Jack's First Trip to the Lake

After coming home Saturday evening, we set out Sunday morning for the lake with Sam's parents and some family friends. Unfortunately it wasn't the best lake experience due to constant rain. It was however a wonderful day with family and friends and we are so glad that we went out!! Here are some pics!

We love Fred Meyer's!

We had such an awesome week in Boise! Initially I was a bit nervous about the flights with Jack and getting all our bags packed with everything we needed and blah blah blah. After fretting about it for a bit, I made my check lists and got to work. Eventually I just came to the conclusion whatever happens we would just have to deal with as it came. You know what happened? Absolutely nothing! Jack was great on every flight! We even got some great compliments from other passengers, giving him an A++ for traveling infants! I wanted to take pictures to document first plane ride but thought it probably would have been looked down upon by security.

So I already shared about Race Day, which was the day after we arrived there. After some recovery time, we continued with Kristen's fun plans for us. We took the kids to the Idaho Historical Museum, where the "mascot" is a two-headed calf that is super creepy. We did learn a lot about Idaho though! The kids got to try out some saddles and a boat.

By Monday it was a million and fifty degrees outside so we decided to take a trip to the Y and go swimming to be followed up with some dollar theater fun. This was Jack's first time in a pool and he loved every second of it, a smile was plastered to his face. The big kids got to go down the huge slide they had all by themselves. Uncle Sam took them to the top and helped them get on to slide down to their mom and dad at the bottom. Lincoln flip flopped and spun around coming out head first, while Piper sat up straight as could be the entire way down. Later Sam said he had to coax Piper on the slide. Jack got a taste of water slide too in the kiddie pool. I'm sure it was a lot more amusing to watch Sam lean halfway down the slide to let him go and me climb halfway up to make sure he didn't flip over. He did get to be dunked under water after coming down and that was apparently the best thing that ever happened to him. I think Lincoln is going to be swimming laps around us by the next time, he was ready to let go of his mamma in that big pool and already able to tread some water on his own!! After swimming we went to see Coraline-which I thought was super creepy but the kids seemed to like it. Jack liked the extremely bizarre scenes in it. That was his first movie theater experience, which I felt he did great about as well, unfortunately his daddy couldn't take the noise he was making and took him out to the lobby 2/3 through the movie. I think Sam was just creeped out and didn't want to admit it! Everyone was exhausted at the end of the day.

Tuesday was a spa/movie day. Kristen and I got some coupons for 50% off of first time services from The Stepping Stone Spa and took advantage of some time to ourselves. She got her haircut(which was super cute, but totally not the point of a spa coupon) and I got a "spa pedicure" which is weird because I hate feet, but I would do it again. esp after how sore my feet were from the race! The boys went to see Star Trek when we got back and Kristen and Bob got to go on a fun date! Wednesday was just a rest day, but we did go to Babies R Us where I got a sling to carry Jack in. That's right a sling. I remember thinking that they were so weird and would be unusable really quickly, that the baby would hate it and squirm around it or that it would horribly uncomfortable. I was WRONG! I am totally in love with this thing, as is Jack. I carried him through the zoo, Craters of the Moon, the airport, the lake, everywhere and he has never fussed in it and I never had an aching shoulder or back. It's awesome and can be used until he's 36lbs and future babies! Not that any are in the works yet..

Thursday was Zoo day, Jack's second zoo trip but he was sleeping for the first and didn't really care about it then. This time he was all about it so we are counting it as his first, mostly for his Aunt Kristen's sake.

Friday we went to see the Craters of the Moon national monument. This was basically lava formations and the caves they created called lava tubes. We were guided across the hardened lava, learning about the different kinds and what lived around it and how this place was created. Then we were led into a lava tube or cave and were told, "You can go out the easy way-which was the way we came in with the stairs, or you can climb over that mountain of shifty rocks and come out to a different place." Of course we were advised that with the small kids and me with the baby strapped to me in the sling that we probably shouldn't take that way. We waited for the guide to leave and promptly started climbing rocks. It was so much fun and the kids all loved it, even Jack who looked around and just took everything in. You may think that it was risky for us to take Jack through that, but we did take great care and Sam led the way to plot out the best paths for us. There was another cave that we tried to explore, but with one flashlight and about an inch of water on the cave floor it didn't seem safe for the kiddos. We did all go down as far as we could see in it though and it was a nice rest from the heat just outside.

Some other cute pictures:

BTW Fred Meyer's is the best grocery store in all the world. It is now owned by Kroger and I think everyone in Jonesboro should petition for them to step up their game here. We are suffering a great injustice here.

You did what? A half marathon?? Are you crazy?

The answer: probably so, but for a million other reasons.

For those that don't know what I'm talking, last week we packed up and headed to Boise to visit my sister and her family. One reason that we were going was for me to join Kristen in running a half marathon-13.1 miles of fun times! Since this was our first race of any kind our goal was primarily to finish, and we did in just over 3 hours! Now we have plans to run a 5k in Little Rock this summer and probably to redo this race in the future. To completely embarrass my sis, here are some delightful pictures.

Things we learned that day include:

You should probably try for more than 2-4hrs sleep the night before your race.

Never arrive two hours earlier than your race when it is freezing cold outside and there is no shelter to hide in.

Always leave out clothes, pack diaper bags and put big flashing signs around the sunscreen so that our wonderful husbands who took care of the kids don't have to put on a sheepish grin while trying explain why the kids are still in pajamas or that there is no water or sunscreen for the kids. I really think this was probably one of Sam's favorite days from our trip though. Just enjoying watching the kids play and chase each other and supporting Kristen and I. I will post some more of our trip in a bit.

Big strides!

I wish for once Jack would cooperate with me filming the cute and exciting things that he does, but I've come to the conclusion that it just isn't going to happen. I will not give up even though I think it really annoys him. He is probably thinking, "Mom get down here and play and put that weird thing away. Get it out of my face mom, I mean it!" This is truly a shame because he is at one of the most fun ages where he is truly discovering the world and how he moves and fits in it.

This past month has been one thing after another as far as milestones go! Jack started really crawling at seven months and since then has spent most of his time just checking every room out and exploring everything. Now in the past month( he is about to be a whole 10 months old) he has been pulling up on everything, cruising around, climbing, getting his first bruises( he has had two now Kat Kat and the other was on my watch so don't feel bad about it), 'rough housing', throwing and catching a ball, singing, talking(6 words already) and proving to us that we should never under any circumstances think that he is incapable of doing or understanding something. The kid is completely fearless!! His most recent achievement has been to pull up on this awesome push toy that Grandpa and Grandma Palmer got him for Christmas and walk it clear across the room, all by himself!!! He has always loved this toy, since he was 6 months he has known that it moves when he pushes it and plays music and certain buttons produce certain songs. I've always been super cautious about letting him just pull up on it though and usually follow behind him keeping a hand on the wheels to steady it, because I didn't think he was quite balanced enough for it. Yesterday morning he decided to prove me wrong and has been nonstop with it ever since. Except of course when I turn the camera on to capture the magic. Perhaps someday you will be able to see how incredibly awesome he is...but he is kind of modest about it I guess. I just can't believe we are already to this stage of almost walking. It has come way too fast and I don't think I'm ready in the least! Any ideas on how to go back in time? Normally I would say no way do I want him to be a newborn again b/c I like my sleep too much, but with his allergies making his nose run nonstop at night he is waking up every two hours( if even goes asleep) these days anyway. So here's to better sleep at night and for God to prepare me for lots of daredevil behavior, falls and bruises and whatever else is in store.