Little ponies and small peeping frogs!

Oh my!

Well I said a few days ago that Jimmy is learning new things everyday, and I really wasn't exaggerating about that. Saturday night we taught Jimmy how to "Gimme 5" and "High 5" with much hooting and clapping on our part. Jimmy does do it, but mostly he gives us the "you guys are crazy" look and a gentle tap.
Yesterday he figured out sonething else new. As Jimmy ran around the house and rode in the car we kept hearing a small horse clip-clopping behind us! We looked back just to find Jimmy grinning back. Yes, he has figured out how to click his toungue, and very much enjoys doing so. So while I am doing chores or even now as I write this, he is busily clicking away as he pulls all the dvds out of the cabinet, as if he disapproves how they are organized...


Another development is that Jimmy has outgrown his little tub and is getting bathed in the big one... While in the land of Target we found some tub treads. They are very cute little frogs...but I have issues with them...

I mean I may not have been a Mommy long enough to become immune to the idea of showering by myself, but having six pairs of eyes looking up at you, bugging out and grinning at your nakedness isn't exactly relaxing...
Seriously, would you want this looking up at you while you shave your legs?

This one is for Sarah

I have passed a turning point, and hopefully won't look back for another year or so (like when Joey or Suzie makes their appearance).


I have graduated myself from diaper bag usage and moved on to my first attempt at the Mommy Purse.


I found this nice little purse at the exchange for around $20, and figured I would give it a shot...
Here is a picture of my cute new purse with all of the stuff that goes in it.

Let's see, there is a sippy cup with snacks in the base, tylenol, a foffer, emergecy toy, hand sanitizer, 2 lipglosses, cell phone, wallet, a book, a change of clothes, 3 diapers, wipes, a jar of food, spoon, another snack, spare batteries for the camera, washcloth, and the Hello Kitty book of pictures and other cards that won't all fit in my wallet (ex. costco, safeway, insurance, ect.).
Not pictured but also in there was a small tube of lotion, Jimmy's vaccination record, an emergency feminine product, my small pad of paper with pen and the camera (it was in use , duh)!


I realize that most of this is still Jimmy gear, but I don't care. It is the bare minimum of stuff required for a successful outing with the boy. On top of that it all fits in my new Mommy Purse and that is the important first step to diaper bag liberation!

And it really does all fit, and close... See? Yes I realize that the spout of the sippy cup pokes out the top, but that's just fine with me... It all fits in there and it fits in the basket of our new, smaller stroller. The airline trashed our old one, but it was getting pretty beat up anyway...

This picture almost looks like you should be playing "I Spy" or "Where's the Foffer", huh?

So there it is in all its glory! My first Mommy Purse!

Like a turtle...

Jimmy got stuck today...


Since the fish tank is gone, Jimmy's room is now a safe place for him to play. there are no exposed outlets, cords are tucked away or anything heavy on the bookshelves within pulling down reach...
I feel O.K. with him playing in there, and let him play semi-unsupervised. He generally comes out into the living room every 15 minutes or so or I will go in and peek at him playing quietly and happily with his toys...

Every so often there is a holler, generally from him bumping into something or getting frustrated with a toy.
Today there was an all out "Mommy come help me" type of holler...


I rushed in, and rushed right back out to get the camera... This is what I found in his room



Here's a closer look!

I'm sure he felt like this....












But once I started taking pictures he stared hamming it up and got laughing!

If you are what you eat...

Jimmy would be good on ramen...
Here he is at our favorite ramen place chowing down on bean sprouts and fish cake... yummy yummy fish cake! He is really good about eating new things when we are out and about!

I wish I could get him to eat new things this easily at home!!!

He is chugging along at trying new foods here and there; he had a quesadilla a few nights ago. That is a good thing, since he seems to be starting up on a jar food strike again...

Today Jimmy also started to figure out that putting his face in the water without holding his breath is probably not a good idea...
We have been trying to teach Jimmy this for a while, mostly by just keeping his head above water for him. It is hard to do out in the open water where a wave can just come up and dip his face unexpectedly while he is concentrating on his splashing...
Today we went to the toddler pool on base and I just let Jimmy put his face in without stopping him... He got one good snoot-full of water (I figure pool water is a bit better than ocean water) and he kinda freaked out, but after that he only did two small nose dips for the rest of the afternoon!
We had a grand old time splashing around for most of the afternoon and then watching all the way too big for the toddler pool (grumble grumble) kids splash around during the adult swim.

I think tommorow we will venture out to explore the big park that has swings! Yea!

It really bugs me!

We are starting on another wave of the flea war!

I got my Diatomaceous Earth(Thanks Sarah!) in the mail today and applied a dose to the living room carpet. This will be vaccuumed up on Saturday and we will possibly rent a rug doctor next weekend... I am so glad we are moving...
I love it here in Hawaii, but co-existing with bugs is a fact of life here... I do not keep a dirty house, but we live with cockroaches, ants and other creepy-crawlies. The fact that we have all jaloucie style windows and a door with a poor seal and no cold freezes to kill the bugs means that there is no way to keep them out!

I tolerate the ants fairly well, am grossed out by the roaches (especially if Jimmy finds a dead one before I do...crunch cruch crunch...), but am focusing lately on the two that are biting my family!
Fleas and mosquitos...
I am always searching for baby friendly pesticides, but may still resort to chemicals very carefully cleaned up...

Oh well... I will post the progress of the erradication... in the meantime, enjoy the pic of the day! This is Jimmy being pleased with himself after snatching my garlic toast at Applebee's in Portland.
I'm off to wash the cat.

Huge news!

Things are exciting around here today!

First of all, Jeff and I have reclaimed the living room from the toy pile of no end.
I have been voicing my paranoia that Jimmy will pull the fish tank down on himself to Jeff lately, and Jimmy proved my point wonderfully in front of both of us by wobbling the legs of the tank stand to the point that the water in the fish tank started to slosh a bit. Thankfully, the protective part of Daddy kicked in and the fish went out Sunday afternoon. A quick trip to the store to pick up some pop up hampers and the toys migrated into the recently vacated fish corner!

There are still a few toys in the living room, but you can see our nasty carpet in almost the whole room!!!

Jimmy graduated from the infant play morning today. Since he is walking, we get to start going to the toddler play group!! Yea!! This is especially nice for me because the toddler group is in the afternoon instaed of morning!!! Yea #2!!! No more bailing out early from playgroup because it's naptime!!!

The best thing that has happened today is my Sister got a contract to publish her first book!!! Yea#3!!!! Whooo hoooo!!! Go Dodo! Can't wait to read it!!!

I really am going to be blogging!!!

OK, OK! Eight months ago I started this blog and now I actually have the time to start using it!
Let me start by catching you up on the year so far!
The year started out great with our first christmas as a family and we spent new year's day on the beach! In a few short months Dodo and I would take a fantastic trip to Japan for the cherry blossom festival (Jeff's christmas present to me) and Jeff and Jimmy took a trip to visit Grandma Sue.
I started on Nutrisystem, and have currently lost 20 pounds and I also lost 13" of hair with a donation to locks of love...
After our first set of trips, Jimmy started walking! And sleeping through the night ..... again!
Then we messed up his schedule and took him on another trip to the Mainland, with a few days in Portland and a week in Colstrip for Uncle Ian's HS graduation! We had hoped to visit with Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Barry while in Portland, but they were away, attending the birth of Jimmy's first cousin, Alaina (welcome to the world little girl!), but we did have a great trip. We went to Tillamook, which was like watching "Unwrapped" live, and also got to hang out with Autie Camas and Uncle Mak! Jimmy didn't quite know what to think of them, since they had never met...

We are now back home again, relaxing and getting back into the routine of our lives...
Jimmy does new things everyday, a few days ago he figured out laughing is fun, and yesterday he started clapping...
We are also getting gears turning for our next big move...
We will be transfering to Bremerton in September, but Jimmy and I will be staying at Grandma Terrie and Grandpa Jim's house while all of our household goods are in transit, so will be leaving in 10 weeks!
I am glad to be moving back to the land of Target, fresh produce (instead of freshly-delivered), and measuring distance in hours inteads of miles...
I feel sorry for Jimmy, though... He is so irresitably cute with his bright blue eyes, blond hair and pink cheeks, he stands out among the Hawaiian and asian babies that are here. Moving back to the mainland will be like Superman moving back to Krypton, he will use his super-cute powers... maybe not entirely, he still is a vicious flirt! The girl that he pooped on in the plane didn't get mad, not that there was anything to be done but clean it up, but he flirted with her the rest of the flight!

I hope to have a few moments each day to write something, but you never know, I may not get back for another eight months...