Santa?

Jack and I had some guy time this morning. We hit the loop and drank coffee and chocolate milk. (The milk was mine.) On our sidewalk stroll, jumping over the 'walk of fame' stars, Jack made a shocking discovery. He spotted the cart pushing older, somewhat portly, bearded gentleman who sells bongs and other head-shop accouterment. He shouted: "HI, SANTA!"
The man responded warmly and then Jack got nervous. As I picked him up I said, "No, Jack, Santa's high." We left and jumped over more stars.

My Kid is Smarter Than Your Kid

Snow Day!

Jack quickly learned that snow was tasty for lunch.

Pie Night!

Here are a few photos from our first pie night (a tradition ripped off from the Kirkland family who had TWENTY-THREE pies this year!).


As you can see, the kids loved pie night.



And after pie they all piled on John's lap for a story. What you don't see is that just a few days later all of these children came down with the same killer cough & fever. Bummer.

You know your kid's sick when...

They refuse to eat ice cream for dinner. True story.

At least he tells the truth with a smile

The following is a conversation I had with Jack this morning after picking him up from school.

Me: What did you do at school today?
Jack: I cried.

Sad, but true. That's what he did at school. He said the same thing when John asked him about school. But, all with a smile.

Le Thomas de Engie Tanket

John here:

In New York, you can see anything on the subway.
Riding back to New Jersey on friday, the train door opened and in came two parents with a toddler about Jack's age in a stroller. They bent down and chatted with him playfully. As I heard the boy respond, I realized the little guy had a French accent. I then immediately noticed that his parents were speaking sing-songy French to him. All of the young boy's words and sounds were the same cadence as Jack's, but En Francais. I couldn't understand anything they were saying, though I suspected it was the same kind of conversations we have with Jack now. But, then he pulled out a "Thomas the Tank Engine" toy and showed it to his mom and said "Mama, Choo-Choo!" She said "Oui, Oui, le Choo Choo!"

Some things are the same in any language. I smiled all the way home, missing my little boy.

Our Trip

John & I went to New York this weekend. I was surprised with a ticket to go see Cyrano DeBergerac with Laura starring....are you ready?...JENNIFER GARNER and Kevin Klein. Yes, JG, my favorite person in Hollywood. It was fantastic. Laura & I sat with binoculars to our eyes the whole time.

We had such a good weekend, but it felt like too long to be away from Jack. I missed him so much. He had fun with the grandparents & wept when they left. So much for missing mom & dad! Next time we go were planning on taking Jack. That should be a real adventure.

Hero of the Day!

Kevin, after finishing the NY Marathon today. Rock Star.

Baby Dreams

I was just eavesdropping on Jack talking in his sleep. He moaned, "I want that." and then, "Mine. Mine!"

Sounds about right. His sleep talk sounds suspiciously like his wake talk.

Show me some love people!

Seriously. If you love me & are reading this, today would be a good day to tell me. This might be your last chance as I'm 95% sure that Jack is plotting my demise as I write this. Can you kill a mother with a full week of grouchiness, demands to be held & temper tantrums? I think so.

Add this to the fact that my kitchen just exploded dirty dishes everywhere. And the clean clothes are multiplying in my bedroom- when are we getting the dryer that folds the clothes? Or just a maid. And I'm feeling especially frumpalicious these days (ack! I'm a frumpy mom!!!) thanks in part to a shizy haircut that makes me look like (and these are my words folks, don't go stealing them) "a shaggy dog ass face". If you don't know what that looks like, come take a look at my hair. And, if I don't find a new pair of shoes soon, I'm going to be spending the winter barefoot & with frostbites on my toes. Seriously, why do all sensible shoes look as if they were made for an 80 year old woman?

AND John is super busy with good work, but a lot of work all at once. So we're all just snippy at the Hendrix house.

That's my rant for today. If you see any of the three of us, we could probably all use a hug.

MINE!

This photo doesn't match this post, I just thought it was cute. Yes, that is a ring of chocolate around Jack's mouth. And check out his cool surfer dude hair.

Jack is going through the mine stage. Everything is his. MY BOOK! MY CUP! MY GUITAR! MINE, MINE, MINE!!!

It kind of drives me crazy. He yells when he says it & grabs things.

But, today I was glad to hear mine. We were leaving the grocery store & he laid his head on my shoulder, gave my back a pat & whispered, "My mama".

I love this kid. He knew just what I needed to hear.

What's the deal with farm animals?

Parents As Teachers is a national organization that sends a Parent Educator to your home about every 2 months to help make sure your child is developmentally on track & to help the parents with educational activites. We love PAT. They've helped us with sleep, food, and fun. They have play groups & lots of fun activities throughout the year. And, we love our parent educator Angela. Jack loves her too.

That being said, Anglea was here about a month ago. She was playing a game with Jack where he would pull different objects out of a can & name them. It was to test his speech more than his vocabulary. (Yes, this story gets better, hang in there...)

Most of the items in the can were animals of some sort. Jack wouldn't name any of them. He mooed at the cow, but that was about it.

When she left I freaked & told John that we needed to work on animals with Jack. But then I thought, what the heck is the deal with all the farm animals??? Big deal, Jack won't identify a pig. Show the kid a saxophone & he'll walk around all day yelling "SAXOPHONE"! He can also name a clarinet, flute, piano, guitar, drum & bassoon.

All you parents out there need to help stop the farm animal madness with me.

Reflections of Me

It's scary when you realize that your children are reflecting you back to yourself- the good stuff & the bad. John & I have discovered that he had little to do with the DNA of Jack- he's almost entirely me. That's scary to me!

Not only does he look exactly like me, but all of his mannerisims and the way he talks are reflections of me. He's shy in new situations & takes a while to warm up...just like me. He loves to pout & resists being cheered up...just like me. He's so, so stubborn...just like me. He has a fiery hot temper...just like me. He thinks poop is really funny...just like...well...me. He's grouchy when he wakes up...just like me. He's compassionate & emotional...just like me. He likes to steal his friend's toys...oh wait, not like me. And I could go on & on.

Sometimes, when I get frustrated with Jack, I sit back & realize that he is reacting exactly the way I would like to react & probably would react if I had no impulse control. I hope the fact that we are so similar will make me a better mom to him. Poor John has to live with two of us in the same house!

Ribbon Dance!

As promised, here is Jack's ribbon dance. I just want to know who the moron is that filmed it sideways. Oh wait, that's me.

Cock your head to the side & enjoy! He really gets going in the 2nd half.

Blogging Blahs

If you haven't already noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately. I apologize to my two faithful fans. It's not for lack of ideas (I'm bubbling over), or lack of time (although my time has been sparse lately). Mostly, lack of motivation. When John started school the laptop went with him, so in order to blog I have to (GASP!) climb the stairs to the attic. Easy access is the key to my successful blogging life.

But, as of right now, I'm recommiting myself to posting more regularly.

Here are just a few things you can look forward to very, very soon:

-A rockin' dance video of Jack complete with multi-colored dance ribbons
-How to make your grouchy toddler happy (note:this involves having house guests named Kbo & Lola, aka: The Toddler Tamers)
-How to use your blog to get invited to a beautiful wedding & kickin' reception of people you've never met (thanks Jane & John!)
-And, without a doubt, more shoe & purse posts

So, stay tuned, there's more on the way!

Shoe Envy

John typing - We bought Jack some 'back to school' (read: fall) shoes, and boy do I want a pair of my own! Does everyone do this to their children? As in, dress them like we wish to dress ouselves? See post below for confessions of shallow parents.

We did buy matching zip-up hoodies for the Hendrix boys. Waiting for that first snap of cold with baited breath...

Fashion Faux-Pas

I was embarrassed to go out in public with Jack today. He dug a very ugly pair of sandals that had been handed down to us out of the closet & insisted on wearing them with white socks. He looked like a miniature tourist.

I know this is not bad. He could have put on a sparkly tu-tu & tiara to wear to the store (neither of which we have in our house, but if we did, I am sure he would wear them 24-7). But still, I tried to convince him to wear different shoes & I even put his crocs in the diaper bag hoping that he would see them & want to wear them.

No such luck.

Obviously, I need some perspective. I'm not even sure this is worth a blog entry except to show how vain I really am!

My Biggest Fan

I have a few more pictures of my opening (Yes, this is John, not Andrea. Sorry, ok!) on my blog. But I had to post this one that Warren took. He was so cute wandering around in the gallery! Yes, he was mostly flirting with his friend AvaBelle, and not really admiring my work as I instructed him. But, of all the things in that room, I was most proud of him. So cliche, and so very true. (Attn Mgmt: I'd like 4 more of him, please.)

The Hamster Wheel

Lately I feel like I've been living my life on a hamster wheel. Running & running, but not getting anywhere. There is always more to be done that never happens. I clean the house & about 10 seconds later it looks like a bomb went off again. Even now, at 9:30 at night, there is still more to do. Loads of laundry to be folded, dishes to be done, not to mention the big stuff to be cleaned. All I really want to do is read my book and go to bed. I think that is life with a toddler.

Little Boy

Well, the summer is over (hooray!) and I found I've been left with a little boy running around my house. At the beginning of the summer Jack seemed a baby with little boy tendencies & now he's a little boy with baby tendencies. What has changed you ask? Well, let me tell you a few things.

He's always been kind of a nervous kid. Very cautious of other kids, even kids we know & see several times a week. But, over the course of the summer he started loving other kids. In fact, not a day goes by when he doesn't ask for every single one of his friends by name (over, and over, and over again). One of his favorite games is to zero in on what toy his friend is attached to & grab it & run away laughing in hopes that he will be chased. Not a nice game. But, it is surprisingly entertaining to watch until it just gets mean after the 50th time. Perhaps we have the makings of a bully.

Or, maybe not, because he's become a very sympathetic boy. When other kids are crying he gets very concerned & often sits by them & pats their head. He does that with me as well. Mean mama found that if I pretend to cry when I ask him to do something, he will comply. I don't really use that trick, but I think it's funny & sweet.

Jack now says little sentences & every day he says new words. Today we were dancing & he stopped and said, "Mama, clap!" Clap is one I had never heard before. "Funny" also made it's way into his vocabulary this week. John & I were making him laugh in the car & he said, "Mamada (this is what he calls us when we're together) funny."

And, he is sleeping better than ever. That only took 2 years...

I am loving this stage of life. It just seems to be getting better.

Picture, picture, picture page

I haven't posted photos of Jack for a while. That seems wrong since the title of this blog is Peek-a-boo Jack. So, here are some kickin' photos for you...


Jumpin' Jack Flash





Jack loves to jump. Elliot loves to jump with him. This kid can get some height.



Fashionista




John's going to have some competition in a few years on being the most stylish dresser in the house. I think Jack will win. He's not scared to make risky moves- like carrying a flowered satin bag while garage saleing. (Yes, this actually happened last weekend...)

Firsts

It's pretty thrilling to see Jack do things for the first time. We've seen countless firsts and still have many, many left to go. He's started speaking in sentences. Here are some recent first words & sentences from the mouth of my babe:
"saxophone!" (it's said with an exclamation point- he loves the saxophone)
"Little baby toes." This was said while he was kissing Elsie's toes over & over.
"Mama, I want chocolate milk." This is said every single time we pass a McDonalds.
"I want food." This one cracks me up every time. I ask him what kind of food & he just replies, "Yeah, food!"

One of the biggest & most exciting firsts happened in the pool this past weekend. Out of nowhere he put his face in the water and blew bubbles. We've not been trying to teach him this, he just did it. All of a sudden he's become comfortable in the pool & will do so many new things. He's been jumping off of things, riding on our back & putting his whole head under water.

It's fun to wake up every morning wondering what first we'll see that day!

Rest In Peace Miss Kitty

You are much loved & already missed.

Our Day in Court

So, we had our day in court yesterday. I won't reveal the details of our case on my little blog in case there are super secret agents looking for evidence against us in our measly little small claims case. But, many of you have heard our saga, so I don't need to re-hash it except to say that he wasn't there, so we have to re-summons. Stink.

BUT, the real reason for this post is to say that small claims court rocks! I loved it. I think I'm made to be a small claims court judge. Minus the fact that I'd have to go to law school. When Jack was born I watched The People's Court everday while he nursed. (Okay, I watched The People's Court before Jack was born as well...) And, if you haven't checked it out, you should. I love Judge Marilyn Mulian. She can bring it, but she brings it with a smile, unlike Judge Judy.

We only got to see one full case, the others before us were dismissals or cases like ours where only one person was in the court. But, it was exciting. The judge was snippy, the plantiffs were inflamed & there was almost a little scuffle at the end. I'm actually glad that we'll have to go back again.

My normal child

Jack had his two year check-up on Monday. Good news. He's normal!

Before I had Jack, if you would have asked me to tell you my hopes & dreams for my future children, I would have said I want them to be exceptional. I want them to be free-spirits & free-thinkers. I want them to have the courage to stand up for what is right & just, to protect those who are easily victimized, to love those who are unlovable, to be anything but average, normal.

But, as I felt Jack growing inside of me, and was quite certain that what was in my belly was more likely to be an alien than a child, I just prayed that he would be normal. Please don't let him be deformed. Please don't let him have a neurological disorder. Please just let him be normal.

I still have those same hopes for Jack in his future. But, most days I just want to be reassured that yes, my child is normal. I just want to know that the things we experience together that are so foreign to me are, indeed, the normal things you encounter when living with a toddler.

John & I find Jack to be exceptional for a 2 year old. We are constantly telling each other about things he did or said, ways he's made us laugh during the day. We remark about the funny way he says hello ("Hoooe!"), and the sweet way he says thank you (oh my, he's so polite). His funny little breakdance moves impress us & we both love the way he cheers John on at softball games ("Allright Da!"). And, we're quite certain that Jack's grandparents would elevate him to genius level.

And, while he is exceptional to us, him mom & dad, it's surprising to be given a list by the doctor of characteristics of a 2 year old and find out, well, he's just normal...
-walks up & down stairs...check
-jumps from a step....check
-often negative & prone to temper tantrums...check, check
-shy with strangers....check
-mimics & imitates....check
and on & on. Check, check, check...

It's of course reassuring to know that he's hitting all of his milestones & he's where he's expected to be developmentally. But, as a person who often doubts herself & wonders how important her life is, it's even more reassuring to realize that Jack isn't an exceptional person because of what he does, because of how much he has accomplished, because, let's face it, he hasn't accomplished anything by worldly standards & everything he does is pretty typical of your average 2 year old. And, he's not unexceptional because he's normal or average.

He's exceptional because he's loved & created by God. Because he's loved by his parents. Because he is a unique creation, no matter how "normal". I've often said that Jack could grow up to be a garbage man & I wouldn't be any less proud of him (this is not to speak lowly of garbage men...I think you all get that!). I need to remember those things for myself too, especially when I'm sure my brain is leaking out of my ears as I sleep at night due to lack of use & I wonder what I've really accomplished in my 30 years. What really matters is the relationships we have, the way we love those around us, the way we love our Creator. The rest is just the normal stuff of life...

Happy Anniversary to Us!

We turned 8 years old today.

Paci Days

I know everyone has been waiting with baited breath to find out what has been going on with Jack's precious. AKA: the pacifier. Read on if you'd like the update...

If you've read my blog at all, you know Jack's loves his pacis more than anything in the world, and that I hate them with every fiber in my body. The past few weeks he's been completely fixated on them. I know he is cutting the last of his molars (and we are very ready to be done with teething!), but whenever we were home he would scream for them & when he was sad or bored or fell he would cry for the "bink" as well. We knew it was time to take action. (That and the fact that he has his 2 year check-up coming up in a week & the doctor told us to ditch the paci at 18 months.)

So, on Monday, John clipped off the tops of his pacifiers. For those of you who are childless, clipping the top of the paci makes it harder to suck on & way less fun. When John gave it to him at bedtime he sucked on it, pulled it out and said "uh-oh". Then he tried another one & said the same thing. He finally went to sleep at 9:30 that night after an hour & a half in his crib. He wasn't screaming, just chatting & jumping & laughing with the occasional cry thrown in.

The next day he didn't ask for his bink at all!

But, at nap time he hit me, cried, threw his pacis at me, threw his kitty at me, pulled my hair & cried some more until I finally got him calmed down & just rocked him to sleep. Then he only slept for an hour.

Last night he fell asleep at 9pm which is an improvement & today for his nap he went down without a peep.

And still, he hasn't begged for the bink at all today.

Next week John is going to clip them even more so that he won't have much of anything to suck on, but can still hold them in his hands.

Hopefully we'll be rid of them completely in the next few weeks.

That's all for Paci Days.

It's Here

I'm 30. Woo-hoo!

I guess it's not so bad.

Birthday Fun!

Jack turned 2 yesterday. We all had a great day. Here are some photos for you to enjoy.


A yummy breakfast. His obvious joy is not from the doughnuts, but from the candles. We re-lit them about 5 times so he could keep blowing them out.




Birthday bubble mayhem.




He didn't touch the cake, but had 3 servings of ice cream.




He wasn't interested in opening his gifts, but loved the rocking chair my mom made for him.

Happy Birthday to you.

Welcome to this dusty land
where you will cry lots, but we'll all understand.
Things may not turn out sometimes like you planned,
that's alright our little man.

Welcome outside of your mother's womb,
I know that it's frightening, but now there's more room.
Just think of all the great things you'll do,
just by you being you.

I don't care what the world says about all this struggling,
all I know is now you're here it's so lovely.
I don't care about all the things that have troubled me,
now that you're here I remember life can be so lovely, though it's troubling,
but you're lovely.

Welcome to us our little song,
you're one part your daddy, one part your mom.
We're going to help you grow up to be strong.
but for now little guy
sleep on.

~Lori Chaffer


Happy 2nd birthday to my favorite little boy.

Happy Birthday Kbo!!

Kevin & Jack 2 years ago today. Kevin's birthday, Jack's birth-day.
We love you Kevin.

The 30's are breathing down my neck...

Another 30 post. I a little over a week I'm sure there will be a 3rd 30's post.

I started feeling very down this weekend about my impending 30th birthday. That feeling kind of snuck up on me. I was feeling strange about the birthday, but not down until then.

I think I thought 30 looked a lot different than it does. It signals "adult" to me, but most days I sure don't feel very adult. I think I expected to feel more accomplished. I expected to have a career I was proud of (I'm sure mostly in case I run into someone I went to high school with! That's silly.), to have my Master's degree, and to be finished having kids. That's not the case for any of those things. None of those things really matter, I know. I have a husband & son that I adore and friends and family that love me, but I still feel down about 30.

Don't be surprised if you see me out clubbing this week. I've got to live up the rest of my 20's!

Breaking News!

Last night at dinner Jack willing ate his first green vegetable. He ate the top off of a piece of broccoli. It completely blew my mind. He will occasionly eat mushrooms if covered in cheese in a quesidilla, but he has refused every other vegetable that isn't completely pureed. We were so happy we gave him a big round of applause.

Mommy Ass

This summer, every time I put on my bathing suit, the mirrors in my house scream in horror. I'm not sure what it is about having a baby, but your whole body rearranges itself. Even if your back to your pre-pregnancy weight (and I'm not, but we won't talk about that...sore subject), things are just in different places than before the baby. And yet, it's summer, so I yank on my suit and try not to think about the view everyone gets of my behind as I chase Jack around the pool.

And chase him I do, because this kid loves the pool. The first time we went this season he was freezing, visably shaking, and still threw a tantrum when we pulled him out. And every time I dress him he walks over to the pool fully dressed & tries to hop back in.

I've wondered if I should just give up & get the swim suit with the skirt down to my knees. I'll skip the cute, sassy skirted suits (of which I've seen a surprising amount- they're not your grandma's suits anymore!) and really go all out.

I've also noticed a demographic lately that I will call the "Hot Moms". I would call all of my mom friends hot moms, but "Hot Moms" are different than your usual run of the mill hot moms. "Hot Moms" don't appear to have had any children. "Hot Moms" don't get mommy ass. I saw a "Hot Mom" at the pool today with a six pack. I kid you not. An honest to goodness six pack. My first thought was, "she seems nice, but I think I might hate her!" I think "Hot Moms" are probably genetic freaks, but they still manage to make every other mom in the pool feel a bit more insecure.

So, hug your wife today & tell her you love her mommy ass. If she's been to the pool today, she would probably like to hear it.

Funny Boy

Jack does a lot of really funny things every day. Here are two for your reading pleasure from today. Keep in mind, jokes are much funnier when in person...

I got Jack some new shirts today. It was time. Most of his from last summer have slowly become belly shirts. I handed him the shirts in the car and he smiled & yelled, "Wow! Wow!". Then tried to put one of them on while strapped in his carseat. Those of you who know Jack know that he loves to talk about his shirt (and your shirt!) almost as much as he loves to talk about his shoes.

I was putting him to bed tonight & we were rocking in his room. He asked me to sing to him & while I did he sat facing me trying to shove his pacifier in my mouth while giggling the entire time I was singing. I was trying to wind him DOWN, not up. I don't think it worked very well.

ACK!!!

I turn 30 in less than one month!!!

My awesome husband

Check it out. On newstands now. The new Paste magazine with the kickin' cover.

http://johnhendrix.blogspot.com/2007/05/paste-cover.html

Summer is here!

Jack loves the water. We filled this sandbox up with water, because we don't have any sand yet. He was in it for a long time. John put his slide in it so he could slide down right into the water.

Thanks Tirzah, for salvaging the turtle for us!

Dinner, Dinner and Dinner

Jack ate 3 dinners tonight. One at a friend's house. Then he ate what I made him when he got home. Then he wanted some of John's dinner, so I made him a bowl of that. Today he also had 3 mini smoothies, two bowls of cereal, 2 bowls of yogurt, some soup & bread, a PBJ sandwich, a fruit bar, half a granola bar, and lots of milk & water. I'm sure there were some crackers & sweets thrown in there as well that I'm missing. For the past 2 or 3 weeks he wouldn't eat anything. Literally, he would only drink. I guess he's making up for it.

If you can't find us, look in Jack's belly. He probably got hungry again and gobbled up his mom & dad. Piggy.

Bird is NOT the word...

MAMA is the word! I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet. The one word I've been waiting for is finally being said with great regularity. Jack is finally saying Mama. It started last month when John was taking him out of our bedroom & Jack turned to me, waved and said, "Bye-bye Maaaaa."

Now he says it all of the time with only the occasional "da" thrown in (at least Das that are directed towards me & not John). He pats me and says Mama. He waves to me when he's playing with John and says, "Hi Mama!". He repeats it over & over & over when he wants me to pay attention to him.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled. I honestly thought he would be speaking in complete sentences and I'd still be nameless.

Just because...

I haven't posted a photo in a while. That's because these are the only ones I get these days- Jack reaching for the camera. Check out his shoes. Baby crocs. He talks about them all the time & chases down other kids on the playground wearing crocs. It's pretty cute.

Creeping Crud

Jack has hand, foot & mouth disease. Or mad hoof disease as we affectionately call it. We think it sounds like something only stable animals get. Well, apparently babies & toddlers get it like crazy too. There's nothing you can do except quarantine your child & wait it out while the little bumps spread & spread. So, that's what we're doing. Mama needs to see some friends soon or I'm going to go crazy!

I do have some small comfort in knowing that it's not the chicken pox. I remember having that as a child & I think a toddler with the pox would be horrible!

Jack drops a bomb...

Last night, I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth & running Jack's bath when he comes into the bathroom. He was completely naked except for his Cardinals cap. My first thought was, "hmmm...this seems kind of dangerous...", but I dismissed it as Jack said bye-bye and closed the bathroom door. A few minutes passed and I opened the door to leave and what was waiting for me? A little present from my boy on the floor.

Now that I think about it, I'm wondering why I was the one to clean it up when John was the one who let him run around naked in the first place. I guess it was bound to happen at some point!

(You can thank me later for not posting a photo of the moment...)

Done and done

I did it. After wanting to do it since I was in the 7th grade, I did it. I got a nose ring. John got me a gift certificate to a piercing parlor for Christmas & it's just been sitting there, waiting. And people have been asking when I'm going to do it. So, I told my friend if she cut all of her hair off, I would get my nose ring. She did. And I did. I just needed a push.

I would post a photo, but my nose fell off.

Don't tell my mom.

Purse wars

Much to John's chagrin, Jack loves to carry a purse around. It's not just any purse. It's a small, black, patent leather purse that he swings over his shoulder, puts his hand on his head (so the purse doesn't fall off said shoulder) and runs around screaming. John took him to the park this evening and a fit ensued when he tried to take the purse away from Jack.

I don't see the big deal. Babies like to push & pull & carry things. John is going to try to find a more manly bag for him. Meanwhile I think he's going to bury the patent leather purse in the trash.

(What I forgot to mention is that this afternoon he had the purse & a little pink baby stroller that he was pushing around outside in front of our house...I tried to get a photo of this, but wasn't fast enough.)

Dinner Time!

Jack loves Playdough these days. He yells "DOUGH!!" and runs to get it from the cabinet.

Photo Attempt #2

My dad dropped this off on our porch the other day. Jack loves it. He gets in & out of it all day long. He shouts "BYE-BYE!" and runs & climbs in the car. The other day he got in with my keys, cell phone & a travel coffee mug. Smart kid...

Photo Attempt #1

Okay...let's see how fuzzy this one is. I love when Jack is wearing his pjs. He's so cuddly. You can see the fridge open in the background. He likes to dig around in it & pull out snacks.

Candid Confessions

I'm already giggling to myself about my play on words in the title of this entry. It's not clever at all, but it's cracking me up.

You might have noticed a lack of pictures in my recent blog entries. Jack & I were at a birthday party back in March. He was cranky & when I started taking photos of the birthday boy he perked up & wanted to see the camera. So, of course being the smart mom I am, I handed over our $400 camera. He proceeded to drop it on the floor. Oops.

The photos started to look strangely out of focus to me after that.

I finally confessed to John about a week ago. I thought if I just ignored it, the photos would improve. No such luck.

So, I will post so photos soon. But, they won't be very crisp or clear unless a camera miracle happens!

Moms let their kids do dumb things just to keep them happy.

Tears, tears, tear

Good grief- did anyone watch American Idol tonight? I only caught the 2nd half. I was crying in the first 2 minutes when they were with the AIDS victims in Africa. Then Josh Groban came on to sing the only song he knows (You Lift Me Up, obviously) with the African Kids Choir and I was bawling so hard I had to turn the cheese-muncher off. When I finally get back to watching it an hour or so later I see all of those kids with malaria & the tears started rolling again.

I still don't know who got voted off. I did enjoy the Simpsons mini-episode & think Kelly Clarkson looks good with her long dark hair.

If I could write something that didn't sound cliche about the sadness that was shown tonight, I would, but I can't...

Smart Boy

Jack said his first 3-word phrase on Friday.

"Bye-bye diaper poo-poo."

This, of course, was after I changed his poopy diaper.

The makings of a genius.

Crazy Dreams

I can tell when I'm really stressed about something when it infiltrates my dreams. I've been really stressed about Jack's eating. At 21 months I still can't get him to eat any fruit that isn't in baby food form & vegetables have to be hidden in soups & such. I think he is eating a smaller variety of food now than he was at a year old.

So, last night I had a dream that my friend Tirzah gave him a banana and he ate the whole thing. Whenever Trizah sees Jack she offers him fruit & vegetables, in my dream it finally worked.

In the shower this morning I suddenly thought, "oh wow! Jack ate a banana yesterday!!" Then I realized that it was just my dream last night.

Too bad...

Hello everybody, so glad to see you!

Above is the name of Jack's current favorite song. I made the mistake of playing the CD that they gave us in his music class in the car. I wanted to know what it sounded like. Jack is stuck on the first song. He asks me to play it over & over. I probably listened to it 50 times today or more. I wake up singing it. It drives me crazy. BUT, I have made up some fun little stories to go along with the people who say "hello".

First we have clueless Papa John and Suspiciously Chipper Mama Lynn. (the song tells you your name- when we sing it at his class the children's names are sung instead, of course!) Next is Intentionally Ambiguous Gender child with his/her clear as a bell voice & slight lisp. Then we have the sprightly Inappropriate Uncle Jerry (now you know why Mama Lynn is so annoyingly chipper...) followed by Grandma Yvette with the hacking smokers cough. John and I now can't help but laugh every time we have to play this song.

The good news is that anytime Jack hears a song he likes he asks for it to be played over & over & over & over. Thus, we've also listened to Holla' Back Girl about a million times, along with some choice Leigh Nash & Over the Rhine tunes.

He's just like his mama. When I hear a song I like I play it a zillion times until I can't bear to listen to it again.

Zoo fun

We spent the whole morning at the zoo. Jack spent a good deal of time stealing cheerios from Rob. We came home red-cheeked & tired. A good way to spend the morning!

Kevin- the polar bear is for you!

Thanks Dad!

We came home yesterday to find a bag full of balls & this basketball hoop waiting on our front porch. Jack was very excited.

This post has nothing to do with Jack

I just went to The Container Store. I had to wipe the drool off my mouth when I left. It opened at the beginning of March, but I've been avoiding it because I know a trip to that store can lead to some unexpected charges on the credit card. What is it about a store full of containers that makes me go crazy?? I'm not particularly organized, but I do love little bins & buckets. I was good & kept my hands in my pockets. It just about killed me.

I have many, many guilty pleasures. I love People magazine. And who needs a Snickers bar when you have semi-sweet chocolate chips in the house? My deepest, darkest, dirtiest guilty pleasure is my secret love of chick-lit. I avoid these books at all costs (okay..most costs) because I believe they make me dumber. I don't need any help in that department these days. I think they rot your brain more than any trashy romance novel does. But, God help me, Sophie Kinsella just came out with a new Shopaholic novel & I want to get my hands on it. Seriously, a book with Shopaholic in the title? What's wrong with me? I'm also a sucker for a Maeve Binchy novel. And, this one might actually be worse than the chick-lit one, when we were in New York John and I used to sneak over to the Olive Garden. This only happened 3 or 4 times over the course of 4 years, but we really did sneak. It was right by his school & we would make sure no one we knew was around before we popped in. We always fooled ourselves into thinking the food would be good. But, I've never liked eating at the Olive Garden. I don't know why I thought I would like it then. It was just more expensive in New York, it didn't actually taste better.

All of this to say, I have a new one. A new guilty pleasure. America's Next Top Model. I used to hear people talk about this show & think they were crazy to want to watch it. I thought that about Project Runway too, until I watched it and fell in love. Project Runway filled the void that was left when Survivor jumped the shark & now ANTM is filling the void until Project Runway returns. Who knew reality television could be so good? I won't over-analyze my love for this silly show, but I think it's partially because I love any before/after makeover show. I usually don't take our Tivo suggestions, but I'm glad I checked this one out.

So, now I've exposed myself on my blog. Fitting since I exposed my son on the last post.

Because it's more fun to shop when you're naked...

A Little Poll...

Are any other kids having trouble with the time change? I thought we were in the clear. On Sunday night Jack asked to go to bed at 7:30, his normal bedtime. But, since then it's been 8:30 or later that he's going to sleep.

On Monday we went out to eat with some friends & when we got home at 7:30, Jack was finally hungry for dinner. He ate a whole sandwich & some yogurt & was still babbling and yelling in his crib at 8:45. Tonight he didn't eat until after 7 & I don't think he went to sleep until around 8:30 or so. When I put him to bed I thought for sure he was going to be up a while since he had been running around the house like a madman.

Don't get me wrong, I love getting up later, but it still seems awfully late for him to be going to bed!

On another note, Jack has been the greatest little boy ever this week. Hysterically funny. He's been giving us a running commentary on everything, all day long in his cute babble-speak. I have no clue what he's saying, but he's saying something! And he has been trying to make us laugh. We both really felt like he had been grouchy the whole winter. It's like we have a different kid. We've been able to be outside a lot- I'm sure that helps. And John has been with us all week since it's Spring Break. Jack loves it when the 3 of us are all together.

Photo Extravaganza

Jack & I are finally both feeling well. It only took 2 1/2 weeks, 1 trip to the doctor, and 2 prescriptions, but we're over the sick hump! Here are some photos of our days.

This photo makes me laugh. Not because it's funny in and of itself. Because it makes me think of my friend Kevin. Once, when we all lived together, and Laura was out of town, the boys stocked up on bachelor food (think fake crab meat, chips & anything with garlic). We were watching a dumb, dumb movie (Shawn of the Dead- I was disappointed that I was unable to sleep during this one) and Kevin came into the room with a huge plate of Oreos. HUGE. John & I just stared at him and his cookies until we all laughed. Jack was born on Kevin's birthday & I like to think he takes after him in small ways. Like the way he found the Oreos & started stealing them from the cabinet. And I think he might be almost as funny as Kevin. I'm waiting for him to develop a fondness for crab meat any day now!





Jack loves the bath tub crayons. My dad taught him to draw on himself so he actually comes out of the bath dirtier than when he went in.





It is finally warm in St. Louis. We've spent a lot of time outside the past few days. This is John & Jack at the best playground ever.





On Saturday morning Jack crawled up onto the couch & fell asleep. He's never done anything like that before. He's fooling us with those dumb pacifiers. Now I believe that taking them away won't be so hard if he willing falls asleep of his own accord, on the couch, in the middle of a bright room.

House Work

Here are 2 photos of some of our cosmetic house improvements.

This is our new couch. We love you new couch!




This is the color we're painting the living room. So far just the one wall is painted. But, we're planning on doing the rest this week. It only took 4 cans of paint to find this color.

Our Adventures

Okay, so there aren't really any "adventures" to speak of. Just a few cute stories.

Yesterday Jack & I walked to the Loop to go to the library & the post office. As I was about a block from home, I noticed one of his shoes was missing. Gone. Vanished. Not in his stroller. So, I turned around & headed back towards the Loop. In hindsight I should have gone home & gotten in the car as Jack had already been in the stroller for 45 minutes & was getting mad. But, I walked, thinking it was close. And I walked. And walked. Still walking. Right across the street from the PO was his little blue shoe. Lying on the sidewalk. I put it on him & turned back around to head towards home, again. By this time he'd been in the stroller at least an hour and the screaming started. He screamed the rest of the way home. I even gave him a chocolate cookie. It didn't work. I imagine we were quite the sight. A sweaty mama & screaming baby holding a cookie.

Jack & I have both been sick for a while. So, it's been tv-land & paci-land at our house. Yesterday I felt so bad & was so tired that I just sat down & cried. Jack was very sweet. He walked over, patted me, and handed me his paci. I guess he thought a suck or two would make me feel better too.

And, story number 3 isn't really a story, just a sweet moment. Jack usually sits in my lap while I dry my hair. He likes to watch us in the mirror together. But, today he was just piddling around our bedroom behind me while I was using the hair dryer. Then he stopped, leaned over my back, and gave me a big hug. He probably did that 10 or 11 times while I was getting ready. Then he would smile & chat with me. I loved it.

Tall Man???

The other day we were at Jack's playgroup. (Which, if I haven't already whined to you about this in person, has been canceled for the rest of the school year. I don't know what we're going to do. It was our morning outing at least one or two days a week. Our Parents as Teachers is severely understaffed, so they had to stop the group. I'm so sad. Jack loved it- he would just run & play & jabber with the other kids.) Anyway, at the end of the group they sing songs. Jack loves this. He bounces along with the singing, claps at the end of each song & then signs "more" so that we'll sing more songs.

The leader started singing "Where is Thumbkin". I didn't really remember this song. I certainly didn't expect her to go through all the fingers. I couldn't contain myself when she got to the middle finger & started singing "where is Tall Man?" while giving everyone the finger. I looked around thinking, surely I'm not the only one who thinks this is funny, right? But everyone was just singing along, giving each other the middle finger and helping their toddler do it too. I guess I need to brush up on my kid songs!

Decorating fun

We did a little more decorating in Jack's room the other day. You can see our handiwork on display- the new shelves, blocks & bird counting cards. Yes, he is sitting unattended on the dresser. That's what all safety conscious parents do!

John has been away for four days. He comes back home tonight. Jack & I have both missed him, but have had lots of laughs together. And lots of cuddling. And very few tantrums! Hooray! But, we're both tired & ready for him to come home.

Jack & Grandma

Jack loves his Grandmas more than any other people on earth. My parents babysat on Thursday & when we came home we were treated to a few surprise shots on our camera. This is Jack & Grandma sharing a sweet laugh. Enjoy.

An Open Letter to Winter

Dear Winter,

Oh Winter, where did we go wrong? I remember eagerly awaiting your arrival. You meant warm, fuzzy sweaters, hats, cookies & cocoa, soup by the fire, and, of course, Christmas.

But Winter, you have overstayed your welcome. We are tired & bored with you Winter. We long to see our old friend Sunshine. We miss the park, the grass, the birds. We're tired of wet shoes, slushy sidewalks & runny noses.

Winter! Our skin is dry, our hair is full of static, our toes & fingers are so cold. We are tired of being your frozen prisoners. We have cabin fever and need to be free to run & play & sing again!

Don't make us beg Winter, please just leave quietly and invite your cousin Spring to come and stay awhile.

The Hendrix Family

Sweet cheeks

New Toys

U.City has a great toy library. I checked out this water table there. Jack loved it. He even likes to stack in the water. He pulled the step stool out of the bathroom himself so he could stand on it.





Jack also had his first encounter with Playdough. One thing we learned- Playdough & water tables don't mix!

Tickle your eardrums....

Jack is not only enjoying my keys in this photo, but also Dan Zanes. He's every parent's answer to the Wiggles & Doodlebops. When I put him on Jack ran around on the couch jumping & screaming. He has 4 short little videos that show on the Disney channel that Jack dances to over & over.

Other music I've enjoyed this year include the Ditty Bops (not kid's music & not the Doodlebops- they are quirky & fun). My favorite new band of this past year is called The Weepies. Possibly the most terrible band name ever, but the music is delightful. Check them out.

Fun times

This kids loves to stack.

For your viewing pleasure

Fun with paints- just like daddy...




I miss his arms when they go into hiding for the winter.




This is the newest style with toddlers.




Jack & John love to hang out together on our bed.