The Playground

I've been trying to take Jack to the park more often lately. My goal is twice a week. It's really good for both of us. Today we were sneaky and went to play at a park the belongs to a neighborhood we don't live in. Sssshhh, don't tell anyone. Normally Jack just runs around and doesn't really "get" what the playground equipment is all about. Today something finally clicked and he understood. With my help, he was climbing up the stairs, crossing over the bridge, and sliding down the slide like a champ. Since he requires my constant supervision during these times, I can't really take any pictures. It's a bit frustrating because the whole time I'm thinking, "That would be a great shot. Oh, this would be a great background." I'll try to come back with my hubby so he can supervise, and I can get some pictures.

I've also been giving a lot of thought to what type of backyard equipment we want to invest in this Spring. The hubby has already agreed to build a sandbox. Of course it's Texas so he'll have to have a swimming pool. What else do you guys think every little boy needs in his backyard?

Da Train! Da Train!

With Jack's recent car fascination, his daddy thought it would be fun to get out his train set. He loved it! As you can see, he sat in the middle of the tracks and watched the train go round and round. The fun was short lived however. The train is a bit delicate for a one year old, and Jack kept taking it off the track and flinging it around. I'm thinking about buying him one of those sturdy Fisher-Price toddler trains and tracks for his birthday. We'll try the train again when he's a bit older and less impulsive.

Look What I Made!

I've been going to my mother's most Sunday afternoons to take sewing lessons. It's been awesome spending time with her and learning to sew. Jack has grown out of all his cute hoodie towels, and I've had a hard time finding larger ones that aren't ridiculously expensive. My mother had a pattern for this one, and all it required was some scrap fabric, a bath towel, and a washcloth. He really likes how it covers his whole body and keeps him warm.

What a deal!

If you don't know by now, I'm a Craigslist addict. I check it constantly to see if any good deals are going on in my town. I've been wanting to get Jack a little table and chairs for a while now. I thought it would be a great place for Jack and his cousin to have snacks and color during the day. I found this one for twenty bucks on Craigslist. It's originally from IKEA, and I've really liked it since I saw it in the catalog a while ago. It also came with three little green stools. I think he looks like a munchkin/hobbit when he sits down. :p

Jack's Two Favorite Things

Right now Jack's two favorite things are letters and cars. He points at my SMU sweatshirt and starts saying "a" "e" "i" "q", etc. He always seems to squeeze a "q" in there for some reason. The other day, as we were walking into Wal-Mart, he pointed up at the huge sign on the front of the building and starting yelling out the letters of the alphabet in no particular order. His aunt bought him a magnet set for the refrigerator for his birthday, and he spends a lot of time placing each letter in this main electronic port that tells him the sound that the letter makes. Don't get me wrong; Jack isn't saying his alphabet, and if he does happen to call a letter by it's right name, it's completely by accident. Still, the teacher in me can't help but be proud. Lately he doesn't want me to read to him. He prefers to go off and read to himself. I've gotten him a lot of simple picture books lately that have one picture with the word directly underneath. I really believe he thinks he's reading because he can name the things in the book. It's so cute. I'll try to catch him on video.

Jack is completely obsessed with cars right now, and instead of "honk honk" they all go "choo choo." Most of the day, you can find him with a car in his hand. He really LOVES Hot Wheels. I think it's because they're small enough for him to carry around easily, and they're so realistic looking. Lately, he's starting actually playing with them (a skill he's been picking up from his two year old cousin). He pushes them on the chair, the coffee table, the kitchen counter, his play fort, and anywhere else that amuses him. He's starting to make car noises and line them all up together. It's so fun to actually see him pretending. On the day he turned eighteen months old, I took pictures of him doing his favorite things. While he was completely immersed in his cars, he noticed my flash and turned around and said "CHEESE". I'm so happy to have his wonderful smile on camera that day.

Happy February!