2 Years...wait...1 Year umm...

I can't wait until I can simply say he's 2 years old. Right now whenever someone asks I tell them he'll be 2 in June because I can't be bothered to do the math and if they really want to calculate it into months then the ball's in their court. Why do we do this? How old is he? Oh, he's 28 months, 12 days and 2 hours. Whatever.

He still weighs about 26 pounds. He's getting taller. I'm not exactly sure how tall but he's growing according to my super technical chart in his room. And by "chart", I mean pencil marks. And by "in his room", I mean on his door jamb.

He's motoring around everywhere. He doesn't much like it when you try and put him into a shopping cart or a stroller. He's got two legs and two feet and he knows how to use them, thank you very much. He's absolutely hilarious to watch when he runs. His arms are flinging about and he's doing some kind of combination high step, goose step, side step as he runs. Frankly I'm surprised that he doesn't fall more often. It amazes me how babies learn everything. Every day there's something new to learn. To live like a kid and experience things like a kid. Just to relish the thought of living.

He's chattering away all the time in John language. There's still the classics like Riley, mommy, daddy, thank you, please (which sounds suspiciously like cheese), cheese, juice (which unfortunately sounds like ahem "Joo"), and he also uses the same word for milk, he can say the number two, and speaking of number two's, he says "stinky" and waves his hand under his nose when there's a poo diaper. He can say yes and no. Although he says no a lot more than yes. And it's the cutest sounding no that you have ever heard. He can also say cookie (choochie) and jello. Although again to him jello is sort of the universal word for both jello and yogurt.

He's still a big fan of Sesame Street. I dug out his Elmo and two Cookie Monster toys. He loves Elmo (or Mowmo, as John calls him), he's unsure about Cookie Monster. When Sesame Street comes on TV, he runs to his playpen and sits and watches with Elmo.

Steven just reminded me of another new thing that he loves to do. If you leave him for long enough when you walk back into the room, his pants are either down around his knees or off altogether. His diaper is off or hanging on by one side and he's umm, well, y'know. You know. Huh, little boys, eh? Didn't realize this would happen quite so soon.

He loves his golf clubs but those are strictly a family room toy. As a result, we're in the family room a lot, which FYI, only has one chair. The really uncomfortable wooden chair at the computer because we got rid of the couches last fall and never bothered to replace them. Oh well.

Oh yeah, he can walk up & down stairs, with assistance.
(I think he was only on the first step and he climbed down alone)

Can you believe how fast he's growing up? Yeah, me neither.

You Better Watch Your Back Martha Stewart

I am a cooking fool. A FOOL, I tell ya.

So far I've made lemon poppyseed muffins, homemade bread (brown and white), ginger cookies, lemon cream puffs, apple spice cake and chicken pot pie. And today I made Jamaican curry powder so I can make Jamaican Curry Chicken tomorrow. You heard me, I MADE curry powder. I toasted a whole bunch of different seeds and then ground them for the curry powder. Martha, you better watch your back because I'm coming up!

The cream puffs

I forgot to tell you that when we were at the zoo, we were in the restaurant/cafeteria and Dawna & John were holding hands off to the side behind me while we were waiting in line to pay. And then John reached up to grab my hand but somehow he had managed to walk a bit ahead and grabbed the hand of the lady in front of me. He was horrified when he discovered that it was the WRONG MOMMY!

But then today we were at Old Navy and I was in a section browsing and Steven & John were in the section behind me. Then Steven pops his head around the corner to get me and watch John. There was this employee (girl) and she was straightening clothes and John was tailing her. She'd move from rack to rack and he'd follow her, being one rack behind her. Then he inched up beside her and just stared at her. Then he reached for her hand and they walked around together. It was the cutest thing EVER. She was really nice to play along. When Steven picked up John to carry him away, he started crying. I mean, CRYING. He was losing his girlfriend. Poor guy, so young to have his heart broken like that.

I know, I can't believe that I'm posting again already! But I'm sitting in front of the computer still, having just finished filing our taxes. Bah. I started this...when did I start the taxes? Monday maybe? It seems so long ago but it was the night that John cried & cried after he went down in his crib for bedtime. He screamed and cried. And cried and screamed. Until finally I went upstairs just in case something was actually wrong. Nope. All was well, in the physical sense of the word. But all was not well in John world. He glommed (shaddup, it's a word in my head) onto me like a tiny little monkey and wouldn't let go. He stopped crying and we laid down in the big bed in the big bedroom. He was happy as a clam, poking me in the eyes and shoving his fingers up my nose and giving me eskimo kisses (or as my PC sister says "Inuit Kisses") and generally being a playful cute little boy. He would not sleep. He would not shut his eyes. He would not be still. So we went back to his bedroom and he went in his crib and I sat in the rocking chair and we read one of the Little House on the Prairie books (thank you very much, these are books from MY childhood). He cried and cried. And then he stopped and fell to the crib and laid down. Seemingly asleep, until I stopped talking. And then he started up again. Le sigh.

Finally Steven took him and laid down with him while I went back to the taxes. But by this time, I had a raging headache and came up to bed at 11pm. Guess who was still up and about and crying? Both of them. Kidding. Sort of. John grabbed onto me and we sat up in bed and rocked. But heaven forbid if I tried to lay down with him. So it made me think that perhaps he had an ear infection or something. Around 11:45pm Steven took John and put him in his crib and we ignored his cries. Brutal, I know. But he fell asleep in about 10 minutes. Poor guy was so exhausted and over-tired. He cried out again about 1:30am. So between my tax induced headache and a toddler related lack of sleep syndrome, needless to say I was a wreck the next day.

Turns out that he did not have an ear infection. He was just a cranky pants.

I know, who looks at this face and thinks "cranky-pants"?

Taking a running start at me.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. He just started eating apples by himself.

I am still the most adorable baby...even if I am a cranky-pants.

Fun with Dick & Jane

I guess I never mentioned that Dawna came to visit on the Thursday before Easter. We drove down to hometown and visited dad. Stayed at Cindy's house and cleaned out mom's clothes. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. And that's all I have to say about that.

I wish I had my camera when we went to visit dad, we went for a walk and over to the park. John went down the slide with Dawna (thank you very much and my light colored pants also thank you!). First time down the slide! The park is right behind dad's cottage.

Did I also mention that Cindy was sicker than a DOG? And that by the time the weekend was over, so were Dawna, John and I? Yup. Typhoid Mary struck again, I'm looking directly at YOU, Cindy! I think I'm finally getting better, although my nose/sinuses are still acting up.

When we came back on Sunday, I made Dawna and Steven help me label envelopes for work. I had my own little sweat shop happening!

Then on Monday, we went to the zoo.

This is snack time and right after diaper change. (for John, in case you were wondering)

It's simply amazing how the peacocks are wandering all over the place.
We were feeding this one trail mix. FYI: they don't like dried apples, at least this one didn't.

John noticing that Steven is across the path, taking pictures of us.

John, trying to make his escape.
Beyond caring that the peacock is mere feet in front of him.

But of course, there's always time to pose for a picture.
Doesn't it look like Dawna is some random stranger on the
next bench trying to get in on the picture?

Such a happy little guy. So happy to be walking free.

And this is what happens when you let your husband walk behind you.
He takes pictures of your fat ass while you struggle with wrangling a toddler into the chariot.

Leaving the zoo.
A "not so happy" John, no longer walking free but trapped in his chariot.
Such a sad life he leads!

The Easter Bunny - Part Two

And Mr. E. Bunny came to visit John at home too so Steven could enjoy it. By this time, John is a PRO at searching for the eggs. And I've filled them with cheerios NOT chocolate.

"Where is it?"
(His most favorite phrase ever, complete with hand gestures.)
(quick, can you spot the two eggs?)

Yeah, he couldn't spot them either at first.
This is John's frustrated face.

"Where is it?" "Over where?"
(can you see it?)

"Oh, there it is!"

To the victor come the spoils.

Did I mention that Cindy got him a bunny (chocolate), a bunny (stuffed) and made a basket? He got to keep one of the bunnies and the basket. Guess which bunny.

And did I mention that I also bought him a chocolate bunny? Guess where it went.

The Easter Bunny - Part One

The Easter Bunny visited John while we were at Cindy's house. Hrmph. I originally typed my parent's house but sadly that's not true anymore. It's bizarre to say Cindy's house. But I digress.

I wasn't going to hide eggs for John. Actually I wasn't going to buy him a bunny or anything but then I felt a little bad like he was going to be permanently damaged if Mr. E. Bunny did not visit him this year. So on Friday night I popped out to Safeway and picked up some stuff. After John went down, we hid the eggs and I had my doubts that he'd understand but Dawna assured me that he would once he found the first one. Apparently she's totally on his wave length, because rest assured once he found that first one, it was a hunt to find the rest.

And stupid me, I let him find them first thing in the morning. And the eggs were filled with the mini eggs. Duh. So after that it was a race, to grab the chocolate, re-fill the eggs with cheerios and then replace them in his basket.

And another reason that John and Dawna are on the same wave length. On the drive down John was eating his cheerio snacks (these are BIG in our household), and Dawna turned around and John had shoved a cheerio up his nose. The O was 1/2 way out and he was so proud of himself. She was very proud of her nephew.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

Here's the first trip to Dairy Queen.

It's even the one that I used to work at when I was in high school!

The quality and sound isn't the best but what can you expect from a cell phone?

Finally... SPRING!

I think Spring might finally be here. It's been 13C for the past two days. I was getting so sick & tired of winter and snow and cold and the dark. Now when I go to work it's light out and when I get home it's still light out. Such a good feeling. I'm ready to store my heavy winter jackets and throw out my sad winter boots. I'm ready for capri pants, flip flops and light jackets. Are you ready?

Most of the ice has melted in the back so we even cleaned up all dog poo from the backyard tonight after dinner. Are you jealous? I know you are. I lead such an exciting and glamorous lifestyle.

Steven cut his hair again.

This is at our weekly swim class. He loves being in the water. He loves the instructors. He loves kicking and splashing. But he does not love being on his back. I can't post the picture because it has some other kids & parents in it so until I can photoshop it, I can't post it. But trust me, he does not like doing the starfish on his back.


And this is at the hotel when we met up with Tamara and family. We totally crashed their swim afternoon.

First time on a waterslide for Steven.

Me & John, hanging out.

Isn't my son adorable?

Shave and a Haircut...

Before our sick weekend, Steven decided to give John a buzz cut. And then I came home from work and nixed that idea. I should have immediately made a hair appointment at Beaner's but instead we thought "hey, how bad can it be. I'll cut his hair."

Let me present to you ...just how bad it can be....
take note of his ear area, just how jagged and crooked the haircut is

And the piece de la Resistance.... his bangs.

Enough said. We'll go to Beaner's next time.

Steven also decided to cut his own hair. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Would you be worried if you saw this man walking around with a child? We decided that if he ever went to the park that the other parents MUST see him arrive with John otherwise they'll probably call the cops on him when he leaves with John!