5-22-06

 

Well, I have Jessie's birthday set now.  I just have to send out the word to the people.  My mother has graciously offered to host it which will be much easier on us with having (hopefully anyway) Tater here.  We will be holding it on Memorial day Monday, so May 29th.  That way my sister will be in town for it so, YAY!  I brought both kids to Party City to pick out their plates for their birthdays (Gavin's can be seen on his page.) and Jessie picked out the Elmo plates.  Granted, that is probably because it is the only option I gave her, but she's pretty agreeable and would've "picked" every option in the store if I hadn't picked one for her.  Anyway, I know she likes Elmo and she was excited to hold onto her plates and napkins in the store.  Since the date is so close now, we're forgoing invitations and just spreading the word.

5-15-06

 

OMG, I've just been realizing that this year is Jessie's golden birthday!  I have not been planning anything (and I usually have these birthdays planned at least 3 months in advance!)  I don't know what I'll do at all, or when I'll do it.  Everything has been so up in the air not knowing about Tater and all that.  My sister is coming to town over Memorial weekend so that's an option, although that is also my Mom's anniversary.  Poor Jessica.  Bummer that her lame-o mom hasn't planned anything plus bummer that she won't get to remember her golden day.

Big news?  Jessie is saying "What the heck?!"  quite appropriately these days.  Nice.  I yelled at Kris the first time I heard it but he said it was not him, but Gavin teaching her that and I'm starting to believe it.  We were getting into the van the other day and Gavin said "What the...." without finishing and Jessie helps out by saying "heck!"  I guess there are worse things.  She also was play talking on the phone and mid sentence about something (I was reading to Gavin at the time, Kris was playing on the phone with her) she says "nevermind" and changes the topic to the pretend caller.  Hehe, Kris and I both cracked up from that one.

We've found some hair clips that Jessie will keep in her hair!  She has these wisps that curl down into her eyes that are not really bangs per say.  The only way to keep them out is to put her hair back in ponies or clips.  She doesn't like to sit still long enough for the ponies much, but the clips were easy.  She'd just pull them out of her hair though.  We were at Target the other day and I let her pick some clips out then so now she leaves them in.  Yay!  She also has started the "Target whine".  IE - when you bring her to the store she sees something she likes and it is "I want that." until you go crazy or she is crying and histerical or both.  I have to say that Kris doesn't help things because he'll walk through with the kids and point out things that would be really fun or whatever and of course, the kids think he is pointing it out because the gatekeeper has deemed that we can buy that item so they get all excited and then he says "I wasn't really serious about buying it."  Well then cripes, keep your mouth shut!  Sheesh!  The other day in the doll aisle (which we were in because I was looking for a stuffed alligator) she wanted all the babies, especially the ones that came with the little moses baskets or car seats or other carrying type seats.  I'm trying to get out of the aisle with nothing, but Kris is picking out toys showing them to Jessie trying to find one that they both agree on buying.  Jessie and Kris turn out to not have much taste in common regarding the doll aisle.  They settle on a little bag with 6 cabbage patch kid diapers in it.  (Kris was really pulling for the little Graco doll pack'n'play crib thing so when HIS birthday comes around, maybe we can keep this in mind.)  Jessie puts the diaper bag strap over her shoulder and is quite happy.  Once we got home she was walking around with her "diaper bag" over her shoulder the whole time.  She also wanted to change the diapers of every doll or bear in the house.  BTW - Mommy got a new bag on this trip too!  I've had the same little passport carrier thing as my "purse" since, oh, 1995 I think.  I like it because it is TINY and it is basically a wallet on straps.  Well, we found this little canvas hippie looking bag that is just big enough for holding the normal checkbook, cards, and change, but it can also hold my cellphone, keys, and MAYBE a diaper or two.  Minus the diapers, it is still pretty little, but I'm excited because this means I don't have to bring around that stupid huge diaper bag.  I mean, all I ever have in that bag is 1) diapers, 2)a change of clothes, 3) emergency medicine, 4) garbage garbage garbage.  Did I mention garbage?  Anyway, I'm excited to have something new and we'll see if I use it.  YAY on it totally looking adorable like it is made out of hemp with a little tiny bit of hippie/native American decoration.

Oh, one more Jessie bit - she has developed a few favorites in the books we have.  She likes "Duck Feet", "Snug House Bug House", "Happy Birthday Thomas", and "Hop On Pop".  It is really cute to see what catches these kids' attention.  Those were all books that Gavin was really drawn to as well.  BTW - she is a TOTAL Thomas the Tank Engine fan. 

 

5-8-06

 

Monday morning... yuck.  Maybe I won't have to work all week. ;)  This weekend Jessie had some fun times.  Let's see if I can remember everything.  First, she was pretending to talk on the phone to Farma.  She picked up the phone, said "Hello Farma, how are you?  You having fun?  Kelly there? ...etc"  Very talkative.  Later that day when my mom called I gave Jessie the phone to talk to grandma as she was requesting and she just held the phone up to her ear and said.... NOTHING!   Later when Grandma was visiting she showed off her skills at counting as we read her counting book.  Unprompted, she can count up to 13, but she hasn't quite gotten to the point where if you give her 8 things she can count that there are actually 8 things there.  She is much better though at the one to one relationship of pointing to an object and saying one number.  We also have learned that she knows a couple letters.  'W' and 'J' for now.  Whenever I pointed to a letter, she'd say 'W' so actually learning which one was really 'W' wasn't too hard.  Then we added 'J' because that's in her name.  We're adding 'O' and 'C' now, but she's not consistant with those.  She does love to point to letters in things through the day and name them.  She also will scribble on her drawings at the top and point to it and say "Jessica's name" or "Abby's name" which I think is really neat. 

Yesterday when Grandma, Grandpa Jim, and Great Grandpa were visiting over diner, Gavin was apparently done so he got up and was running around like a nut as he zoomed up the stairs.  Jessica declairs:  "Gavin crazy!" and everyone just cracked up!  My mom was also pretty impressed with "You got it dude."

At swimming, she can now do the "monkey walk" with her hands along the edge of the pool with no one holding her.  She's also a proficient bubble blower and can put her "monkey cheeks" in the water very well.  In the bath the day after her swimming lessons she was playing with this little turtle, calling it her baby and wrapping it in washcloths for naps and such.  Then she would take the little cup with the holes in the bottom and hold it over her baby's head and sing "It's raining it's raining it's raining..." to the baby just like in swimming. 

Jessica has also picked up on something kinda touching.  We have this teddy bear that someone gave us when Anily died.  Well, they gave it to Anily anyway.  It was about the same size as her so this bear has been dressed in the clothes Anily wore at the hospital and we call it "Anily bear".  It used to just occupy the cradle in our room while we had that set up for Jessica, but when that got taken down, the bear was more or less put away in Jessica's room.  Well, Jessie found it a LONG time ago and was carrying it around a lot.  We called it Anily bear then too.  A couple months ago, Jessica found the bear and wanted to change her clothes because she loves changing her doll's diapers.  She claims they are poopy.  So Anily bear's clothes got removed and the bear itself was eventually downstairs while the outfit was upstairs in the living room.  Well, this weekend, months after the last time we've really seen or talked about the bear, Jessica picks up the sweater and says "Anily bear shirt" and heads downstairs.  I just watch her go because I'm so shocked she's remembered all this, and to be honest *I* am not even sure where the bear is so for her to be so sure was amazing.  She came back upstairs carrying Anily bear and the sweater and set on putting the sweater on her.  Now she likes to sleep with Anily bear which I think is sweet.

Growing by leaps and bounds, that baby of mine.  OH... one other thing.  At dinner last night Jessie had her glass of juice sitting by her plate.  Daddy accidentally knocked it over and spilled much of it.  After cleaning it up, there wasn't much juice left in her glass.  When she said she was done eating, I asked her if she wanted more Juice and she said no.  Daddy, who was sitting next to her, picked up the glass and said "You sure Jessie, you don't want more juice?" and she said "NO!"  hehe.  So then he held the glass again and thought he'd outsmart his 1 year old.  He said "Jessie, you want less juice?"  Jessie however, looks up at him very serious and says "Yes, less juice."  HAHA!  Oh poor Daddy, can't outsmart his 1 year old anymore!

 

5-4-06

 

Good morning!  When I went to pick up Jessie at daycare yesterday, I was informed that Jessie has been running through a streak of biting one of the other little toddlers there.  Nice.  I don't really know what I could do about it since by the time I get there the issue is over and done with.  Really Cindy just needs to keep her seperate from Henry unless she's sitting in arms reach I guess.  I talk to Jessie about it but at this age I have my doubts that it does much.  Gavin said she was going to loose her toys for the night.  LOL!  Like that would do anything other then punish me!  I do wish Jaws would stop that though.  Poor Henry!

Last night was 99 cent kids meal night at BW3.  Gavin and Daddy LOVE that place so we headed out.  Jessie was more interested in the wings with the sauce on them then she was with her kid's meal chicken fingers so we'll probably need to start getting her those instead now.  I got to try their new Honey BBQ which was AWESOME!  After the wings we all shared a chocolate cake slice for dessert.  It came with a little scoop of ice cream and Jessie had chocolate and ice cream all over her face.  One of the BW3 guys was going around asking people how their meals were and he came by to see chocolatty Jessie and said "Looks like someone is enjoying their meal tonight."  Jessie tilted her head down and batted her eyes at him with this coy little grin and her hands up by her face and said "Good" all cute and little and shy.  Oh boy, this kid is going to be trouble!  They gave the kids balloons on the way out and even though Daddy tied it to her wrist, she took it off and made Daddy re-tie it and took it off again before we got home.  How'd she do that anyway???  We got a cute little picture of her too that I'll toss on the bottom of the page. 

OH, and hop over to Tater's page to check out his room!

 

5-2-06

 

Happy 23 months baby girl!!

Yikes, I have to get a birthday planned for Jessie and Gavin and of course, Tater is about to be born.  The "fun" of having all my kids in the summer makes birthdays a little tough.  The 2nd birthday can be a smaller deal though - Gavin's was pretty quiet too.

I was trying to get Jessie to say "I am cute." but she was being silly.  I'd say, Jessie, say "I am cute." and she'd look at me and say "NO! Jessie cute!"  Goofy girl!  She's also getting the colors down.  She won't name yellow if you point to something and ask what color it is, so I figured she didn't know.  Then the other day she came into her room from the living room where she was coloring and I was hanging up laundry in her room.  She had a yellow marker and said "Mommy, find yellow lid."  She was looking for the lid for the marker!  WOW girl!  She also consistantly gets "white" for the snowman in her color book and she's always been good with green and purple - although most things are labeled green or purple no matter what color.  Yes, I let her color with markers on her coloring books in the living room on the coffee table.  Honestly, she's really good about it.  The worst she does is drop the caps on the ground and then she can't find it and doesn't put the cap back on the markers.  We're working on this.

Oh, one other grown up thing... I can open the door to the van and tell Jessie to jump up into her chair while I pack whatever or go get her a frozen waffle (yum!) or whatever.  When I get back, she is sitting in her car seat all by herself!  YAY girl!