Fun at the Zoo!

We had lots of winter fun at the Minnesota Zoo yesterday! It is hard to believe but for just under ten dollars each (because most of our kids are under two!) we could have a fun day looking at all the animals. We were able to get two free passes to the zoo from the library!! Thank you to Macy's for sponsoring the Museum Pass program!!!

There are a lot of neat things to do inside at the Minnesota Zoo in the winter. We saw the indoor exhibits (Tropics Trail & Discovery Cove), we saw the World of Birds show and had a hawk fly right over our heads!! Seriously, inches about our heads. We met the two new dolphins, Allie & April, who are getting to know their new home. We saw a huge shark. We even on the monorail ride and even saw the new partially indoor/outdoor "Minnesota Trail" and saw grey wolves.

It was great to see all these animals that God made and to enjoy a fun day out!

To see our pictures from the day, follow this link:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1AbsXLFuzasXcg&notag=1

Motivation is Key

Jack has figured out crawling, if and only if it is in pursuit of something he desires....Like Goldfish Crackers or Cheerios!

As I am getting to know this sweet boy each day, I am finding out that he and his daddy have many things in common. One such area seems to be the way they are motivated. Jack is motivated to get things he desires and he is motivated by praise and recognition. As we have practiced crawling (which is not required, nor is it even a developmental step according to our family doctor...as a matter of fact, many children skip this step altogether and are just fine!) to promote gaining upper body strength, I figured out that to motivate him to move - I can't just put any old toy in front of him. I need to dangle some sort of "carrot" that he really truly wants! As you may already know, Jack LOVES food. He eats and eats and eats. He loves food, even if he has just finished his meal. So, naturally - Goldfish Crackers or Cheerios on the floor have motivated him enough to squish those chubby legs up underneath him and get up onto his forearms to move.

Recognition and praise are more key motivators of Jack's. He gains confidence in the task he is doing if he is being built up and praised for his efforts. As we continue to practice walking, the more his is clapped for and told "Yea! Great Job!" the more and more he wants to practice. He starts out shaky, but continues to get better and better with more praise...that is until he gets tired! :)

God has been good to us. We are so thankful for Jack. We are thankful for the insight the Lord provides us into our baby boy's motivational patterns. Observing these things will definitely help us develop strategies to continue to motivate him towards what is right!

First Time for Everything...

While Jack experiences his first steps, his mommy had a few firsts of her own this weekend on a fun girls only trip to Chicago.

It is amazing. I have been to the great windy city of Chicago more times than I can count - but this time I had several firsts!

1. I saw the Chicago Bean. Very cool and a bit trippy when you walk through it. It definitely makes for excellent photo ops.

2. I enjoyed shopping on State Street - Normally this is all done on Michigan Avenue.

3. I stayed in a Hostel!! Ok - so I have only heard weird things about this - but it was a good affordable way to stay in the heart of the city. We were close to everything. We met some really nice people. I felt like I was in a dorm room at college. The room was simple, but provided just enough. It had six bunks, six lockers, an in-room bathroom including separate shower, toilet & sink areas, and even a blow-dryer! They provided the bed linens (although some were hairy) and towels for the shower. Our party filled our room to capacity, so we did not have to share with strangers. Maybe next time!

4. I sang Karaoke. I can hardly believe it. It was very intimidating, scary, exhilarating, and thrilling all at the same time. WOW. I observed more than I participated...but when they called my name, I belted out the words to "Love Shack" with my new pal Corinne. I was reassured that unless you are really good - no one really notices you singing beyond your own party. I agree. Take the plunge if you haven't. I hope to ease into it again....someday.

5. I drove through a winter white-out storm! This is an experience I was not glad to have, nor one I wish to have again. I was more stressed out and concerned for the safety of my passengers than I had ever been in my life. However, the good news is that I had a supportive crew with me who gave me the most up-to-date weather reports, helped me see out the side windows, kept the windows defogged, encouraged me, and handed me chocolate! We made it home safely and were glad for the prayers of friends and family back home. THANK YOU!

It was very nice to come home to my boys and smother them with kisses and hugs after all of the fun of the weekend. :)

First Steps

Hard to believe it, but Jack took his first steps tonight at his Nana & Grandpa Paul's house! It was so exciting to see! We had to share it with you!!! Auntie Meggy taped it for us. She is a very proud auntie!

Birthday Fun!

Friday, February 8th was Jack's First Birthday! Jeremy and I geared up for his birthday by taking a trip down memory lane the night before. We watched the video of our ultrasounds, the ceasarean delivery, and his first days home. We could NOT believe that he was already one year old. AMAZING. Look at these two pictures to see how he has changed so much:

Jack in his TONKA Truck just a few weeks old...

Jack in his TONKA Truck going for a ride on his Birthday!

Friday night we celebrated Jack's birthday with a big barnyard bash!! Here is a rundown of the night with pictures!

The Super FUN John Deere Tractor Cake!

The Trough Style Dinner that was Served for Dinner in a Trough!!

All the gifts that his guests so generously brought!

Getting into the Cake!

Sharing with Mama!

He LOVED it! But all the flashes from the camera were a little blinding!

"I think my tummy hurts! Mama, can we take a bath now?"

Increase in Appetite!

Jack loves to share. He always offers you a bite of whatever he is feeding himself. As you can see in the picture above, he is doing a great job sharing his banana with his Grandma Shelly.

I don't think anyone questions whether or not Jack is getting enough food. As a matter of fact, most of the time the comments are something like, "Wow, he looks like he is starving!" or "You two must not be feeding him very much!" Now my question is, "Is he getting TOO much food?" We have a child who gets SOOO excited to eat. He loves it. He wants to eat. He especially wants to eat whatever it is that you are eating, even if he just ate his own dinner. He says, "Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh" until you see that he would like to share in the delicious tastes of your cuisine too. So, here is a typical meal in the last week (which we are thinking is a growth spert): A #2 Gerber Veggie, a serving of fruit (either an entire banana as shown above or the equivelant), a slice of cheese, some whole wheat crackers, and a bit of milk. Then, once Jeremy and I sit down to eat - he has some of what we are eating! :) So far he is not a picky eater...

Boys!

A few weeks ago we had some good friends over to spend time catching up. We all got married around the same time and as the years have past we just didn't get to see eachother as much as we would have liked. Anyhow, now each of our families has had a son within a year of eachother. The boys are so sweet and it will be fun to watch them play as they all grow up together.

Tate, Avery & Jack play together on our Family Pizza Night!

Noah, Jack & Avery at Noah's Birthday Party

(it was a Thomas Party that was one of the BEST kids theme birthday party for one and two year olds that I have ever been too!! Very well planned!)

Jack LOVES to play with his friends. He gets SOOO excited when he sees them!

Jenga Champ

The winner of the Jenga Tournament was determined at Russ' annual Rootbeer Party. It was a close match, but Russ came out ahead over Ben. Congratulations Russ!