This will be the only time you'll hear me be excited about coldness... I was so excited the last two mornings that it was 50 degrees and I could start putting Jake in some of his super cute fall clothes!

Yesterday he got to wear one of his few brand new bought-at-a-store get-ups. This striped thing is from Children's Place and I LOVE it! (Most of his other clothes are awesome consignment sale finds, including this denim jacket with a little monkey on it.)

Yep. I'm cool.

Playing around the house last night.

This morning he wore his fleece jacket with his jeans.
More cute clothes to come...

Posted in: Jake on Thursday, October 01, 2009 at at 9:45 PM 0 comments    

Wow. I haven't gotten this out on the first day of the month since February!

Jack: The Calendar - October page
(Yes, you've seen this picture before.)

Jake's Copycat

Jack with the pumpkin on him.

Jake with the pumpkin on him.

Victory Pumpkin!

Pumpkin-in-the-ear

Hail Pumpkin!

Mmmmmm... pumpkin.

Pumpkin Mimic

Pumpkin Pals

Posted in: Halloween, Jack, Jack Calendar, Jake on at at 9:17 PM 0 comments    

Every time Jake takes a bath, we finish off by checking ourselves out in the mirror. He's been smiling at himself for ages, but I think he's finally realizing that's him in the mirror.

For the past few weeks, whenever we're looking in the mirror with our faces by each other, he'll turn and give me "kisses" on the cheek. We give kisses back and forth for a few minutes. It's really sweet.

Sometimes his kisses are ferocious.

He'll put his hand on one cheek and kiss me on the other.

The best thing happened tonight though. We were sitting at the computer talking to my mom on webcam and Jake reached up with his hand and grabbed my cheek and pulled my face toward him and kissed me. All on his own! I hadn't even kissed him. It was the greatest thing ever. He kept doing it all night anytime our heads were by each other. I love that guy so much!

Posted in: Jake on at at 12:27 AM 1 comments    

Preface: I HATE BUGS!
I drove into the garage today and saw a giant bug on the ceiling. I thought it was either a roach or a giant spider. I couldn't tell. So I got everything inside and went back out with the Raid, because I did NOT want that thing on the inside part of our house. I sprayed it and it kind of fluttered down and landed on the window of the car. Repeat: I did NOT want that thing on the inside part of our house. So I backed the car back out into the driveway and sprayed it again. After it was most definitely dead, I got a LONG pole and flicked it off into the driveway. This thing was most likely Satan. For real. Like one of those insect creatures from Revelation.

If you can bear to look at it, notice it has red antennae and red back legs. It has this super creepy spiky wheel thing on its back. Horrible. It will probably be in my nightmares tonight.
Bonus points to anyone who knows what it is. I tried Googling "beetle with red antennae" and couldn't find anything except ladybug costumes.

Posted in: creepy things on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at at 10:13 PM 2 comments    

Posted in: Jake on at at 10:06 PM 0 comments    

It seems like Jake and Jack like to do a lot of the same things...

Yearn for what I'm eating.

Stare at the camera.

Hold their heads up.
(How I wish this hadn't come out fuzzy.
And no, I did NOT pose them this way.)

Look cute.

Get tired of holding their heads up.

Wonder when I'm going to stop taking pictures.

Posted in: Jack, Jake on Monday, September 28, 2009 at at 11:51 PM 1 comments    

... when it rains for three weeks straight and the yard can't be mowed. (Don't worry. Jon mowed it at the end of last week.)

Posted in: Jack on at at 11:43 PM 0 comments    

Despite his attempt at persuading me with his bib,
it was time to start veggies.

So we put on the giant plastic bib to avoid his
super cute clothes and bibs getting stained.
(Yes, he eats in his swing. We don't have a high chair yet.)
And off we went...

It was a success!

Posted in: firsts, Jake, video on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at at 11:17 PM 2 comments    

A week and a half ago I ended my job as a nanny. All three kids are now in school, so they no longer needed me. I was their nanny for two years, one month, and two weeks. I've done a lot with the boys and had a pretty great time.

This was D and me our first week together.
He was 4 years and 3 months old.

C & D in our first month. Ages 4 and 9.

We also went to Chuck's.

That fall I took D to the pumpkin patch.

That winter the boys stayed home one icy day.
(And I had to go to their house anyway.)

This was the single most recalled moment of our two years together. We mentioned it all of the time. "Hey. Ashley. Remember the time I squirted yogurt all over myself... TWICE!?"
(He was eating a Gogurt and his hand slipped and it went all over him. We cleaned him up and he immediately did it again.)

Things changed a little. Here we were almost exactly two years later back at Chuck's.

And all of us. They boys are now 6 and 12.
Yes! Their sister, B, does exist!
And yes, when we were all together we were A, B, C, & D.

And finally. The classic. My favorite thing from the whole time.
This was when he was four:

So what now? I'm substitute teaching until I can find a real full time job, probably teaching. My sister-in-law, Candice, and a friend from church, Erica, are taking turns keeping Jake while I'm working, which is so much better than a daycare. If I can't keep him myself, what's better than family and friends? Nothing.

Posted in: C Man, D Man on at at 7:54 PM 1 comments    

Look what I got in my Spam Mail!

We're rich! Yes!

Posted in: funny things on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at at 8:38 PM 1 comments