Mommy's Little Big Boy

Jake has become such a big boy recently. I can remember seeing Bailey go from being a toddler to a preschooler in what seemed like a few days. And, I see it with Jake, too. He still loves to be the baby, which makes it nice for us since we like having him as our little baby, but he's truly becoming that full-blown preschooler. Beyond the physical traits, he's finally developing his language skills. We understand most of what he wants and needs through verbal communication, even though he still has trouble speaking a lot of words clearly. He definitely knows Batman, Spiderman, Joker, Venom, Mary Jane, and princess. Those words are his favorites. :) He also loves to say, "Why so serious?" If any of you have seen Dark Knight, you'll understand why it's so adorable. Most recently, his favorite phrase, unrelated to his superhero friends, is "Yanowhat? (You know what?)" It is usually followed by I love you or I'm hungry.

He is also a big pretender. We pretend to be super heroes most of the day. What strikes me as the most adorable aspect of this, is how we play with particular toys together. For instance, if we are playing with his Spiderman toy, we will also play with Venom, Sandman, and the Green Goblin, all at his insistence. Since we do not have a Mary Jane doll, Jake finds one of Bailey's red-headed Barbies to play the role of Mary Jane. Similarly, we do the same with Batman, Joker, Penguin, etc. And, we can't play with just any Barbie doll... we play with Snow White. You see, she has black hair, like Batman's woman on Dark Knight. The only Barbie doll with black hair. Details, people... they are important. :)

Physically, Jake is growing taller and taller and thinner and thinner. He weighs about 30 pounds, but I can't figure out where it is. He's a skinny little guy... guess he's going to take after his Daddy. He loves to play fight, which presents problems sometimes since he likes to fight with us when we are seriously trying to discipline him. We're making it through though. I am really eager for the weather to be nice enough to go outside with Jake. He loves to play ball and dig in the dirt... and it will make my life much easier (less Spiderman games for mommy!). :) We attempt playing ball in the house, but it does present some problems. He does really well with his toy basketball set... I was showboating the other day and shooting the ball backwards (you know, with my back facing the goal), and Jake turned around and did it, too. Amazingly, he made it... he actually shoots the ball quite well. Daddy is pleased.

A close up of the baby, er... big boy:



And, playing at Christmas with his favorites - Batman (not in this photo), Joker, and Snow White (which was Bailey's, but Jake enjoys her much more than she does). :)

Well, I don't want anyone to stroke out or anything, but I am actually blogging. :)

Yep... finally giving into the guilt (and my true need to write) and blogging.

So... where to start? Well, this seems to be the problem lately. Every time I start thinking about blogging, I think about how much has happened since my last entry. And, you know, that's quite a bit. So, here's the quick rundown - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve and Day. :) OK. So those are the holidays. They were great... each special in its own little way. And, I am hopeful that at some point in the very near future, I will sporadically decide to post photos with little snippets about each of these, as well as some video. But, please don't hold your breath! You know me... it takes a while.

There were many more things to tell... playing in the snow, Bailey actually learning to pedal her bicycle (which she's been working on for a while), Jake talking more clearly and becoming more independent, our fun trip to Gatlinburg with Mamaw Kathy and James, etc. So, how do I pick up where I left off without being hitting these highlights? Well, I don't know. So, I'm just going to write about our newest developments and go from there. Patience please... this could be more like a rough version of a term paper before it's all over. lol.

Perhaps the most exciting thing for me right now is that my last day at the Lexington Philharmonic is on Friday. Brad recently received a promotion at work, enabling me to stay at home with the kids for a while. I simply cannot express how excited I am about this. I've been so lucky to work for a company that allows me to work from home part time. They've been so good to me, but it is difficult splitting up my time. Even when I'm working from home, I feel the guilt of each thing pulling on me. If I'm working on things for work, I feel like I'm ignoring the kids. If I'm playing with the kids, I feel like I'm ignoring my work. It's a constant battle... and I'm very excited that I don't have to feel that choice tugging on me all the time. I'm sure I'm going to miss the adult interaction and even parts of my job. But, I can't wait to wake up every morning and know that the only thing I HAVE to do is take care of the kids. They seem excited about it, too. I know Jake will love being at home with me. He makes me feel guilty everyday I leave him, so he's going to be on cloud nine. Bailey, on the other hand, loves preschool, so her concern with me not working is that she wouldn't go anymore. Of course, we nearly have preschool completely paid for, so we had already planned to let her finish her school year. She was really happy then... especially when she understood that we could spend the entire summer by the pool or at the lake. Now, she's thrilled.

So, a week from tomorrow, I will be unemployed. :) Happily unemployed. Not sure how many of us there are out there with the economy like it is.

The other big thing going on right now is that my husband is in another country. Yep, Brad is in Guatemala City, Guatemala, living the good life. :) Or so you would think from the photos he's posted on Facebook! He actually is there on business, training some developers for his company. He left early last Wednesday and won't return until Thursday night. He spent his weekend seeing ancient Mayan ruins and Antigua. Apparently, he's stronger than I am though... His hotel has a casino in it and he's not gambling. He's nuts. They have a great exchange rate. He could win quite a bit if he got lucky. Thank God I'm not the one going on these trips or I would DEFINITELY be looking for a job. I'd gamble it all. :) Anyway, we've missed Brad so much. Bailey is completely convinced that he's on a vacation without us and does not think it's fair that he gets to swim in a pool in hot weather when we are stuck here in the cold and rain. I have to agree to a certain extent. :) Jake is missing him too. I expected him to ask about him, but not to say much more about it. Yet, in the middle of the night, Jake woke up to tell me that he missed his daddy. It was so cute. It kind of broke my heart. Needless to say, we are counting down the days until Brad gets home... quite literally. We created a calendar just for the time Brad would be gone so that we could "see" when he was coming home. Just a few more days... just a few more.

Moody little man

He's finally putting sentences together and playing pretend. He's bossing us around and giving us his opinions, even when they aren't asked for. He's a full-fledged two-year old, complete with defiance and tantrums. And, he's absolutely able to get anything he wants. Jake can easily convince me of just about anything with his adorable big eyes and funny facial expressions. Even when he couldn't talk much, you could understand everything he was thinking by just reading his face. Now, he just manipulates me with those adorable little expressions and sweet little voice. Even when he's mean... I am totally SNOWED.

I guess I'm not really snowed since I know what's happening, but it is terrible. I, obviously, don't make a difference between Jake and Bailey (at least not one that any parent wouldn't make between a 2-year old and a 4-year old based on one knowing more than the other). However, I do feel like a complete sucker most of the time. I do feel better when other people seem to get snowed too. Then, at least, I think maybe he just has that kind of personality. The funny thing is that he really is a hateful little bird. He wakes up every morning and I wonder if he's going to be happy or pissed off. It's about 50/50. Some mornings, he'll wake up and be ready to go... happy to do whatever is on the agenda, whether that's laying around the house in his pjs or getting dressed to go run around. He is just happy to go and even happier if we have a pop tart and orange juice. Other mornings, he wakes up mad. I can offer him pop tarts and orange juice, with a side of Spiderman on TV, and he just gets more angry. He usually wants to be held on these mornings and then proceeds to be mean to Morgan, by saying "No Morgan" or "No Kaden (Morgan's little brother who he plays with regularly)" or just completely ignoring her. He's even mean to Brad - often refusing to tell him goodbye or even taking a swing at him if he tries to give him a kiss on the head. He really is a little bear. He is a moody little thing. We just can't figure out if there's something causing it. I keep wondering if he's getting enough sleep or if he's getting too much on these days. I thought it was just the mornings that Morgan was coming over, which made me think he was just having a hard time with us leaving. But, that's not the case. He does it on the weekends sometimes and sometimes on the days I'm at home. On some mornings, he'll just sit and scream (like temper tantrum scream) because he asked for juice and I fixed him a juice but handed it to him instead of sitting it on the table that he wanted it on. Apparently mind-reading is something I should have. :) So, really... the personality is not there for him to be a manipulator. He should be sweet and persuasive, not hateful, moody, and expecting us to bow to him all the time. LOL... But, his uncle Colt has always been able to get what he wants. They have very similar personalities. Jake seems to recognize that... he idolizes Colt. Every time we say we're going to Ashland to see Mimi and Poppa, he'll say, "And Colt?" Maybe I should keep them away from each other... maybe he's getting lessons and I just didn't know. :) Either way, he is certainly the funniest little kid in the world. You never know what you're going to get with him... but I can almost always guarantee that you wait five minutes and it will change!

Daddy's Girl... for a few minutes

I couldn't help but think that it was the most adorable thing ever when Bailey announced to me that she wanted her daddy to take her on her field trip to the orchard. Her class would be visiting a local orchard for their fall trip and she was so excited. I was a little disappointed that she wasn't more eager for me to be there, but I was so excited for Brad that she had taken the initiative to want him there. It really worked out nicely for me, too. The field trip was on a Thursday, which would normally be good for me because I work from home on Thursday and could be more flexible. However, siblings weren't allowed to go, which would mean paying or finding a sitter to take care of him while I took Bailey. So, Bailey's endeavor to involve her daddy was perfect.

I'm not sure that Brad even realizes how special it is that she wanted him to go and that he went and had fun with her. One day, he will look back and remember it and wish she was still so eager to spend time with him, especially in front of her friends. :) My dad was always ready for anything we wanted to do and my favorite thing about him was that he was always happy to spend time with us. Most of the time, he was needed somewhere else, but when he was with us, he was with us. He knew when it was supposed to be Dad and Andrea time. Oh, don't get me wrong... I can remember SO many times when we were begging him to get off the phone, quit working, leave the office, or to not stop "just one more place." I often think of him when I'm working from home with the kids and I tell them, "Mommy has to make just one more call, so please be good and don't fight." How I remember being on the other end of that conversation and hating every second of it. :) But, when it was really important, Dad got it. He knew that it wouldn't always be that way... and he was right. Like all girls, I went through that "my dad embarasses the crap out of me and acts like a complete idiot" phase. And, he made sure I paid for it when I went through that phase. I guess he thought that if I was going to accuse him of being ridiculous, he might as well enjoy it. Obviously, I got over it and really think it's quite funny looking back at it.

I love to see how Bailey adores her daddy. He is so oblivious to it... which I might have just ruined. :) She tells me every time something messes up, even if it is unfixable, that her daddy will fix it. He can fix everything. Literally, I quote her... she says, "Daddy can fix everything." She thinks he hung the moon. And, he does for her, I guess. Tonight we carved our annual jack-o-lanterns. Daddy is the master at carving the coolest pumpkins. We have a Scooby Doo pumpkin and a crazy face pumpkin (which I did, thank you very much). No doubt, all I will hear about for weeks is how her daddy made her the Scooby Doo pumpkin. And what really cracks me up about her idolization of him, is that she doesn't say these things in front of him, just to me and/or others. It's like she knows it will go straight to his head. :)

I just hope it stays this way for a little while longer. I'm happy to miss out on the fun field trips and let Daddy have his time with her. I know that she'll turn into a teenager early... she does everythinge early. So, we'll take this as long as we can. (And since I'm being so understanding about her playing her daddy all the time, maybe he'll be so understanding about me letting Jake play me all the time.)

Catching Up

Well, I can't believe it's been over a month since the last post. I don't know why... I should know that's about how long it takes for me to feel guilty and get back on the computer. It's difficult for me to sit down and write for some reason. Most of it is because I'm so tired of being on the computer for 100 different things, mostly all work-related. Nonetheless, I regret waiting so long because it takes a few to get back into the swing of things when I take such a break!

The kids have been doing wonderfully. We have all been passing a cold around, which seems to be the norm for everyone right now, but thankfully it hasn't been anything more than a cold. (Knock on wood, right?!) Our routine has continued on... Bailey going to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Jake staying with Morgan. They really are both enjoying every bit of it.

Bailey loves her friends and telling me all about everything she's learning. I'm so impressed by the knowledge she keeps picking up. She comes home talking about her letters, telling me what items she knows that start with the letter of the week, and telling me all about her "job" for the week. There always seems to be some fun activity that they do to learn about things. They have had fire safety week and I love to read week. They had a visit from the fire truck (Bailey was thrilled to see that they have a front and back door... so impressive) and they shared their favorite books in class today (their teachers read all of their books in class and Bailey claims that hers was the best). I am really impressed by Bailey's recent interest in numbers. I don't think this has been caused by school. She has always been more interested in numbers than letters and she has always asked lots of questions about numbers. Well, she is now learning to add and subtract (more from us at home than at school, I believe). I'm so proud of her (and hoping that she is going to be so good at math that she goes into something that will positively impact her budget more than my choices! LOL). I have also seen other changes in Bailey's learning. She is driving me nuts with the little schoolgirl, know-it-all attitude. It can be cute, at times, but it can also drive me insane. She has been threatening Jake when he doesn't do what she wants. She tells him, "I won't be your friend or big sister anymore." It makes me mad that she acts that way, but worries me more that she's being treated that way by one of her friends (or that she's treating them this way). So, we had a little talk about it tonight. I hope that changes soon. I'm sure there's plenty more of it to come, but I'm hopeful that she'll understand it can be hurtful to act that way. I guess it all comes with the territory. She is also killing me with rhyming. Everything she says, she follows up with rhyming words, even if they don't make sense. So, she'll say, "Hey Jakey bakey cakey. I'm hungry, shungry, dungry." Every sentence ends in rhymes. I had to tell her tonight that if she rhymed again, she was losing toys. I know I'll look back and laugh one day, but really... I am only going to be sane for a few more days at this rate. :)

Jake is also enjoying his little life. Today, alone, he was able to convince Morgan to take him to McDonald's for pancakes and sausage, and then to McDonald's for lunch. Normally, I would be worried about the amount of fast food, but considering that he really seems to eat less than a bird on most days, I'm thrilled that he has anything going down. I guess it's a phase he's going through - the no-eating phase - but it worries me. He is so little that he can fit in Mackenzie's little 5 month old son's diapers (he wears them sometimes at nap time if he's at Morgan's house and they don't have any of his). Now, I know that Braxton is a big 5-month old, but still... Jake is a skinny mini. And, it is no wonder. He literally could survive on drinks. He just doesn't seem to care about eating anymore. I remember Bailey going through a phase like this, so I'm hoping we're nearing the end of it. BUT... in the meantime, anything that he'll eat is better than nothing. :) He is also speaking more and more clearly. He loves to talk about Spiderman or Batman. He loves role playing... in any form. Yes, he's going to be that adult that interviews potential employees and makes them pretend to sell him something. Apparently, it's just that fun. :) He loves to tell me when Bailey is being bad, when he doesn't like things, and when he wants me to do something. I hear mommy all the time. Even if Jake is just sitting around playing, he'll yell, "Mommy" repeatedly. When I respond, he usually says, "Where are you?" Most of the time, I'm sitting right beside him... but he just wants to say it.

They are both just growing up so fast. I can't keep up with everything they do that I love. They play well together on most days... they even found that they really enjoy a good car race with Jake's electronic cars. They'll get them started and let them go across the floor and their identical laughs just crack me up. I listened to them playing for about an hour yesterday and couldn't help but laugh at them. They were having so much fun and weren't fighting over the toys they were playing with. It was one of those precious moments that I would love to remember forever.

Battling my own addiction. :)

Well, I understand my son's addiction to Spiderman. I know it sounds crazy. I know. I really am wondering about my own mental capacity at this point, but I am addicted. Not to Spiderman, of course. I am addicted to the Twilight books. Now, for all of you who have known me since I was young, you are probably not surprised. I love to read. I LOVE to read. I just never get to. And there are multiple reasons for that. First and foremost, the kids make it difficult. I feel guilty when I'm reading and they are just running around. I don't know why. I guess I feel like they are neglected or something. Before, when they were smaller, it was harder because there just wasn't a way to find time or to relax for long periods of time without them needing things... a clean diaper, a bottle, a snack, attention, love, etc. Not that they don't need all of these things now (in different ways, of course). They just don't need them as frequently and I don't have to remember to do these things. They tell me what they need. And, what's the difference in my reading versus watching a movie or show (I do that frequently). Secondly, I become engrossed in a story, if it's worth anything to me. Engrossed meaning I can't think about much else. I am in another world, wondering what will happen next, rushing through whatever trivial errands or housework needs to be done, in a desparate hurry to get back to the story. That's typically why when I do read, it is in the form of someone's blog, a newspaper article, a magazine story, etc. It rarely turns into a novel, especially a fictonal novel, because I know that makes my imagination run wild. It's like I'm on some kind of drug that I can't come down from until I've finished the book.

So, I'm high right now... obviously not on any kind of drug. I am high because this saga is four books long. I started this whole thing on Saturday night (at about 9 p.m.). I stayed up until 4 a.m. that night reading. Got up on Sunday and finished it off. Thought about the second book all day on Sunday... contemplating a trip to buy it, but holding off, thinking it would go away for a while. Finally, on Monday evening, I gave in and bought the second one. I finished it off today and I've read everything I can get Google to bring up to tell me how the third book goes. I predict that I'm going to be driving to Walmart at some point tomorrow to buy the third AND fourth books. My brother has them in Ashland and is ready to loan them to me this weekend, but I just don't think I can wait that long. LOL. I guess Jake gets his addiction to a great story (heroes, bad guys, romance, twisted relationships, love triangles, all of it) from his mother.

Oh well... I guess it could be worse.

I Spiderman

Our son is addicted. I think he has an addictive personality or something. It seems like he just goes through these phases with movies. He used to watch the Grinch over and over... then he went through Meet the Robinsons, Peter Pan, Scooby Doo, etc. Right now? Spiderman... and not the animated versions, the real life movies. He's obsessed. He gets up in the morning and the first thing he wants is "Spiderman watch tv." Then, he proceeds to tell us that he's Spiderman. He growls at us aggressively, flexing all the muscles in his body in a near strain, and says, "I spideyman." Then, he typically proceeds to punch us... sometimes in the face when you aren't really paying attention. It's not the best phase he's gone through. lol... He would literally watch it all day if we would let him... carrying around his little Spiderman dolls, sometimes wearing his Spiderman costume that is two sizes too big. It's adorable to see how excited he gets about these movies... Bailey will be scared and Jake will be re-enacting it all. I guess that could be why Bailey is so scared! :) I guess it could be worse... he is at least going to Spiderman dolls instead of Barbies.

Soccer

Well, we were lucky with t-ball... we got on the winning team, only losing one game during the entire season and playoffs. We had a great crew of parents and players... a wonderful experience. Bailey began to enjoy it and really started to understand the concept by the end. We were fortunate.

Soccer is a little different. The parents are good, the kids are sweet, but the team, overall, is like watching the Bad News Bears... with one exception... the Bad News Bears at least cared about playing. They just weren't any good. :) Bailey's little team is quite hilarious to watch. It's kind of like watching a bunch of little kids with Attention Deficit Disorder. They see the ball and start to run for it, but then notice that they like the yellow shirts the other team is wearing and decide to stop and check it out. Bailey could be the biggest culprit. Our little social butterfly is very interested in making friends with her teammates and the other team's players... so much that there's no way she'd try to take the ball from them or even kick the ball, for that matter. She'll play great defense against us, but not against the kids. That, apparently, would be wrong. lol... So, we're working on it. It's a challenge, to say the least. But, it's also freaking adorable. She'll stand on the field and do nothing. Meanwhile, I'm yelling instructions to her. She'll hear me (after a few minutes of me yelling over and over at her) and then look at me and smile, giving me a thumbs up or blowing me a kiss. It's so adorable, I can't help but just crack up. Our game on Saturday was horrible. We didn't score a goal and the other team scored between 10 and 15 goals. lol. The coach's dad was sitting by me and we were laughing about it. He said, "Well, they don't seem to be mad that they are losing." I cracked up and said, "I don't think they even realize that they are losing." It's going to be a long couple of months! :)

School Update

The shift key that I use most often is stuck for some reason... probably because I'm on the computer too much, but nonetheless always behind on something. So, don't be surprised if I revert to just not using caps at all in this blog. You don't realize how much you use that shift key until it doesn't work. :)

Things here are becoming more routine with the school schedule and babysitter change. The kids are overwhelmingly happy with their environments, which only makes it that much easier to not feel guilty when I'm working or needing a little time for myself. I know they are happy. What a wonderful feeling. Jake is being spoiled to death by Morgan and Mickey. He's eaten out several times for lunch, whether it be McDonald's or Applebee's or even home-cooked meals by Morgan's grandmother... he's definitely getting the royal treatment. He gets to sleep in, although he isn't doing that as often as I had hoped, and he gets to watch whatever he wants to watch on tv, play with any toy he wants, and visit with his friends, Kaden, Konner, and Braxton on a regular basis. It's just amazing how nice it is to have a good sitter!

Bailey is also thriving... she comes home with new stories, new ideas, and having learned how to spell words regularly. She is learning the letter L this week, which means that we have to talk about every word since the beginning of time that starts with the letter L. She also learned about the Statue of Liberty last week (they are talking about patriotic symbols and America) and described her as being the blue-green lady with the princess crown who holds the light. :) Each week, the children recieve "jobs" for their classroom. Bailey really enjoys this responsibility. She was the weather girl one week, the light girl, the flag holder, and is now the caboose in the line on the way to the bathroom. I think the cutest description of her job came last week... she told me she gets to hold the flag and then demonstrated by holding her arm straight up above her head and waving it side to side as fast and hard as she could. I can envision her doing just that at her school. She's not big on nap time, but she's adjusting well... and even starting to remember some of her friends' names. Finally.

Sports fans...

And so life goes on... beyond the new school and babysitter situations, we have entered a new season for sports. I LOVE THE FALL. Football weather is here, so pull out the hoodies, get your cow bells out, and get ready for Friday nights. Or at least, that's how I feel about it. For one more year... my little brother, Colt, is in his senior year of high school and we are trying to get every ounce of high school football that we can while he's still playing. There's just something about watching someone you know play that makes it even that much better. And this year has already been a lot of fun. Colt's football team has been playing great and winning. You know, Bailey gets that competitive thing honest. Her daddy is bad, and on any given day (especially Friday), I could be worse. I love to win. LOVE IT. I even felt some of the old redneck coming out this last week. No worries... I kept it in check. And, I'm quite certain that most of the fans think I'm crazy because I yell like an idiot the whole time. But, at least my whole family is that way, so I'm not alone. For those of you who haven't watched high school football with me, visualize the little girl in the movie "Remember The Titans" and add about 20 years onto her age and you'll see what I mean. :) I just love it. And, I don't know what we're going to do when we don't have Colt to watch. I guess I'll have to adopt a little brother for a couple of years, until we get Jakey ready to put on the pads.

Or... I guess we can learn soccer. I think Brad and I are going to have to take a class to learn all about it, because I think we might have a serious soccer player on our hands. We signed Bailey up for fall soccer and she is loving it. She's had three practices and is doing really well. Perhaps most impressive, she actually wants to practice in the yard with us. We don't have to beg her like we did with t-ball. She ASKS us! I've spent at least 6-7 hours this past week in the yard, kicking with her. It's been a lot of fun. Her first game is on the 12th, so we'll see how she does there. I didn't make it out to practice today, but Brad said she did well. She stole a ball from one of the better players on the team and also scored against one of the better players on the team. So, we might have found a sport that she's going to like and be good at. Fingers crossed that she has fun with it. That's really all we care about... that and winning. lol... :)

Here are some pics of her playing at the soccer field last week. And a couple of Jake playing at the playground during practice. Jake's pictures aren't that great... actually none of these are. I'm having a terrible time just trying to catch them, even mid-action!

Oh... I'm going to have to get a shot of his shoes. We bought him some black tennis shoes on the same day we got Bailey's cleats. Every time Bailey puts on her cleats, he has to wear his black shoes. Their his "football" shoes, as he calls them. SO CUTE. :)