All about JACK

sweet shoes you got there buddy.

and check out them p.j.’s…

gonna watch some nascar on the tube?

Papa was wondering how he’s shoes always seemed a little too tight the next morning,

oops…

Today while sitting next to me as I drew the fire truck in his “doodle book“. We’ve got counting to ten down but were still working on our colors! Hopefully his not color blind like his Papa 😉

Arlin Jack is the perfect partner for the online art class I’m taking by Carla Sonheim…the workshop is titled…”the Art of Silliness” and well what better partner could there be to be silly with?!

These eyeballs were a cut out, and an exercise to be creative with placement and photo taking/sharing.

Arlin’s been all about having his “own” everything…including a camera, so I found an old underwater camera from our vacation to Florida way back when…this is Arlin with eyeballs taped to the front, telling me to “smile!”

today we went on a photo-op scavenger hunt around the neighborhood today, because it was sunny and in the mid 50’s…absolutely beautiful! I love how the forecast reads rain everyday…it might rain for 5 or 10 minutes a day and then it’s sunny!

we found all kinds of creature inspiring photos to snap…

Arlin was pretty intrigued by these guys…but Mama, the stickler, wouldn’t let him touch…

“we…explore Mama!” is what he kept saying.

and we were having lots of fun…

till his trike wheel fell off, bolts and all…about three blocks from home. Arlin wanted me to carry his trike and him…no way jose, you’re a big boy, you walk. He’s been wanting me to carry him everywhere, and although it saves time when trying to get from point A to point B…I’m trying to save my poor back, and lately my knee…cause this chunker is a hefty load!

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!

Thanks to Renee (Arlin’s new teacher) we’re able to peep in on the Captain in action.

Arlin spends three mornings a week at school with his new buddies; Max, Peter, Trevor and Ruby. He loves to stack wooden blocks and build his legos into robots or airplanes. He’ll stack them as high as he can reach ’em, and when they tumble he’ll start all over…lots of determination in this little guy!

Arlin playing with gears.

School is going well for Arlin he really likes the play time and interaction with the other students. It seems like his vocabulary is blossoming daily…when you least expect it he bursts out with something new, it’s pretty cool!

Arlin is counting to four thanks to Feist…We’re working on 1-10 and he’s doing pretty good, but finding songs to sing along with seems to help him…

and how funny is this Elmo (lala)Potty song! Chad and I had Arlin dancing this morning while we all sang along, Chad was on the ground laughing at the last line of the video…SO true, Arlin Jack can stink up the stinker pretty darn good!

Who needs Papa! Ha. Just kidding…but he finally showed me how to upload them from you tube, but I still have no clue how to make them all fancies in i-movie…anyways, look at the lower lip action!!! Video was taken in January- about a week before we moved out.

We joined a new gym…(I’ll write about it on my blog) the place is amazing! I took Arlin to an AquaTot class for kiddies ages 6 months to 3.5 yrs old, Saturday morning. I figure living with water everywhere around us and a fearless boy on our hands we better be safe and get him acclimated to the water with some lessons, maybe instill a little fear in him (just a little)

waiting for the instructor, Arlin was excited about his new swim shirt we picked up on the way to the gym and he was ever so anxious to get in the water.

he wasn’t quite sure about jumping in without already having a (death grip) hold of my arms…

The instructor helped me with floating Arlin on both his tummy, his back, kicking, blowing bubbles like a motor boat/face half in, counting to three and dunking under water (yah, he did not like this) even after I asked him over and over if he wanted to go underwater where Nemo and Dori go, and he said “yes! yes! Yes!….he came up horrified with the how could you Mama! look on his face- not exactly a happy camper with that part of the lesson…but give him the kick board and he’s good to go again.

hand on kick board…he thought it was the coolest thing ever.

teaching him to reach…and trust Mama with floating him on his belly.

back to the kick board…he would have stayed in forever, even though he was cold and had a lower lip jitter going on, forget the other exercises and songs- Arlin wanted no part of the group or other babies….just the kick board (oh, and Mama too)

this little guy next to Arlin is 3yrs. old. I don’t know how many times I got asked how old Arlin was, followed by “Oh…is he big?”

Actually according to his patient chart I ordered from his pediatrician’s office back in Denver says his not “big”…he’s right on track with the average percentile.

He’s just Italian and LOVES food just like his Papa! Arlin has been so adventurous with eating lately- it’s actually fun to take him out- he’ll eat whatever we do- the other day he devoured shrimp pad thai with me! It was kinda spicy too!

P.S. Arlin asks to go to the water every morning now…I think he’s gonna be a fish just like his Mama and his big sister Stella- who we can’t wait to see in a couple weeks!