Let the training begin!

It has begun. The official start of potty training. John and I have been introdcuing the steps leading up to the toilet seat attachment and Jack has grown fond of climbing up. But today was the first day of committment. Of the endless questioning- "Do you have to go pee-pee?", "Do you need to go potty?" All met with interest but lack of affirmation. So we climbed up...and sat, and sat, and sat, and read books, and talked. No success today- but we did hang the official potty training chart complete with spots for icentive stickers should he ever decide to join the program. 

The Great Wall of Jackelope

Jack's playscape is coming!

Now, we've been saying this for about three weeks. But I really mean it this time. Because before, I meant it too but then John informed me that we needed site preparation. You see, we have no level area for the playscape to sit on. So John went into full civil engineering mode and designed the playscape area of his dreams and then went to work.

I, on the other hand, headed to Florida with Jack. Which was more brutal- flying with Jack on four flights with a combination of cough and diaper rash or building the playscape area?? Certainly a close call.

As most projects around here do, playscape-a-palooza slowly spiraled out of control as John realized the magnitude of the task. By the time he had the second truckload of mulch delivered, he was being worn down slowly. The mulch was kicking his ass. But he persevered on, and on, and on, and on.

And now, I present to you, the Great Wall of Jackelope. (Playscape to be added on Monday. )

On to the next big thing...

Jack and I are in transition. Jack is transitioning back into school from his trip to Florida. Of course, we're leaving in 1 week to go to Maine with our good friends the Grams and John's parents, so he'll be back in flux, but we're really looking forward to it.

And me? For those who don't know, I have left my job at the law firm. I'm currently vacationing my mind, but will soon begin helping out on some family stuff and John's business (if he ever decided that I am smart enough to figure out his complicated system). So, I'm trying to find my groove, I'm not really one to sit around and just watch TV. I'm working on a a.m. yoga routine to kick up my practice. I'm also getting the family ready for Maine (suddenly recalling that the climate there is a tad bit chillier at night).

Good news?- Jack's cough is almost gone and he has taken an interest in the new pottyseat we bought, taking on the challenge of climbing the steps to reach the seat on top of the real potty and hanging out for a bit. No ultimate success, but he totally digs shoving the toilt paper between his legs to watch it drop into the bowl.

Travelling Jackelope

Jack and I returned from a fun trip to Florida with my family. Poor Jack had a cough the whole time we were there but had a great time with cousins Katy and Grayson. In fact, he followed Grayson around all the time, even said his name while sleeping. But he and Katy were the ones on the same wavelength. They compared bellybuttons, talked in their own little language, played at the beach and building in the sand. They were plobably plotting world domination but were interrupted by nap time too much.


 

2/3 vacation

Well, Jack and I are on vacation with my family. John could not get away from work for this one so only 2/3 of us could attend. so I am braving it on my own and have already had some exhausting experiences as a single parent. Jack did fine on our first plane leg but some diaper rash and not enough sleep sent him into overload for the second leg and he let it al out. From takeoff to landing was a 25 minute flight and Jack took every possible moment to scream bloody murder and clench his body into a stiff-as-a-board imitation. Set him loose, he would scream louder. Hug him tight, scream even louder. My brother was sitting next to us luckily and as the plane landed and I was still clenching a screaming Jack, he looked over and saw the tears rolling down my face. There are some emotions that just hit too deep for a mom and watching your child in physical and emotional pain is one of them. My brother took charge, threw everything in Jack's bag, herded me, still crying, off the plane and to the rental car and got everyone in and going. Jack? An angel once we got to the car. And having a great time ever since.

We'll have the flights back on Sunday, for which I am heavily considering how Nyquil could affect a child. But I'll enjoy the time at the beach for now and worry about that as we get closer.

Crowns!

Friday was hat day at daycare. Jack is notoriously bad about wearing hats.

However, on this day, mommy was wearing a hat as well. He was intrigued. Why would mommy be wearing a hat, what did it mean? Maybe I shoudl put one on as well. Jack chose mommy's red gardening hat for his ensemble and off we headed to daycare. Jack boldly strode in (OK, he was carried in) wearing his red hat and mommy's sunglasses. And it lasted just long enough to snap a picture. The spell was broken, glasses and hat came off and hat day was over as far as he was concerned.

Cleaning out Memories

Here I am in my office cleaning all the pictures I have had on my computer of Jack. Of course, my colleagues here have known him since he was kicking me in the ribs from the inside. And they have watched him grow through many of these pictures and random visits to the office.
So, I give you the walk down memory lane... (commence humming whatever soundtrack sounds appropriate to you)

Approved playlist

It occurred to me the other day that Jack has an approved playlist. You know, like at the radio station. During our drive home from daycare, Jack will only allow certain songs to be sung. It started out with Itsy Bitsy Spider, always a big hit and one sure to be followed by applause from the back seat. Then the ABC Song made the list, although sometimes, around "f" , Jack would insist "no, no, no" and you'd have to stop.

Now the one thing that John knows he is lucky to have gotten when he married me is my extensive repertoire of camp songs. I used to sing them in the shower sometimes when we were first married. I used to sing them on our motorcycle trips to pass the time (since John was a captive audience, hooked up on the speakers between our helmets). And when Jack was born, it was like all those songs came flooding me back, carrying me through the long bights of Jack refusing to go to sleep. I would start out with some soft ones: Call of the Fire, One Tin Soldier, Witchcraft, Barges. But as Jack grew more into the groovy tunes, I moved into the action oriented ones: I'll Build a bungalow, We're the Girls from Camp Fern, I Know a Weenie Man. Many of them even end with the enthusiastic "Hey!" for emphasis, in case you had not figured out that we are peppy camp girls.

So, back to the approved list. Only two camp songs have made the approved list so far. Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe and the Watermelon Song. Jack loves both and loudly yells "Yeah!" and claps at the end of them. The Watermelon Song has accompanying noises including sucking in air through your teeth and snorting, which I think gives it the lead as the favorite:

Just plant a watermelon seed upon my grave
and let the juice (suck in, suck in) run through (snort, snort).

Well, chicken and dumplings suit me fine
but their ain't nothing better than a watermelon vine

So.......
plant a watermelon seed upon my grave
and let the juice (suck in, suck in) run through (snort, snort).

He liked it so much that I sang it to his class the other day when I dropped Jack off. Now all the kids come up to me when I drop him off and suck in their breath and snort at me.

I'm sure their parents are thankful.

Spinning in my world

There has been a notable absence of posting on the blog lately. I must apologize, as many of you know I am currently in my last week at my job, having given my notice a few weeks ago. I counted on the frenzy of the last few weeks and the need to train people, clean things, sort things, etc. But I didn't count on the emotional part. Leaving the people I have worked with form many years is a hard task to take on. So many of them have become wonderful friends and daily confidants. We know all about each others lives and report on our weekend activities on Monday morning like some little old lady coffee club.

I'm sure I'll have some feeling of my world being upside down for a bit after leaving. As much as I look forward to the new challenges awaiting me in my life, I also expect some downturn in my spirit as I think of the camaraderie I experienced here.

More later to keep you updated.