Jumpin' J's Adventures

Start of a New Adventure

2010-01-30T16:22:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone,

You may have noticed a lack of posts here in recent months. Jumpin' J's little sister was born on December 4th and we have been very busy getting settled in as a family. Since our family has a new member we have started a new blog for you all to enjoy. We will be archiving Jumpin' J's Adventures but you can visit us at our new location: http://potsyvilledailytribune.blogspot.com

See you all at The Paper!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

Old Friends and New Ones

2009-11-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Katy, Meghan, and I have been friends for about... gulp... 25 years now. We've stayed friends through different schools, different states, marriages, kids, and everything else that life has thrown at us. We drift apart for a while and then when we talk it's like no time has passed. Meg now lives in Chicago so it's been a long time since we have all seen each other, over 5 years to be exact. So when she decided to come East to visit there was no option, come hell or high water we would get together. And it was so much fun!!! Just like no time had elapsed... we might have been sitting on Katy's bed in middle school giggling over some boy. I hope it's not another 5 years before we can do it again!!!!

And our three munchkins played so well together. Linds is exactly 9 months older than J who is 9 months older than Riley so they're all in the terrible twos and threes but they did really well for never having played together.

**It was REALLY hard to get the three of them to stay still!**
I hope that someday they can appreciate the power of friendship that has kept their moms so close for so long! Love you guys!!!!

So Fast

2009-11-19T01:09:00.000-05:00

I look back on the last two and a half years and can't believe that it's already been that long. Jumpin' J used to be my itty bitty baby and now he is such a big boy with his own thoughts and opinions.

And then I look back just 36 weeks and think that I now have an almost full term baby in my belly and marvel at how fast that has flown by too. I am such a lucky mom to have such a wonderful big boy and a new baby on the way.

Happy 2.5 years my big boy! I love you!

Why?

2009-11-18T13:23:00.004-05:00

I think this question might be every parent's worst nightmare. It certainly was mine. Jumpin' J is officially using it for everything now. And I try to answer him honestly as much as I can. But after the fiftieth "Why" I found myself answering this age old question with an age old answer...

"because I said so".

I guess this makes me an official parent now!

Happy Birthday Auntie Laura and Cousin Jeff

2009-11-18T13:03:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to two of our favorite people. We hope you both have a wonderful day today and always. Here's Jumpin' J enjoying the wonderful weather your birthday has brought to Massachusetts!!!

Check out the Cookie Monster shoes!! (Almost like Jimmy Choo's right Auntie Laura?)

Only 6 More Weeks

2009-11-04T19:59:00.004-05:00

Jumpin' J is such a funny and smart little boy, he constantly amazes me.
Today in CVS I was getting a little frustrated looking for iron supplements which I need for the pregnancy. And J pats me on the arm and says "It's OK Mommy, only six more weeks."
I burst out laughing and gave him a big smooch.
Just think, in about 6 more weeks I'll have another little child to love and hug and give big smooches too!
Only 6 more weeks!!!
I love you Jumpin' J!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Jeff

2009-10-30T01:37:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Jeff!!! We hope you have a great day!!

Halloween Pictures

2009-10-29T13:39:00.003-04:00

Halloween '09 is upon us! We went to a WMM party already this week and Jumpin' J is getting psyched up to go trick or treating on Saturday! Here are a couple of shots from our official photo shoot today.

Grandpa Gary's Mini Vacation

2009-10-27T11:52:00.003-04:00

Jumpin J is a very lucky boy because 3 of his 4 grandparents (not counting his greats) live about an hour or less from our house. The one exception to this is Grandpa Gary, Mommy's dad, who lives in Colorado. He usually only makes it out here to see us at Christmas time unless there is a family function so we were very excited when he announced that he was coming to visit for a few days.

He flew in on Saturday and spent the night with Uncle Andrew and Auntie Kim. And then Uncle Andrew brought him to our house on Sunday and he just left this morning. Jumpin' J and Grandpa had a great time reading, playing trains, playing animals, watching Peter Pan, and just hanging out. And Grandpa got to go with J and I to our WMM Halloween Party and Parade so J got all dressed up and off we went. A very entertaining time for all I think ;)

It was sad to see him have to leave again so soon but he'll be back in a couple months for Christmas and by then we'll know whether Jumpin' J has a baby brother or sister.... see you then Grandpa Gary!

Jack and Lantern

2009-10-19T14:20:00.002-04:00

Carved up our pumpkins ...

Happy Jumpin' J sized one and Scary Daddy sized one.

Now onto toasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pies!!!

Touchdown Daddy

2009-10-18T14:06:00.000-04:00

Since Daddy and Uncle Jeff have season tickets to the Patriots whenever there is a home game we send Daddy off with some tailgating goodies and then later watch the TV to see if we can see him. Jumpin J thinks that Daddy PLAYS football when he goes so whenever the Pats score he says "Touchdown Daddy"! Daddy is the best!!!

Puffy Stickers

2009-10-15T16:06:00.002-04:00

Grandma P is a self proclaimed collector and now that she and Grandpa are going to be selling their big house and moving to something easier to manage she's been cleaning out her closets and we've gotten all of Daddy's collections. One of these collections is of stickers, especially those 80's classics the PUFFY STICKER!!!

Today Jumpin' J discovered them and we had a blast playing with the race car ones! He decided that our bed had the best race track and we raced them all around for the better part of the afternoon. I am sorry to say that they are no longer sticky but they were great little race cars.

He shared with his baby...

And with Mommy...

And had some to race himself...

As well as some to decorate his arm, the bed, and Bethie (the doll). All in all a great adventure!

Pure New England Fall Joy!

2009-10-12T14:09:00.000-04:00

Honey Pot Hill Orchards... a fall haven of goodness.... a maze, apples, pumpkins, apples, animals, apples, cider donuts, apples, hay rides, and did we mention apples?

3/4 Cooked

2009-10-08T14:08:00.002-04:00

Here's a belly shot for those that have been patiently waiting to see the hugeness.... 10 more weeks to go!!

It only looks like a bed

2009-10-07T11:52:00.004-04:00

On a rainy Wednesday morning it's so much more than that.... It's anything a 2 year old can imagine...

A place to eat pretend blue and brown lollipops
A racetrack for his cars
A boat to drive his friends in
A pillow bridge
A tent
A sandwich counter serving monkey food and milk
A place to pick blueberries
A trampoline
A whole slew of pillow luggage and "backcacks"
A house

And finally a car to take himself, Mickey, Minnie, and Mommy to Disney World
But first we all put our seat belts on
Look behind us to make sure there are no cars
Fill up the car with gas
Hear fire engines and pull over to let them go save people
Wave hi to Uncle Mike in his police car
And then WE'RE OFF!!

See you soon!

Let's Hear it For Some...

2009-10-06T12:53:00.002-04:00

FOOTBALL!!

Jumpin' J is very proud to have a "Jersey" like Daddy's

TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!!

Pasta Sauce

2009-09-21T18:42:00.003-04:00

Tonight Daddy and Mommy helped Jumpin' J make his first pasta sauce. He did a great job putting the spices in and stirring. And he loved eating the raw onions!

He's going to be a great cook!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Gary

2009-09-19T10:46:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!! Have a super dooper day and we hope we get to see you soon!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Potter

2009-09-15T10:38:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Grammy! We hope you have a fabulous day and we will see you this weekend for a fun time on Block Island!!!

Pickles and a Concert

2009-09-02T15:33:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my brother and I took our mom, aka Grandma Laurie, to a Chicago concert for her birthday! Since J's dad is on a business trip J got to tag along, well for dinner anyway...

Then J stayed at Miss Laura's house (one of Grandma's friends) while we went to the concert! I hadn't realized that Grandma saw them in the 70's too so it was like a flashback for her. And since Uncle Andrew and I were almost the only people there under 50 it seemed like there might be some serious flashing back going on. But it was great! They played a little of their really early stuff for Uncle Andrew, some of their 80's stuff for me, and all of their great 70's stuff for all of us! Did you know that Chicago has the second highest number of albums after the Beach Boys, guess we were raised on the classics!!! Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Who's Got the Blues

2009-08-28T13:50:00.006-04:00

Not J that's for sure!!!

While you wait for me to get in gear and finish the vacation stuff here's a couple of pics from our trip to the local bank.....

Sunday: Wolves and a Lion Hunt

2009-08-09T17:23:00.000-04:00

We started Sunday with a giant buffet breakfast in the hotel and then J was still sleepy so he took a nap while Daddy relaxed and I went to pick up a few things for snacks and breakfasts for the rest of the week.

When we all reconvened we headed to Lititz to the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania. We got to see a huge pack of gray wolves, a smaller pack of grays, a pack of 4 timber wolves, a couple of lone males sharing space, and one gorgeous arctic tundra wolf. They fed all the wolves while we were there and we got to learn a ton about wolves in general and this sanctuary in particular. J loved seeing them but he was just as fascinated with the little black kitty that kept coming around the group hoping for snacks.

After seeing the wolves we decided to go on a "lion hunt" to see what we could find around the area. It was really exciting to see our first buggy as well as a church letting out, some Mennonite girls playing volleyball, and Mennonite boys playing softball.

The Mennonite lifestyle is similar to the Amish one but they tend to be more permitting of things such as patterned fabric, bicycles, and sometimes even cars.

We were a little disappointed to find out that almost everything, including non-Amish attractions, are closed on Sunday but did find a little petting zoo and playground that entertained J for quite a while.

The playground behind us we headed back to the hotel for a nap. Then we went to Plain and Fancy Farm for dinner where we had our first taste of shoo fly pie along with some great fried chicken, mashed potatoes, local corn on the cob, raisin bread with icing, and a ton of other food. It was a fun dinner as it is served family style and we got to sit with a family of three from Germany and a mom, grandma, and two boys from just north of NYC. The conversation was lively and ranged from energy utilities to Harry Potter.

We got back to the hotel long past J's bedtime and all fell asleep immediately... until tomorrow!

Saturday: Sesame Place

2009-08-08T17:16:00.001-04:00

Being out the door of the house before 6 was a good move since we got to Sesame Place right when it opened at 10. We jumped right into our bathing suits for the waterpark and started with the giant rubber duckie ride which J was initially not sure about but by the end was yelling to go back on again.

We played in all the different splash pools and sprinkler parks which was a blast!! J loved the little train ride that he got to push and pull his own car with a hand peddle. We went on the lazy river and then had lunch near the new Count's castle that dumped a huge bucket of water every few minutes or so.

After lunch we got to watch the daily parade and J was almost knocking his dad over bouncing and grooving to the music up on Daddy's shoulders. Once the parade was over we went over to check out the nets and while Mommy stayed on the ground to take pictures, J and Daddy went up to the third floor nets to climb across them.

J looked so little way up there but he was a pro and did a great job. Then J got to go on a giant bouncy "bed". And we finished up the day on the teacups. It was a long but very fun trip to "Sesame Street".

We drove to Lancaster to eat dinner and check into our hotel and we got J in bed at about 8 and then Daddy and I followed not long after... until tomorrow!

Mountains and Sandwiches

2009-08-06T13:56:00.006-04:00

Life gets more interesting every day with Jumpin J as he gets older and more aware of life! Just this morning he decided to take all the pillows on our bed and make a mountain out of them for Matilda to drive her tractor up onto and then make a "J" sandwich. He also showed me how to jump on the bed properly. We finished up the morning making and J and Bethy sandwich on the couch with his Grandma Blanket.

Happy Birthday Auntie Donna

2009-07-22T08:46:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to Daddy's sister, Auntie Donna!!! We miss you tons but hope your new job is going great!!! We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playing In the Backyard

2009-07-17T17:09:00.003-04:00

Running...
Sprinklers...
Clover Hunting...
Slides...
Tree-house...
Rocks...
Bugs.....
JUMPIN' J!!!

Time is Flying

2009-07-15T21:53:00.002-04:00

Here's a preview of what's been going on at our house the last couple of weeks...

Jumpin' J after riding the Maid of the Mist under Niagara Falls.

Hiding in the weeping willow while playing golf with Jeff, Karen, and Daddy in Syracuse.

"Rex"s big ultrasound, no we didn't find out "what" s/he is ;)

Such a Good Boy

2009-06-26T07:26:00.000-04:00

When you are a good boy at the bank you get to have....

A Green Lollipop!!!

Stickers

2009-06-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

Jumpin' J likes stickers. He got a whole box of Dr. Seuss ones from Baby Brad for his birthday and they have been a great source of amusement this last month as the monsoon season here in Massachusetts continues. The J way of playing with stickers is to take ALL the stickers off of the sheet and stick them to his shirt.

This is especially fun for me since they then peel off and stick everywhere in the house so we can find them for weeks after ;) Ahh the joys of being two!!!

Bounce

2009-06-24T09:29:00.002-04:00

There's a new play place that opened up in one of the towns near us and yesterday our mom's group took the place over for a couple of hours. It was really fun for Jumpin' J to get to check out a new place with all of his friends.

Indiana Jumpin' J

Which Came First the J or the Egg?

Thanks to Stephanie and Lauren for the pics!

Happy Dad's Day

2009-06-21T06:06:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day

to DADDY!!!
And all the other Dads in our lives!

including but not limited to...
Grandpa Kimball, Grandpa Johnson, Grandpa Potter, Grandpa Gary,
Uncle Tim, GUD, GUT,
Uncle Mike, Uncle Deano, Uncle EZ,
and everyone else!!!

Higher Daddy Higher

2009-06-16T01:10:00.001-04:00

The playground is great but with Daddy in tow it is amazing!!! The swing was by far Jumpin' J's favorite thing at the playground...

First to swing with Daddy...

Then to have Daddy push you...

And then the biggest pushes ever...

Higher Daddy Higher He Says!!!

Big Truck Day

2009-06-15T09:15:00.002-04:00

Life just doesn't get much better than our local
Big Truck Day

Firetruck
TWO Ambulances
Police Car
Police Motorcycle
Dump Truck
Garbage Truck
Tanker Truck
Big Tow Truck
School Bus
... And a FREE Hard Hat!

Recent Adventures

2009-06-08T12:40:00.004-04:00

Summer is almost here and Jumpin J is already making the most of the good weather!!! I have been slacking lately here on the blog so I promise to try to do better going forward. But to tide you over here are a few recent pictures. J's hair is awesome right now because when you put sunscreen in it you can make it stay in a red mohawk and who wouldn't want a red mohawk!?!?!?

Water Water Everywhere!!

The petting zoo at the big zoo, baby goats are cool!

Playing at the Grist Mill with Daddy while Mommy works.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

2009-05-27T14:10:00.004-04:00

Today is Daddy's 32nd Birthday!!!

Why My Daddy Is the Best In the World
By Jumpin' J

* Tickle Monster with his hand
* Baseball with Daddy
* Frogs outside
* Foosball downstairs
* Story voices - Fee Fi Fo Fum
* Sing Songs
Ring the rosey
Pocket posies
Ashes Ashes
Fall Down
* Animal Noise - Coyote!

What Does a 2nd Birthday Look Like?

2009-05-19T23:14:00.000-04:00

7:15 am: wake up, turn on fishtank in crib, play with teeny beanies
8am: Mom gets you up and you go downstairs for juice and a waffle
8:30am: temper tantrum because you want to wear the grasshopper shirt, you win cause it's your birthday
9am: watch Sprout on TV
10am: leave to go to the playground
10:15am: guy at Dunkin' Donuts gives you extra munchkins because it's your birthday
10:20am: arrive at playground and immerse yourself in playing and eating munchkins
11am: chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and smiley face rings on them

11:15am: eat the frosting off your second cupcake
11:40am: eat the frosting off your third cupcake, it is your birthday after all

11:45am: run around like a crazy man covered in chocolate

12:20pm: throw temper tantrum because we have to leave to have lunch and take naps, lose this battle!
12:30pm: get home to see the bus pulling away, mini temper tantrum, sugar is wearing off!
12:35pm: go with Mom to the mailbox to see if you get mail! You got a catalog, very exciting!!

12:40pm: Upstairs for a nap you go but when Mom changes you, you beg for a book
12:45pm: Mom reads you "Happy Birthday Thomas" and then you and Bethy take a nap!
4pm: get up from said nap with chocolate still on your face but feeling refreshed

4:05pm: run outside to play with Troubles 1 and 2
4:15pm: off in the car to dinner with the girls
4:45pm: chaos reigns at Uno's with a magician who makes balloon animals

6pm: save Uno's from the terror and head home to eat more cupcakes
6:30pm: just enough cupcakes for everyone to have one

7pm: talk to Daddy on the phone, we miss him when he goes on trips
7:30pm: after three books a tired little boy goes to bed

Berry waffles with cream

2009-04-19T15:04:00.000-04:00

Usually J's dad cooks breakfast on Saturday mornings but this week we were seriously missing our favorite breakfast place and so we decided to brave the outside world and go to Rebecca's. Jumpin' J got to have Patriotic waffles with strawberries, real whipped cream, and blueberries, yummmy!!!

Bits and Pieces

2009-04-19T14:41:00.000-04:00

He changes so fast and it's hard to believe that next month he will be two. I wanted to capture some of the things that I love so much about him right now so that I have something to look back on when he changes again. Love you Jumpin J!!

Face -
Thumbsucker -
Eyelashes -
Ear -
Bellybutton -
Neck -
Toes -
Back and Bum -
Cowlick -
Red Hair -
Arm -
Mouth -
Nose -
Eye -
His Contagious Laugh -

The Grandma Easters

2009-04-18T14:36:00.000-04:00

On Easter Jumpin' J was lucky enough to visit Grandma and Grandpa's house where he got to see both of them and Auntie Donna.

He went to church with Daddy and was a very good boy. And when he got back he got to have another "essa egg" hunt, totally awesome!

Then he and Daddy drove to NH to meet up with me at Grandma Laurie's house and Uncle Andrew and Auntie Kim came too. At Grandma's he got a forklift and bulldozer for his little people and had fun all afternoon playing.

Ho Ho's Friend Came

2009-04-17T14:34:00.000-04:00

When J woke up on Easter morning he asked if Ho Ho had come. We explained that Ho Ho's friend the Easter Bunny came and brought him more "essa eggs" and that he would have to find them. He was sooooo excited! Life is good!

Mail, Cards, and a ... Bulldozer?

2009-04-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

It's always a great adventure to get mail at our house. It is an especially great day when J gets mail. Last week J got two cards in one day and it was AWESOME!!! One had an Easter Bunny on it from "Sandi" and the other had a Bulldozer carrying an "essa egg" on it from Grandpa Gary and Donna. The one from Grandpa also had a "credit card" gift certificate which J was super duper excited about.

We went to AC Moore on Saturday with our coupon and J's "credit card" and he got to pick out a Thomas train for his collection. I called it and was right!!! He picked Byron the bulldozer to take home with him. He even carried the bulldozer, coupon, and credit card to the cashier all by himself and paid too. It was so cute and the cashier was definitely in love ;)

Which came first?

2009-04-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

The animal cracker or the egg? In our house the egg did but the animal cracker soon followed.

A dozen eggs were not enough coloring for Jumpin' J and his dad so they colored animal crackers too, one for each egg to "guard" the eggs. From what I'm still not sure, I think it's a guy thing ;)

Fixin' Rocks

2009-04-15T14:53:00.003-04:00

The weather is getting nice enough for J and I to play outside most days. We got back from the mailboxes and the landscapers had edged the walkways. J was very excited to realize that part of that process involved turning up the earth and therefore pulling many many rocks to the top! He started searching for them, he found BIG rocks and little rocks and teeny tiny rocks and each one was like a treasured jewel!!!!

Like the good mother that I try to be I asked him if he wanted me to help him build a tower with the rocks but he said "No Mama, fixin rocks". OK I didn't know what fixing them was but he had it all under control obviously so I went back to reading the mail. I look over a couple of minutes later and saw this...

Yes, he had lined them all up in a straight line. And as he found more rocks he added them to his line. He was very precise about where each one went. We may have another engineer on our hands ;)!

Great Chef

2009-04-15T14:26:00.003-04:00

Taking one of my "quickest shower in the world" showers since J is entertaining himself and I hear him in the bathroom. I ask him what he's doing and he says "cooking!". Well good that will keep him occupied so I can rinse out the conditioner and then I hear "SPLASH". Uh oh, there's only one place in our bathroom where that noise comes from. I peek my head out of the shower and J turns around to grin. "Mixin' Mummy" Yup, the big plastic ladle is in the potty being well... Mixed!!!

Don't worry, I scalded the h-e-double hockey sticks out of that thing, it's my favorite ladle.

Sidewalk Chalk Drawings

2009-04-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

Jumpin' J loves to color. And he got a big box of chalk from Grandma Laurie which we have been making good use of. Sean got home the other day to find J and I drawing in the driveway and since he's the best Daddy in the world he jumped right in to help. I have to admit his prowess in drawing spiders but I still think my flower was better than his even if J thought it was another spider.

And J loved my "ladybug" and Sean's spider so much that he laid down on the ground to give them kisses, soooo funny!

Gunslinger or Dinosaur

2009-04-10T15:03:00.000-04:00

Daddy's belts are always a great toy when Daddy happens to leave them within J's range!!! And since J's range has gotten quite large the belts come out often. The only question is...

Gunslinger?
Dinosaur?

Still Don't Care...

2009-04-09T15:10:00.000-04:00

That it's PINK! He's another year older and wiser but that pink caddie is still the coolest thing since sliced cheese!!!

And here he was last year, check out the difference in hair ;)

A Hunting We Will Go

2009-04-08T22:05:00.001-04:00

I still have so many good memories of the Easter egg hunts and my grandparent's house as a kid, even the one when I was 5 and had the chicken pox and had to have my own private hunt in the house. So when Sean and I heard about the Huge Egg Hunt at a nature reserve near our house I suggested we go. And boy was it worth it!
Come on guys, let's go

Oooh a purple one

Daddy, there's more over here

Putting them carefully in his basket

And a hug for you, Easter Bunny!

Home Run Red Sox

2009-04-07T10:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was supposed to be opening day for the Red Sox so we all wore our gear to get revved up! Unfortunately it rained but Jumpin' J has lots of Red Sox clothes so we'll just get out another outfit for him to wear today! Here he practicing to be a power hitter!

Home Run Red Sox!!!

Forks, Forks, Forks Oh My

2009-04-06T14:59:00.001-04:00

I am happy to report that Jumpin J is consistently using a fork these days
with great success and much enthusiasm!!!

Happy Birthday Auntie Erika!!

2009-04-06T02:38:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to one of our favorite people! We love you very much and hope that this year is even better than last year!

Spring Has Sprung

2009-04-05T14:50:00.000-04:00

It may not be super warm but signs of spring are starting to pop up everywhere. The birds are out chirping and the ducks are on our little pond. The green moss is coming back in the swampy area behind our house.

And Jumpin' J is clambering to get outside to play. Daddy obliged!!

Caught Red Handed

2009-04-04T14:44:00.002-04:00

Our house has been the house of klutz this weekend!!! Yesterday at dinner time J tried to drink out of my water glass and dropped and broke it, it was apparently too "hebby"! Then Daddy knocked into a bowl of milk when making Jello pudding last night and spilled it all over the floor. Don't worry he didn't cry over it.

I spent a good part of the night giving Sean a hard time that J is just like him so it was much to my chagrin that when baking an apple pie today I reached for the cinnamon and knocked over and broke an entire bottle of RED food coloring. After much scrubbing it is still a nice pink tint on my hands. So I guess J doesn't fall far from either tree!

Miss Babydoll Comes To Visit

2009-03-27T14:00:00.001-04:00

On Monday Babydoll came to visit for a while to play with Jumpin' J! She is such a talkative little pixie and it was a delight to have her over.

She and J look like they are the same size but while they are about the same height J weighs about 8 pounds more!

I spent the afternoon marveling at the differences and similarities between the two of them while they played and tussled and watched a little Cars and generally had a great time.

They even had time to play a little foosball.

Even if they had to stand on stools

We all had such a good time and we hope Babydoll comes back soon!!!

Yummm Raspberries

2009-03-26T20:08:00.000-04:00

It started out so innocently...

Then in for a taste...

Then over to markers...

Yummy Raspberry Marker!!!

Not My Baby Anymore

2009-03-26T13:41:00.000-04:00

He's getting to be such a big boy and finally got to sit forward facing in his car seat this week. It was such an exciting ride in the car to Trader Joe's and back for J.

He pointed out all the oncoming cars and laughed his head off when I caught his eyes in the rearview mirror. I am so excited for him but a little sad for me because it's just one more step towards him being a boy and not my little itty bitty baby anymore. Love you J!

Cruisin'

2009-03-25T13:38:00.001-04:00

Baby let's cruise, away from here
Don't be confused, the way is clear
& if you want it you got it forever
This is not a one night stand, baby, yeah so

Let the music take your mind, ooh
Just release & you will find
You're gonna fly away
Glad you're goin' my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together

Foosball

2009-03-25T13:37:00.002-04:00

Daddy taught Jumpin' J the basics of Foosball this weekend! Good thing we have a little stool courtesy of Double Great Uncle Morris for J to stand on because he really likes to watch the ball.

Someday

2009-03-24T13:34:00.002-04:00

Someday they will fit you Jumpin' J!

Tech Support

2009-03-23T15:19:00.000-04:00

With my busy season for work coming up I have to spend some time at the computer these days. Yesterday Jumpin' J was playing with all the random animals in his toybox in my office when I noticed that he was lining them up on my desk.

He was so deliberate about it, even going so far as to rearrange them into some order known only to J. I asked him what he was doing and he said "Animas hepping momma". I guess every mom could use a little help during the day!

There were soon so many animals helping that I didn't need to do it myself so I paused to take a picture and then J and I went to play cars downstairs. Thanks for the help Jumpin' J and all the animals.

Yummy Yummy Chimichanga

2009-03-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

Jumpin' J's dad and I think it's so funny to hear J say Chimichanga that we tell him all "mexican" food are chimichangas. Here he is eating his first real soft taco aka chimichanga!

I'd Forgotten How Fun...

2009-03-21T14:41:00.001-04:00

The playground is! This week we had the first nice and warm day of the year and Jumpin' J and I took advantage of every second we could. We met up with a few friends at one of the local playgrounds. Knowing that J is a little bit daredevil I thought it was really interesting to see him at first because he was so tentative. But once he remembered how fun it was, off he went!

J and Lightning

J and Babydoll

Operation Lunch: Pancakes and Jello

2009-03-20T15:03:00.000-04:00

This weekend we invited our friends over to enjoy a fun to eat at any time of the day brunch of pancakes. J's dad was at the stove since he is the official pancake maker of the family. And Marci generously provided mini chocolate chips to add with blueberries, strawberries, and bananas to the pancakes. We also had real whipped cream and maple syrup for on top.

The kids all ate their fill and then had a good time making mini jello jigglers before going off to play. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a good time, we need to do it again soon! And a special thanks to EZ for helping J's dad move the mammoth train table!

Like You, Love Your Crackers

2009-03-20T13:29:00.003-04:00

Jumpin' J and Ares (Greek God of War) have been friends for about a year now. J looks forward to seeing him at gym class and today was no exception. And after class Ares' mom was the super mom as usual and had crackers for Ares which he kindly shared with J. One minute they were both running around and the next minute there they were, sharing Ares' crackers and watching the older babes in the next class.

St. Patty's Fun

2009-03-19T15:11:00.003-04:00

This week was St. Patrick's Day and since J and I are partially Irish we felt it appropriate to celebrate in style. We started the day putting the corned beef and potatoes for dinner into the crockpot to simmer all day.

Then we went to a St. Patty's Day party with our WMM friends where we got to go swimming, eat good green food, and play in the gym! We both had a great time.

We got home in time to add the cabbage to the crockpot. After J's nap he helped me to cook dinners for our friends to be delivered the next day. And for dinner J got to enjoy his first corned beef and cabbage St. Patrick's Day dinner. His pronouncement, "Yummy, good!" That sums it up!

Spring's Arrival

2009-03-19T14:37:00.003-04:00

While this is technically Jumpin' J's second spring he was so little last year that everything is new and wondrous this year. New leaves on our bushes outside are a cause for celebration! It's so refreshing to look at life through his eyes, reminds you that the little things are important too!

After the Rain

2009-03-15T21:52:00.001-04:00

What does rain leave behind? Puddles...

And waterfalls.

And boy does Jumpin' J love them both. We had a great time the other day splashing through the puddles near our house and looking down the drain to see the waterfall pouring down. So much fun after being cooped up in the house for two days straight.

Feeding the Wild Beast

2009-03-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

When Jumpin' J goes to Grandma Laurie's house he gets to feed Grandma's kitty, Sally. It is a very important job and he makes sure he does it carefully. He carries the cup in two hands from the big bin to Sally Kitty's dish.

Then pours the food into the dish.

And he's so good he even picks up the ones he spills and puts those in too.

Sally Kitty loves Jumpin' J!!

Spy Glass? House? Periscope?

2009-03-14T21:40:00.001-04:00

With a little bit of imagination a toilet paper roll can be soo much fun! It can be a pirate spy glass to see Captain J the Pirate...

Or a periscope to see fish in the sea...

Or a house for the Cheerios to live in....

With a little imagination it can be sooo many things!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa J

2009-03-14T07:29:00.001-04:00

My Grandpa's birthday is today and we wish him a very happy one!!!

Jumpin' J was wondering if perhaps he could DRIVE your Porche next time he sees you. He really wants to be a race car driver these days and thinks that it might help him practice!

Go Go Speed Racer

2009-03-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

J and his dad got a jogging stroller for Christmas from Santa Claus. It's been to cold to use it so far this winter but this past weekend it warmed up enough. J immediately said it was a "race car" so now he can play race car driver when he rides. J and his dad put it together and pumped up the tires.

And then took it out for a chilly but refreshing ride. Go Go Speed Racer!!!

Befy

2009-03-13T21:31:00.002-04:00

When Uncle Andrew came home from the hospital almost 29 years ago he brought Jumpin' J's mom home a doll who was promptly named Bethy. This doll lived in Mommy's bed and traveled the world with her, and even went to college with her for a time.

Before J was born Bethy lived in his room but when he took over Bethy had to go live in the closet with the stuffed mooses. Recently Bethy has become "Befy" and is Jumpin' J's new best friend.

He plays with her in his room, reads to her, puts her to bed, wants to have her nap with him, and in general loves her! He even wants to sleep in her bed with her but he's a little too big.

Jail Break

2009-03-12T21:27:00.001-04:00

Jumpin' J tried to escape the evil clutches of the Tickle Monster today by hiding in a box!
The Tickle Monster joined forces with the Smoochy Monster to launch a full scale giggle attack!

Both Sides Won!!!!!

All Man Right Here

2009-03-12T21:21:00.000-04:00

It doesn't get more macho than reading on the pot!

Fun with Waffles

2009-03-11T21:08:00.001-04:00

You may say "What? It's just a frozen waffle. How much fun can that be?"
And J would reply "It can be a house or an airplane and one square is the perfect size for a chair."

And he would be right!

Susie's Kisses

2009-03-11T20:58:00.000-04:00

One of the miracles of afternoon sunlight is that Grandma Susie's Kisses show up on the wall!

The whole foyer and into the dining room are covered with them. The other day Jumpin' J ran up to one and said Susie's Kisses, it made my heart melt!

Miss you Grandma Susie but you live on forever in our hearts and your prisms.

Barber's Kids

2009-03-10T21:16:00.002-04:00

This past week Jumpin' J and I got together with some of the other "Barber's Girls" and their kids. J had an awesome time playing with "Tommy B's" toys although he did steal his peas.

And I had a great time visiting with Michelle and Sandy!!! We can't wait to do it again soon. Here's a pic of Tommy B, Jumpin' J, and Star.

Weeds Can Be Good

2009-03-10T21:06:00.002-04:00

If the weed is called Jumpin' J! Yup, I looked over at him this morning and this is what I saw...

Think we need to pack these away?

Sicky Sick Boy

2009-03-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

Last week Jumpin' J got really sick. He had a fever of 103.7 and scared his dad and I with how sick he was. Our fabulous Dr. D diagnosed an ear infection as well as a nasty cold. He spent about 2 days basically sitting on the couch watching the Cars Movie over and over again.

I don't feel good.

Dino PJ's all day long

And by the third day he was back up and running at top speed, guess he just needed a little regeneration time!!!

Cheerios Morning Noon and Night

2009-03-08T19:12:00.000-04:00

Jumpin' J is on a cheerios kick these days. He eats the honey nut, banana nut, and regular ones, he's really not picky. He also likes to listen to them....

What do YOU think they say?

Babies, Babies, Babies...

2009-03-07T19:12:00.001-05:00

But not in our house!!!

With my cousin and several friends having just had babies there are quite a lot in our lives right now. And Jumpin' J likes to talk about them now. And J just rediscovered his Daddy's old Cabbage Patch kid so now J plays with it....

Baby sits to watch the "cars movie" with him...

And he changes Baby's diaper and doesn't forget the diaper rash cream...

And he shows Baby how to play trucks.

The thing that amazes me the most is that all of this has been totally unprompted by me, it's totally all him!!! But if you ask him if he wants a baby in our house you get an empathetic NO!

Mixin' It All Up

2009-03-07T19:08:00.001-05:00

At all times of the day but especially at dinner time J likes to get out all the pots and pans and bowls and spoons from the kitchen cabinets and cook up masterpieces!!! He especially likes it when Daddy or I will sit down with him to mix things for him. He likes to make pasta, veggies, blueberry pancakes, fishy crackers. His favorite is pancakes with yogurt and fishy crackers in them!

Cooking with Daddy

2009-03-06T19:05:00.001-05:00

One of Jumpin' J's favorite activities is helping his Daddy cook, especially blueberry pancakes. J gets to pour and mix and sometimes flip with a little help!

Booberry pancakes!

It's all about love

2009-03-05T16:49:00.000-05:00

When LP comes to visit us it's always a special treat for Jumpin' J. This time she came we took her to Playtown where they both had an amazing time!

And then they finger painted in the tub together.

Auntie Erika and Mommy got to go have girl time together and brought home presents for everyone. And then Uncle Mike and Daddy went to see a scary movie together. All in all, we have to say that everyone had a GREAT weekend!!!! See you soon, we miss you already!!!

I get by with a little help...

2009-03-05T16:46:00.000-05:00

From my friends!!!

LP is such a big helper when it comes to helping J, we're so lucky to have her around!!!

Helping open a present

Help getting up the slide ladder

Weeeee Daddy

2009-03-04T16:44:00.001-05:00

Saturdays at Playtown get pretty crowded but the men in our house could care less. As long as they get to go on the giant slide!!! Life doesn't get much better than this!!!!!

Packages for J

2009-03-04T16:40:00.004-05:00

If anyone was wondering how to make J the happiest little boy in the world the answer is simple.... send him a package in the mail. It doesn't matter what's in it as long as his name is on the outside and it's for HIM!

For Valentine's Day Grandpa Gary and Donna sent him a package which he carefully carried back home from the mailbox in two hands as instructed and then proceeded to open. The clothes inside, which were cute, were really of no interest to him but he kept talking about his "package" for days!

Welcome to The Family Baby Brad

2009-02-28T15:54:00.008-05:00

Jumpin' James has a new cousin, Baby Brad!!! He was born today at 12:36pm and weighed in at 8lbs and 9oz!

He joins J plus his other big cousins, Cailey, Harvey, Jackson, and Wyatt in joining the Johnson clan!!! Congratulations to Hannah and Deano!!! There's definitely a family resemblance, don't you think? Or maybe it's just their cone heads ;)

J is so excited to meet you Baby Brad!!!!

Quality Not Quantity

2009-02-16T12:00:00.005-05:00

Living in a condo means we don't have a huge front yard to play in but to Jumpin' J the front yard we do have is a vast wonderland to explore! With the snow and ice and cold J and I have been stuck inside quite a bit lately and I knew that we both could use a little fresh air even if it was frigid! So despite the -5 degree temperature (with the windchill) I made the decision to go out to play for a little while. We bundled up in ski pants, hats, boots, gloves, coats, and scarves. And boy did J have a great time!

We stayed outside for as long as I could stand it and J stood at the window looking out until I offered fishy crackers for a snack, he wanted to go back out! Another day I promise!

Looks as good as it tastes

2009-02-15T23:49:00.001-05:00

Berry Yogurt that is! Jumpin' J eats yogurt every morning with his blueberry waffle. Lately he has decided that it is time to start feeding himself the yogurt. And he does a pretty good job but I have learned not to get him dressed until after he eats it because about 1/2 of it ends up all over his face, including in his ears, and all down the front of his pjs.

Penguins

2009-02-15T23:46:00.002-05:00

Isn't it funny how kids pick up on everything?
Jumpin' J even makes his penguin waddle from side to side!
And then he generously feeds it from his plate.

Dinner and a Movie

2009-02-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

You feel it coming... another blog about someone other than Jumpin' J.... this one is about my loving and soooo-wonderful-I-can't-even-believe-it husband! He is so great I can't help but write about it for all the world to read!!!!!

He is the biggest lover of surprises that you could possibly imagine. Admittedly I hate them so it makes him all the more determined to make them wonderful! And I have to say that he's had some really great ones over the years, from the surprise cruise, to getting engaged on the cruise, to my baby shower, to my 30th birthday. But for how great all of them were this one was by far the best.

He took me into Boston for the evening and we went to a fantastic 5 course meal at The Melting Pot where we started with spinach and artichoke cheese fondue, continued with cesear salads, mixed in a little lemon sorbet with strawberry sauce, dined on spicey "Moho" fondue with lobster, shrimp, and filet mignon among other appetizing choices, and then topped it off with their signature yin yang chocolate fondue for dessert where we both agreed that the oreo covered marshmallows were to die for! It was almost two hours of pure pleasure for my stomach.

Then to top off the evening we headed back towards the Loews movie theater. We used to be very big movie goers but now that we have Jumpin' J we just don't get out that much so I was excited to just hold his hand in the dark theater and maybe smooch a little. But.....

Turns out we were off to see the new production of one of my all time favorite movies, Dirty Dancing. We had some of the best seats in the house, third row of the balcony center stage!!!! And the show was awesome! It stayed pretty true to the movie and my heart pounded at all the right places while watching the drama of Baby and Johnny on stage. It was great to sit there with Sean and squeeze his hand at all the good parts!!!

And just to really prove what a wonderful fabulous and understanding husband I have let me tell you that he even bought me a ridiculous $10 magnet in the shape of a watermelon that says "I carried a watermelon" on it! I am one lucky lady to have such a great hubby and I didn't even have to carry a watermelon to get him to notice me! Biology notes on the other hand are another story all together...... Happy Valentine's Day!

Ice Dam Brings Company

2009-02-14T12:22:00.001-05:00

When I went to bed one night last week I heard dripping in the living room and unfortunately discovered that we had an apparent ice dam on the roof and the water was leaking in our window frame and dripping down. There was also water marks in the ceiling of both our bedroom and the living room, yuck yuck yuck. So a call to the condo company was placed.

Jumpin' J was fascinated watching the men from the snow removal company get up on their tall ladders and bang/sweep the snow and ice off the roof. He pretty much stood at the sliding door the entire time and chatted to them through the glass and waved. He even got out his hammer from the puzzle he got from Nana and Pop Steve so he could bang away with them.

Even now he goes to the back window to look for the "guys"! So far there's no more dripping but I'll be J would be psyched to see the guys again.

Cool Dudes

2009-02-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

When Jumpin' J first put on a pair of sunglasses I told him what a "cool dude" he was and thus they are no longer sunglasses in our house they are Cool Dudes! J's had a couple of pairs of cool dudes in his young life but just recently would he actually leave them on for any length of time. And he is just such a cool dude wearing them, don't you think?

Playing with Trains

2009-02-13T23:53:00.000-05:00

We had another train playdate at our house recently! It is so good to see some of our WMM friends and get to relax and just play!
Jumpin' J and another redhead who we'll call Cheeks because they're so cute!

And here's J with Lightening, Babydoll, and another new visitor, Rosie (because she loves trains too we'll give her a Thomas name)

Double Greats

2009-02-12T23:29:00.000-05:00

One of the best things, for me at least, of going to Florida with Jumpin' J and Sean was getting to see my family. I was very lucky to not only get to see all of my grandparents but also to see some of my great aunts and uncles, or Double Greats for J.

Grandma Johnson's sister, Norma, and her husband, Morris, live just a hop, skip, and a jump from Grandma and Grandpa's house. We got to go over to their house to visit and J was psyched to see Uncle Morris' train set!! He even borrowed their grandson, Vaughn's, engineer's cap for a few minutes while watching the electric trains. And Aunt Norma generously fed J all the grapes his little belly could hold.

And then when we were at Grandpa Kimball's his only sister, Corrine, and her husband, Harry, drove quite a ways to come have lunch with us and meet J. They live in Daytona Beach so it was a little bit of a haul for them but we really appreciated it. J was fascinated with Aunt Corrine's merry-go-round necklace! And he loved the dish set that they brought him!

Thanks to all of our relatives for taking the time to visit with us, we really had an awesome time! We hope to see all of you again soon!!!

Junior Flyer Club

2009-02-12T20:40:00.000-05:00

On the way to Florida Jumpin J and I had a rather lengthy layover in the Dallas airport. Fortunately they have two sections of the terminals called the Junior Flyer Club (by Gates B12 ad C14). They are walled with benches, a padded floor, and lots of things to play on and with. It definitely was a godsend for me because I could put all my things down, let J run around, and still keep an eye on him. And he had a blast. If I was an airport designer I would definitely put one of these areas in each of my terminals!!!

His face in this one is just too hysterical!!

Pools Galore

2009-02-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

I think that if Jumpin' J could go swimming every day he would. His favorite time of the day is tubby time and he loves "swimming" any chance he can get. So two of the days we were visiting Grandpa Kimball and Arlene we went over to one of the family pools and took J swimming. He had a blast and would have stayed until he turned into a prune had we let him!

Here's one of the benefits of swimming with Daddy!

Gampa Kimba and Arlene

2009-02-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

Next on our tour of the middle of Florida was a trip to The Villages to see my Grandpa Kimball and his girlfriend, Arlene in their new house. While Grandma and Grandpa Johnson have been in FL for over a decade, Grandpa Kimball and Arlene are relatively new converts to the pleasures of the state. And they decided to buy a place in The Villages. The Villages is this amazingly huge planned community for 55+ residents with golf courses, shopping, country clubs, restaurants, and every club and activity you could possibly imagine.

Jumpin' J loved to ride in "Gampa Kimba"'s bright yellow golf cart and was thoroughly entertained by the ship playground they have in the closest community center to their house. We all got to eat honeybells which are soooo good that we actually had some shipped home!! Honeybells resembles a naval orange, but are actually a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. They are only available during the month of January so we just caught them. They are super super juicy and sweet and they are sooo yummy!

We got to try out a bunch of their different restaurants, my favorite being this great Spanish style restaurant right on the golf course where we ate lunch one afternoon!