Sunday

Sunday we went to church and Jack loved going to Children in Worship. Mom dropped him off, he took off his shoes, hung up his jacket, and sat on a carpet square and never looked backed! After church we had supper and watched the Ryder Cup. After the Ryder Cup Dad and Chris went to play golf and we layed Jack down for a nap. Mom and Dad live across the street from the 13th hole so when Dad and Chris made the turn on the 13th they came over and picked Jack up. This was Jack's first golf outing with his Dad and I don't know if Chris will be able to golf without him again. When Wade woke up from his nap Mom and I went for a walk to find the golfers. We found them at the 18th hole. If was a par 5 and Chris was on in two shots but had a few problems putting. I am sure that having Jack there to give Chris advice had nothing to do with it!!

More golf...

Saturday

Today was a little rainy but not terrible. We decided to go into Canada to go to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. Mom and Dad live about 3 miles from the Canadian border and the zoo was only another 15 min drive once through customs. By the time we got to the zoo it had decided to pour!! So we loaded everyone back into the car. There is a wave pool in Canada that we are going to take Jack to, so we decided to go and check it out. Jack thought it was great and really wants to go back when we have our bathing suits. There were also kids (girls!) playing hockey at the rec center so Jack had to watch them for awhile. Then we drove back over the border. It took about an hour to get back into Washington. We got home just in time for the boys to take naps and for Mom and I to get to the grocery store. We had a low key night and I made Pomegranate Martinis (Sara, wished you could have been here to enjoy one with me!). We also watched the Ryder Cup and a little college football.

Friday

Friday was another lazy day for Chris and me. I think b.c. the summer was so busy our plan for this trip was to do the least amount possible. We usually start our day around 9am when Wade gets up, we have a cup of coffee, breakfast and then another cup of coffee, a little Sportscenter for Chris, Today Show for me, and Playhouse Disney for Jack and then another cup of coffee for me!! I think by around 11 or 12 I am ready to get dressed and start the day. Good thing that Oma is here to entertain Jack so Chris and I can be this lazy!!

In the afternoon on Friday I went with Jack and Oma to Rod and Carol's dairy farm and to no ones surprise--Jack loved it. First we went to where all the baby calves were. There was one little calf that had been born 1 hour earlier and was getting it's first bottle and learning how to walk. Here is a picture of the other calves and boy where they interested in us. Oma let one of them suck on her finger and when we asked if Jack wanted to do the same he was not at all interested in that adventure.

After visiting the calves he wanted to go and see the donkey. In Rod and Carol's family there are 3 boys: Jon, Jeff and Mark. On the night Mark was getting back from his honeymoon at 2am, his brothers had parked Mark's truck at the entrance to his driveway so they could not get in. There was a note on the windshield telling him that the keys to the truck were on the donkey's neck and if he wanted to move the truck they would have to catch the donkey. I thought that was a pretty funny story!! Now the donkey lives at Rod and Carol's and Jack just had to meet that donkey.

After the donkey visit Jack had to go back and check on the calves, then he had to go and check on the donkey again and then one more trip back to the calves. He wanted to check in one more time to see if the new baby calf had learned to walk. He was pretty disappointed when we left but we told him we would come back to visit. (The donkey is the white one.)

Thursday

For some reason a three hour time change and 12 hours of traveling does not affect a three year old. So Thursday, while Chris and I recovered from the travel and time change, Oma took Jack to the Library and the Park. I think he checked out every book in the library. Good thing Oma took her Costco shopping bag with her to carry all the books. He did discover "Where's Waldo?" and now that is the only book he wants to "read" before he goes to bed. Too bad it can take even the adults 15-20 min to find Waldo. He LOVED the park!! They just put this park in and it is great!! I think it took three phone calls to Chris, & Papa showing up, to finally convince Jack it was time to go. We have all these fun things planned and I think if we just took him to the park everyday he would be totally happy.

Jack also got to pick out new barn boots from Oma & Papa and here they are. He also loves throwing stones into the creek by the park so the boots came in very handy!

WA Trip Wednesday

Our first day in WA was pretty uneventful seeing we were all pretty tired. We ran some errands in the morning and Jack got to pick out some new barn boots. I'll take a picture and put it on in the next couple days. They look like cowboys boots and he hasn't taken them off since he got them. We went into Bellingham and did some shopping and also got the boys holloween costumes. Wade did have an eventful day, his first taste of baby food!! It is also an eventful day for me, he is now not soley dependent on me for food!!! He tried sweet potates and did really well!!

Jack also tried something new for lunch, hotdogs!! Jack is a VERY picky eater and when he tries something new we all get very excited. My Mom made him Octupus hotdogs!! Anything to distract Jack from what he is actually eating. I think the funnest part for him was that he got to cut off each octupus leg and eat it!! Here are a few pictures.

Flight

On Tuesday morning we loaded the car and began our 12 hour trip to Washington to visit my parents. Jack was so excited that he was sleep walking the night before and we think he must have been dreaming about leaving. It took us 4 hours to get to Chicago. 94 was closed from Valparaiso to the Illinois boarder b/c of the 10 in of rain we had over the weekend and the highway was covered in water so everyone was detoured to the 80 90 toll road. The traffic was HORRIBLE and with a screaming baby it seemed to take forever. It took us about an hour and a half longer than usual. We were all very glad to get out of the car! We picked up Aunt Mary and drove to Midway. Thank you Mary for assisting us in getting everything to the airport, we couldn't have done it without you!! Here is a picture of Jack watching all the airplanes land. We had to remind him to use his indoor voice b/c he was alittle loud everytime a plane landed. This is Jack's 12th flight and it never gets old for him, but it was Wade's 1st flight...

and here is Wade and me by our flight number to document his first flight!!

Here is Jack watching Curious George. He watched a few differnt DVD's, did a little coloring, and listened to his Fisher Price MP3 player, note to parent's, the MP3 player is awsome, Jack's loves it and so do I. Great gift for any toddler. I don't think we could have paid him to take a nap but he did great without one.

Wade, thankfully, did take about an hour nap and was the happiest baby!! No issue with his ears and loved that we could hold him the whole time, unlike in the car. We landed in Seattle at 7pm and had a 2 hour drive to my parent's. We stopped for a quick dinner and when we got in the car both boys were sound asleep within minutes! So far the time change has been smooth. No one has been up before 6am!! We are so excited to finally be here and Jack hasn't left his Oma's side since we got here. He even sleeps in Oma and Papa's bedroom, a great little treat for Chris and me, too!! He sleeps in a sleeping bag on the floor which he calls his bean bag!! I'll do my best to update the blog everyday!!

1st Day of Preschool

Today was the big day, Jack's first day of Preschool!! He was so excited yesterday that I can't believe he slept so well! When I went to wake him up at 8am he rolled over and said that I should leave and he would wake up when he was ready. I thought we would have no problems getting him up and ready for school, but apparently we are starting young with not wanting to get out of bed for school! Once he was out of bed we couldn't leave fast enough. I packed Jack's lunch and he put his coat on and he was ready. On the way to school he did say that he would miss Wade and me. We had calls from Daddy and Sara before we left for school wishing us a good first day. (Mom, I know you would have called but it was 6am for you when Jack was leaving for school and when we were driving home you were the first person he wanted to call so he could tell you all about his first day.)

Here we are by Jack's name tag. We had orientation last week so he knew right where to go. You would have thought he had been there a hundred times! (He also learned to say "Orientation" perfectly and used it everytime he talked about going to school.) We got him all signed in, washed his hands and waited for the doors to his classroom to open. Jack was the first one in and the teacher had to remind him to tell me goodbye.

Jack had a great first day and when I picked him up the first thing he said in the car was, " When do I get to go back to school?" He didn't want to leave the playground and he helped his teachers pick up all the toys, he was totally putting off leaving. His teacher said he did great and that he is such a little man! He can't wait for Thursday to come so he can go back to school. I think his favorite thing about school is going outside to play, totally normal, right? He did say he made one friend, Sammy, so that is good. Jack has 8 kids in his class, 7 boys and 1 girl. Jack you are such a wonderful kid and I am so happy and blessed to be your Mom. I am so proud of you kiddo!

6 months, and such a big big boy!!!

Wade had his 6 month appointment today and everything looks good! He is now 16lbs 2oz, totally thought he would be bigger than that, and is 26in long. Can't believe how fast these first 6 months have gone. The Dr asked me if he is rolling over or close to sitting up and I told her he rolls from his stomach to his back and that is it so far. I guess I really do need to start putting him down more so he can practice sitting up and rolling from his stomach to his back. I think I haven't been doing this because then it means he is growing up and no longer my little baby. Why do they have to grow up so fast? Jack can't wait for him to grow up so they can play ball together. Yesterday at MVP they had a free clinic to introduce there new childrens basketball program. The kids are suppost to be in 1st grade but I thought why not let Jack try, he has been dribbling a ball since he was 18 months. I talked to the gentelman running it and he looked at me like I was one of those crazy Moms who think there kid is the best at everything. But he let Jack play and Jack did GREAT!! He said Jack totally hung with all the big kids and thought Jack would do just fine in the program!! So proud of him!! If was really cute to watch and it made me realize just how big he is getting!! Jack starts school tomorrow and couldn't be more excited. I have to pack his first lunch tomorrow, probably one of many over the next 15 years!!

Jack's Teacher

Yesterday Jack has orientation for school. We are sending him to Children's Workshop for preschool and he couldn't be more excited!!! After orientation Jack's teacher Miss Sherri came to the house to visit Jack. She got a chance to see where Jack lives, see his room and to play a little candyland!!! I think it is so great that she goes to all her student's home's for a visit. Here is Jack with Miss Sherri. He starts school on Tuesday and he can't stop talking about it. I am also excited about having two morning a weeks with only one child!!

Tag

A- Attached or Single? Married.
B- Best Friend: my sister's and Mom
C- Cake or Pie: the apple pie from Costco!!!!
D- Drink of Choice: diet coke and pomegranate martinis.
E- Essential Item: my cell phone and diaper bag.
F- Favorite Color: blue, that is the color of the boys eye's.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: worm, b.c then Jack can fish off the edge of my bed for sharks!!
H- Hometown: grand rapids.
I- Indulgence: shopping, mannies, peddies, heath and butterfinger flurry
J- January or February: January, the new year and all that college football the first week, hopefully Michigan is playing!
L- Life, for me, is incomplete without: God, family, dear friends, my children, husband.
M- Marriage Date: 01.06.
N- Number of Siblings: 2 sister's whom I can't imagine going through life without.
O- Oranges or Apples? apples, but only Fiji apples
P- Phobia/Fears: losing a child, strange noises, talking about strange noises,
Q- Favorite Quote: "You have given me a gift such as I never dreamt of finding in this life."
R- Reasons to smile: my boys, my husband comes home from work on time or early!!!
S- Season: Fall, cooler days with bright blue skies, great driving weather to have the windows down.
T- Tag Ten: Libby, Justin, Bethany, Jane, Becky, Mary, Mom, Dad (seriously, Mom and Dad, on your blog!!)
U- Unknown fact about me: i think i pretty much share everything....but I'll keep thinking...
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I eat meat, tried the vegetarian thing for about 6 years but when I tried a burger again it was all over!
W- Worst Habit: putting off cleaning my house, saving everything for the last minute!
X- X-rays or Ultrasounds? Ultrasounds, so I could see my babies beating heart!!
Y- Your Favorite Foods: candy, that's a food right??, sushi, steak from Jeff Ruby's
Z- Zodiac: Scorpio

Labor Day Weekend cont...

Here is Wade and I at the beach. I forgot Wade's hat on the table at home so we had to make and hat for him out of my Aunt Nancy's tank top. It worked great and no sunburn!!! Wade loved the beach and even took a short nap under the umbrella. It was a perfect weekend at the beach. High 70's, low 80's and the water was wonderfully refreshing! We did put Wade's toes in and he did cry, still too cold for him.

Here is Jack with my cousin Lydia. Her brother Joe was there too and the three of them got along great all weekend. It is so nice when there are other kids for Jack to play with. They had so much fun at the beach and Jack loved buggy boarding in the water.

Labor Day Weekend!!!

Can't believe the summer has come to a close, but a perfect weekend it was. We went out to the lake on Friday and on Saturday we took Jack and Wade to the Country Dairy Farm which is just North of the cottage. Or as Jack likes to call it the "Fairy". He thought it was going to be like the fair we went to in Lowell so I guess he put the two together and came up with "Fairy".Jack loved seeing the cows!! (Oma and Papa, Jack has made a request to go and see Rod and Carols BIG dairy farm when we get to WA.) He didn't even want to come in for lunch, I think he thought the cows would miss him.

Here is Wade who seems to get bigger every second. He is such a little hunny. And I can't believe he is 6 months already!!

Here is Wade trying to get my attention to let me know he is ready to eat!!!

Jack loves the "All you can drink" chocolate milk that comes with his lunch at the dairy. He wanted me to take a picture of his chocolate mustache but I don't think you can see it too well.

Labor Day Weekend cont...

Another beautiful sunset at the Lake. What a way to end the summer!

This is how Wade ended his weekend, with a nap. The kids don't always sleep well at the lake and our baby that was sleeping 12hrs at 5 weeks now thinks it's fun to get up at night. He usually gets up once a night but this weekend he thought 3 times would be super fun!! I am looking forward to a good night sleep now that we are home. This picture was taken at 10:30 am and I think he had gotten up at 9am!

When we got home from the Lake I had a package from my dear friend Sara in KY. There was a disk of photos from the shoot Sara did when Wade was 6 weeks old, love those pictures, and this super cute t-shirt!! Love it Sara! You know my boys oh so well!! And if Wade is anything like Jack he should be dribbling a basketball in about 9-12 months!!