Vacation and birthday videos!

Birthday cake!


Gift from Ashley!


opening the scooter!


learning to ride the scooter!


In Santa Cruz





Jojo with her cowboy hat... I have no idea who "Amy" is!

Jojo was riding her tricycle tonight on our walk - the first night since we've been home it's been cool enough to walk.

A few things stood out. First, she actually pedaled the pedals - which is new. Now, the pedaling didn't really get her anywhere, but she was proud of herself for pedaling as I pushed her. She even declared, "I can steer left and I can steer right!" and she did actually steer in the correct directions while saying that. The second is a habit that's been developing for a while. She got excited about "exercising her legs" so she took one hand off the bars, put it to her ear and called Hudson. "Hudson, I'm exercising my legs. Want to come exercise with me? Hudson, I'm exercising..." on and one. She even switched hands a few times. Finally, it's only been a few times she's had the thumb strength to ring her bell. I asked her to ring her bell, and she said, "That's not a bell. This (the fork for the steering handles) is the horn - that (the bell!) is the bell. See? This is the horn, that's the bell."

We've been to the pool every day this week. She still cries when she gets her face wet. I don't know what it is, but kids keep coming up to us at the pool asking me about Jojo. Usually it's 4-5 year old girls. Then they splash us, which makes Jojo cry. I eventually have to ask them to leave us alone, usually politely, although this one girl got kinda mean about it. Jojo likes to stand between my legs as I sit on the pool bottom and use my hands to scoot along. A little girl actually tried to sit on my lap, getting between me and Jojo. Jojo yelled, "that's my daddy! You go away!"

the silent pout... but still cute!


Jojo tricked me into "sharing" her cone with my bowl...


Jojo and mom at the fountain in Los Gatos.


More ice cream... always pink!


Best seat in the house... Jojo enjoys the backpack.


Eating lunch with sis and Aunt Kari during our hike. Daddy gets a much-needed backpack break.


This fallen tree was THE place to climb in Big Basin. Here with sis, cousins Evan and Kareena.


Sand toys in Santa Cruz!


Jojo on the plane ride on the SC boardwalk. She didn't like her first ride, but this one she at least smiled on.


Point Reyes was beautiful, cold, and foggy! We didn't stay long.



Funny that no matter how cool the vacation location is, this is Jojo's favorite spot - pretending to drive...

Pictures are coming...

I just had to share this one today: We are still working hard on the potty training thing, with some progress. Today Jojo woke up from her nap and had gas. I asked her if she needed to go potty. She said, "No, it's just gas. I need to go to the gas station."

We spent 2 hours today trying to beat the heat at Lakeshore's pool. It was great.

Jojo is so intent on becoming a "big girl" that I'm a little scared it's become too much. She acts out as a baby, wimpering and waving her hands in front of her, as if she's fighting the idea of having to act "older." I hate to push her, but at the same time, I don't know the line between letting her grow up at her own pace and holding her back by doing too much for her. Not that she's behind, per se. It's just hard not to compare her in the obvious area that we think she's behind in, i.e. the potty issue.

She'll always be my "little girl," and I know I should enjoy every moment, which I'm trying to do.

Vacation pics will be posted tomorrow.

Just two weeks, and I missed so much. Gotta get some videos from Sheryl.

Jojo keeps coming up with these "words of the day." Not that she calls them that, but I do. The first was "adorable" as in everything is "just adorable." Then it was "amazing." We went to check out Lakeshore AC. She saw the small gym, and I put her on the bench outside the window. "It's amazing!" she said. She said it a few more times throughout the tour. I'll post the videos we have on it.

She is also getting into the "watch me, Daddy!" phase. She's been in the "will you do ___ with me" for a while. She loves Sis's Hello Kitty baseball bat, and we have to tell her not to hit everything and everyone in sight with it. I think she learned it from playing baseball with the boys in Grandma's backyard. Sometimes the boys play swords or light sabers with them, too. She's asked me to fight with her a couple of times.

It is amazing how much she picks up. At the library last week, she wanted books on Humpty Dumpty (where'd she find out about him?). We got three of them, and of course she likes the one that has Humpty Dumpty climbing in his underwear (H.D. Climbs Again by David Horowitz).

Her favorite bed time story is still Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I try to incorporate something from our day into the story, but it always starts the same: "once upon a time there was a girl named... what was her name?" "Goldilocks" comes the happy answer. Yesterday Goldilocks liked to pick blueberries with her mommy (something she and Sheryl did in the backyard that evening). She tends to fall asleep before I finish the story, but if she's awake, she knows if I vary it one bit, and she corrects me. The routine has become more complicated by a string of party lights over her bed. She gets to drink her milk and maybe read one book while the lights are on, but we have to turn them off for Goldilocks or she won't go to sleep. "But it's dark when I close my eyes" she protests. "Yes, but if you don't close your eyes, you can't fall asleep." I lay on the floor, usually stretching my back as I tell the story. It also makes it easier for me to escape one she's asleep because she can't feel me take pressure off the mattress or anything like that, as I had to learn the hard way.

Jojo is also learning to enjoy time with Sis. She used to beg to go everywhere with me. Now if Sis is home, she wants to stay home with Sis. Today she threw Sis a ball (stilling working on catching) and watched Sis cut out clothes from her fashion book. Sis won't change her diapers, so I can't be gone long.

Finally, we took Jojo off cow milk, and her attitude has improved. Less cranky, more cheerful. She's actually eating food and asking for food. Granted, it's the same food - prunes, meat, yogurt, cereal, crackers - just more of it and more willingly.

Tomorrow she is going swimming with Grandma. I'll tell you how it went...