Play-doh!!

I figured you were about the right age to start playing with Play-doh...if you were the kind of kid to stick everything in your mouth we might have postponed but you are really good about only sticking food in your mouth. You love to joke about sticking non-food things in your mouth...mama doesn't always think it's as funny as you do (look Ma I'm going to eat this bug...haha...just kidding I know it's not food!)!! Well here you are playing with Play doh for the first time!

before we played with Play-Doh we had to play Scrabble Flash, Mama and Daddy love this game, so you do too! Someday it will be good for your spelling skills! 

Silly boy

Stacking 

Pulling

Squishing

Tasting...you licked your hand and decided Play-Doh was definitely not for eating!!

More Play Doh stacking

You really had a great time...I just realized your tongue is out in most of these pictures, your tongue is out most of the time recently. Funny funny boy. I'm excited to incorporate into our learning play time! We do some flash cards and some matching things through out the day in short bursts to keep things easy. Soon we will do finger paints and coloring...I love teaching you new things and I love watching you learn!! You bring me so much joy Jake, even on the hard days, you are a gift!! 

Love, Mama/excited to play with Play-Doh again!

Messy Messy Boy

You love berries, of any kind. Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. You love them. So much so, that we can't put them on the table during dinner or you won't want anything else to eat! Tonight I gave you the bowl of berries after you ate enough dinner. Normally I'll either feed you the berries or give you just a few on your tray but I have given in to your messiness and let you feed yourself tonight! Here is what you looked like after you ate your berries:

Messy! We went straight to the tub so you wouldn't stain purple and blue!



Here you are after your bath...all clean!



I love that you are experimenting with new things and learning to feed yourself. I am learning to be ok with the mess, mess making means you are learning!

Love, Mama/ most likely cleaning up after you

The Inevitable

Well, it has finally happened. You said no to me. It wasn't some huge thing it just happened. I asked you "can you give mama the car keys?" and you said, "mo". 'Mo' is how you say, No. It's too funny. Ted (our dog) will walk over to you and start licking your face and you will push him away and say, "mo, mo dog". I love it. I think I'm going to have to stop asking questions I don't want your answer to. You wanted to keep my keys and gave me your answer, no. It wasn't like you were trying to be defiant and totally rude, after all I was the one who asked you. You were just giving me your answer to my question. This whole Toddler thing is pretty crazy Jake. You are a lovely boy but you love to test your limits and I know that right now I need to draw a hard line, if not you will be a crazy two year old! Everyday brings new challenges and it's exhausting keeping up with you and constantly trying to redirect and correct you. Don't get me wrong, I love being your mama and I love the stage you are at, but I find my self more tired than I was when you were just days old! I know it might get more crazy before you settle down but that's ok with me. This is what I signed up for, a messy, crazy life with a wonderful boy!!

We are thinking about adding another kid to the mix, what do you think of that? I might be crazy to think of adding one now, but oh well. I want you guys to be close. Who knows how many we will end up having, sadly money plays a big part in our decision. We want you and your sibling(s) to have a fun life. Not spoiled but we want to be able to afford vacations and lessons and sports. But, we still want Mama to stay home with you. So, something has to give we can't have it all. We'll see what happens. And if you are the only child we end up having, that's ok too.  Life is great with you! I love our little family of three!

Love, Mama/ wondering what I got myself into!?

P.S. After I posted this a friend asked me how I responded. Well, we were walking to the car and you said "mo". Being slightly in shock and not wanting to make a big deal out of anything I said, "Jake, we don't say no to mama. I'm sorry I asked you a question I should have said, "Hand Mama the keys please." Then you started handing me the keys, we ended up trading keys for a Hot Wheel's truck. I figured if I made it a huge deal you would do it again for attention so, I kept calm and addressed what needed to be. It will probably happen again but, we will deal with it one step at a time!!

Monster Bus!!

And the weekend fun continued. After the zoo we met Grandma and Grandpa for Sushi (let me just take a second to say, I love that you love interesting food!) we drove past Lowe's and they had a Monster Bus in the parking lot. Well, of course we had to stop and see it. The bus is used as a fundraiser for The Oakland Children's Hospital and to help find a cure for childhood diabetes...so we paid to ride it and get you a souvenir bus, anything for a good cause. 

As soon as we got out of the car you were so excited about this thing! You love cars and trucks, really anything that moves. But, this was super cool!! You just kept pointing and saying "mo-mo" for monster. Too cute! 

You weren't too sure about sitting on the tire but...

As soon as you got the toy bus in your hands everything was good!

Like I said you really like cars and trucks!! You point them out was we drive..."Car" or "Truck!" you yell and point, then smile because you are so proud that you know the names of things and can tell us what you see!

Sitting in a rim...

You are little, but a rim you can fit inside of is a big rim. 

Just so you can get some perspective, I am 5'10" so this tire is about 5' 7"...WOW!!

We have seen our fair share of monster trucks in action but this was a first for mama and daddy too!!

Ready to ride...don't worry we were bucked up before we moved!!

still pretty excited about your toy bus

Showing daddy your cool toy!!

You had a great time. I just can't get enough of experiencing life with you! It's such a gift to see the world through your eyes. Everything is new, everything is exciting. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm for life with us. Sometimes I think you have to do something big to have a great day but simple things are sometimes just as great! 

Love, Mama /loves life with you!!

Zoo Day!!

We had a whole Saturday free this weekend...so we went to the zoo. Growing up we went to the zoo a lot, we had memberships but, we always went to the San Francisco Zoo, this time we tried the Oakland zoo. We had a great time!! You are getting to the age where you enjoy things like this, until it's way past nap time and you sit in your stroller like a zombie...you refuse to sleep with all that action going on but you don't have enough energy to fully be yourself. 

Fair warning: I didn't take many pictures of the animals, we have plenty of those, I made sure to get your reactions to the animals. So, there are lots of pictures of you in this post!! 

I loved watching your daddy show you the animals and share interesting facts with you

Daddy pointing out a monkey to you!!

You saw the monkey and turned around to tell me how awesome it was!! Ahhh you are so cute!!

Watching the monkey...that thing swings from trees...I think you were trying to figure out how you could swing like him!

Daddy showing you the sun bears, they like berry's just like you!!

Look a bear!

Oh, you saw the bear on top of his house!

Silly boy, playing with your belly button "buh-buh"

I love watching you with your dad. You love and admire him so much. It warms my heart to see my two favorite people together and having a great time!! Not that I would think you wouldn't be having a great time...it's just...I bonded with you the instant I knew you were in my tummy and it takes daddy a little time to get to know you. I'm so glad that the two of you have formed a tight bond and you enjoy being together so much. My two loves, loving each other brings me such joy!!

Every time you saw a bear you would say, "roar, roar, roar!"

I love the look of wonder and awe in you eyes. This was one of the coolest experience of my life, watching you see new things and learn...it's truly amazing!!

I'm not sure what you saw in this picture...maybe giraffes...whatever it was you sure thought it was cool!!

You were really good about getting out of your stroller to look at animals and then getting back in to move to the next exhibit, your good attitude made the day so easy!

This is the first time I saw a giraffe drink, in real life that is. You thought it was pretty funny!

"look elephants!!"

You were making an elephant noise and waving your arms like trunks...you make me one proud mama that you know animal sounds...you are so stinkin smart!!

Telling us what animals you want to see...the elephants and monkeys were some of your favorites!!

Mama, I want your camera..."caa-ma"

looking

and more looking

Ohh

Giant lizard!!

My loves!!

Hey look, it's you and mama!!

Wow we look alike

we were looking at pigs and oinking!!

You are really cute...I am amazed at how much you know, seriously, you are so smart!

Helping daddy, that stroller gets heavy ; )

Really big alligator

You thought it was pretty cool

Petting a goat...you weren't quite sure about it...I told you it was just like a funny dog, but you knew better!! 

We had a great day! You are such a joy to do things with Jake. We are so blessed to have an awesome boy! We are looking forward to many more zoo trips with you!!

Love, Mama/ takes you to the pet store for a mini zoo trip once a week!!