Christmas Tree

Well we are Christmas Dorks in the Jackaroo household. We put our tree up a couple of weeks ago. Laura asked if we could put it up and even though I pretended to say it was stupid putting it up so early, I kinda wanted to do it also. I am usually a bah humbug about Christmas, but this year I have to admit that I have been in the Christmas spirit since before Halloween. I am one of those poor saps that the stores go after with all those decorations they put up in mid-Oct.

Below are some pictures of the "putting-up-the-tree process". It was a fun night and I just kind of sat back and watched Laura decorate the tree and thought to myself how truly blessed I am. I do indeed have it all (well if I could lose the 20 lbs that Jack gave me that is). Okay now I am getting all sappy and weepy.

On a lighter note, I can say that I am about 95% done with Christmas shopping and we aren't ready to declare bankrupt (thats always a good thing). Last night, I ventured into Kohl's because I saw that they were having a Fisher Price sale (40% off) and well since I am the biggest FP sucker these days, Jim and I just had to go. Now Jack will be the proud owner of the Fisher Price Peek a Block Gobble & Go Hippo. Amazing how your language just changes after having a baby. I don't think I ever said "Gobble & Go Hippo" in the same sentence before. But anyway it's on sale for $26.99 regular $39.99. I am such a sucker, I know it.

I love this picture. 

Jack directing Laura where to put the ornaments 

Laura and Jack getting into the Christmas spirit 

Jack playing with the choo choo engine 

Rainy Day in Sunny California

Yesterday was a rainy day which I love. Since moving to California, I have learned to be very tired of sunny days all the time! I mean a really good rainy day every now and then is fun! So yesterday when it started to rain, I grabbed my cup of General Foods International Coffee (French Vanilla flavor) and my quilt and bundled up in the recliner for some good old-fashioned laziness.

However, before it started to rain, Jack and I braved the big bad jungle aka WalMart. It actually wasn't that much more insane than it usually is on a Saturday. Jack talked me into buying the big Elmo that is seen pictured below. I picked it up and the kid just about jumped out of the cart, he was so excited. He has the hokey pokey Elmo that Daddy gave Mommy last year for Christmas. (Mommy is a huge fan of Elmo).

When we came home, Jack was quite the little helper by helping Mommy do the dishes.

Elmo and Jack - Friends Forever 

"Doing Dishes is Fun Mommy" 

"Can I go outside and play with the doggie?" About 30 minutes after this was taken it started to pour down. 

Mommy's Little Helper 

Houston, We have Tooth Activity

Okay, I was really thinking that I had the one child whose teeth were stuck in the gums. I mean the kid is gonna be 9 months old next week and there was nothing but gums. However last night he was crying pretty hard and Daddy suggested I look in his mouth. See I didn't even think about looking in the mouth because I had all but forgotten that he was supposed to be getting teeth because it simply had not happened. But anyway, after much struggle to get to look in the mouth, there were 2 little bumps that might possibly lead to some teeth in the near future. Amazing! I might not have a total toothless kid after all. So of course, I go looking for those teething tablets that I put somewhere but could not remember where. Lack of use, out of mind. But there is much celebration in the Jackaroo household.

Jack had a really good Thanksgiving. We had friends over and he got much attention. He also feasted on mashed potatoes, Grandpa's Corn Bake, and cranberry sauce. All of which was a hit. Well it was a slow start on the cranberry sauce and it produced mighty funny faces from the Jackaroo, but he kept going for more so he obviously didn't hate it. He also had about half of my pumpkin pie. He even started crying when I took one of my 2 bites that I took. He is a definite fan of pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving must of totally wiped Jack out because after our friends left, he went down to 4 hours, got up at 8:30 pm and then went back down at 9:30 for the night! I thought for sure when he woke up, I was gonna have to be up with him until like midnight and I was sooooo tired. What a good baby (at least that night).

Mommy and Jack were going to go shopping yesterday, but I was feeling not so well. I must of ate too much on Thanksgiving because my stomach didn't like me at all. But thankfully today is better. But I did end up online and bought most of the stuff I was gonna buy out in the store madness and I did it while in my jammies. Gotta love online shoppping. Jack is getting the Peek a Block Incredi-block thingy and the Fisher Price learning table. Daddy also bought him a Craftsman set of tools (of course not real, but give it a couple of years and it will be I bet). And I got Laura some really cool things that will not be named here because she can read. It should be a good Christmas at the Jackaroo house.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Just want to wish all my friends and family out there a very very Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you have lots of turkey and yummy stuff today.

Addicted to Sears Portraits

Okay, I admit it. I am addicted to Sears Portraits. I took Jack back on Monday to get his Christmas pictures done, even though the week before, we had our "Family pictures" done and a few of them were Christmas pictures. So there we were back a week later with the same photographer and I am sure he was thinking "yep we got another addicted mom". Everything was perfect. Jack was freshly bathed, napped, and dressed in his cute festive sweater. But, I guess I left the good, happy baby at home because I sure didn't have him with me for the pictures. He would not smile for the camera at least not his usual Jack Smile. So we didn't get that many poses because most of the time was spent trying to get Mr. Grumpy to smile. I even tried my old trick - saying ACHOO a million times. But it didn't work. So below are the efforts of very very hard work between me and the photographer named Tom. I do like the one of him and I together because we very rarely get pictures taken together because I am the one HOLDING the camera most of the time.

Jack and Mommy

Jack thinking "Man that guy is really stupid to have that rubber duck on his head"

Jackaroo stealing Santa's cookies. This is not gonna get him on that "Good" list I am thinking.

Jackaroo waiting for Santa

Jackaroo

Nakey Butt Jack

Happy Happy Jack

m

Rocking to Itsy Bitsy Spider

Last night when we were eating dinner, Jack was being a fuss bucket. So Daddy, in the eternal attempt to make a baby happy, started to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider. Now, just a little background on this famous song. Jack loves this song or should I say LOVES this song. And it works about 95% of the time to get him out of his crabbiness. But last night, something must have really struck a chord with Jack because a big ole smile came upon his face and then he started to scream (a happy scream, NOT an I-am-very-unhappy-get-me-something-now scream). He was screaming and laughing and waving his hands in the air. You would have thought that he was at some Itsy Bitsy rock concert the way this kid was acting. Daddy said that all he needed was a little baby lighter and he would of been set. It was too funny.

Ahh the joys of being a baby.

Also coming soon to friends and family will be a little slide show presentation of a Year in the Life of a Jackaroo. Starting with ultrasound pics taken in January through December. It is really incredible to see how he has progressed in such a short period of time. I will be sending it out hopefully sometime in January.

Mr. Blue Eyes 

Sissy gives brother a bath 

Happy Jack 

Family

Jack and Daddy 

Jack and Laura 

Jack and Laura 

Dawn and Laura

Ramblings

Well yesterday, I was at work really not wanting to be there. I kept thinking of all I needed to get done at home and I got a phone call. It was Pat (or Mam as we call her also) from daycare and she said that Jack had a fever of 102. This isn't the first time she has called me, but it was the first time that I got kinda worried. I don't think Jack has had a fever that high ever. So I told her to give him some Tylenol and I called the doctor. Of course, it being a Friday at noon, doctors are done for the week. I couldn't get him in. So I told everybody at work that I had to leave and drove to get him. By the time I got there, he was doing much better and we went home. I think he must of felt that I had not wanted to be at home and staged this fever thing so Mam would call me and I would have an excuse to leave work. Because he just perked right up when we got home.

Also Jackaroo timed it very well in getting me out of work. Because I arrived home just in time to hear the verdict from THE TRIAL (Scott Peterson). Thank goodness he got a Guilty Verdict. I hope they fry him. I think that their little boy would only be a year older than Jack and it breaks my heart.

But anyway, remember when I mentioned all those things I needed to get done at home, well not one thing got done. After watching the news for a bit, Jack got sleepy and he took a nap. And Mommy seeing her opportunity to take a very very rare nap, seized it and also took a nap. Wow, what a feeling!

Jack is doing better, but I do worry about him because he seems to get these unexplained fevers every now and then. Thank goodness his check up is in a couple of weeks. I am going to try to get his doctor to listen to me about the fevers.

Bored with his toys already. 

Hmm what is in here today?