Tincaps

Our neighbors have season tickets to the Tincaps and they let us have their tickets for yesterday's game. Jack was pretty excited to see a live baseball game!

A large bowl of popcorn was also pretty exciting. Notice he ate with both hands. That's how excited he was about the popcorn.

Josie…not as much. She spent about 90% of the game sleeping. She was pretty cozy in her carrier.

 The other 10% of the time she looked like this…. "Baseball is so boring. Can we go home now?"

Jack was even more excited about the game when he discovered his buddies Maddox and Jace were there, too! He joined them for TWO sessions of Bounce House jumping. He LOVED it (of course). And when his time was up - he didn't want to get out. Never good. I definitely had to climb in to get him…which lead to an all-out tantrum (complete with kicking, crying, and me carrying him away). Thank goodness they serve alcohol.

Then the boys spent some time running & jumping behind center field. I will say - that while the Tincaps are not the Tigers…and the caliber of baseball isn't the same - Parkview Field is an AWESOME ball park! It was laid back, tons of families, and overall a great way to spend an afternoon. We look forward to many more games this summer!

Wee Bear Soccer

A few weekends ago Grandpa Denny (over Spyros breakfast) announced that The Plex would be having Wee Bear Soccer for two year olds this summer. He believed Jack needed to participate. Tyson & I agreed, so we signed him up last week. Stay tuned for some updates on his future as a Wee Bear and his quest to be the next Ronaldo. I'm just hoping he doesn't get any red cards…

Ponderosa anyone?

Josie has been enjoying some oatmeal - sometimes with applesauce and sometimes with banana. I think she likes food. And I'm not just saying that because she eats every single bite. She looks longingly at all of us while we eat meals. It makes me feel bad.

On this particular night I accused her of sneaking off to Ponderosa for an all-you-can-eat buffet. She then left in her Hoveround (aka: high chair with wheels).

Friday Flashback

Hmmmmm….wonder where Josie gets her "thickness" from… This is me at 6mth. What I would give to have those sweet duck overalls for Miss Josephine!

This was taken in October 1983. I was a few months shy of 2 and my mom was 7.5 months pregnant with Joe. I think Jack looks a lot like I did in this picture. 

Here is the conversation between Tyson & I when I showed this to him.

Me: Look at this picture my mom brought me.

Tyson: Wow - your parents look young. Is that your brother (Jon)?

Me: Noooo - that's ME!

Tyson: Oh. Why did they give you a boy's haircut?

Me: I didn't have my  hair cut like that… I was bald until I was 2.

Tyson: Our poor kids… (pause) Your mom looks like a China doll.

Happy Friday! Successful garage sale! But I closed shop by 2pm. I seriously HATE garage sales.

Brotherly Love

Feee-sh

My Aunt Debbie sent Jack a special surprise - all wrapped up in Toy Story wrapping paper!! It's a fish tank. Except the fish are plastic - which is a bonus because I have a hard enough time feeding a husband, two kids, and two dogs. Real fish wouldn't stand a chance.

How do I put this mildly? Jack is obsessed. He actually ate his lunch watching the "feeeee-sh" and I think they had a really calming effect on him because he went down for his nap without a fight. That.Never.Happens.

Two dozen fresh-from-the-farm eggs also made the trip up from Madison! And look - we only lost ONE of them! That's impressive considering it's a four hour trip north…plus a layover at my parents' house…and then a 35 minute trip to Sweet Flag Cove. Thank you, Aunt Debbie! Now I just have to figure out what to make…quiche anyone??

One more thing: it is Garage Sale week in our addition. I'm participating, but I hate every minute of it. If you want to see Jack & Josie…stop by on Friday!

Roll over...Roll over...

Josephine Elizabeth - I have been terrible about "scheduling" tummy time for you every day. (no excuses...other than: chasing your crazy brother, moving, laundry, etc...) Yesterday I watched you try to roll over and your tummy got in the way. That's not good.

Someone seriously asked me when I stopped producing "Skim" and started producing "Whole" milk. I'm serious. Someone asked me that.

Regardless. You are the cutest baby - with your chunky cheek smile and huge blue eyes. I think you are beautiful.

A Visit from Floyd

Floyd came to visit this weekend! Cooper & Tucker were happy to see their old pal and show him around their new backyard! As you can see - Floyd made himself right at home, sunning himself on the hot tub cover. Silly dog.

Jack and Sarah snuggled up under some blankets while watching TV and chatting about how they could solve all the world's problems.

Then Jack convinced Sarah to read him a book. I could tell he thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm suspecting he may have a crush on her...

After Sarah read the book - Jack asked Blake to read it. Annnnnd Blake, being all philosophical and "deep," read the book like Jack was a student in a college history course - adding a lot of random facts about the history of trains & railroads. As you can see from the picture, Jack listened intently - but you could see the confusion on his face. Blake was clearly not reading the words in the book (he knows because he has heard it 100 times...). After a few minutes Jack snatched the book away from Blake and took it back to Sarah. Ha! That will show him!

It's always fun to have our friends around for the weekend! Sarah made some DELICIOUS Creamsicle Cookies...which you can find HERE. I will say that I ate one with a Blue Moon and it was wonderful...and I may have eaten one with a cup of coffee... Also wonderful. 

And yes, I realize that it's almost bathing suit season. But, clearly, I do not care.

Friday Flashback

Photo taken by Carley Kay Photography

Here is a more recent Flashback - to the summer of 2009. There was a Jack in my belly in this picture. And also I desperately needed a tan...some things never change.

I love this picture because it's just me and my brothers. We have had our differences and we may have even "duked it out" once or twice...or a lot... But there are no words to express how much my brothers mean to me. I love them both very much.

That's Pin-teresting...

Today's Pinterest find was inspired from my sister-in-law, Gina. She made her hound, Hank, some very delicious (or so I heard) dog treats. She sent a couple to my pups and they RAVED about them (in the form of tail wagging & licking their lips).  I realized that I have been neglecting my duties as a "dog mom" - mainly because it's tough enough to be a "human mom." Regardless, I looked up the SUPER easy recipe on Pinterest and made some for my boys today.

You will need:
1 egg
1 can of tuna (preferably in oil...but mine was in water, so I added a little oil)
3/4 cup flour (or enough flour to make it the consistency of dough)

Microwave for 3-6 minutes. It will look like this:

And then you cut that into smaller pieces and your dog(s) will look like this:

I also pinned THIS recipe because Cooper & Tucker have a friend coming this weekend. Their buddy Floyd, the basset, is coming for a visit and I know how much he LOVES peanut butter. So I will be making a batch of these, too!

For the record, we still love our dogs...despite a lack of over-spoiling. They get plenty of attention and love. And they LOVE their new backyard because they can run like crazy and pretend to chase ducks! So I feel a little less guilty that they went from being our "fur-babies" to just being our dogs...because let's be honest, they have it prettttty good!

**I also like these treats because IF my toddler happened to get them, and IF he happened to eat them... he wouldn't be eating actual dog food. That makes me feel better.

Josie the Bully

(NOTE: This is all in my imagination. My four and a half month old daughter isn't a bully...and I pray she never is... But if she has to be a bully to deal with her big brother, then I will make an exception)


The crazy winds died out yesterday and we were able to enjoy some fun in the backyard again. Josie was pumped because it was the first time she has been able to use her Easter present - an infant swing.

Immediately, Jack ran to Josie's swing and asked to use it. I explained it was a baby swing for Josie. After a mini-meltdown, he gave in and jumped on his "big boy" swing. But I'm pretty sure I heard Josie say (in her best impression of Beth from Dog the Bounty Hunter) "Hey bro, BACK OFF - leave my swing alone!"

 That's her - I'M NOT MESSING AROUND - face.

 This is her - I REALLY TOLD HIM - face.

Peaceful swinging...with some space in between.

Then Josie took a nap in her swing. I know it looks like she's in pain, but she was actually quite comfortable. She was all bundled up, overlooking the lake, and swinging. That's living the life...

And that is the face of a kid who just got put in his place by his sister! Okay, actually, he was probably saying..."Mommy?....Mommy?...Mommy?..." Which is his new favorite word - that I hear no less than 200 times a day. And I love it.

Procrastinators (and/or nursing moms) Unite!

I spend a lot of time feeding Josie. She probably begs to differ...but she can't tell time, so who would believe her?!?

Anyway, one of my favorite ways to pass some time is a little game called "Draw Something."  I was introduced to it by my friend Sarah - and we have a pretty fabulous streak going at the moment...53 draws in.a.row!!! If you are a fan of this game - find me! My username is: kadybecker

It is WAY more fun to play against friends...and make fun of their stick figures...wait, no...I'd never do that.

Sugar-less Jack

(Once again, future daughter-in-law, file this away...)

I must be getting wiser in my old age...because I recently noticed that Jack's behavior is drastically influenced by his sugar consumption. (thank you, Captain Obvious) But really...you'd think as a teacher and consumer of sugar (see any of my posts regarding my love affair with Oreos) - that this wouldn't have been so hard for me to realize. But it was. We have significantly cut back on Jack's sugar in-take and it has made a world of difference in him! As a true Becker & Clevenger combo - Jack loves sweets...so we have found sugar-free snacks that seem to fulfill his sweet tooth.

 Sugar-free pudding is always good. Especially when eaten shirtless...which is the only way he can eat it.

See - he approves. I'm realistic. I know there will be times when he will eat sugary foods...and why not? He's a kid (& he's also a human...and he's also my child...) I'm not ever going to say NO SUGAR, NONE, ZERO. But I know I can monitor his sugar consumption and I will now realize that when he does eat too much sugar - I can expect to find him swinging from the ceiling fan!

One of the Big Boys & Girls

Last night I made a rookie mistake. Jack tugged at my heart strings by standing in the dining room and watching our neighbor kids play basketball in their driveway. I could see how much he wanted to be part of the action. It was already past his bedtime, but I agreed to let him go out and watch them for a few minutes. He grinned from ear to ear as he ran off to get his boots (of course).

The kids on our street range in age from 6-10 (at least the ones we've met so far). That's a little old for Jack...but they have been good sports about letting him participate here & there. Before I dragged him back inside for bed, one of them let him shoot a basket. He left kicking & screaming...and I realized my heart hurt worse for him at that moment than it had when he was just watching them from the house.

 He's obsessed with these boots. And he doesn't even care if they're on the wrong feet.

Wait a second....   JOSIE! I guess she has a boot fetish, too.

Just Jos

She's a happy, cheery girl!

Spidey & his kid sister

I feel like there was a Friday Flashback that was all too similar to this photo. It involved me as a toddler and an oversized Baby Joe. Hmmmmm....

Our Saturday is off to a great start! Grandma Nancy & Grandpa Denny came by with breakfast and coffee. Awesome!

Friday Flashback

In honor of the Masters last week - I'm flashing back to sometime in the mid-90's. Payne Stewart was playing in a tournament at Stonehenge and I managed to get brave enough to ask him for a picture. Don't I look awkward?? Anyway - I'm glad I have this picture & also the one I took of my Dad with him. He was a great golfer and is still missed on the PGA.

Welcome Back Daddy!

Tyson left Tuesday for a whirlwind business trip...Newark, NJ for less than 24hr and Celebration City, FL for about 20hr. That left me at home by myself with the two kiddos...for the first time! We lived. No one went to the hospital and everyone ate {at least} three meals a day. I also managed to get everyone to nap at the same time, go to bed at the same time, and I completed my first "dual bath"! High-fives all around!

Here are a few pictures we sent daddy on his trip. He was missed! But living in Fort Wayne means I had my wonderful in-laws to help me out and I am SO thankful for that!

"See, Dad, we're being good!"

"I'll even give Josie a kiss to prove it...(okay, okay, I kissed her because mom said she'd give me a jellybean. Whatever.)"

Here's a secret...sometimes I blog in advance. Here's an update...there was actually no synchronized napping yesterday. Actually, Jack said "no thank you" to a nap. Soooo that made for a fun day! :) Happy Friday!!

That's Pin-teresting...

Pinterest is a great place to find ideas for parties! And we are looking forward to hosting a few in the next few months! So I've been pinning things that seem simple & fun for summer pool parties!

 I thought this was cute & easy!

And how adorable is this for a pool/lake party!?! They used these for a Nautical Themed birthday party, but it could also be used for a baby shower! Oh the possibilities. And just another reason I LOVE PINTEREST!

Toddler Sleeping - Let's Discuss

{Dear future daughter-in-law, welcome. This should be archived into your files. If you have a mini-version of Jack one day...this information will be important.}

So, as many of you know, we struggled with Jack escaping from his crib during our last few weeks at my parents' house. He had given up naps and everyone was miserable. Everyone.

Fast forward to today and I am happy to say we are back on our regular schedule...and Jack sleeps happily in his "big boy bed" (twin bed). Phew. It was actually fairly painless.

Here are the ingredients needed to get Jack to sleep in his room:
1. The ability to think faster than a two year old. Put yourself into Jack's head and then fix anything that he would use against you. Example: there is a sink in Jack's room (it's part of the Jack & Jill Josie bathroom, but there isn't a door on it) I had my brother Joe turn off the water to that sink. Why? Because Jack and water would be a crazy-huge claim on our Homeowner's Policy.


2. Invest in a video baby monitor. Somehow I managed to live without one of these for more than two years...but now I'm not sure what I was thinking. It's amazing. Jack calls it "robot." And we have made a big deal about how "robot" sleeps when Jack plays, but works while Jack sleeps. Robot's job is to tell mommy & daddy when Jack is up. After a few investigations into "Robot" {and a few close-ups of his nostrils} - Jack pretty much leaves robot alone. And I have been able to rest easy knowing he's asleep...in his bed...

3. Locks. Okay, this may seem harsh but Jack gets locked in his room. If you think about it - it's dangerous for him to be able to wander around at night. He sleeps upstairs and we sleep on the main level. Not a good idea for him to try to come downstairs in the dark. Our dogs also sleep in the family room...and while they love Jack (or at least pretend to love him) - I don't want to worry about one of them thinking he's an intruder in the middle of the night. (Cooper is from the streets. He was taught to bite first, ask questions later.) Every night after we tuck him into bed Jack wanders around his room. He checks the doors, sits on the floor, and eventually decides to climb back in bed to fall asleep. I have also put a lock on his closet because he was sneaking in there and it was out of Robot's view.

4. Quiet Toys. Jack has a small box full of books, a train, his magna-doodle, and a VTech Alphabet Toy. When he isn't quite ready for a nap...but mommy is ready for a break - he can read or play with the things in the box. It's been awesome! The other day I watched him read on the floor, play with the train & the Alphabet Toy...then he sang his ABC's and climbed in bed.

They are ALWAYS this neat. Riiiight.

5. Less is more. When it comes to Jack - less is definitely more. He can't handle having a bunch of "stuff" in his room. And quite frankly, I don't think he needs much in there. It's a place for him to be calm and rest. He has plenty of other places in the house for craziness & chaos.

6. Finally, patience is a huge piece. I've had to find more of mine when dealing with my stubborn little guy. I don't want to get too deep...but I've actually asked God {out loud} for more patience on more than one occasion. I think he heard me.

Question:

Will this window ever be free of finger prints & nose prints?
Answer: NO!

Jack & his buddies "Ooper" and "Tuck" love spending time looking at the ducks and geese on the pond.

BUSTED

The movers left our Jump-a-roo in the garage, so I hauled it into the house today. My intention was that I could start putting Josie in it while we spend time in the playroom. She gets bored watching Jack & I take turns pitching and hitting all day.

I lugged the thing to the basement and set it up. Then I ran back upstairs for Josie. In the meantime, Jack decided he missed his favorite infant toy and jumped back in the "saddle."

This is how I found him when I came downstairs:

Eventually, I convinced him that it was a baby toy and he was a "big boy." I don't think he bought it...but I think the small leg holes were cutting off his circulation, so he got out.

Josie enjoyed a few bounces. Her legs are too short to hit the ground, so I put a pillow and a yoga mat under her feet. There is also a good chance the small leg holes were cutting off her circulation, too. The girl has some rolls. No doubt, jumping will do her a world of good in the exercise department. More on this later...