Happy Birthday Freddy T.

Last night we celebrated Freddy T.'s birthday. Jack made him a cake. He's been talking about it all week long.

Happy Birthday Freddy T./Daddy! You are THE BEST!

This video was while the cake was baking.

That is not my laugh in the background...

Any of you NYC readers want to take a guess who it is?

Decorating Cookies

I made cookies yesterday afternoon during nap time and planned on letting Jack decorate them today. Last night before our Growth Community came over Freddy T. suggested that we all decorate them together, so we did. As it turned out it saved me from an extremely stressful project with Jack today. After seeing him in action last night I can't imagine what it would have been like today having to monitor him and keep up with Lillie and Elliott as well. So big props to Freddy T. and his idea last night. It was a fun Christmas thing to do with our friends.

By the way, Jack LOVES our Growth Community. Reyn and Jamey have been a part of ours for a year now. Julie and Alinne joined this semester, but he loves them coming over each week. We have a silly thing we do before we put Jack to bed each night. Either Freddy T. or I carry Jack and the other has to act like a robot and follow Jack to bed. If you've been here for bedtime you know what I'm talking about. The funny thing is Jack expects anyone who is here at bed time to be a robot, so typically every Wednesday night he has 3-4 robots following him to bed. He says "robots! line up behind mommy!" All that to say, our Growth Community has been wonderful and special to all of us.

Jack is telling you what we're doing in this video, but I don't think he really wanted to be on camera!

At first everyone was watching Jack, but they eventually jumped in and decorated their own.

Freddy T. thought we needed brown for the trunk of the Christmas Trees. He's working on creating that color icing here.

Jack clearly does not know how to handle sprinkles!

Alinne helped Jack do most of his decorating.

(Because Jack has trouble sounding out his L's when he says Alinne it sounds like A weenie. It's pretty funny!)

Julie made this cookie for Jack.

Jack was a mess.

All done!

Today's Lunch

This is where Jack chose to eat lunch today. On the chair in the middle of the floor. You have to get creative with your entertainment on nasty, rainy days.

They're Funny!

Need Some Inspiration...

I've hit a little blogging lull. Hopefully this week I'll hit some inspiration!

Till then....

Paul and Meredith, if you read this, notice who's album Lillie highly recommends!

By the way.... Elliott has taken 2 steps! Lillie is starting to let go of things a little and stand. I think it would be so fun for our families if they are walking by Christmas. We still have a few weeks, we'll see!

Jack's Star

When we put up our tree the other night Jack was very bothered that there was no star to put on top. We had a star when we first got married but it was a hand me down from when I was a little girl and it was on its last leg when we got it. I think it lasted maybe 2 Christmas with us. I've looked every year for a new star, but can't seem to find one that I really like.

Sunday night I told Jack we would load up the car and go to Target to look for a star and if we didn't find one we liked we would make one. They didn't have much of a selection so we headed to the art isle and bought poster board and glitter. When we got home I cut out a star and put glue all over it. Jack spread the glue out with a paintbrush then I let him loose with the glitter. He had a great time and is SO PROUD of the star he made. Any time anyone comes over it's the first thing he shows them. Of course, in my opinion, there isn't a better star in any store for our tree this year!

Chuck E. Cheese

Yesterday Freddy and I took Jack on a date, just the 3 of us, to Chuck E. Cheese. He LOVED it! We had a great time and there was hardly anyone there, even better!

Jack rode this car over and over again. He would put his cup of tokens in the back of the car and when the ride was over he would reach back, get another token and load the machine for another ride.

Afterwards we had about 400 tickets to use to pick out a prize. Jack stood looking at all the things, talking to the man behind the counter. "I would like a straw, and that ball, that spider, how about I take another straw." It was funny.