Hangin' Out in the Vern

Jack and I had the privilege of spending Monday thru Thursday of this past week with my dad in MV. My mom was in Spokane caring for her mother, so Jack and I hung out with my dad as he recovers from his hip surgery. Jack spent a lot of time scooting, crawling, and cruising around on the furniture. He is determined to walk and has begun walking behind his little walker toy. He even discovered that he could use Grandpa's walker to walk around. It doesn't seem possible that we are already to this stage!

 

Of course, I shot some video of our budding walker. Note the very proud look on his face as he pushes his toy!

My First Day of Subbing

Yesterday I had my first job as a substitute. The circumstances couldn't have been more perfect for my first job. It was only a half day job, so I didn't even have to be at school until 9:50, which gave me plenty of time to get Jack ready and dropped off at his grandparents' house. In addition, I got to be at my old school, teaching all of my old students!  I couldn't have asked for a better day!  Due to Bellevue's strike, it was only the third day of school, so the kids were extremely well behaved. On top of that, because I knew all of them, we were able to have lots of fun and accomplish the day's tasks. It was so much fun to be in the hallways again, greeting students and visiting with all of my colleagues. It did feel a little strange to walk past my old room and see it set up differently. I don't think that I have ever been that excited to go to work and I left feeling refreshed and excited for the next time!

Grandpa's Got a New Hip

On Monday my dad had hip replacement surgery. Instead of sending flowers or a card, I decided to hand deliver something even better--Jack!  Jack and I made the trip up to Mount Vernon on Tuesday and visited Grandpa in the hospital. He was sitting in a chair when we got there. Pretty impressive for having had just had major surgery the day before!  Jack immediately produced a giant smile--his grandpa always makes him laugh! Of course no visit with my parents is complete without a cup of Starbucks in hand. My mom gave Jack her cup to chew on, which of course required a picture of Jack's first Starbucks!

We visited for a while and then my mom took us to eat at a cute little deli in downtown Mount Vernon called The Lunchbox. Jack happily ate his Cheerios while my mom and I devoured delicious sandwiches. We dropped my mom off at the hospital and headed back home. My dad is doing well and anxious to get back to golfing, skiing, hiking, and biking with his new hip!

Our Little Husky

On  Saturday Jack experienced his first Husky game. The game itself was pretty disappointing with the Huskies losing to Oklahoma by a heart-breaking score of 14-55. Despite the disheartening scoreboard, Jack had the full Husky game experience. We headed down to the parking lot a couple of hours before the start of the game and visited our usual tailgates. Jack was all smiles in his Husky shirt and baseball cap. Then, we headed into the stadium where he was enthusiastically greeted by both of his grandparents. Jack was a little overwhelmed at first by the noise, but once he got his protective earmuffs on, he was good to go!  He didn't waste any time taking a little snooze in the Ergo, which energized him for playing with his grandparents at half-time. We left shortly into the third quarter, partially because Jack was tired, but mostly because the Dawgs were scoreless and the game was getting more and more sad as it went on. Of course right after we left, the Huskies scored. Isn't that always the way it goes?

 

 

Eureka! (or actually The Infinity in my case)

I'm sure that I am not the first mom to have trouble finding time to clean the house. When Jack was really little, it was no problem. He loved the sound of the vacuum; he even slept through it! Now, however, he screams incessantly whenever I turn the torturous machine on to vacuum. Because he is now scooting across the hardwoods in our house nonstop, this problem has intensified. I've tried everything from putting him in his Pack-N-Play and feeling like a tyrant as he screams to waiting until evening and handing him off to Tom and banishing them to the basement while I vacuum the upstairs at lightening speed.  This morning, however, I had a breakthrough. I put Jack in the Ergo, which snuggles him close to me. I held my breath as I pushed the power button. Much to my surprise, he didn't cry. In fact, he peeked through the Ergo at the vacuum with a look of (dare I say it?) curiosity. We proceeded to vacuum the entire house together without so much as a whimper. The Ergo provided Jack with the security of being right next to Mom, which made the big scary vacuum not seem so intimidating. SUCCESS, for today at least.....

First Swimming Lessons

Last night Jack and Tom had their first swimming lessons. These lessons were my Father's Day gift to Tom. The lessons are only 1/2 hour long and are part skill and part games and songs. Last night Jack and his dad worked on the skill of kicking.  Jack worked those little legs so hard--amidst the splashing and chasing after various pool toys.  The group also sang "Motorboat" and "The Hokey Pokey". I don't think a smile left Jack's face the entire lesson!

Jack and Tom will take lessons for the next 10 weeks. What a fun way for the two of them to spend some "guy" time together and get to meet and play with other babies in the pool!

Here are a few more pictures of Jack's lessons. The lighting wasn't very good in there, so the pictures are kind of dark.

Congratulations, Jamey and Oona

After watching a devastating Husky loss on Saturday afternoon (thanks, refs), we were ready for a pick-me-up. Jamey McCormick (one of Tom's college friends) got married at the beginning of August in Tofino, B.C. We weren't able to make it to the wedding, but we did get to celebrate with them on Saturday night at a party at their home. They live in an adorable cabin they've lovingly named "The Snugboat" right on the beach in Dash Point, just outside of Tacoma. It was a gorgeous evening and everyone was taking full advantage of the awesome weather out on the deck. They barbequed fish, had platters of oysters and clams, and tons of yummy side dishes that guests brought.

The party was littered with children, from the littlest ones, like Jack, to the toddlers running around playing dress up and splashing in the kiddie pool. Jack had fun watching the older kids. He got a hold of one of the little girl's wigs and thought it was the funniest thing. No one was having more fun at the party than Oona's 3 year old daughter, Willa. She was loving having all of her friends there to play with, and lots of adults to laugh at her!  Her party outfit rotated from a swimsuit and flippers (to swim in the wading pool, of course) to various princess dresses from her dress-up chest. She was a kick!

We had fun catching up with Jamey and several others from their fraternity. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful evening or a more perfect place to spend it!

 

90210 is Back!

Ok I admit it, I watched the new 90210.....and I'm hooked!  They've got a whole new cast of West Beverly teens and they are full of drama, just like the old gang. They've even brought back Brenda, Kelly, and Nat (the owner of The Peach Pit). I found myself taken back to the 90's and my high school days. I was a loyal fan and am super excited to have the zip code back on the air!  In case you missed the show when it premiered on Tuesday night, it is on again tonight at 8:00 on the CW (channel 11). Watch it, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Another Milestone!

Jack has done it. He now can pull himself up on furniture, toys, and anything else he can grab onto! His most proud feat is pulling himself up in his crib. He is so amazed with his ability to do it, that he does it all night long. Tom and I walk into his room each time to a very proud and smiley baby. Its cute, but the problem is that Jack doesn't know how to get down from the standing position. This has lead to some pretty good bumps of his head. Thus, I am constantly in there laying him back down so that he won't hurt himself. This means that neither he (nor I) have gotten a good night's sleep the last couple of nights. Friends whose children have gone through this say that eventually the novelty wears off and they actually sleep again. I sure hope so, because I am one tired mommy!

Walla Walla and the Rodeo

We had the pleasure of spending our Labor Day Weekend East of the mountains in Walla Walla. Our trip began on Friday with a quick detour to Spokane, so that Tom could meet with some clients. Jack and I spent a couple of hours with my grandma while Tom worked. We then headed down through Colfax and Pullman to Walla Walla. What a beautiful (but VERY desolate) drive!  We arrived in Walla Walla around dinnertime and basically ate, and then headed to bed.

Saturday was beautiful, although significantly cooler than usual for this time of year. Tom, his dad, and Jane's boyfriend golfed in the morning, while the ladies (and Jack) went to the parade. Jack did really well for his first parade. He didn't even cry when the fire trucks went past or the motorcycles revved their engines. We were impressed. Jack had lots of candy thrown at him, but he was content to play with the candy all wrapped up. He also got a balloon, which he found was really fun to try and put in his mouth!

Later that afternoon we went to the fair. We took Jack through all of the livestock barns. Of course we spent an extra bit of time at the cows, Jack's favorites! Jack got to sit on a saddle and he saw a Clydesdale who shares his same name!

After a proper fair dinner (corndogs, fries, and all things fried), we went to the rodeo. Jack was feeling particularly wiggly (and very tired) so we only lasted through the muttonbusters and the bucking broncos. We think Jack's sense of adventure might lead him to one day be one of those little kids riding the sheep in the muttonbusters.

Sunday we finished our trip to Walla Walla in traditional style with a visit to Pioneer Park and then to the Country Club for lunch. Jack tested out the swings and the slide at the park, which has a great playground. I'm sure that next time we visit Walla Walla, Jack will be climbing all over it!