JACK is 4

Jack is 4! We had a great weekend celebrating his birthday, we started the day with letter pancakes and presents, and ended it with circus birthday bash! Jack continues to be a very funny and sweet little boy and is still obsessed with cars. He has recently gotten braver on his bike, allowing us the freedom to trek all over town, last week we made it to the bank and the Co-op! With his first year of preschool under his belt, he has really come into his own. It has been so fun watching him learn and grow, and we're lucky to have him in our lives. Happy Birthday Jack! We love you so much!

The Circus Is In Town!

The circus came to town for Jack's 4th birthday!!!

Last Day of School

The last day of 3Yr Preschool

Last Day Program

The three amigos, Kolden, Will & Jack......there were 6 girls and 3 boys in the class so the 3 boys became great friends.

Jack, Sam & Stella........Sam is Jack's friends from "lunch bunch"

Kolden & Jack, best buddies

too cool for school! It's hard to believe Jack has completed his first year of preschool, the year went so quickly and it was so fun watching him learn and grow. Jack had a wonderful teacher and a great class with a very nice group of kids/parents, so we will miss it all this summer. Luckily we have so many great summer programs to choose from to keep busy and we have at least one more year at Congregational Preschool to look forward to with Jack!

spring has sprung

Stella catching up on her reading :)



Jack Mr. Cool

Water Table in March!



NO pictures please!


strike a pose

A Visit From the Anderson Clan

everyone poolside

Dennis & his Aunts

snuggle time for Stella with Grandma

Grandma & Grandpa Mott with the kiddos

Grandma & Grandpa time for Jack

The Many Faces of Stella

Stella's vocabulary amazes us every day, her words are becoming so much clearer. Her favorite thing to say is "I'll do that" or "I'll try that," because of course she wants to do everything herself. Stella has always had this funny little shuffle when she walks and she swings her shoulders and arms, it's so cute. She must be going through a growth spurt lately, because I swear she eats more than me, I have no idea where it all goes. She loves to sing and is quite good at it, loves to dance and "go crazy!" She just runs around in circles, shakes her butt, falls down to the floor and rolls around, repeat, repeat, repeat! It is hilarious to watch. Stella can throw a temper tantrum with the best of them, but also gives the best hugs and kisses. The fights have been on the rise around our house as Stella has gotten older discovered how to hold her ground with Jack, sharing is a work in progress. Pictures of Stella are pretty hard to come by lately - she has no interest in holding still to get her picture taken, she's far too busy playing dolls, kitchen or coloring.

Afternoon Picnic

Jack has been taking shorter and less frequent naps as of late, which means I have a little one on one time with him many afternoons while Stella is napping. The other day Jack said he was making us a picnic and not to come into the room until he called for me. After several minutes said it was ready and called for me to join him, I was very impressed with the spread he had laid out :) He has always been such a sweet boy! Unfortunately, it looks as though Jack already struggles with timeliness, he has to be the most poky child to get ready and out the door in the morning. Jack still thoroughly enjoys his mornings at preschool and has made so many new friends. It's funny listening to him talk about his day and telling me all about his friends, and he has recently declared "I don't like girls because they stink!" Jack has a great sense of humor and loves to be silly. His favorite color is green and he likes practicing writing his name and doing his cutting homework with his green safety scissors.

Enjoy the Moment

Stella is know 20 months old, and I feel like 2 is just around the corner, which means 4 is just around the corner for Mr. Jack......wow that went fast! Ironically enough, I sometimes catch myself worrying about how quickly they are growing up and that I am taking as many opportunities to enjoy this time as I can, that I'm probably missing out on the present moment with them. Although there are sicknesses, sleep interruptions, and the exhaustion from waiting on two little people to deal with, I wouldn't trade it for a thing, I know I will miss it all someday. I recently read an article in one of my parenting magazines about savoring the moments with your children and how difficult it can be with our busy, hectic lives. There were a few words that really resonated with me, that I have been trying to keep in the back of my mind during the more challenging days of parenting a 1 & 3 year old. "Picture your children's messy bedrooms clean and empty. Picture the backseat of your car vacuumed and without a car seat or crumbs. Playroom shelves neatly stacked with dusty toys. Laundry under control." So as I look at the mound of unfolded laundry and toys scattered about the house, I will now try to find some comfort in this, knowing it is a sign of a busy happy young family.