Incognito

Jack came down stairs the other day dressed like some weird cross between a Unabomber/Techie/Samurai ninja. I thought he looked great...IF it was 30 degrees outside. It was actually 80 degrees and he had on WAY too much clothing. The boots were my favorite part, but it was even too hot for them. I suggested a visit to the pool...and the layers were shed off pretty quickly.

Meanwhile...the manager at our favorite grocery store asked Nolan if he escaped from jail during our shopping trip. Considering he was SUPPOSED to be napping, but refused...so I grabbed him from the crib and went to the store... Actually, YES, he most certainly escaped from "jail." Look how proud he was of himself. He knows.

Sick...or not

Last Wednesday I kept Jack home from school because he was sick. Or at least I thought he was sick. I kept suggesting that he "relax" and "watch a movie" - he agreed to the movie part, but this is what I found him doing:

 Exercising.

Pretty sure those are sick & tired eyes. He's on the mend, but still fighting a little cough. Thankful we've been pretty healthy...knock on wood.

More (Bad Word that Begins with "S")...Snow

Josie and I had some time to kill while Jack was at school on Tuesday. I had some books on hold at the library, so we spent some time in the Children's section. The difference between Jack & Josie at this age is pretty remarkable.

Jack was always running full speed through the library, trying to jump off furniture...you would have thought he was a caged animal, set free.  Josie, on the other hand, is calm & easily engaged. She does puzzles, plays computer games, and works on fine motor skills.

Sometimes I catch myself thinking - "How are my children from the same parents?" But then I remember that Jack is a VERY active boy and Josie is just a typical girl.

Since we got more SNOW yesterday - we did some indoor activities. First up was a "pool party" in the tub. It's the one place they can be within a foot of each other - yet not fight. For obvious reasons, this was a much needed activity. Jack cleaned his boats and Josie played with toys.

After the pool, we had a picnic lunch in our living room (also known as the Christmas Tree room).  Jack has been begging to have a "real picnic" and this was the closest we could get to that. We watched more snow fall and decided it was time for a nap.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Grandpa Denny today! Hope you have a great day! XOXO J & J

More with Boxes

It's that time again. Dog food delivery...which means an extra large box is hanging around our house. Boxes = pure entertainment. Here's a tip - skip the hundreds of dollars on Christmas. Get the kids some new pajamas, a couple "big" gifts, and then just give boxes. It will only be detrimental when they go to school and tell people they got empty boxes from Santa.

Anyway, you may be wondering why Josie (in her pink stripes and polka dot pajama pants) is staring at a box...

Because...there was a JACK in the BOX!

And later there was a BART in the BOX.

Did you happen to notice Bart's new tape-job? He needed a little help...poor guy.

We are sending some LONG distance love to Uncle Jonny...who is the newest resident of The Sunshine State! He made his journey south like a modern day Columbus - with only a flip phone and a map to guide him. He will be living in Naples, FL and we look forward to visiting him soon...or taking over his house when he travels...

Also LOVE to Grandma Shirlee in Guatemala. Enjoy the beans. XOXOXO

How to Make a Bad Guy: a tutorial for Moms with Boys

This is a little "How To" for moms with boys. Especially boys who like Superheroes and fighting "bad guys." In my house, there are LOTS of "bad guys" and Jack has an inherent need to fight them. I'm pretty sure this is just built right into boy DNA. Unfortunately for Josie, she is usually on the receiving end of the fight. So last week - after I'd had just about all the "bad guy fighting" I could take... I came up with a solution. I made a Bad Guy. Here's how:

1. Find a cardboard box. We always have plenty of these lying around thanks to our addiction to Amazon. The box above was from our latest order of dog food (yes, I'm THAT lazy).

2. Tell your little superhero to wait. This might be the hardest step. See Jack? He's asking, "One more minute, Mommy?"

3. Find some paper and draw a Bad Guy face. Give him a mean mug. Jack requested red eyes.

 4. Add a construction paper shirt (we went with the "prison" look) and give him a name. Our Bad Guy is "Bart."

5. Turn your Superhero loose on the Bad Guy and stay out of the way. Also - you may want to keep tape nearby, as you may be called on for some repairs.

6. {THIS IS A NEW ADDITION & Optional} Jack recently heard the song, "The Final Countdown" by Europe. So now he requests we play that song as he is fighting the Bad Guy. Go ahead and take a second to imagine this...it's hilarious.

Josie approves and is grateful that Bart has stepped in to alleviate her duties as the Bad Guy. She watches from the sidelines and cheers Jack on...like a supportive sister.

**We don't condone violence in our home - however, boys really like to hit things. As you know, if he's not hitting Bart - Jack also likes to hit home runs.