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!