Treats for Daddy

Today we made chocolate rice krispy treats as a surprise for Dad. My little helper punched in the numbers on the microwave, measured the rice cereal, and stirred the ingredients. As a reward, he got to lick the spoon (of course!). Oh, but it was difficult waiting for Dad to come home!

Playschool

Jackson will start playschool this September. We went to the school's kick-off picnic and open house, where he met his teachers, Ms. Debbie (pictured) and Ms. Nicoletta. He has talked about them non-stop, and he's excited to start school after we get back from the beach. The school was renovated this summer, and the rooms are bright and colorful. Jack will attend Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. And even though he has friends going to the same school, none of them is in his class, so he'll be making lots of new friends!

Wigglemania!

We took Jack to see The Wiggles this past weekend. That's his friend, Katherine in the pictures with him (she had seats at the other end of our row, but it didn't matter because the little groupies were dancing in the aisle).
When we first got to the arena, Jack was a little overwhelmed--he sat quietly on Rick's lap for the first few minutes of the show until the Big Red Car carrying The Wiggles came out on stage. Then, he stood up (still on Rick's lap) and started waving emphatically with both hands. Rick leaned over to me and said, "His little heart is racing!"

Anthony, the blue Wiggle, read Jackson's poster out loud--"Jackson loves the Wiggles!" Which may have been more exciting for me because I screamed like a little girl at a Beatles concert when he said my child's name. Sam, the yellow Wiggle, came down our aisle, and Jack gave him a high five!

When Jack woke up this morning (two days post-Wiggles), he told Rick, "I went see The Wiggles, Daddy?" I think it'll be a while before we top Wigglemania.

Time Out!

Watch to see what happens when Sam's toy causes him to go to what Rick calls "The Bad Place."

Jack's Girl

This is Jack's friend (and neighbor), Katherine. Jack and Katherine have a fire-and-ice relationship. We often call them brother and sister because they love each other fiercely one minute, and their tempers flare at each other the next. This is a "fire" moment, when their common love for Curious George (on television) brings them together for some cuddle time.

Li'l Giggler

This was the first time we heard Sam giggle. Rick was playing with the boys on the floor when he started doing some exaggerated push-ups, much to Sam's delight. Of course, I grabbed the camera as soon as I could, and Jackson--ever the show-stealer--grabbed it from me. We've since learned that this push-up move is a sure-fire way to make Mr. Cash laugh out loud.

Not a Fan

I'm just guessing here, but I think the carrot is not one of Sam's favorite vegetables. I thought we'd branch out and try some veggies, but the "what did you just do to me, Mama?" look was enough to send me running back to the kitchen for some oatmeal, which made that frown turn upside-down!

Just Ducky

Jackson's Ducky (his "lovey") was given to him by his Nanee and Papa Wilcox when he was about four months old. I just now realized that means Ducky is two years old this month--Happy Birthday, Ducky! I remember the day Ducky came into our lives. Nanee and Papa had gone on a little shopping spree at Concord Mills in preparation for a two-month trip to Africa to check on their missionary projects. They got all the grandkids a few gifts, and Ducky was tucked into Jack's little gift bag. I remember dismissing the shiny, blue duck blanket as a little blanky that would probably be relegated to the bottom of the toy box. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I don't remember the exact moment or day, but after a while we noticed that Jack would find that little blanket every time he went down for a nap and at bedtime. It definitely had the soothing quality for him that pacifiers seemed to provide most other infants. When I'd put him down to sleep he'd tuck the duck blanket under his left arm and pop his right thumb into his mouth. He became a great, little napper with all this sleep paraphernalia.

It didn't take us too long to realize that Ducky (aptly named) was a hot commodity. I was very strict (at first), only letting Ducky out of the crib for long car rides or any excursion that would require a nap away from home. We got some good advice from "lovey" experts (experienced parents): find another Ducky--a spare--just in case...

We searched near and far, but Ducky was sold out, discontinued. We were resigned to make-do with just one duck. I hand-washed Ducky and let him air-dry. We took great care of him; he was the peacemaker and peacekeeper.

One day, we invited my friend, Charlotte and her son, Walker over to our house for a playdate. I had told her about Jack's new Ducky, and when she saw it, she exclaimed, "Hey, we've got that duck blanket! Walker got it as a gift; he could care less about it--do you want it?" Ummm, yeah.

So, original Ducky and alternate Ducky performed as a single Ducky--almost like the Olsen twins on Full House--you never saw the two together. To be honest, the one not being utilized wiled away the time in my underwear drawer. For over a year, we carried on this charade.

And then it happened...worlds collided. My much-wiser, more keen eighteen-month-old was holding original Ducky and saw alternative Ducky. Now that I think about it, what was Jack doing in my underwear drawer? He yelled, "TWO DUCKIES!" And it was over. We were found out! The world of two Duckies was pure bliss--more joy than a toddler can handle--his little body just shook with excitement whenever he saw his two favorite possessions co-existing in his immediate sphere.

You'll notice two Duckies in the picture. The one on the left has a band-aid tattoo (really, it's permanent), the result of a trip through a not-so-gentle wash cycle while wearing a Cars band-aid. Nowadays, at least one Ducky (usually the original, non-tattooed Ducky) makes it out of the house at least a couple times a week. He's more likely to share tattooed Ducky with his friends and Sam; it's amazing how early our discriminations develop.

This past week, we went to Jack's pre-school picnic to meet his teachers, and Ducky came along. Jack's teacher crouched down to his level to introduce herself. She told him all about the fun things they'd do at school together, and then noticed Ducky hanging off his shoulder. Who's this? Well, he can come to school with you! He can do crafts with us and sing songs with us and...Great (please note the sarcasm).

Rick and I look back now at the very early pictures when Ducky first came into our lives. He was so shiny--no tattoos, no thread hanging from his eyeball. That duck has been the target of my almost-endless gratitude and occasional disdain, but he's been a good duck, and I'm glad he made his way into that little gift bag and never found the bottom of the toy box.

Frinklers!

Jack loves to see sprinklers, and he points them out wherever we go. "Look, Mom, sprinklers!" which comes out "FRinklers." His favorite thing on Saturday morning is heading outside with Rick to turn on the frinklers. One hot morning, Jack decided to make it a full-sensory experience by insisting that his dad go get his "swims." Once Rick got his swimsuit for him--oddly enough, he kept his collared shirt on--Jack ran through each sprinkler as they cycled around the house. Eventually, he talked neighbor Noah into joining him (fully clothed). Here are some pictures of Jack and Noah in the frinklers.

Sam's 4-month Check-up

Our little guy got a clean bill of health (and a few shots) this morning from our pediatrician, Dr. Wrinkle. Sam usually sleeps from 7 p.m. to 5 or 6 a.m. He's gotten into quite a routine, taking four naps of about an hour (+) each. He loves eating cereal; actually, he becomes quite demanding if I'm too slow with the spoon. He is able to flip from his back to his front, and once he flipped back over--but I think it was more of an accident than anything else:) Sam did a great job transitioning from being swaddled at nap and bedtime to having his hands free, although he is scratching up his forehead with his sharp, little nails. He is able to sit up unassisted for several seconds at a time. He happily plays in his entertainer and in his johnny jumper, and he has even started giggling!

His stats:

Weight: 15 lbs., 2 oz. (50th %)

Height: 25 in. (50th %)