Jack & A Little Something Soft

There's nothing wrong with a boy appreciating the softness of the softest manly blanket in the world, all right?

Jack actually likes all blankets, but he really really likes this camo blanket from Kirsten. He grabs it and rubsitalloverhisface and kind of chews on it and loves it generally. I always wondered how babies got attached to blankies and dolls since Abby was only attached to real live people. The answer, I suppose, is that it just sort of happens.

Abby and Jack: LOVE

Oh my gosh!! Do I love them! and Oh my gosh!! do they love each other.

Jack will look all around for her while she dances around the room singing songs about him. She lets him pull her hair just saying, "Oh my gosh, he's got my hair." He just stares at her with his little heart in his eyes wanting nothing more than to just watch her.

Abby is finally content to go to sleep at night... because Jack is currently and possibly semi-permanently sharing her room (suggestion from the psychologist that visits the school)! Abby is thrilled and, says the lady, will let us know when she's done with it.

Jack's Eye Color

Jack seems to be following in his sister's footsteps and not choosing a specific eye color. It's sort of a mix of his parents (hazel and gray blue). Always fun to try to narrow down when checking the appropriate box.

Ten Reasons to Be Nice to Abby

For the first time since the inception of Gramma's night away, Abby did not stay at Gramma's house Friday. My mom and I talked about the big changes in her life (Miss Pat did warn us to wait until 6 months or so before feeling like Abby had adjusted perfectly to Jack's arrival) because Miss Julie pointed out all the big changes in Abby's life and what sort of insecurity that breeds. SO here they are:

Mom was pregnant and sick and cranky and tired for 10 months
The downstairs was re-painted, refurnished
We changed around her room while she was away (our intention was good!), and several other rooms
A BABY came and took up residence in Mom and Dad's room.
There was much talk about being a big girl and going to Kindergarten
Gramma's house (haven) in Camarillo went away
Gramma's new house (future haven) is not put together yet
Gramma's foot had a pin in it!
She changed Sunday School classes
Grandpa and Zoozie's house is in construction


Talked to Miss Janet today about Abby's resulting clinginess having increased tenfold and she suggested I walk with Abby everyday alone to just let her talk. The walk part didn't work out, but the idea of letting her talk because kids don't always know what they feel - that was the clincher. She'd been doing a lot of "I just can't handle this" and "I just can't do this" and it just seemed out of nowhere. So while I cuddled with her before bed I threw away the no talking rule and just let her talk.

What came out was that she wants to be a builder when she grows up (houses. all over the place. rainbow ones.) but more than anything she doesn't want to grow up. She seems really really scared about growing up and basically being forced to move up and out.

So, when she's seventeen and dying to get out of the house, we'll just tell her how it was so sweet when she was four she wanted to stay with me forever and ever and be in this house and never ever grow up. She wants Jack only to grow up to as tall as she is then she wants him to stop as well.

After talking some more she sighed and said, "Let's go to sleep now." And lest you get tears in your eyes because of how sweet that sounds the tone implied, "Um, enough already, shut up."

Jack's First Games

Jack went to his first Laker game and his first Dodger game within four days of each other.

The Laker/Clipper game was late.




The Dodger/Padres game was hot.

But all in all it was a win/win

Come to think of it, he went to the zoo for the first time this week as well (he slept through it). What a week!

Abby Dances

Abby's moved inspired by the Clipper cheerleaders and Auntie Samantha...

Abby's Solo

Abby's ballet class has two or three month sessions and this most recent session for some reason had a lot of new kids in it. Miss Caroline is going to try to get a recital going for the end of this session so she is working on routines and she has the new girls doing one routine while Abby, Anatole, and Claire do a little solo which is tied for the cutest thing on the planet (today) with Jack's laughing. It is SO cute because the one little boy in the class has to run back and forth between the two ballerinas pretending to lift them up. OH my GOSH it's funny.