Hammill Hulabaloo

Life Lately

2012-01-09T08:30:00.001-06:00

Wow! It's been about 9 months since my last post! When I started the blog, my intention was to use it to share little stories and the funny things that Jameson was doing. I was so in love with my new little boy that I just gushed with stories about the latest sounds and milestones. It was intended to be a way to satisfy my need to tell the world about this little boy- and if ya didn't really wanna know or didn't care then ya could click off to another site instead of nodding and smiling at me as I rambled on... and on... and on. Well, life had another idea in mind. Go figure! I'm no less in love with my little boy and no less enthusiastic about my baby girl- you've probably stood and smiled and nodded or even chuckled along as I tell another story about Ally, JJ, or Kenzie. After all, I never let posting it to the blog or facebook stop me from retelling the story to anyone who seemed to want to listen! Ultimately, I didn't post the way I thought I would and I post less and less lately because I simply don't have the time to sit down at the computer. Now that I have an iPad, I may find a way to update from there.... Yep, you're in trouble now! That's ok. You can always click away to another page!

Still with me? Cool! Thanks for coming along for the ride! So, life lately... hmmm... Well, Kenzie is nine months old! She likes to army crawl! Well, it's a pull with the arms and push with her little toes and inch along sort of thing. She's pretty fast, too! She does a great job of cleaning the hardwood floors!! I thought about finding a way to attach the little dust mop to her! She started this on Christmas Eve. After trying all kinds of things, she seemed to settle on this as her preferred mode of transportation!

(I was gonna post a video here, but for some reason the blogger won't load it!)

JJ is growing fast and doing better with talking and potty training. For some reason, he just didn't want to potty train. We just hadn't found the right motivations I guess! Quarters that he can use to buy transformers with apparently have done the trick! And of course, his speech wasn't great probably due to his paci habit. He gave that up a few weeks after Kenzie was born and hasn't looked back since- ok, maybe the couple of times we've been down that aisle at the store, but not more than for 30 seconds! His love for superheroes and an awesome imagination fuel that little mouth of his now. He can tell a great story if he's in the right mood! Regardless, he's always talking and pretending. He even tries to get his baby sister to play with him! He simply adores her! Not a surprise since he already adored his older sister!

As you can see, he's still a sharp dresser! I may help some, but he's been picking out his own clothes a lot lately. The ties are actually worn as a tribute to Peter Parker (aka Spiderman)... that fits in well with his obsession with superheroes!

Ally is busy with soccer and such as usual, as well as doing well in school. She just turned the big 1-0! She seems to be enjoying her life as a big sister and now that her brother is getting a little older, playing together seems to be getting more entertaining since it's not all one sided: (insert cute video of JJ pulling Ally on the sled)

Welcome Mackenzie Grace!

2011-04-21T08:44:00.004-05:00

She's here!! And what a wonderful baby she is! She arrived 4/12/2011 at 3:14 am. Interestingly, we were in delivery room #3314. People thought the nurse was kidding/sleep deprived when she reported the info! Everything went well and mom and baby are both healthy!. Mackenzie has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes for now. She sleeps 3-4 hours at a stretch- which is much appreciated my mommy and daddy! JJ seems to have decided that he really likes the baby. The other day when I was leaving, he got mad because I was taking the baby with me- "MY Kenzie!!!!" He even tried to take her away from Ally telling her that Kenzie is HIS baby. Ally seems to be enjoying her new sister, too though this is her second new sister in two months- her mom just had a baby girl in March. Here are some of her first pics...

And one week old:

Piderman!

2011-02-25T22:56:00.004-06:00

It's amazing to me how a child's mind grows. Both our kids have a great sense of humor. They are both imaginative and it's great watching them develop their ability to entertain themselves and others. Ally is more likely to use a more mature sense of humor these days with witty comments, puns and sarcasm as opposed to just acting silly. It's neat to see because some silly behavior just doesn't carry over well as you get older. JJ is still at the age where silliness is completely appropriate. He adores slapstick humor (Scrat's difficulty in keeping his acorn in the Ice Age movies always gets a laugh) and frequently will get silly to make a slapstick joke. He's also at that age where the things he says just sound funny... imagine my surprise this morning when he told me he wanted to watch, "PoooP!!" and then realized that he is trying to get me to put in his new Winnie the Pooh computer game. He says things like "poofrints" instead of footprints, and "piderman" instead of Spiderman.

Spiderman has actually been a fun discovery, as well. He now turns down his waffles for breakfast, but will eat "web waffles" and has decided that pulling his winter hat down over his eyes and putting on his ONE mitten transforms him into "Piderman!!" He imagines he is a dinosaur, monster, super hero and a baby animal/human all in the space of minutes- one begins to wonder how many personalities are inside that little imagination! And just about anything can be turned into a "wocketship!" He's also discovered the joy of singing and dancing! He randomly busts out into songs from Dinosaur Train and he is willing to dance with Ally on her Wii game. Our kids are certainly a lot of fun!!

The latest news & pictures

2011-02-16T07:58:00.005-06:00

For those wondering how things are going with my pregnancy, it's been really uneventful. Thank God for small blessings! Mackenzie is moving around a lot and growing normally from what can be determined. She's currently healthy, and so am I!

In other exciting news, we are in the process of buying a house! We have had an offer accepted and down payment made on a house in Eagan. An inspection will be completed by the end of this week! Our closing date is March 9 and we expect to be moved out of our apartment by March 31- not too much time to spare before Mackenzie is due to arrive!

We're still our same busy little family these days. Jim has been working hard at work and things are going very well. He's turning out to be a wonderful Director! I'm still participating in bible studies and activities at church. I no longer work, but will likely find another part time job at some point when Mackenzie is a few months old. Ally has been busy with gymnastics and cheerleading. She will be starting soccer again very soon. She recently qualified to participate in a spelling bee at school (that's this coming Friday). We're very proud of her!! JJ is his usual rambunctious self. He's a big fan of dinosaurs, and gets excited about "poofrints" (or footprints) thanks to watching "Blue's Clues".

Not as many pics to post starting in 2011... haven't been quick enough with the camera most of the time! But here are a couple...

Holiday season!

2010-12-19T09:07:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!! It's a busy holiday season again this year! We're involved in a number of things through church and there are the usual family get-togethers and time spent with friends. So far, we've been having a blast! We hope you have also been enjoying the time remembering the blessings of the year and enjoying the blessings of the season.

Busy summer

2010-08-21T12:45:00.008-05:00

Well, here we go again! These posts seem to be getting fewer and farther between! It has been busy and to be truthful, I've been a little lazy. Busy is kind of an excuse in reality because that's just life with a family and it's not going to get less busy any time soon. Unfortunately for those of you that actually enjoyed the stories I tried to pass on, I probably won't get any better about updating the blog. But, I'm not ready to give up yet!!

So, since the last post in June, we had a visit to Ohio, a number of trips to the zoo, opportunities to gain new friendships, and the kids continue to be as cute as can be! That has been life in a nutshell!! The specific stories are much more entertaining and I will renew my effort to make short posts when the fun stories come up. Here are a few...

This tiger at the Columbus Zoo kept walking along in front of the glass and every time it walked by JJ, he screamed with delight! The tiger licked the glass once or twice and it made me grateful that we were safely on the other side of that glass!

JJ discovered the fun of the riding lawn mower at Grandma and Poppa's house...

JJ turned 3 on August 7 and we had a party with lots of family and friends crammed into our apartment. It was great getting to see everyone and JJ enjoyed himself a lot! There were lots of bubbles, tools, and a great deal of Toy Story toys to keep him and his little guests entertained.

One of the more difficult things for Ally when she visits here on the weekend is her lack of friends her own age... that changed a few weeks ago when she met Madison. Maddy is the daughter of our new friend Amy and she has a sense of humor and personality much similar to Ally's. While both girls tend to be slow to warm to new people, they were soon playing together and getting into their own brand of shenanigans! While Maddy had to return to North Carolina, we're hoping they will be moving to Minnesota soon (and they still communicate via facebook!).

And of course there is the simple daily goofiness that occurs on the quiet (yeah, right!) days...

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T06:58:00.004-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads I know. Hope you have a great day!

Toy Story obsession

2010-06-05T08:18:00.002-05:00

So, Toy Story has become JJ's favorite thing recently. He has Buzz Lightyear and Woody action figures. He imitates them and flies them around the room. It's actually pretty cute to watch. Yesterday, he got on the mechanical horse outside the store and said, "di-di eee, eyes-eyes!" Which would be "ride like the wind, Bullseye!" from Toy Story 2. Most often, however, he quotes Buzz- "aayy-pee an YON!" or "to infinity and beyond!" Ok, so he's much cuter than I can imitate or type it...

Summer fun

2010-06-01T16:45:00.002-05:00

So far in this early part of summer-ok, late spring, we' have already been having lots of fun! JJ has enjoyed 3 trips to the zoo, played in a pool and has discovered the fun of puddle jumping. He very much enjoys splashing around! His rain boots are his second favorite foot gear- second only to the neon green and black sandals he picked out. He has also now discovered puddle splashing barefoot. Oh, the fun of being a kid!

Memorial Day

2010-05-30T18:31:00.002-05:00

As I've been thinking about what to say, a number of things have crossed my mind and it's hard to know where to start. The simplest thing to say is "Thank you" and I know for many, that can even be enough though the words feel so inadequate to me. But I think what is really on my heart is "thank you because I haven't had to...."

- Thank you because I haven't had to fight for the right to write this message, criticize our country, the president and our other elected officials (MANY exercise this right frequently and forget how easy it could be to lose it)
-Thank you because I haven't had to fight for the right to practice my religion. There are many countries where even owning a bible could mean horrific persecution and death.
-Thank you because I haven't had to kiss a loved one good-bye and hope and pray that they make it home in one piece, though this day may come as my kids get older. I've had family that have served, but I was really too young to know (or I wasn't born yet!). And though I have friends who are currently serving, it still just doesn't feel as close to home.
-And Thank you because I haven't had to serve myself. In this country, we get the choice. That option remains in place because so many choose. I can't imagine having to say goodbye to my son as I leave for some other country and risk my life and possibly never get to see him grow up, never see my stepdaughter grow up, never see my husband again. Or even just missing the day to day things that we all take for granted.

There are other reasons, of course, but this could get really long if I try to list them all. Those last two are really the one's that make me the most emotional. I think that's partly because I've never felt like my rights have ever really been in jeopardy- a security I know is owed to those who have served this country over the years. But I can't imagine losing any friends or loved ones. It's such a real and scary possibility. I feel for the families that have known and loved fallen soldiers. I feel for the mothers and fathers who watch their children leave to fight. I have literally sobbed thinking about the possibility that my son will somehow someday be a member of the armed forces and will go to war- and he's only two years old. This is another reason to thank those of you who have served and are currently serving. Someday, it will still be a choice and maybe, just maybe, someday he won't have to. I think that possibility makes me the most grateful of all. For me, losing my own freedom and safety is less wrenching than the thought that someday his might be at risk. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do or have done.

I pulled the following video from YouTube... there were many that made me cry like Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This," Mark Schulz "Letters from War", Trace Adkins "Arlington"... I went with "Til the Last Shot's Fired" by Trace Adkins because it includes many of the past wars, not just current (though I would editorialize that the Korean War was again overlooked). If you're brave enough to watch tearjerkers, make sure you watch the other videos I listed, but this one may likely do it, too.

Again, Thank You, Soldiers.

Definitely His Father's Sense of Humor

2010-05-13T08:45:00.002-05:00

Gotta love the giggles... having this movie on our camera also provided with entertainment and distraction while in line anxiously awaiting our turn to meet with Curious George...

Craziness

2010-04-27T07:27:00.002-05:00

It's been a crazy amount of time since I've done any blogging. I visit our blog site everyday because then I can check in on the blogs we follow. So everyday, I have been confronted with the syrupy purple Easter theme and the cute little bunny that hops up and wishes me a happy Easter. Everyday. By now, I'm really quite tired of it. And in spite of Jim's request, "Honey, can you change the blog background??" it remains. Until today!! I have gotten ambitious. Not only did I go through the apartment yesterday to find items to donate to the VA when they pick up on Friday, we now have the bookcase I've been waiting for! I can finally-after about a year and a half- can unpack the boxes that are sitting in the corner of our bedroom! And in my ambition, I am writing a blog post and changing the theme (you're welcome, honey!).

And though I missed it yesterday, I'm going to post a pic for Mommy & Me Mondays.
Hosted by Krystyn

It's a little dark, but I like it...

More counting and letters!

2010-03-23T07:03:00.002-05:00

JJ's getting pretty good with counting and letters. I have to say that I don't think it's because I'm doing all that much with to teach him. I think it actually has more to do with PBS on in the background while he's playing. He knows most of his letters and not just in order of the alphabet song which means that he's really recognizing them. He counts to 5 and recognizes all single digits (though some of them are hit and miss on remembering what they are called). Jim and I discovered that spelling "paci" is not going to be a good way to talk about his paci without him getting the idea that he needs it right then. We'll have to start spelling the whole word because he now recognizes that combination of letters. Granted they sound similar to the word as it is said, but that's still pretty good for a two year old! He's also finally showing an interest in books which he never really did before. I still can't sit and read a book to him without him insisting on turning the page before I'm done reading a sentence! And that's with me reading fast. It's still better than when he wouldn't even let me open a book!

Blog Slacker!

2010-02-21T09:02:00.003-06:00

I need to coin a pithy name for being a blog slacker (I'll take suggestions)! I fully intended to share stories from Christmas and the time after, but to be honest, I don't really even remember what I was going to share. I'm sure I'll think of it later, but for now you'll have to just take my word for it that we had a great Christmas and New Year. I will take solace in the fact that I was busier enjoying the process of making memories than spending time writing about them.

We did have a great time over the holidays. And of course the fun doesn't end there. We went to a Valentine's Day banquet that was put on by our church. I got to re-purpose a bridesmaid dress (Rock on, Lindsey!) to wear for this, so I was really excited to look pretty! Unfortunately, in all my excitement, we forgot the camera. We did get one photo at the banquet for posterity. However, I don't have a scanner. You again will just have to take my word for it that we both looked fabulous!

Frosty Trees!
We got a great deal on a train table. We very much dislike Toys R Us after the experience of getting this train, but it was still a great deal so we won't complain. Much. It was a lot of work to set up because JJ kept wanting to play (go figure) and he just wouldn't let us get it together. But then after he went to bed, we got it, so I took a picture. I hasn't looked like this since!!

JJ also got to enjoy Toddler Tuesday at the Mall of America when they opened the Nick Universe butterfly house for free. He kept chasing the butterflies and growling at them. He's such a predator!

JJ also is learning his abc's and counting. Yes, I'm a naughty mom and am using videos to teach him (as well as all the other ways to do it, too.) He's actually doing really well considering. I'm sucha proud mommy!

A Busy Holiday Season

2010-01-05T14:44:00.005-06:00

It has been a busy holiday season here at the Hammill house and I'm sure that it was busy at yours! They don't get the term "hustle and bustle" from nowhere! We never got our Christmas cards in the mail, though we did receive a number of them- to those of you who sent out Christmas cards, thank you! It was wonderful to receive them. And I hope that everyone's holiday was wonderful and I wish everyone blessings for the New Year!

We started the "season" with Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's. Colleen joined us there as well. It was a lot of fun just hanging out and talking. Mom made a wonderful turkey with all the requisite Thanksgiving side dishes. Gotta love the great food!

We avoided the Black Friday shopping craziness, but we did find ourselves at the mall that Saturday hanging out. The kids enjoyed perusing the music shelves. We even caught Ally dancing! She was caught off guard when she realized we were watching, but then put on a show for the camera- only to find herself getting tangled up!

Later that evening, we set up the Christmas tree and both kids helped to decorate. JJ helped to undecorate and redecorate, as well!

He had to help wrap Christmas presents as well- unfortunately, he thought the best way to help was to lay down on the wrapping paper! So, I did what anyone would do in that situation and I wrapped him up! After all, he is one of the greatest gifts!

We spent Christmas in Ohio- he did very well on the road trip- as usual! We are super lucky!!! He decided that he also wanted to help at Poppa's house and helped vacuum up his crushed cereal!

And that's just the pre-Christmas festivities!!! More to come....

Our little helper

2009-11-09T07:40:00.006-06:00

Apparently, Jameson is firmly in the phase where he wants to clean! It's a normal toddler stage to have a desire to put things in their place. Parents of toddlers often find their child putting toys in rows (JJ lines up his cars), maybe sorting things by color, shape or size. Jameson is also a fan of putting things "away." This means that he will try to take our dishes and put them in the sink-sometimes even before we are done with them! When the phone rings, he runs to the phone and brings it to me, then insists on putting it away- even if I'm still talking. And then there's vacuuming. He's always been pretty scared of it and we typically have to hold him while vacuuming. That makes it an easy job (not really). And of course, it doesn't do to have the parent who is not vacuuming to hold him, it HAS to be the one who is. Yep, makes it easy (ha!). Then he moved on to wanting to "help". The problem is, we still had to hold him as he leaned down to help-even easier to hold him and not drop him (uh, no). The other day, he finally decided that it would be ok for us to put him down as long as he could help. YES!! Now he helps to vacuum and we don't put our backs out! Woo-hoo!

This morning, he decided to use the dust buster to vacuum our floors (who cleans before 8 am? Apparently, my son- I wish we were still sleeping, but he is cleaning and I know THAT phase won't last long, so I won't complain!) He vacuumed around the living room and into the dining room!!

~Just before he starts squawkin', he says "po", which is how he says "help". I love how he puts my hand on the button to make sure I'm not confused as to what he wants help with! :0)~

In addition to helping clean, JJ likes to help with other stuff he sees us do. Like fix breakfast... that's another fun one!

(yep, he does like bagel and cream cheese- which he later decided not to eat after all, anyway!)

Hopefully, this desire to do grown up stuff will translate into wanting to get out of his diapers and use the potty!! (Not on your life, Mom!) I keep hoping. :0) He's making progress, though!

5 Minutes for Mom giveaway

2009-11-08T17:49:00.004-06:00

5 Minutes for Mom is a blog for moms that includes lots of neat stuff including personal stories, information and some giveways and contests. This Christmas season, they have a series of giveaways that they are doing. So, copy and paste this URL to check it out (Sorry, I couldn't get it to show a link): http://www.5minutesformom.com/10606/christmas-giveaway-2009/ to check out their giveways! I'm hoping to win the guitar pack for Ally- it might be a little old for her yet, but she'd love it anyway! The button to the right of this post is for a program they are also running for Christmas for kids in need. Click on that and check it out! Thanks all!

Let it snow!

2009-10-12T13:33:00.005-05:00

At least, that seems to be JJ's opinion! He certainly seemed to enjoy the snow this morning while Mommy cleaned off the car-with his help of course. He was having so much fun that he threw himself a little tantrum when it was time to actually get in the car to go! I do think this snow thing is a little early and it doesn't bode well for our winter. We will likely be forgoing the luxury of a garage this winter, so hopefully he keeps his cheerful attitude toward snow- that will make it easier to deal with scraping the windshield and brushing off the snow every time we decide to venture out anywhere. If we can find him a snow suit (my requirement not his- he had NO problem plopping his tush down into a pile of slush on the sidewalk today) that fits decent, I'm sure we will get around to making snow angels soon. I tried to show him the fun of catching snowflakes on his tongue, but that backfired. Rather than doing it himself, he kept sticking his mittened hands into my mouth to open it and pushing my head back so that he could watch me do it. This was quite entertaining to some passersby, as I was silly enough to try this in the Target parking lot! We didn't get much opportunity to play in the snow last year since I worked. We'll be making up for that this winter! :0) I'd say we're off to a pretty good start.

Never so happy to be dragged out of bed before 7am

2009-09-22T14:51:00.002-05:00

Yep. 6:45 this morning (I know, that's not so bad... and it has definitely been earlier!) JJ crawled over me to get out of bed and started pulling at me to get up. I then fill with dread as I realize that this is NOT the morning he's going to sleep in (that was yesterday- 8:00am- and I was up already!). He drags me from the room as I protest and leads me not to the kitchen for milk or the living room for cartoons (gasp!) but to the bathroom (double gasp!) and points for me to turn on the light and starts saying, "mm-mm" while pointing to our medicine cabinet. Our medicine cabinet in this particular bathroom does not hold medicine, but JJ's newly precious-to-him "mm-mms". What are "mm-mms?" They are the lovely M&M's that we have started to bribe our son with in order to get him to use the potty! I know, not the healthiest thing, but stickers just weren't working. These M&Ms are newly precious because just the other day, he brought me to the bathroom asking me for them, but walked out giving me an emphatic, "uh-uh" when I reminded him that in order to get them he needed to use the toilet (guess he decided he didn't want them that bad after all). This morning, as I reminded him he turned (before I could get the words out) to sit on the toilet (progress!). Much to my surprise he almost immediately started to pee!! Victory!!!! Then of course he got mad because Mommy is too busy doing the happy potty dance to get him his much earned and precious "mm-mms". So, I guess the three times on the potty yesterday (and only one actual "accident") were not such a fluke after all. Let's see how the rest of the day goes! I don't want to get too excited, but I do think we are now on our way. Thanks, "mm-mms!"

Been slackin!

2009-09-14T11:51:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since my last post... it's been a busy summer!!!

Here are some of the things we've been up to:

Vegas Baby!!

This fountain show made me cry (at least this particular song), I thought it was so beautiful. The video really doesn't do it justice!

JJ had a Cars themed birthday with grandparents, the Rosenau's and the Callison's joining in the celebration. We kept it simple and pretty much just played at the park and had cake. That's always a hit with the kids! Everyone seemed to be having fun!

JJ discovered that he likes riding the escalator, we took the kids to underwater world, and of course there is our usual everyday fun! Now comes the Fall fun!!

We're just Beach-y!

2009-07-17T21:58:00.004-05:00

There has been a definate theme to our activities this last week or so...
We introduced JJ to the lake this summer. He's enjoyed a couple of romps in the water so far. He also likes to play in the sand, which is kind of funny considering that most of the time, he doesn't really care to get dirty. But, I guess that if you're at the beach, playing in the sand is just what you do. So, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. And he gets dirty! It's all in good fun...

He also enjoyed getting the opportunity to meet Spongebob and Patrick. They became fast friends and Mommy got to take some fun pictures! Some kids get scared of these costumed creatures, but he seems to think they are just big stuffed animals and is quick to give out the hugs. I'm not really sure he even knows, or cares who they are. All he knows is that they are big, soft, and cuddly!

Celebrating Independence

2009-07-08T08:21:00.001-05:00

Went to the parade in Apple Valley. Everyone seemed to have a good time, but the parade was longer than we expected because it included people from other towns in the area. Ally liked the princesses, JJ liked the trucks, horses, clowns, and the guys that drove the go-carts like crazy. We ran into an old college friend of Angela's, which was pretty neat and unexpected. We hung out the rest of the day just relaxing, then went to fireworks at the nearby park. The kids played for a little while and then enjoyed the fireworks.

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence evey July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~ Erma Bombeck

Thank you to those who have, and those that still do, work and fight to protect our freedom. They are the reason we celebrate.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

2009-07-03T07:23:00.000-05:00

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Soccer Girl!

2009-06-25T07:40:00.000-05:00

Ally played hard in her soccer tournament last weekend. It was super hot, but the girls all weathered it well! We're very proud of her. At this stage, they rotate the girls through the different positions and it seemed that Ally did best when playing defense. She did a great job of tracking the ball and contributed to keeping the ball out of their goal throughout the game. Great job, Ally!!

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-20T07:24:00.001-05:00

I don't have pictures of all the fathers with all their kids, but here are a few I could find on my computer...

I just wanted to tell all the fathers that may read our blog, Happy Father's Day!! We love you all!!

Joyful Noise!

2009-06-16T07:57:00.001-05:00

I've been contemplating which pictures and videos to post from this last weekend at the Joyful Noise Family Funfest. We have a few cute pics and videos. It was a lot of fun for the kids and lots of really good music. We started our day listening to the MN Teen Challenge Choir. That was pretty cool. Then off to the kid's play area and lots of inflatable bouncers and the opportunity to meet Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales!

JJ really liked Bob and Larry... he kept going back to find them throughout the day and even gave Bob (the tomato) hugs.

Ally enjoyed the bouncy Titanic slide (you can see it in the background of the tomato pic) and the jumping thing they strap you into-no clue what it's called. She got going pretty high!

There was lots of good music... One of the acts - Josh Wilson doesn't have a band, so he creates layered recordings to accompany him. He uses his guitar as the drums, layers a guitar line, maybe harmonica (you can hear him do that in the video) and then sings and plays.

We also saw Tenth Avenue North, Lincoln Brewster, and Mercy Me. Of course, it was all Christian music, so there was lots of worship going on. It was really something to see that many people with their hands in the air to worship God. The video is unfortunately really dark because it was about 10pm.

The kids weathered it all very well though it was a pretty long day. Jim and I got sunburned (we used sunblock!), Ally got sunburned on a patch of her chest because we forgot to put sunblock there, and JJ made it without any sunburn. He was easier to keep out of the sun because of his stroller! He did very well only having a couple of meltdowns because Mean ol Mommy wouldn't let him wander off among the huge crowd of strangers. He managed to take his nap in his stroller! Ally was really wiped out by the end of the day. JJ just saw the late night as a rare treat and extra playtime! They were both promptly asleep in the car about 5-10 minutes out of the parking lot (again, JJ held out longer than Ally!).

Happy Birthday, Jim!!

2009-06-10T07:21:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to write a quick post to wish Jim a Happy Birthday! We went golfing yesterday-the rain was nice to us and held off. It was a beautiful day! We did 9 holes at a local and still relatively cheap golf course. We both played pretty well. Jim hit a couple of nice shots with the club his dad made for him. No fun pictures this time... I was too busy trying not to hit my ball into the swamp!

Growing so fast

2009-05-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

The best free car magazine ever!
Here piggy, piggy!
Fore!

We went to Indiana and Ohio last weekend for a funeral (Jim's grandmother passed away) and it was definately an interesting trip. I think JJ grows in spurts during these kinds of trips and long weekends. During the trip he started talking more and using more words. He even strung together two word sentences. I hadn't really heard him do that before. I asked him if he wanted his paci and he refused. That was short-lived, but a step in the right direction. We won't push getting rid of that quite yet. He went potty on the toilet and has stopped fighting us about sitting on it. JJ's turned into quite the fan of horses and now also likes motorcycles in addition to cars and semis. He loved the I-80 truck stop in Iowa where they have a few semis indoors and on display (as well as a couple of old trucks- including a 1938 Model A). He now wants to drive everywhere and it's a fun bout of wrestling to get him into his carseat!

In addition to this fun, it appears our son's sense of humor is blossoming. He is quite delighted his boyhood! Tonight, he came out of the bathtub and walked to the living room with a towel wrapped around him. He looked kinda like Yoda so Jim grabbed the camera. JJ started saying, "cheese!" and talking to the camera. He was talking about the baby (himself) and accidentally started to drop his towel. (Of course this is all still in front of the camera...) He realizes that his towel is dropping and stops mid- "baby" and looks down at himself while clutching the towel up around himself. Then he looks up at the camera and gives a little flash. He closed the towel really quick with a surprised little "o" shaped mouth. Then he flashed open the towel again a little longer and quickly wrapped up again. Then he just dropped the towel and moved into a "superstar!" pose (think Saturday Night Live). Jim got almost all of this on a video, but stopped taping just before he got into his little pose. It was definately on purpose and it was hilarious! I was watching the video on the computer trying to determine if I could email it to grandparents, etc when JJ crawled into my lap to watch. He started laughing hysterically at himself flashing! Then he wanted to watch it over and over again! He was mad when I turned it off!! Apparently, he also thinks he is quite funny. We also took video of that since it was so funny. I would post the videos, but neither one are really appropriate to put on the web. We'll have to share them some other time, but I wanted to at least share the story. Jim says he's not sure where JJ gets his sense of humor... uh-huh.

Fun at the park

2009-05-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

We were able to get out to he park recently to kick around a soccer ball, fly a kite and Jim played a long-awaited basketball game with his dad. It was a very nice weekend. I'd complain about how windy it was, but we wouldn't have been able to fly the kites without it. It was a lot of fun. Dad's been getting some really cute pics of JJ lately, so I'll post them. He's got a good eye and he's quick with the camera!

Papa Henry is here!

2009-04-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

Henry came in to town on Saturday morning. It was supposed to be a surprise for Ally, but she figured it out after she overheard me on the phone with him discussing our plans to pick him up from the airport. I had fun driving around at the pick-up area a couple of times, then we were on our way to Elk River where Ally was performing with her traveling choir. Since her group is so young, she doesn't really travel yet, but the older group is going a couple of different places. It gets pretty involved as the girls get older, so we'll see how this plays out if she stays involved over the next couple of years. Anyway, she was pretty nervous about singing in front of people, but she did really well. She still won't give a "private performance" for the family-she's pretty shy about it!

(The girl singing about Disney is Ally's friend Jazzy)

So the kids have really enjoyed having Papa visiting so far. They crawled into bed with him yesterday morning and JJ slept with him an extra hour this morning. I took a couple of pictures yesterday and apparently woke up Papa because he is smiling in this one. This morning, JJ was trying to steal Papa's pillow. He has a tendency to be a bed hog. Not sure where he got that...

Another victory...

2009-04-22T08:02:00.001-05:00

in the potty training escapade! JJ was not feeling well again yesterday. He had diarrhea and threw up. Poor thing:0(. Well, this worked to our favor we think. He farted while sitting on my lap- a few times. So, I kept asking if he had to go potty and he was checking his diaper. He decided to go potty and we sat in the bathroom for a while looking at books and stuff. He kept calling daddy to come in and daddy would ask if he was done. JJ said no and kept sitting on the potty. After probably 10 minutes, he farted some more and eureka! When he was done, we did a happy dance and celebrated. I count this a victory because he asked to go and stayed on the potty until he was done!! Yea!

I know, this was a pleasant post, but I had to share.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T08:24:00.000-05:00

We had a great day that started with a pancake breakfast at church, great worship (He is risen!), then a visit from Gramma and Poppa Lyle. JJ discovered jelly beans and peeps and ate a chocolate egg sucker from Gramma. It was a great day!

Oh, and the potty training thing... day 2 had JJ going on the potty after he woke up (yea!) and rebelling against using the potty all day after. And of course, he continued with the rebellion this morning as well. There goes our dream of potty training being cake walk!! ;0)

JJ went potty!!

2009-04-11T15:50:00.000-05:00

At 3:45, JJ went potty on the toilet for the very first time!! We have been putting him on the toilet off and on for a few weeks and had the potty chair and seat for the toilet out for a few months. Now part of today's triumph is quite a bit about timing. We put him on the potty right after his nap. It was inevitable that he would go. But we celebrated and had jelly beans to celebrate. Our big boy is even climbing onto the big chairs by himself!

And he had his second haircut today... he sat just as still the second time as his first... What a boy!

More than just a fan of the movie?

2009-03-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

So, JJ has been quite the fan of the movie Cars lately. He gets quite excited about anything that has Lightning McQueen (the main car in the movie for those of you who are unfamiliar). He very definately knows how to say "cars" in addition to a number of other things in his growing vocabulary. The movie includes a version of Richard Petty's blue car that he drove earning the nickname "the king"-same name in the movie. But the other day, we began to notice a bit of a resemblance to Richard Petty...

He's a bit young for a mustache, but the resemblance is a bit eerie!! especially considering that he's never actually seen Richard Petty!

2009-03-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome back!!! Both JJ and Ang have not been feeling well this past week, so once again I am doing a post. First off, thank you to all who prayed and continue to pray for Lynnea. Every day is a new miracle and an opportunity for more.

Secondly, for any basketball fans, March Madness is upon us...Go LOUISVILLE!!!!!

Third, Wrestlemania 25 is just 18 days away. OHHHH YEAHHHH! Looking forward to time with the Rosenau clan. Weird family traditions...WHATCHA GONNA DO BRUTHA???

Finally, if you are looking for an inspirational movie to help in your walk with God, I whole-heartedly recommend Fireproof (available now on Pay-per-view and DVD).

I hope everyone has a great week. May God bless you and please keep the Callison family in your prayers.

Jim

Please Pray for the Callison Family

2009-03-05T21:15:00.000-06:00

Good evening all,

Always it is Angela that brings you all the news of the Hammill clan, but tonight I am coming to all of you who take moments out of your busy day to visit with us. Please take a few moments this evening and carry the Callison family in your heart and in your prayers. We have asked for prayers for them before, but none have been more necessary than tonight. Lynnea has taken a drastic turn today and is undergoing emergency surgery as I type this. I spent a long time on the telephone with Corey tonight and never has my heart yearned to help a friend more. Please pray for a miracle for the Callison's. If you don't believe in miracles, please pray for strength, resolve, and peace for them for whatever lies ahead. Shower them with all of the hope and love that you have. Thank you.

Jim

Skating with Ally

2009-02-28T20:32:00.000-06:00

Ally got to go rollerskating today with the choir that she joined recently. Jim took her and I stayed home with JJ because we didn't want him to miss his nap and get cranky. We figured she'd have more fun that way. So, Jim was brave and went rollerskating in spite of the fact that he's never been on skates before. What a trooper! Ally had fun, though. We might have to go back with the whole family one of these days. I think they might have the adjustable skates for the little ones...

sleeping heroes

2009-02-15T16:24:00.000-06:00

Even the bravest heroes need rest! He's even doing the "na, na, na, batman!" He's so cute in his Batman jammies!

talking with poppa

2009-02-01T09:35:00.000-06:00

We thought this was cute, with hand gestures and everything.

Everyone's a cowboy... or girl...

2009-02-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

JJ's obsession with hats has carried over to cowboy hats, too. Ally got in on the fun with a little dancing around!

Big boy bed

2009-01-31T09:50:00.000-06:00

We never bothered to set up JJ's crib after we moved in here. He never slept in it anyway. Then he started sleeping on his sister's bed-which doesn't work as well when she's here. He was sleeping in his pack and play and independently going to lay down (we'd have to put him in it), so we figured maybe it was time for him to have a different bed. So, we bought him a toddler bed with cars on it-other choices were plain, or girly. For some reason, so much of boy's stuff is "Cars" themed or Diego, or Thomas the Train. He's never seen either of those two other shows. He does like "Cars" though. He points to his jammies saying, "car, car" or "red car". He now identifies cars on the road. And he's always been into stuff with wheels, so we figured the a car bed would work. We thought an actual car-shaped bed would be cool, but the really good ones were super expensive! He's gone back to wanting to fall asleep while being held, but we'll get back to him going to bed on his own. It's a little harder to force the issue when we lay him down and he sneaks down his dragon tunnel to escape his room. In the pack and play he was contained when he decided he wanted to get out of bed, so we could leave him alone. Now he can just crawl out of bed, so we'll need to be more creative. Here's a pic of him in his new bed. He doesn't look too thrilled with having to go to sleep, does he...

Prayers for the Callison Family

2009-01-27T08:45:00.000-06:00

I would like to ask again for prayer for the Callison family. Their daughter is going through another major heart surgery that was scheduled to start about 15 minutes ago. Please pray for a safe and successful surgery and a safe recovery for her. The last surgery she had did not work quite as planned, so it sounds like this one is kind of starting at square one. Please pray for them.

Hokey Pokey and "love you"

2009-01-24T17:22:00.000-06:00

JJ has been learning the hokey pokey in school and unlike getting him to record the itsy bitsy spider song, he's been a little less shy about dancing the hokey pokey. Usually you get arm shaking and everything, but this video just has the "turn yourself around" part and on.

As I was putting JJ down for his nap yesterday (he was home sick) I told him, "love you" and to my surprise, he said it back for the first time! Of course I had to go get my camera and I totally screwed up nap time. But he cooperated with letting me get him on video saying it.

funny boy

2009-01-23T08:15:00.000-06:00

JJ is beginning to be much more conversational. He still babbles in sentences, but we are starting to get him to say some real words and he points things out that he knows the words for. Another thing we are seeing a little more of is sense of humor. He is in the typical toddler stage of liking to look at pictures of himself. Anytime we take a picture he wants to see the camera. So getting pics or movies has been kind of tough. But here are a few we've gotten recently...

Apparently he thought it would be a good idea to wear his hat during breakfast.
Klingon!

1st crush

2009-01-08T21:30:00.000-06:00

JJ has developed his first crush! There was a new little girl at daycare today. According to his teacher, he followed her around with a big grin on his face. He laughed and giggled around her all day! He apparently did a little showing off during dance time and broke out his moves for the first time in the toddler classroom. He was quite taken with her. He sat by her at lunch-even though he had to get up to walk over to his plate to get food, he was sure to return to her side after each bite. He tried to follow her out the door when I picked him up. We'll see how this plays out. Do we have a little Cassanova on our hands??

Fun for the New Year

2009-01-04T17:40:00.000-06:00

We rang in the New Year with the Rosenau's this year. It was a nice family celebration with the fun being watching the kids play. And when I say kids, I don't necessarily mean just JJ and Collin.... Doug had plenty of fun playing Guitar Hero. We had some video proof, but it turned out to be too dark to see-lucky, Doug.

We also had fun this weekend when we went up for a family get together. We got to visit and play games. Ally enjoyed picking on Timmy as usual... JJ was quite taken with Uncle Govenor... Poppa Lyle showed his sense of humor... (and we have video proof!)

Maybe a goofy sense of humor runs in the family... as I'm typing this entry, I look over to find my son emptying his diaper bag and using his diapers as a bib...

He's on to us...

2008-12-29T08:19:00.000-06:00

We've been trying to get video of JJ dancing and singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider", but every time we take out the camera, he stops what he is doing! He has decided that like momma, he'd rather be the one taking the pictures. So, he stops dancing and tries to take the camera away. I made the mistake of letting him have it-once. He turned the camera around to look at the back of the camera like we do when we are taking a picture. So, I don't think this is a "no pictures" sort of thing. He just sees the camera and wants to play with it. After this interest dies down a little, we'll catch him. Hopefully we'll be able to post him doing Itsy bitsy and/or dancing (disco was a favorite the other day-unfortunately a RuPaul song).

In the mean time, we hope everyone has a Happy New Year! I hope we can all look back on the year that has been and see the blessings we've had in our lives-even the trials are blessings because we can learn so much from them.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T10:28:00.000-06:00

Drumming! Paper rolls are more fun than the gifts!?

Merry Christmas!

Since we won't have Ally with us on Christmas day this year, we decided to do gift exchange this weekend. We did save a couple of gifts for JJ to open on Christmas day, but we figure that since that's not what Christmas is really supposed to be about, doing gifts before Christmas works out quite well. So yesterday we opened gifts...Ally seemed to really enjoy her gifts, with JJ it was like pulling teeth to get him to unwrap anything! It was definately an interesting day!

other uses for blocks...
Camp Rock "Room on the go" (lamp, pillow, blanket) and jammies from Poppa Henry

Playhut from Poppa Henry

Tator tot no more

2008-12-18T05:34:00.000-06:00

This week we were told that JJ is ready to transition to the next class at daycare. The group he is in now is called tator tots (not really babies, not quite toddlers). I guess we view this as a bit of a milestone since it was such a tansition for him to even start daycare. Typically, after 5pm, any tots still there go to the infant room until they are picked up (so they can let staff go home as the kids thin out). He's been so bored and really doesn't like going in there so we discussed him going into the toddler room at those times instead. He did this for the first time on Tues. Apparently, the teachers are thinking that he is also getting bored in the tator tot classroom and that he would really enjoy being in the toddler room. I can see this. He loves to play! The toddler room is more active with more activities to do and the kids are more advanced in their playing skills. He will transition to one nap a day and they will start having him practice using the potty (seems ready for both). Those will be the only major routine changes other than the move itself. He's been off the bottle since our trip to Ohio, so that won't hold him back in there. I guess he's all ready to go! Now Mom and Dad have to get used to the idea. Gotta admit, it's a transition for us too. Mostly because it proves how quickly they grow up. To quote Trace Adkins, "You're gonna miss this..."

Fun with JJ

2008-12-06T22:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, JJ discovered the fun he can have with a light up bouncy ball. He repeatedly whacked it on the wall to make it light up. It was a bunch of giggles.

Today he got his first haircut. Yes, I have some of his hair to put in his baby book. He did very well sitting still and was not scared of the trimmers at all. He was curious about them and tried to turn his head to see what she was doing, but otherwise they didn't seem to bother him at all!

While visiting with JJ's auntie Monica, we discovered that he likes to play guitar. They had a small acoustic guitar that he was strumming on (along with a full size drum set that he and his sister both enjoyed!). To encourage a love for music, we decided to go ahead and get him a guitar. We found one that has strings to strum as opposed to just buttons like so many of the toddler guitars out there. He actually strums it and uses the little whammy bar! He even started to headbang while playing it. Uncle Tony would be so proud! We took a little video of this too. (My running commentary about the guitar's features is actually me describing it to grandma on the phone....)

I think we are mighty lucky. All this fun and good naturedness is occuring in spite of a continuing (or maybe a new...) ear infection in both ears and some monster teething (gotta love those molars). Don't get me wrong, he has his cranky moments, but overall he's weathering it like a trooper!

Thanksgiving in Ohio

2008-11-30T15:47:00.000-06:00

We just go back from a great trip. There was only one bad day when we got rear-ended (nothing serious) and then Jim and I got food poisoning (from a food court restaraunt). Once we got that stuff out of the way, it was great. Monica cooked dinner on Thanksgiving and we played pool and darts (two games I assure you I am fabulous at- um, yeah...). We had a great time though. JJ loved getting to visit with Poppa Henry. He repeated a number of new words, but his favorite thing for the week was gogurt (yogurt). He led us to the fridge at every meal time, repeating, "gogurt?" On the way home, we stopped at a mall in Coralville, IA that had a really big carousel in it. It was a great way to get out of the car for a little bit to stretch our legs. JJ liked playing on the car rides, too. And he's still at the age where he can "ride" those for free! It was great trip. We hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving, too!

Dancing to the classics...

2008-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Or Classical I should say. We brought in the kids' radio from the trunk of my car-finally! We typically have it set for classical music because Ally tends to like to fall asleep to it. So, when we turned it on, that is what was playing. Apparently, that was just fabulous as far as JJ was concerned. He even turned up the volume as he was dancing! I had to grab the camera for this one! He kept playing with the volume button, which didn't actually move anymore-a good thing since sometimes he turns the radio up so loud he scares himself! So, here it is...

When it rains it pours!

2008-11-15T07:07:00.000-06:00

The Morton Salt people were on to something when they adopted that as their slogan.... We've decided that JJ is much like his parents-we do everything all at the same time. I guess some of it is daycare that's doing it to him, but he sure does keep doing everything all at once! As some of you know, he just got over a case of pink eye (is there any other way to do it other than having it in both eyes?), a stomach bug (which is actually why he went to the doctor in the first place), he cut two molars Tues and Wed night (he's been working on them for a while now), and at his 15 month appointment yesterday, we discovered he had an ear infection in both ears. The doctor asked if he's been cranky lately..."well doc, you see how chipper he is right now... so no, not really"(as my son tries to stick his fingers in the unprotected electrical socket on the examining table). The other dr we saw for the pink eye/stomach bug said he was the happiest sick kid he'd ever seen! Yep, no time to be sick, mom! I got trouble to get into! That's my boy.

He is working on the talking thing. As usual, he's not doing it the way we would think he would do it. I keep listening for mama and dada, but he rarely says them. He does sign them, so at least he knows who we are! Nope, he says things like "cheese," "cracker," "cookie" (thanks, gramma), "kitty," "turkey", "stinky" (while holding his nose) -which he learned at daycare-and even "sissy" last week (though he refused to say it when she could hear it!). He's definately growing-he's practically grown out of all of his 12 month clothes. Too bad his 18 month clothes don't really fit yet either! Despite a currently ill-fitting wardrobe, he is getting pretty good at getting dressed. He's too little to be independent or anything, but he'll put his arms in his jacket while you hold it, put on and take off his shirt with just a little bit of help (of course putting it on is more of a fight because he likes to go half naked). He holds his feet out to get his socks on, helps put his legs through his pants and will get his shoes for you so you can put them on. While I sometimes miss the days of him being the "burrito baby" all wrapped up in his blanket, these sure are some fun times! He's learned so much just in the last month. I think it's time for the rain to let up a little.

Pray for the Callison Family

2008-11-09T18:28:00.000-06:00

I just want to extend our love to the Callison family and request that everyone say a prayer for them. They are currently going through a difficult time with their new baby girl, Lynnea. Her heart did not develop properly and she will need a series of surgeries. You can follow the link on the right to their blog if you want more detail. I just can't imagine the heartache they are going through. As parents, we cringe at every bump all the while knowing they will get up and run again. But this is so much more. I think that every prayer and positive thought will help, not only for Lynnea's health, but for Corey and Tina to be fortified with strength and love. Please take a moment for them. Thank you.

pumpkin painting

2008-10-26T12:37:00.000-05:00

This was an interesting experience! JJ wanted to pull the paper off and paint the table... he painted his paci... it was quite fun. The kids got creative and made some pretty neat pumpkins. Here's how they turned out...

Boo Bash

2008-10-25T18:48:00.000-05:00

So, today we went to the Grand Ave Boo Bash in St Paul. We definately decided to go earlier in the day and use the stroller if we go again next year. It was fun, though. They had the big bouncy houses, but Ally wouldn't go in without JJ (he's too small yet). Lots of folks passing us thought JJ was super cute in his horse costume (best 6 bucks spent lately!). I have to agree he was. Costumes have gotten sooo expensive that I'm really glad I went ahead and got him one last year. We got one for Ally today and it was $30! I bought it big so that maybe she can wear it next year and/or she can play in it for a while. At any rate, we had a good time. Tonight, we plan to paint a pumpkin. That should inspire some fun pictures....

Apple Picking

2008-10-19T21:57:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful day! We had wonderful weather and beautiful fall colors! JJ had a great time at the apple orchard. He got to pet a goat, ride a pedal tractor (his favorite part!) take a brief ride behind a real tractor, and pick a few apples. We spent the day with the Rosenau family and JJ enjoyed spending time with his friend Collin. They played as toddlers do with so much to explore. We got them together for one activity-the pedal tractor! We may have to get one of those for at home!!! It was definately was a great fall day!

OY!

2008-10-15T19:24:00.001-05:00

Our precious son has turned into a little terror! Well, just at home. He's so stubborn-sound like anyone else you know? It wouldn't happen to be at least one of his parents??? Anyway, he's quite the little tantrum nut this last week or two. Now, I know that much of this is because we moved, I went back to work and he started daycare. That's a lot for a little guy to swallow! The icing on the cake is that we've all been sick. We're on the second cycle of colds in two weeks (thanks again daycare)! I thought adults were suposed to have stronger immune systems than that! And there's the first year molars working their way through! Poor kid!

He seems to be adjusting to daycare. It's a slow process, but it's coming along. The last couple of days, he's fussed to get out of his seat in order to go in to daycare. That's the end of his enthusiasm though. He even tried to pull me back to the door when he saw one of the teachers yesterday (and he usually likes her!). He seems to calm down relatively quickly once I'm out of sight now - from what I can see through the windows, anyway. They say he's playing with the kids more, which is a relief to me because he's never been so antisocial!

I know that his emotional roller coaster is a result of the stresses going on for him right now. This too shall pass. But, boy do I wish this one would pass a tad bit faster!

1st day of daycare & fall fun

2008-10-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

JJ did well with his first day of daycare, though it didn't hit him that we were leaving him there until he saw us out the window about to drive away. Poor thing! He was fine until he refused to take his afternoon nap. He got real fussy after snack time according to the teachers and struggled until we picked him up-thankfully, not much more than an hour. It may just be my imagination, but it seems like he is beginning to understand that words are a pretty cool thing and seems to be trying to repeat the key phrases we say to him (thank you, all done, more, and I'm good). Over the weekend, we went to a community festival at the park. They had pony rides for the kids and gord painting. JJ got to eat cookies (yes, papa lyle, we let him have cookies) and listen to music-always a favorite activity. He didn't even seem to mind that he was the only one dancing!

We're back!

2008-10-04T13:09:00.000-05:00

At cousin Malinda's wedding

Oh, what an interesting few weeks it's been! Since our last post, we have moved and made a number of other life changing decisions. Jameson keeps growing and growing! Always the adventurer even in his own house. He has been practicing his words-we think he's said the word, "cheese". Yep, our son's first word was cheese. I guess it is his favorite thing to eat. He has also said "doggie" and "dog".

I have also decided to go back to work. I will be working with TBI clients in an independent living setting at a supervisory level. JJ is going to daycare and will start on Monday. So far, he seems to like the people he has met up with. He's only been there a few hours, but there are a couple of teachers we like and he seems to enjoy watching the other kids. He hasn't really played with them much which surprises me a bit considering how much he typically likes other kids.

We're beginning to get settled in to our apartment. It's nice because Jim is so much closer to work and I will be close to work now too. Plus, the apartment is bigger than the last couple of places we've had. JJ seems to really like the space (as we remove the random boxes from it!).

Bunker Beach

2008-09-01T09:35:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed a trip to Bunker Beach yesterday (Thanks again, Rosenau family!). Bunker Beach has a wave pool, water slides and a wading pool. JJ was a little nervous about the wading pool. I think it was a little louder and more active than the last one we were at, but he enjoyed himself more as he relaxed. No soaked pics this time as Mommy roped Daddy into the pool, too. After some time in the water, we went to the sand play area designed for making sand castles, etc. This area has tons of sand (of course) and water. So, we were a sandy, muddy pair as Daddy took pictures. JJ seemed to enjoy the little water hole the kids had created even though the water was freezing! He made new friends including a 9 year old blonde named Morgan and a young (maybe 4) boy named Manuel with curly hair. Of course he was covered in sand! After that, we ate a picnic dinner and played at the park on the swings and slides. It was a fun filled day!

May be going webless

2008-08-31T08:29:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let people know that we may be going without the web at home for a while, so our posts may have a pretty big gap. That just means that I might have more stories to tell when we're back online! I'll keep going as long as we're hooked up-I don't know exactly when the disconnect will happen. We had our phone turned off today and expected that the net would go with it, but yet here I am. I emailed everyone the new phone number to contact us at and let everyone know we changed to a yahoo address, so you should still be able to get a hold of us. If this is the last post for a while...we'll see you in the near future!

Meeting George

2008-08-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

JJ got to meet Curious George yesterday at MOA. He watched him with great interest because this George was quite a bit bigger than he is used to. We got our picture taken with George, had a snack (more of those wonderful Oreos!) and listened to CG stories. We also met Ace the Moose from MOA's Moose Mountain mini golf and Bubba Gump Shrimp. JJ certainly has developed some cautiousness around these mascot critters! He was a bit shy around all of them. His imagination has definitely kicked in. We've discovered that even Finding Nemo might be a bit much for him at this point. He becomes quite distressed when Nemo gets sucked into the fish tank filter. We'll be fast forwarding through that part next time we watch it! Ally went through the same thing, except her thing was the part where Mufasa gets killed in Lion King. I guess I never realized how brutal kids movies really could be! Thankfully, Baby Signing Time and CG are still his favorites!

State Fair

2008-08-24T20:51:00.000-05:00

We went to the state fair today. It was pretty fun. JJ's first trip was last year and he slept much of the time. He got lots of coos from people we walked by. Just a year later, he's walking around and participating. Ally and JJ got to play at farming. Ally pedaled a tractor around then they fed fake chickens, planted fake seeds, collected fake farm products to sell and got fake money from which they purchased items from the farm store. Ally bought a snack (cinnamon toast crunch) and JJ got a stuffed baby lamb (0bviously provided to the store by Serta). It was actually pretty cool! JJ didn't seem to know what to think of thestate fair mascot, the big robot that was walking around, or Goldy the U of M mascot (who hid my eyes then pretended to steal my deep fried pickles-damn gophers!). Ally got to pet a duckling, a lamb and a baby pig in the Miracle of Birth center. JJ was a little weirded out by petting the pig, but liked the lamb. The kids both seemed to have a lot of fun!

Chasing JJ

2008-08-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

We have seen a resurgence of the chase game! JJ greatly enjoyed when he would crawl and we would crawl after him. He even enjoyed having the tables turned and chasing us! It was hard on the knees, but still fun. Since he has begun to walk, the game has taken a new twist...his hands are free to hold things. He grabs the remote off the couch and takes off giggling! This is more about the chase than what he actually has because he uses toys for it too. Thankfully, he doesn't think it's funny to run away with things he shouldn't have...yet.

Random stuff

2008-08-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

I just added a couple of fun things to the blog. One is a hangman game on the right side and the other is a kid-related quote at the bottom of the page. These are supposed to change everyday, I think. I just wanted to point them out because they are not ads and won't send you away from the blog. They are just for fun!

Also, if you right click on the pictures, a menu comes up and you can click "save as..." in order to save pictures from the blog if you want to.

Happy reading!

Minnehaha Falls

2008-08-17T19:45:00.000-05:00

We took a little trip to Minnehaha Falls today. It was beautiful as usual. The falls weren't as large as they were the last time we went (2 years ago). Someone said the falls are bigger in the spring than in the summer. We also discovered a little gem on the other end of the park. They have a wading pool that appears to be free. You do have to pay for parking though. We parked on the other end of the park-a bit of a walk, but we paid 50 cents per hour and got our exercise. JJ enjoyed himself quite a bit. The wading pool was listed on the website so, I packed lil swimmers and a towel for him and wore clothes I wouldn't be too worried about getting wet. I didn't know if we would go to the wading pool for sure because there wasn't much info about it on the website. In truth, I wasn't really prepared for this little adventure. JJ loved playing in the little fountains of water and walking under the waterfalls. Of course, I held his hand almost the entire time for safety. He did me in. I was absolutely soaked after he led me under the waterfalls! But, after seeing how bold he was, I will be much better prepared for our upcoming trip to Bunker Beach!

First Birthday party (and more)!

2008-08-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

JJ had a great birthday party yesterday with family and friends. We were joined by Poppa Henry, Gramma Laura and Poppa Lyle, the Rosenaus, and the Callisons. Gramma Laura made a great Curious George (banana flavored) cake. He greatly enjoyed that! He also learned that Oreo cookies are fabulous! JJ had lots of fun playing with bubbles. We discovered that toddlers enjoy pouring them out of the pan more than blowing them as the pan was dumped by Collin, then JJ, then Ashlyn (twice!). Oh, what fun! And JJ appreciated his friends pouring them out because then he could play with the bubble solution and lay in it! It works out for me...his shirt is going to need all the soap it can get after his Oreo and cake mess!

Along with turning one, JJ is meeting the normal milestones. He enjoyed his first car ride facing forward the other day. He has also discovered the entertaining properties of putting things inside other things. I gave him a small tub to put things in this morning so he would stop putting his paci-and other toys- into the garbage can. I guess this sorting includes himself! I was quite surprised to glance down to see him climbing into his bucket. I guess he figured it was a good size for himself!

The weekend was full of fun other than his birthday party. We also went to the Irish Heritage Fair at Harriet Island on Friday. He and Ally both enjoyed the music. In an effort to get a shorter video to post here of them dancing, I was dancing and bopping around. Click on the second video to see his reaction! I do believe my son just called me a loser! Ahh, well... I knew I wasn't that great of a dancer!

More teeth and other adventures

2008-08-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

JJ may be done teething for a little while! Yea! He now has four teeth on top and three on the bottom-we still think one might be coming on the bottom. He's also walking more and more. He likes to take us "bye-bye" down the hall and gets mad when mama tries to do laundry without him. He turned 1 year old yesterday! I can't believe it has already been a year. It went by so fast. At times I miss holding his tiny little body and staring at his tiny little hands as he sleeps. He's not so big that this is a far gone occurance. He's still pretty little and still very cute when he sleeps! He really is a lot of fun right now. He's learning so many new things. His laugh is infectious. He is quite mischievious. All these things were only hinted at when he was a tiny baby. He's come so far in a year! We're having so much fun!

Finally, Teeth!

2008-08-03T18:16:00.000-05:00

7/31 ushered in a new front top tooth. 8/2 brought a new top tooth next to that. From the looks of things, the other top front tooth will break through in the next day or two! On top of it all, the poor little guy has a very runny nose! I hear that teething can bring on a runny nose, but I've also heard that it's a "wives tale" or some such thing. All I know is that JJ is having quite the week. He's becoming braver with walking, but still insists on holding a hand as he goes. He ushers us around the house with a vice grip on our hand! Even Poppa Henry gets to travel around the apartment as JJ practices his walking. Even so, he's doing more and more walking all by himself!

Busy week!

2008-07-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week and a half since our last post. We've been looking at new apartments, having fun at baby story time, decluttering stuff, getting new teeth and walking. Baby story time takes place at the library in town and is quite interesting for anyone who likes to watch babies. JJ is the biggest little boy there. There is one little girl who is a bit older than JJ who is bigger than him. He loves hugging the other kids and even tackled one or two (all out of love). He's working on walking and has taken about 6 or 7 steps all on his own without holding on to anything! Once he realizes he's not holding on to something, he reaches out and grabs for whatever he can find which causes him to lose balance. Not quite confident enough, I guess. He has a new top tooth (finally!) but I don't think he's through with this round of teething yet.

And of course, he's always getting into things! We have the pack n' play set up in front of the tv stand so that he doesn't mess with the dvd player, etc. He found a way to squeeze in! I guess I didn't have it as close to the tv as I thought!

Out of and into the mouths of babes!

2008-07-21T20:27:00.000-05:00

Toddlers are wonderful! And my baby is turning into a toddler! He has joined the age group of kids that are discovering independence and assigning the meaning to the things they observe around them. The other day, a friend heard her daughter commenting on the sounds things make. "What does a cow say? A cow says 'moooo'. What does ice cream say? 'Mmmmm, yummy." Yep, I think that's about right! Toddler logic at it's finest. Now, my son's communication is limited to baby signs, but they are growing by the day. Today, I asked him about the bird we were looking at, doing the sign for bird at the same time. I asked, "Is that a birdie?" and he responded by doing the sign. Yea! Another word to the repetoire.

He's also working on the independence and lately has been quite stubborn and willful. After a particularly difficult diaper change (he was NOT interested in getting his diaper changed AT ALL though it needed to happen because he was beginning to leak), he was trying to eat/chew on a clean diaper (I had pulled a bunch out of a new pack and had yet to put them away). Now, the fact that it was a diaper was enought for me to say, "Ewww, don't eat that!" and take it away. Thinking it was over, I turned to finish putting away the diapers. My son, however, not to be outdone decided this was the perfect opportunity to try again. I turned back around to find him with a mouthful of dirty, wet diaper! It was no longer in the neat little rolled up package I made in effort to have it ready for the diaper pail. It was unrolled and hanging from my stubborn little boy's drooly little mouth! Talk about 'ewwww, gross'! I guess next time I may let him have a little chew on the clean diaper, lest he find a less suitable substitute!

Baby Signing Time!

2008-07-20T08:40:00.001-05:00

Before I became pregnant, I was clued in to the fact that sign language can be very helpful in allowing babies to communicate their needs. After becoming pregnant, I checked out a couple of books about it and determined that this would be a great thing for our baby. They say it cuts down on temper tantrums, etc because a baby can communicate without verbal words (and it actually helps them develop their vocabulary). We started with the sign for milk. What a great sign! We could really tell when JJ started connecting the sign with getting milk (at about 4 or 5 months). He'd start making noises like he was hungry and we would sign milk. Instead of continuing to escalate to crying as he would before, he started to calm down. Don't get me wrong, he still wanted his need met IMMEDIATELY but at least he knew it was coming. Now, if he wants milk, he tells us by signing it. The tittle of this post is the same name as a video that has been wonderful. JJ may like to sit and watch Curious George, but nothing has held his attention like Baby Signing Time! He loves watching the video with the babies and the songs! He even signs along with the other babies! He got mad a tme the other day when he realized the movie I had put in for his dad and I to watch was not Baby Signing Time! Anyway, he has learned "milk", "more" (very helpful!), "eat", and he does a personalized version of "water"/"drink" (they are different, but his version looks exactly the same) and of "cereal". He also does the sign for "baby" when he watches the video. He understands signs for "cat", "dog" (and does it with a little bit of a reminder on how to do it) and "fish". I was inspired to write this because yesterday was the first day that he did the sign for "cereal". He watched me wiggle my finger across my chin and held out his hand in front of him, pointed sideways and wiggled his finger. That'll work! I'm sure more will come as his motor skills improve. A friend told me it seems that babies are either movers or talkers. JJ is definately a mover! So, this has worked out quite well for us!

Still teething!

2008-07-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

JJ still has not gotten his fourth tooth, but we know it's coming. There's one on the left side of his bottom teeth, and two on the top that you can feel inside his gums! So, we've been having restless sleep and all the normal things that go along with teething. Typically, this is normal, but this is a bit new to us. The last three teeth he got just sort of appeared out of nowhere! I think we still are having an easier time of it than some, though.

In the meantime, JJ still loves getting into things. He particularly has begun to enjoy the computer and playing with the mouse. I keep waiting for him to make random posts to the blog, send email, or some such thing while I'm in the middle of writing it. I think he's updated our Adobe stuff already. Gotta love the button pushing!

Family Time

2008-07-14T14:18:00.000-05:00

This weekend was full of time with family! On Saturday, we went to Duluth for my brother and sister-in-law's 25th Anniversary. On Sunday, we went to Red Wing for the Golden Family Reunion. There aren't really any Golden's left, but it's nice to get together with that extension of the family from time to time. The weather was beautiful both days. On Saturday, we not only got to visit with family, but Jim got his first ride in my brother's 6-wheeler. This is an all terrain vehicle that Perry has designed himself. I'll post a video that Jim took after his ride later (it wouldn't post this time around). It shows the vehicle going up hill, then the video ends. The cool thing about this vehicle is the ground it can cover while staying balanced-it may look like it gets stuck on the hill, but it doesn't. Perry takes it up and down that hill 3 or 4 times without any problems. I will post a picture of it, though.

Of course, everyone was quite taken with JJ. He was definately a charmer with lots of smiles for everyone. So, of course he had a blast. I'm posting a few pics from the weekend. Some of them are of my great-aunt's cottage in Red Wing. It's located on a channel of the Mississippi River. At one point, an eagle had soared down and dived into the water to get a fish-I'm sorry I missed it because that would have been an awesome picture!

Pickles w/Auntie Colleen and Bernie- Future mechanic?

With Daddy in Red Wing Weeeee!

Unconventional

2008-07-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

I always thought Jameson was a little unconventional when it came to his developmental progress. He tends meet some milestones later, while meeting others long before he should. He's not really doing anything out of the ordinary, just not quite when I would expect. Go figure. But he did it again yesterday. He's been relatively normal in temperament and is sleeping fine overall though a little restless the night before last. His restlessness did not seem so abnormal that I would take notice initially. He was a bit fussy at meals, but this also did not seem to be so abnormal for me to take notice. He bit down on his sippy and started crying, but I thought he just bit too hard. Now, I'm sure if you've had a teething child you are no doubt saying, "duh, Ang. He's teething." I did think of that and checked his top gums -that's where they're supposed to come in next- and there was nothing there! So, we went on about our evening. He was playing peek-a-boo with Daddy using my hand to hide behind (quite entertaining) when he decided it would also be fun to chew on my thumb. And that's when I found it. His third tooth broke through right next to his first tooth on the bottom! So, the restlessness and fussiness is certainly explained and I count my lucky stars that he is such a mild tempered boy. So, we continue on with him doing things his own way...

New hobby

2008-07-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

JJ has developed a new hobby...he likes to push the soap bottles into the tub. He could do it over and over for hours! He's managed a couple of times to crawl/"fall" into the tub so he can continue playing once he's pushed them all in. He just leans over, teetering on the edge with mommy holding her breath and the back of his shirt or pants as he lifts up on his tippy toes. He might be scared of loud noises and cautious with strangers, but he has no fear of falling! Ahh, my little daredevil! I walked into the bathroom the other day to find him playing with my hairbrush. You know how it is when they are just a little quicker than you are. I was quite surprised to see him inside the tub, playing as if nothing was out of the ordinary!

Taste of Minnesota

2008-07-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

Today we braved the heat and went to the Taste of Minnesota. We didn't taste much because, apparently, Minnesota is expensive. But Ally and I tried frog legs for the first time! It was worth it to go just because Ally actually tried something new! I couldn't believe it! And she liked it! She enjoyed a couple of trips down the Titanic slide and JJ always enjoys riding in his stroller and watching things and people as he goes. With water and sunscreen, we survived!

Fireworks

2008-07-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

JJ enjoyed his first fireworks last night! We thought he might be a little scared since he is in the phase of being scared of loud noises. The other night we went to the drive-in (Hancock, Hulk, and Get Smart) and JJ was playing with the radio before the movie started and he turned it up really loud on accident. He scared the heck out of himself, crying and clinging to me for dear life. This didn't bode well for fireworks. We arranged ourselves so we could make a quick exit and watch from the car if necessary. Turns out we actually were far enough away that the big boomers weren't too bad for him. Even the people who were setting off firecrackers relatively close by didn't scare him. He and Ally both grew bored (and admittedly tired). Still, it was a fun evening with good weather, few bugs and some pretty fireworks (though the show at Sand Creek Park in Coon Rapids is still my favorite).

Star Encounters

2008-07-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

I just have to say, I am jealous! My sister-in-law, Monica, and her husband, Jason, won a trip to California for a movie premier. She has the best luck with all those sweepstakes out there. I think this was the best prize that she's won (at least that I know of). She got to meet and get pics with a few people...

JJ is practicing walking

2008-07-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

JJ took one tenative step on Saturday all by himself. He took two for me on Tuesday. He's getting ready to run! For never really liking to have his hands held, he has done pretty well with walking while holding hands. He goes quite quickly! We decided to get him a push along toy to help him practice. I was able to find one for cheap at Once Upon a Child. It's not terribly sturdy, but that forces him to keep from depending on it instead of walking for himself. We had to put it in the other room and close the door so that he would stop playing with it in order to go to sleep! He's just growing so fast! It seems like just yesterday that he was learning the new skill of eating with a spoon- oh, yeah...it was!!!

eating with a spoon!

2008-07-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

This morning JJ insisted on eating with his own spoon. I got ready for a messy experience, but he actually did pretty well. He did get it all over himself, go figure. But, he did manage to feed himself! I'm pretty impressed with this being basically his first time feeding himself.

Soccer queen

2008-06-30T12:58:00.001-05:00

Ally just finished up her first season of soccer! We weren't sure how things would go when she first said she wanted to play. Would she stick with it? Would she stand in the field picking flowers? Turns out she really enjoyed playing and it was great for her self-esteem. We got to watch her last two games yesterday (and I'm super mad because I forgot to bring my camera so we don't have any pictures). She played really hard! Since most of the kids on the team were younger and were the grass picking type, it was hard to keep them invovled in the game. This meant that they relied on Ally and one or two other kids to pretty much carry the team. She lived up to the challenge. She played both hour long games (with breaks between quarters and an hour between games) and only sat out half a quarter in each game. She got a trophy for playing and they called her the hardest worker on the team. We are very proud of her!

New Arrivals

2008-06-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited for our friends Tim and Abby. Their son Ethan Robert has arrived. He's such a cutie. Looking at their pictures, it reminds me of the day JJ was born. I was really pretty lucky in that I didn't have a ton of pain and my labor was pretty short. Don't get me wrong, once things got going, it hurt like hell, but I was relatively lucky. In the end, it's all worth it when you get to hold that new little life in your arms. There's nothing like holding a tiny baby. Now, he's getting so big. I'm so proud of how he's grown and the things he's learning. It's a feeling a person really just doesn't understand until they become a parent. You know, I always disliked hearing people say that. There are so many things you can have an understanding of without experiencing it personally. Loving a child is one of those things that is so profound that you really don't understand the depth of it until it happens to you. Seeing a new baby is a reminder of all that.

2008-06-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

JJ is getting better about standing on his own and is much braver in walking while we hold his hands. He is getting more mischievious everyday. He has taken to crawling quickly away when I tell him he has something he shouldn't have. He smiles and defies me as I tell him not to do things. It's funny in a lot of ways. Such an independent little cuss. When Mommy is really serious, he listens. He just knows when she means it. Amazing how smart babies are!

2008-06-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

JJ is practicing his walking. He chooses not to cruise much and really prefers to crawl. But this last weekend, he decided it was ok for us to hold a hand while he walks along. He's gone all the way across the room before he decides he's done. He crawls so fast that I think he just likes it better. He's so efficient at it!

2008-06-24T10:57:00.001-05:00

So, a friend started a blog to keep friends and family up to date regarding her pregnancy and I thought, "What a great idea!" Just after having Jameson, I thought about starting a blog for all the fun stories about him that I wasn't sure people would want filling up their email boxes. That, and I think I was missing all the writing I did at work....

I have enjoyed sharing pictures of Jameson and for the most part, people seem to enjoy getting them. The only problem I am finding is that it is getting harder and harder to send pictures because I got a new camera. The picture files are too big to email to most people and I can only do one at a time, most times. My thought is, I'll do a blog and people can read and check out pics at their convenience. If you want me to continue to send you the pics in an email, I can. And if you ever see one posted that you would like to have me email to you, just let me know! So, here goes...