tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62165385825766732482024-03-13T19:22:10.840-04:00Advanced PsychologyAn adventure in which two psychologists try their darndest not to mess up at parentingLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-415115309427024022009-05-08T15:17:00.002-04:002009-05-08T15:26:07.138-04:00No Sir!I grew up in California, and the whole concept of kids saying "sir" and "ma'am" to adults is just downright creepy to me. Since kids are expected to say "sir" and "ma'am" to adults where we live, I figured that my kid would just be the rude-one-with-the-weird-parents-who-don't-teach him-any-manners. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Two weeks ago, while Matt was out of town, Jackson started saying, "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" to me in response to every question. I gently said, "Honey, I'm your mommy. You don't have to say ma'am to me." But it didn't work. He brashly continued to fling "ma'am" in my face at every opportunity. Impudent kid. Then Matt came home from his trip, and (I'll bet you could see this coming) now Jackson is calling him ma'am too. Do we ignore the whole situation and hope it goes away? Do we do start teaching him to call Matt sir? Do we pack up and move somewhere a little less civilized? We'll keep you posted.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-14924694942481073492009-03-14T13:44:00.003-04:002009-03-14T13:57:59.293-04:00Sonoma Train Town<div><div><div><div>On a recent trip to see my family, we made a little side trip to see the <a href="http://www.traintown.com/">Sonoma Train Town</a>. This is pretty much a 3 year old boy's greatest fantasy - a park with a scale model railroad that really runs over bridges, through tunnels, past streams, and by tiny scale towns. The railroad ride itself is about 20 minutes, including a 10 minute stop at a petting zoo with llamas, sheep, and goats. They also have a few toddler-friendly rides like a carousel and flying airplanes. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313101830444410866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbcTG7y11yM_xFijUnnnPv5f8U666wfFNROZPb_vIZqEi85wtF5k2RdNZsszYvCRuxHguTIqVeuvLtm-VYQUgirEViX5VvhISE911Y6LKHgystqGABDQ025XNaLkx6Z_JZ-YGnyfm8bGR/s320/P1010239-1.JPG" border="0" />Jackson and Mimi getting ready to get on the train ride...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313101835709917874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUivS8Q4YZjsw7fSQhjsXEdUah5g1DD2JNtQvF2FxQ_ajuu8J6kvuu3l0X3iLD6VELPN_fM_cuTDPVF56hNpNtWB12KiLN-4VFO9rEw-KUbnNLlEIm5F4ryuRGNwrdlkFindUDAALdjYuV/s320/P1010245.JPG" border="0" />Jackson and Mimi on a carousel together. This was his first ride without someone holding onto him. No, I didn't pre-approve this idea. Yes, I was very nervous.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313101842457453666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXfFhUEquXYXAT4pPlFmRDcM6ATxSfe1XRNMirapuKA2SFclSecdGls5pbQouvQRcgC8JeepMG3jjdtZRW0vqjtry3n3I7EkxWZFZlOgF64DG91XnwBUVUaWtXT0G-EisYKeS6qiXLLYY/s320/P1010252.JPG" border="0" />Ok, so when I heard that parents couldn't go on the airplane ride with their kids, I thought, "fat chance my kid is going to do this!" I started to get pretty anxious when my mom put him into his seat because it would have taken me at least 30 seconds to leap the rails to go get him, and I wasn't sure if they would stop the ride if it was already going when he started crying. The real emotion set in, however, when I realized that he wasn't scared! In fact, he was having a great time and didn't need me at all! Ouch! This rather un-sentimental mommy definitely had tears in her eyes. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313101844435638962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_DgNT7MzmPVEedhMyylWzuGbSC-YhbnzVsBciCq0nzwHQG5D8PrrWQFVUSbc-oII5237_WN0f2abr7or4amlZ1GiVpLImKadfg5yfjPHGHLEjsQu9eoN_uvRUHzUyi_jSlIFWStgN0Y0/s320/P1010259.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313101854325893762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NkJ6NbVuI9CSNyPl329uOKIluuDNcPIQ05ixa3yiYRwkoEw2EAcDaEIdgCl0VZnkbdPveUoEQ80qAzosn6S0tIGG0Yx4eS8kCViuCcVFQraKgHHKZgW6HX6GG840-ulkJvPRCM5rV8Bx/s320/P1010260.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-88788263233158260552009-03-14T13:30:00.005-04:002009-03-14T13:41:20.013-04:00So You Think You Can't Take Your Kid To a Winery?Do you think that taking a child to a winery might be akin to child abuse? Au contraire, mon frère! My parents live in the Dry Creek area of Sonoma, so Jackson has been visiting wineries since he was about 6 weeks old. Most wineries have beautiful grounds for your kids to explore, and many have awesome picnic areas to enjoy. Some even have novelty experiences like castles. The best part is that while your kid enjoys a beautiful California day outdoors, you can load up on some fancy-dancy wine for cheap (even if there is a tasting fee, most wineries waive it if you buy something). Here are some photos from our recent trip to Ferrari-Carano:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313098909885380786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwUsAzCoPVecVnkdnST2BmJoBxv-STXr5KfuJ9tZ40oIrC20uq5BsJGU8vxvtqldaaksV6ClHkJjo8LolcSulJ3e6timy8A7tXNPLWzyu3J_YFYzHSKD9QopJ2i1SAAEqWarGe6zIGbBO/s320/P1010210.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313098881928808290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH4ED1YgjQJkm37ezSN9Yi69l0ribogJc1n0YdASmznbWKze7BTUcpzJZIZgWEbV8vq6x4U0bUiE0N6kjnAOTrHZTmuoKP6u9Y5yPuC2uy9WfO_8QEZESubUSfDwawKp7TXrXueCVXZnj/s320/P1010174.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313098903473382978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh200AiPks0QliwHvHWQKoawYn_Es_t5abYbmkc41I_CjvWhe8nbqUDGbK-X5kHULzxmgYHPr-ObSksk-b5Tl0zTiD6MdiHZ3przaXKctRTCdCTtnFo8E_tn_xgZkqZxv8feKJ4xcn_O-6E/s320/P1010219.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313098895984568002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORJbx6VgjgfXKDiCdNx_nGQ6_d92zgCt0r7PvKFDnWL7QnzMlOWjw7qaMWOSHoBwNnWTKnowItV6ZQC0ZxWDWNXDBMML5zl5xKPwhahQpLZJR5ogiwP7SnepFSIIjSn1DFY2Ti_iMdXsm/s320/P1010187.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313099658027647714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge59iUP8pjj6UGpyjGxqqGQOxk7pasujS0qC5CxZ63fj8VgjGFSli6I4pqLvC_ru1Z7UY24602jIa74isMXp8rmahlVUFtWpJBI13dvAdAi5HjYuaJJ7E_h33PUeSvwlOW3eTge-_MsJUA/s320/P1010208.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313098897805976386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-qrUvBuW1QsEIjRYWuT_Qk1p1LolcdCFoCp3nPvlTyL6CVtHYmcMJYBt3ppAZvZ6d54euo-lWlbrKLHQfdvGgk2HzSrC7b2Jzptxcguky1CteupAYcGWes_IxMFP7r8o43cOHt_HRslp/s320/P1010205.JPG" border="0" />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-19270876574657912082009-03-14T13:19:00.004-04:002009-03-14T13:27:57.156-04:00National Academy of Sciences (San Francisco)On a recent trip to San Francisco we had the opportunity to visit the newly remodeled National Academy of Sciences. It is so beautiful, and so incredibly toddler friendly (except for the food court, where nary a chicken nugget could be found...).<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>The entire roof is covered in green plants to control heating and air costs. I totally want one. Plus, jumping in the roof puddles may have been the highlight of the entire day for Jackson.</strong> </div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl8K2eY0Gg48FPuT4uwDlYnwhgu4vcEBADpkLomeYeuWAHnnuNCbrO942aYyuEBda4y3PNnu-wwoYx7WC_3oBrzZJiDbOFf7Voz6j_zauHSA0jIzcEoyS0A86SBUD9GWhKmgYuHTXzIZ9/s1600-h/P1010167.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313094777805419586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl8K2eY0Gg48FPuT4uwDlYnwhgu4vcEBADpkLomeYeuWAHnnuNCbrO942aYyuEBda4y3PNnu-wwoYx7WC_3oBrzZJiDbOFf7Voz6j_zauHSA0jIzcEoyS0A86SBUD9GWhKmgYuHTXzIZ9/s320/P1010167.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong> They have this really cute Children's Museum-esque play area </strong></div><div align="center"><strong>just for kids under 5</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7r_dYwBpCEKLvl_qKrJNUYjYzvj5Q2jKUeIeJF1GvmDKk7xqKNK0TD10xXkx4JM6agNv3G38IeLBgLJU6RiYku58kLysH69ABJ3VbFiH2ZljOE8NnQofz3EFHG0KJeXIg7F0u4Y1GAVy/s1600-h/P1010159.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313094772625235682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7r_dYwBpCEKLvl_qKrJNUYjYzvj5Q2jKUeIeJF1GvmDKk7xqKNK0TD10xXkx4JM6agNv3G38IeLBgLJU6RiYku58kLysH69ABJ3VbFiH2ZljOE8NnQofz3EFHG0KJeXIg7F0u4Y1GAVy/s320/P1010159.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Jackson really could have spent all day in front of this giant tank looking for the one Nemo-fish swimming around in it</strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscRTi3C2m7dnoXCD3oW1LdZIyzovc2Z4-TLZuYaBt-mLH8pEy6lUOlJESnfmt8XNev3Yx-DrVQHoS9yL6KYGrmT2n6IroTf6deGNr1c84gh2lMgjcefkzk1f7kaATND_Pe_m0WixaBIXh/s1600-h/P1010154.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313094766586795474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscRTi3C2m7dnoXCD3oW1LdZIyzovc2Z4-TLZuYaBt-mLH8pEy6lUOlJESnfmt8XNev3Yx-DrVQHoS9yL6KYGrmT2n6IroTf6deGNr1c84gh2lMgjcefkzk1f7kaATND_Pe_m0WixaBIXh/s320/P1010154.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Everyone liked getting to touch the sea creatures in this </strong></div><div><strong>aquatic version of a petting zoo</strong><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCXTI0rU4PqQFgk1Bb8Hy4rxDaR2mV0uuEinMcofFB8g551TZsztGTSTCAuYlU0yb0EAqWCKp_AYFO2mB1R8Fh6_4v2SuvuyZ4CwF-j25RLFpVUlSQ_fQ5oHMh1kPMTEdHpfyIHyVvqfR/s1600-h/P1010151.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313094764680290850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCXTI0rU4PqQFgk1Bb8Hy4rxDaR2mV0uuEinMcofFB8g551TZsztGTSTCAuYlU0yb0EAqWCKp_AYFO2mB1R8Fh6_4v2SuvuyZ4CwF-j25RLFpVUlSQ_fQ5oHMh1kPMTEdHpfyIHyVvqfR/s320/P1010151.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>They also have traditional dioramas, which might be sort of boring to some of us (me), but toddlers apparently find fascinating...</strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlndZMkjiCdMIEIhvlguPH20VtxSalbjdTwKn9YS0IkLO2dlgayj55mgYciAFmheUf7ZBGIRfnG1aia3ko2s4cdfEB9YM178OCGFM8T9uUeGMogUmp_vz9erKirT3NgRgMKMg3BmrwY3_j/s1600-h/P1010141.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313094755686012306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlndZMkjiCdMIEIhvlguPH20VtxSalbjdTwKn9YS0IkLO2dlgayj55mgYciAFmheUf7ZBGIRfnG1aia3ko2s4cdfEB9YM178OCGFM8T9uUeGMogUmp_vz9erKirT3NgRgMKMg3BmrwY3_j/s320/P1010141.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div> </div></div></div></div><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-11065755960851500542009-03-14T13:06:00.003-04:002009-03-14T13:16:44.857-04:00Money, Money, Money<div><div>For Jackson's third birthday our very good friends sent him three dollar bills. I figured this would go over like a lead balloon with our three year old. I mean, what does money mean to a three year old? It's just great paper, right? Wrong, wrong wrong. Apparently our friends know more about kids then we do (they have three of their own) because Jackson was THRILLED with his "money." He carried it proudly around the house and kept saying, "This is MY money. This is Jackson's money!" The first weekend after the three dollars arrived, he even wanted to bring them with us when we went shopping. </div><div> </div><div> I decided that Jackson was definitely ready for his own piggy bank. I ordered this awesome, handpainted, personalized fire truck piggy off of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">etsy</span>.com</a> (the website where I now just have my paycheck deposited directly, because I am so obsessed with it):</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313092831307660274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZlflw1Lj8i5XY5lg4C3hnTFhsEhnTS2Wzz-CG4Z6bl-SODqBx-fuVisvvNu27yHkqFwfGL_Q1ZXagUcJy39Zg0yBFbUrlA0tHQmqe8sMza4r1MhVkehyphenhyphen4m98V45zz61x-GVRnwYdP2lX/s320/P1010136.JPG" border="0" /><br />Jackson loves to find "money" (mainly pennies) to put in his new bank. If this financial crisis continues, we may be coming to him for loans in the near future...<br /><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313092815756887186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCk08Z_YWi957U-RPyp1itEMx-rIX78WIVcjbMIdQuMgMip8a_WDjqxJzWT6Fbdi2JCH2wrHhchrV0W4MZWQd4Lp7lRN69LWY8d9t8OTG9Q38F8hehzfOdBrG485J8TmIszZnux7xlSl2y/s320/P1010130.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-29157559139371346082009-02-14T13:54:00.002-05:002009-02-14T14:06:15.697-05:00Jackson's Little Gym PartyYou may be inclined to ask WHICH party I am blogging about, because Jackson had no less than 3 parties this year - one with his Nana and Pap-pap on his actual birthday, one at school on his birthday, and one a week later at the Little Gym. The Little Gym party was by far the cutest. We invited all the kids in his preschool class, plus a few special friends, and about 13 or 14 kids ended up coming, which was a perfect number. During the first hour of the party, the kids got to alternate between free play on all the cool gym equipment, and organized activities with the two party leaders. I was so impressed with how much these little 2 and 3 year olds were able to do. After the kids were completely worn out, we adjourned to a little party room for cake and juice. Here are a few highlights:<br /><blockquote><p align="center">PLAYING WITH BALLS AND BUBBLES (ON TOP OF A DEFLATING JUMP APPARATUS)</p></blockquote><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLKuS-AQ5Nh1nQV9YN05mhx3hWwXSIeAcBxuTyJxp3JviKsMI3LOLEYbTNiBw9MqezruiLJhe3OvxwUp5LrOz2gBjhOjin1NOOdogJzRJh1xC1_M1XzHPHBof4IlCh0pRuoHIWH980fYf/s1600-h/P1010111.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302728584218445554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLKuS-AQ5Nh1nQV9YN05mhx3hWwXSIeAcBxuTyJxp3JviKsMI3LOLEYbTNiBw9MqezruiLJhe3OvxwUp5LrOz2gBjhOjin1NOOdogJzRJh1xC1_M1XzHPHBof4IlCh0pRuoHIWH980fYf/s320/P1010111.JPG" border="0" /></a> JACKSON GOT TO SIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARACHUTE WHICH THE REST OF THE KIDS SPUN HIM AROUND<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04Wmv31lVduOiro1OX_SfIgOoRIvuEbTFcR-wHIOAvpySW3SHkkrOz0WOhyx0R5hAxF02HfRT_BrLb7hql-qbhMbw6DDWdJA0ybHv-CJzzvVIYNPV2rLLd3iELxxI9wQSog61OD4f-h9j/s1600-h/P1010091.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302728580305090594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04Wmv31lVduOiro1OX_SfIgOoRIvuEbTFcR-wHIOAvpySW3SHkkrOz0WOhyx0R5hAxF02HfRT_BrLb7hql-qbhMbw6DDWdJA0ybHv-CJzzvVIYNPV2rLLd3iELxxI9wQSog61OD4f-h9j/s320/P1010091.JPG" border="0" /></a> KIDS DANCING WITH FOAM BARS<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZuQPyD8NypVbk4r_IVm-ozD4GGT8hzjp63u-OPiwoJGNLisSZ6r50TpTOUGMAJxHWg89qFnzjt-7JbD-ulFrmPofnNjXRUXlSyyK4xPa-LjQ7ihCkr-0DmEUcQaV0mzJQBLMFpFAa5ciQ/s1600-h/P1010068.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302728577031948658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZuQPyD8NypVbk4r_IVm-ozD4GGT8hzjp63u-OPiwoJGNLisSZ6r50TpTOUGMAJxHWg89qFnzjt-7JbD-ulFrmPofnNjXRUXlSyyK4xPa-LjQ7ihCkr-0DmEUcQaV0mzJQBLMFpFAa5ciQ/s320/P1010068.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />CIRCLE TIME<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYDc_2WL2pGcvoCTnN4EpC3h6K-1b-4QEgoJl6rH9zys8irsr8XoTHyuIiy_g5L59Qxs6lCWCJwuUffNNcYY8gDmAYTVwF0dYmBRvWliUjYntElc7vJdEM9EPpye0W24iskdv6Lnr1IJo/s1600-h/P1010047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302728573057175890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYDc_2WL2pGcvoCTnN4EpC3h6K-1b-4QEgoJl6rH9zys8irsr8XoTHyuIiy_g5L59Qxs6lCWCJwuUffNNcYY8gDmAYTVwF0dYmBRvWliUjYntElc7vJdEM9EPpye0W24iskdv6Lnr1IJo/s320/P1010047.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />FREE PLAY ON THE GYM EQUIPMENT<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3Pv3v5gQlZ_4GGMiEzosQ30JYT-Vuse4fJumNx-DgZ7f7S2hwjePhkk57ngGxA6SRZ-53EFJLN6EXe5tFms2kxkFQuhcV6pJTR_eAn6PDZsZZId28W3ZyqqGST-mQld8vkMCXHk_ZQ5p/s1600-h/P1010030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302728569010905778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3Pv3v5gQlZ_4GGMiEzosQ30JYT-Vuse4fJumNx-DgZ7f7S2hwjePhkk57ngGxA6SRZ-53EFJLN6EXe5tFms2kxkFQuhcV6pJTR_eAn6PDZsZZId28W3ZyqqGST-mQld8vkMCXHk_ZQ5p/s320/P1010030.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Jackson couldn't have been happier with his special day. He was all smiles for every second of it. The best part? When it was over, all I had to do was get in the car and drive home! No messy clean up for me! Yay!<br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-21087567745417261162009-02-08T12:21:00.006-05:002009-02-14T13:50:50.492-05:00The Fish SagaBecause Jackson has more toys than we can reasonably fit in our house, I wanted to find something else to get him for his birthday. Matt and I decided on a fish, because he loves the movie Finding Nemo, and he gets really excited whenever we see a fish tank. We bought this cute little Finding Nemo tank for about $35, which I thought was a pretty good deal, and put a blue (Jackson's favorite color) Betta fish into it.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302725795751327298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3WBRyJmGaT91k52jRX2CnOLvk-wTygTe6D0iRK3Qr231wtYFR_1_Hs2A4QSJp7bnx_fjQHTU8yZzA9YPxG4CjfuYhZQl4Lg5fiCBqz9i3y6og7Sw2sMzhcIO5yID9KWUpR59svtF-NRC/s320/P1010007-1.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div></div><div>Jackson was pretty jazzed about his fish, which he named "Blue". Unfortunately (but predictably I believe) the next morning, the fish was DEAD. We quickly scooped him out of the tank on the way out of the house, and picked up another blue Betta on the way home from work. We were convinced that Jackson would never know the difference...except that when we put the new fish into the tank, it was RED! I really don't know how this happened. The funny part is that Jackson didn't seem to notice that "Blue" was now red. Blue2 lasted approximately three days longer than Blue1. When I went to PetSmart to discuss the fact that we clearly are fish murderers, the girl (same one who helped me pick out the system, by the way - I'll save my rant about PetSmart for another day) informed me that Bettas don't like filtered tanks. Apparently they prefer to live in tiny dirty fish bowls? Whatever. So now we have two tiny guppies and a really cute frog, which we have managed not to kill yet, but it's only been a week. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302725804319132962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr95vOd_SiFL3OxgguxqHQNHHS5YCM7DUdW67964TL6JYrigimj1pzohZNXtw6SvL5Le9j2zc38xLixHNUlBBiOwKi8APhgrZuuXtkYtjdTIulRqKazRd970CuT6ww2VDWHwUs1dXAGZfD/s320/P1010129.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><br />I'll be headed to another pet store today (NOT Petsmart) to drop a week's salary on tank care accessories. I'd be bitter about this whole sage except I have to admit that I am a little in love with our tiny frog.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-57957324664379508892009-02-02T07:38:00.005-05:002009-02-02T07:55:52.564-05:00Jackson turns 3 today<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYszWu4UZIj2nspn1hmKsBIme1sLZwo0S7KI8VNB5NXE0jMhREuYat8CUG7G-HXEXiLPVD9bwUODQ65J_DIGyB-e-HieY6Fddvx59_ku9K4phrqS_SEIARhs5xqmX1hisz2f5olPBBGsb/s1600-h/P1010959.JPG"><span><span><span style="color:#000000;">Today is Jackson's third birthday. He's been talking about it for about 2 months, so I think he was in complete disbelief when we woke him up this morning and the day was actually here. He kept saying, "It's my birthday? Today my birthday?" like a lottery winner who can't quite believe their good fortune. Stay tuned for more birthday-related breaking news....</span> </span></span></a></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><blockquote></blockquote><strong>"My's? It's my's birthday?" (see how he's pointing at himself in disbelief?)</strong></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179242358402690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1YZJgxphu5sVQdEj_jvMYScO1DBEzuW681sk4KtaBJw_p87sPwKZorcy6tmB1YTL9TwabTeIuHsHD8atQFbYr3beV4PKEoS3SNHecUO43AWgq3gXUJe4NVHv2aDjZreOGMKCGV9vaep5/s320/P1010945.JPG" border="0" /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><p align="center"> </p></blockquote><p align="center"><strong>For once I didn't have to bribe him to get a smiling picture - this is the real deal.</strong></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179242611314290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGOr_zo4HYyXfiqSNQEbTChWQLyc3ajV9sFPJcjjPWpU6DSNE0sPI4PIIjluRRXCyX_vlMzAdVRZf3LLD7oDOBevNDdFw1YGDvC_dmXF1PsrCqhT4KXR_SBggm9Gq2UBpSwNFlDSr5x84/s320/P1010946.JPG" border="0" /> <blockquote></blockquote><p align="center"><strong>Mylar balloons - pretty much the highlight of any toddler's day.</strong><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGL5mBUyQD_dovmweiol_OhR3o9JHM5jMwx40eM5FJYdK4rJ3s7kgO5c_wxALRuadFPB8dO1DF8Jpt4w1H9TDUH2twLsRDRO_Zs9Lb6jKPjJB_wVUB-_Ppu7SOown9Ala6K0-EYSca1HRL/s1600-h/P1010952.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179552031410578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGL5mBUyQD_dovmweiol_OhR3o9JHM5jMwx40eM5FJYdK4rJ3s7kgO5c_wxALRuadFPB8dO1DF8Jpt4w1H9TDUH2twLsRDRO_Zs9Lb6jKPjJB_wVUB-_Ppu7SOown9Ala6K0-EYSca1HRL/s320/P1010952.JPG" border="0" /></a> <blockquote><p align="center"> </p></blockquote><strong>How cute is this monkey birthday shirt that I ordered off of etsy.com?</strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179250780471650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsox6oxlSMZOqnknEkzv-C0TA7rju9TuvFZadAuQdYE5KjPjuKu6CZqgLp3F62DJ3j1nHMsQ7IbDAibQZdJ6IA7wtt9iq5ZIEsOeY8j7s9R-8CoI1GcWR9RPktEvSeepZEeTIQFd8-vKp/s320/P1010950.JPG" border="0" /></div><blockquote></blockquote><div align="center"><strong>He's still asking if it's really his birthday....</strong><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179247978210898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSy-0vjUGxVm7BlxMoy3KmEqxIfFt47eksvc_ZEmkGqBk70NUclw3vGd3n6eXiK9HhIrQoFNLF6t2J6KY2tvkFJlucBEKFB6aBpTYDiEj1a7888oOtQLQpnaR8P2NMZ-A9cuqO3d1nCGI/s320/P1010949.JPG" border="0" /> <blockquote></blockquote><p align="center"><strong>Shot of the birthday shirt from the back - it has his name and big 3 on it.</strong><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWTx1vkBZmhQOzkwZJMCOZ2hiHgH-NtTaoHQKfvIQMsGM0FCzUfa_kwgQl9piRbArCh_4tF0FyoCPIhOC8qU9IAkXdjKgTJt_zP4tKu5TLdqJm1eqMQYM83T9YiG0J0qsfpUQR1TU8Whg/s1600-h/P1010951.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179257081670514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWTx1vkBZmhQOzkwZJMCOZ2hiHgH-NtTaoHQKfvIQMsGM0FCzUfa_kwgQl9piRbArCh_4tF0FyoCPIhOC8qU9IAkXdjKgTJt_zP4tKu5TLdqJm1eqMQYM83T9YiG0J0qsfpUQR1TU8Whg/s320/P1010951.JPG" border="0" /></a> <blockquote></blockquote><strong>Time to go to school. For once no fussing since two dozen cupcakes are coming with him. Jackson and I made yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting (coincidentally mommy's favorite...), rainbow dot sprinkles, and Mickey Mouse ring toppers for his class. </strong><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298179558547001106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYszWu4UZIj2nspn1hmKsBIme1sLZwo0S7KI8VNB5NXE0jMhREuYat8CUG7G-HXEXiLPVD9bwUODQ65J_DIGyB-e-HieY6Fddvx59_ku9K4phrqS_SEIARhs5xqmX1hisz2f5olPBBGsb/s320/P1010959.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div> </div></div></div></div><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-62583028522354384982009-02-01T08:21:00.000-05:002009-02-02T08:56:34.351-05:00I'm a CowboyFor MLK day, Jackson's entire school was supposed to dress up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. I hadn't planned to send him to school that day since I had the day off, but he was sick the entire week before, so Matt and I both needed some time to get work done. That morning after he was already dressed, I remember that he was supposed to dress up. I thought for a minute and then quickly threw a cowboy hat on his head and gave him a toy horse and told him, "When people ask what you are going to be when you grow up, say a COWBOY." He was none to thrilled with the idea, as you can see from the reluctant picture below (apparently cowboys also carry binoculars). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEadA8azPwrnDn4yVe4qMWEZKJ_C7N5HAeHYE73FRIA2ilW1uh4joCyswjNiJy_9e7cm_a1D8oxu3znU6ICFLgFL_wZRVgj7kTIMfRU1Z1L5c1fgKzqAdfgrB9SwuSYn_4EX6tfOxr8SJ1/s1600-h/P1010935.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298189780087306706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEadA8azPwrnDn4yVe4qMWEZKJ_C7N5HAeHYE73FRIA2ilW1uh4joCyswjNiJy_9e7cm_a1D8oxu3znU6ICFLgFL_wZRVgj7kTIMfRU1Z1L5c1fgKzqAdfgrB9SwuSYn_4EX6tfOxr8SJ1/s320/P1010935.JPG" border="0" /></a> So on the way to school, I said, "Jackson, if someone asks what you are going to be when you grow up, what are you going to say?" He thought for a minute, and the grinned and said, "A HAT!" I had hoped for a doctor, but instead I got...a hat.<br /><br /><div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-56145724184054457022009-02-01T08:06:00.000-05:002009-02-02T08:26:50.529-05:00Potty training....again...I've heard that regression in potty training is not uncommon, but this didn't really prepare me for the frustration/bewilderment of having a complete backslide (pardon the pun) in potty training after the holidays. Jackson started refusing to use the toilet even when he was doing the disco version of the pee-pee dance, and inevitably started having accidents. We decided to make him a new potty training chart where he earned one sticker for each "dry day." We promised him a reward of these two plastic horses he had seen at Target.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298185992819883698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nuBxsyVW3JzXabo8yKoBCvVROan6MvnycNfbFx6aatLe3aCxonxO5_WuGfqWTfsp5fZsGSfyGLWdyxLS4a453cubKt5o1ZEkwUWHn9qCv59ivytKsazDTh7vzAGZTzGY3kR-fhe84nyK/s320/P1010939.JPG" border="0" /> He didn't earn one sticker in the first 3 days - that's how bad our backslide was! We then tried compliance training - in other words, rewarding him with M&Ms for using the toilet when we told him too, and that worked so-so. He finally earned his first sticker this way, but then un-earned it by having an accident right before we put him to bed! I tried to remove the sticker from the sheet to make a point, but it was stuck on really well, so I ended up spending five minutes ragefully picking it off piece by piece while Jackson cried. Not exactly high-quality parenting.<br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298185991039266770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMJKNuilmks4TnTT5UoLkmfLMEFuyL1PucA2b1Af8-wSOC57WRducnVC99LsASeyonQJbcqGs6uCu5Tb0H9GpQvZnTzkrng3VqzXe8W_qjWWkEABxD1RHvPcx79pVEzhARTMqGt0CLD_L/s320/P1010941.JPG" border="0" />But the most effective intervention came when we started enforcing regular potty breaks after meals using the inspired little poem, "After we sit at the table and eat, it's time to sit on the potty seat." Jackson was a little skeptical about this at first, but after a couple of days, started enthusiastically using the toilet four times a day (three meals plus a snack) while reciting this poem. Combined with scheduled trips before nap and bedtime, this seemed to do the trick and he quickly earned all 10 stickers needed to get his horses, and we haven't had an accident in weeks! We were so excited that when he earned his stickers he got THREE horses (Mommy, Daddy, and Baby) instead of two.<br /><br /><div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-84439000089566462712009-02-01T07:55:00.000-05:002009-02-02T08:00:30.185-05:00My Little ElephantJackson has recently decided that he is a baby elephant. This game comes with the elaborate prop of a wet washcloth that he carries around in his mouth and pretends is his trunk. Needless to say, we have molding wet washcloths all over the house.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298183694509097730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPydMeRoMg8kE8MFAw-rReZPKL-tAd-hZCoRGD2EGe4abMAkdR_ViBGTwEWNHId1jGmDAC7BYvzDfMVLwLdyJbRZGh7zh21C0QnoQsn06JDUn_cB6kEULCSlO0atw852dUyTbt2PRTQaen/s320/P1010916.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298183709308379346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YCas5Ml-vu1wZErAg8A5YrPUOjgI5eqTzUqiEsokVaIG3iuIfdQd0TxW-vj7xV-7zbuX9EWj-fa4wbGtcn7xFInjGsDkrXmYCkWWnOEd04N2U1iJvk2WoVYGH_yUiA_EtMUNX7Q0YIsG/s320/P1010917.JPG" border="0" />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-61933992303546787042009-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:002009-02-02T08:06:16.291-05:00Snow DaySo, as you may have guessed, it doesn't snow in Beach Town. So we were all very excited when a local fun park brought in a bunch of snow for the day so that kids could go sledding. I have to say that when we first saw the pathetic little 24 square foot area covered in snow, we were a little skeptical about the fun factor, but Matt and Jackson had a blast sledding down the little hill. We topped the afternoon off with a few rides and some go-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">karting</span>. Too cute.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298184804152355266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADK-UjbuGeo3GkqKsNRw5-OS7HdFpVLOH33u3JpR4JAe432sN9Z-i0luDkkSA9RzrTf0iIqu0WCJtjEOSbsePAghImv90jMcsTZSgdhvvYGFe5KCsa-zsdbLxjEhvK8ZJ6xTeTYV-yZNx/s320/P1010920.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298184813843697570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8nZFQpQEERyxi-eIRfHYUE-sDaeQsBPZRcJpWO6IHFFlirPyqke9K0Ypkb0XYJGEV0M__B7bIfvHTPmpky5IpA05RnbRfueXZiUIksKGxacKP1SxoDqUhAoZBUHGUf_WY7ShN-12SxLX/s320/P1010931.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298184812060169186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivx1jmvOb_Vol1JNy574RZoHHHDjH5Wtwji9uWL8yyN-Czhhqf6GE-3eHipHu3bdMZtuJd4eyhozlkfAFkHGipgC9aOTwNCCuennu8NFBR-vzdO9TNdIVCJgMXnOrJD71imYCqBWV6Al1I/s320/P1010924.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298184810414446338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6ANsWdawCRJfBgNuAGNpFOEhzKMCx2XXwK0qq5w3Tt2niUh6Z765ibbkEAit6kuK96qayITTYBAIsnremKmkyURfaVzjfA_rrQn-ATAX462nhoAOjtE_UyKZO2FuymgMoZE5Z90Vz6IG/s320/P1010925.JPG" border="0" />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-39968439914014889432009-01-07T07:51:00.002-05:002009-01-07T08:03:57.208-05:00Blog Alert: PostSecretMy obsession with <a href="http://advancedpsychology.blogspot.com/2008/08/funny-blog-cake-wrecks.html">Cakewrecks </a>has not diminished, but I thought I would share another blog that I heart. The blog is called <a href="http://postsecret.blogspot.com/">PostSecret</a> and it provides a place for people to artistically and anonymously share their secrets with the world. I've already learned that I'm just about the last person on the planet to discover this website - it's won awards, spawned books, and clearly has quite a following. But if you haven't already stumbled across this yourself, check it out and I'll bet you will become as hooked as I am.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-46951221552755254302009-01-04T13:24:00.005-05:002009-01-04T21:02:06.993-05:00Christmas: Take TwoBecause we had a trip to DisneyWorld planned for early December, we decided not to buy our tree until about 10 days before Christmas. Please learn from our experience: this is a TERRIBLE idea. We naively showed up at Lowe's ready to buy our normal 8 foot, reasonably priced beauty and found only pathetic looking, lopsided 6 footers. After roaming the aisles of trees for about 15 minutes in total disbelief, hoping that perhaps there was one lone high quality tree left, we finally settled on this little Charlie Brown tree:<br /><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287507265677271234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjSo6JgfynKZAkd54ywDZFB8l0ZLPY0U1Y8nvO2XK547dkHUsGeF5IitZbMEopTdJdlK6Pcj5PjtAsQH31MvdZRxWkbfT-M-4b0YPE6ja4rYpjtzfl8Q1Dz1VBKvwQsLhgoZSHvad3hg1/s320/P1010800.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Pathetic, right? Our only consolation was that it was majorly (but fairly!) discounted. We decided to let it "rest" overnight before decorating it, hoping that it might magically fill out over night. But the next morning brought an ominous surprise: the water was still filled to the top of the stand. The tree wasn't drinking ANYTHING. That night we cut another chunk off of the bottom of the tree and said a little prayer. The next morning, like a prisoner, the tree was still refusing water. We were expecting a houseful of guests for Christmas, so we decided to visit one of the notoriously overpriced tree lots, and found this little guy:</div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287508408093406802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvbOuPEyM5JCW_aJeK51WGLDhZBDqMUdCocPcaUXPdMQeRGrvTLfyleS7ssQUWysdU8yZCMM21i2SkGRvvGRRUEOHLrPq_w5IfAqFCT0CiIoRlkPkRFpJoiupFD61xsfkXqu71LEFHur5/s320/P1010811.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div>Totally worth it, right? Oh, and here's a really cool picture of Jackson decorating the tree with fireworks. Ok, my shutter just isn't fast enough to keep up with my two year old, but it's still pretty cool, right?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287509618798738098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdNfGNtOj3ogK9urkT579T93wEZwH2A_HHLPjoqS09pojZ2-1BouW8B7DR8A9i1kgflScmt6HrPXxMLBMMdldi4YB8CBAtQ8QxY0CyS0FtNDpnR1HHLNL5CDTb7j2pT7LTZywQSQGVBtt/s320/P1010803.JPG" border="0" />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-37498440168335954002008-12-25T15:03:00.003-05:002009-01-04T21:02:45.999-05:00Merry Christmas!<div align="justify">At school this year, Jackson's class made a big list of what everyone wanted for Christmas. Jackson's wish was for a Fire Truck. Even though we had already done our shopping, we rushed out to Target and bought the biggest, shiniest fire truck we could find to put on the fireplace on Christmas morning. </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">A few days later, Santa came to visit his school. While we were walking over to see him, I said, "Jackson, are you going to ask Santa for a fire truck?" "No!" he answered, "I want a kite." "Ummm..what, baby? I thought you wanted a fire truck." "No, I want a kite," he said. When Santa asked what he wanted, he firmly said, "I want a kite!"<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287534186634299122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU1juF0S6iQ9p8YbzY65g7ZumZcyNk52_Bhuc6niaQAPzybM22iz-1KDPyyU5WvEaeNv9wfZzGdgW3oIeaHX3YihONwSRslg2jJ8pAln2SKTqAuFluBKdb7CYMLcMRVWeiwxKr4wA07fg/s320/P1010855.JPG" border="0" /><br />My dad and I drove down to the beach with me a few days before Christmas, and we managed to locate a kite (they're hard to find this time of year!). But on Christmas morning, Jackson just seemed confused. He kept asking, "Where my kite?" I can only imagine that he had envisioned the kite floating around the room on Christmas morning.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287533375379542898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIdLddTRYJ7WvNEUP0Oq-OBkAzsIJ7M08AIyvtMSOhMIZP8Xk6NgD-_ODelAWD6bXGjAWAdveV1mamLP0neRFjP0_2m6iengX4UU_CtK6tKs8cvQDy1VG9BRpEB2xnFYD-4CUCmAvs1eD/s320/P1010851.JPG" border="0" /> That didn't stop him from thoroughly enjoying his gifts. He couldn't open them fast enough, and had trouble waiting for everyone else to open theirs (and believe me, the vast majority were for him anyway!). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287534417081305106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMa_WeFIXUbUezhui2QYb4arXZNihQHbOAsju06Dgigsp05W9pwQeGVpoH0NYJk3BIpT-lzasb2QE5G6MPytzkpv1qDKCu9hGxRz1sNS_xs4EXhtFaRQqhqin4mK2Zp-f4CV9Sd4TAncX/s320/P1010866.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287539509784536034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNjt66C8DZEtssLRje8LgEQIqACTa8FYbFJBVJR_BFcSbM8bcddsiz9IMZhsqUT-E3IsVqsB63kZjpIP3N_eoDMyZnHKQB9c-gEjAYi1aThWIcW-qZN0dhC2z98zEn3UXkjKy-OKoAmRi/s320/_DSC1008.JPG" border="0" />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-84995502480968989682008-12-24T14:47:00.004-05:002009-01-04T15:32:59.980-05:00The Best Day to Visit the Zoo<div align="justify">After spending a long weekend in Disney, we were sick of huge crowds and lines. So we were pleasantly surprised to find that the best possible day to visit the zoo is actually Christmas Eve! We just about had the whole place to ourselves. </div><div align="justify"> </div><blockquote><p align="center">Jackson got to pick any animal on the carousel (and could take as long as he<br />wanted to pick). </p></blockquote><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287537882499246562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8JF2HA4j8zEY3AfiysOMhcpTf7p_lmwF3v4apHD3esj49roKcWPb2r3dzFzPW9qB0h9zJu-DoEeaOGjdGq3XsVfsebkzDmunREg4Ye_94bxvW4prHp310gtIMh0VjZ4-4vsAoaV26OUL/s320/_DSC0973.JPG" border="0" /> <blockquote><p align="center">This experience was a little freakier then it looks...these birds are loud and<br />aggressive!</p></blockquote><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287537886646277730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFQUmS-RUoHW15Z8mLtRO55tjlUAvmjgUBAYiKHQQpuPQRbrkdVELdKp2gL1nDtc4drYrV8cfBZM-YkMpG57w3cFbVw4Ax60alKeTjrnUJtZgx0KEhn-Y19UdyZyHkqHxcwKPfl7W1leV/s320/_DSC0988.JPG" border="0" /> <blockquote><p align="center">No need to strain through crowds to see the animals! Most of the time it was<br />just us.</p></blockquote><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287537902228760818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLnVOYtxekrv-DNGS2u6zUf6gSrOqy5MICmiaQSAV-ZryKEgIYQWeHLGoROgsityw0rNEHvoi3NOfhuq85m4bGZUKwVrIDcRc7yFhE_HKwwN1GuePAWtUQcJNje2N6Eqrm5hIJQWQmlkJ/s320/Fam@Zoo.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287530060081375586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_X2_MeEJ454eHcvKuilqxDyO5jPBmmBhIkA3EXSw1n_Af7ME-OXmOpJvUlZJ_GbzQtQ-aF7DwDYTiQLXej7RFFTh_IerNbbZd6ZDdBlIGDSJvYEBcES5zMzK18iBCyYc0dpuRfVD7DyPb/s320/P1010844.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"> </p><blockquote>We actually got to feed a giraffe with our hands! Amazing!</blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><p align="center"><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287530054375804306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-5VHb2alKGAh_biqwbPBS27IwLdNfN28s2awjQ2tQNd87uHXyx_CCHrqMr-7bJY0q31vFWYNYzyDq3_bwdCAT-emFojwMlApmxxBwEjyKFk-wkM798M0OkDhgSrjwYF-zWLs0EBBaHhu/s320/P1010826.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">Me and my baby...I think this is where Santa was supposed to sit....<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287536436436796514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp46uaAy4gwNyeszRaKxObjDPm6DDoRCqCdAyYv08H_vDjk6VHlPJ9reeXQZX_guu8KJVyCRYdufZIaUji0cDPHUitJ4smcjQfyW4xPHHcSUCXU3dnh9y7PnwZFpa_nrmRKWqC_7cP56Ax/s320/P1010825.JPG" border="0" />Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-59015304996784332792008-12-16T19:51:00.000-05:002009-01-04T14:42:15.708-05:00Christmas in Disney World!On the spur of the moment, Matt and I decided to book a long weekend in Disney World a couple of weeks before Chrismas. Despite a little bit of rainy and cold weather, December is a wonderful time to visit Disney. They have so many beautiful holiday themed displays and shows, and the crowds are reportedly smaller than usual in the weeks before Christmas (I've heard that the weeks around Christmas and New Years are actually among the busiest). I say reportedly because I really can't imagine them being any larger. Even on a supposedly quiet week, Disney is pretty darn busy. One of the bonus parts to our trip is that most things in Disney World are free for kids under 3, so it was a great time to go because Jackson was old enough to really get into the magic of it all, but young enough to be FREE. We had an amazing time and are talking about making annual visits.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">EPCOT HAS A BEAUTIFUL LIGHTS DISPLAY THAT IS SET TO MUSIC</div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287519006287542338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-tabhEzEBFwRGSn-HDeqFkXKioYB6ESWLq39J0EL7FRCP6sS79mrOo9s1LV_Lq4Q5VciSW81XBB0lWsDlfvT-I88CbRm3TPVdDTgbkrg6tYCRpFUuymVy4TI0_NCa6TeNy6-eQ9rXvPh/s320/P1010569.JPG" border="0" /> <blockquote>MORE EPCOT LIGHTS TO ENJOY WHILE WAITING (ENDLESSLY) FOR DINNER RESERVATIONS<br /></blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBjPHq-d22Yx8_Tw-J8C6pXIQyeYpoRIhsqIbhp_GIXsjlXOWA1HqrWmnTQVnPPcTSwj4x3MVezXOzcrYO3YHN2SoupJFm078C2RXDEAyqw4c4ZV4FZBBNeKBVP978v_rxk4Aa2PHy9cl/s1600-h/P1010563.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184825748011522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBjPHq-d22Yx8_Tw-J8C6pXIQyeYpoRIhsqIbhp_GIXsjlXOWA1HqrWmnTQVnPPcTSwj4x3MVezXOzcrYO3YHN2SoupJFm078C2RXDEAyqw4c4ZV4FZBBNeKBVP978v_rxk4Aa2PHy9cl/s320/P1010563.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />THIS GINGERBREAD HOUSE IN EPCOT IS MADE OUT OF 100% EDIBLE MATERIALS. IT SMELLED AMAZING!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9QQxoIPEDmWdMd6kRoEYa60RsFeYU_QgDs_wI7VO5_5XMd0-kw4vAYko8EBxTKYMKAyPg49ywdQSr6hpASkMRDDaGNixNceu-DKrDcsEBkc17yVBL9IX5ekpYem7FTMQADIs1ue0LEja/s1600-h/P1010683.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184820367103634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9QQxoIPEDmWdMd6kRoEYa60RsFeYU_QgDs_wI7VO5_5XMd0-kw4vAYko8EBxTKYMKAyPg49ywdQSr6hpASkMRDDaGNixNceu-DKrDcsEBkc17yVBL9IX5ekpYem7FTMQADIs1ue0LEja/s320/P1010683.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />THE CASTLE AT NIGHT IS SO MUCH BETTER THEN I REMEMBER FROM MY OWN CHILDHOOD. THIS MIGHT NOT BE A SPECIAL HOLIDAY DISPLAY, BUT THEY MADE THE CASTLE LOOK LIKE IT WAS MADE OUT OF ICE.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffC4VPnz6-ALYTRgik5SEBIOqKpTAOlbeempXVjEVh9xVh0n4kjpHZXVpAPFH6tr0pc_UHyWlBNaP4DKy-it6k40xBqjvVOQUBYFBnTqHY9IUoJA_Jfv8czymdDHM_PfiRlkrXWKlWLK9/s1600-h/P1010798.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184816132432594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffC4VPnz6-ALYTRgik5SEBIOqKpTAOlbeempXVjEVh9xVh0n4kjpHZXVpAPFH6tr0pc_UHyWlBNaP4DKy-it6k40xBqjvVOQUBYFBnTqHY9IUoJA_Jfv8czymdDHM_PfiRlkrXWKlWLK9/s320/P1010798.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-24761014339668403122008-12-15T19:59:00.004-05:002009-01-04T13:54:19.338-05:00Honey We Shrunk the Kid PlaygroundJackson loved Disney World, but we noticed that he spent a lot of time sitting - in his stroller as we raced across the parks (and this is a child who has not ridden in a stroller for months), in rides, on boats, on buses...it's a lot of walking for mom and dad, but a lot of sitting for toddlers. So I think Jackson was thrilled beyond belief by the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at Hollywood Studios. It's designed like a gigantic garden and you are the size of an ant inside of it. They have tons of cool caves, slides, webs, and other neat things to discover. Jackson especially liked these grass stubs (I guess that's what they are...) that made chiming noises when you jump on them. I'm not kidding when I say that at least half of the kids there left crying because they wanted to stay longer. Here are a few highlights: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJ_w3uujxyyQAPRWB90veZSfsGjudNOfWhWDi9CY3V5IbKQsSakuff9-YS38pFlcH0er44468Pws4W43yUVUXsGn_WEtSdda9qTIxG1zc0qVHjqRQzyqF-7HwoVk_WVq5UFrSNcvtL-mI/s1600-h/P1010725.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280186569580424338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJ_w3uujxyyQAPRWB90veZSfsGjudNOfWhWDi9CY3V5IbKQsSakuff9-YS38pFlcH0er44468Pws4W43yUVUXsGn_WEtSdda9qTIxG1zc0qVHjqRQzyqF-7HwoVk_WVq5UFrSNcvtL-mI/s320/P1010725.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s51WOE-ODxA1dJi9JtJClU-5U6b37eTOk5o1Y8fBXuzAQuaVq_HMl_lh0No9pkxuY18u8g_j-zTbgHQ0zbOHbd-REJDwjFApPT5Fgy3tisfpD5sd3Ont-ew5pBnpB0KfA6z76MLi5gx0/s1600-h/P1010721.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280186566328548834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s51WOE-ODxA1dJi9JtJClU-5U6b37eTOk5o1Y8fBXuzAQuaVq_HMl_lh0No9pkxuY18u8g_j-zTbgHQ0zbOHbd-REJDwjFApPT5Fgy3tisfpD5sd3Ont-ew5pBnpB0KfA6z76MLi5gx0/s320/P1010721.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NSb9FyUUfVz_PCA9Gw4RC-Pj3R3hDpMaOSsVsTPdlY89iOKYDa0kXbjd8hZvpuGqjWMq9yvQtGWIR9588CS0PEvbB92KtXtJgtSBWtvoEzQsGe2dRPF4pmFQfU51SsMs2-WdYsvkqcnb/s1600-h/P1010720.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280186557211385762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NSb9FyUUfVz_PCA9Gw4RC-Pj3R3hDpMaOSsVsTPdlY89iOKYDa0kXbjd8hZvpuGqjWMq9yvQtGWIR9588CS0PEvbB92KtXtJgtSBWtvoEzQsGe2dRPF4pmFQfU51SsMs2-WdYsvkqcnb/s320/P1010720.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-44133478263908585382008-12-15T19:56:00.005-05:002009-01-04T14:09:14.509-05:00Disney World Rides<div align="left">One of the the things that really surprised me about our Disney World trip was just how many rides they have for little kids. Jackson isn't the largest two year old, and pretty much the only things he couldn't ride were the really big roller coasters. Heck, they even have a roller coaster in Disney's Toon Town that is designed just for kids, and Jackson loved it so much we actually did it twice (and while it's no Six Flags ride, it's pretty thrilling even for adults). Matt's favorite ride was Pirates of the Caribbean (he's so old school). My favorite was the new 3D Toy Story ride at Hollywood Studios - so cool. One of the other surprises was that the line for most rides was 20 minutes or less (we used Fastpass a lot on the popular rides, which definitely helped). Here are few that we managed to get pictures of:</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">MY CRAZY HUSBAND ACTUALLY LET JACKSON </div><div align="center">DRIVE THE CAR ON THIS RACE CAR RIDE<br /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287515406682925634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6PuZOsK_LzTzgo8lIW0CMN9yJW3AvPpdneAmPCzwybQcD-LAVQJnf7npebM8u9JEoSzJeDJAfcBTNyB8moQTfwJUROJN1D_ZNo98TKBCxoV57W4KVCMYmJkRYjSys9-WyHEmDXhWe8a-/s320/P1010790.JPG" border="0" />THIS </p><blockquote><p align="center">ROCKET RIDE WENT REALLY FAST - </p><p align="center">IT WAS EVEN EXCITING FOR </p></blockquote><p align="center">THE ADULTS<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287515396237343506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3RlUuXI2SqW_TJ1202bCvOlVxGDzhxJS45nI2kP9qcx_2c5VxU653dyq4iT990IY5QqPyavBGtsEfp25vaoF8paHWiJEJtFCL1qE4q3mFNv6okEz1-JVwpdJoeQQbye6bc4tWirBLgpZ/s320/P1010785.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /></p><blockquote><p align="center">THE AFRICAN SAFARI RIDE AT ANIMAL KINGDOM IS REALLY COOL, BUT GOES BY WAY TOO<br />QUICK CONSIDERING HOW MANY COOL ANIMALS THERE ARE<br /></p></blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp5ULtCm4v_1jDbeJ0ZlBVAP5tdeEAe58xeoU4cMT2wOO2BdqZmjBAV5NfzVbjk-5HeEu2Z2Mjspza4Nhy3mX0D95JlOuWMuGSuIjXNW8zEQMtPJVlUoYxgN_olCttFjjA_WpW2SvoUu7/s1600-h/P1010592.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280185780335698210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp5ULtCm4v_1jDbeJ0ZlBVAP5tdeEAe58xeoU4cMT2wOO2BdqZmjBAV5NfzVbjk-5HeEu2Z2Mjspza4Nhy3mX0D95JlOuWMuGSuIjXNW8zEQMtPJVlUoYxgN_olCttFjjA_WpW2SvoUu7/s320/P1010592.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-33267489037114277192008-12-15T19:54:00.006-05:002009-01-04T21:06:20.750-05:00Character Mania!<div align="justify">One of the reasons that we haven't hadn't Disney World before now is that Jackson was absolutely terrified in characters in costumes. I envisioned walking around the Magic Kingdom dripping sweat while dragging a terrified and exhausted child behind me. But we recently ran into our local baseball mascot at our Children's Museum, and he wasn't afraid at all, so I knew it was safe to make the trip. One of the things that I didn't realize was that the characters aren't just wandering around the park waiting to scare small children anyway. For the most part you have to wait in lines to meet them, so really they could be mostly avoided if you have a phobic child. Plus, I think they must hire tiny teenage girls to play the characters because most of them are really quite small, despite the big masks. Anyway, Jackson decided that he loved meeting the characters, so we toted him around from park to park so that he could hug them. He kept asking, "He going to talk? Why he not talk?" but otherwise was pretty awed by the whole thing. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="center">THIS WAS THE FIRST CHARACTER THAT JACKSON MET, AND HE JUST ABOUT BURST OUT HIS LITTLE FLEECE PULLOVER IN EXCITEMENT. LOOK AT THAT GRIN!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280185320908064194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKEFio7FQlvWBZdDra8WxG79-H5Fs3yT5L75rB7nLB_XSXHAzDwQmHwuIehOIHvnNzoTHR-N2SUq3IiuVjeC7-uv9C7oR6QV4SutHdQbkQclcYQ5lrx9JOMRnE7MnAQGibq5Ejo5kHCWl/s320/P1010641.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">JACKSON WAS CONVINCED THIS WAS AN OCTOPUS...NO CLUE WHY...</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287522956747845794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJL4xZGe8TeagHRrgQfTDOH-CFQOu4upZeQKiLWuzZSYxExVBuj1Zsj61mdUg4P91xepB9t9SrML7a3im132Q5NBtGJLJJ4R91wpgM7BZGZ_ne9cSE4_ors38uQflLF9VqX-d7B7a7bdCe/s320/P1010642.JPG" border="0" /><br /><blockquote><p align="center">THE TOY STORY MEET AND GREET WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP FOR ME. THE CHARACTERS WERE SO SWEET, AND CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME PICTURE ON ANDY'S BED:</p></blockquote><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmjtU5JFV17OPrHSOwlmIwSymaB2dNaSaJe6EkFUbLvcgQt1VXuGJqfv5z6y4XoZkQHASi-7ELwv0ItJbxFNJJjF_cGz3ETNdR8EeWGZZIKUyW3NTFSrFHi8ARJD73PS-KRVE8LPip_lC/s1600-h/P1010737.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280185335198461314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmjtU5JFV17OPrHSOwlmIwSymaB2dNaSaJe6EkFUbLvcgQt1VXuGJqfv5z6y4XoZkQHASi-7ELwv0ItJbxFNJJjF_cGz3ETNdR8EeWGZZIKUyW3NTFSrFHi8ARJD73PS-KRVE8LPip_lC/s320/P1010737.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />WE ALSO DID A CHARACTER BREAKFAST WITH THE LITTLE EINSTEINS AND JO JO. JACKSON WAS VISIBLY DISAPPOINTED THAT HIS FAVORITE CHARACTER ANNIE DIDN'T MAKE AN APPEARANCE, BUT WAS SO HAPPY TO MEET </div><div align="center">LEO, JUNE, JOJO, AND GOLIATH.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kyE0177nhV49XwW9QBPYDs3t7Xz39kGdyeZh0N_Oc_65Y4ev2Yw6GwVyFmzTllf6JKLVUzvIM-EANFGui7w8fm0uLiCcPcwsPzVJykrjBmjzQ6gcHzwpjFqUdjEcui9qCv1W7jGjlF-g/s1600-h/P1010703.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280185331191028722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kyE0177nhV49XwW9QBPYDs3t7Xz39kGdyeZh0N_Oc_65Y4ev2Yw6GwVyFmzTllf6JKLVUzvIM-EANFGui7w8fm0uLiCcPcwsPzVJykrjBmjzQ6gcHzwpjFqUdjEcui9qCv1W7jGjlF-g/s320/P1010703.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280185325570577618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1NIbRxYng7jpRPcCPjAy_XBMZ9mLWK9RJ7QCKDb07CARcI-5Cv2NooTCEiwap29VM5gkNcaokNYsJv0HGb6yjEa4WDHLF3jBxAvo0kVZnHD4kdaVHHo37yCvrUpfR0xYQS8Ep4WRsXS4/s320/P1010690.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />THIS PICTURE DIDN'T COME OUT THAT GREAT, BUT I WILL LOVE WINNIE THE POOH CHARACTERS FOREVER BECAUSE AFTER WE MET POOH, EEYORE, AND TIGGER, THE HOSTESS TOLD US THAT JACKSON WAS THE BEST BEHAVED CHILD THAT THEY HAD HAD ALL DAY. I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH THEY PAY HER TO SAY THAT: IT MADE MY WHOLE WEEK. LUCKILY SHE DIDN'T SEE HIM TWO DAYS LATER WHEN HE HAD A FALL DOWN DRAG OUT TANTRUM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAGIC KINGDOM BECAUSE MATT PUT KETCHUP ON HIS HOT DOG (OR SOME OTHER EQUALLY INANE REASON - WE WERE NEVER QUITE CLEAR ON IT).<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287523428076845618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNCvPh2wwCVpdMRspw7KxwVpmf5ENmW0Dui10RM6G512mzcHvZKp4jQzd_xnEa_Xy13ue4VK2uxvJXTWUKqysrYuMW2ruSuUW1bHnoEAluA8Awt9DVhRFI9CiAD2QbWUvK04RS7KB9qmX/s320/P1010650.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-59247738276815445402008-12-15T19:48:00.002-05:002009-01-04T13:48:07.152-05:00The Best/Worst 8 Dollars We Spent In Disney WorldThe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rainforest</span> Cafe in Downtown Disney has this great marketing ploy where they basically force you to hang out in their gift shop while you wait to be seated for your meal. It's a really cool gift shop with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">lifesized</span> animals that move, so it's actually not that bad of an experience. Anyway, we spent about 35 minutes there on our first night in Disney World, and Jackson fell in love with this hideous, remarkably real looking snake. I should add that Matt and I are both terribly disgusted by snakes, and my fear actually borders on a true phobia. So the fact that we purchased this creature for Jackson is a sign of how obsessed we are with our child (if the fact that we've devoted an entire blog to parenting him didn't already clue you in). Matt got the snake as a surprise for him while Jackson and I were being seated, and that animal did not leave his side for the next five days. It ate dinner with us, slept with us (or worse, slept curled up next to our bed in a horrifyingly realistic manner), and went on every ride that Disney has to offer. If you want to have a little fun with our Disney pictures, you can play a Where's Waldo type game with the snake. Here are few to get you started....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV4EWZLGbR8qS7bohQFwtHnSeelzLpipZ6HJ2EGSxeqEVEGZP76HSFz4pOtgXUyd82MmLEJ3bzshrTewHKccgXOAn1SlptWgG6eW-SitjyotLPzLbws23BmtyWSCwxoNlqOo7eOUU-BTX/s1600-h/PC110533.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184275306090610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV4EWZLGbR8qS7bohQFwtHnSeelzLpipZ6HJ2EGSxeqEVEGZP76HSFz4pOtgXUyd82MmLEJ3bzshrTewHKccgXOAn1SlptWgG6eW-SitjyotLPzLbws23BmtyWSCwxoNlqOo7eOUU-BTX/s320/PC110533.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uJPzCsHXoPM-kr4wu1JBSN1NfFMSV__lTVxsFqShaNdZDRUj5EGsKIk138a2ByNYwns8JMgwnaKH2UzLtH3FM6_KSCioC0xOpg5vDFtHg6Ye6TmGxWtKmqAO3gM01JybhKAzwbobprKF/s1600-h/P1010554.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184264619535186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uJPzCsHXoPM-kr4wu1JBSN1NfFMSV__lTVxsFqShaNdZDRUj5EGsKIk138a2ByNYwns8JMgwnaKH2UzLtH3FM6_KSCioC0xOpg5vDFtHg6Ye6TmGxWtKmqAO3gM01JybhKAzwbobprKF/s320/P1010554.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzGfAksthX2tSch9-iGD0MTXohVbZwsdCAK9qZwkTTqxzUtjvV5QGTqHNOGHLFl5SB2IQMUM34KpEqZ0UTFiYz4fYDqz5c10T_BMYyK2TRaQ9wM9pVH0nTHygShXFZzmC_diNm4aVFzad/s1600-h/P1010745.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184271583210226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzGfAksthX2tSch9-iGD0MTXohVbZwsdCAK9qZwkTTqxzUtjvV5QGTqHNOGHLFl5SB2IQMUM34KpEqZ0UTFiYz4fYDqz5c10T_BMYyK2TRaQ9wM9pVH0nTHygShXFZzmC_diNm4aVFzad/s320/P1010745.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Luckily the snake has lost it's favored status once we got home, and frankly after spending 5 days in Disney with a realistic looking toy snake, I'm not as afraid of them anymore anyway.<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-22514534336750117032008-11-22T07:54:00.003-05:002008-11-22T08:01:43.379-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!Jackson's daycare had a big Thanksgiving feast on Friday and invited all the parents. Matt worked from home so that he could attend, and I baked a pumpkin pie (and by baked, I mean I opened the box, stuck the frozen pie in the oven, and left it in there for 65-75 minutes). Jackson was super excited about the special day. How cute does he look?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271465124691861890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFAz3CaIlkOpVlw_E0pdiVdSguJg1DeBE_3lvxMVzUdRyjsxcbRZvK8cvqBolbtQCQNlQzCXT3NVz24b2GLgqqhV-Cxn5gyny5iGZH1kLETVZ4pd1Zt_8cd_91GAiVQYaKhAYaE8hcUbA/s320/PB210519.JPG" border="0" /><br />We've always sort of suspected that daycare was telling us tall tales when they marked the little box next to <strong><em>"I ate all my food"</em></strong> on his daily sheet, just because he really doesn't eat all that much at home. It turns out that they don't lie. Matt said that Jackson ate so much that he started to get worried that he would be sick. He was still eating when the rest of the class had gone back to get ready for their naps, and the three year olds started setting up for their feast. <div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271465126294485954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaY-5o81M4LHm_i6Esm3kJ6NTdCycEwzwtiwd2JYQ32QjAd7uh0JF0ncDDxfgnJc2umaHn5g8m92mdUiiOCA1ULB8xEayh5ijOPCbeAZc0oIjEnZCjbtou5wMN85ltOd7Q26cdzw2vMA0/s320/PB210520.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> We have many things to be thankful for, and one of them is his awesome daycare. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! </div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-62826073707440928012008-11-21T18:58:00.005-05:002008-11-22T08:35:01.967-05:00My Maid<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G3Ixu_xF2J5u-BrSvOaC5GGGySWwWA435w-2hFJ-mySzFDtLWlUGVV-SsVzaOuxMHmXmav18-f8GK5wkli4VsKHwnDlFCvN7GrB0pHP7wJEQ2VCt-Ll-qo1hlgnZUHtwbtXESyJyrQ89/s1600-h/PB160485.JPG"></a><div><div><div><div>Ok, so if you've ever lived with me (I'm talking to you Mom), you know that neatness isn't exactly my thing. I drop my clothes on the floor when I take them off. I leave the cupboards open in the kitchen. I am incapable of pouring anything without spilling at least some of it. So I knew I hit the jackpot when I married Matt. If you've ever lived with Matt, you know that he is very, very neat - - in a good way - not a Sleeping with the Enemy or OCD kind of way. What I mean is that he washes the pots before we even eat dinner. He empties the dishwasher whenever it is clean. He rarely spills anything or leaves a mess. No, you can't have him. He's mine. Anyway, not to make anyone jealous, but it turns out that I hit the jackpot twice when I got my mini-Matt (AKA Jackson). He follows behind me and closes cabinets and doors while I cook. When I want to make him happy, I hand him a Clorox wipe and ask him to clean the counter. If he sees a spot on the floor, he'll go wet a paper towel and try to clean it. He even puts things away when he's done using them. Frankly, it's pretty awesome. So anyway, we took him to the park the other day, and he found this little house that he just loved. He kept putting pebbles on the table and then brushing them off. When I asked what he was doing, he said, "I cleaning Mommy!" Sweet! </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271463704080294546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoVSpL4CaWHWQUJyTQ8q0TiIjIrxqvtGjUt54OduD22Aveq4tnorfbOeBDv033vF_piSEVdu2Pt7vbhSyq06_fl9J6Px5k5fAPdWpci2FGXvpPKM9FaRGaeIHmTO2ZM_Zl13zFnN1GSM7/s320/PB160484.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271463702980390354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_w3n1tUnhhmSdiViToqprAElZn5eBIPBIybvEVdbtipE-tYmmNk0iYh1k9KVj_ABGQSi9AmPID2ZxkLHxPUPKxW5-hJxFye9AL_VExFCS5e_DEVP9M46TmylVKxhI4Ok2VD5gCuM0WY5V/s320/PB160482.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271463719901004770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyQ8g5kFuOxhKCvx-nWLN-3yzUdeAQF72cwcxsA-EGMkrat7y_wKRJ4jjW3kGpeC1LLLzYp5uz3g80xIc_5MQjTI1qET53ntvAZda2MgFITjj1jSQiHxSuDbX4rTjRULpjaZX_sxDV2LX/s320/PB160492.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-12963135005122933052008-11-21T18:42:00.006-05:002008-11-22T07:41:06.717-05:00We Don't Need No Education<div><div><div>Every day when we pick Jackson up from daycare, his folder is full of all kinds of drawings, worksheets, and projects for us to take home. I recently commented to Matt that his art seems to be getting worse and worse, and then we realized that they are probably actually letting him do more and more himself. Seriously, we have received art projects in which we really couldn't discern what part a two year old possibly could have contributed. The intricate cutting? The carefully drawn labels? The perfect glue job? Anyway, we go quite a surprise this Monday when we went to Jackson's folder and found a blank worksheet entitled <strong>"Homework".</strong> Not only a blank worksheet entitled "Homework", but one involving matching numbers of items that Jackson couldn't possibly be expected to do. We both chuckled over his first homework assignment and I dropped the <strong>"Homework"</strong> in the recycling bin along with the rest of his "art" and the junk mail. </div><div>But the laugh was on us the next day when we came to pick Jackson up. <em>"Did Jackson do his homework?"</em> his teacher asked. At first I panicked. I pasted a big smile on my face and looked at Jackson, "<em>Jackson did you do your homework, honey?"</em> Then I realized how incredibly mean and ridiculous it was for me to blame my parenting failure on Jackson; it sort of felt like telling the teacher that your dog ate your homework. So I confessed, <em>"Um...I guess we didn't get to it last night. We'll do it tonight for sure." </em>I may as well have worn a t-shirt that said, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY CHILD'S EDUCATION." I rushed home and dug the wretched worksheet out of the recycling bin. Over dinner, Matt and I tried to explain squirrel math (certainly 3 or even 4 year old work, right?) while Jackson yelled, "I don wan do HOMEWORK!!."</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271460051034088098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FjWtZWnix_kTqP0dnc_WMECBzCIYKeJz4OH3NxgW9dgjwqSuPjSL6ckP-PnQxphg6u3gGQnzzoq6nW5Ax4DeDv_iniSSjgNjc9bVrHxCtEMOuhC8fzEPTcMSAwD4pt158hI_kLWYNWM4/s320/PB180513.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271460044425970290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBdOU-ejhxfb_7W-YS4WJHKdopiv_leyOmiDusodEirF12pcvs8AYarr9kH9Pv_XmbMh83PnFTyws1LkcEfGajyieQJsA6mTYfC5SDDlXKZpgXsvOhlyZUySlPag6M_9ivWvF5Sa52ruO/s320/PB180512.JPG" border="0" />The next day, the three of us proudly turned in Jackson's homework. Matt and I chuckled about the whole thing again, and hoped that was the end of 2 year old homework. That afternoon, we found this waiting for us in Jackson's box:<br /><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271460052745568658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmV2ZPEKasgVt9wcxs5Atu-JrEwGvAGEYajOR4-mb2YJGCx8LqYimTudx_fHlQ0091RTq5Z7_v64Q-t5QrikROgPP6BelzE24uAgbr0deBllSOjYC38o0geRbNl0F7C53nReZNNxFK-us/s320/PB190515.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>I don't know what's funnier: the fact that they graded an assignment that he clearly never could have done on his own, or that fact that he got 100/100 as his grade. </div></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216538582576673248.post-81392712051956764682008-11-16T18:04:00.004-05:002008-11-16T18:24:46.219-05:00The Donner PartyWhen the weather is not brutally hot, our favorite weekend activity is "hiking" (AKA relatively short walks in wooded areas). The last 6 months have been a bit a of a challenge because Jackson no longer wants to be carried in a backpack, so our progress is incredibly slow. Every few feet he either trips and cries, stops to kick some moss, or, inexplicably, walks backward. Even when he does let us carry him, 29 pounds on your hip or shoulders gets heavy pretty quickly.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269398444557454418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkamse13LJHlB0iL5IlRfQ48_b9qBAM_Qa9nnpIpGfUhUwy0lhN2qkZvWGAp6BkNbFuOKwLpVr4ZpOki8Njo2budfE2t5vo08iljiOi_lEGXUjvjj1oKJlMlA8f6QOyMMFmci0A5z2O5M/s320/PB160502.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269398450165519138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCTcteMppQ4S0hXSwxUwsGVeU-6eizymkIg2D_w5xqg0uUFr1Y3E766k0S1w5WSb9oPH674jURL6XGS1DKYwx2ohhZrpefX3yRaXFmnjWvGRftLBJBh665lsqffOhwn8iiP0AISRkaln0/s320/PB160506.JPG" border="0" />So today we decided to explore a "nature trail" that we had not done before. At the beginning, we lightheartedly noted that the trail was so covered in fall leaves that it was difficult to follow. But like the heroine in a horror movie that just can't resist going into the basement when she hears a spooky sound, we proceeded anyway. Predictably, we lost the trail within 20 minutes. We didn't really want to turn back because we doing so would mean a longer walk back to the bathrooms and car. So we plugged along, stopping frequently to say, "<em>this sort of looks like a trail, doesn't it?"</em> and "<em>I'm pretty sure we're headed in the right direction anyway, aren't you</em>?" Just when our jokes about cannibalism were starting to give way to real desperation (I had to go to the bathroom really badly), we came up on the paved trail and made our way home. Disaster averted. I would say "lesson learned" except this isn't the first time this has happened to us, so I'm guessing it won't be the last either. Some people never learn.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14676086278871673858noreply@blogger.com1