In Search of Myself

Should I be worried?

Ok, before I tell you this HILARIOUS story, you need to know a few things.  1. Jake does get spanked on occassion, because my family believes in spanking.  That's just all there is to it, it works well for us, and it's actually rare that he gets spanked because we have taught him to be a good kid.  2.  Jake has an EXTREMELY high tolerance for pain.  Most spankings don't hurt him (and he looks at me like I'm stupid when I do it if he's in a mood.   But other days it's just the fact that he's in trouble and the ACT of spanking hurts his feelings and gets his attention.  When he's in trouble with my mom, she asks "Do you want your butt smacked?")  3.  We play around a lot, wrestle, act silly -- sometimes I pat his bottom and say "spank the baby."  I know it's random, but it makes him laugh SO HARD.

Anyway, last night it was close to midnight and Jake just would NOT go to sleep.  I was laying in his bed and he was sitting next to me.  I kept telling him to lay down, but he didn't feel like it.  So I was rubbing his back, trying to get him to calm down.  He said "You rub my back?"  I said "Yeah."  He said "You scratch it?"  So I scratched it for a while.  Then he said "You pat it?" so I patted his back.  Then he said "You smack my butt?" so I patted his butt a few times. 

Then he said "You smack it harder?"

At this point I started laughing so loud I was a little afraid I was going to wake Lou up from a deep sleep.  Jake started laughing hysterically, too, then said "I made you laugh.  I funny."

That kid is insane.

Quickie Work Day Funny

{ University } was having a kick-off celebration for something random yesterday, right outside my building, and they had some free food.  So [boss] sent me over to check it out (to see if it was anything decent.)  Our options?  Nasty hotdogs, burnt pop-corn, and sno-cones.  Hey, sno-cones are safe.  So I got two -- one for me, one for [boss.]  Got back to the office, and [boss-boss] said "Where's mine?"  I said "Hey, I only have two hands." 

He said "Yeah, but how many bosses do you have?"

'doh.

(he was totally kidding, by the way.)

Jake's Daddy-planned party

Ok, let's catch up on birthday stuff.  It's only two weeks afterward, I'm not THAT far behind, right?

Daddy was in charge of planning our party for just us.  Well, it was GOING to be just us -- but then Lou decided he wanted his friend Hart-man from work to come over, and I said "If Bryan's coming over, then Priscilla and the girls are coming over, too."  (I hate being outnumbered by a bunch of smelly boys! And having her and the girls over brings me back to the majority!  Elauna was SO excited to come over and see the new Elmo toy Jake got -- the very first thing she did was round up all the Elmo's.  She's SO silly.)  (oh, and this picture of Bryan makes me laugh SO HARD.  He really IS that tall. Run away from the giant, kids!  LOL.)  So Lou did the grocery shopping, party prep, and cooking, and I just had to show up! He got Jake an AWESOME Thomas the Train cake, as well as bought little presents for each of the girls so they would feel included in the gift giving (and he picked them out PERFECT toys.  A little Elmo talking toy for Aowyn  and a Little People doll for Elauna.  They LOVE them.)  Jake was way excited about his birthday party.  We ate burgers and chips first (complete with Lou's famous sour cream / ranch dip -- YUM), and all the kids wanted to do was get into the cake. Finally we got out the cake, sang to Jake, and let him blow out the candles about three times (this is because [a] the kid LOVES blowing out candles, and [b] my camera has too long of a delay and I wanted to make sure I got some pictures.)  I also had Lou get a little cake (cakes were from the bakery that Aunt Julie's mother owns, they rock!) and on it I put some sugar letters to spell "Dog Mills."  Why?  Because Jake had been asking for a dog cake for his birthday, and while Lou decided that Thomas would be great (and it was!), Jake wasn't letting go of his dog cake idea.  Jake says his name is Dog Mills all the time, so to us, it made sense.  Jake really liked it, but the funny thing was he STILL wasn't convinced he had a dog cake until we put some ScoobyDoo sugar thingies on the cupcakes at his party that next Saturday (and that party is for a whole other entry!)

You'll remember that I'd already let Jake open his Weeble town that morning, so that evening's presents were all from daddy.  And HOLY COW.  Lou went all out.  He got Jake a big workbench in addition to a small talking one (I guess we're hoping Jake will be a carpenter?), some pj's and clothes (that *I* was excited about, but Jake could care less), some Star Wars figures, and some Thomas the Train stuff.  (Am I forgetting anything, Lou?)  Jake was in MAJOR sensory overload by this time, and I don't think he knew WHAT to think.  The kids congregated around the big tool bench, I think that was their favorite item of the night.  We got the video camera out (which we are SO bad about) and got a few minutes of video.  (Almost all the video footage we have of Jake, it has Elauna in too -- because it's always when they're playing that it dawns on us to take the camera out, and she's always there for all our significant events!  My mom commented once that his grandkids are going to wonder who in the world she is and why she's in all the pictures, videos, scrapbooks, and I said "Well they'll just have to get married and then it will make perfect sense."  LOL.  JUST KIDDING.)  It was nice to have Priscilla there to help me with the cameras and to hold the cake up so I could get a picture of Jake with it.  (She's not only my bestest friend, she's my personal assistant!  ha ha!)

Anyway, Lou is a WAY better party planner than I am (not to mention, better cook), so he made Jake's birthday really special.  (Thank you, dear.)  Now just one more birthday entry, about his TODDLER party, and we're good to go.  ;o)

A new baby!

I'm sorry, and an Aowyn page

ugh, you guys!  I HATE that I have to keep ignoring you!  My DigiScrap site is keeping me so busy -- I love each and every one of you and I won't blame you if you give up on me (although I hope you won't!!!)  I think about you every day and I do skim your blogs to see what's goin' on -- but the password ones I don't as much 'cause I'd have to look them up!!!  Please still love me anyway!

In the meantime, here is a page I made of Aowyn's birthday party that I threw her on Monday.  (Page elements are from a great designer, MandaBean, who is a sponsor of my site!)  Hello Kitty all around, more cake and cookies than we knew what to do with.  Priscilla and I have had 4 birthday celebrations together in like the last 3 weeks . . . probably time to give it a rest, eh?  LOL.

Jake's birthday.

I was thinking about Jake's birthday -- like, the actual 24 hours of the day -- after it happened, and it dawned on me the range of emotions this kid goes through in a 24 hour period.

I took the day (Sept. 12th) off work to hang out with Jake for his birthday.  We slept in until like 8 a.m. and it was wonderful. So upon waking he was sweet but sleepy.  We went downstairs and let him open a present from me, first thing.  He was EXTREMELY excited to finally get his Weebles town.  (He had seen it in my trunk 3 months ago -- 'cause I saw it at Target for 33% off and went ahead and bought it early, then hid it in my mom's garage all summer) and he had a blast playing with it.  Heck, *I* had a blast playing with it.

We got dressed and headed out to the mall.  I wanted to have his picture taken for his birthday at the Picture People.  In the car Jake was chatty and excited, as I had promised if pictures went well we would go to Toys'R'Us afterward and look for trains.  (It's all about trains right now.)  Just as at the wedding, Jake had a train in each hand all day.  Jake was EXTREMELY shy and clingy the entire time we were getting pictures taken, but also acting goofy all at the same time.  After we got some pictures (it took forever and I was sweating from trying to corral him and make him behave), we ran over to Toys'R'Us and mommy spoiled him because it was his birthday.  Jake is ADORABLE when we are shopping, tells me all of the things he likes, and I'll say "Well we don't have to get everything we like, but we can look at it for a minute then put it back."  And he accepts that.  He was very excited about the new train we picked out.  Then back to the mall to pick up the pictures -- I got one free, and bought 4.

At this point we were hungry, so I took Jake to Olive Garden.  It was like 2 p.m. so we didn't have to wait in line (wah-hoo!) and again Jake was shy with the waitress.  He behaved very nicely during our meal, and kept himself amused with his trains.  He's such good company these days if he and I go to a restaurant, because I've taught him he has to behave.  (Most of the time.)  Our meal was great, and I had the waiters bring out a birthday cake to him and sing their Happy Birthday song.  I was shocked that he wasn't shy about all of this, his eyes lit up when they came up to the table and he just smiled and smiled as they sang, then promptly sat up and blew out the candle when the song was done.

Then since I had the day off and I NEVER have a chance to go, I stopped by my eye doctor's office (between the mall and my house) to get the pads of my glasses replaced -- they had both broken.  I thought this would be a quick in and out visit, but my glasses have been a little damaged in the last 2.5 years ('cause I'm rough on EVERYTHING) and she couldn't get the screws to line up.  We were there for 45 minutes -- but Jake played quietly with his trains and the books.  He kept talking to me, but it was polite and silly talk, nothing bossy or obnoxious.

We drove to Nana's so she could tell him Happy Birthday, and to give her our left-overs.  We sat for a while, and Jake sat on the couch and drank a sippie cup and watched Sesame Street to just kind of chill/mellow out instead of a nap.  Because we were going home to have a birthday party . . . 

Happy Birthday, Beautiful.

 

 

I can't believe it's been a year already.  Aowyn, we are so blessed to have you in our lives.  Your Auntie Jenny loves you SO SO MUCH.

{ d o r k }

When I saw these purple papers that Jasbeanie designed JUST FOR ME, I knew I had to do something with them that was ME.  Really me, not just the good stuff you try to focus on so everyone thinks you're normal.  ;o)

Sunday birthday brunch

Ok, still playing catch-up.  Now on to last Sunday (Sept. 11th.)

Since Lou's aunt Lisa and her daughters Jessica and Terri were in town for the wedding anyway, and it WAS Jake's birthday weekend, we had breakfast together as a family at Nannie and Pa's house, then Jake opened some presents from all of them.  He had a BLAST.

Terri got Jake Pop-Onz blocks from Fisher Price, which I had seen in the store but never had a chance to play with before.  They are SO COOL.  Even better, she got him the starter set where the carrier doubles as a play surface.  Really, how freaking cool is that?  Every time I'd get to the point where I was happy with what I'd built, though, Jake would shout "Timber!" and knock the whole thing down.  (Really, now, it's annoying to play blocks with him!  Luckily, though, Jessica and her husband distracted Jake for a while so I could build the whole little city just ONCE all the way.  I think I had more fun playing with the blocks than Jake did.)

Jessica got Jake a Sing&Shout Elmo.  She LOVES Elmo and has quite the collection herself at home (she's like 23, I think, just out of college.  Hey, I still play with toys, I'm not faulting her for it,) and every year she gets Jake an Elmo.  She's the one who got Jake the Hokey-Pokey Elmo for his 1st birthday, and he STILL plays with it!  I think Jessica played with the new Elmo more than Jake did on Sunday.

Lisa and Nannie both got Jake clothes, which Jake was less than thrilled with, but I was excited about them.  Jake actually had the most fun playing with the big Thomas gift bag that his blocks came in.  He was crawling in it and hiding and totally cracking everyone up.  Then Jessia's husband Whitney was picking him up in it, which Jake liked but I think it scared him just a little.  Whitney is really nice and likes to joke around with Jake, but he's also very tall and a new person, so Jake was a little stand-offish. 

When we were telling everyone goodbye, Whitney asked Jake it he wanted to go home with him, and that kind of freaked Jake out.  Even the next day when I asked Jake if he had fun, he said "He not take me home."  LOL.  (oh, and here's a family picture of all of us from that day -- we were all laughing SO hard because Whitney's head looks like it's FLOATING above ours.  My mom took the picture for us.)

So this was the 1st of 3 birthday parties for Jake.  Next entry will be the 2nd birthday party.  ;o)

How the wedding went.

How about a scrapbook page first?  What do you think of this?  (I've been cheating on Shabby Princess with a great designer named Carrie Stephens, over at Fishscraps.  But I still love SP the best in the world.)

Ok, so after talking to my sister Sheri last night about the wedding, I've realized I do need to tell you all how it went.

We got there at 2:30 p.m. and it started at 5.  We were told we needed to be there early so Jake's picture could be taken, but that never happened.  So pretty much the poor kid sat around for 2 hours doing nothing.  A weird but nice groomsman helped me get Jake in his tux, and Thomas the Train saved the day keeping Jake amused.  The "wedding planner" (I think it was just a family friend) rushed around looking stressed and never seemed to give us the info/directions we needed.  It was absurdly hot outside, even as it got nearer to the wedding starting.  The wedding was outside and the sun was in my eyes as I played the piano and I had no sunglasses with me (no really, it was fun.)

The flower girl was two and a half and her parents kept saying she hadn't had a nap that day.  Let's leave it at that.  (I will add, though, that I structured my entire day and the night before around making sure that Jake napped before we left.)  I had originally told the violinist that we needed someone to be up there with us, watching what was going on, who would be able to tell us when everyone was up the aisle so we would know to stop playing.  We had about 90 measures in our piece but we estimated from the rehearsal that we would probably end at measure 32 or 36.  At the last minute, she decided we didn't need the help, and told her husband not to worry about it.  Ok, then.

So I play a Bach piece as the parents and grandparents are seated.  Wonderful.  The violinist and I start to play Canon in D as the bridesmaids walk up, but she stops randomly around measure 30.  I can see from the corner of my eye that the flower girl hasn't made it up, so I lean over and stage-whisper "Keep playing!  The flower girl isn't up yet" while I'm trying to keep playing myself.  She has no idea where I am, and finally I say "Start at measure 33.  Ready, go."  She starts playing SOMEWHERE, but buddy it is NOT measure 33.  So I'm desperately trying to find her, she's trying to find me, and the flower girl is still goofing her way up the aisle.  Finally it was such a train wreck, we just stopped playing all together.  (Time was standing still, by the way.)  At the point we stopped playing, the flower girl was 3/4 of the way up the aisle -- when the music stopped, she threw all her flower pedals up in the air and said "Ta-da!!!"

Yeah, so that's how that went.

Jake did a wonderful job.  We decided it would be best for Lou to just go ahead and escort Jake up the aisle -- which was sweet, because Lou had been the ring bearer 26 years ago for the groom's parents' wedding.  From where I was sitting up front (next to Jessica's new husband, Whitney, who was doing the sound -- he was HILARIOUS to sit next to), I didn't hear a peep out of Jake the entire time.  Lou said Jake was talking to Nana a little and squirming a bit, but he didn't make any scenes and didn't disrupt anything.  I was SO PROUD.  Again, won't talk about the flower girl.  But she was the opposite of Jake.

Anyway, it was fun (kind of) to dress him up and take the pictures, but I'll be pretty happy to just show up and attend weddings from now on instead of being part of them!