Manerds

I am not above bribery when it comes to the potty, so as I rummaged through the pantry for a little incentive... a few boxes of Nerds from Valentines Day is all I could come up with.  Jack has been carrying around the little boxes and trying his best to use the potty.  I love that he keeps calling them Manerds, not to be confused with one of his favorite stores...Menards.  The little boxes should last a while as I am really stingy and only give him about 10 little pieces!

He has also been brushing his teeth like crazy today (even while on the potty) and he doesn't normally like to brush his teeth.  What have you done with our little boy?!  Yesterday he actually stayed out of the kitchen (like I asked) while I mopped the floor...yes, I often get excited over the littlest things!

Another one of Jack's funny words that I don't want to forget...sunscream.  He tells me he needs his sunscream on before we play outside!

This has nothing to do with the Manerds, but I thought it was cute! 

Julia trying on her new bow that Mommy made for her...not too bad for a first attempt!

3 Stars!

We have had a breakthrough!  After Jack finished lunch today he announced that he needed to use the potty (this is a first!).  He has sat on the potty many, many times, but with no success.  To my surprise after about 15 minutes of sitting on the potty (in the middle of the kitchen) we had success...he went on the potty, but very little made it in the potty (aim is everything when you are a boy!).  The first STAR of the day!  The best part was Jack telling me that we needed to call Dad and tell him...so that's exactly what we did!  The second STAR was after his nap!  He was then so excited that he wanted to wear his big boy underwear.  So I let him and it wasn't 30 minutes before he peed in the big boy pants...unfortunately he thought this was hilarious (the humor of a 2-year old!).  The third STAR was before bath.  I will be honest...I was a little distracted trying to get Julia ready for bed, so I let him sit on the potty by himself and I hear him yell...flush the poop...let's just say he almost made it in the potty (the poop ended up in front of the potty).  Not sure what will happen tomorrow, but maybe I can hold out hope that the case of diapers I just opened this morning will be our last for Jack!  YEAH Jack!

Jack's first star of the day and his potty prize (a new puzzle)!

Happiness is...

...seeing the little ones playing together!

It's gotten out of control!

How did we go from this....

...to this?  Jack would say all of these animals "need" to sleep with him.  We are starting to downsize...starting tonight!

Baby you can drive my car!

Julia's favorite toy of the moment...

Julia chatting and driving! Julia really started chatting up a storm last week...she is so funny and is really starting to show her big personality more and more every day!

Champs-Élysées vs Bridge Street

Jack's first parade - Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées (14 July 2008)...the crowds were so crazy that we couldn't even find a place to stand...

Julia's first parade - the Victorian Day parade on Bridge Street in downtown Grand Ledge...we had a hard time finding the perfect spot to watch the parade (there were so many to choose from)...

It was a small parade, but both Jack and Julia seemed to enjoy it!

After the parade we headed down to the Opera House commons to take a few (I think it was about 250) pictures...

Here are a few favorites...

Animoto

...thought I would give it a try!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

When is Julia going to take a nap?

Jack can't wait for his little sister to take a nap in the morning so he can go outside and play.  Today he was really anxious for her to nap so he could go outside and take his new bike for a spin!  I also love that he wanted to wear his helmet (I love it when there isn't a battle)!

What's a girl to do...

...when she takes a very short afternoon nap?

The funny part was that Julia fell asleep for about 15 minutes (I do feel slightly guilty for letting her sleep in the Jumperoo while I was cooking dinner), woke up and then started jumping again. 

"Old" Neighbors

Our "old" neighbors came over for a visit on Friday...they really are our "used to be" neighbors, because they are not old at all!  We were so lucky to have them as our very first neighbors in our first house.  All of the boys had a great time playing after dinner...

Kyle, Tyler, Brandon & Jack

A great picture of Lori, but not one of Julia's best poses...

I think Brandon was about Jack's age when they moved in next door...

Kids these day (now I am sounding old) and their phones...

Hut 2

Jack playing his favorite new game...hut 2...you might call it football! 

Jack wanted to play hut 2 with Daddy all weekend!

Miss Julia - 7 Months

Little Miss Julia you are 7 months old today!  You are such a happy little girl and you love to laugh and smile...the best are your big belly laughs when we tickle your little tummy.  You love to sit and play with your toys.  One of your favorite toys is the musical ball in picture above, you love to push it around (Jack likes to play with it too and I know when Jack has taken one of your toys as you let out some really loud screeches).  You love to eat...oatmeal, peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, peaches, pears, apples, bananas, prunes (no more prunes for you unless you "need" them).  You nurse four times a day (8, 12, 4 & 8), but you are very distracted...especially with your big brother running around and him insisting that your feeding time is his story time!  I am  probably going to jinx myself by writing this, but the last five nights you have slept from 8 to 8 without eating (I don't care what the books say, but this what I call sleeping through the night!).  You are still our little toothless wonder...let's hope that teething doesn't interrupt our new sleeping streak, because I really love it!  You are still wearing most of your 3-6 month, but you are also starting to wear 9 month and 6-12 month clothes...so you currently have quite an extensive wardrobe.  Your current method of transportation is rolling and wiggling. We have seen you try to get your little legs under your bottom, but no attempts as crawling just yet (I am in trouble when you do...I think I am going to have to vacuum the kitchen floor five times a day!).  Happy 7 months to our little princess!  xoxo