Sam's First Ice Cream Cone

On Jack's birthday, my neighbor brought out a bucket of ice cream and a package of cones and started serving up yummy treats for all the kids. Sam quickly made his way into the line, and I actually hesitated, thinking to myself, he can't eat a whole cone...well, he proved me wrong! Sam downed the entire ice cream cone; all that was left was some sticky residue.

Cake Rules!

Sam dug right into the boys' Cars/Lightning McQueen cake(middle picture), which cracked me up because I remember two years earlier, Jackson (top picture) delicately pinching the icing of his cake with skepticism before we ended up spoon-feeding him some of it. What a difference!

Happy Birthday, Little Man! (Birthday Week Ends!)

Although Sam's actual birthday was somewhat of a wash (quite literally, with the rain, but it didn't help that he woke up covered in vomit and later fell mouth-first into the train table), the following morning the sun returned, and we assured him that one really is fun and decided to hit the delete button--erasing the memory of his first day as a one-year-old--and start anew.

Sam's new birthday: What a fun day! There was no vomit, and we played outside in the sun (after five rainy days in a row); Sam loves to play in the sandbox and with the water table. At times, I have to pull him away, and he protests--loudly! We had some family and friends/neighbors over for a pizza birthday party for both the boys. It was a great end to birthday week.

Michigan Adventure

I'm so frustrated with myself that Sam and I spent almost a week in Michigan with my parents and siblings, yet I managed to take a grand total of four pictures! At least this one of Sam bathing in Pepa's tub is a keeper (and Lukie is too cute to leave out), and I'll go easy on myself since it really wasn't a social visit--Dad was having open-heart surgery. Thank God, the surgery went well (thanks for the thoughts and prayers). It was a whirlwind visit--I didn't sleep in the same bed twice, Sam was out of his element but loved meeting and playing with his cousins and grandparents, and we boarded and de-planed five different aircrafts--yikes! Despite a little cold Sam picked up (thank you, NY cousins:)), it was a successful visit. Everyone survived! We love our Pepa, and we're glad he'll be around for many, many years to come.

Happy Birthday, Big Man! (Birthday Week Begins!)

My three-year-old (minus one day) responded "yes, I'd like green...with blueberries" when I asked him if I could make him some pancakes for breakfast on the morning of his birthday. So, that explains the first picture (you were wondering, weren't you?) He did indeed enjoy green and blue pancakes on his morning.

What a fun birthday! Jack's teachers invited Sam and me to join their class for cookies and dancing (two- and three-year-olds are the BEST dancers!). We spent the warm, sunny afternoon playing outside with our friends eating ice cream cones, and then we enjoyed dinner with Dad. What a difference a year makes! Jack really got into opening his presents. Some favorites, so far: a 7-foot shark kite from Grandma, new Lightning McQueen rainboots from Mom and Dad, and a Thomas the Train lighthouse bridge from Pepa.

The boys and I celebrated again with lunch on Wednesday with friends, followed by playgroup (more celebrations), and we're partying with the fam and neighbors on Saturday (Sam's birthday)---whew! Birthday week is in full swing!

Bed Head

I know I've already done a similar post, but it's really amazing how funky his thick, thick hair can get after just one nap!

I Appreciate my Teachers!

It is Teacher Appreciation Week at Jack's School. This is a video of Jack groovin' to the "jiggle song" a.k.a "my teacher song" (from a cd of fun songs his teachers gave him for Christmas). Every day when we finish eating lunch, Jack requests this song, and we all have to dance. Sam dances right along in his high chair!

For Ms. Debbie and Ms. Nicoletta: Rarely do people come around who fold so neatly and warmly into the life of my son. In six short months, you both have become regulars in Jackson's disjointed-in-theme-yet-continuous-in-flow chatter and prayers, and through this we know the impact you've had on our son. He loves you. Thank you for loving him!

Sam's Little Quirk

We're not sure why, but Sam really likes to crawl with something--or things--in his hands. Rick noticed this about a month ago and mentioned it to me. I started laughing. It's true!

I held an experiment for one week to see what I could capture him holding, and here are the findings:

Picture #1: A utility brush left overnight in our entry way by the guy who fixed our drywall

Picture #2: Right hand: A Dirt Devil Jr. play dust broom, and Left hand: a boo-boo buddy from an earlier injury

Picture #3: My deodorant from the bathroom cabinet (he had just dropped a tube of toothpaste from his right hand a few seconds before I shot this photo)

Picture #4: Right hand: the TV remote, and Left hand: my hairbrush

Other items of value to Sam: a pinwheel, a paint stir stick, a flashlight, a drumstick, the dust pan that goes with the Dirt Devil Jr. broom, matchbox cars, wooden spoons, plastic tools from Jack's tool box. I could go on and on, but there may be a chance that only Rick and I find this little quirk really funny.

Good Neighbor

I was so proud of Jack last week. We had just put Sam down for his morning nap when Jack jumped up and exclaimed, "I gotta go pick up the recycling bins!" It was such an urgent and unexpected pronouncement that I wasn't quite sure I heard him correctly. Sure enough, he proceeded to put on his shoes, coat and hat and head for the door. Now, we've done this for our neighbors before, but we always did it together--usually in the afternoons when we're already outside playing--this time he wanted to do it himself and now. So, I watched from the front door as he collected ten (TEN!) recycling bins and pulled them from the curb up to our neighbors' houses. I resisted the urge to run out and help, and I'm glad I did because he was so proud of himself. To top it all off, one neighbor caught him in the act and came outside to thank him.

So maybe he does mess up the alphabet every once in a while. Maybe sixteen sometimes follows fourteen. Maybe every moon is a crescent moon...I'm okay with that. Because my

son collects recycling bins.

A True Southerner

Often, Sam will start dinner first and finish first--leaving the rest of us to listen to his list of grievances (some days there are many). One such night when Sam was really giving us all the "what-for," I gave him a chicken bone to gnaw on just to get him to quiet down and be patient as the rest of us finished. I watched him carefully--often, I'm amazed at what he can do with two teeth and some determination. For the most part, he just gummed it and waved it around wildly. And now I'm properly raising a true Southerner.

In Like a Lion...

Roar! March is here! Snow started falling around 6 p.m. this evening. Jack took a great nap this afternoon, so after dinner I put Sam to bed and Jack and I headed outside for some snowy fun. We made a lop-sided snowman and practiced making snow angels. Jack got the sleds out, too. I let him play right up to bedtime, and I'm glad I did--we had a blast!