16 Months

I am waaaaay late at taking these.  I actually took like 3 snaps over a week ago but he was sooooo not into it I gave up.  So today after a good nap we went to find a wall.  We tried downtown Beech Grove which is seriously lacking murals (someone take note).  We ended up outside the newly closed Beech Grove Meat Market which has a clean wall and I liked the big arrow.  Jones of course wanted to run around rather than stand where I wanted so I let him do his thing.  I still love them.  

Jones Jones - 

This month was super fun.  Daddy is doing much better and you are loving it!  

You often ask me if he's bye bye, or ask for him rather than me.

You also check to see if he's coming places like to drop off at school or to run a quick errand.

I think it's great.

You are 26lbs (not sure on height).

You have started pretend laughing when you think something is funny but aren't sure.

You added new words and phrases like oh my, uh oh, bubbles, slide, go outside, shoo (as in smelly), not and daddy.

You pretend things are a phone (a computer mouse, a old phone case etc), and often call Aunt Eita (Lita).  

Your pretend conversation is like "hey Eita hey!" at almost a yell and after much of this you tell her "bye bye".

You also started to be more independent.

Example you throw yourself on the ground when you don't want to hold hands.  

You get sooooo excited when you see a dog or cat out.  

You love having your hair brushed.

Mommy actually trimmed up your mullet neck curls this month.

You also a refusing to eat certain foods like corn or skin on anything.

You like to read books and play trucks.

You still think balls are the best and we probably play ball or look for it in books several times a day.

You blow kisses when people leave.  

You also give hugs when I ask you too.

Mommy loves when you smile and your dimple pops out.

I love how you try to snuggle me by putting your face in my neck.

I enjoy how you will listen to me and we'll do things together you by my side like cooking or loading the dishwasher.

I started calling you "Jones Jones" because you call me "Ma Ma".

Mommy is kind of jealous that you now say "daddy" not "dada" anymore.

Mommy and you have been having oatmeal for breakfast and you like it like her thick as cement! Lol.

Daddy is enjoying playing ball with you.

He likes when you want to sleep with us and snuggle (mommy not so much).

He often makes you an adult size plate but you never come close to finishing it.

He has given you candy.

He has also seen how this makes you cranky.

Daddy is over joyed you will now give him a kiss.

He loves wrestling you and tries to let you win.  

We love you so much little guy!

love mommy

Book 54 - Bastards by Mary King

So even though I finished my list I still have been reading a few books.  I tried to finish "Yes Please" by Amy Poelher too but the library wanted it back before I did finished it - this is the second attempt I did with this book so I am not likely to try again. But anyhow I did read another a memoir - Bastards by Mary King.  It was in my recommended queue so I went with it.  It was pretty good the childhood stories were interesting and detailed, I wasn't so wild about the end it was all hurry up and get to the point that it just seemed so fast toward the end. But it was still a good book, some sad with some humor and feel good aspects in there too.

Tuesday 10 - October

1. Family Day trips.  We went to Covered Bridge festival we didn't buy a thing but enjoyed bridges, walking and jones liked finding animals.

2. Chopstick attempts

3. Loaner Vans

4. The master of the slide.  He's soooo proud he can do this all by himself.

5. Cousin's birthdays 

6. First field trips.  We went to pumpkin patch. Jones was super excited by the animals and had the best time with his class.

7. My first purchase for the new baby.  $.99 overalls. I also bought her a jumper.

8. Baby Bomber Jackets - seriously this is too cute.

9. Visits from Aunties.

10. Zoo Boo.  The zoo membership might have been one of our best purchases of the year - next year I want to do zoo and the children's museum. We can go for an hour or all day and we don't care if we see one animal or 10 but it's a good time.

4:12 Rolled Sugar Cookies

I have made Sugar Cookies many times before usually using the Betty Crocker Recipe or Julie's Recipe (a friend).  But since I am trying 12 new recipes this year I found an alternative recipe.  We cheated though and used store bought icing.

The recipe I used is here from Family Spice true to form I modified it and added 2 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of almond extract.  http://familyspice.com/recipes/recipe/?recipe_id=458. 

They cookies turned out pretty good, Dustin said he likes the usual recipe better because it's more doughy less cakey.  But I think these were good and soft and not to sweet.  I did make 1.5x the recipe because 4 of us were decorating seems we run out of creative ideas at about 3 cookies each so we could have just done the 1x recipe.  I also cut everything in circles because I don't have many Halloween shapes, but I think that worked perfectly.  

3:12 meatball Strongaoff

So we made this one several months back and enjoyed it.  We used this recipe http://menumusings.blogspot.com/2011/06/meatballs-stroganoff.html?m=1 

This time however we used turkey meatballs, chicken broth, and no cream cheese, I think we liked it better.  I might have also tossed in some extra spice too.   The first time I tossed in some frozen peas too which I rather liked.   Sorry I didn't take more photos.  Anyhow so that's recipe 3.  I guess I need to pick up the pace. 

preschool age 1

Jones started preschool in August.  It's really just a semi expensive daycare that has structured activities for all the children.  But I feel better calling it "school" rather than daycare.

It's been a huge change around here it's so weird not having him to hang out with at lunch or to pop in and say "hi mama" during the day.  It's also been a struggle for both me and him at the drop offs.  He cries and wants me to stay and play.  We've maybe had 4 days where there wasn't crying.  Apparently it lasts just a few minutes.  But still it's heart breaking, leaving your baby with virtual strangers day in and day out.  Ugh!

But it's also been good.  I am much more productive at work there's consistency in the sitter and he actually loves school.  He shows me his favorite toys at pickup and he's been learning things like picking up toys and blowing his nose.  It also makes me appreciate our evenings and weekends together sooooo much more.  

Anyhow I was originally only going to share his first school pic but then I got to rambling.  Anyhow here it is - no smiling Jones dressed in a ridiculous onesie because mommy forgot it was picture day. Oh well!  I love it anyhow.

561.5/1000 miles

In September I was going to make a better effort to wear my Fitbit and keep it charged.  Ha!  I actually did worse than normal maybe 10 days went by were I forgot it until noon or 3pm.  I had several days where I wore it dead too.  Clearly I didn't make a special point to capture the miles.  As a result September seems like a pretty walk less month, although I did try and get out and walk more as well as do things with Jones.  With that said I added 50 miles to the tally based on what was tracked and I am now at 561.5 for the year, still pretty shy of my 1000 goal.  But I'm going to plug along and still see what it looks like for the entire 12 months.

September 2015 - Family Photos

Well My friend took some family photos too but they aren't back yet (patiently waiting I swear).  But I did get a few at the end of the month for my project. These first two are from Homecoming, the first is terrible of me what am I doing there?

This bottom one is better though. 

We also got a family + shot at the orchard I love that jones is throwing his "ball" aka apple. There are several variations of this one but this is my favorite.

Tuesday 10 - Hello Fall! PS I love you!

It's Tuesday and rather than wish it was Friday I am making a Tuesday list because there's never enough lists.

1. Apples + Jonesy <3 

2. studiodiy's Lisa Frank halloween costumes.  Nobody be surprised if I dress up as a rainbow unicorn if I dress up. Link www.studiodiy.com

3. Collage Parties at the circle spark.  (PS this is one of the best things happening in Indy check it out already!). 

4. The first bounce house.  he loved it and dove in head first.

5. Thinking about the babies room.  I love this salmonish/flamingo color + gold.  Photo snapped of my Pinterest links are there.

6. short circles.  This is our small group that meets at our house.  It's a large group with lots of kids and we practically explode out of our house but it works.

7. Apple streusel Carmel cheesecake made for dessert at Short Circle.

8. Moments like these where I put away towels and come back to the kitchen to discover Jones had pulled every bag out of the new box from target and was playing amongst them.

9. Apple chips

10. I am not really a fan of quilt patterns but something about this quilt makes me want to make this one.

Quilt and photo by Red Completely Red - http://redredcompletelyred.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-get-over-our-fear-of-time.html?m=1

Pattern by Elizabeth Hartman 

http://ohfransson.bigcartel.com/product/fancy-fox-quilts-pdf-quilt-pattern

To the Orchard

I put Orchard on my fall list back in like July.  I just love fresh apples and making 1 million things with them.  And now with a baby he should get to do things like this too.  So I invited my family to join us. We went to Pleasant View Orchard because it's super close to us and they didn't charge admission for things like the playground.

I wanted to capitalize on scoring as many apples as possible and so we bought a bushel together as a family which worked out as like $8/person.  We picked our own apples - me mostly Jonathan with some Mutsu and Jonagold and Cortland tossed in.  

Anyhow it was a good time, it seems it was jones, Joes, and Dustin's first time to an orchard and that was fun.  Jonesy was adoreable in his lumberjack shirt calling all the apples balls and trying to scoop up the rotted ones under the trees.  He also was so glad to see all his people too he does so love everyone passing him around.  He can't seem to even bite thru the skin of softer apples but he sure did try on all sorts of taste testing. 

And now I plan to make Apple chips, applesauce, apple butter, Apple crisp, and if there's enough Apple Pie.  If I run out no worries because we will be at the pumpkin patch in a few weeks.