Is it Fire Season or What?

Jeez, we're in the midst of fire season. Donnie was asked to come to our upcoming school Reading Night dressed in his turnouts and we'll see if he can! How cute! Maybe it'll rain before then? (In like 2 weeks, doubtful!)

After watching the news tonight and seeing the um-teenth person interviewed talking about losing everything in their house, I finally got off my butt and burned all my precious Jackson pics to disc. No excuses now, they're going straight into the safe. (Come on, if you know Donnie, you KNOW we have one of those! Fire-proof to some ridiculous amount of degrees.) Of course, we have an external hard drive in case the computer crashes, but that would burn too. If you don't have a safe, you can always upload your pictures to a hosting gallery to access later.

Hopefully this heat is over soon too!

10 Months

10 months today! A big bump up since you are actually in the double-digits of months.

By far the cutest thing we've loved this month is giving kisses. When we ask for a kiss you turn your head, mouth wide open, and dive in. It's slobbery-wet adorableness. You love us back, you really do!

I'm new at this, but I'd bet at the end of your 10th month you'll begin walking. *Maybe* at 11th months, but I think some steps or standing for sure at 10. You've taken to walking on your hands and hind legs instead of your knees. It almost looks as if you can just pop up at any moment. Talking, I'm not so sure of. You can definitely point at the light whenever we ask you where one is. You've been fascinated with lights since week one, so no surprise that would be the first thing you know for sure! You're getting better with pointing at dada & mama, but you've got those lights down! Maybe light will be a first word? You'll surprise us with that one. Your bye-bye wave is adorable too, your arm flings with such joy.

You'll definitely be a kid who loves the outdoors. During your times of fussiness (which are much fewer these days) if we take you outside, you forget all your worries. And you are BUSY. Everyone comments on how you're such a busy boy. This month's pic is the best we could get because you barely wanted to sit down. Can't wait to see what you're doing next.

(BTW, that is not new top teeth but food in your mouth, the only way to semi-get you to sit in your chair now!)

Donnie & Jackson's Day

Daddy takes pictures of Jackson finding the toilet paper, (not for the first time, he knows where it is and we ALWAYS have to keep the door closed now)

has some fun,

a little more fun,

and all done!

The One Spot

Not even shiny gold coins can keep you away from the ONE spot in the house we don't want you to be?

Those darn dishes are going to give us a run for our money!

Bathtime

Pingu

Jackson just loves Pingu! Ever since a little baby, he's gotten the biggest smile whenever Pingu would come on Sprout. Pingu is the cutest penguin who speaks gibberish and has a seal friend. Janet bought Jackson a Pingu video (since for some reason Sprout doesn't play Pingu clips anymore) and he was so excited! We just don't know how to get him not so excited so he won't watch Pingu like this anymore,

Mother's Instinct

It happened today at school.

I have to admit, for the six years I have now taught, when I see the little Kindergartners crying and clinging to their parent's legs on the first day of school, I've always thought to myself, "Just do it. Turn and leave them. They will be fine. Don't follow them into the classroom. It will just make it worse."

And then today, I was watching the PM Kindergartner's class walking to their classroom at 9:45am to start their day of Kindergarten. Three of the kids in line were bawling like little cry-babies for their mommies, and for the VERY first time in six years, my heart broke for them. And my heart broke for their mommies, because I FINALLY knew how hard that must be for them.

Wow. I did not see that coming. But I finally understand.

Not so wordless Wednesday...

Today was the first day of school! (I hesitate to put an exclamation.)

It is bittersweet. Yes, I am very thankful I have a job this year. I am one of the lucky ones, and the fact that I'm at my same school and grade is amazing. But I wish I were at home teaching my own child. I don't want to miss a thing! (Although Janet has said she won't tell us if he does anything special so we can see it for ourselves.)

Ah well, 179 more days of school. At least we found out our third grade scores were great last year, so I have the challenge of doing even better this year!

To get myself a little excited, I bought our family new stainless steel water bottles (I just need to order the sippy for Jackson and Donnie's is a big black one, looks like the big Papa water bottle) and myself a new lunchbox. I got the containers that go inside, so if I just sew myself some napkins, I will be totally trash-free this school year!

Why is this little boy so happy?

Because apparently mud tastes great. Seriously can't trust this little boy for a second! (Taken with my cell phone before a nice bath!)

Hello Baby Abram!

My first newborn, and taking pictures of newborns is hard! I didn't expect him to be awake and moving the whole time!

Jackson's First....

...Report Card!

Today was our last day of swimming. We're so sad, we had so much fun. Jackson just loved it, and I loved his nice nap everyday afterwards!

His instructor wrote, "It is amazing how comfortable Jackson is in the water- it is truly a blessing. He will be a great swimmer when he's older." ~Kevin (Great kid who's off to Cal in the fall. Go Bears!)

And a great first report card, now we can expect them all to be like that! No pressure now, haha.

Thankful Thursday

1. That the bear ran AWAY from Donnie!

2. A good 9 month visit for Jackson.
22lb 7.5oz (75%)
29inches (70%)

She said he's very proportional and ahead of schedule for all he's doing. Yeay!

3. We both got naps today! And Jackson is now sleeping 7pm-6am. Oh how that will make my life going back to work next week so much easier!

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Tahoe

Jackson wakes up a much happier camper. I'm just happy the bear is gone.


On the way home we stopped at (I can't remember the real name but it's near the,) Tallac Historic Site. They have a great habitat exhibit, and Donnie got to show Jackson the fishes they're going to catch someday!



And a few lame shots on the way home, from the truck.



Can't wait until next year! Jackson will be walking and be a dirty mess for sure.

Tahoe, Night 2

The second night, we decided to sleep in the truck. So much better! It was so warm with the new shell Donnie bought for his truck. And since we forgot our air mattress anyways, the level bed was much nicer! I would definitely do that again!



How glad was I that we were in the truck that night, when Donnie woke me up to look at the bear. Although our conversation went like this.
Donnie: "Look, look at the bear!" (pointing his flashlight right at it)
Me: "Where?"
Donnie: "Right there!" (waving his flashlight frantically)
Me: "Where?"
Donnie: (waving and now half out of the truck pointing)
Me: "OH! It's RIGHT THERE!"
Donnie: "I'm going out to go to the bathroom."
Me: "WHAT?!"
Donnie: "Where's the camera."
Me: "WHAT?!"

I couldn't believe him. Crazy. But he did get some pics!



The Bear's food of choice, Cool Whip. Not from our campsite!

Beach Day Saturday

Saturday was Jackson's first Tahoe beach day! Which he got to enjoy after a nice nap after being up all night.

Up and confused.


We tried to be good parents and make him wear a hat. Haha.



Getting his first taste of sand. It was inevitable. Smarty didn't do it more than once though.


And out in the water with Dawn, Devin, and Tyler.

Friday Tahoe

We had our annual Tahoe camping trip this past weekend! What did I forget as usual? The memory card to MY camera, so I had to use Donnie's. Which means I wasn't as excited to take pictures. :(

Jackson in his first tent! He just loved crawling around.

Getting his first (hmm, maybe not first) taste of dirt.

Maureen showing Jackson her key chain with a pig-light that oinked, he would just laugh!


The first night in the tent, not so good. Jackson was up pretty much all of the night! We got a horrible night's sleep and I think everyone else did too. Also there was this "coyote howling" at night and early in the morning. I think it was fake by some obnoxious campers. Donnie says it was totally really. The jury is still out on that one.

Tahoe!

We're off to Tahoe camping tomorrow. My family's annual camping trip at Camp Richardson.

I wasn't able to make a treat like our last trip, but I was able to buy stuff for s'mores!

We'll see how it goes. Hopefully we don't have the screaming kid at the campground and Jackson doesn't eat too much sand. Eeek.

Lunch at our house

Another blogger once introduced me to this wonderful blog about all of the Bento Lunches she serves her kids. I've loved reading it and seeing the pictures and of course can't wait until I can make Jackson's lunch!

Well, Donnie took overtime at the Command Center answering calls and dispatching engines for the next 2 days, so I got to make him lunch for tomorrow. And after reading her archives, found the recipe for Corndog Muffins!!! Anybody who really knows Donnie, knows he's just madly in love with corndogs.

I feel the same way as the lunch blogger, I don't really consider a corndog real food, but if I can make something myself (and use nitrate-free hotdogs from Whole Foods), I at least feel a little better than pulling them out of some box. And I have to say, they're scrumptious! Odd looking, but good. I had one for dinner with a glass of Zin and it was deliciously sinful.

I've also made her Mini-Quiches for my own lunch at school and they're fabulous!

Lunchtime

Jackson's first "grilled cheese" (not really grilled). Made with, .....love.

Jackson says,

"C m kjlj lom iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii xaxD."

Hmm, Jackson's first and last time (for a long while) on the laptop keyboard. He almost broke the j key, thank goodness it popped back in.