Oscar

....or "a-ker"/"a-key" as Jackson alternately calls him.

T-Rex

He loves this dinosaur and I have no idea why. He has one book with dinosaurs in it that he reads occasionally, but those dinosaurs are cartoony and colorful - like blue and pink and such. This one is actually realistic, so it looks nothing like the dinosaurs he knows. He wouldn't even let the store clerk take it from him so she could ring it up. His daddy distracted him long enough to scan the UPC barcode, but he just kept repeating "mine, mine, mine" until he got it back. He's so well mannered.

18 Months Today

You might remember this hat from a photo in March...when it was actually appropriate winter attire. He found it in the closet and insisted on wearing it around the house for a little while even though it is like 97 degrees outside.

He had his 18 month check-up today. 29.5 lbs and 35.25 in. As suspected, the doc said he's fine, no problems. However, the pediatrician is going to try him on Zyrtec to see if allergies are the culprit behind his persistent wet cough.

He's Working Hard at Using the Pedals...

...but it's not going so well. He can't reach them on the out-stroke. I think it's gonna be a while; it's not an easy skill.

Jackson as a Simpson

His Weekend in Chicago

His Aunt Maureen took him to a water park....and he hated it! I mean, he loved it because he REALLY wanted to run through the water like all the bigger kids, but he HATED it because he was too chicken to actually do it. Let me put it this way, he was completely dry when he got in the car and it had nothing to do with the use of any towels...He got a little exercise in even while on vacation....Listened to some jammin' tunes that his older cousins introduced him to - like High School Musical 2....He learned valuable skills, like how to play pinball, from his Uncle Bill...
He kissed Grandma to thank her for showing him her secrets on how to talk on the phone all day without hurting your ear...

Coming at You!

Having Fun on the New Swingset!

The Piece de Resistance

It's done. It's done. Thank God it's done. It was bloody hot putting this thing up the last few weekends. But it looks GOOD, don't ya think?

Actually, once we get the grass to grow back in around the swingset, get another accessory for the other side of the swing-arm, get the play telescope, and set up the sandbox in the bottom, it will OFFICIALLY be done. But it's done and functional, so it's ready to go. It will take a bulldozer to knock this thing down when that time comes. It is SOLID.

Jackson only got to play on it for like 15-20 minutes tonight since it was late when we got it done, but he'll have plenty of time to play on it in the future! Before Jackson went to bed tonight, he said: "Thanks for the swingset and all your sweat and elbow grease Mammaw and Pappaw!" Really, he did.

The Free Ride is OVER

Lesson learned: Unlike last weekend, we put his butt to work this weekend BEFORE we let him play in the water. I have to say, he really wasn't much help though.

His Nose and Cheeks are Still Red from This Cold...

...but he appears to be improving little by little. I hope he clears up soon. Otherwise, he nose may fall off from being wiped raw.

Nite-Nite

He brought a pillow in from the guest bedroom and laid it on the floor of his room so that he could pretend to go "nite-nite". It was cute, but I probably think it was one of those things were you "had to be there" because the picture is lame compared to how cute it was.

Potty

No, we're not that crazy. We aren't trying to potty train him yet. But we did buy a potty at the store the other day. We needed to get a stool for him to use at the sink anyway, so I figure that instead of buying a stool and then a potty later, I would just cut to the chase right now and buy a potty that doubles as a stool.

He's very excited to have his own "pa-tee". When he sees it in the bathroom he goes running over to it saying "pa-tee, pa-tee" over and over again. But, as you can see in the picture, he's clearly clueless at the moment. That's the catch bowl in his hand. He won't sit on the potty with the catch bowl or seat on. He lifts the lid, pulls the seat and catch bowl out, and THEN sits down and grins like he has really accomplished something. Plus, he keeps trying to stand IN the potty, not ON it, and that quite frankly, isn't going to get him high enough to reach the sink so it kinda defeats the purpose of having bought the potty in the first place.

We Better Not Let Habitat for Humanity See This

Habitat makes the owners put time/labor into their house. Jackson has a much better deal. Here's what he did all day while we worked on the swingset...It's a sweet deal for him if you ask me!
We are 3 days into the swingset build and this is what we've got. Granted, it may not look like much, but we are getting there.....I think. This was supposed to be a 2-day project, but it has not turned out that way, mostly due to the giant maple tree in our backyard that has enormous roots running all under ground. Let me put it this way, it took 2 full days just to dig the holes for the posts to get into. It also hasn't helped that it feels like a bazillion degrees outside. Great timing on our part, huh?! All I know is this kid better really like this swingset....

Face Painting

They had a carnival for the kids at daycare today. When I got there to pick him up, all he had left was this pink smear on his cheek. As I understand it, at one point it was a heart. It seems like he had a good time running wild around the daycare center since he REALLY didn't want to leave and go home. Meanwhile, I REALLY wished I hadn't worn a white shirt to work - since as soon as I picked him up, he got pink face paint and Dorito cheese residue on my shirt.

No Pictures

He's been sick, so no pictures lately. He's just looked too pitiful to even subject to the camera flash. He seemed to be feeling a bit better today so hopefully he'll be well enough to show you! :)