Kentucky Vacation

We just returned from our long weekend in Kentucky. We left Thursday about 9 p.m. and drove straight through to Georgetown, KY (near Lexington.) Jasper slept most of the way, though some of it was interupted with sleepy whines of "no lights!" when a semi truck would pass. We stayed at a really nice Best Western with 2 King Beds. It ended up that Mommy and Jasper shared and Daddy slept by himself!

We had a leisurely morning and then drove a few minutes to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Jasper did great! He didn't get scared at all. He rode in his stroller most of the time, but also walked with his little monkey backpack/leash attached. We saw a parade of breeds where they showed all the different breeds of horses and they even wore costumes. He got to pet them after the show. Jasper called all of the horses "Neigh, neighs." We took a little trolley ride to tour the park and Jasper liked that, too. When we went to the Hall of Champions (they showed clips of retired racehorses winning races and then brought out the horses which were now around 14 years old) Jasper slept through the whole thing. He woke up for the trip to the giftshop, though, where we bought him a toy "neigh, neigh."

After the Horse Park, we drove a couple more hours to Hazard, KY. We checked into the hotel and walked accross the parking lot for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. When we got back, Jasper was ready for a swim. Soon, Grandma Debbie, Grandpa Brooke, Great Aunt Elaine and Cousin Austin arrived. Jasper slept with us again that night (though he was so restless, Josh ended up on the floor!)

Saturday morning after breakfast, the whole gang (now Jeff, Lanette and Tyler had gotten to the hotel) went to a flea market. Grandma Debbie got Jasper an airplane pillow. After the flea market, we went to the Family Reunion. Jasper was very clingy and acted like he didn't feel well, so we gave him a dose of Motrin, and in about half an hour he acted fine. He ate well and played with a cousin named Victoria. They were so cute playing the corn hole game together. All the kids played water balloons, egg races, sack races, etc., etc. Austin and Jasper tried the water balloon toss (one toss and that was it!) Austin also talked Josh into doing an egg toss and water balloon toss. They came in second on the water balloons. Grandma June and Austin competed in the wheelbarrow race and the three legged race, and lets just say they didn't come in first! Austin did win the scavenger hunt, though.

The highlight of the trip for Josh was riding 4-wheelers! Jeff and Elaine were on one, Josh on one by himself, Tyler and I, and Kenny and Lanette. We were just going to ride a little ways on the creek bed, but then decided to go on some trails in the mountains. As we were winding around the trails, and I was looking over the side, I realized I was entrusting my life to my 15 year old cousin who doesn't even have a driver's license!! Tyler was actually a very good driver. It was so beautiful to see the mountains that way. We saw some houses where it didn't seem possible that people could actually get to! We also saw an abandoned train depo and house. Josh and Tyler tried walking on a swinging bridge. We saw a man just standing by the creek way up in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of creepy, especially after Kenny said he never went that far without his gun, but he didn't have it with him then! On the way back, it started POURING rain, and we all got soaked. It was a blast! Josh now wants a 4-wheeler for Christmas...

Jasper was not feeling well when we got back to the hotel, so he took some more medicine and was as good as new in a few minutes. He played with "Pa pa Brooke" and then went to bed. He slept in his own bed (the pack n play) that night, and I slept great!!

We got up at 4 a.m. and drove until Jasper woke up at 7. We ate breakfast at a Big Boy, which Jasper called a clown with hat. Then we headed for Noblesville and Jasper did pretty well in the car. He played with toys, colored, read books, listened to music. I drove for about half an hour the entire trip and that was the time that Jasper cried the most. He wailed, "Mommy, mommy, mommy..."

We had lunch at Kelly and Jared Fishback's house. Jasper loved playing with Jenna, Natalie and Lindsey. They have a nice swingset in their backyard that had an airplane swing. Jasper was having so much fun that he didn't want to leave. He was finally convinced to go because he was promised "Bob juice" (we got these little juices from Walmart that had a Bob the builder sippy lid) We got home around 4 p.m. and because Jasper had napped in the car, he was wide awake. Josh napped and I tried to get the house and the car cleaned up and some laundry done for the week.

We had a great time, and it is nice to know that we can travel with Jasper! Click here to view all of the pictures.

Potty Update

Yesterday evening, Jasper was watching TV while I was cleaning up after dinner. I went in the living room to check on him, and he wasn't there. I called for him and heard him in the bathroom. He had shut himself in, so I went in to check on him and he was sitting on his potty (fully clothed) and I could smell that he'd dirtied his diaper. He kind of whined and motioned for me to leave, so I did and he reached over and shut the door behind me. I guess he wanted his privacy! He's been telling us "pee pee" after he goes.

Jasper is becoming very interested in dressing himself. He spent nearly half an hour this evening trying to put on various items of clothing from our dresser drawers. I think we're going to encourage him to put on big boy undies and try to teach him how to pull them up and down. Who knows, maybe he'll go into the bathroom again sometime!

Saturday with Grandparents

Saturday, Jasper and I traveled to Peru to see Grandma and Grandpa B. We hadn't seen them since they'd been back from their vacation to Yellowstone. Jasper got to see pictures of his bear that they got him in the airport, on the airplane, and in his car seat on the ride home. Then Jasper went out to the van and found his bear. He hugged it and said, "My bear."

We visited Great Grandma Lena, who hadn't been feeling well. Jasper helped brighten her day. He also helped Grandma Debbie wash some dishes. Then we visited Great Grandma June and Great Grandpa Pete. He insisted on having some juice, but wanted it in a cup with a straw. He couldn't figure out how to get the straw to stay where he wanted. This video is hilarious!

Aunt Heidi came back to our house with us and spent Saturday night, Sunday and Monday morning with us. Sunday we walked in a 5K CROP walk with our church. Jasper slept through most of it!

Catching up

 This week has seemed very busy. A couple of evenings we went to the soccer field and Jasper did a great job kicking the ball around. Wednesday, Jasper and Grandma Cathy and I went shopping. Jasper wasn't too excited about the shopping part, but he did like to little play area at the mall. Last night Jasper went with me to Walmart and he filled up a DIRTY diaper right in the middle of the craft aisle. Of course, I didn't have any diapers, so we had to buy diapers and wipes. I hadn't gotten a cart because Jasper wanted to walk, so I had to carry the diapers, the wipes, the few things I'd picked up AND Jasper, who refused to walk to the diaper aisle. It was quite an ordeal!

Jasper and I stayed home today and he wanted to play upstairs this morning instead of going outside to play with Nano like I thought he would. He found this under-the-bed container in his play room and asked to get it out. I took the lid off for him and he decided to climb in. He asked for a pillow and then got comfortable. We read books for quite a while!

Today, Jasper painted pumpkins. He got finger paint in his eye and in his ears! We're off to Daddy's work to give him one. Mommy's having a night out tonight and the boys are hanging out together.

Thank Yous and Prayers

Jasper said, "Thank you" on his own tonight. He said it a couple times this evening when Josh gave him a cracker and then later when I gave him a drink of water.

We started reading out of a kids Bible story book at night a few nights ago, and Jasper really liked the "Baby Jesus" book. He can say Jesus - it's so sweet! We say bedtime prayers with him every night, but the past few nights we've been having him repeat back a prayer of, "Dear Jesus, thank you for today. Bless Mommy, Daddy, Grandmas, Grandpas, Nano and Hermie. Please help me sleep well tonight. In Jesus' name, Amen." We say two or three words and then he repeats them. Last night and tonight when I said, "In Jesus' name" instead of repeating them, he just said, "Amen."

Jasper's also been doing really well at mealtime prayers. When we tell him it's time to say prayers, he'll usually say "down" and put down whatever food he's got in his hand and then clap his hands together while we say a quick prayer. He's also starting to put his hands together for prayer at church when we ask him to.

Flipping the switch

 
Sunday was a rainy, lazy day, or at least Josh and I were hoping for a lazy day. Jasper had other ideas... The morning went well, as Jasper slept through the car ride to church and about halfway through the service. He woke up in a good mood, was relatively quiet through the remainder of the service and was quite cooperative at the grocery store and at Arby's for lunch. We were hoping for an afternoon nap when we got home so we could doze during football ourselves.
 Jasper decided napping just wasn't for him and thought whining all day would be more fun! He finally did fall asleep for a little over an hour (which was wonderful!) When he woke up, though, the whining resumed. He did have brief moments where he had fun without the whimpering. He has learned that when we ask him to go turn on the light or the fan, that he can climb up on the stool next to the piano and flip the switches. It's great that he'll follow directions, but he gets really into that switch flipping so the lights are on and off and on and off... We were wishing for a whining switch all day, but no luck!!

Friday Night Lights

 
This Friday, we went to the Wabash vs. North Miami football game. My friend, Mary's, husband is the head coach at Wabash, so we met Mary and kids and Mary's sister for dinner at Pizza Hut and then braved the rain to watch the game. Jasper and Brady ran around in the grass for a while. Norah and Jasper had fun climbing on a tractor that was sitting near the gate. Jasper would clap when the crowd was clapping. He was especially interested in throwing a miniature football around. He liked playing on the bleachers, too. Wabash didn't win, but they did score several times! We got Jasper in his pjs for the ride home and he slept the whole way home. It was a fun first football game for Jasper!

Me want drive!

Jasper has decided he'd prefer to do the driving in our family. He played in the front seat of the car over the weekend while I was cleaning it out. He was moving the steering wheel and making car noises. When we got in the car the next time he wailed, "Me want drive!" When we finally convinced him he couldn't drive, he kept repeating, "Mommy drive, NO. Daddy drive, NO!" Yesterday he said he wanted to drive every time he got in the vehicle and even said, "Me want drive. Daddy no drive." Here's a picture of the new car we got in May that Jasper's so interested in driving!

Today Jasper used a couple of sentences all on his own! "Mommy, I wike [would like] milk please." "Daddy, I wike more pizza please."

Jasper's got a runny nose and is a little stopped up today, but he was still in a good mood this evening. Daddy had to work late, so he and I played, had dinner, played some more and then took Nano on a walk over to the high school so Jasper could watch the marching band practice. It started raining on our way over, so by the time we got to the school, they were marching with no instruments. It rained harder on our way home, so we were pretty wet by the time we got here. Nano doesn't like water, so he was shaking trying to get dry the whole time!

ABCs and Glue

Jasper and I are having a nice day together.  He is still getting up VERY early (5:30 this a.m., back to sleep until 6:30 a.m., rested on the couch with Mommy until 6:50 a.m.)  The three of us had a nice breakfast together this morning and Jasper has been so cooperative today!  He played with packages of baby wipes, using them like blocks, while I cleaned up the kitchen.  We listened to a CD with letter sounds.  He just listened and looked at the book that goes with the CD through the whole alphabet!  Occassionally, he'll make the letter sounds along with the CD.  He recongizes A now and sometimes B.  

Later he wanted to go upstairs to play with his drum and toy piano.  He danced up a storm!  Then we went to the library where Jasper loves to stand on the stool to put the books in the return slot.  

We went to the store to get some glue and when he saw the school glue, and I told him what it was, he said, "Me want glue."  He carried it around the store, and when I went to pay for it he made quite a show and screamed, "MY GLUE!"  As soon as he got it back he gripped it and wouldn't let go - not even to go into the next store.  Now after naptime, when I asked him if he wanted to use his new glue, he said, simply, "No."

Meatballs, Meatballs, Meatballs

On Monday evening, we had meatball sandwiches for dinner. I let Jasper help put the frozen meatballs onto a baking sheet so we could warm them in the toaster oven. As he was moving them from a bowl to the baking sheet, he started tasting them (remember, they were frozen!) He really liked them because he started taking a bite out of each one. I took a video of him tasting them.


He also learned how to saw "meatball" and would shout, "MEATBALL, MEATBALL, MEATBALL" excitedly. This is just one of his new words. He is really talking a lot now. We've been encouraging him to use whole sentences. We prompt him to say, "Mommy (or Daddy) I would like..." He's starting to do it on his own now, though usually the words are a little mixed up!

Windows and Doors

On Saturday, Josh starting working on changing the window in his workshop into a door. Here are before and after pictures. Josh and Colin removed siding, removed the window, cut out the hole for the door, installed a prehung door and a storm door. Then yesterday, Josh resided the area. All we need to do now is paint the trim and pour a little cement stoop. Josh is getting pretty handy at all these outside projects!

Soccer Saturday, Uncle Colin and the Potty

Yesterday morning, Jasper could hear the youth soccer games going on in the soccer field nearby and wanted to go watch.  Jasper and I walked over and parked the stroller on the sidelines to watch.  We watched the 4 and 5 year old teams.  Jasper liked watching the little kids run around chasing the ball.  Maybe he'll want to join a team in a few years!

Uncle Colin visited Friday and Saturday.  Jasper loves his Uncle, and I can use his upcoming visits to help control Jasper's behavior for an entire day before.  I can say, "Jasper, you'd better come inside, don't you want Uncle Colin to visit today?" and Japser will respond with a hearty nod and an "Uh Huh!"  

We borrowed a couple Potty DVDs from the library (supposed to get toddlers excited about potty training...)  Not sure they're working because when I asked him if he'd like to watch Once Upon a Potty again yesterday,  he yelled, "NO POTTY!"  He did wear big boy undies yesterday and held his bladder for 2 hours one time.  He sat on the potty a couple of times.  I'm still not going to push it until he can hold his bladder for 3 hours and can wake up dry (or at least not soaking wet!)

A Rainy Day

We've been so busy the past few weeks getting ready for our Labor Day Party that it's a welcome change to have a rainy day to just stay inside. Yesterday evening Jasper went out onto the deck in his sock feet in the rain. He splashed around until he was soaked! He had taken an old makeup brush of mine with him and was "painting" the deck and the door. What simple things kids enjoy.

After coming in all wet, Jasper welcomed a bath where he could continue playing in the water. He would have stayed in there all night if I let him. He was playing with his new toy foods that he got at the store yesterday. He especially liked playing with a pretend drumstick and corn on the cob in the tub.

We had another early morning, rising at 5:45 with Jasper. He slept a little longer with Mommy on the couch, but at 6:30 he announced that he'd like to get down and turn on the light, and he did just that. He climbed down from the couch, over to the piano, climbed up and turned on the light switch!

This morning we've been doing laundry, dishes and art projects. Jasper looks like he has a black eye because he rubbed his eye after using a black marker. The rain looks like it's stopped for now, so it may be a good time for us to pack up and go to the library...