For the Grandparents

Since we don't have real internet, it's difficult to Skype or Google chat so the grandparents are never able to see Jack and here him at the same time, so here are some videos. Up first, Jack and his abc's. He knows some, but generally will guess 'B'. R is our favorite. 

Next is Jack and some words.

Helicopter was a guess, so was kitty but he usually knows that one. Jack had to run off and find his hippo (appo) and then we were able to resume.

Jack will often ask for 'Wavie' on the weekends, so we have to tell him Levi is with his family. I would have like to gotten more words but if I'd mention outside, shoes, socks, or walk he would run out like he did on cracker. We like that he says a pretty good apple (sounds like his hippo sometimes though) but then applesauce is ah-wa-wa-wa. Pacificer is somehow wa-wa. He'll stand at the gate at the bottom of the stairs asking for his wa-wa, since he only can have it upstairs for sleeping.
Jack is also great at having conversations in his own language.

Too bad it is impossible to get his really good jabbers on video, but there you go, talking Jack.

Green Thumb Wanted

This is a picture of the garden plot that we use. A guy in our ward let us use some of his space, and it has been thrilling. We only have a small portion of a bed and only planted 5 plants but that small amount has gotten me hooked. It is so fun to see the stuff you plant actually produce. I'm so looking forward to a time when we can have a nice vegetable and herb garden in our own backyard. Next year I'm going to try and get our own plot and I can't tell you how exciting that will be. We grew:

Cilantro, and harvested the coriander.

Cucumbers. Although they died and we don't know why. We got a handful at least.

Jalapenos. These have been great. I have dozens chopped and frozen to pull out when I need them.

Hot banana peppers. They did the best and I have the least use for them.

So here is our little area. We also have a bell pepper plant but there were no peppers yet when I took these pictures (way back in early July). Since then we have had 4, but one rotted. Kind of a disappointing turn out. Just behind the guys in this picture is a patch of green beans that we adopted. (Some kids from the ward planted them a long time ago and haven't been back since so I've taken over.)

Jack likes to help water, and play in the mud.

So what did we do with the banana peppers? Made pepper jelly! This is a family tradition from my side and Chris has accepted it with open arms, and mouth. This was my first time canning anything and I was really nervous, but it worked out. Hooray! Then I was on a little canning kick and made some raspberry jam with a free sample of pectin I got. To complete my 2011 jam collection, I got a package with northwest blackberry jam from my parents. 

In other news, Jack is doing fine. He has become very attached to his blankie (ki-ki) and has to have all the time. He tries to take it outside but we draw the line there. If he has been playing without it and then sees it he gets all excited and says hi to it (hi ki-ki!) and tackles it.

Jack is now down to one nap a day. I have Levi and Jack napping in the same room now. They need to have a barrier so they can't see each other and a fan for white noise, but they sleep thank goodness. I really like this schedule actually because Levi still takes a second nap and during that time I can get dinner ready. (I let him sleep until 6pm, right before he gets picked up-I hope his parents don't mind!)

I now understand why toddlers are so tiring. All this week I've felt like a bad parent because all day I'm telling Jack not to take all the books off the self or take all the cords from the ottoman or all the tupperware from the drawer or all the cans of food from the shelf. There is only so much baby proofing I can do and still manage to store all our stuff. He is a constant machine of destruction. What is worse is that he likes to throw things now, at Levi. What is even worse is Levi usually laughs, encouraging Jack to throw even more things at him. So frustrating, but that's the life of a child.