Week 36: October 13-19

Mason:
- I got the honor of putting Mason to bed one night while Jim fed Jackson a bottle.  While I was lying on his bed talking to him, I laid my face on top of my hand, and Mason was very disturbed by this, he kept saying "don't squish your face, mom!"
- He has such a great thought process!  One day Jackson was being fussy in the car, so when we got home I said, "I'm going to take this fussy bucket upstairs." and he said, "well, I'm going to take THIS happy bucket upstairs!" (talking about himself!)
- One day I came in his room after nap to find his pull up sitting at the end of his bed.  He just decided he didn't need it.  And thankfully he didn't have any accidents!  (he hasn't done that again since, but I am glad that he is interested in working towards dry nap/bed).

Jackson:
- TEETH!  He went from having 2 to 5 teeth this week!  His top central incisors and his bottom left lateral incisor.
- He's taking advantage of those new toofers to try out as many foods as he can get his hands on off our plates.  This week he had some bites of beans, banana, ground turkey, chicken breast, bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, and yogurt melts.

Jackson is becoming more interested in Duncan

<3 Skele-bros <3

Brother kisses are funny

Working at the library

Peak-a-boo!!

Trying out a different football team these days.

They make some pretty great Tar Heels!

Look who is big enough for (and taking full advantage of) grocery store germs!

(ick!  I did wipe down the cart though, it that helps at all!)

"Jackson, this is your house now.  This is the mail, these are the buttons..."

We went to Bellingham so that Jim (and Mason) could hang some pictures and such up in my office.  My classroom is right across the hall, so Mason got to see where I teach!

He practiced being a student, and also teaching in the front of the room.

Attempt #1 of "I'm going to teach you about Exercise Physiology!"

The second attempt went a little better ;)

 Then he hammered some nails in my office

We had to stop to TRY to take a picture where "the three of us" took a picture last year: 

 ~October 2013 

Every time I pass art structures on campus, I think about how much fun Mason would have climbing on them.  Today he got the chance! :)  

 I am very excited he can sit in a high chair these days!

AND he can sit in the wagon too!

It's such a fun new world! 

 I'm not exactly sure how this situation happened... when I left the room Jackson was sitting in the blue gumbo and Mason was wearing my boots.

Fortunately no tears were involved!

These boys are so fun together. 

Here's a little Jack Attack on Mason 

 36 weeks, ~8 months, and finally sitting up pretty well!

Peetoot Orig wanted his picture taken as well ;)

Week 35: October 6-12

This week they pulled out the Harness at Gymnastics.  Mason LOVED it!

Mason and I were trying to wake Jackson up, and Mason climbed into his crib, sat next to him, and was talking to him and he still didn't wake! (I had to check to make sure he was still breathing)

Jack Jack fits in the Duplo wagon

Both boys found this pretty amusing!

Some sweet, sweet Cracker Jack

Gordon's: The best pumpkin patch ever!

Mason is in the "pumpkin bear cave" on the left, and he spent hours on this tractor on the right!

Of course I tried my best for some photo ops

And we picked our own pumpkins

I like the Cotton Top one the best!!

We wandered around the corn maze

We spent $32 in all.  Not bad for a fun filled afternoon and a wagon full of a variety of pumpkins!

We had to give the tractor a little more love before we left

Julia and Eleanor were there with us for part of the time.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch and some play time together.  

A new friend met us out there for the first first half.  Her name is Alyson and I met her at a coffee shop.  Quite seriously, I said something to her about how her life looks a lot like my life when she walked in holding a toddlers hand with a baby in an infant carrier (both boys).  We didn't even talk too much at the coffee shop, but when she was leaving I awkwardly gave her my phone number and said we should have a play date some time.  So far it's turned out to be a great fit!

Skele-Jack practicing his sitting skillz

My pumpkins and their pumpkin goods.

I don't know if there could be anything more fun than a day at a pumpkin farm.  Oh wait, yes I do!  A DAY AT THE FIRE HOUSE!!!!

We had marked our calendars a while back (well before even attending the firehouse even in Oak Harbor).  This Saturday was the Anacortes Fire Department Open House.  Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate as well, and it poured a large portion of the time we were there.

BUT that did not stop us...

Mason got to spray a fire hose!  

 

He sprayed down the house... quite literally!

Then we moved on to [blah, blah, blah... Mason can seriously not pay attention to anything else because...FIRE HOSE!!!!  CONNECTED TO THE HYDRANT.... THAT HE COULD SPRAY!!!!!]

He also enjoyed rolling up the firehose, and came up with his own strategy for lying it on its side to pack it down every couple rolls.

We also got to go for a ride in the FIRE TRUCK!!!!!!

But if you really wanna be impressive, and make a momma proud, you march your little 2.5 year old butt over to a firefighter and ask him if he will show you the special wrench they use to open the fire hydrant.  No prompting.  Nothing we had discussed.  The firefighter wasn't even standing anywhere near the hydrant at the time.  It was AWESOME.

And the firefighters were all so helpful, friendly, and educational.

Fortunately, I thought ahead in time to get a bideo of most of the special wrench lesson, so that Mason can watch it over and over.

He has already told me that next time he is going to ask them to show him their axes.  Oh dear, lol.

We even came back to the open house about an hour and a half later because we heard they were going to do a live fire demo.  This shows you how a trash can fire progresses in a room within 6-7 minutes (the length of time it takes this fire department to reach the majority of their locations).  Mason loved watching the fire (and of course the putting out of the fire), and I certainly learned a lot!

 

We couldn't leave without giving the medics some love too.  They didn't even have the ambulance open for people to see inside, but Mason asked and they did not refuse his sweetness.

Speaking of sweetness... are. you. KIDDING. me???

Look at these brothers <3

Sunday night Mas had some friends' (twin boys) birthday party.  I had been looking forward to it as I have been social with their mom, and I just love seeing all the boys get together and play, etc.  Unfortunately I had come down with a nasty stomach bug.  Daddy to the rescue ~ he took BOTH our boys to the party and gave me a couple of hours to vomit in private... quite a luxury!  ;)  And he also did a good job of taking some pictures so I could see what Mas was up to :)

Looks like it was a lot of fun!

Some silly big boy faces with some sweet matching shirts!

Sweet Happy Jackster

I'll have to look through old photos, but he used to wear this hat when we did Stroller Strides in March/April and it swallowed his baby head.  He has certainly grown!

Weekly brother giggles