Felt Food and Ikea

We also went to IKEA this week. I've been wanting to get Jack a set of good play pots and pans, and we found them there. When we got home and opened them up, he was thrilled. He likes to pretend to stir things in the pots, and I wanted to give him some pretend food to actually stir. I went on etsy to see what people were making in the pretend food area. I found all this neat stuff for felt food. It's relatively cheap to make, particularly if you use the cheaper felt. You can go all organic with the felt, but my budget won't allow that right now. It also gave me a good reason to keep practicing my sewing techniques. I learned how to blanket stitch and I'm loving it. I found a few free patterns online to get me started. First, I made Jack some felt ravioli to stir in his pot. He actually gets what it is and pretends to eat it. I also made him a sandwich and some chips, but for some reason he doesn't get those yet. I figure if I keep making the food by the time he does get it, he'll have a lot to play with. Next, I'm making cookies, donuts, and bow tie pasta. I've included pics of Jack playing with his new pots and the felt sandwich and chips.

Farmer's Market

We went to the local farmer's market this week. Jack had a good time. He calls every fruit he sees an apple. I let him hold an apple while I shopped and he was thrilled. I really like to look at the flowers, and Jack liked to destroy them! We bought Jack a kiddie leash to give him a little more freedom. He really likes to explore, but he doesn't know a stranger and doesn't mind running far away from me. I don't want him stuck in a stroller until he is five, so this is the best alternative for right now. He doesn't seem to mind it. I just have to get over feeling like I'm treating my child like a dog! He got to see and experience things that wouldn't have happened if he'd been in the stroller the whole time, so that makes me feel better.

The New Park!

The first phase of our new community park opened up a couple of weeks ago. Jack has already been four times! I am so happy to have something like this in our town.

Here's the 2-5 year old side of the playground. The area in the back on the right side is the new water park for the little guys. It should be open this summer. The other side of the playground is for the bigger kids. It has a rock climbing wall and several other cool things. Jack really just likes to run around a scream most of the time.
Jack likes to sit on the benches and watch people go by. They also serve as another climbing toy for him. He likes to flirt with little girls his age and chase after the bigger boys on the basketball court.
This is a really neat music wall on the little kids climber. It's REALLY LOUD! So, of course, Jack loves it.

Jack enjoyed running down this big hill. I think all the beautiful green grass thrilled him. If you've seen my backyard, you understand!

We decided we'd bring Daddy back with us later. Daddy is a whole lot more fun than Mommy at the playground.

Jack isn't much for the swings. I don't think he likes to be still that long.

Here's Jack's cousin climbing up the stairs. He's ten months older and really gets the whole playground equipment thing. My sister and I take the boys there to play, but we end up chasing them in different directions and not visiting much!

Hats!

Jack has decided he likes to wear hats now. I think it's because his daddy starting wearing his baseball cap again when he's working out in the yard. He thinks his daddy's pretty cool. I think he looks so cute with it on. The hat usually ends up backwards so he can see better. He's really been copying us lately. He likes to pretend to cook when I'm making dinner. And he loves to help me clean the house (Go figure!). And, of course, anything daddy does is worth trying out.

I've Got My Dining Room Back!

Here are some pics of Jack and his cousin enjoying the swing set while we had it in the house. Now that Spring has officially sprung I moved the swing set outside. We got so used to it in the house that the dining room looks really weird to us without it. Jack seems to be missing it because I've caught him climbing all over the furniture in the house today. I love the silly face he made for me in this picture. I think he was in the middle of telling me something.

Hair!

The other day I fixed Jack's hair up a bit while he was taking a bath. I can't believe he was nearly bald on his first birthday. Who would know that now?! I thought he looked a little like James Dean in these pics. Pretty soon I'm going to have to cut his hair or he'll have a mullet. I really don't want to. For some reason, I get all sentimental and mushy when it comes to his first hair cut.