All about JACK

Arlin wasn’t too sure about the clowns…and the balloons went straight to the mouth!

little man on a mission…

Papa had to reel the Captain in a few times…

towards the end the Captain had a short fuse…

Mama helping Stella make a sand bottle thingy…

Stella rock climbing…she literally rocked it! Was behind for the take off and in seconds was at the top and back down before the other kids were half way up!

The Captain is definitely teething. If not a pacifier, he’ll chew on anything! After failing to get Mama’s earring he went to chew on my scarf.

Chad and I in the Denver Convention Center.

Stella and Anna Maria, after Miss Stella got her “POP-Rock” UP-ity hair do! (Grandma even got glitter too!)

Today we got super lucky to get Stella for the afternoon and take her to a Disney kids event at the downtown Denver Convention center that Grandma and Grandpa Anna Maria and Les told us about early this morning. They met us there for the fun.

Stella had a blast with all the booths set up, there were prize winning games, big bouncy slides, a rock climbing wall (that she was amazing at- I might tell ya’) and a live music show with the youngest girls currently recording music. These girls I guess are on the Disney Channel so we took Stella to check it all out, while Grandpa took the Captain to the other side of the event to a toddler tumble gym place and had some fun. 

Everyone had a great time and we only wish could have kept Stella with us to enjoy some Gelato!

this picture is just for Pamaw…give him two sporks and he is ambidextrous! Ahh..my little Picasso…

cruising the front yard…new terrain.

such a handsome fella’

on our backyard swing…I daydreamed for a bit of how I used to bundle the Captain up with blankets and take him out to the swing… & sing  him to sleep and rock for hours. (the days he use to cuddle!)

walking tall right next to Mama…

stopped to check out the birds…his new wonder…only problem, he can’t figure out where they are!

admiring the doggy across the street. Are all doggies bigger than Otis…the Captain loves watching big dogs.

Oh, thank you thank you! Today when I picked up Arlin from school his teacher said he was really fussy all day, let loose with some screaming and a few crying fits. I figured I was in for a real picnic the rest of the day. He was crashed out asleep in the car before I could even pull in the drive way. I carried him into the house and he was like a sack of potatoes, didn’t budge at all, went down for his nap with “Kitty” and slept for 2 hours!

I was showered from the gym and painting onesies waiting for the Captain to get up… I was very pleasantly surprised when he roused from his nap. We had such an awesome day together. Ate a huge lunch, went for a walk, played in the backyard for a bit and his playroom upstairs, had dinner, and a bath and went down for the night without a peep.

Words are forming…you can hear the gears in his noggin’ turning 100 miles an hour. He gets dressed for school with minimal help, and now potties in his diaper still but standing in the big boy bathroom. It’s really funny actually if you ask Arlin if he’s Poop’d he nods No and gives you totally crooked smile.

We’re growing up…

my little scientist.

who needs toys when you have boxes…and…

Infant Motrin syringe?!

This picture probably captures today’s day.

Lots of screaming (he screams like a girl when he’s upset- that high pitch shriek) Ugh it hurts. Mama’s not going to fib- I desperately broke out the Motrin this afternoon. After a scream session at the grocery store and all the way home in the car I not only broke down and gave him some Motrin but his pacifier too. Even with his pacifier he walked around the house screaming at everything while pulling his own hair. Otis wanted nothing to do with the Captain today and stayed out in the back yard-kinda funny I wanted to join him. I tried everything I could do to distract him from whatever was bugging him. I’m pretty sure it’s his teeth. I think I can see his incisor teeth poking through…It’s gotta be his teeth because he was a mess this afternoon and up almost every hour last night!

Bath time can always wash away the icky’s… most of the time…

Bubble fascination…he loves to eat them.

O.k. I got one big smile today, maybe even a couple…knowing the Captain.

Whew, today was a little rough. I picked up the Captain at school after getting a phone call that another student in his toddler environment bit him on the fore-arm. Ouch buddy. It wasn’t terribly bad, no blood…but you can defintely see a bite mark. This is the third incident report in the past week for biting- I guess it’s a thing at this age they do? I’m just hoping Arlin doesn’t join in.

Better day tomorrow- I can feel it!

Spring is coming…

I could feel it in the air today…

these little flower buds are poppin’ up along our front walkway… seems like it happened overnight!

nothing better than a little vitamin D for the Captain, Mama and Otis.

I broke out some cleaning supplies to knock the dust off Stella’s old slide.

he loves the slide. no fear climbing the staircase part…then he looks like a dear in headlights at the top…needs to make sure Mama is close by for his descent.

I actually broke a sweat today raking all the winter leaves in the backyard in between playing with the Captain. He is feeling much better! He was actually doing laps around the dining room table chasing Otis this morning- it was a sure tail sign he was good to go and return back to school. He got really excited when we pulled up in the car to his school this morning- and was even more excited to see all his buddies once inside.

Mama can relax now- The Captain is back to his usual spirit!

This picture pretty much sums up the day here at the Larsen household!

Thank gosh it was a splash of chocolate soy milk and not real coffee… Arlin was feeling icky this morning and I was trying to give him a treat. He never drinks soy (chocolate soy milk) unless it’s a special occasion in his “big boy cup”…

Well, this weekend with Stella here, all three of us were feeling under the weather and making several trips to the fridge for h20…the Captain finally figured it out…how to push the fridge door button for some agua…yep!

So, this morning he took his “big boy cup” to the fridge to push the button forgetting it was full of that special stuff!

ahahahahha…it was a good laugh for Papa and I.

plum tuckered…on the way home from school.

This is the norm…Mama opens the fridge door and Arlin grabs something….ranch bottle, bbq sauce…today it was the mayo.

“Arlin, what are you doing?”

Grocery shoppin’!

Once we figured out that the Captain’s horsey makes noises if you press the back of it’s ears…Arlin now LOVES it more than ever. I think he may have hit a growth spirit too…’cause he has no problem getting on and off his horsey without any help and he is totally checked out on rockin’ back and forth. I’ll try and post a video I got soon!

Running from Mama (& Otis) with dog food in his mouth.

the guilty face.

grumpy…

grumpier…

I don’t wanna!

the hat game…Mama’s distract from the pacifier game…

it works!

Another Wednesday with Captain Jack!

At breakfast this morning Papa expressed he “needed” a chair so the three of us could sit at the Captain’s little table and all eat breakfast. It’s o.k. you can laugh…it’s a funny image right? The three of us pinned up next to this little table!??

Anyways…Papa hasn’t seen his new chair yet…he is in Atlanta on business, home tomorrow night. I think Arlin Jack is gonna give Papa a run for his money…he loves this thing, it’s his new throne!

Nothing better than a NO school holiday for Mama to enjoy a little quality time with the Captain. I took Arlin Jack to the Denver Children Museum today after his nap. I swear every visit to this place (where we have a membership) is different. Arlin is more and more into everything around him each time… ugh, sometimes I think he is growing up too fast.

side note…our first love “the pacifier” OH… it’s going to be one BAD break up.

could this brother and sister be any cuter?

Miss Stella Vita…well on her way to a candy & cupcake sugar high…

Arlin made all the rounds…Mrs. Boyat, Stella’s teacher and Lucas’ Mom (one of Stella’s good buddies) all held the Captain for a bit…

he had to measure up everything around him!

poor Stell had to think fast and keep her little brother’s paws out of her desk!

I think he “squeeked” when we gave him a mini cupcake of his own!

he fit right in…

Stella…”Ella” as Arlin calls her is SUCH a good big sister. She loves her little brother dearly. And boy let me tell you…this little guy thinks she’s magical.

Arlin sat on Stella’s lap for a music game…he even danced a little with the kids.

I am so glad Anna Maria (Chad’s Mom) and I made our way up the mountain to Stella’s Valentine’s Day school party. Arlin was SOOO excited to see his big sister. He marched right in and reached up to sit on her lap. He didn’t miss a beat and was right with the action the entire time. I’m pretty sure Stella got a kick out of showin’ off her baby brother to her fellow classmates too.

After the party we drove Miss Stella to her Mom’s work at the bottom of the mountain to drop her off. Arlin cried when Stella walked away from the car and reached his little hand towards the window for her…it about broke my heart, both Anna Maria and I teared up. This isn’t the first time Arlin has gotten upset when Stella has left us for the weekend. I can only imagine it’s going to get harder the more attached they grow. *sigh*