New Chairs

Thank you Target for cheap patio furniture. We picked up a few chairs this afternoon and promptly enjoyed them! Notice Jack's "cheeeeeese!" face as he poses for pics. Very cheesy indeed.

 And then we got into the watertable even though it wasn't super warm out. He loves to get soaked!

So chilly, but he can't resist!

Sweet Kids

Being cute with Papa and Grandma

Hat and Gloves

After our snow trip Jackson decided that his hat and gloves are important items to wear all of the time (even though he resisted wearing them at Tahoe, kids are so hard to figure out).

We can't decide if the hat's an alligator, lizard, frog or what. 

He yells for his gloves, but can't do much with his hands so he wants them on and off constantly. He even went to bed in them.

Showers

Cosette and I attended a few baby showers together. It's fun dressing up together! Part of the perks of getting a little girl.

On the way to Wendy's chocolate fondue shower

The diaper cake Cosette and I made. Fun craft.

 

 Things to dip in chocolate!

Heather's Garden of Eden shower with my mom and sis.

 

Some Sibling Cuddle Time

A Blossoming Vocabulary!

Jackson's favorite phrase now is "have it!" which he says when he wants to hold whatever he's pointing to. I have to say no a lot because he wants to "have it" with pretty much everything. He also likes "in there" to say he wants to get inside something, like a wagon or box. It's fun expanding beyond nouns, but also confusing since he could be saying almost anything and it's a guessing game. He gets very frustrated when you don't understand him.

He can also be inconsistent in his pronunciation, like he just said "ma-merries" for strawberries. My favorites are still "Oh Boy!" "Alright!" and "Utt-ohh" which he uses when he throws his teddy or "bit" (for binky) out of the crib and wants them back. His favorite word is probably "airplane" and he loves to sit in the yard and watch overhead for airplanes or birdies. The squirels in our yard make him mad because they run off too fast and he wants "mo-mo" (more).

He also stared to pick up things from Dan, like when I give him a choice between two things, he'll say "ummmmm, uhhhh" and stare off, taking forever to decide.

It's almost easier to remember the things he can't say than the things he can. But he still refuses to say "Grandma" for some reason, which is getting hilarious because he does love his Grandma a ton.

This Happened

It's amazing what people will do with just the slightest bit of taunting...

 Deck-jumping, seems reasonable

 Maybe not

The Aftermath

Tahoe Weekend

We just returned from a beautifully snowy long weekend in Tahoe. It was great to get away to such a nice "cabin" (more like a big house). Our room had great views all around and a private bath with a Jacuzzi tub that I took full advantage of!

Here's Jackson helping Grammie with breakfast. He ran around all weekend with that milk straw cup in his teeth to keep both hands free. He also discovered what we all know: Costco muffins are delicious.

 Relaxing to a beautiful snowy morning view after a storm that night.

 Cosette prefers to sleep in, but her big brother is on the move.

 Awesome big cousin toys at every turn. Airplanes and army men are a big hit.

 We're gearing up for snow play in the backyard.

 Not sure about his outfit...

...but willing to give it a try. 

Beautiful snow baby!

The wet snow doesn't bother Cosette. She was snug as a bug and happy to lick the snow off her face.

 Jackson, on the other hand,  wasn't sure if he was excited, freaked out, or just uncomfortable.

 Tongues out sample the fresh snow.

 He like sledding, but with Daddy only.

 Deck time was more fun since the footing was more sure and the little guys could watch the group playing. Here's Jack with Cousin Evan.

 So many emotions.

 Headed inside for the babies to play. This is Cosette (2 mo) with Cousin Samuel (5 mo). He's a big boy!

 Having a little lunch and happy times inside

Some "Thomas the Train" time for all the boys. There were 6 little boys on the trip and Cosette, the little princess.

  Snowshoeing the next day. The house had a lot of undeveloped property around it, so we felt very isolated hiking without even having to drive anywhere. Jackson loved it in the pack. It must have felt safer to him than walking around.

 Dan blazes a trail and Cousin Ben tags along. The snow was hip deep and the snowshoes made all the difference. The house is still in sight here.

 Did we fall into Narnia? So gorgeous!

Back inside for some cousin wrestling. Big Cousin Ben was so good to the little guys. Amazingly no one was crying at the end of this game!

 Watching from the sidelines

 And a little more sledding in the driveway. Notice the father-in-law in the t-shirt shoveling snow in the background. He sure shoveled a lot.

 Cousin Nathan and Jackson love sledding with Dan.

 Snowballs and frustration with the gloves.

 Jackson and Ben playing the boardgame version of Angry Birds. The kids (and adults) were obsessed.

 What a nice trip :)