All about JACK

With no preschool yesterday we had to get out of the house. So we bundled up, got Arlin’s strider bike and helmet out and hit the road for the nearby park. It was fun. We chased and fed the squirrels and had a little “we don’t pet the cute squirrels talk”… we learned about crows and how we have to watch our snacks or they’ll snag em’! So, funny to hear Jacker’s yelling at the crows…

“these are my crackers! you get away mr. crow!”

this face saves him…every time he is in trouble. (it’s really Mama that’s in trouble with a face like this!)

there weren’t any kids at the first park we went to…so I let Jacks convince me to ride his bike down to the other park…which turned out to be a not so good idea.

after playing for another hour or so on the playground it was time to head home. Which Jacker’s then decided he was just TOO tired to make it home riding his bike.

I carried his helmet, his snacks, and his bike and after he laid down on the sidewalk a few times crying (like he was dying- so theatrical I tell ya!) I carried HIM too…for about a 3/4 of a mile home! My shoulder is killing me today! I was so grumpy with him when we got home…but again that face-saves him every time.

It’s Papa’s Birthday today…Arlin marched into his preschool class and announced it…pretty cute.

Papa makes a video…this is one of Arlin’s favorite songs, he sings along; boom boom pow…the best snap shot is the underwear in the kitchen with his rain boots on backwards…gotta love it.

Captain trouble…boy oh boy is a good thing this guy’s so darn cute!

We drove Mimi to the airport last Tuesday. Arlin and I both drove away with crocodile size tears. Arlin kept saying airplane…get on airplane…go Mimi…Mama, airplane…go with Mimi. I asked him if he wanted to go home with Mimi and he said “yes, mama, go with Mimi, pleeease, I get on dah airplane!” Saying goodbye stinks, I wish everyone we loved was right here in Seattle.

Seattle, and every surrounding neighborhood is simply amazing. This place is really beautiful with the blue water and green lush landscaping things are pretty colorful.

and your tour guide today folks, is Mr. Arlin Jack Larsen…step right up and get your tickets!

(at Gasworks park with Mimi and Uncle Roy…)

Arlin digs he’s Uncle Roy…(great uncle Roy actually :))

maybe one day we’ll be lucky enough to have our own boat, wouldn’t that be sweet?

king(s) of the hill.

I say over and over Arlin Jack has horns, and can be a little devil at times, but I need to brag of his growing vocab too! I swear it’s like he wakes up each morning with a handful of new words he didn’t say the day before. He formulates sentences and uses the proper words in context….it’s so COOL! I know every parent thinks their child is bright…but man I tell ya, this kids noggin’ size just might mean something!

I’m proud. Proud Mama, even when he’s horns are out…he’s my guy!

Could you say “No” to this cute face? I catch myself pulling over for play time often these days. I figure as long as I don’t have any perishables from the grocery store in the car, we can afford a half an hour here or there to check out a park.

Unfortunately I’m at the mercy of Chad when it comes to uploading videos, this picture is actually a one minute video I took of Arlin saying everyones name…Mimi (airplane here- is what he says after Mimi), Mass-sir Sarge (sarge gets a half wing salute) and  Molly (Molly gets a big smile and he signs please and says my hommie- you ask Arlin is Molly your friend?….”yah I like Molly, she friend”) Uncle Roy, Vickieeee, Meeeeegin (Megan) Mama, Papa, Sissy (Sissy gets jumps up in the air when he says her name) Grandma and Grandpa (in Coloradoooo), Grandpa Tom (he always says; “yah,yah, mon-ser truck” after Grandpa Tom :))

He’s pointing for me to get on the merry go round with him here.

ladies at the grocery store were calling….hey Mr. Nine, aren’t you a cutie?!

Arlin says………R_A_W_R! and claw back at em’….he’s such a flirt it’s painful sometimes!

he’d climb a mountain if you’d let him…

trying to escape…

“is wet Mama!”…”down please, Mama?”

he made me come up and carry him down…I did.

I have to say although I am sometimes (like a lot of times) completely worn out by this guy and his terrible two’s….his whole “No” stage he seems to be relishing…he’s terrible with me, and with Chad (it’s our payback for all our childhood naughtiness I suppose) but Arlin is an angel- o.k. maybe “angel” is a stretch…but I hear he is just a happy go lucky, agreeable guy. At least that’s the feedback my Uncle Roy gave us. It makes me feel good that Arlin feels secure enough to stay with other family and friends while we are away…..cause he knows deep down we’re coming right back! Thank you Roy and Vickie ( and Auntie Molly) for taking such good care of the Captain!

I took these last Sunday…

it’s frigid cold now with snow all around….Today it was 9 degrees and Arlin wore his new snow boots to school that we picked up at the Baby Gap store down at the outlets in Castlerock, he is such a character- he loves shoes (just like his papa) he demanded we put his snow boots on before we walked out of the store and as soon as he had them on he charged the snow outside and stomped all around roaring like a dinosaur…he is SUCH a boy- it’s hysterical.

Chad and I did a bunch of Christmas shopping online last night while watching some football I think the Captain’s set in the toy department…and Mimi (once known as Pamaw- yes Arlin Jack has re-named her) always covers the clothes end

Biggest Tractor Mama’s ever seen. I was so excited to see this beast parked at a neighborhood construction site, cause I knew it would totally excite Arlin Jack. Tractor, sounds like “Cr-a-cker”…as Arlin says it, it’s his new repeat word (we’re talking broken record style)

after school on Monday I picked Arlin up and told him about the “B-I-G” Tractor. I said we’d go look at it on the way home, then Arlin reminded me as soon as we got in the car that I forgot his milk…I knew we were low at home anyways, so I thought I’d swing by Whole Foods on the way to the construction site to see the huge mountain of dirt and tractor! Little did I know he’d have a mini melt down calling for the tractor (cracker) at the grocery store! The cashier thought he was pretty cool. “You want a cracker? How bout a peanut butter cookie?” I told the cashier Arlin Jack was actually saying “Tractor” as I had promised to show him a huge one…and the cashier said “Ohhhh, well here ya’ go buddy here’s a sticker with a tractor on it!” And look I’ll put one on too! and now we’re twins!” It was pretty fun as the young cashier stood there also wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt. Arlin made another buddy. He’s getting pretty good at this.

Cookie in hand and Tractor sticker proudly on his chest…oh and cold milk in his sippy cup we were on our way to hunt down the bIG tractor! Arlin was so stoked to check it out. I had half the mind to let him crawl through the fence…there was a small hole we could fit through…but I thought it prolly wasn’t such a good idea afterall. (No need to teaching urban exploring just yet!)

some park time today…he’s feeling better and back to school tomorrow…hooray for Mama!

TRACTOR’s are cool!

…has Mama, Papa and Arlin Jack been???

Last weekend when I was working the Farmers Market, Papa spoiled both Arlin Jack with this new wishbone trike and Stella Vita with a junior size skateboard deck and full set of pads.

Bike! Bike! Bike! Arlin wants to ride it all day long!

this is what happens…he rides and rides till he’s SO tired he lays down in the middle of the sidewalk to rest!

it’s scary that we’re only 23 months old and we ride this trike like we’re competing for the grand prix. After a few spills and barrel rolls we’ve instilled a helmet law….NO helmet; NO trike riding!!! But this law doesn’t seem to bother the Captain…he now walks around the house in his diaper and his helmet, it’s pretty hysterical.

Been busy and sidetracked from uploading these. We met Abby and Palmer at the Denver Childrens Museum last Friday, Arlin Jack was off school that day. Unfortunately I didn’t know the museum closed early on Friday’s…we only got to show Palmer bits and pieces of the museum coolness. I’m on a mission now to find my guest passes and take them again. The boys loved playing with the trains, oh and shooting the mini basketballs on the mini sized basketball court….that place is really cool and for Arlin it seems like he sees something new every time we go.

Too bad, I took a video of my monkey climbing this twisty thing but I shot it with my little camera and didn’t think I was holding long ways to capture the height of the shot, so I’ll spare you having to watch a video with your head turned sideways! He fell…of course I captured that too…and then you hear me panic and I toss the camera into the sand to save the Captain!

Enjoying Observatory park by D.U….

mesmerized watching a basketball game. Funny Chad says, “he might actually be able to play, unlike me!” hahaha…

yelling at the guys playing…

cruisin’ the slides, he can never make up his mind on which way to go down, head first on his belly or on his bum.

it was a wet slide…swear!

Ahhh, my guy.

chasing squirrels and catching pine cones….while Roaring like a dinosaur…”Rawr!”….yep that’s my guy.

I’m leaving for Vegas in the morning, I’m really looking forward to some time away, I just hope I can actually stop worrying like Mama’s do all too often! I’m sure he’ll have a blast too with Grandma and Grandpa’s full attention the next couple of days.

Saturday Chad and I took Arlin and Stella to Pirates Cove. I packed us all lunch and some drinks, glad I did, the food at the park was yukky.

Stella showing Arlin just how it’s done…

The Captain wasn’t too sure about the water squirter, it was fun till it hit him in the face!

watching “Siss-E” as he calls her.

pool time.

Sunday we went to the park I had Arlin Jack’s baby shower, and took Arlin and Stella on the train ride around the park and into the petting zoo. I’ll have to pull the pictures of the petting zoo off chad’s camera. While we were inside the sheep and pig corral the pig started play fighting with one of the sheep and to my surprise nibbled my leg after pommeling a poor toddler little girl standing nearby. Arlin was right next to me and I think it startled him just as much as me…I scooped the Captain up and bee lined it straight out of the pen squealing the whole way. Chad and Stella thought it was pretty funny…

I thought it was funny the troublemaker pig’s name was “Stella!”

walking up the creek at the park.

Miss Stella sporting some of her new duds, glad they fit and she said are “comfy, comfy!”