Potty Update

We have been trying this potty thing for a few weeks now.....so this is my update for everyone.
NOTHING has gone in the potty! :) Oh well!
But pee pee has gone on the rug in the bathroom, the side of the tub, and on the carpet in his room.
I know it will happen and when it does I will be SO PROUD! We are still only putting him on it before bath time and now he has to have something to occupy his time sitting there (what a man)!
Here is a potty picture I took though! Cute huh???

In this picture he has his lovey (what he carries around with him all the time and goes to sleep with now....and it is UNC basketball- YUCK!)

Double Trouble

Evan and Avery stopped by this morning during their walk to play with Jackson outside. Poor Jackson doesn't realize how hot it is in MS and doesn't care...he just wants to spend ALL day outside. We are still spending the mornings outside and also right before bath time now just because he loves it so much. I walked him around the block tonight and he really enjoyed that....he got to wave to all the people that drove by!
Traci had her camera this morning and got some cute pictures of the boys playing. (David has had our camera the last few days in the flight room, so I haven't been able to post anything really!)

Jackson and Evan playing by our neighbors tree!


Jackson and Evan (Avery in the background) playing on our neighbor's step (it is actually an empty house now....the Occhiuzzo's moved)


Jackson with a paintbrush...we were practicing painting with water!

Gone to the Dogs!

Yes Jackson has gone to the dogs! He likes to imitate Harley as he sings. Jackson also throws back his head....too funny!

1st Haircut!

I finally gave in and decided that Jackson needed his first haircut! It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be....I didn't even cry! I figured it was time since every time you put a bib on him he reaches back to make sure you don't snap his hair in it (I have been guilty of it a time or two).
We took him to the base salon and his haircut was only $3.00. Not too bad! He sat still for the most part and I think his haircut is very handsome. He looks like a little man now! :)

BEFORE:


Sitting with Daddy - about to start


Oh no....what are you doing to me???


Hey that's my hair....


I don't think I like this....


Oh no not the curl..... (don't worry I saved it)


And the FINISHED product!

Peek a Boo....I See You

Jackson and David got to playing Peek a Boo this morning and I thought it was SO SWEET! Sometimes Jackson doesn't even get his hands over his eyes....silly boy!

Fun with Avery and Evan

Jackson went over to Avery and Evan's house for a swim party! Much fun was had by all!
Here are a few pictures of the kiddos and a cute little video of them banging on the side of the pool!

Jackson's new stunt

Here is Jackson's latest and greatest trick. As you will see when he notices me - he realizes that he shouldn't be reaching for the telephone!
I think that Miss Avery taught him how to climb...or it might have been watching his friends Jackson B. and Owen?? Who knows, but this opens up a lot more work for me. He has started to try to climb on our couch, but it is too high right now. When he gets up in the morning and I go to get him he is raising his leg up like he is trying to get out. I don't think he understands completely how to climb yet and I hope he doesn't learn....I really need him to stay in his crib until he is about 2 or maybe like Traci said "until they are in Middle School"! But he has managed climbing in the chair in our room (and yes he fell off of it this morning too...I better get out the band-aides) and the ones to our patio set. We are in full force Toddler stage now!

What is a Military Wife???

A friend sent me this...thought I would share!

"A Brief Description of a Military Wife"
What is a MILITARY Wife?

A Military wife can be tough to describe.

She is a southern belle,
a Northeastern Mets fan,
a California 3rd generation re cycler,
a Pacific Islander.

She is short or tall
A tomboy
A fashion diva
A physician's assistant
A Republican
A Democrat

A Military Wife is a career gal
A home-schooler
A scrap-booker
An accomplished cellist
An auto mechanic

What IS a Military Wife?
WHAT is a Military Wife?
What is a MILITARY Wife?
They may look different and each is wonderfully unique
But this they have in common.


They have THIS IN COMMON!
Lots of moving---
Moving
Moving
Moving far from home
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog----all riding with HER of
Course
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house
Moving curtains that won't fit
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours
Moving away from friends moving toward 20 new friends
Moving her most important luggage; her trunkful of memories

Often waiting-
Waiting, waiting, waiting for housing; waiting for orders;
waiting for deployment; waiting for reunion; waiting for phones calls;
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive; waiting for him to come home for dinner----AGAIN!

They call her "military dependent", but she knows better
She can balance a checkbook
Handle the yard work
Fix a noisy toilet.
She is intimately familiar with drywall, anchors, and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move, --
--all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
Reinvents her career with every PCS; locates a house in the desert,
The arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all "home".
She MAKES them all home.
She is fiercely IN-dependent

Military Wives are somewhat hasty
They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career
Alternatives, churches and friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other.
They connect over coffee, rely on the spouse-network and accept offers of friendship and favors and record addresses in pencil.
Military Wives have a common bond.

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands
His commitment is unique
He doesn't have a job, he has a "mission" he can't just
Decide to quit he's on-call for his country 24/7 but for you, he's
The most
Unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
ACC
BDU
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long-distance link to keep them informed the glue that holds them together.

Military Wife has her moments----
She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, and refuse to move to Siberia.
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to the flag, and a wedding picture.
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man
Who puts duty first
Who longs to deploy
Who salutes the flag
And whose boots in the doorway remind her That as long as he is her
Military husband,
She will remain his Military wife.

Gavin...Jackson's first BFF!

I watched Gavin for Liz to go to the Commissary yesterday and I tried to capture some photos of them together, but was difficult with them running all over the place. When we moved to MS, Gavin was 2 1/2 months old and Jackson was 5 months old. They seem like they have grown up this first year together. Liz and I have watched them crawl, walk, talk and become little toddlers together! They play so good together too - probably because they have been friends for almost a year now! The sad thing is that Gavin and his parents will be moving in a few weeks to LA (luckily it is only 5 hrs away), so that Andrew can train in the B-52. The good news is that Liz's parents live about 20 minutes from here, so I will still be able to see her every now and again! It really sucks though...I am losing a running partner, a dog walking partner, a babysitter, and more importantly a friend! AWWW

But that is how the Air Force is....you can't stay together forever. The upside is David may get a B-52 also and then they are stuck with us! There are only 2 bases for B52's and that wouldn't be too bad. The family life is GREAT and we might get to be neighbors with Chris and Olivia again (Chris got 52's also!). All in all the Air Force is a small world and you will most likely know someone at the next base you will be going to. But for those that you don't see every few years....there is always email, phones, and blogs of course!

Here are the pics of Gavin and Jackson along with a video of them playing in the ole so great ballpit! Enjoy!

Kindermusik

A bunch of us took our kiddos to Kindermusik yesterday. Kindermusik is a singing and story time activity that you can do with your kids. It is not just fun, but helps them in their development. This was a free one to see if you liked it and if you wanted to sign up for classes. We had a lot of fun , but unfortunately we have NO room in our schedule to do this! :( Here are some pictures below....you will see my Jackson, Liz and Gavin, and Avery is in the pink. I don't know where the rest of the kids are (Evan, Jackson B., Owen)??? They had such a good time though and when we got home Jackson took a 3 hr nap! YEAH!

My wake up call!

This is what I wake up to in the mornings....he is full of energy after he sleeps 12 hrs! :)

A great day thanks to Traci!

Yes I have to say a BIG thank you to Traci and Andy (mostly Traci since Andy left her to go study). She told me a few days ago to bring Jackson over after his nap today so that David and I could go and do something. So of course I took her up on it! There are not too many people that I feel comfortable leaving Jackson with, but Traci is definitely one of them!
David and I decided to go and see a movie (Journey to the Center of the Earth). I'll give my review in a minute. So I walk Jackson about 3 houses down to Traci's house and Jackson takes off to the playroom. He has been to Traci's to play with her twins time and time again. He of course went and got his favorite toy over there- a vacuum. I realized when I got in the car that I never even told him bye, but he could have cared less. He was too into his friends!

The movie was okay...a lot hokie, but we kind of knew that going into it. It is actually in 3D, but Columbus doesn't offer it that way (I think that would have made it better). All in all a decent movie, especially when you and your spouse don't get to do things without the kiddo that often. Worth the $12 in movie tickets and $7.50 for popcorn and a drink. Yes we went all out! :)

We come back to get Jackson and he starts to cry when I come in - yes cry. Not because he missed me, but because he knew I was there to take him home. It was pitiful. I think he would move in with them if I would let him. At least I know he is comfortable with them and he isn't always attached at my hip!

Below are a few pics that Traci took of the kids!


Jackson, Avery and Evan in the ball pit!

Jackson and Avery - always flirting with each other!

All sprawled out!

Jackson taking Avery for a ride in the car....he doesn't have a license yet??

Jackson on Evan's new chair! You have a chair Jackson, so don't get any ideas!

Traci also gave me a great recipe to try tonight and it was a big hit! I am passing on the recipe for anyone who would like to try it! I doubled the recipe...YUMMY

Barbecue Beef Cups
3/4 pound ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
One 16.3-ounce can refrigerated biscuits
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

you can also add half a chopped onion

Preheat the oven to 400º. In a skillet, brown the beef over medium heat; drain off excess fat. Remove from the heat and stir in the barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Grease a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan and place a piece of biscuit dough in each cup, stretching the dough up the sides. Divide the beef mixture among the biscuit cups, sprinkle each with cheese and bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Thanks Traci for watching Jackson and for the yummy recipe!

Oh to potty train!

Yes....that is right! I am going to attempt to start potting training Jackson. I know it seems really early to me too, but my mom said she had both my brother and I potty trained at 18 months! Oh to be done with diapers..... And he is hiding now when he goes potty sometimes and they say that is a sign.

I am not going to push him into it, just try to make it fun and hope that he catches on before he is 2. So I got out his Elmo potty chair and put it in the bathroom. Elmo talks- speaking both English and Spanish (which my husband hates, but I don't really care) which I am sure will drive me LUNNY by the time he is potty trained.

Jackson always seems to potty right before we give him a bath, so that is what I am starting with - putting him on the potty before a bath. So I did this last night and we sat and we sat! But he LOVES to make Elmo talk (which you are suppose to do only after you potty, but how am I to explain that to a almost 16 month old), so he pushes Elmo time after time after time! And he also like to pull out the little boy shield! All you moms know what I am talking about! He doesn't understand that I need him to keep that there! :) Silly Boy

No pee pee, so we get in the tub. Halfway through he is trying to climb out of the tub to get to Elmo Potty Chair (I can see a problem happening in the future), so we finish and I sit him on Elmo once again! Nothing!

Okay time for bed.....lotion, powder, diaper and jammies. Well I almost get to the powder stage and what does Jackson do.....pee pee everywhere! UGHH! Where is ELMO at now when I need him?? Oh this is going to be a LONG, TOUGH road!

Jackson.....obsessed with toothbrushes

Jackson got his new big boy toothbrush the other day. I got him an infant one when he first got a tooth, but that one was kind of yucky, so now he has a new one. I don't really understand his fascination with toothbrushes, but he loves to watch me and David brush our teeth and he throws a royal fit when I take his away from him. I am sure this will not be his favorite thing to do when he is about 7 years old. I will most likely have to hog tie him to get him to take a bath and brush his teeth. I will admit I do not brush his teeth everyday like I should (don't worry they are just going to fall out anyway right??), but we do brush them in his froggy chair! He seems to really enjoy this....in fact when I get out his toothbrush he usually goes and sits in his chair. How cute! I usually let him brush his own teeth once I am done doing it for him. Sometimes he gets confused and brushes with the wrong end as you can see below!


And lately he has also become really into Bailey. He thinks that she is a chair or a couch for him now. I think he may be confusing her and his froggy chair....I don't know?? Luckily for a 125 pound dog she is super gentle with him. I try not to let him bug her too much, but when she has had enough she just gets up and moves. Good Girl Bailey!


Lastly- this picture was just too cute not to post! He cracks me up sometimes!

Fun Run

I am going to write this, so that I have to commit to it.....I am GOING to do the St Jude Half Marathon in December with some friends! GO AF WIVES!!! Okay now I can't go back on it! I have been running faithfully for over a month now (5 days a week averaging about 15 miles a week). I think we will start out training about 16 weeks prior to the race! Wish me luck!

But today I did the Fun Run that the base has every month. It is just a 5K (3.1) miles, but it is a nice little run! I am so proud of myself though! I have ALWAYS been a slow runner, but I have been running with a friend, Lindsey, who likes to go FAST and she has been helping me with my speed! But I did this 5K in 24.55 minutes! That is my best time yet....running a 8.02 min/mile. It was very humid this morning, but the sun wasn't out and that seemed to help! Also, let me tell you how good it feels to slowly pass guy after guy while pushing a jogging stroller! It really gets you pumped!

Well I am off to walk the dogs before it rains.....hope everyone has a good weekend!
I will keep you posted on my half marathon training!

No more peas please

Jackson has hit a point where he doesn't want to eat vegetables. I am sure this is normal with most kids, but I really want him to be a good eater. I fixed black eyed peas for dinner tonight (yummy) and had them done early enough to give them to him at lunch along with butter beans and applesauce. He is not a meat eater right now, so I am not pushing the issue on that. I smash the beans up still b/c he is such a texture guy....I think this may be why he is not a good eater. He ate a few bites of the beans with that look of disgust, but I did manage to get some in him. Then it turned from disgust to what you would think was poison! So I did what any good mother would do and I hid them in applesauce bites. He is on to me though....little turkey! So I decided to reason with a 15 month old. I told him stories of how Great Grandma Jackson use to take her pills in applesauce so she could swallow them. As you can believe this had no impact. He looked at me as if to say.....who is this Great Grandma Jackson and what is a pill??? But I did get enough veggies in him to make me feel okay for this feeding. And dinner is only a few hrs away! :( BOO!

But on a lighter note, I am also trying to teach him manners since his new favorite thing is "huh" after EVERYTHING I say. We had this discussion at a bible study last year on if you should teach your children manners or more likely force the issue on them. I want Jackson to learn his manners and I will expect it out of him as he gets older. My mom once said "You may not like me at the moment, but you will respect me." And I am turning into my parents b/c I feel the same way. Okay back to Jackson. So he is always saying "huh" and I reply with "mame". And is goes back and forth - huh, mame, huh, mame, huh, mame.....you get the picture. Well the other morning it went like this- huh, mame, huh, mame, ame. Yeah he tried to say mame! What a breakthrough. Granted it is the only time he has done it, but it's a start to good manners right?? The only problem I see in the future is him saying mame to his dad! That could be funny! :)

Grandma and Grandpa visit

David's parents came in for a visit this week. We all had a really good time and David LOVES getting visitors! He was actually able to enjoy them this time since the base had a 4 day weekend! We relaxed a lot, but we did do some shopping, lots of eating, some pool time and just some good ole family time! They taught him a couple things while they were here - how to drink out of a big boy straw(see pic below) and how to blow kisses. It has been about 3 1/2 months since they had seen Jackson and since then he has gained a few pounds, grown 3 inches, started walking, talking and just being a silly little boy! He sure took to his Grandma....running right past Grandpa to her. He practically stood between her legs the whole week! I don't think she cared one bit! Here are some pictures of Jackson and them....and the one of his new hairdo courtesy of David! :) Thanks for coming and see you in a few weeks at Track Select! :)

4th of July!

We had a wonderful 4th of July this year despite the fact that we didn't see one firework go off. It was very hot here in MS, but we suffered through the heat anyway. We had a little get together with some friends and family here at our house. David's parents flew in and we invited Todd and Tara along with Liz and Gavin over (Andrew is at Land Survival in Washington right now). We barbecued out and had more than enough food to feed a small Army! I think we had hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, bratwursts, baked beans, fries, chips and dip, jello salad, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cupcakes....and I am sure most of us stuffed ourselves! After everyone left and the kitchen was cleaned we sat down to watch a movie.....I don't remember much of it. I only remember David waking me up to go to bed....I must have been tired! :) Jackson wore himself out also - he slept an hour later this morning! Below are a few pictures of the day!

Thanks Tara and Todd

Tara and Todd are some friends of ours here in Good Ole MS! They bought Jackson a Turtle swimsuit with matching tank top and hat! He looks very handsome in it don't you think?? This was the only picture we got with him actually wearing the hat....he isn't a fan of them yet!