The McDonald Adventures

Fun times

2010-11-09T21:12:00.002-07:00

Sam, you have something on your head.

No you do!

Charlie comes over every morning for an hour or so before Jack goes to school so we can all head off to preschool together. The boys just love hanging out together. That is, when Sam isn't pushing Charlie. He's tough for such a little guy. I think he was only 10th percentile for height and 6th for weight at his 18 month check up, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in 'tude.

Sam is getting so big!

2010-11-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

Every day, Sam just seems so much older and more mature. Here he is after his first painting experience with Jack. He had a blast and didn't even get too much paint in his mouth.

One of his favorite things to do is get on daddy's skateboard. We often walk into the room to find him like this...

Somehow he's gotten the notion that when someone takes your picture you should smile like this. It's his "cheese!" face.

cheese!

Pure Sam

2010-10-04T13:44:00.002-06:00

This pic is blurry and has a yucky pic of my knee in it (or something.. can't quite figure it out), but I wanted to post it because it's just pure Sam-- smiling, cheesy, and happy. This is the face he always gives me when he knows I'm taking his picture. You can also see the nice spot where he's missing his bottom tooth...

Cupcakes!

2010-09-23T14:47:00.000-06:00

Jack and Sam went to a birthday party last weekend and enjoyed some very yummy cupcakes.

Look how big he's getting!

An Oldie but a Goodie

2010-08-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

I found this pic that some friends took one day we were down by the lake by our house... It's probably 3-4 months old, but I just love it.

The bro's go skateboarding

2010-08-20T22:20:00.001-06:00

Jack and Sam both love to play with dad's skateboards. Lately, they've been getting on them together. Jack holds Sam's feet so we can push them easier.

Here's Sam after he was rolling around and playing with one of dad's skateboards downstairs and the one Heather and Kyle gave us for the Wii. They LOVE it, though we've never turned it on for them with the game.

And finally, here's a pic of Jack when he's at work. We've put him to work, of course, to start earning back all that freaking money we had to spend on diapers. Here he is at his "store" selling things... you know, like dad's sunglasses. It's a racket.

Enjoying the ride

2010-08-20T22:01:00.003-06:00

Sam and Jack have a wonderful nanny, Jessica, who hangs out with them while I go to work. This car/bus/box is one of her great creations for the kids made from the box that one of Jack's birthday presents came in. It's one of the first times they've really played together. As you can tell, Sam was having a blast.

These pics were taken at Lakeside, a great, old amusement park a few blocks from us. There is a whole "kiddie park" Jack can ride. Three of the rides, along with this car below, are great for Sam too! It is truly a Denver treasure.

Sam's favorite ride is the cars.

He also loves to hold the tires as the cars go around, which results in this...

Penny's visit

2010-08-20T21:54:00.001-06:00

My cousin Penny came for her first Denver visit in August too! We had an absolute blast. One hot day we took a drive up to Evergreen to enjoy the cool breezes.

Sam is walking!

2010-08-20T21:49:00.000-06:00

August has been a busy month here. First, Jack decided to give up diapers (after a little bribery with a monster truck). Next, Sam started to walk! It was pretty funny. He wasn't walking in the morning, but after a nice restful nap something must have come to him in a dream because he got up and started walking across the room and has been on the move ever since. He's still doing the "zombie walk" where his hands are out in front of him, but even that is starting to go away and he's just walking like a normal kiddo.

Here's a little video of the boy on the move. It was taken the night after he started walking.

We then got a new "family" car with a third row of seats because we need to take Jack and Charlie to SCHOOL beginning next week. More on that to come, for sure!

Breaking News: Tiny Town Train Crashes!

2010-08-12T16:01:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it, but the Tiny Town train crashed a few days ago, tipping over and dumping all of its passengers out onto the ground. Twenty folks were sent to the hospital, 3 in serious condition! Holy moly!

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=147973&catid=346

Jack's Third Birthday!

2010-07-22T10:43:00.002-06:00

We headed up to Tiny Town for Jack's third birthday bash. He was so excited! If you haven't been there, it's just what it sounds like. It has tons of tiny houses the kids can look in, some they can crawl in, and a train and a playground. It was a hit.

Here's Charlie and Jack at the Harley Davidson house.

Jack was so excited for this birthday mini brownies. He picked them out. Then took one bite and was done. A friend offered him more olives (as a joke, mind you) and he was SO excited. He did the same thing with his ice cream cake later...

Sam prefered rocks. Maybe I could write a new cookbook... "30-minute, kid-friendly meals with olives and rocks." It'll be a best seller.

Dealing with the paparazzi is tough on Jack.

Rock on! The Tiny Town railroad is the best!

Life With Sam

2010-06-25T21:17:00.003-06:00

Here's a little video of a few fun times with Sam. What he lacks in gross motor skills, he makes up for in smiles. The head banging might explain a lot though....

Boys Update

2010-04-24T12:32:00.001-06:00

Sorry I haven't posted in forever. Things around here have been a bit crazy. For instance, Sam turned one!! What? How did that happen. Since then he's had fun with an MRI (he's fine), beginning to crawl (yay!), and losing a tooth to a rough stair (not so fun).

My sweet boys..

Sam loves his older brother!

MMM... love him so much!!

Jack, on the other hand....

2010-03-28T09:36:00.000-06:00

We stayed up in Breck for a few days this winter. Then I separated my shoulder on my first day on the mountain. That wasn't so fun. But we had a blast on the trip.

Grammy came with us and we had a great time around town.

Sam's gotta keep that big head warm somehow.

While he's still not crawling, Sam is standing up all the time. People keep telling me he's just going to start walking one day, but I think he's going to be a late walker too. It's pretty hilarious. But with a smile that big, how can he hold it up to crawl or walk?

ugh and grrrrrr

2010-03-28T09:29:00.001-06:00

Jack still loves to wear his shark sweatshirt that we made him for Halloween. The other day we passed a man on the street and Jack turned to him and said, "I'm a shark and I'm going to eat you with my big teeth. GRRR."

Ed also taught him to make a "pirate hook" with his finger and say he's a pirate, GRRRRR.

Scary pirate finger, huh?

Jack also has some pretty hilarious expressions... This is probably a time when he was whinning about going out. He's a bit of a homebody and loves to just stay home and "play for a little bit." Or maybe this was the time he was so upset we were going to the zoo. It's a bit disturbing.

Painting our window trim with Grammy.... had to be done naked, of course.

Sam!

2010-02-08T22:51:00.001-07:00

Sam is 10 months old! I don't know how this is happening.. His birthday is next month. What?

He's waving, shaking his head when he doesn't want things, and clapping. I love the clapping!

He's also teething. The top 2 are coming in and I think he might be getting 2 more on the bottom. The other night he was up every 45 mins. Fun. I've forgotten how fun teething can be. Oh, not to mention that was the same night Jack was up puking until 4a.

Sam thinks that sounds crazy.

He's getting more fun every day!

Jack is a good cooker

2010-02-08T22:39:00.001-07:00

Since Jack was little, little, I've loved cooking with him. He must know I love it, because the other day I called the house to check in while I was at work and he asked to talk to me. He got on the phone just to say, "Mom, you're a good cooker!" It was great.

The other day, he asked to make cookies because he loved putting the sprinkles on top of the sugar cookies we made over the holidays. The cleaners had just come that morning, and I wanted to avoid a mess, so I told him we wouldn't make cookies but he could make pretend cookies in his kitchen if he wanted. He wasn't having it. He insisted we cook in "the big kitchen" so I relented, gave him some sprinkles and cookie cutters and let him have at it. He had a blast. I thought it wouldn't be as messy as the real thing.

He poured sprinkles into the cookie cutters then took a spoon and poured the sprinkles back into the bottles so he could do it again. Over. And over. For 1.5 hours this entranced him.

He made beautiful creations.

But you knew this wouldn't end well, right? All the sprinkles ended up on the floor, all over the counter, on the window seat. Should have made the stinking cookies. Ah well. He had more fun this way.

'Boardin

2010-01-17T15:59:00.001-07:00

At least Jack has the pose down.

Sam will learn from his brother.

My Name Is Sam, and I Eat a Lot

2010-01-17T15:55:00.001-07:00

Sam definitely takes after his mama. If its around and its editable, Sam wants it. And as he gets older he's getting much more forceful about his opinions. So now, if it's editable and it's around he wants it NOW.

What's This?

2010-01-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hmm...

Hooray!

Slanket Time

2010-01-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

In this house, we are huge fans of the Slanket -- the ORIGINAL blanket with sleeves. NOT the other piece of poop the Snuggie. Jack adores his Slanket and carries it around with him everywhere.

And it's great for eating leftover lasagna noodles with dad.

Watch out for that shark!

2010-01-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never posted Halloween pics, which is a real lapse because I have to admit they're so stinking cute. Jack was a shark for Halloween and Grammy made his costume from a grey hoodie I got at BabyGap. It's great though because he still wears it on a regular basis.

And he actually gets honked at while we're walking down the street.

Jack loves to show off his big back fin. And he says, "You'd better be careful because I'm going to eat you up with my big teeth!"

Bath Time Funny Faces

2010-01-11T13:19:00.003-07:00

Sam is getting more fun every day. He's waving, shaking his head no, and making clear sounds for "kitty cat" and "dada" -- his favorite person. He's eating just about everything and very often eats more at a meal than his older brother. And he's a happy kiddo when he's not teething.

And he's 9 months old already, which blows my mind. He weighs in at 19 lbs. But he's only 30th percentile for height and weight, so he mainly feels round and cuddly.

He's still not crawling, though, so he just sits and hangs out. In many many ways, having only 1 mobile kid still is pretty great!!

The Polar Express

2009-12-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

The other night I noticed Jack was reciting lines from the Polar Express, which we've been reading a lot lately. I jumped to grab the camera and here's what I got.

ps. nope, haven't seen the movie yet.
pps. imacs are fun.

Oh, it's been so long....

2009-12-07T22:51:00.007-07:00

I know it's been so long since I've posted. Sam gets up at 6:30a, Jack's been going to bed around 9:30p, and by the end of the day, I'm just pooped. Plus, let me say that it takes FOREVER to upload pictures to this site. You have to pick each pic individually. If the folks out there in blogger land are listening, please fix that!!

But anyway, since my last post, Jack is just talking more and more every day. He's started to use the words "actually" and "already" to say things like, "Actually, mom, the car faces this way." Or, "Actually, I think Dad did drive the green truck to work today." Or "I already said I didn't want that!" He's cracking me up. We've been reading the Grinch Who Stole Christmas a lot, and there's one line in the book where the Grinch is "nervously drumming" as he looks down on Whoville. The other night I was holding Jack and he was playing with my hair and he said, "Look mom, I'm nervously drumming!" We also caught him walking around the room the other day saying, "Damn it, damn it, damn it." Good work, parents.

Sam is great. Still teething. He has 3 teeth that are working their way in and are bugging him. He had a double ear infection a while back, but now he's mostly healthy and just hanging out. Still no interest in crawling at all.

Here's a link to a web album I created of some pics from our East Coast trip back in Oct. You shouldn't have to log in to see it. Just click on the link and it'll take you right to the album. There are 83 pics in it. If you click on an individual picture, you can download it.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jened830/EastCoastTripOct2009

But here are 2 I just wanted to share. I love this one of Jack and Walt on the pier on their boat ride.

And this one... I don't know if you can see it, but the clock reads 9:54. That's a.m.! I can't believe my kid slept in that late! Guess he takes after his dad.

A Few Pics from Our East Coast Trip

2009-11-09T16:25:00.003-07:00

These are 3 of the pics that Kate took and sent me. I'll post mine soon!! Promise! (I just don't have them with me at work!)

A Few Random Thoughts and Pics

2009-11-09T16:15:00.004-07:00

Just a few more random pics and updates. Not too much more to report on Sam... Still smiling. He did get strep while on our East coast whirlwind trip, but other than that, he's been happy, happy, joy, joy. Every day he's seeming more like a little kid and less like a baby. He knows his name now and watches everything Jack does intently. And he's eating more and more real food every day. He's even eating Cheerios now! It just makes him look so old.

Jack and Sam have even shared a few fun playing moments. Jack lets him pull his hair and sit on him, which makes both of them laugh. Jack also gets toys for Sam and gives him things he actually thinks Sam would like. It's fun to see.

This pic doesn't do the moment justice at all, but at the tail end of Jack's swine flu recovery we went for a walk in the neighborhood. I bundled him up pretty good, and by the time we got back his entire face, arm, and left-hand side of this jacket was covered in.... well, snot. Oh, and ice cream. I thought he needed a treat since he'd had such a hard him with the pig ailment.

One of Jack's favorite things to do is "his yoga." One foot in the air and up behind him is his favorite. He's also very good at downward dog.

And some fun times with Sam.

Random Acts of Cuteness

2009-10-29T21:00:00.004-06:00

Jack's first amusement park

2009-10-29T20:50:00.002-06:00

Jack's friend Maya had her 2-yr-old birthday party at a local amusement park where they have an entire section for little kiddos. Jack had a good time.... we think. He got very serious and quiet for some of the rides.

Ed loved this one because it was a motorcycle.

He wouldn't let go of the wheel. I think he was worried he was going to crash. He didn't move the wheel either. Can you tell if he has white knuckles from this pic?

Who's Who?

2009-10-29T20:44:00.001-06:00

Guess who... Sam or Jack?

down for the answer...

Sam is first.

Bear that ring, Jack!

2009-10-29T20:20:00.003-06:00

At the end of September, Jack was honored with the task of being the ring bearer at our friends Brian and Kayla's wedding.

Before the big show, Jack played outside the chapel... and then just as it was time to go he started to run away and scream, "No!" I freaked a bit, grabbed Jack from behind a bench, banged his head in the process, and he started screaming even more. For me, it was like the beginning of a horror movie. But then I told Jack it was time to go and he perked up, grabbed the pillow, and headed down the aisle.

Walk that runway!

Jack took his job VERY seriously.

Jack and Jen with their secret service keeping watch.

Just a few pics

2009-10-15T11:10:00.002-06:00

I am so, so behind on updating the blog, but since I have a few seconds I wanted to post a few pics from the last couple of months. I still need to post pictures from Jack's trip to see Thomas the Train (Ed and I hate Thomas, but Jack loves him so what are you gonna do?), his exciting role as a ring bearer in a friend's wedding, and his first trip to an amusement park. Look for these in November...

Getting ready for winter... Sam's excited! Oh wait, maybe he's not. It's hard to tell because the kid is always smiling.

I'm worried Sam might be a picky eater. That won't go over well in our house. So far, he's not fond of carrots, peas, bananas... and the list goes on. Not that it really matters; I continue to feed them to him anyway!

This was his "rain coat". He said he was ready to go to work.

Jack loves to water the garden

2009-09-27T17:22:00.003-06:00

Like his dad, Jack loves to water the garden out front at night -- though Jack doesn't get to drink a beer while he does it like Ed.

Chasing us with the hose is most of the fun.

hehe.

And so it goes...

2009-09-27T17:16:00.003-06:00

Yay, I'm going to get a nice family photo...

Oh wait...

Sam Is 6 Months Old!

2009-09-27T16:58:00.004-06:00

Really? A half a year has gone by? I can't believe it. It seems so trite and everyone says it, but it goes too fast, especially the second time around. Sam is getting bigger each day and he continues to be the sweetest, happiest kid. Even when he's not feeling good he's smiling. Even when he's crying he's smiling. Really, he's amazing. Here are some pics to give you a small taste of sweet, sweet Sam.

Grammy came for a visit and we had fun, fun, fun.

What is this woman FEEDING me? Where is the ICE CREAM!?

Like Jack, Sam hasn't really gotten the hang of rolling over -- mostly he can't be bothered -- but he does love to hang out on his side.

I'm the coolest in my hat....

And am contemplating the ways of the world and the bottle.

Rocking It with Cuz Ella

2009-08-30T22:58:00.005-06:00

This post is LONG overdue. Grammy Claudia, Kate, and Ella came for a visit at the end of July. We had a great time and saw tons of fun Denver attractions. The cousins had a blast.

And rocked it. Here's Jack and Ella playing at Cherry Creek Mall.

Jack, Ella, and Grammy... talking philosophy.

Feeding Sam.. so sweet.

Beds were a favorite play area for the kids.. jumping in Jack's crib, on the big bed... they had a blast. (oh, and on a kind of related note, since this pic we've totally given up the pacifier. whoo hoo)

Aunt Kate with Jack, Sam, and Ella

Probably the funniest moments of the trip were the dirt party. Jack and Ella found a bag of dirt and went crazy. They'd pick up the dirt, throw it at each other, and pour it all over each other's heads. They had a blast. We have video too, and I'll try and post it here some time soon... Here's Ella getting more dirt.

And a dirt shampoo..

Even dirty, she's the cutest girl around!

Tiny Town was another big hit. It's a place up in the mountains that's been around since the early 1900's. It's just full of small houses... They're not quite big enough to get in, but Jack tried. Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, Jack smells the blood of a Colorado mountain hippy.

The kids wanted to get in all the houses SO badly. They had so much fun at Tiny Town. It was hilarious. I totally recommend it for kids under 3.

Here's the kids at the zoo enjoying their favorite part... ice cream. "Wanna smooch, cuz?"

And here's about 130 more pics...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=pcr90fh.1fl5ok6d&x=0&y=-1hsxdg&localeid=en_US

We love Pedro

2009-08-11T13:43:00.003-06:00

The Petits love to show off their rather unusually large tongues. Jack is a bit frightened and has feelings of inadequacy.

After tongue show and tell, Sam was tired.

Pedro too. Whew.

Standing!?

2009-08-11T13:33:00.003-06:00

More Brotherly Hang Time

2009-08-11T13:16:00.004-06:00

As Sam is getting bigger and more interesting, Jack and Sam are starting to enjoy each other's company. Here they are enjoying Jack's favorite past-time, watching the Cars movie. (Don't worry folks. I didn't really let Sam watch tv. This was just for the sake of the pic. But he does love to look at the tv, which is a bit disturbing.)

Jack's even played around with sharing his toys... That is, until Sam grabs it and then Jack wants it back right away.

Hanging in bed.

Oh wait, maybe Sam isn't really enjoying this.

And hugs.

Ah, Push It

2009-08-11T13:01:00.004-06:00

Sam is getting so much stronger each day. Since Jack's birthday, he's gone from this:

7/15: "Oh, I hate this mom!"

"Uh, this is HARD. Could you people please roll me over."

7/27: "Hey, look at me! But I still kinda hate it."

7/31: Getting the hang of it...

To this today: "I'm a lover, not a hater."

Jack Is Two!

2009-07-26T13:49:00.006-06:00

We had a little party for Jack and his pals for his birthday. I borrowed a kiddie pool and set up a slide. We put Jack in a swimmer diaper and let him have at it....

He wasn't so sure.

Ben splashed...

And Jack wanted to get out....

Sebastian jumped around....

And Jack, well.... He had other things to do.

Like eat his birthday treats--a whole bowl of edammme and another full of olives. We told Jack he could have a bunch of olives for this birthday, so the whole day before he was going around screaming, "Olives at my birthday!" He ate about 2/3 of a can of olives. Yeah, I know. My kid is strange.

But he did love his McQueen cake.

And his presents. In the end, it was a fun day.

and here's about 100 more b-day pics for your enjoyment:

costco photo album

July 4th "Hike"

2009-07-11T14:48:00.005-06:00

Over the July 4th weekend, we attempted to head into the mountains to go for a family hike. However, the traffic was so bad, we couldn't even make it to Golden. So we pulled off and ended up having a picnic next to a nice stream. We did hike for about 15 mins, but it was out in the open with no shade, and we couldn't handle the heat. We are heat wimps.

Jack's really become a climber these days. He never used to climb anything; now we can't keep him off stuff.

Granted, this one wasn't too high.

And believe it or not, Sam is already 3 months old!

More Sea-bass Playtime

2009-07-11T07:52:00.002-06:00

Thamks for the sand and water table, Grammy. It makes for cozy outdoor seating.

Let's tire these guys out! They just run back and forth over our lawns.

Feeding Sam

2009-07-10T11:58:00.004-06:00

The wonderful woman who watches Jack and Sam while I'm a work a few days a week sent me this. She took this pic on her phone, so the quality is terrible, but I couldn't resist putting it up here. Apparently, Jack really wanted to feed Sam and did a good job with it.

Hanging with Sea-bass

2009-06-30T17:40:00.002-06:00

One of Jack's favorite times of day is when Sebastian gets home from school. These two best buds play hard every night before dinner. We recently found out that they both have the same motorcycle shirt so we took some pics.

As Jen P. said, this pic is "so Jack" with him holding as many cars as he can.

Diapers are so in right now.

Motorcycle shirts, yay!

Off to Wally World!

2009-06-16T23:12:00.005-06:00

We starred in our very own Chevy Chase movie this past weekend and went on our first family trip. We went up to Grand Lake, which is just south of the West side of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The first night we were there we went for a drive at dusk to look for moose. Sometimes you can see them from the road. First, we saw two right next to the road. They were about 10 feet from our car. They were close enough that I got freaked out and wanted Ed to move along. Then we saw two more. Then another with a baby. Then another crossing the road. We saw a total of 7 moose that first night. It was crazy.

This is pretty much how Sam enjoyed our vacation.

But he did have his awake moments.

Our main goals for the trip were to avoid the 800,000 items on our "to do" list and relax. Dad and Jack got right down to it. This is them watching "Finding Nemo." Jack loves this movie now and is constantly interupping our conversations to say, "Dori and Nemo's daddy in a whale. The water went down, down, down. Sharks have sharp teeth."

Hiker Jack

2009-06-16T22:50:00.005-06:00

One of the main things we wanted to do on our trip was go hiking. This is the beginning of our hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.

There were 2 large elk herds in the fields on either side of us.

Walking with dad...

And mama...

And of course every puddle must be hit with a stick.

And We Took a Boat Ride

2009-06-16T22:40:00.003-06:00

I think the highlight of our trip was the boat ride. It was just us and one other guy and we got a nice tour of Grand Lake. Jack loved it and was even able to be "captain" for a bit. You can see the snow capped mountains in the background.

Sam is bundled in that white fleece blanket. It was cold and windy on the water and a storm was rolling in. Plus, he was out cold.

Thanks Aunt Kate!

2009-06-16T22:32:00.003-06:00

Aunt Kate sent Jack a great new hat for his birthday. And even though she asked us specifically to hold it until his birthday, we suck and just couldn't wait to give it to him. We love it.

Ta da!

Mama, Sam, and Jack

2009-06-16T22:29:00.000-06:00

Caught in the Act

2009-06-16T16:01:00.004-06:00

The other day Jack and I were having fun with his new markers. I went into the kitchen for a minute and came back to this.... I love his guilty face at the end.

Brotherly Bonding

2009-06-16T15:51:00.002-06:00

Sam: Who made that noise? Me or you?

Oh yeah, I guess it was me.

ps. you might have to click on the pictures to get the full impact of Sam's expressions here. Priceless.

Smiling Sam

2009-06-07T12:58:00.003-06:00

Sam Is 2 Months Old!

2009-06-01T13:07:00.003-06:00

At Sam's 2-month doctor's appointment, he weighed in at 11.5 lbs. He's 50% for weight and 25% for height. And still as sweet as can be. He loves to coo and kick and smile at you.

And I think he's going to have curly hair. He has curls on top that we can't get to lie down and waves on the sides. They're even more curly right after a bath.

And some Sam...

2009-06-01T08:42:00.000-06:00

Kicking It Together

2009-06-01T08:23:00.003-06:00

Jack likes to lie down next to Sam, but then hates it when we try to take his picture. For the most part, he's very gentle with him.

Here they are in Sam's crib.

Sam's favorite thing to do (you know, of his many options) is lay on the floor and kick. Then Jack likes to lay down next to him. Most of the time he doesn't step on him, lay on him, or kick him. Most of the time.

More Hiking

2009-06-01T08:11:00.006-06:00

We want to encourage Jack's new love of hiking, so we took him up to Red Rocks last weekend. We did two very small hikes, but he had a good time. He kept saying, "More hiking!" and "Jack hike by self again" and started to cry when we packed up to get in the car. The signs of a good outing.

We told him the goal was to make it to the brown sign. He was very determined. See him leaving mom and Sam in the dust.

We didn't see too many wildflowers, but the ones we did see were beautiful.

And notice his padded knees on his pants. Ed bought him these before Jack could walk, I guess planning that Jack would have dangerous days in this future where he'd need knee pads. Scary.

Ah, a water and goldfish break.

Jack's So OLD

2009-06-01T08:05:00.003-06:00

Just look at this kid. He's turned into a little boy. We also got him a tricycle this weekend as an early birthday present. (It's 7/12 for those who weren't there birthing him and probably don't remember like I do!) He also got his first helmet.... One of many I'm afraid he'll have over the course of his lifetime.

He's also talking in sentences these days, saying things like, "Jack NEED that." Granted, he's talking about himself in the third person, but at least we're clear on who he's talking about.

Some Cute Sam Pics

2009-05-19T13:19:00.006-06:00

Pam was really good about taking pics during their visit. I always have such good intentions, but I end up running around and never take as many pics as I'd like... I guess that won't stop any time soon, huh?

Sam has some long periods of awakeness where he's very alert.

But he's also a great sleeper and sleeps a lot during the middle of the day. He also doesn't go to bed until about 11p every night. Granted, he sleeps until 6am, but come on! My baby isn't supposed to go to sleep later than I do. But I guess he's following in his brother's footsteps. Last night, we put Jack down at 8:30, but he didn't fall asleep until after 10p.

Grandpa and Sam

Jack's First "Real" Hike

2009-05-19T13:07:00.002-06:00

Ed and Pam were in town last weekend and we went for our first "real" hike with Jack. Sam came along too. It was real for Jack because he actually hiked himself, which he was very proud of and kept telling us -- "hike self, hike self. Like hiking!" He hiked about 3/4 of a mile on foot, we think, and he actually kept a pretty good pace. He's a much better hiker than he is sidewalk stroller.

We saw deer and some horses and Jack really loved climbing over the rocks and logs. It was a real work out for him, but he did a great job. Since then, he's been asking to go hiking again and threw a fit this morning because we couldn't. I think we have another hiker/mountaineer in our house.

Jack found a bear cave.

Family Shot

2009-05-18T17:28:00.003-06:00

Dad and Sam

2009-05-12T09:01:00.001-06:00

Sleepin' Sam

2009-05-12T08:35:00.001-06:00

Funny Face

2009-05-12T08:16:00.001-06:00

Sam was feeling very photogenic the other night and we got some great expressions. And is it me, or do you seem some red highlights in that hair!?!?

Ooooh yeah. I'm the coolest newborn around.

See, told ya.

Updates

2009-05-11T15:13:00.002-06:00

Sorry it's been so long since we've updated. I would blame the fact that I have 2 kids under the age of two, but the honest truth is that they're nice to me. No, I'm blaming our computer. It's dying and we haven't been able to do anything on it for weeks.

So here are a few pics I downloaded to my laptop. More to come soon (I hope).

Jack loves his "bones" pjs and doesn't want to take them off. The other morning we let him go outside and play in them. He also loves his sand and water table. Since this pic was taken we've also gotten a big swing set -- a hand-me-down from one of Ed's co-worker. It's great -- 2 slides, 2 swings. Jack loves it.

This pic was taken a few weeks ago. Sam is looking so much more mature now. And he's sleeping! He goes to bed around 11p (b/c he's a night owl like his brother) and sleeps solid until 6 am. I love it! Because I have such bad insomnia when I'm pregnant, I am getting the best sleep I've had in over a year now.

Hang Time with Grandma Gigi

2009-04-23T16:03:00.002-06:00

Jack was a bit more cooperative for these pics... but he's still not a fan of getting this picture taken these days.

I love trucks!

2009-04-23T15:57:00.002-06:00

I love any kind of truck or car or train. I'm kind of obsessed. And with the great Denver weather we've been having, I've been digging a lot with my diggers and dump truck.

Looking Cute-Patoot

2009-04-23T15:51:00.000-06:00

Brothers

2009-04-23T15:48:00.001-06:00

Good Times with Grammy

2009-04-23T15:39:00.002-06:00

I LOVE this pic!

Relaxin!

2009-04-23T15:30:00.002-06:00

Mom got out that old Boppy and I'm learning to love it again.

Sam's First Bath

2009-04-13T13:42:00.004-06:00

Pirate eyes in the bath...

All clean and so chill....

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-13T13:27:00.004-06:00

On Easter, the Bravs hosted an easter egg hunt for the kiddos. Jack got very excited about finding eggs.

Dad had to give him some pointers.

Ben must have practiced, because he crushed all the competition. Look at his loot!

This is the best group pic we could get before it turned into....

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T11:13:00.001-06:00

More Sam and Jack Pics

2009-04-05T14:13:00.002-06:00

Daddy lovin' on Sam.

He's been very alert... and has very sweet eyes.

This expression pretty much sums up how Jack feels about this new brother... "uh, what in the heck is going on around here?"

But, for the most part, he's been very sweet with Sam. He's handed him blankets, given him his pacifier, and helped with diaper changes... Then again, there are the times when he just screams "Mommy, hold you" over and over when I'm feeding him. So it comes and goes. This was a sweet moment though.

2009-04-01T20:29:00.001-06:00

Sam, 24 Hours Old

2009-04-01T20:26:00.000-06:00

Sam... Meet Jack

2009-04-01T20:17:00.001-06:00

Sam, April 1, 2009

Jack, July 12, 2007

Samuel W. McDonald Is Here!

2009-04-01T20:04:00.002-06:00

Sam arrived on Tuesday, March 31st at almost 5p. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 15 oz and was 21 inches long. He's been extremely sweet since the moment he was born. We are happy to know him and even happier to have him as a member of our family.

We love you, Sam.

xo, mama, daddy, and big brother Jack

Jack was very sweet the first time he met his new brother. He was very curious.

After Sam's first bath, he was ready for some glamour shots.

Heather and Kyle Visit Denver

2009-03-19T14:42:00.003-06:00

My great sister Heather and her boyfriend Kyle came for a visit. We had a great time and miss them already. Jack was totally in love with them both, but the highlight of the trip for him was hanging out with Kyle in his yellow rental car. Here are some pics Kyle took. More pics of their trip will be posted soon. (I stole these from Kyle's facebook page).

gotta get the right tunes for my drive to work. I have a big meeting today.

Oh, traffic sucks.

but my morning cup o' joe makes it allll better.

Man do I love Kyle!!

Basement Pictures

2009-03-14T16:28:00.002-06:00

We've created a slideshow on Kodak Gallery of a few before and after pics of the basement.

Check it out.

One hand is normal, the other hand is made of olives!

2009-03-14T16:24:00.001-06:00

Isn't that CRAZY?

I Am Ginormous!

2009-03-14T16:23:00.002-06:00

Walking with Mom

2009-03-14T16:18:00.001-06:00

Even though mom is a big mamba-jamba these days, we are still able to get out and walk most days because of the amazing Denver weather we've been having.

I like to walk around with an empty milk jug... you know, for fun. I'm wild.

Taking After Dad

2009-03-14T16:11:00.003-06:00

We are SO behind on updating the blog. So sorry.

A few things have happened over the last month or so. First, our basement is totally done and is amazing. Ed and I have moved downstairs and are turning our old bedroom into a guest room/outdoor gear storage area.

Here's Jack helping us organize Ed's stuff.

I'm all about safety when I use my ice axes.

And when I drink my milk.

2009-02-19T22:19:00.002-07:00

Sometimes Ed and I wonder if Jack is really our kid. He's much too cute and funny.

But then tonight he did something that convinced me that he's mine. He took Ed's Chipotle burrito and dug in. He loved it. That's my kid!
___________________________________

Yay, I'm holding my own burrito!

Mmmmm, sweet goodness.

The Transportation Museum

2009-02-19T22:03:00.005-07:00

Last weekend we took a family trip to the Denver transportation museum. It's a pretty quiet place that's mainly a huge warehouse with tons of old cars, motorcycles, and trains. In fact, I guess it has one of the largest indoor train exhibits in the US. It was good because it was quiet and Jack could just run around and explore.

Also, have I mentioned that Jack is now obsessed with the movie Cars? We recorded it on the DVR over the holidays and let him watch it when he was sick. Now he's crazed... Just like he was over his choo choos. He now wakes up in the middle of the night saying, "Cars? Cars?" I'm worried he has an addictive personality.
_________________________________________

Here I go...

Dad and me by one of the steam engines.

A "stop" car. That's what I call all police cars. "Stop!! Stop!!"

Jack Gives Clegg the "Pound"

2009-02-19T22:00:00.001-07:00

Jack and Sebastian Kickin' It

2009-02-19T21:58:00.001-07:00

Lovin' on Jack

2009-02-19T21:54:00.001-07:00

Believe me, it's not hard to do.

Jack has just woken up, as you can probably tell.

65 degrees in January

2009-02-02T20:26:00.003-07:00

I am wild like this grass here

Big stone stairs, no problem..

Today I learned not to eat yellow snow...

Box head

2009-02-02T20:17:00.002-07:00

I have a box head...

I am crazy....

I walk away...

I look gangsta in my snow suit and cool math hoody

2009-02-02T20:06:00.004-07:00

Sledding is fun when I get pulled

Sebastian's Birthday

2009-01-12T16:11:00.003-07:00

These posts are all out of order... Sebastians two-year birthday was December 21. I can't believe 2 years has passed so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that we were visiting the Petits in the hospital and meeting Sea-bass for the first time.

We tried to get a shot of the 3 neighborhood boys -- Jack, Ben, and Sebastian -- but they were a bit distracted. They still look cute as hell, though!

I Love Berries!

2009-01-12T16:06:00.002-07:00

If I could live on berries, I would. Mom buys frozen blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries from Costco, and I love to eat them just like that... frozen... with some plain yogurt. I think the cold makes my gums feel better, because my molars are coming in.

Mm, berries are messy.

More Christmas

2009-01-12T15:16:00.006-07:00

Jack was a little overwhelmed Christmas morning. You can see the look of awe in his eyes and these trains were the first gift he opened. (These were different than the trains he opened in the video below.)

Lovin' my puzzles.

Caleb got a flying... something? for Christmas and we were trying to fly it before dinner.

Jack was amazed by it. And he loves it when Claire holds him.

Notice he's holding his "choo choo" in his hand. Those ARE the trains he opened in the video below. And when we left for Don and Sue's for Christmas dinner, Jack threw an absolute fit because we were leaving his trains. Three weeks later, they're still the first thing he plays with when he wakes up and the first thing he does when we get home. In fact, when he gets up in the middle of the night, which has been frequently lately, he's not allowed to play with his trains. So when he wakes up, sometimes you can hear him crying in his room and then telling himself, "No choo choo. No choo choo."

Is there rehab for train addiction?

More cute x-mas video. This time, a fire truck!

A Taste of X-Mas

2009-01-04T00:00:00.003-07:00

Jack was a very lucky boy this Christmas. He received many wonderful gifts that he loves and plays with daily. More pics will be posted soon, but it's getting late, and this preggers mama is tired. But I did want to share some video of Jack enjoying his new trains, or choo choos. He plays with them for hours...

Jack in a box

2009-01-03T23:14:00.005-07:00

Step 1: Cut a hole in the box (or use your x-mas tree box).

Step 2: Put your Jack in the box.

Step 3: Open the box...

for hours of fun. ;-)

Basement Update, Continued

2009-01-03T22:59:00.002-07:00

The drywall continues... They're working on the main room in this pic, with Shawn in the "bump out" area. Rodolpho, in the back, is in front of the new babe's room.

Shawn working on the bump out. He's very proud of the curved wall he's created that follows the actual line of the house. It looks sweet.

This picture is in the baby's room looking out at the main room with the stairs to the upstairs on the right.

The baby's room again.

Our room with the door to the bathroom on the left and the two egress windows.

Basement Update

2009-01-03T22:34:00.007-07:00

The basement is coming right along. After they dug out the dirt and poured the concrete floor, they began framing the walls. Well, actually, they took a week to work on the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, but that wasn't much fun and involved a few nights of dark rooms, no water, and lots more dust. The framing is more interesting to look at.

This is the area underneath our dining room that we call the "bump out" because the wall curves out. We've had them build a ledge for a TV and some built in storage on either side.

You're looking at the stairs to the back of the house/upstairs.

And then they put a whole heck of a lot of insulation in the walls and ceiling. We had them insulate the ceiling for noise. And boy is it cozy down there. In fact, it's much warmer downstairs than upstairs and we've actually got 3 of the 4 vents blocked off because it was getting too warm. We should have our upstairs as well insulated as the downstairs, that's for sure.

The bump out area again, with all the insulation in the walls.

This will be the new baby's room for the first year or so and then become an office or maybe even a large closet. It's the 12 x 8 room they dug out of the dirt crawlspace area that we used to have. There's a small ledge that we had them build around 2 of the walls that rests on the new cinderblock wall they built around the crawlspace. It makes the room feel much larger than it is.

And then they began the drywall. This is a picture of what will be our room with our closet to the right. That's one of 2 egress windows in the room so we can climb our tooshies out of there if we need to. There's another egress window in the main living area.