Berry Patch Farms

Jackson and I spent the morning picking raspberries.  We went to Berry Patch Farms with some friends and had a great time.  Actually, let me clarify, Mommy spent the morning picking berries Jackson spent the morning eating berries (the raspberries are organic and safe to eat off the bush).  He ate as fast as he picked and any that mom put in his basket.  Lucky for J, mom was diligent in her efforts and managed to fill a basket....just about enough for a tasty cobbler for dessert tonight!!

A Day out with Thomas

We spent our Saturday with Thomas the Train!  The Colorado Railroad Museum, located in Golden (about 30 minutes from Denver), hosts a Day out with Thomas Event each year.   This was our second year to attend.  It is so much fun!  I thought Jackson loved it last year but this year was even better.  He ran from exhibit to exhibit with a huge smile on his face.

The ticket price includes admission to the museum, a 25 minute ride on a full size Thomas and access to all of the carnival style Thomas exhibits.  It is definitely a Thomas enthusiast's paradise and Jackson was in heaven.  He had his picture taken with Thomas, met Sir Topham Hatt for story time and played with all of the elaborate train sets in the Imagination Station.  A local fire station brought one of its trucks for the kids to sit in.  They also passed out jr. fireman helmets to all the kids.  The regular trains at the museum are fun to look at and explore as well.   It was a great family outing and we are already looking forward to next year!

A dress for Clara

Last week I got a crazy idea to try and make a dress for Clara.  I've never sewn clothes before so I'm not really sure what made me think this was a good idea.  I happened to see a dress online and thought to myself I can make that.  After that, the idea was stuck and I had to give it a try.  I made my own pattern and spent less than $10 on materials and supplies.  I haven't sewn since Jackson was born so it was a lot of fun to pull out my sewing machine and spend time doing something I've always enjoyed.  Not to mention the challenge of making something from nothing is always fun and creative.  Below are a few pictures of the finished product.  

Yes, I drew and appliqued the pumpkins myself so they are not perfect but I think you can tell what they are. 

preschool

With a new baby arriving this fall, I realized that J and I probably aren't going to get out of the house as much as we usually do this fall and winter.  To combat what I feared would be boredom, I started searching for something we could do together at home that would provide a little structure.  In doing so, I found an online preschool curriculum for 2-4 year olds.  I liked the way it was laid out and it covered things J was ready to learn.  He can say his alphabet and count but he needs to learn how to recognize his letters and numbers.  The program is 26 weeks long.  Each week has a theme, a vocab word (relating to the theme), a letter, number and either a shape or a color.

I told a couple of friends about it and they were interested in doing it with us.  We decided to meet once a week to introduce all of the week's concepts in a play based/interactive environment and to take turns teaching.  We started two weeks ago and it is going really well!  The kids love it and are actually learning.  We added a memory verse to the curriculum.  I've been blown away by the ability of  2 and 3 year olds to memorize scripture!

Aside from the socialization benefit, another perk of introducing the concepts once a week in a group setting is that the remainder of the week doesn't require any prep work.  We can reinforce what he is learning in conversations or everyday things we find in our environment.  We make a  learning poster each week with all of the concepts and then hang it up in a high traffic area he sees everyday.  Jackson loves it.  However, lets face it he's only two this isn't rocket science or critical to his lifelong education.  Anything he retains is awesome and what he doesn't he'll learn in his own time.

Here's hoping the rest of the year goes as well as the first two weeks!  Below are a few pictures from the first class.  I was the teacher and have to admit I really enjoyed the creative outlet of planning the lesson and preparing the crafts and games.  The best part is I only have to teach every three weeks.  The break in between affords me the time and energy to be really creative when my turn rolls around.

Like any preschool, snack time is important!

Children's Museum

Jackson and I spent our morning at the Children's Museum.  We had a wonderful time!  J is at a great age to really enjoy the exhibits.  I was amazed at how much more engaged he was compared to our last visit.  I have a feeling this will be a great destination for us this winter.  Clara can sleep in the stroller and J can burn energy running and exploring all of the exhibits!

The firetruck is one of his favorites.  He loves to drive and sound the sirens.  The water pump in the back is fun too.  He moves it around yelling, "Whoosh!  No more fire!"

The grocery store is another big hit.  Its set up like a Whole Foods with little grocery carts and a check-out station.  It also has a kitchen to the side where you can cook dinner after buying your groceries.  J loves pushing the cart around and gathering his food.  The biggest draw is the cart, which he can quickly turn into a game of bumper cars.  What can I say, the boy loves anything with wheels!

We both really enjoyed the bubble exhibit set up especially for the summer.  J had a great time making bubbles.  He looked like a mad scientist in his lab coat and safety goggles!

This was so cool.  When you pulled the rope a big bubble formed all around you.  J could make and stand inside his own bubble.  :)

Mommy doesn't let J use paints very often at home.  Way too messy.  I now know I'm a bad mommy for letting the mess deter me from encouraging what is clearly a budding Picasso.  

After we explored everything inside the museum, we hit up the playground outside.  Whew!  What a fun (and exhausting) morning!  I really enjoyed watching J play and explore everything.  He had a blast and is already asking when we can go again.  All in all, it was another wonderful morning with my favorite little man.  

Flying Jackson

What happens when you combine two thrill seeking dads and one fearless little boy?  Apparently, one high flying adventure!  Not sure what prompted this activity but its clear by the smile on his face J enjoyed it.  :)

New friend, the flashlight

Jackson has a new past time.  Using a flashlight to read in his bed before falling asleep.  Any of you that know Jackson well know that he loves to read and that he attaches to things very easily.  Cole and I are always surprised at the small things that capture his attention.  Remember the matchbox car that looked like an old RV?  That thing went everywhere with us for months, including Mexico!  Another strange one was an advertisement flier in one of his DVDs.  I was cleaning out the DVD cabinet and had it in the trash pile when he spotted it and fell in love.  He called it his paper and read it, carried it around, played with it and slept with it off and on for a couple of days.  He would bring it to me every time it got a dog ear or a slight tear and ask me to fix it.  While a little more understandable, his interest in flash lights developed just as quickly.  The only problem is that we only had full size flashlights and he wasn't allowed to play with them.  Then a couple of weeks ago, Grammy and Pop sent a package and inside were two small Jackson sized flashlights.  Jackson was in love!

Recently, Jackson has been complaining about bedtime.  While its never been a problem before, lately we've heard a lot of- "I don't want to go to bed... I'm not tired... Its not dark enough for bedtime and on and on."  To solve the problem, we told him he could read books in his bed until he wanted to go to sleep.  Unfortunately, his turtle nightlight didn't provide enough light to read by.  Enter his new friend the flashlight.  A winning partnership was formed.  Now he goes to bed with a couple of books and spends time reading before falling asleep.  He knows that he has to turn off his flashlight and go to bed when he gets tired.  If he falls asleep with the light on the batteries will run down and it won't work anymore.  I am amazed at how responsible he is being with this new little privilege!  He usually reads for 15 or 20 minutes then turns off the flashlight, stacks his books to the side, grabs monkey and goes to sleep.  Its so cute!  It also gives me hope that when he drops his nap in the next year or so that we will have success with reading and rest time.

Swimming video...Finally!

Below is a home video of J swimming.  Sorry it took me so long to post it to the blog.  He's doing great at swim school.  He's been promoted to the clownfish class and has accumulated three achievement ribbons!  The first ribbon is for being able to backfloat independently.  The second is for acquiring the "swim float swim" skill and the last is for passing the safety test of achieving a back float after falling in the water, even when dressed.  Cole and I are so proud!!

We are going to miss the pool so much when it closes in a few weeks.  We have really enjoyed spending as much time as possible there this summer.  One of our favorite activities is to go after Cole gets off work and meet friends for casual picnic dinners by the pool.   J is going to continue swim lessons so he can maintain and continue to improve his skills.  Luckily, our new community rec center will be finished in December.  We already have plans to make good use of the indoor pool!

The four arrow button on the bottom right allows you to view the video in full screen mode.

Soccer 2010

Monday night was our last soccer practice of the season.  Where has the summer gone?  Our little soccer league turned out to be a huge hit!  All the families involved had a great time.  The dad's graciously donated their time to coach.  The kids learned a lot and had a ball.  Sarah put together the following video to commemorate our season.  As you can see, it was truly a family affair.  Many of the younger siblings enjoyed watching and are patiently waiting for their turn to play!  Our players this year were 2-4 year olds (Jackson was one of the youngest).  They will grow and develop so much in the next year!  Can't wait for next summer's season to see how much they've improved!



Hint:  The video is four minutes long (w/ volume so turn up the speakers) and depending on the speed of your internet connection you may need to pause the video after starting it to let it continue to load.  You'll know its finished when the shaded line reaches the end.  Once you reach that point, you should be able to hit play and watch the video without any difficulty or pauses.  Also, the four arrow button at the bottom right will let you view the video in full screen mode as its a little small in the original size.