I am having a moment

I created this blog because I am not good with scrapbooks (actually never created one). I want something for our family to look back on and laugh and say oh yeah I remember that...So I realized I haven't really done a post focusing mainly on James' latest "things he is doing these days". And since that is the purpose of this blog I am not trying brag and if it comes across that way I am slightly bias. I am having a moment because his 2nd birthday is just around the corner and I catch myself thinking where did the last 2 years go and why is my baby growing up so fast?? Doesn't this picture just make you smile?? Isn't he the cutest?? And no he is not trying do the choo choo train...he just shot his basketball in his goal and this is him saying "yes!"

So here it goes...

- James still loves American Idol :) We are now watching another season.

- He can easily count to 10 and mostly to 20 and can easily identify all the numbers.

- Knows his ABC's (cannot sing the song just yet but recognizes all of the letters)

- He can jump and jump and jump often (I need his energy badly)

- He loves singing along to songs in the car on the way to day care

- He can easily eat with a spoon and a fork (and he has preferences on which spoons and forks)

- He also has just started playing pretend...He made a pretend airplane with this cheese and started flying it through the air saying airplane! "vrooom vroom" He sets up his stuffed animals and has pretend conversations with them. I hear him trying to say stuff that Chad and I say to him :)

- He loves his weekly routine and doesn't like it very much when we change it up (one day Chad was home before we left work...he is usually gone before James wakes up...and this completely threw him off so confused)

- He loves books and puzzles

- He loves Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Curious George, Elmo, Special Agent Oso

- He says several phrases...like "love you Mommy (or daddy :))" "No say that daddy (or mommy)"...not my favorite but it is kind of funny the first time he said it. " I wanna watch ____" "let's build a house" "come on" (with this one he grabs your leg and starts leading you where he wants you to go) "read it" "war eagle hey!" With the arm twirl (this one is Chad's favorite)

- The "my" word is overly used

- He is not fond of brushing his teeth

- He has manners and uses them appropriately (please, thank you, yes ma'am, yes sir)

- He does not use the potty yet and doesn't seem interested so I am not pressing it

- He loves sleeping in his bed and loves having more than one paci to comfort him...some babies love a security blanket. James has security paci's. However he only has a paci when it is "night night" time

- He can throw a good temper tantrum...I am talking tears and screams and laid out on the floor...I claim he gets that from Chad...hehe. Lately these seem to happen more frequently. But when it is over he has started giving us a big hug and says "sorry mommy or daddy" That really makes my heart melt.

- His gives the best hugs and real kisses with the lip smack and sound affect

- He can walk in a room full of people and starting playing with other children he has never met. He gets that one from Chad too

- He really is the most loving child and laughs often and definitely makes us smile often.

Being a parent is extremely hard work and can be very trying at times. But it is the most rewarding job I have ever had and I absolutely could not imagine my life with out our James. We are truly blessed because a healthy happy child is something some people never get to experience and can be taken for granted. Note to self...read this last paragraph during the next tantrum!!

Curious George Recap

I am sure all of my 10 readers are so anxiously awaiting a post about the Curious George Live event! It was a huge success! James loved it and did so much better than I expected. I have summarized the night in pictures below...

Before we left James still did not know where we were going...and yes I put him in his Curious George tee...slightly not cool as Chad said. He claims you should never wear the "featured act" t-shirt to the event. I thought it was perfect and much better than the child we saw with an "man with the yellow hat" costume that made him basically look like a miniature man with the yellow hat that it completely through James for a loop. I wish I could have gotten the expression on his face when he saw him. It was completely hilarious!

So here we go...

This is what we could see (keep in mind this is the first time we have ever taken James to live performance...we havent even taken him to a movie yet)

And this was the expression on James' face the entire time. He was in a complete trance. Never took his eyes off the stage. It was so fun to watch!

During intermission...somehow we ended up with this $5 balloon!! Chad is such a sucker for these things!

And this was James on the ride home. I think it was all worth it.

Btw a few days later this is where the balloon ended up. Too high for us to reach even with a ladder. I guess we will have to wait for it to deflate. Ummm 1 week later the balloon is still resting on the ceiling. Not sure what kind of helium they are using!!

We are taking...

this little guy...

to this show tomorrow night!! And he doesn't even know it...

Not sure who will be more excited...Chad and I or James. We can't wait to see how he reacts!! Curious George is one of his favorites coming in a close second to Mickey Mouse so he should love it!

Weather Mishaps

SNOW!! Or a few snow flurries at our house :( Several surrounding area got several inches...we only had flurries. However since James and I were planning to head to Birmingham this weekend we attempted to make the trip to try to "beat" the snow. We were a little late and I panicked once the road became severely slushy/icy so we turned around and came home. James was loving seeing his first snow he thought it was thousands of bubbles...I was just wishing it would all go away. We will try again tomorrow. I do not mind missing my scheduled hair appt in bham but definitely undecided about missing the Black Eyed Peas concert.

Yes it is Mardi Gras season and James' day care scheduled a Mardi Gras parade for all of the kids for last Friday and the rain ruined that and moved the parade to today...well the snow day ruined it for today. However since Chad and I are such planners and usually prepared we had decorated his wagon for him to ride in last Wednesday night...the day care plans to have a St. Patrick's Day parade instead...can you have Mardi Gras decorations for St. Patricks Day??

Real Haircut and Other Events

So we decided it was time to finally take James to a salon and get his first real haircut. We started talking to James about it Friday night at dinner and during his night time routine. I told him it was going to be so much fun going to get his hair cut the next day and that if he was really good he would get a prize! And his consistent response was "Mommy no hair cut!" As if he knew what he was getting in to. I should have taken this as a hint...it wasn't a complete disaster but it was not a "fun" experience either...This is how it took place. James would only sit in Daddy's lap and he refused to wear the "Cars" drape (whatever that thing is called??). And we had to have a toy for a little distraction.

A little zipper distraction and Kristen (the girl that cuts Chad's hair) was so nice to move around with them and be so patient.

A little bribing...usually works to bribe James with his fav food items...We tried pudding his new favorite but it didnt work like we thought...he considered and then he saw the scissors again and forgot about the pudding...

Finally we are done with a change of shirt since his other one was covered in hair...can't you just see frustration in Chad's face :)... this face is saying "Brooke put down the camera and let's go" haha

The cut is a little shorter than I would have liked but considering the circumstances I figured the hair will always grow. He looks so much older now and I don't think I like that. I swear the cut makes him look 3 in taller. That may not make sense...but it does!

That afternoon we figured we would take him somewhere fun since he had such a rough morning. We headed to downtown Fairhope for the Haven parade. A mardi gras parade for dogs and their owners. No we did not register Baxter but James got to see lots of doggies and he got lots of beads!! (Side note: I thought James would be able to ride in umbrella stroller until he was atleast 4...We have not used it in awhile and when we put him in it Chad said "Does he still fit??" It was a little snug but worked). Again another reminder that our little baby is definitely becoming a little boy :(

Sunday we planned to go to a friend's house for the Super Bowl so I offered to bring dessert because I have been wanting to try a new recipe! My presentation of desserts is never really all that great but I thought this was one was picture worthy. I wanted to take a picture of the yummy layers but I figured it would be rude to bring a pie with a missing slice :) Graham cracker crust, cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping with chocolate shavings...I really wish I had a sliver now.

Fun Times

A few weeks ago we went to Atlanta for the weekend to spend celebrate Christmas with all the Jones'. On our way to my aunt's house we stopped by to see our friends Brooke and Carl. We met Brooke and Carl on our honeymoon in 2006. They were on our same flight to St. Maarten and happen to be on the same boat to Anguilla staying at the same resort. We really had a great time together during the week. We learned we have a lot in common. All of us from the south and all of went to SEC schools. Carl graduated from Georgia and Brooke graduated from Alabama. We obviously share the same anniversary and now we both have a son! We have been pretty good about keeping in touch and gotten together a few times. We hope to make a trip back to Anguilla to celebrate a significant anniversary. Brooke and I would like to go for our 5 years but I think the guys are thinking more like 15 years. Here is a picture of the 4 of us during our honeymoon.

This is George "Wilson" who is now 5 months old. Isn't he a cutie and he is such a smiler. He smiled often while were there and Brooke warned us that the time we arrived is normally his "fussy" time...he made her out to be a liar! He was so good!

And James loved hanging out with Carl. Chad and I might as well not been around...


Next stop my aunt Denise's house. All of our cousins came over Saturday to visit. This is Madison and Lilly, my cousins Dusty and Amy's little girls. James loved playing with the big girls and even loved pushing their pink stroller...Chad was not happy!

Trying to a flip like the big girls...he really was pretty good at it but it was making me a nervous wreck!

In Loving Memory...

of Daddy Bill. Unfortunately 2010 has not started off to a great start. On January 23rd we received an unexpected phone call that Chad's grandfather, Daddy Bill, had passed away. Daddy Bill suffered from Emphysema since 2001 and fought many battles that he was not expected to win and lived longer than anyone ever anticipated but this last battle took all he had. When you lose someone you love it is so easy to be selfish and want them back because you cannot imagine your life without them however in Daddy Bill's case we pray for comfort in knowing that he is in a much better place, no longer suffering, and he had lived a great life. See Daddy Bill may not have lived a luxurious life with extravagant travels or fancy cars and a big fancy house things that a lot people use to measure success, he however was a selfless man in every sense who adored and loved his family dearly and because of this his family loved and adored him. And that is what made his life so successful. He was so proud of all of his children and grandchildren and he always treated me as if I were one of his grandchildren too. As Daddy Bill became older he spent more time at home watching CNN and reading newspapers and every time we would go visit him he always had accounting questions for me...most of them I could never answer but he could. I think at times he knew more about the accounting industry than I did. He took an interest in reading about accounting issues not because he liked accounting so much I think but because it was my career and he had interests in every thing all of his family was interested in. That was just the way he was. We will all truly miss Daddy Bill but I am thankful that I knew him and proud to be a part of his family.