-bitty kitten but she is a spit fire. The vet tech at the animal clinic was so right when she told me that male cats were more chill.

5. There were a few days in there where I thought we'd made a mistake--a lot of meowing on Pearl's part and a lot of hissing on Albert's behalf. It took about a week but things are definitely better now.

6. In May, we took Jonathan on a trip to St. Louis to visit Uncle John (Bryan's uncle). We visited the St. Louis arch which was nothing short of awesome. Jonathan loved it as much as I did. Bryan had been in the arch before; he did really well considering that he is deathly frightened of heights.

7. While we were in St. Louis, we also went to a St. Louis Cardinals game. It was my first (and Jonathan's first) professional sporting event ever. It was really hot but a lot of fun. Jonathan came home with a hat, a shirt, a claw, a pen, a baseball and a stomach full of cotton candy and peanuts. This only cost 1.4 bazillion dollars but it was totally worth it :)

8. Also in May, Bryan and I attended a Buffett concert in Indianapolis with some of our close friends. The weather was horrid but the show was fantastic, as always.

Note to Jimmy Buffett--please never stop touring or my summer will be void of meaning. Thanks. Love, Jennifer.

9. Last weekend, we visited Squire Boone Caverns in Indiana. It was a nice day trip and good times were had by all but for the injury I sustained when I fell on the slippery metal steps that descend into the caverns. Not exactly how I intended to get a bit of color on my legs.

10. This week marked the second week of summer camp at Jonathan's school. The theme--pirates. How I love the faux beard.

Fiesta

2010-05-11T20:56:00.014-04:00

Hello, my name is Jennifer.

And I love Fiestaware.

I mean, I really love it. A lot.

Like maybe too much love. Like I would marry it love. (Sorry, Bryan, but you love it too! It's just so colorful and pretty and shiny.)

Luckily for me, the Everything Fiesta store is located in Flatwoods, WV, just about an hour from my parents' house. Twice a year, they have a tent sale where you can buy Fiesta products with minor imperfections for a fraction of the retail price. Think 75% percent off the regular price. You never know what you are going to find in the tent and it requires some looking since some of the pieces are not in the best shape. But that's just part of the fun--it's like a treasure search but instead of gold you find something better--discounted dinnerware!

This year was my second trip to the tent, made even better by the fact that pretty much all the chicks in my family came along--my mother, both sisters, my grandmother and my mother in law. Here is the crew, minus me as I was taking the picture:

And thanks to my MIL, I have joined the crew. I like being in the middle. I also like that I look tall. I have never looked tall in my life.

Basically, the way it works, is that you go into the tent with a dolly and some milk cartons. You go through the various bins and make your selections, after which time you go stand in line for 1.2 billion hours, upon the completion of which you are able to pay for your items. I think the line takes so long because every single person in it is making a purchase that looks much like this and it takes a while for the kind Fiesta tent sale workers to wrap up and box each individual's purchase:

Look how happy my mom and sister Laura are to pose with their super awesome purchases:

And how much do I love this picture of Laura and me? I really wish that she lived closer!

After the tent sale, we packed the car full of our items, ate some lunch and bought some more Fiesta as well as some other items in the outlet stores that are also located in Flatwoods, WV. The car was amazingly full--my poor sister Melissa was squeezed into the optional third row seat of Laura's car. As far as an option, Cadillac should have opted to skip it as the seat was barely larger than a folding chair and honestly was probably a $5,000.00 add-on to the vehicle's MSRP.

A super fun trip combined with kick butt shopping--what more could a girl want? Until next year, dear Fiesta tent sale. Adieu.

The "joys" of motherhood

2010-05-06T09:37:00.002-04:00

Mother's Day is right around the corner and I am proud to say that I have been in the mommy club for almost five years. Most of the time, I am bursting at the seams with pride at my little guy's accomplishments. He's changed by leaps and bounds since he was born and I would like to think that he has changed me for the better too.

Sure, there have been rough spots. As an infant, there was the projectile vomiting, the waking up daily at 5:45 a.m., the never ending diaper changes. Then as a toddler, there was the worry about when he would walk and whether he would ever learn to count to ten as he was insistent on skipping the number 6 ("I no like six", the eighteen month old Jonathan would announce emphatically). Most recently, we have battled over back talk and eating dinner. And over not running through the house screaming and crying when you don't get your way. We've also dealt with some resistance to committing to memory the letters S, K, G and N.

These frustrations sometimes cause me to question my ability as a parent and whether I am adequately equipped to deal with this strong willed little creature. But then I will get to school to pick Jonathan up after a long day and he will run to me with a handful of weeds that he has assembled for me, thrusting them at me with one hand as he embraces my leg in a hug with the other arm and I think, this is what motherhood is all about. THIS is why they have sappy Mother's Day cards out the wazoo at Hallmark.

When you are contemplating being a mother and even when you are actually pregnant, no one tells you that being a mother is, a lot of times, quite far from the ideallyic images of flowers and rainbows we women have in our heads prior to taking the motherhood plunge. What no one tells you is that sometimes your child will do or say something that makes you wonder who is this alien creature who grew in your body but whom surely must be the spawn of Satan. I suppose that, as an intelligent woman, I should have known this fact but then something happens that will totally blow me away, marking me as the the mother whose child did THAT.

Case in point--I just found out this morning that my dear sweet cherub faced son told a friend at school that he hated her and never wanted to play with her again. This little girl is the sweetest little thing you have ever seen. She and Jonathan went to day care together as infants and switched to their current preschool at the same time last year. Even worse, her parents are good friends of Bryan and mine. They are an all around lovely family. When I found out that Jonathan said this to her, I was mor.ti.fied. I wanted to believe that there had been some sort of mistake. But when I asked him, I knew he was guilty as his eyes immediately welled up with tears. Bryan and I had to explain to him that you never, NEVER, NEVER say something like that to anyone, that it was a mean thing to do and that he had hurt his friend's feelings. We told him that he needed to apologize to her this morning and, most of all, that he needed to be nice to everyone at school and pretty much in the entire world.

This was not exactly how I wanted to spend my morning.

What I think is lacking in the gagillions of parenting books and articles that I have perused during the time from when Jonathan was a two week old mass of cells until now when he is a full fledged person is that people are not born with inherent manners or even any real idea of how to interact in the world. While I have worried about Jonathan's academic achievements as well as his physical growth and development, I have not been as concerned about his growth as a person, his ability to be a kind and compassionate human being--I thought it would just happen. And honestly, I'd rather have a child who cares about others, who knows how to make friends and who makes an overall positive contribution to the lives of those around him than a child who is the valedictorian of his graduating class (OK, I want that too, but if I have to choose one...)

While I am sure that Jonathan will do and say many things over the coming years that will mortify me, I love the little guy unconditionally. This whole motherhood business is not exactly what I expected it to be, but I could not have asked for a better child to travel with me along the journey.

I just hope he gets over this mean streak :)

Quiet Time

2010-04-18T19:26:00.007-04:00

A bout of food poisoning from dinner on Friday night left me feeling pretty puny early Saturday afternoon. Jonathan officially gave up his nap several months ago but Bryan and I still require that he have quiet time. This quiet time used to be comprised of watching a movie on the couch or upstairs in our bedroom; more recently, however, quiet time is spent in his room where he gets to watch said movie on the television that he got as a hand me down from my parents. He's not spoiled at all.

He chose the movie Mary Poppins, a good choice in my mind as it is a long movie and I planned to enjoy his quiet time on the couch watching 16 and Pregnant episodes that I had on DVR. After starting the movie, I reminded Jonathan that I did not feel well and asked him to chill out and watch the movie. He seemed sympathetic and said that he would.

And he WAS quiet. And he was being good. I thought to myself at one point how happy I was that he had developed a sense of empathy. This is great, I said to myself.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Yes, the child did not make a peep during the movie. Yes, he did not call for me until the movie was done. But something didn't look quite right when I went back to get him after quiet time ended. I couldn't quite place my finger on it at first.

Then something on the floor caught my eye. Red fuzz and something else. Not dust, which would be totally typical, but something else entirely. I bent down to pick it up and realized that it was hair. Human hair. I wondered from where it came?

Then I looked at Jonathan again. I didn't remember his hair being like that in the front; in fact, I recalled it looking more like this:

Usually hair looks longer the week after a haircut, not shorter. I asked Jonathan how this hair ended up on the floor and he told me that he did not know. I asked him again and reminded him that it would not be a good idea to lie to me as I was holding the evidence in my hand. Still, he hesitated. He started to roll around on the bed a bit giving me a better view, one that looked much like this:

Finally, he confessed that he took the kid scissors stored under the easel in his room and used them to trim up his stuffed Clifford's coat. Apparently that was not gratifying enough as he thereafter moved on to his own head.

An aerial view:

Part of me wanted to laugh as there was a time when I was about the same age that I cut a huge triangle out of my sister Laura's bangs. But the difference there was that I freely admitted to doing it when confronted by my mother (in fact, I recall being PROUD of my handiwork) whereas my child blatantly lied to my face about this. Apparently I was supposed to believe that the hair just fell off while he enjoyed a Disney classic. In sum, I felt pretty pissed off.

Needless to say, we had to have a talk about telling Mommy and Daddy the truth, that even if you are going to get in trouble for what you did, you will always get in more trouble for lying. God, I could literally hear my parents' voices as I said these words. I wanted to rewind ten years to a time when I would have been enjoying the nice weather by sitting on a patio somewhere with a beer.

I'm not sure that he got the message. He was pretty upset when I told him that I was going to tell his Nana and his Grams about this. And anyone else who asked. There were some sad expressions thrown around with a dash of whining mixed in for good measure. The scissors have since been placed where he cannot access them without asking. I hope that he learns something from this lesson. The hair will, of course, grow back and he will look normal again within a week, but I hope that he learned his proverbial lesson.

I think I still see an evil twinkle in his eyes, though, causing me to suspect that the "fun" is just beginning;

Soccer Practice

2010-03-29T20:42:00.010-04:00

My kid likes to play soccer. My husband also likes to play soccer as well as watch soccer on TV. I think soccer is great exercise for both of them but watching it in person or on TV? Honestly? It bores me.

However, combine soccer with a chance to use my new camera and I'm interested. This is true despite the facts that I had a killer day at work and it was quite chilly for practice this evening--the temperature display in my car said that it was 53 degrees. Unfortunately, it was also windy which made for one chilly mama.

But I was happy to have braved the elements as I was able to capture some pictures that make me feel all warm and fuzzy and motherly inside.

Look at this face:

I don't know what the coach asked the kids to do but when I uploaded this picture tonight, I had an urge to caption it with Jonathan saying "Man, did you see how tall this chick is?"

Speaking of size, can you believe that Jonathan and Gael (the son of a friend of ours) are just a few months apart? Seeing the two of them together is like a real life visualization of two ends of the growth chart from the pediatrician's office.

The coach had the kids work on learning how to stop the ball. Does it make me a bad mother that I laughed not only at my own child but also other children when they lost their balance and fell off their respective balls? Please say no.

Back to being motherly--I'll leave you with a picture of my sweet boy using his listening ears and following the coach's directions. If he would just transfer some of the behavior to listening to Bryan and me, that would be super great :)

New Camera!

2010-03-28T15:57:00.006-04:00

I've wanted a Canon Rebel for some time as my pitiful Kodak point and shoot left much to be desired. Thankfully, Bryan is now employed again (and not a moment too soon!) and it became economically feasible to make the plunge into SLR world. We just brought home the new addition yesterday so I've not had a lot of time to play with it yet but I am already SO happy with the results:

Ignore the dirty face in this one--is there a way to Photoshop filth from a child's face? (I'm intending to learn Photoshop too)--but I am quite pleased to be able to finally achieve (pardon the usage of a super technical term here) the blurry background behind the subject of the picture:

And while I am on the topic of new things, now is as good a time as any to introduce Albert. We adopted Albert two weeks ago--he is around 10 weeks old and the sweetest kitten EVER. And this is coming from a self-professed non-cat person. Long story short on Albert--Bryan and I had decided, despite the fact that I was not a cat person AT ALL, to get Jonathan a kitten for his fifth birthday this July. Then Arthur decided to take a nip out of my lip. He'd done the same thing about two years ago and Bryan and I discussed at that time that was it, he'd gotten his "one bite free" and the next time, he was out. I love the grouchy dear but having a dog who bites with no forewarning is absolutely unacceptable, especially when combined with a child. Luckily, my sister did not mind to add Arthur to her pack of creatures, so Arthur now lives in Georgia and we are now a cat family. So far, so good.

I was hoping for good weather today so that I could take Jonathan to a park or play ground to try out the new camera as well as the zoom lens but looks like I will have to wait until Jonathan's first soccer practice of the season tomorrow for that. Unfortunately, the rainy day today has left all three us us (Albert seems unaffected) looking much like this:

Reason 4,632 why I love Ellen DeGeneres

2010-02-24T15:26:00.001-05:00

This quote.

"I gotta work out. I keep saying it all the time. I keep saying I gotta start working out. It's been about two months since I've worked out. And I just don't have the time. Which uh..is odd. Because I have the time to go out to dinner. And uh..and watch tv. And get a bone density test. And uh.. try to figure out what my phone number spells in words."

Nothing irks me more these days than people commenting on my workout schedule and saying something like "Oh, I wish I had the time to work out." Like I don't have a million other things going on right now? I just want to scream "Dude, make it a priority and you will be surprised about how you found the time!!"

Can you tell I have some animosity today? I need a vacation!

Wednesday rant over.

Super Bowl 2010

2010-02-07T18:38:00.004-05:00

He didn't even make it to the kick-off.

Our Super Bowl party of three just did him in. It must have been the mass quantities of queso dip and fried food that I prepared for the occasion. Jonathan sat back on the couch, said that he was taking a break from eating his chicken and promptly passed out. One day this may be him at a college party after too much beer, where falling asleep so early could earn him a date with a Sharpie. Or worse.

But, for this time, it's just sweet, beautiful innocence.

Greats

2010-01-25T20:09:00.014-05:00

I've been horrible about updating this blog. I've waffled on whether I wanted to continue it or just give it up. I'm so anal about doing things in order that I've wondered if I can ever catch up. Earlier today, while thinking about this for the millionth time, I decided that I'm not ready to let it go, at least not yet.

This decision was reached as I was looking at Jonathan, listening to him talk about something. He seemed so OLD all of a sudden, leaving me to wonder where in the world the tiny infant son I once held in my arms had gone. Then I realized, with a bit of a shock, that he will be FIVE (5!!) this year and I started to internally panic over the fact that the infant days seem so long ago that I have trouble remembering them. That made the decision for me right there--I must continue to catalog these moments so that I can more clearly remember them.

I pretty much left off with our vacation to Florida in August. While there have been a few posts since then, chronologically in my photos is a trip that we took with my grandparents to Cass, West Virginia. Mama and Papa, as they are more commonly called, are my Dad's parents. They have a "camp" as they call their house in the mountains. As a child, I went there with them several times. Papa has, pretty much since Jonathan was born, talked about taking Jonathan there. This year seemed like the right time so we went for a couple of days over Labor Day weekend.

The feeling of visiting a place with the same people with whom I visited it before, but also with my husband and my son, was pretty amazing. It also was a bit eerie as things looked much the same as I recall from my last visit twenty-ish years earlier.

The case of characters for this trip were Mama and myself,

Papa and Bryan,

Jonathan and his new friend, Davis, acquired right before this photo from the gift shop.

This wooden train was one of a few changes since my last visit. Jonathan enjoyed it quite a bit while the men in the party went to get tickets for our train ride.

The train ride to Whittaker Station was just as I recalled, but for the fact that the train cars are now covered, which is a great improvement. I promise, I really was happy to be on the train.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. I have no idea why. Jonathan wasn't scared by the train whistle but it was a lot louder than what his experience with his toy Thomas trains had lead him to believe.

After we left Cass, we headed back to the "camp" to eat dinner and spend the night. Just like Cass, the camp was just as I remembered it. Of note is the furniture, which looks like it came from a whore house from the 1970s.

Also worth mention is the stuffed and mounted squirrel that I killed on my first and only hunting trip with my Dad and my sister Laura; I think I was in fourth grade and she was in third. Bryan really enjoyed this part of the trip as well as the various other dead animals the living room contained, most if not all of which were "taken" by my father. I am super proud :)

We had an incredible visit. Jonathan is so lucky to have great grandparents who are still living and in good health; I feel lucky to have them as well. Sure, Papa is super political (unfortunately, not of the same persuasion as Bryan and myself) and it was a Saturday night spent much differently than we do things at home in Louisville, but memories like these cannot be taken for granted and I am certain that we will wish there were more of them.

On a lighter note, where else can you snap a photo of your precious four year old holding a plastic bear tongue obtained from a bear rug, the same plastic bear tongue that you yourself played with as a child?

Yeah, hanging out with the greats is good stuff.

Gym Etiquette, Part One

2009-12-11T13:16:00.002-05:00

Dear Guy in Red Tank Top in Noon Spinning Today at the Downtown YMCA:

The beans or whatever you ate today for breakfast and/or morning snack were not a good choice. Further, the Y provides towels for a reason; please utilize them and do not splash your bodily fluids onto those sitting around you.

Thank you,

Chick in the blue dry-fit shirt sitting behind you on December 11

P.S. To the older man in the teensy blue biking shorts--I would say that your attire today was unacceptable but since your milk white legs are even whiter than my own, I welcome you to exercise beside me at any time. Deodorant would be a nice touch before the next class though. Or maybe a shower sometime in the last couple of days. But still, welcome. JRF

Movin' On Up

2009-11-10T20:27:00.004-05:00

Jonathan finally outgrew his Little Tikes Roadster toddler bed. Bryan and I had been in discussions about whether to buy a new bed or just a frame or whatnot when my mother came to visit and suggested that we just cut the legs off the full-sized bed that was already in his room. Bryan busted out the saw and, voila, a "new" bed.

Jonathan and I immediately set to work finding new bedding. His initial suggestion was Spongebob. I know, shocking. I immediately nixed that idea and offered up my first pick, pirates. We eventually reached a compromise and chose this set.

I ordered everything this weekend and, thanks to Target and their super fast (and may I add FREE) shipping, it arrived today. Jonathan is thrilled with the new bedding and I am happy that it is not a licensed character. Life is all about compromise, right?

Why does he look like he's taking a poo rather than the pretend sleeping as I requested?

Oddly, this is much how I sleep at night. Seriously. I wonder if this sort of thing can be inherited?

Halloween

2009-11-08T19:50:00.007-05:00

For the third year running, we trick-or-treated this year with our good friends, the Effingers. As always, our children had a blast hanging out and the weather was perfect for the festivities. As an added bonus, the Effingers' live in a neighborhood that strongly favors chocolate and as an even better bonus, Cindy took charge of the pictures so our photo memories are 110% better than they would have been had I been left to my measly point and shoot.

Before heading out, the kids decorated cupcakes. I found a great deal on a pirate themed set at Michaels, complete with edible images and watercolors to paint on the designs.

Despite the fact that endless whining typically occurs when I ask Jonathan to get dressed on a day to day basis, the prospect of putting on his Halloween costume magically cured him of his professed inability to dress himself:

My youngest sister, Melissa, sent Jonathan a huge box of Halloween-related gifts the week before Halloween. Included in the loot were multi-colored teeth. All three children LOVED them. Us parents did not so much love the immense amount of saliva that accompanied them. Ick.

My handsome fireman. If his career goal stays the same, he may actually dress like this for real one day:

Luckiest

2009-10-19T19:56:00.002-04:00

Look at these two--how did I get so lucky?

Untraditional

2009-10-14T18:25:00.004-04:00

I know we've not even had Halloween yet but when I saw this on Playmobil's site (we are a huge fan of Playmobil, BTW, and by we I mean all three of us. Their stuff is so cool!), I had Bryan stop at a locally owned toy store that carries pretty much the entire line so that he could purchase it. Jonathan's going to love it because, seriously, what doesn't say Christmas like police and putative defendants?

Day 23 is a toilet, I assume for the jail cell. Love it--the perfect holiday gift for the child of two attorneys! Combine this with our Elf on a Shelf and we are ready for the holiday season. Hopefully two bribe-able items per day will keep dear Jonathan in line!

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-28T19:47:00.003-04:00

Even though preschool started the 24th of August, it was cool that morning, so Jonathan had to wear a jacket, therefore greatly diminishing the effect of his super cute Janie and Jack outfit. Not surprisingly, I am the only one in my household who cares about such things. While I know that there are WAY MORE important things to worry about, I wanted the boy to look nice for school. I'm taking full advantage of the fact that he will still pretty much let me dress him the way I want (so long as the Spongebob shirt is nowhere in site. Ugh.)

This is the face I got when I asked him to smile for me. He just wanted to go inside and told me (and anyone who passed us) that I was embarrassing him. Not exactly the look for which I was hoping:

And this is the look I received when I allowed him to go more "free-style." I just love the little booger and can't wait to share all of his fun preschool experiences with him this year:

Vacation in Destin aka Where I Wish I Were Right Now!

2009-09-23T19:25:00.012-04:00

Loved, loved, LOVED Destin! I thought I was an Outer Banks girl and I still adore the Outer Banks, but the beach in Destin is so amazing that it's now become my new favorite. In addition, the fact that there is a ton of shopping and tourist-y things to do make the area ideal for a family with a restless four year old to find activities to keep everyone amused.

Case in point--we took an excursion on this pirate ship. There was an actual pirate on board, a treasure chest, booty bags, a cannon, the whole nine yards. It was AWESOME. Oh, and Jonathan liked it too :)

Jonathan overcame his fear of the ocean in about 2.4 seconds but the pool was his real love. The $1 we spent on an inflatable Spongebob ring at Target before we left the 'ville was the best $1 I spent on this entire vacation.

Friends of ours were in Destin the same week as we were so we got to have date night at this incredible Italian restaurant. A bit of wine, a lot of fabulous Italian food and great company made this one of the better date nights we've had in some time. This is reason 147 why it is the best idea ever to take a grandmother with you on a family trip!

See, doesn't this look so much more fun than sitting in an office doing work!? I think I would like to live in Europe and get a whole month off for vacation.

Obligatory family self portrait--the expression on Jonathan's face makes me happy:

Jonathan had his first go at miniature golf. Sadly, I do not think we have an aspiring Tiger Woods on our hands. He thought he rocked it, though.

We had a bit of whining from Jonathan over the course of the trip, which was tiring, but, overall, it was so nice to be able to spend tons of time together as a family. Now if only we could win the lottery so we can actually relocate to a beach climate--this is definitely a lifestyle to which I could become accustomed!

Vacay--First Stop, Rock City!

2009-09-14T20:15:00.014-04:00

Seriously, this summer flew by like no one's business. How come you can NEVER say that about the winter months? Except for the holidays, February and March seem to last for an eternity but July and August pass with barely a blink of an eye! Maybe I need to add more winter activities to our schedule. Any ideas?

The second week of August, we took a family vacation to Destin, Florida. Since it's a bit of a drive and we have a four year old, we decided to split it up over two days. The first night we stayed in Chattanooga and visited Rock City the next morning. I have wanted to go every time I have seen the billboards off the interstate in western Kentucky and Tennessee. It's a bit cheesy, but in a good, campy way.

I wanted to buy this hat and dress Jonathan as a gnome for Halloween, but Bryan said that would be mean. But would it? Picture this face but with a white beard:

It's so handy to have a fourth person with us so that our little family can be in a photograph all at once! Bryan's mom came with us on this trip; having a grandmother with you on a family vacation is the best. thing. ever.

Signs like these were everywhere--how is this even physically possible?

This is what I meant by campy--LOVE IT!

Fairyland Caverns was one of the best parts. There were little gnomes tucked into the rocks in all sorts of places:

There was also a Mother Goose village where they depicted scenes from nursery rhymes along the way. culminating in a huge room with a display in the middle with pretty much every Mother Goose scene you can imagine. It was dark and lit up by black light. I adjusted the color on the pictures so you can, hopefully, get the idea:

Jonathan tried very hard to stay "in" the trail, but he became, understandably, quite frustrated:

In sum, Rock City totally rocked!

End of Summer Clean Up

2009-09-13T19:09:00.011-04:00

We have decided to get on the ball with cleaning up around the house--we sure are some clutter gathering people! Our goal is to use one of those plans where you, hopefully, get to a point where you just have to do a bit of maintenance each day to keep everything looking good. I would prefer a cleaning service but getting braces pretty much nixed that option (not that Bryan was going to go for it anyway), at least for now. It's not that we are super messy people, it's just that the dust than cleaning!

So, in the spirit of organizing and bringing everything up to date, below are some pics that will bring us through the end of July, such that I can proceed with August over the next couple of days and then onto a clean slate, much like with our house. Hope it works! :)

One of the gigantic sunflowers that Bryan grew from seeds and planted in the backyard:

Jonathan's fourth birthday cake. Not what I would have picked but it's what he wanted. Thank goodness the Spongebob phase is waning. Oddly, he has been replaced by a love for iCarly. I don't get that one either.

Jonathan with his Nana and one of his favorite birthday gifts--a marble run.

Jonathan with another of his favorites--a Spiderman bike from my sister Laura and her husband Todd:

I took a cookie decorating class in July. It is at least as fun as cake decorating; I can't wait to make cookies for everyone this year. This one was my personal favorite:

Ah, now I need to go have a snack; looking at the baked goods made me hungry! Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend and as good of a Monday as possible!

Birthday Pictures--Finally!

2009-08-23T21:30:00.008-04:00

Despite the fact that I did not do a blog entry on the exact day, a fact that bothers me a great deal, Jonathan turned four on July 2. Like every year, we did his four year old pictures on the same day. My friend Cindy is a great photographer and agreed to meet us before she went to work; thank goodness that she did and saved us from a certain local photographer who takes great pictures but has a ridiculously high session fee (and don't even get me started on the print prices. EEK!!)

Here are some of my favorites:

It's so hard for me to believe how the time has flown by and it completely freaks me out to think about how quickly the next four years are likely to pass. So, better late than never, Happy Birthday Jonathan! You have brought more joy to my life than you will ever know.

My "I Don't Want to Work Because I Have a Cold and/or Allergies" Ten on Tuesday

2009-08-18T10:34:00.003-04:00

While I have yet to post Jonathan's four year old pictures (I know, I know!), I have a bunch of random stuff to get out of my head, which is particularly crowded right now by mucous and what not, so here is a long overdue blog post:

1. Stomach flab. Why does it remain despite my best efforts? Will it always be there regardless of my exercise/eating habits? I have worked out more in the past year than I ever have IN MY ENTIRE LIFE yet the stomach area is less than awesome. Much less than awesome.

2. We spent last week on vacation in Destin, Florida. It was incredible. I am now ready to retire there. Or to win the lottery and move there right now.

3. On vacation, our bedroom had the most lovely king sized bed. Our queen sized bed at home now pales in comparison. I want a new bed this instant!

4. Unfortunately, a new bed is not in my immediate future because I am getting braces. Long story short, I had braces when I was in middle school but things have dome some shifting, causing me to have problems with my bite as well as the wear on my back molars. At 31 years old, this is not something that I am necessarily looking forward to experiencing again. And the price--YOWZERS!! It will be nice to have perfectly straight teeth again, however, and it is only supposed to be for 12-14 months. Oh, and get this--I have to pay myself as my parents turned down the opportunity I gave them to pay again. The nerve.

5. While on vacation, a Coach factory store was located half a mile from our condo. I visited it and bought NOTHING as there was nothing that I wanted to buy. And I don't even remember feeling sick that day :)

6. I still love Rick Pitino, despite his recent scandal. He's a good basketball coach regardless of any alleged indiscretions. Go Cards!

7. I am sad that the reviews for The Time Traveler's Wife have been less than stellar as I loved the book a good deal. I still want to go see it, though. Kara, call me!

8. I need to enroll Jonathan in swim lessons because he absolutely loves the water and particularly the pool. I also need swim lessons myself because I don't know how to swim. While this fact embarrasses me, I am plagued by a fear that I can't learn how to swim so I keep putting off the lessons. I really need to do it, though, because I REALLY want to go white water rafting and doing that without being able to swim does not seem at all like a good idea.

9. While driving back from vacation, I wondered--why does it always take so much longer to get home than it does to get to your vacation destination? Or is it just me?

10. At mile marker 6 off I-65 after crossing into Tennessee from Alabama, there are a lot of adult bookstores and "gentlemen's" clubs. One of the places was called Big Jim's Boobie Bungalow. Cracked my ass up.

And just so you know that the birthday pictures really do exist, here is a preview:

Wee Ball

2009-07-23T21:33:00.007-04:00

I've felt less than inspired lately, thus the lack of blog posts. I've been on the computer doing other things--swimsuit shopping, Facebooking, working on Jonathan's fall/winter wardrobe (it is actually finished, but for a new coat, shoes and socks. And yes, I know that it's only July). I've had some pictures of our first Wee Ball game on my memory card for a few weeks now. I want to post about Jonathan's birthday and share the super good pictures my friend Cindy took of Jonathan, but my mild OCD requires that I do things in order, so I can't just skip the Wee Ball pictures and go on with it. So without further ado...

Jonathan liked spring soccer so much that we decided to sign him up for Wee Ball through the YMCA. It's just like T ball but they use a foam bat and tennis balls. Bryan is the coach and our friend Doug is the assistant coach. Every kid hits a home run and when one kid hits, a bunch of tennis balls are thrown out onto the field (or else there will be a pig pile of three year old children. Sometimes there still is). Thank goodness there are only two innings because it may possibly be the most boring sport EVER.

Jonathan is a huge fan of fielding. He's not so much a fan of the Spongebob glove that Cindy gave him. Perhaps that phase is waning and, believe me, not a moment too soon.

Shoot, never mind; he read my thoughts. Again. I will never rid my home of the yellow sponge and his irritating pointy pink friend.

Jonathan's first home run. Seriously, would it kill the YMCA to spring for some toddler sized shirts? I think I could wear this one.

There are eight little boys on our team. Morgan is the son of our friends, Doug and Kelley. Kelley and I were quite pleased when they made friends pretty immediately; they had only been around each other twice prior to Wee Ball season. It's funny how they seemed to know they should be friends.

How cute is this? I am loving that Jonathan is in a place right now where he's making friends.

Stay tuned for birthday pics!

Pictures that Make Me Smile

2009-07-09T17:45:00.004-04:00

Jonathan is in WV again this week and, although it's nice to pretend to be my pre-mother self for a bit, I miss him and am ready for him to come home. I was looking through pictures tonight and found a few from a Sunday afternoon kids festival we attended a few weeks ago.

Jonathan in a rainbow-y cage. Well, not really, it was an inflatable, but every time I take a picture of him in one, it reminds me of Arthur in his kennel:

Jonathan with a fire truck. Just before this picture, he got to go inside the truck which was super cool, even to me. Now both of us want to be firemen when we grow up.

And this one, with the random inflatable horses. I have never seen those before but now secretly covet them. Why?

First Day of (New) School

2009-06-28T20:41:00.003-04:00

June 1 marked what was arguably the biggest day of Jonathan's life--his first day in a new school. He attended the same child care facility since a very early age until the end of May of this year. We were very happy with the program for the bulk of that time, but the preschool curriculum was not structured enough to suit our tastes. I looked around and found a new school with a program that I thought would work better for us as well as for Jonathan. The new school has a summer camp, so we thought it would be good for him to get used to a new place before he's actually supposed to concentrate on learning; the fact that there is a ton of flexibility as far as payments, skipping weeks, etc. didn't hurt either.

Jonathan was well prepped for the move, so much so that this was how he looked that morning before we left the house:

When we got to the new school, he bounded up the stairs and I lagged behind, totally amazed that it was going to be so easy. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite so easy as he lost it as soon as one of the new teachers spoke to him. He went inside my skirt and buried his face between my butt cheeks. I wish I could say I was exaggerating when I report that the teacher had to go inside my skirt to extract him, but I'm not. It was a bit personal for a woman I'd just met but what can you do?

I am happy to report, though, that but for that incident and just a couple of others, the transition has been wonderful and we are in love with the new facility. The new school is Catholic and Jonathan keeps asking me when he gets to see the nuns. I am not even sure that knows what nuns are and I am afraid that he will be disappointed when he finds out...

Camp Out--Grams and Grandpa Style

2009-06-18T21:22:00.009-04:00

During his last trip to WV, Jonathan went camping with my parents, grandparents and my youngest sister and her husband. It was a bit different than the tent camping we did with the Lewises. In fact, it was a LOT different. While our trip was in the forest, theirs was in a campground. Where we slept in sleeping bags on an air mattress (or on rocks, in Bryan's case), they slept in beds in a RV. That's just how my Mom rolls.

My Dad and Jonathan with the Mothman. While I am proud of my father for rockin' killer guns at 52 years old, what's up with the house slippers outdoors?

While the statue apparently depicts the Mothman as seen in the 1960s, a more recent sighting indicates that the Mothman has changed his look a bit over the years:

Jonathan loves to fish, which pleases my father to no end. The poor man could not be more of a "man's man", but he had three daughters. A waste really. If anyone deserved a grandson, it was my dad and he's tickled pink. Well, not pink so much as that's not masculine enough for him. Regardless, until this trip, Jonathan had only ever caught a bluegill or two. This trip, however, he managed to hook a bass. Like a true fisherman, the fish grew in size with each telling of the story, but it actually looked like this:

I'm pretty sure my dad told me that Kenneth, my brother in law, caught his fish using the head off one of Jonathan's blue gills. This picture makes me laugh because only my mother would dress a child in Gymboree to go fishing. Well, except for me. And maybe Janie and Jack too but whatever, we're talking about my mother here...

Here is Jonathan looking completely stumped:

There was a playground located on the camp grounds. Luckily, it was close to their camp site as Jonathan apparently spent alot of time doing this:

My mom let Jonathan use her camera to take some pictures. She still uses a camera WITH FILM and Jonathan had a bit of trouble understanding why he couldn't see the picture right after he took it. Here are a few of his pictures; I wanted to include them because I don't have many photos of my family since they pretty much all live in WV.

This is my Papaw, my dad's dad. He's stubborn as an ox and has a tattoo of a topless hula dancer on his forearm (which, although no doubt a choice he came to regret, brought no end of amusement to my other sister Laura when we were kids. Heck, she STILL gets a kick out of it!). He's a great man through and through; he loves his family fiercely and spoils his grandchildren (and now great grandchild) rotten.

And here is my Mamaw (my dad's mother) and my own mother. Mamaw is the cutest little thing and is feisty as all get out. If you're her family, she'll be your number one supporter. Jonathan is super lucky to have an intact set of great grandparents.

Jonathan had such a great time on the camping trip that he would hardly talk to me on the phone the two and a half days they were there. While I am happy that he is independent, couldn't he at least PRETEND to miss me? Geez.

Bourbon, How I Love Thee

2009-06-17T20:08:00.010-04:00

Until recently, whenever Bryan would drink bourbon and I would smell it on his breath (or coming out of his pores the next morning), it would make me think of Elmer's glue. No idea why, it just DID. But since our quashing of the disgusting-but-I-still-think-about-it-sometimes habit, I've actually enjoyed some bourbon. Now, I'm not the throw it in a glass with a cube of ice kind of girl, but some rocks and a healthy dousing of Diet Coke (or, even better, Diet Cherry Doctor Pepper. YUM!) can certainly hit the spot after a particularly trying day.

Who am I kidding? It works at the end of pretty much any day. Or at lunch (just kidding about that part).

Anyway, a few Fridays ago, Bryan and I took off work so he could attend a conference in Midway, Kentucky. I just tagged along, did some shopping, took a walk, read a book. It was the last day of our child-less week as Jonathan was in WV visiting my family. The conference just lasted a few hours and, since we are not often in that part of the state, we decided to visit the Woodford Reserve distillery. Interestingly, although Bryan has lived in Kentucky all of his life and loves bourbon, he'd never been to a bourbon distillery.

Bryan was in charge of the pictures and he did not disappoint. Our tour guide was a bit too cheesy for my taste, but I suppose that it's required for the job.

Action shot of us walking to the bus. I think it was walkable but I just rolled with it, bourbon trail style.

Fun architectural detail:

The first building we went into smelled very strongly of mash. This is our guide demonstrating how kids react when they get of whiff of this aroma.

Ahhh...fermentation.

The storage house for all of the barrels. Hands down the coolest part of the tour.

Look, everyone--Bryan is artistic! See, bourbon is delicious AND a good portrait subject.

In true Kentucky random alcohol rule fashion, you can't actually buy bourbon by the drink at Woodford Reserve. Rather, they ration out this much to each person:

The do, however, allow you to make a whole bottle purchase in the gift shop. Which, of course, we did:

Hmmm...this post has made me quite thirsty...

Appletrice

2009-06-16T20:07:00.002-04:00

As some of you already know, Jonathan started his first "school" when he was ten weeks old. It was a very difficult thing for me as a new mother to leave my tiny infant son with people I did not know. The ladies in the infant room were fantastic, however, and the adjustment ended up being a relatively easy one for me to make.

One of those ladies was Patrice Williams. She worked in the infant rooms on an "as needed" basis. She was full of love for those babies as well as for the parents. She was one of those people who always made you smile because she was always smiling. As Jonathan got older and we moved out of the infant room, she always stopped to talk to us in the hallway. Jonathan called her "Appletrice" because sometimes she would come into the one and, later, two year old rooms and do what he called "The Apple Dance."

I ran into two other parents at our new school this afternoon (all of us left the old program at the same time). One of them asked me if I knew Patrice. I said yes and was thinking he was going to tell me that she was going to be a teacher at our new school. Unfortunately, the news wasn't happy at all. I knew Patrice had health issues in the past as she'd taken at least one leave of absence during the time we were there. What I did not know is that she had serious heart problems. She suffered a heart attack two weeks ago and, on June 12, she died. She was only 41 years old and she left a 21 year old daughter and a 13 year old son.

The news broke my heart. Patrice was a wonderful person. She had so much love to give that she chose child care as her profession so she would have an outlet for it. She contributed in very positive ways to Jonathan's early months in the world, as I am sure she did for many other children as well. She stands out as one of the most positive experiences I had with daycare as a new mother. For that I am thankful and for that, at least for me, she will be sorely missed.

Camp Out--Lewis Style

2009-06-15T19:37:00.007-04:00

As my friend Kara posted much more contemporaneously with the actual event, we went camping with her and her husband, Todd, a few weekends ago. Todd is an actual Eagle Scout so he's obviously out-doorsy. And for Kara, I think camping was more of an acquired taste but now she's got it down to a science now and it's definitely something they both enjoy. And they are so darn cute while doing it!

We were lucky enough to score ourselves an invite to camp out with them in Jefferson Memorial Forest. As it was Jonathan's first camping out experience, we thought it would be best to plan on just one night. Kara and Todd went for the whole weekend, though, so when we got there, everything was already set up. Sort of like a hotel but outside and stuff.

Todd knew the way to a three year old's heart--a hammock:

Jonathan asked approximately 1,457,652 times when we could do "fireplace" so we finally gave in. This was Jonathan's favorite part of the experience.

Well, favorite after this. I think he had to go a thousand times after I told him he could use a tree rather than the port-a-potty down the road.

Of course, we had to make s'mores. Jonathan LOVED being able to put actual food in the fire. And when he finished eating marshmallows, he just used the stick. Good times.

It got a bit colder that night than we'd thought it would, but besides that, it was a perfect trip. Jonathan and I cuddled up in our sleeping bags and slept like babies. Bryan decided to stay up and chat with Todd for a bit. When he finally decided to go to bed, we'd taken up the entire air mattress, leaving him with the ground. Which was covered with pebbles. I suspect that was not the best night's sleep he's ever had.

Thanks for letting us tag along, Kara and Todd! PLEASE let us come with you again!

Outdone

2009-06-03T14:02:00.003-04:00

I didn't think it was possible for this picture to be topped:

However, I was wrong as my child has totally outdone himself this time. We just got this picture back last night.

Happiness is...

2009-05-29T07:23:00.002-04:00

...a rainbow-y batch of mini cupcakes.

Oh, and the fact that today is the start of a three day weekend AND the kiddo comes home tomorrow. Can't wait!

Hope you all have a great weekend, too!

Soccer Success

2009-05-26T20:45:00.008-04:00

After last fall's soccer fiasco (remember our, shall we say, reluctant player?), I was less than excited about soccer this spring. Luckily, I listened to Bryan and signed Jonathan up again; after one game that was peppered with whining, I am proud to report that things have turned around. I don't know if it's the coach or the fact that he's a bit older or what, but I am super pumped. Not only has Jonathan been happy about playing, but he's run around, kicked the ball and actually SCORED GOALS. I am so proud!

Last season, I think I took all of two pictures. Now that it's going better, the need to take pictures and document everything has returned. It is actually enjoyable to go to the games this season. Oh, and the fact that the coach is nice looking doesn't hurt either :)

A pictorial:

Unfortunately, like all good things, Spring 2009 soccer season will soon come to an end. Next up: Wee Ball. Will it be as entertaining? Stay tuned...

Wine + Cheese + Fabulous Weather = Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:11:00.004-04:00

Bryan and I normally have his family over on Mother's Day, but this year it just sounded like too much work, so we scrapped that idea and decided to go to Huber's Orchard and Winery this afternoon. First, however, I got to sleep in this morning and then, while Bryan took Jonathan to church with my MIL, I went to Panera Bread where I enjoyed the most delicious asiago cheese bagel with sun-dried tomato cream cheese along and a latte. Delish! I rounded out the morning with a solo trip to Wallyworld (the solitude of it being a luxury in and of itself).

My MIL joined us for the trip to Huber's. When else but Mother's day do you eat dinner at 4:00 p.m., the same consisting of cheese, crackers and apple slices accompanied by Sauvignon Blanc, followed by homemade ice cream? I feel happy; puffy, but happy.

Bryan was in charge of the pictures and did such a super great job that I have tons to post here! First, Jonathan with my MIL. He loves some Nana, which is great because I love her, too. Oh, and I guess it's good for Bryan, seeing as how he also thinks she's pretty awesome seeing as how she's his mother and all:

Me and the reason I am a mother. This kid is the greatest! Well, except for when he screams for thirty minutes solid like he did yesterday. Not so great then; luckily those times are few and far between.

For some reason, Jonathan enjoys running with his tongue stuck out like this. I have no idea why but he did it for the whole first quarter of his soccer game yesterday, too. Super weird.

Thank goodness, no more tongue. Maybe he's not a freak after all.

Jonathan packed a bag of things to entertain himself. He included in his bag the ear muffs I got him so he could attend a monster truck show with my parents this past February. When he wears them, he talks really loud and asks repeatedly if you can hear him.

Perhaps stranger than the ear muffs were these glasses, left over from last Halloween:

Sidebar--they have this pond at Huber's, stocked with a bunch of fish you can feed at $0.25 a pop. While part of me thinks they are really cool, a larger part of me is totally creeped out. I think it's because there are so many of them!

The last time we went to Huber's, it was to pick a pumpkin. Jonathan was not happy that it wasn't pumpkin season now, but he was placated (at least to some extent) by the fact that the tractors were still there.

My MIL and me. I am so happy that she was able to join us. Warning: try not to be blinded by my legs.

And here are my two favorite guys, who worked so hard to make sure I had a great Mother's Day. Hope all of you had a great day as well!

Preschool Parade

2009-05-03T20:52:00.008-04:00

I honestly do not know where the time went between my last post and today, but I am finally getting around to posting some pictures from the preschool Derby parade. Jonathan was horribly whiny that morning, such that I thought that his participation in the parade would be a disaster. Fortunately, I was wrong as his mood took a turn for the better while I squeezed in an hour of work before the parade started. Here he is waiting relatively patiently for the director to let his class leave the room to line up:

Jonathan and his friend Hudson waiting for the line to start moving:

A couple of action shots:

This cracked me up for some reason--caffeine is definitely NOT something that this kid needs:

I love this picture of Clover. She and Jonathan have been in the same class for the entire time he's been in school. She is an adorable little girl but her mother tells me that she is a handful! I'm loving the Hawaiian lei themed flowers:

The preschool shares property with a local business; the parade ends inside their building where three stories of people clap and cheer for the kids. Some of the children get really excited about the attention. Jonathan and his friend Aiden, not so much:

The parade has been so much fun each year. It's definitely of the of the things I will miss with our change to the new school!

Update-ish

2009-04-28T20:45:00.010-04:00

I've fallen off the blogging wagon again but I've been taking pictures in an attempt to hop back on. Here's a quick recap of the past week or so; this should catch me up to the current date and then I can start from there, hopefully tomorrow!

Last Friday, I attended the Fiesta tent sale in Flatwoods, WV. It was nothing short of awesome. For an obnoxiously low price, I was able to get all new plates, serving dishes and glasses for our kitchen. Behold the happiness:

I am officially hooked and can not wait for the new color to come out in August--Lemongrass!

I returned home on Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to enjoy the nice weather over the weekend with Jonathan and Bryan. I did, however, miss Jonathan's soccer game, where he actually scored two goals. After the disaster that was the Fall 2008 soccer season, this is a small miracle!

Here's the soccer star himself getting ready to go outside and help us plant flowers. Even as his mother, I have to admit that he's looking a bit dorky here. (Sarah, if you are reading this--note the shine to his skin! Sunscreen will totally take care of that "matte" finish!)

Yesterday after work, I took Jonathan to get a much-needed haircut. He wanted a "buzz" so I had them use the clippers all over rather than just on the sides. He was quite pleased, as were both Bryan and myself:

(Side note: I SWEAR this child has 50 other shirts, but he has two Spongebob shirts that he wants to wear all the time unless I hide them. Getting him to wear something else is a battle that I do not wish to fight most mornings).

Tomorrow at Jonathan's school they are doing their annual parade in honor of the Kentucky Derby. Last year, as a two year old, he wore a hat. This year, as a preschooler, he got to make a "float." The suggestions were to use a stick pony, a bicycle, a wagon, etc. Ever creative, Jonathan chose his shopping cart. We decorated it this evening and here are the results (he insisted I photograph it from both sides):

On another front, the anti-smoking campaign is going quite well. Have their been snippy moments in our household? Yes. Are all items in the household, including ourselves, intact? Yes. I consider it a success thus far. I'm putting $4 aside each day in our checking account, said amount approximating the cost of one pack of cigarettes (even though I think it's actually closer to $5 per pack now). Only 12 days into this and we've saved almost $50!

That is all for now, my loves. I hope to return tomorrow with pictures from the parade. I'll leave you with a picture that I am in that I actually half-way like:

Tailgating

2009-04-19T20:38:00.004-04:00

Someone needs to tell Jonathan that tailgating is supposed to look more like this:

and less like this:

Amazing how, despite having multi-million dollar planes flying overhead (we were enjoying the airshow of Thunder Over Louisville) as well as a vast selection of outdoor toys, the main attraction of the day was the back of the CR-V.

Jonathan's Not Getting Any Siblings...

2009-04-17T10:09:00.003-04:00

...but if I could pick some, it would be these girls:

Unrelated, this morning, there was a piece on NPR about Spongebob and the longevity of the show. Apparently 9 of the last 20 top rated cable slots were Spongebob. They also reported that Barrack Obama, Scarlett Johansen and LeBron James are fans. Makes me feel a lot better about Jonathan's obsession, but it also worries me a bit that we may be watching it in our house for the next 15 years.

Ten on Tuesday

2009-04-14T18:51:00.002-04:00

1. Jonathan has been full of surprises this week; you never know what is going to come out of his mouth these days. My current favorites are "it was the cup's fault that cranberry juice is on the floor" and "damn it." The latter, according to Jonathan, comes to us courtesy of one of his school friends. He has been strongly advised not to use it again, but I'll admit, it cracked me up when he said it last night. So unexpected.

2. Reason 4,486 why I love my husband: Bryan had a guy's night tonight right after work. I called him as I was on my way to get Jonathan, we chatted a bit, I said "love you" and he said bye; we hung up. He called right back to say "I love you, too." He'd realized, before I even had time to think about it, that he hadn't said it. We are not the type to end every conversation with those words, but sometimes it just seems right. Even though I know that he loves me, it was really nice that he called right back to let me know (insert awwww here).

3. Jonathan moves to his new school starting June 1. I intended to tell the director at his current school by May 1. However, his old school has an annual re-registration process, which is basically a form to be completed and $75.00 to be paid by May 1. So I really need to tell them earlier. Even though I am 100% sure the move is the right decision, Jonathan has gone to the old school since September 2005 and I'm feeling guilt. I just need to DO it, but I keep wimping out each day. Jonathan tells me we are going to do it tomorrow. Would it be so bad to let the three year old lead the way??

4. I tried Pilates today. I feel giddy, like back when I was dating and had a good first date. I can't wait to go again.

5. My job was particularly frustrating today. It never ceases to amaze me how people will call for legal advice, I provide them with said legal advise, and then the caller either gets mad at me because I didn't say what he or she wanted to hear or, alternately, wants to argue with me. If you don't want to know the answer or feel that you already know it, why waste both of our time?

6. I'm traveling to WV next week, along with my MIL, to attend the Fiesta Tent Sale with my mom, my sisters and my grandmother. I received the price list via email last week and the prices are incredible. I can't wait to score some good deals and hang out with several of the important women in my life.

7. My youngest sister, Melissa turns 25 next month. Our other sister, Laura and I are getting her this for her birthday. The girl could give Mariah Carey a run for her money with her love of butterflies.

8. Laura and Melissa seem to be mending their relationship, at least to some extent. As the big sister, this pleases me to no end.

9. Confession time here--I turn into a smoker when I have alcohol. The whole "I only smoke when I drink" excuse has just made me find reasons to have a cocktail. And, since he's not here right now to stop me from outing him, Bryan is in the same boat. Now, it's always outside and, obviously, NEVER around Jonathan. This behavior is obviously not healthy and is completely contrary to the other positive changes we have made in our lifestyle. You would think that nine months of not smoking would have cured this addiction, at least for me, but not so much. So we are now on medication and have a stop smoking FOREVER date of Thursday, April 16. It may not be pretty and we may pull each other's hair out, but we are committed and we WILL do this. It just sucks that it has to be so darn difficult!

10. We are running another 5K on Saturday. My second 5K time was almost exactly 2 minutes faster than my first one. I'm hoping to cut another three minutes off my time on this one; however, the first two were flat and this one is hilly "as all get out", as my mother would say.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T20:36:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Jonathan was literally showered with gifts for Easter this year. My youngest sister, Melissa, called on Thursday and told me she was sending a big box of Easter stuff. We had a lot planned for Saturday, so I assumed we would be gone when the mail arrived as it's always delivered in the afternoon. I planned to set it out the next morning with the Easter bunny's basket. Imagine my surprise when, for the first time in the entire seven years we have lived in our house, the mail was delivered at 8:45 a.m.! Jonathan was so excited; there was no way I could make him wait to open it.

Some pictures of the loot (and, yes, he's still into Spongebob. I've tried to fight it but it's a fight that I am desperately losing):

On Easter day, we attended church with Bryan's family. Jonathan made it to the beginning of the sermon before I had to remove him from the sanctuary. Easter morning is a recipe for disaster--load a kid up with candy and then expect him to be quiet for an hour. Yeah, right. I did, however, get to participate in the singing of "Up From the Grave He Arose" (although I don't think it's actually called that in the hymnal at Immanuel) and that made me happy. (Side note to Kara: I could not stop thinking about your country-fied lyrics from Friday night. "Victory in Jesus" will never sound the same to me again!). I then enjoyed "Shrek 2" while Bryan and the rest of the fam had communion. Such is the life as the mother of a three year old.

After church, we had lunch at my MIL's house. My SIL's mother made the most heavenly lemon cheesecake EVER. After stuffing ourselves to the gills we retired to the backyard so Jonathan and Aiden could hunt Easter eggs. Pat also fixed up several baskets for the two of them, smartly remembering the debacle caused at Christmas with different colored cars and choosing to make the baskets EXACTLY the same. I really like the next-to-last one for some reason, despite the fact that it's horribly out of focus.

All in all, despite the fact that we are dealing with a VERY willful three year old right now, a great Easter was had by all.

S-P-O-I-L-E-D

2009-04-09T19:37:00.003-04:00

We came home today to two boxes on the front porch. One was from my mother's mother and one was from my sister, Laura. Both were for Jonathan for Easter. Back in my day, I felt lucky to get a hollow chocolate bunny, but for this kid, it's like a mini-Christmas. The Easter Bunny is totally being outdone, I can tell you that. And apparently there is more coming from other family members. Jonathan has no idea how good he's got it!

Anyone see or know anything about this? It was in the package from Laura. From the reviews on Amazon, I'm not sure if it's going to be really cool or a big mess. Here's hoping for the former!

Flowers for Granddy

2009-04-06T19:57:00.008-04:00

In anticipation of visiting the cemetery on Easter (it's a Easter tradition to take the lilys from church to the gravesides of the loved ones for whom the flowers were dedicated), Bryan and I thought it would be best if I took Jonathan by myself beforehand, so that I could answer any questions he might have outside the earshot of Nana (and Bryan, too, for that matter). Jonathan has been past Granddy's grave, but had not gotten out of the car. After careful consideration, we've decided to tell Jonathan (who knows but does not really understand that Granddy has died) that Granddy's grave site is the special place where we can leave flowers and go to talk to Granddy, sort of a designated spot where he knows where to look for us.

Yesterday afternoon after Jonathan's nap, I told him we were going to visit Granddy and then we would go to the park. Jonathan picked out his clothes, choosing his firetruck t-shirt because "Granddy likes firetrucks." We then went to Kroger and picked out flowers. Jonathan carefully perused the options and chose pink carnations. As we drove to the cemetery, we chatted about Granddy. It was a cloudy day and Jonathan explained to me that Granddy was in heaven and showed me a cloud that he is on. According to Jonathan, Granddy has his own cloud that he stays on most of the time but he can move to other ones when the clouds bump together.

Bryan and his mom have yet to pick out and order a gravestone, but there is a vase for the flowers. Jonathan carefully arranged the carnations:

He also gave them a sniff for good measure:

Then, in a move that completely melted my heart, he told me I needed to be quiet so he could talk to Granddy:

As I wiped tears away from my eyes at the sheer sweetness of my little boy, he looked at me, with much this same face, patted me on the shoulder, and reassured me that Granddy is in a better place because he doesn't hurt anymore.

Maybe he understands it more than we know.

Tuesday's Ten

2009-03-24T10:29:00.002-04:00

1. GO CARDS!!

2. Jonathan requested to listen to "the Jackson song" this morning. Johnny Cash was a vast morning commute improvement over The Best of Spongebob CD that has been playing in my car for the last week. This song, though, is awesome.

3. Despite the overall disastrous results of fall soccer, Bryan and I have signed Jonathan up for spring soccer. I, for one, am not a glutton for punishment, so this can be quality Daddy/son time.

4. One of my sisters is competing with the other one to see who can send Jonathan the most stuff. Now every day when we get home, Jonathan runs to the front porch to see if there is a box there and is very disappointed if there is nothing.

5. I am sure that I do not want more children, as was confirmed by the fact that I felt no sadness in Ebaying/consigning a huge amount of Jonathan's baby items over the past few weeks.

6. Jonathan, my MIL and I are attending Elmo Makes Music on Saturday. It DOES make me sad that Jonathan has really outgrown Elmo and so this will likely be the last time I attend Sesame Street Live.

7. My assistant at work is filling in for another girl who is on vacation this week, meaning that my work is being done by others in the office. They are doing a perfectly good job, but I am a bit OCD and extremely particular about my stuff so I do not like the change.

8. I want someone to clean my house. Not everything, just dusting and the bathroom, mostly. Bryan has nixed this idea, but I wonder how long it would take him to realize that the dust was gone.

9. I bought these jeans last week and have worn them twice. They are seriously the most comfortable thing I have ever placed on my body. I want to go back and buy two more pairs but I need to wait until I can use my 20% off coupon next month.

10. Oh, and did I say GO CARDS??

What a Way to Start the Week!

2009-03-16T09:33:00.003-04:00

Check out the hotness of Mr. JM, whose head graced the front page of our local newspaper yesterday. Despite the obvious adorableness of his head, both his mother and I didn't notice it was him!

And in other exciting news--GO CARDS!!! I just could not be happier that Louisville is a one seed, and the top one seed is icing on the cake.

Time for Ten

2009-03-03T14:13:00.004-05:00

1. Mr. Jonathan's Mommy and I are running a 5K on Saturday. We walked one in December but this time we are running and I am SO EXCITED!

2. Our house was starting to be taken over by outgrown children's clothing, causing me to go into ar consignment/Ebay organization frenzy. It is a lot of work but I am hoping it pays off!

3. Jonathan has a disproportionate number of 12-18 month sized outgrown clothing. I don't remember him being that size for a really long time but maybe he was.

4. Jonathan has taken to getting up really early, as in before seven a.m., so Bryan decided to put a timer on the lamp in his room. We've told him that he can not call for us until the light comes on (it's set for just after seven). Despite the fact that I KNOW he understands this concept, he has, alternately, started screaming that the light is not on and/or that he is hungry. This resulted in termination of television privileges this morning; I hope that cures him.

5. My son has a new addiction. I am at a new motherhood low:

6. Yesterday in the mail, I received a 25% coupon off any regularly priced item at Coach. I want this. Think Bryan would notice??

7. I am not happy about the fact that my mother is not supportive of our decision to wait until 2011 to send Jonathan to kindergarten. I know it's not her decision but I still wish that she would agree.

8. Jonathan was accepted to the preschool program I wanted him enrolled in for the fall. It's a lot more structure than his current preschool environment and I'm so relieved to know he will be going there. It doesn't hurt that is also costs a few hundred dollars less a month.

9. I wish that people would stop walking around the Y locker room without a stitch of clothing on. There are towels there for a reason and no one needs to see your business flopping around.

10. I have a conference call in twenty minutes that will surely drag on the remainder of the workday. Ugh.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T16:08:00.001-05:00

Cold Weather Denial

2009-02-16T19:17:00.004-05:00

We've been blessed with some unseasonably warm weather this month, such that many days only a light jacket has been required to go outdoors. That mild weather appears to have left us as this morning it was a brisk 23 degrees as we were leaving the house. Jonathan was tricked by the sun, however, and announced that he did not need his "big coat". Needless to say, he was none too pleased when I informed him that, not only was his "big coat" required, but he also needed a hat and gloves.

This evening, we decided to poo-poo the cold weather and enjoy Popsicles. Well, at least Bryan and Jonathan did (I had a 100 calorie Nutty Bar. Man, those are delicious!). As compared to last year, when more of the Popsicle ended up on the floor than in his mouth, Jonathan is a pro. And the results are too cute:

Random though--why don't they make a whole box of cherry Popsicles? All three of us like the red ones the best, with grape a distant second and the orange only for the truly desperate. It just seems like something someone would have thought of already!

Happy Belated V-Day!

2009-02-15T19:50:00.002-05:00

After a week of doctor's visits and general nursing him back to health, Jonathan seems to be recovered from his hand infection. Now if we could just get rid of this growth on his head, a growth adorably named Beatrice:

You would never know by looking at these pictures that Jonathan was at least a wee bit irritated with me for interrupting him during America's Funniest Home Videos, would you?

And the Winner is...

2009-02-04T11:37:00.003-05:00

...LARA! Congrats! Your comment was selected by the random number generator at Random.org, making you proud new owner of an original "Bryan" scarf! Shoot me a message on Facebook with your address and we will get it in the mail to you right away.

Thanks for playing everyone!

Idle Hands Lead to a Giveaway!

2009-01-29T23:14:00.006-05:00

When Bryan's dad was in the hospital several years ago due to complications related to open heart surgery, he learned to knit. The skill was acquired out of a basic necessity to keep busy; hours spent days on end in a hospital waiting room will do that to a person. The events of earlier this month caused him to revive the habit, resulting in this:

Bryan thought it would be a good idea to do a giveaway of one of the scarves as, obviously, we are quite saturated. I wanted to take his picture with them but he was, for some reason, resistant. He is, contrary to his general nature,shy about this skill. I just don't get it, what woman wouldn't love a randomly crafty husband? I had a great time trying to get him to comply.

Bryan trying to take up entire frame of the picture, scarves in background nonetheless:

Bryan trying to snatch away the camera:

Bryan throwing a scarf at me in an attempt to impede my efforts:

Me trying to be sneaky and take a picture over my shoulder. Ineffective.:

During this process, Bryan stated that he would agree to the picture, but only if said scarves were wrapped around his ding dang. Since we didn't have enough scarves for that, I had to come up with my own arrangement. I can assure you that all of the scarves are ding dang contact free.

So if you would like to have one of these handmade beauties for your very own, post a comment to this blog. Please note any color preference you may have should you be chosen as the lucky winner. All of the scarves are roughly of the same width and length, but for the pink and purple striped one which came out a bit on the short side. Bryan will be reading the comments as well and would enjoy any Muppet or other similarly furry creature references. (Disclaimer: Despite the fact that he is pictured and despite the fact that Bryan would more than willingly allow him to take up residence in a new home, Arthur is NOT one of the giveaway options.)

All posts in by Tuesday, February 3, 2009 made by 11:59 p.m. will be in the running. Good luck and thanks in advance for helping me avoid a takeover of my home by furry knit objects.

Snow Day

2009-01-27T18:30:00.004-05:00

Jonathan's school was open today as was my office, but my boss decided to let us leave early before the ice started accumulating. I picked up Jonathan and we came home and made white chili. That would have been happy enough, but then Bryan had the idea to make cupcakes. YUM!

I've been really bad about taking pictures lately, even in spite of the fact that I have a new camera! I'm trying to take at least one a day, though, since my Dad FINALLY has email at work; I'm going to attempt to send him one new picture a day because he is nothing short of crazy about this kiddo:

Ready for Summer

2009-01-22T19:35:00.004-05:00

I am already thinking about warm weather, despite the fact that there is a lot of winter weather left. Just a few minutes ago, I remembered that I had Gymbucks to redeem, so I purchased this ensemble (the link is to the shirt; I got the swim trunks and the hat, too. Have I mentioned I have a Gymboree addiction?). I can't wait to see my little cutie sporting that pouty fish shirt.

Now back to my regularly scheduled flannel pajamas.

Positive Thoughts Needed

2009-01-15T22:07:00.004-05:00

Please keep Bryan and his family in your thoughts and prayers. His father is in ICU right now and the prognosis is not good. Vic is on a ventilator and has suspected brain damage. It is a frustrating situation because the doctors cannot seem to pinpoint exactly what the problem is at this point. We are in a holding pattern of sorts and it is a painful process, as I know that many of you are well aware from your own personal experiences. I am trying to do what I can to help Bryan and his mother get through this but it's hard and something that is outside of the realm of anything I have ever experienced. All we can do right now is hope for the best, even if "the best" is not what we necessarily want.

Edited on Friday, January 16--Bryan's dad passed away this afternoon. Thank you to everyone for the kind words and thoughts. Please keep them coming as we will continue you to need them during the days and weeks ahead.

How can you tell when a three year old has had too much coffee?

2009-01-12T19:42:00.005-05:00

When he starts to look like this:

OK, not really, but it IS what Jonathan looked like after he rediscovered last year's Halloween novelties. And it's just as funny now as it was in October.

I may be almost thirty-one...

2009-01-07T16:07:00.002-05:00

...but this is currently my favorite album right now. Am I embarrassed about this fact? A bit. But more embarrassing is that Jonathan can now sing most of the words to "Womanizer."

Ten on Tuesday--2008 Year End Edition

2008-12-30T19:18:00.005-05:00

1. Arthur had an abscessed anal gland last week. He was really good on our trip to WV and now we know why. I had to wipe his behind Saturday night. Ick.

2. I received some really great Christmas gifts this year but these are two of my favorites. Thank you wonderful husband!

3. I am totally addicted to spinning. I would go every day if I had time. In fact, when Jonathan goes to WV again for a visit with my parents, I think that I WILL go every day. I can't explain it, I just love it. The new shoes and the Sigg water bottle make it that much better. I may venture into outdoor cycling come spring but I'm not sure if it will be as much fun when I'll have to face the elements.

4. One of the presents I received this year was this. In fact, I received two. Odd.

5. Jonathan received a gigantic fire truck, among approximately one million other things, from my sister this year. It shoots water because a remote control and sirens are not enough. Despite the fact that the package said it was for ages five and up, Jonathan is able to operate it like a pro.

6. Jonathan and I go to Walmart every Sunday for our weekly grocery shopping. This week, I almost peed myself in the cereal aisle when he pointed to a box of Fruit Loops and asked if he could have some "hoop-a-loops." The kid can say toucan but not Fruit Loops, go figure.

7. Why can I not remember to take my reusable shopping bags in with me during aforementioned trips to Walmart? I bought some super cute ones at Whole Foods, thinking I would put them in the trunk so they would always be with me. But I NEVER get them out of the car. Anyone have any ideas on how to get in the habit?

8. I think my MIL may have an addiction to QVC, an ailment that has not been at all helped by the fact that she was home bound due to a recent outpatient surgery.

9. Jonathan is spending the night at my MIL's tomorrow night and I am SO excited to have a child free New Year's Eve.

10. My birthday is nine days away. Wicked is in town and Bryan and I are going on my birthday. Not as adventurous as skydiving, but a lot less risky!

Happy New Year's to everyone! See you in 2009!

Holiday Happiness

2008-12-28T16:19:00.006-05:00

I took all of zero pictures during our family visit to WV. It was much like my blogging lately--sheer laziness. I'm making it one of my New Year's resolutions to try to do better.

One of my Christmas gifts from my sister, Laura, was a new camera. I am wanting to invest in a Rebel but, until then, the old 4 megapixel needed updating. The new camera was a Black Friday purchase and a HUGE improvement over the old one. Now if I can just improve my photo-taking skills...

I DID take pictures at our day after Christmas gathering at Bryan's parents' house. Jonathan and his cousin, Aiden, do not get to spend much time together. But when they do, both of them are pretty much in heaven. Seeing those boys play together makes me so happy. Even though I am pretty sure we are not going to have more children, my heart is warmed so much by their interaction that it reminds me of the value of having a sibling.

Bryan received the obligatory socks. His faux happiness would be convincing if I didn't know him so well.

As you can see from this shot, Bryan's Dad was totally into the holiday spirit:

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I can't believe it is over again for another year! It always goes by too quickly, particularly, it seems, when you have children.

Brick

2008-12-18T23:05:00.007-05:00

Thanks to Ginger and Kim, we've jumped on the Elf on a Shelf bandwagon and man, was that $30 ever worth it! All we have to do is threaten to tell the elf if Jonathan's bad and he begs us not to tell Brick, that he will be good. It's awesome.

Here is Jonathan checking out the new addition to our Christmas traditions:

The look on his face when he opened the box and saw the Elf was precious. I told him he needed to name the Elf and he thought about it for 2.3 seconds and then announced we would call him Brick. Bryan thought I was the influence behind the name in that he considered it a shout out to "Anchorman" but I had absolutely nothing to do with it. I have no idea where he came up with the name but I LOVE IT.

I let him touch Brick, at least until we got to the part in the story where we learned you are not supposed to touch the elf or it will ruin the magic. Oops.

Bryan's Mom had outpatient surgery on Wednesday this week, making it necessary for Bryan to spend the night at his parents' house the last two nights. It's been so helpful for my continuity-loving three year old to have searching the house for Brick when he gets up in the morning as a distraction. What's not to love about this precious little guy?

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-12-04T23:36:00.006-05:00

Every year, Jonathan and I go to WV to visit my family and Bryan stays in the 'ville and hangs out with his parents. This led my grandmother, the first year after Bryan and I were married, to question whether everything with our relationship was OK and it totally was--it's just how we roll. I enjoy a Black Friday extravaganza with my sisters and that is SO not Bryan so it's become somewhat of a tradition for us to split up for Thanksgiving.

Maybe it's the hunting?? This is my youngest sister's husband on Thanksgiving this year. I can't imagine why Bryan wouldn't want to participate in this Prince family tradition...

Jonathan was quite whiny this year. I'd like to think it was a product of the croup he was diagnosed with early in the week, but, unfortunately, I think it was more a product of the Terrible Threes that we seem to be in the midst of right now. The first picture was a farce...

Here is my dear, sweet, precious mother with the spatula she used to beat us with as children. OK, maybe I'm kidding. I'm sure she's purchased a new spatula since then.

Seriously, as always, we had a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner. Since Bryan was not present and he is the King of the Self Portrait, I offer the following. The giant cheek in the first one is my middle sister, Laura.

Priceless, is it not??

I'm Outta Here!

2008-11-19T21:06:00.007-05:00

Tomorrow I head to Long Beach California for the weekend. It's a work trip, which is even better than a normal trip because it's FREE. I'll be staying here:

Two glorious nights of peace and quiet, upscale shopping and adult dinners. Oh, and near eighty degree weather (it SNOWED here today. Ugh). I'm leaving my precious child in the hands of this man:

I'm hoping that everyone remains in one piece. I am fully anticipating coming home to a kitchen covered in peanut butter and Fruity Pebbles. Please pray they don't turn all Lord of the Flies on me.

But this bed is calling me...

...as is Kate Spade and Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie. Somehow I think I will manage to survive!

Random November Parade

2008-11-12T22:29:00.004-05:00

Two evenings ago, Jonathan decided we needed to have a parade. Participating in the parade were a fire truck, a dump truck, some Pottery Barn blocks and a stick pony.

Marching was, of course, involved.

I was not paying attention to the parade at one point and then looked over because I felt like someone was staring at me:

And then I received this look accompanied with a command to carry the blocks. It's hard work being a parade grand master.

Guess who is currently ruling this house??

Trick or Treat

2008-11-10T19:32:00.004-05:00

Jonathan was REALLY into trick or treating this year. Right after he decided what he wanted to be, he immediately told me that he wanted to go trick or treating with Caroline and Lily, like last year. How he remembered that is what we did last year is beyond me! Those girls are like surrogate big sisters to Jonathan, the three of them are so cute together!

Jonathan was so pleased with his costume, which was amazing considering the fact that he'd pretty much lived in it for two days, what with a whirlwind of Halloween activities.

A few action shots. Oh, I should mention here, in case it was not obvious, that Cindy's fabulous photo skills are at work yet again.

I had to include this one--look at my super cool light up cup!

I love pictures of children from the back. This costume was one of few I've ever seen that is equally as cute from this angle as it is head on:

More action shots. Sorry for the picture overload but I could not decide which ones to use so I decided to use a lot!

There were SO many houses and so much candy that Jonathan's little legs eventually got tired. Bryan carried him for a while and then Joe filled in. Jonathan was so cute walking around going "I need my Joe."

A good time was had by all. Until next year...

Five Glorious Years

2008-10-25T18:56:00.004-04:00

To Bryan, my husband of five years today:

You are truly the light of my life. The happiness I feel on a daily basis, I owe entirely to you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. You've given me the greatest gift I could ever receive in the form of our precious son. You are an incredible man and I am so proud to call you my husband.

As I think back on the five years since we were married (almost five years to the minute, as I am typing this), I reflect on what a wondrous journey it has been. I am so fortunate to share my life with you, surrounded by love, a fantastic family and good friends. Even when things are not so perfect, I am always assured of your love for me and that knowledge allows me to look into the future filled with a sense of hope and promise.

I love you with all of my heart and intend to devote the remainder of my life to being a good wife to you and a good mother to our son. I am so happy that we made the decision to say "I do" five years ago. I love waking up next to you every morning and I can not wait to see what the future holds for us. You are the most incredible husband for which I could ever have hoped.

Jennifer

Halloween Happiness

2008-10-24T17:48:00.004-04:00

Jonathan picked his own Halloween costume this year. Not as easy as a mother would hope--they do not make a child version of the costume he wanted so I had to assemble it. I was quite pleased, however, with the results:

I am still lovin' me some Mexico, but it sure will be nice to see that precious face in a few days!

Ten on Tuesday--Mexico Edition

2008-10-21T05:58:00.008-04:00

Bryan and I are in the Mayan Riveria for a week and it is AWESOME. As you may recall, we renovated our kitchen earlier this year. Since my Dad and my lovely hubby did the bulk of the work themselves, we saved a TON of money. We could have been more fiscally responsible with our financial windfall, but nothing says happiness like a Caribbean vacation, so here we are!

In honor of my locale, here are ten fantastic things about being in Mexico for a week, particularly when you are staying at the Iberostar Grand Paraiso:

1. All inclusive. Two of the most beautiful words when combined with vacation. There is nothing so happy as being able to eat what you want, drink what you want and not have to worry about paying for it. Yeah, I get that we DID actually pay for it, but that was months ago so now it feels free.

2. Spinning class EVERY day. We joined the Y about two months ago and I am loving some spinning. Later today will be my first experience with Mexican spinning and I am hoping for a hot instructor :)

3. 24 hour room service. If one were so inclined, you could totally live in your room. We do not intend to do that, but I am SO excited about my breakfast being delivered in a few hours!

4. A pillow menu. I need to select something firmer because the pillows on this lovely bed were just a bit too squishy for my taste last night.

5. Butler service. This is the most incredible thing I have ever experienced. The resort has butler service and a concierge. Within thirty minutes of stepping into our room, our butler came by to greet us, tell us a bit about the resort and our room and to ask us what we needed. Our room has a mini bar and when, in response to his question about liquor preferences, we said we liked gin and vodka. he told us he could bring big bottles of whatever we wanted. Bryan hugged him and told him we liked wine, too. He brought us our computer cord and internet access information, then we changed into swimwear and wandered around the resort. When we came back, we had this:

I am planning on trying to think of reasons to use the butler. It feels bratty but when will I ever get to do this again?

6. These chairs, the second of which I know Jonathan would just love. Sorry, kiddo, this place is adults only. The first chair just looks perfect for my intended completion of the Twilight books this week.

7. The beach. I love the ocean--I've had some non-oceanside vacation, but I just don't really feel like vacation is complete without sand and ocean.

8. His and her sinks. Bryan and I only have to share a bathroom at home. I am totally looking forward to having my own space. And it's such a pretty little space, too.

9. Bell hop service. Our resort is located on grounds with at least three other resorts. We have access to all of them as well as a shopping area, pool, etc. It is a large place and it seemed a bit daunting until they told us that the bell hops will take us wherever we wanted to go. We haven't tried this out yet, but apparently you just walk outside and they will take you wherever you want, shopping, golf, etc. Oh yes.

10. Last but most importantly, spending time with Bryan. We both work so hard at our jobs and with Jonathan. It's nice to have some time to ourselves just to reconnect. I am SO looking forward to hanging out and spending time together without the pressures of every day life. THAT is what vacation is all about!

Third Annual Trip to Huber's Orchard and Winery

2008-10-14T19:47:00.015-04:00

For the third year running, we made a trip to Huber's Orchard and Winery on Sunday to pick out some pumpkins. This was hands down our best family trip EVER. The weather was perfect, Jonathan was in a fantastic mood and we just had fun--no whining, no crying, none of the general yucky behavior that kids seem to throw at you when you plan a family outing.

Here is the post from last year, for comparison's sake. It even has a picture of Jonathan from his first trip--he was so cute and so amenable to pumpkin patch themed clothing. He's totally outgrown that stage now. **Sigh**

Jonathan was in love with the painted pumpkins. We bought a small one and it came home to live with us. It was super cute until Jonathan decided to paint it himself. Now it's pretty atrocious, but don't tell him that.

Jonathan waited patiently for the tractor to take us out to the pumpkin patch. And yes he is wearing a fall color themed shirt. Hey, a mother of a son has to coordinate with the seasons where she can.

Jonathan got right to work finding the "right" pumpkin. Unlike last year, the pumpkins were in great shape and it was really easy to find some good ones. You can even see me in the second shot. Well, at least in shadow, but I'll still count it as a family picture.

They have this out every year during the pumpkin season and I always forget to take a picture of Jonathan by it. Not this year, though:

We saw a mother sitting on a pumpkin smoking a cigarette while her children frolicked around her. I think this one is more wholesome:

Bryan was able to find a nice "pair":

After we purchased our pumpkins, it was time for treats all around. For Jonathan, Superman ice cream. For Mommy and Daddy, wine and a lovely cheese tray. The third picture in this set totally confirms that I am, in fact, a complete dork:

While we were having our makeshift picnic, a random guy offered to take our picture. Not too shabby.

I got Jonathan's ice cream in a bowl primarily because it was around 85 degrees and I knew it would melt all over him in 2.3 seconds. But after he attacked the cone that the ice cream lady was nice enough to let us have on the side, yet another reason why a bowl was a good choice came to light.

Of course, before we could leave, Jonathan wanted to check out the tractors. This one makes me think maybe he'd like to go live with The Pioneer Woman:

After such a fun time, I was not too surprised to see this on the way home. I'd suspected sleep was on it's way when he stopped talking in the car, a definite rarity.

And then I looked over at Bryan and thought, oh crap, not him too.

And then I had this odd feeling come over me. I knew I shouldn't have had that wine:

OK, just kidding. But this really did happen and it was a nice quiet end to a super fun time!

Trusty Toy from the Past

2008-10-06T19:09:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite toys when I was little was a Sit N Spin. I just remember thinking that it rocked. Maybe it was just the simplicity of it.

We recently received a hand me down Sit N Spin from Bryan's friend Steve and his family. It still works the same way, but it looks completely different and, for some reason, our good friends at Playskool felt the need to add music. Luckily it's optional and is operated by a switch on the bottom. It took Jonathan a little while to figure it out. Guess which option he prefers?

Ah, it looks like so much fun! The addition of the music apparently is apparently the trade-off for the fact that the product is not as sturdy as in the old days. Sadly I am well over the weight limit regardless of sturdiness.

Of course, Curious George had to ride too. Arthur, who is quivering in the background, was spared the fun.

Thanks, Bagby family, for the great toy!!

Did Beckham Start Like This?

2008-09-28T16:15:00.006-04:00

We got Jonathan's soccer pictures yesterday. Long story short, soccer has not turned out quite as I had hoped--we are now four games in and Jonathan is reluctant, at best. However, he makes a darn cute player:

The team picture is priceless. Our picture time was at 10:45 a.m., but it ran behind so we didn't get to the team picture until almost noon. All of the children were hungry, tired or a combination of the two. To the photographer's credit, he TRIED to get a decent picture but the kiddos were not cooperating. He pretty much gave up and this was the result:

I think we definitely need to concentrate on academics because, and I may be speaking prematurely, it doesn't look like we have a sports scholarship in our future:

Six Quirks Tag

2008-09-16T21:25:00.003-04:00

Thanks, Alicia, for tagging me! Maybe it will bring me out of blogging no-man's land!

Six quirks about me:

1. I will only eat flat chicken. I mean get-out-the-meat-tenderizer-and-pound-it-flat-as-a-pancake flat. Luckily I have a husband who indulges me on this one.

2. I HATE to exercise. I am so envious of people who like it and wish I could make myself feel the same way. I am making a bit of progress in that I am totally loving the Body Pump classes at the Y. There may be hope for me yet.

3. I have a recurring nightmare where Bryan leaves me. I have it A LOT and it's pretty much spanned the eight plus years of our relationship. It's not always the same facts but always the same result.

4. I remember what people like to eat. You eat lunch with me a few times, I'll remember what you do and do not like and pretty much be able to pick what you will order from the menu. This pertains to family, friends, co-workers, etc. It's a fun time to go to lunch with the other attorneys in my office and be able to tell any one of them what they ate the last time we were at that particular restaurant.

5. I have a photographic memory. Not down to every last detail but enough that it was VERY helpful when I was in school.

6. I'm a worrier. I like to portray myself as laid back and upbeat, and overall I am, but underneath it all runs a current of worry. I have several topics to ponder so fortunately I don't drive myself nuts worrying too much about any one subject.

And just because I haven't posted in FOREVER, a picture of Jonathan sweeping in the medieval kitchen of Art Sparks, the kids' area in the Speed Art Museum:

The First Game

2008-09-07T13:11:00.010-04:00

Saturday was Jonathan's first soccer game. It was at eleven and the morning was cool and a bit dreary. Bryan and I have been reading a lot of The Pioneer Woman. One of the many reasons we enjoy it is her photography--she does a lot of progression shots. I am nowhere near the photographer that she is, but Bryan suggested I take a photo as we approached the Louisville Water Tower, our new soccer home until the end of October.

I was trying to get Jonathan psyched out in the car but it was not working:

His disposition improved once we were out of the car, though.

Some pre-game shots:

I'd like to say this next one is a Zen moment where Jonathan is concentrating on getting in the the soccer super-star mode, but, alas, it was pouty-face time. Right before I took this picture, he had his head resting on the ball. Eleven o'clock is definitely not our best time slot due to its close proximity to lunch and nap.

I'm sure Bryan would have preferred not to be in all the pictures, but, alas, Jonathan, like several of the other children, was not quite ready to brave the vast soccer field without a parent.

The games are super short and, before you knew it, it was snack time. Easily Jonathan's favorite part of the experience. The best I can say at this point is that it was not a complete failure, nor was it a complete success. He kicked the ball all of one time. Maybe that's good, though, because it's surely going to improve from there...right??

Offficialy a Soccer Mom

2008-08-23T15:04:00.003-04:00

Jonathan started three year old soccer and today was picture day. There are five kids on his team and I am happy that his colors are green and white, just like good old Winfield Middle and High Schools. Their first game is two weeks from today and I can't wait! Here are a few pics from the gym. They are not the best but you can get the gist of his excitement. Let me just say that the company taking the pictures of all the different teams had their work cut out for them!

Ten More

2008-08-12T18:34:00.008-04:00

1. Jonathan had his first day in the Preschool room today and he did great! He got a bit upset when he saw Darla, his two year old teacher whom he has been with for the last fourteen months, but he was totally OK besides that. I feel the same way when I think about leaving Darla so I certainly can not blame him!

2. It is amazing how a three year old can attempt to subsist on solely junk food and still look like this:

3. I made these cupcakes for my assistant's birthday a few weeks ago. They continue to make me happy:

4. I got a new computer at work today and it is AWESOME. DVD burner, 22" flat screen monitor, the works. My old computer was operating on Windows 98 and therefore would not do the network update required for our new security software. This gave my boss no other option than to replace it. It is so nice to have moved away from the ghetto-ness that was my old desktop.

5. We are traveling to Champaign, Illinois this weekend for my MIL's sister's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. I am wondering how the three of us in one hotel room is going to work--I do not see any way that Jonathan's normal eight o'clock bedtime is happening.

6. This is how the deliciousness that was The Pioneer Woman's chicken spaghetti turned out last week. It was fabulous:

7. I need to fix more dinners like this because it allowed us to all eat together. We do not get home most nights until around six. Since Jonathan goes to bed at eight, there is not a lot of time for cooking dinner--we feed him early; Bryan and I eat later, after he goes to bed. We all enjoyed the chicken spaghetti, though, and, since I got it ready to bake the night before, it was a cinch to pop it in the oven when I got home for work:

8. Bryan and I went out with friends Saturday night and I overindulged on wine. It took me two days to recover.

9. Participating in this activity the day after said wine indulgence was not a good choice:

10. While talking to a co-worker today about the fact that women's gymnastics is on television tonight (YES!), I mentioned that I was never able to do a cartwheel. I thought I was an odd ball on that one, but she told me she was never able to do one either. WHEW--it made me feel so much better about my uncoordinated self!

Just a Bit More Birthday

2008-08-11T21:20:00.007-04:00

My sister and brother in law were in town a few weeks ago for a magic convention so we decided to have Jonathan's family birthday party at the same time. Laura LOVES to lavish Jonathan with super nice gifts. This year, it was a Ford F-150 Power Wheel. Needless to say, he LOVED it. It certainly doesn't hurt that my dad, one of Jonathan's idols, has a similar truck. It's a Chevy, but Jonathan does not know the difference. You can see Laura and Todd in the background of the second picture.

Jonathan is totally emulating me in this one. I wish I could blame this on someone else...

I said that I would make the Pablo cake again for the family party, but it was a huge pain in the you-know-what to make, so the bug cupcakes made a re-appearance. Since Jonathan did not see the first batch, he marveled at my creativity :)

Jonathan's cousin, Aiden, was more than happy to help him open presents:

And Todd was more than happy to put on a magic show. Podiatry is his trade by day, but his real passion is magic and he is GOOD!

Unless you ask my Mom's chihuahua, Abby:

Seriously, though, a good time was had by all!

Ten on Tuesday

2008-08-05T19:58:00.004-04:00

Howdy all! I finally remembered that it's Tuesday in time to do a list of ten. I am immeasurably excited as my life has been pretty uneventful lately.

1. Jonathan and I met Bryan at the mall to get Jonathan new shoes and then to have dinner. I am lucky enough to not have to drive the interstate on a regular basis. Therefore, today I was perplexed at how it rains two drops and traffic travels at a pace that would be reasonable only under blizzard conditions.

2. While buying aforementioned shoes, why did my son have two melt downs, one while his foot was being measured and the second when the super nice shoe lady put his old shoes in the box? It was horribly embarrassing and frustrating simultaneously. We did, however, buy these, and that makes me so much happier than the Thomas light up shoes he was heretofore sporting.

3. Potty training has been going really well. However, on Saturday, while we were at Joe and Cindy's house and Jonathan was upstairs playing with their daughter Lily, Jonathan got really involved in playing and, next thing I knew, he was screaming for me to come upstairs. He'd number two-ed in his pants, with the explanation being that "it just fell out." Seriously, how does that happen?

4. I am obscenely excited about our October trip to the Mayan Riveria. A full seven days and seven nights of child-free adult activity. This is where we are staying. The countdown on my Google homepage says it's only 76 more days. Woo hoo!

5. I am making this for dinner tomorrow night. Even though I just ate dinner, looking at that food makes me hungry.

6. I tried to resist reading The Pioneer Woman for some time because she already has so many readers but then I DID read it and now I understand why--it's really well written and interesting!

7. As of yesterday, I finally joined Facebook. I love it.

8. I am currently obsessed with my Nintendo DS. I've had it for going on two years but really got back into playing it the last few weeks, thanks to my sister's glorious gift of Guitar Hero On Tour.

9. I almost cried with happiness yesterday when my People arrived in the mail with the pictures of the Joile-Pitt twins. I'm not a big Brangelina fan, but I could not wait to see those pictures. It was 19 pages of sheer bliss.

10. I DID get teared up today when I was listening to Jimmy Buffett and realized it will be months and months before I get to unleash my inner Parrothead again. Heather, we need to go more than once next year!

And because even a Ten on Tuesday post needs a picture, here is one of Jonathan from his zoo birthday party. The kid is a complete stinker...

Is It Possibly This Easy?

2008-07-27T13:13:00.003-04:00

Jonathan may have turned three this month but we have not tried to potty train him. My mom made a stab at it when he stayed with her in April, but he was just not ready yet. When we went to the pediatrician for Jonathan's three year old visit, we spoke to the doctor about it and he told me that Jonathan was definitely ready but just stubborn.

With this advice in mind, we decided to start potty training yesterday. I know there a bagillion different ways to go about it, but we decided to do a small scale big boy party first thing yesterday morning and also, from the time he got out of bed, he wore underwear (except at naps and night, when he will use a Pull Up). We talked it up all week and he seemed into it. So at six thirty yesterday morning, I got him up and took off his diaper. He had a small breakdown when I asked which underwear he wanted to wear but it was short lived and he choose Wiggles. We had donuts, got potty gifts and busted out the M&Ms. I sat back and waited for the bevy of accidents I thought were sure to occur.

But here's the thing--there WERE NOT a lot of accidents. He had one yesterday morning and it made him quite upset. I told him it was not a big deal, cleaned him up and we went on with our morning. I reminded him every thirty minutes or so to try to go to the potty, but he also decided to try to go on his own sometimes. When he ran in yesterday and did number two in the potty, I teared up, I was so happy and relieved that he was able to do it! He liked the underwear so much that he wanted to wear them during nap time. I didn't want to push the Pull Up issue but a wet bed after nap time made him rethink his stance. The rest of the day, we had what I will call 1/2 an accident as he started to have an accident but finished up in the potty. Last night, when he went to bed, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

My mother, when I told her this, was happy about the news but also cautioned that today may not go as well. However, it's been even better. He got up this morning with a dry Pull Up. As I type this, there have been no accidents and he's been going to the potty pretty much unprompted. Infused with a new confidence, I took him to Target this morning IN UNDERWEAR (I had back up underwear and clothes in the car, of course). We ended up going to Babies R Us and Toys R Us, too. No accidents. I am elated but I am also concerned--am I missing something or was he just ready?

He wants the little potty in the living room for now and I am totally OK with it. He likes to empty the contents in the big potty himself and then wash out the bowl. Quite self-sufficient, that little guy. I didn't want to embarrass him by taking any "action" photos on the potty but here are two of him at the sink cleaning up. He is so proud of himself right now and rightly so!

Zoo Birthday Party

2008-07-27T12:56:00.008-04:00

We celebrated Jonathan's birthday this year with a party at the Louisville Zoo. At his day care, you are supposed to invite the whole class but the Zoo limits the party to 20 guests, including adults, so that was not an option. So we invited several of our friends and their children, making it a win-win situation as Bryan and I had people to play with, too :)

Here is the bulk of the lineup. There were nine children and it was very difficult to get them all into one picture. Or it was difficult for Cindy to get them all in one picture as she was gracious enough to honor us yet again with her picture taking prowess. Jonathan did not want to stand still for a picture, thus the stink pot look on this face.

I made the Pablo cake Jonathan wanted and it was a ton of work! So I sold the pan on Ebay for more than I paid for it. That made me quite happy.

As part of the party, you got to choose two animals to pet. We chose the box turtle and a hedgehog. For some reason, the hedgehog did not make it into any of the photos but the turtle was pretty cute, too:

The party ended with a train ride. The zoo train is one of Jonathan's favorite things in the whole world. Can't you tell by the last picture with him waiting for it to arrive??

Third Birthday Pictures

2008-07-23T19:31:00.007-04:00

This is a bit out of order as my last post was about the Fourth of July, but these pictures are too wonderful not to share!

Just like last year, Jonathan and I spent the afternoon of his birthday with my fantastic photographer friend Jon. And the results were spectacular! Jon told me during our session that he and his family may be moving to L.A. in the next year to eighteen months. I told him our annual photography sessions are about to get A LOT more expensive for me!

Man, I am just crazy about this kid!!

Fourth of July Fun

2008-07-15T18:40:00.006-04:00

The Fourth of July this year was super rainy. Unfortunately for us, that is the day for which we had Day Out with Thomas tickets. It was at the Kentucky Railway Museum, a soggy hour's drive away. Jonathan didn't seem as into it as last year but I think that was mostly the weather as it really put a damper on things (ha, ha!). Anyway, it was definitely not a picture-inspiring event--I literally took one picture.

Later in the day, the weather cleared up. We went to Joe and Cindy's house for a little cookout. The rain stopped long enough for the kiddos to do some sparklers. As promised, here are more of Cindy's fabulous pictures. Jonathan thought it was cool to be so close to fire but he was not overly fond of the odor put off by the fireworks:

After the kids used up all the sparklers, Jonathan moved on to bubbles. He is really into bubbles right now and has become quite the pro:

Maybe next year he will physically be able to stay up late enough to see fireworks since that is my favorite part about the Fourth!

Archeological Dig

2008-07-14T20:13:00.006-04:00

My friend Cindy shared some great pictures with me that she took while we were at the Children's Museum in Indy. She also took ones from the Fourth of July and from Jonathan's birthday party at the Zoo, both of which will be the subject of future posts. My blog is in for a real treat as she is quite a talented photographer! Also, the Rebel kicks the butt of my Easy Share any day of the week!

At the museum, they have an incredible dinosaur exhibit and one of the highlights, at least for Jonathan, was where you put on goggles and "dig" for dinosaurs. At first, he choose the pink goggles. He often picks pink items, if given a choice, on the premise that it's Mommy's favorite color. I'm lovin' some momma's boy in those moments!

Caroline was trying to give him a lesson in magnifying glass usage...

...but he preferred to use it this way:

I just love this series of pictures so much that I had to throw these in too.

After a long day of exploring, this is how my lucky guy ended the night, wedged between two cuties, watching the Curious George movie. He's living the good life.

Cold Pricklies

2008-07-13T19:57:00.005-04:00

As many of you may recall, I went skydiving in January to kick off my thirties. The plane we rode up in was really small, holding the pilot, my instructor, me and a guy named Paul. Paul seemed like a neat guy, very experienced in skydiving. He talked to me all the way up, reassuring me about how incredible it was going to be. He was literally holding the airplane door closed on the way up and, when my instructor and I jumped out of the airplane, he jumped out right after us. When I opened my eyes after the initial scare, Paul was right in front of me, "floating" and waiving at me. I remember being happy that he'd hitched a ride up with us because he really put me at ease--if he could jump out of an airplane thousands of times, surely I would be completely fine to do it once!

I was, therefore, quite surprised when Bryan emailed me this article on Friday. The one he sent me actually didn't have the picture; I found that on the obits page of our local paper. All I had initially was his name but I immediately got goosebumps, thinking the odds were pretty good that it was him. Once I found the picture, I knew for sure.

It just really made me think about how, in an instant, a tragedy can change everything. It reminded me of how you need to live each day to the fullest. as much of a cliche as that may be. Paul obviously truly loved skydiving and spent his last moments doing something that was his passion. May be all be as fortunate when our time is here.

When Bugs on Your Food is a GOOD Thing

2008-07-03T19:57:00.005-04:00

Bryan has a great guy he used to work with, Steve, who was incredibly nice enough to volunteer to work on our kitchen not just once, but twice, making it exactly two more times than I did I worked on the kitchen. So when he asked me to make cupcakes for his son's birthday party this weekend, I was totally into it. I am in LOVE with the previously mentioned cupcake book. This was my first time melting chocolate and using it as a medium. It was a bit time consuming, but the the results are so worth it...

And Then He Was Three...

2008-07-02T12:59:00.006-04:00

Today is Jonathan's third birthday! I am forever amazed at how quickly the time has passed since he was born three years ago! It fees like just yesterday that I was writing a post about him turning two! Now I look at Jonathan's sweet face and I feel the same emotions as the first time I saw it, but even more intensely. In sum, I am smitten.

Memory lane...

Fresh from delivery. I melt looking at this picture, how sweet and innocent he is.

In a flash, it was his first birthday and he was eating cake for the first time. My, how things change that first year!

Then one year ago today, we were at the zoo for his birthday. As I watched him playing in the water, I remember looking at him, marveling about how incredible he was and how lucky I felt to be his mother.

And here he is today, three years old. Already a little man and with more personality than you would think could fit in his 24 pound body. Which is why he was opening birthday gifts before seven a.m. this morning.

Happy birthday Jonathan! You captured my heart three years ago when I first laid eyes on you. I suspect that you have no intentions of returning it to me. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

On Top of Spaghetti

2008-06-30T19:36:00.003-04:00

Jonathan's birthday is in a mere two (!) days. He and I will be enjoying our Third Annual Mother and Son day together on Wednesday. As he will not be in school on his actual birthday, I decided to bake cupcakes and take them into his class tomorrow. Bryan recently purchased me this great book and this was the perfect occasion to try it. It has some incredible ideas, many of which look totally doable. This time, though, since I am catering, so to speak, to toddlers, I decided to try the spaghetti design:

It was so much fun and I just know the kids are going to love it!

Children's Museum

2008-06-22T18:21:00.007-04:00

We just got back a few hours ago from a weekend trip to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. We went with our friends Joe and Cindy and their daughters, Caroline and Lily, who are 6 and 4 respectively.

In one word, it was AWESOME! The biggest reason why we made the trip now was because the feature exhibit was Curious George. I think it's a traveling exhibit as it is only there for a few months. It was great and Jonathan loved that he recognized everything, from the Man with the Yellow Hat to the rocket ship to their apartment. Jonathan also got to meet Curious George in person. He normally is afraid of people dressed like characters but his love for Curious George helped him overcome that fear. Fair warning--picture overload a-comin'.

These next ones are "action" shots. No narration necessary as I think they are pretty self explanatory.

These last couple are of the ceiling in the blown glass exhibit. They had a circular couch in the middle where you could lean back and watch the ceiling as the couch slowly turned. It was super relaxing:

We had a package deal where we stayed in a train car room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the package also included tickets to the Indianapolis Zoo, which we visited this morning (it was fabulous, by the way). No pictures were taken of either of those, though, mostly because after the museum, I was beat! It was a fun time but a weekend trip with a two year old is A LOT more tiring than the weekend getaways Bryan and I have taken on our own. I will need to go to work tomorrow to get some rest!

Makin' Meatloaf

2008-06-16T19:45:00.006-04:00

I am trying to initiate Friday evening family dinners since Jonathan eats too early during the week for the three of us to dine at once. This past Friday, it was cheeseburger meatloaf time. Bryan was not home yet so Jonathan joined me in the kitchen. It was totally fun and the finished product was delicious!

First, he wanted to use a spoon because he didn't want to get his hands all yucky.

That didn't work so well, so I suggested he do what I usually do and just mash it all up with my hands. He wasn't so sure at first...

...but he soon realized Mommy is not completely crazy and had a good time. Ah, I am totally looking forward to the day when he can cook me a meal!

Just One

2008-06-11T20:00:00.004-04:00

Not only does this post only have one picture, it's also about the Ringling Brothers circus. Bryan and Jonathan went on Saturday and there was only one ring. What's up with messing with three ring tradition? I loved going with my family as a kid, trying to decide which act to watch at any given time. Bryan was quite disappointed but Jonathan thought it was the "cat's meow," to quote my husband, so it was still a successful father-son bonding time overall.

Faces of Fantoni

2008-06-10T19:36:00.006-04:00

Jonathan is quite expressive at the ripe old age of almost three. He's often happy:

Sometimes he's coy:

Here is all puffed out after eating too much soy sauce with sushi at lunch. Oh, wait. That's me.

He can be silly...

...and surprised.

Lately, he can also be a raging bundle of mixed emotions, tears and screaming but I don't have any pictures of that. I'll need to forget those times if I even want to CONSIDER ever having another baby!

Sunday Morning Picnic

2008-06-04T19:24:00.005-04:00

Sunday morning, we had our first ever Fantoni Waterfront Park picnic. We really should have been at church, but we have not found one that quite suited us since we left our old one. Although I guess actually visiting churches would help us find the right one...

Anyhoo, the scenery from our table was fabulous:

It was less of a picnic for Jonathan as he was too enamored of the playground to eat much, particularly since it's been eight months or so since the last time he saw it. It was so fun to see him play on equipment that last year overwhelmed him:

Here is Jonathan with his new "smile" when I tell him to look at Mommy for a picture. Has he been hanging out with Sophie?

Splish Splash

2008-06-01T17:21:00.006-04:00

Finally a weekend where we did not have plans and it was not raining! The weather was lovely Saturday so we headed to the zoo, our first trip of the season. Jonathan's favorites, as they were last year, were the the train and the water park. It was an awesome idea to put a water play area in the zoo, but a little shade would have been nice for us parents--I felt like I was baking!

Jonathan looking quite pleased with himself. I would too if I had a flat stomach like that (insert sigh of longing here)...

The man in action:

Does it make us bad parents that we cracked up every time the water came up and hit him in the face. I sure hope not.

Playing Catch Up

2008-05-28T18:42:00.008-04:00

I have been a blogging slacker lately, so much so that I have hated to even do a new blog because it's embarrassing how far behind I have gotten. So, I am going to do a quick recap in this post and then (hopefully) will get back to posting in a more timely manner!

Jonathan at the Pegasus Parade. My parade pictures are horrid, so this is all you get. My mother in law and my nephew were supposed to go with us but Bryan's dad had a stroke the day before so, obviously, the parade did not make the agenda (he's doing OK). I would rather have skipped it than brave the crowd by myself, but we actually had a great time. And ate cotton candy--delish!

A couple of pics from the Derby party we attended. It was a great party up until the death of Eight Belles. So sad.

Do you believe that it was actually Bryan's idea to bust out the matching Father's Day shirts from last year? I still love them!

We went to Backyardigans Live on the Saturday before Mother's Day. Jonathan adored it, so much so that he cried when it was over. It was really good but for the fact that the characters' costumes did not have faces, meaning that you saw the faces of the actors. Jonathan did not seem to mind but it took me a bit to become acclimated to it. You were not allowed to take pictures inside, but here is one of us getting ready to leave the house:

My mother's day present (along with a GPS for my car). Thanks for the idea Kim--totally love it and now I am hooked on Etsy, too!

We had Bryan's family over for Mother's Day. I made a pansy cake because pansies are my mother in law's favorite. I also made cream cheese frosting and it was amazing. Horribly bad for you but simply heavenly!

Jonathan went to my parents' house the week before Memorial Day, thus the lack of more recent pictures. He was there for a solid week and my mother still had a hard time with him coming back! I love the fact that she is able to spend so much time with him!

This brings us to the present. Jonathan is back at school this week and finally seems to be over MOST of the two year old stubbornness and temper tantrums. If there is a three year old equivalent of that, please no one tell me as I would prefer to be in denial...