A weekend of camping started off pretty well. I was able to get loaded and ready to go earlier in the day. Frankie and I headed out a little before noon for the trek northward. We were there lickety split and had everything set up and ready for company by 4!!

Where’s the company? Where’s the rest of the family? Where? Where? Where? After a number of texts and phone calls Amy and Jacob arrived around 8:15 which wasn’t too bad considering they had to deal with I-75 being closed due to a rollover accident. This was only about 45 minutes later than anticipated. Unfortunately, Amy’s mom and step dad had a few more troubles because they left a little later and had another traffic jam to deal with, but everyone got there safe and sound eventually.
The weekend was pretty laid back and relaxing as we hung out around the campsite and ventured to the beach. Although, Jacob was ready to head home as he went to bed really late and then was up early without much of a nap. Great fun was had by all.

The family loaded up and headed out for an annual picnic with some childhood neighbors. One of which, came in from North Carolina with her family. It was great to see everyone once again. We don't get to see them very often, but do keep in touch via technology. Here are a few pictures that Amy, yes Amy took as she was commanding the camera on this day.

Thanks to Jeff, Jacob was able to ride the ATV in the driver's seat while all of the older kids had to take turns. Wouldn't ya' know it! Jacob didn't want to get off of the ATV and when it was time to take a break, he followed Jeff around just waiting for the next time he got on and hit the gas pedal. Jacob loved being outdoors and running around and playing with all of the kids.

Jacob Snubs Bully At The Park

Jacob and I went to the park earlier than usual in a different city close by. The park is cool because it has two different sections, one for ages 2-5 and another 5-12 or something like that. Of course, Jacob doesn't just hang out on the smaller of the two as he thinks the smaller/lower slides are more on the boring side...

Shortly after we arrived, we could hear and see kids on the corner. There ended up being 16 of them. They must have been from the daycare up the street. It did seem a little strange that there were only two adults with this big of a crowd. Not sure what the state regulations are, but on an outing like this, it seemed like there would be more supervision...

Aside from us just hanging out, we did begin to be annoyed by a girl named Haley. At first, it was cute, but it quickly became annoying, obnoxious and suffocating. You will also see in the video why I think I need to show Jacob how to take down a girl, even if she is more than twice your size and age... I don't believe in hitting girls, but... You could definitely tell that Jacob was getting annoyed as well and was tired of being followed. This is unusual for him, so you know that it had to be bad...

The video hasn't really been shortened so it might get a little long. We still had fun at the park, but it might have been a little better if we could have breathed a littler easier... ;)!

Jacob Turns 21 Months and Gets Jiggy With It

Jacob turned 21 months old and is growing like a weed. We don't know what his height and weight are officially, but he definitely does go through some growth spurts.

Jacob is really learning to get jiggy with it. He loves any kind of music and is starting to search out music on his own. Music sources, of course, come from tv and radio, but he also seeks it in his pick-up truck (playing the same tune over and over since it only has one) and the latest is his fridge mate. He is jamming to the car/boat tune in the video. He definitely takes after his momma with his love of music and dance. He can also be found climbing up on the piano bench and requesting the cover to be lifted so that he can play all by himself. If dadda is playing, there is still a good chance that Jacob will be requesting to climb up on his lap, just to pull dadda's hands off the keys so that he can hear himself only play... ;)!

Jacob is developing into quite the young little boy. His features are definitely making him not look like a baby anymore. He has 12 teeth with two more right there. They have been teasing us for quite a while now. They actually did poke through, but have retreated. We are assuming that they are regrouping and will just burst through the gum and be full grown overnight. Jacob has also been known to put three words together and making sensible phrases. Phrases such as "not in here", "outta the way", "I wub u", etc. Much like when he started saying words and still is doing, they can be whispered much of the time. Also, you hear the phrase once and not again, so then you wonder if he really said what you think he said. However, we are pretty confident that we are not just hearing things.

The curiosity of Jacob is ever growing. If some one is doing or working on something, it isn't long before you see a head poking around your arm, leg, corner or whatever obstacle might be in the way so that he can get a closer look. He seems to be a quick learner and has a good memory. Sometimes it can be pretty amazing because he will be doing/saying something that we forget he/we did. Looks like we really need to watch what we do and say now...

Jacob Swims At Home

With the warm weather, I finally gave in to putting the pool up. I put it up last week, but took it down when it wasn't looking so good and thought maybe the ground wasn't level enough. Well, with the 90 degree forecast, it was time to try again. The pool went back up on Monday to give the water some time to warm up a bit. Jacob was able to take advantage of the pool yesterday. There was an impromptu dip in the pool before lunch (in his diaper) and after his nap in the afternoon in his swimsuit.

The summer sun is too much for Jacob, so we had to each have our umbrella put up on our tables. The difference between Jacob's and mine is that Jacob likes to twirl his.... Jacob is definitely comfortable with the water (once it warms up a bit). He was splashing dadda, momma and himself. He was getting water in his mouth and face and it didn't seem to bother him... Jacob is still waking up from his nap with graham crackers and juice.

Unfortunately, with all of the leaves that have been falling all week and the wind blowing today, the pool needed to come down so that it could be cleaned and protected in case branches fell out of the trees. If the weather stays warm and without rain, the pool may be going up once again in the very near future...

Father's Day Camping Weekend

The camper was hitched up and ready to go by 2:30. This was to ensure that as soon as Amy got home that we could hit the road and hopefully beat the traffic, it worked! We were on the road by 3:30 for the weekend.

Camp was set up and ready for the weekend. No time for a campfire this evening as Jacob was already getting tired and we all decided to head inside the camper to watch a kid's movie. Although Dukes of Hazzard was left in the tv from a prior trip, Monsters, Inc. was swapped with it so that Jacob would settle down and be ready to sleep for the night. This wasn't so easy as there was so much going on and the new sleeping situation made Jacob more into camping. Jacob finally gave up and fell asleep after 10:30 and probably closer to 11. At some point during the night, the skies decided to open up and let the rain fall. It was difficult to tell if it was raining all night, or if some of what we were hearing was the rain falling from the trees when the wind blew. Jacob had a rough night of sleep and was pretty inconsolable for a bit, but Amy was able to eventually get him settled down and there was only one more short uproar for the night.
Saturday was a day for hanging around the campsite and heading to the beach for fun in the sun and sand. It was a great day for being outside and Jacob knew it. We tried for a while to get him to take a nap, but he just wouldn't let himself. Realizing that he probably would continue this way and the day was moving on, we decided to go for a drive. He was quickly asleep and so was his momma as we checked out some of the north.
The water was a little cool, but before long, Jacob was walking in himself and also chasing dadda into the water. He is really getting used to the water as he did fall a few times where his head went under water and he got himself up, drank a little water and was ready to go again.

This year found Jacob able to stay awake for the campfire. Of course, it did start earlier because we made dinner on the fire. Unfortunately, Jacob still hasn't had a s'more yet or roasted marshmallow. Amy decided after Jacob went to sleep/bed that she would pull out the fixin's for s'mores. So, Jacob hasn't had the chance to be an ooey gooey mess from a marshmallow yet. It isn't to say that he wasn't a dirty mess while camping, just that it wasn't due to a marshmallow.

Now it is time to get ready to leave. It was pretty nice out and we didn't quite want to get on the road. It was decided that we would get a lot of stuff ready to go and then head to the indoor pool and hit the jacuzzi, etc. Jacob loves the hot tub! Jacob had a blast as he splashed momma and dadda as well as himself. He is started to get the idea of kicking his legs and sometimes moving his arms for swimming. There is still more work that needs to be done, but maybe by the end of the summer, we can get him swimming a little bit. This means that we will need to go camping more...

Traffic was heavy on the way home, but definitely not like it usually is. There wasn't near the RV's on the road heading south, so the economy is definitely taking it's toll on people heading north for the weekends...

Jacob's Twin Friends Turn Two!!

Jacob was able to hang out with some of his friends this weekend as they turned two years old. Of course, this meant new toys for Jacob (at least new to him) and new toys for the twins. Jacob went on the attack as he went for a training bike and had to check it out. His feet didn't quite hit the pedals, at least not well enough to pedal, but he did make some "steering attempts". His steerablility needs some work, but he sure enjoyed being pushed around by momma and dadda.

Jacob's next plan of attack was new toys that the Zach and Hannah were getting. Their daddy had the challenge of putting together a couple of cars to cruise the neighborhood, or deck in. He waited his turn and ambushed the car when it was empty. He was ridin' in style...

Before cake and ice cream, the dogs needed their exercise. So out came Doug's truck (no, not mine, but the other Doug's). By the time I decided to get the camera out, Alex and Lucy were already getting tired. They kept up with this little wheeled vehicle for a while, but it just wasn't a match as the truck can get up 55 mph. Good thing they have a big yard... ;)!

Jacob and the twins recharged their batteries with some cake and ice cream and then it was time to have a bouncing good time. It didn't take long for the Bounce 'Round to get set up and soon Hannah and Jacob were having a bouncing good time. Zach wasn't much interested as he had a bunch of new toys to keep him busy. Evidently, this is par for the course, playing with toys over the bouncing contraption...

It was getting late and it had been a long day, so we ventured a short jaunt to Grandma's where he eventually crashed. We must have really pooped him out because he slept in 'til a little after 9 the next morning...

Jacob Attends Outdoor Wedding

Jacob's second cousin was married during an outdoor ceremony. It was great for Jacob because he was able to watch the train go by blowing his whistle and pointing out the planes overhead. With all of these distractions, he pretty much missed the ceremony.

The reception was a riot for Jacob as he was able to play with many of the other kids. However, his favorite activity was checking out the cake and playing with the water fountain. If Jacob wasn't under your heels, you could be sure to find him at one of these two locations.

The kids are getting ready to play hide and seek here. Jacob didn't really understand the concept because he just hung out on the wall next to the seeker while she was counting. She took a glance at him and quickly realized that he was a sitting duck and was too easy to capture, so she quickly set her sights on the others.Jacob was full a lot of affection with his family. Samantha is about 2-1/2 months younger than Jacob. They both showed each other some lovin'. They played quite a while together sharing one of the wedding balloons. Video might follow...

As the evening wore on, Jacob wanted to go outside more often. We thought that it was more to play, which it was at first, but then turned into wanting to leave. His goose was cooked and he was ready to get out of the pot and into his bed. This was pretty evident when he started saying "Go home". Since most of the party animals had already left, we too followed suit and loaded up the familymobile and headed home. Jacob is eagerly waiting to be able to go to another wedding as he certainly had fun at this one...

Jacob Zones Out

About a month or so ago, maybe longer, Jacob's cousin Colton was in play for his elementary school. The play was Jungle Book in which he played a rock. Amy and Jacob went to watch and grabbed the video camera so that I would be able to see it. Jacob loves to watch video and pictures of his family and friends and definitely of himself (hope he's not too vain...). We were playing computer games online (Sesame Street) and he started getting hungry. It was a little early for lunch, so he got a donut to eat. Of course, now his little fingers were full of powder, etc. so having Jacob play on the computer was no longer a very good idea. So, I decided to start the Jungle Book video of his cousin. He immediately saw his Aunt Abby and of course had to let me know as he shouted out "Abby" as he was pointing to the screen. By this time, Jacob had a more substantial lunch in front of him and quickly devoured enough to fill his belly. It was now time for naptime, still a little early, but he did look a little tired. So, I made a deal with him. He could sit and watch Colton be a rock while daddy made himself some lunch. It took a little doing to get settled, but Jacob quickly took to the movie...

I held up my end of the bargain, so he was pretty content and happy. Although, there was an alterior motive for me. I was hoping that he would fall asleep on the couch and I could avoid the Bee Movie for the day. It wasn't long after the movie was done and TV was on that he started asking for the Bee Movie. It sounds like a whispered "whee, whee!" So, on the Bee Movie went. He was definitely tired at this point and made himself comfortable. Before long he was fast asleep for his daily nap.

I Got My Hair Did!!

I have wanted to get my hair done for quite some time. I really wanted to do something drastic, give myself an update. It has been a really long time since I’ve updated my look and I felt it was time!!! The last few times I’ve gone to the salon I left feeling disappointed. I would spend a few minutes telling the stylist what I wanted and then let them do there thing. It never turned out the way I wanted it too. It was very frustrating so when I made the decision to give myself a mini makeover I didn’t know where to go. I was nervous about finding someone who would really listen to me and then find a way to customize a style I wanted to go with my face shape and hair type. So after some researching on local “high end trendy” salons, I decided to take a leap of faith and go to the Douglas J Institute of Cosmetology. I was told that my hair would be done by a senior student under the supervision of a licensed instructor. Yes, it would be risky but I thought to myself “what have I got to lose”. Besides my hair of course, and that would grow back right?!?!?! In the few days before my appointment I armed myself with helpful tools…magazines showing hair styles I liked, printed out pictures of celebrities I thought had nice looks that maybe I could duplicate. Needless to say when it came time for my appointment I was nervous. I of course had a vision in my mind of what I wanted, but an expensive licensed hairstylist could never get it right so why should a student just starting out?

When I met the young girl who would be doing my hair I felt better right away! I sat in her chair and we started chatting about what I was looking to do. She got a gleam in her eye when I basically told her I wanted to cut off all my hair and do some fun drastic color. I whipped out all my pictures and she giggled right out loud and remarked who much she loved that I came prepared. We spent an hour….yes an hour talking about what we could do with my hair. She really listened to me, she understood me… and she had great suggestions!!! Finally someone I could trust!!! We giggled and we laughed and she thought I was a riot and I thought she was sweet!!! Needless to say we hit it right off!!! It was like love at first snip!! I felt totally confident in this student, she was going to give me the makeover I had been wanting for so long!!! And it was going to be cheap!!! So we got started!! I was really enjoying myself, we were on the same page about everything and really having fun talking and sharing stories. Before I knew she had cut off more then 6 inches of hair and was mixing up color.

Uh oh…who was this lady hanging around? We had already checked in with an instructor, and we were doing just fine on our own. Apparently because it was starting to get late an intern instructor was told to come and help my stylist put in my color so it wouldn’t take so long. Okay, I guess that’s alright. Wait a minute she is practically pushing Chelsey (my sweet stylist) out of the way!!! This was awkward...but I’ll go with the flow. First step of color is done and Chelsey and I are talking about what we’ll do next when this instructor tells us we shouldn’t do what we are talking about. She basically tried to explain to both of us that we couldn’t do what I wanted. Here we go again I thought, I’m not gonna get what I want. And Chelsey and I totally had a plan! After the color was done to the instructors standards she continued to take over and started cutting my hair!!! I had been very specific on what I did not want in my haircut when discussing it with Chelsey…this lady knew nothing!!! She was just chopping away, I couldn’t believe it. She started “teaching” Chelsey what to do when I had to stop her!! I told her that I did not want her cutting anymore of my hair….I had spent an hour with Chelsey not her!!! I also told her that I was totally confident in my stylist. This really pissed her off, she told me she had 7 years experience and I told her I didn’t care. I wanted Chelsey!!! Needless to say there was drama and I was totally speaking up. Chelsey was able to finish but we didn’t have time to complete the look we wanted. Chelsey felt awful and asked if I could come back so we could finish what we started. She told me she would make sure there was no charge and we both really wanted the opportunity to reach our makeover goal. So!!!! After being there Friday night for 5 hours (really…Doug thought I got lost) I made another appt.

I went back after the long holiday weekend and Chelsey was just as sweet, she actually hugged me and thanked me for coming back. She felt so bad that things didn’t go as we had planned at my first appt. I told her it wasn’t her fault and then told her I was ready to be even gutsier. See over the weekend I saw another hair style that I really liked, with the edging of my sister I told pictures with my camera phone so I could show them. This poor lady had no idea I was taking pictures of her head!! Funny huh?!?!? And Chelsey of course found the humor and told me not to worry she would give me the doo I wanted!! So another 3 hours spent…more color…more hair gone!!! It took a lot of time, and a lot of patience from my new stylist and a lot of perseverance from me but I am thrilled to be showing off a new hair do and I love it!!! I promised Chelsey I would follow her anywhere!! She graduates in 5 months and I am proud to already be an official client. So, after a total of 8 hours and two trips to the salon, I am happy with my mini makeover….what do ya’ll think???

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Happy Birthday AMY!!!

Happy Birthday Amy!! This must be your ummmmmm.... 29th birthday, right? Hope you have a great day and try not to work too hard!

Playaway Comes To A Close

With Jacob's Playaway programs coming to a close, I thought I would drag the camera along and get some pictures. Jacob really enjoyed playing with other kids his age (within a few months) even if sometimes he was fighting over the fire truck with Jack.

I normally don't do this, but I couldn't narrow down the pictures I took for the blog. So, I have decided to overwhelm you with them on the front page... ;)!

Jacob had his favorite toys that he played with every time they were out. The toys and equipment were changed up for each day, but the fire truck, tractor and a knitted doggie were his favorites for sure. Jacob could be sitting doing a craft or a puzzle and once he heard the siren of the fire truck, he was off to see who had it.

Jacob enjoyed giving the doggie a ride in the wagon. I think it was more of a safeway for his favorites because those were the only ones that seemed to make it to the wagon...

Here's Jacob practicing his culinary cutting skills. Needless to say, the only knife was being used by some one else. We decided to improvise and were still able to make those precision cuts without getting our fingers.

On occasion, the fish would be something to ride on. He enjoyed just sitting on it, but didn't generally get it to rock. However, there was another girl that just about got it to roll down the street... Heehee!

Oops! Didn't take this one fast enough as he was getting off the train that dadda put together. Guess he figured I wasn't going to keep pulling the train forever... He was right ;)!

Although Jacob loves the bigger slides at the park (freaks mommy out because he doesn't have much danger radar yet), he still loves the smaller slide. There are stairs and a steering wheel that he enjoys playing on.

Although getting stamps were at the end of Playaway class or drop-in, Jacob found some number sticks that looked like the stamps and tried doing his own. This program was great as Jacob learned to share, was exposed to other kids close to his age and was able to play and sing. Unfortunately, there won't be a summer program, but we are hoping that we can take part in the fall. There is a chance that they will have more classes to choose from for kids under 3 and might have evening options as well. We are looking forward to hopefully being able to get Jacob into an evening music class. One more class day on Monday and then we will be heading to the zoo more often...

Memorial Weekend - Part III

The local Memorial Day Parade either isn't what remember because it was Jacob's first parade or it got a little boring this year. It seemed that it was just the local school bands and scout troops. Not that this is bad of course, but it seemed like it was more entertaining last year. It was an early 9:00 am start, which didn't bother us since we were up early and ready to go anyway. It could just be that we have been spoiled by the Holiday Parades with floats and more candy, etc. being thrown. This trip was met with political flyers and local menus. We still enjoyed ourselves being outside and getting the blood flowing. The remainder of the day, however, slowed the blood flow as some of us took a nap while some one else went out and got some grocery. A much needed day of relaxation for the most part...

Memorial Weekend - Part II

Jacob had a riot with his cousins being over before all of the soccer. Colton and Jacob hung out together the most while Sydney was saving her energy for her game.

With all of the running around in the backyard, playing in the sand box, running the Coltman over with the 4-wheeler, Jacob was destined for a bath. Given the late time getting home and still wanting to do some things before going to bed, it was bath time in the sink. He desperately needing something because of the sand in his hair from the sandbox, the sun protection in his hair on his skin, not to mention all of the dirt, etc. from the soccer fields and the nearby sand hills, etc. He is definitely all boy!

Memorial Weekend - Part I

Memorial weekend has been proven to be filled with children's soccer. Jacob's cousin played in a tournament nearby so we decided to take advantage of being able to watch her and be out in what turned out to be an awesome weather filled weekend. Not to mention, Jacob was able to play with his cousin's before and after the games.

Jacob must have definitely turned on his charm this weekend. Syd's soccer team seemed to hover around him between games. He was giving the girls 5, dancing and playing ball with them while they were relaxing between games. We here that he has been informally dubbed the Swarm's team mascot. I'm sure he doens't really understand what this all means or entails, but I'm sure he will have a smile on his face while he is doing his duties.
Here is Jacob's heirum...

Amy and I definitley know now that Jacob relates soccer fields to Sydney. We pulled into the soccer fields for the second day and he started calling out "nid nee" as he knew that he would be seeing her soon... and he was right of course...

On the way to the fields the second day, we were passed/tailgated by a friend of ours. He was frantically trying to get to the fields before the game was over. Not sure if he made it to see any of the game, but I think he must have seen a few minutes of it. We kept a look out for him all day and finally found him as his son was playing their last game (championship) of the day. So, we watched a total of almost 5 games of soccer in a day and a half...

How did Syd's team do? They were 3-0 going into the championship game. They had beat their opponent during their first game 4-1 and went into the game feeling confident. It was a hard fought game the whole way, but they ended up losing 1-0.

The family definitely got a lot of sun during the games and Jacob is now sporting a nice tan. As for Amy and I, we got a little more and I am peeling as Amy is turning tan...