What's More Fun Than a Box?

I was thrilled to get a new vacuum cleaner in September.  Jesse was thrilled to get a box. 



Poor Barry.  Jesse's clearly thrilled.  I'm thinking this is funny, and, once again, Barry dreams of the days before Jesse. 

The box may have stuck around a while, had we not found a scorpian on it that night.  See ya, box!

September Means the Dewey Fair

 I just knew Jesse would love seeing all of the farm animals in the Dewey Fair.  It's a FREE fair and only about a 15 minute drive from our house, so we went three times in two days.  :)

Jesse entering the chicken area

There's a duck!  (I just loved following him all over the place

as he ran from animal to animal.  He was so excited.)

Here are some goats!

Oh boy!  This lamb is looking at me.

Staring contest

Barry?  Is that you??

Jesse hop, hopped like the bunny

Hi there, little pigs

Here horsey, horsey, horsey

That's an itty bitty donkey

Jesse loved saying, "THREE tractors!"

He tried each one out and was a pro!

He even stuck his head in the chicky cut-out

We had so much fun, we decided to ask Memaw and Papa to come join in the fun
the very next day!

Sweet Cousin Elyse

My tremendous oldest brother and his beautiful bride brought Jesse's doll of a cousin in to come visit one Sunday in August. 

By our suggestion, the cousins greeted one another with a hug.  Awww!

Jesse seemed to be nervous of the impending contact in this one.  She was gently hugging Jesse, and he looks like he's preparing for a quarterback sack.

Elyse got to play with Jesse's best friend, Barry.  She has her own best friend Elliot.  He's a great best friend to his sweet Elyse.  Jesse may be getting into his aunt's bag here.  Are you guys missing anything that had been in there?

More love for Barry from the kids.  Thanks for being so entertaining, Barry!

Who'd want to pass up on a great 'in-front-of-the-fireplace' pic? 

They're far too busy to pose for a picture

Then something miraculous happened!  As Toby, Yvette, Scott, and I sat in the living room and talked, Jesse and Elyse found some books and read!  They entertained themselves in a very safe way!!

Then they read out loud to one another, not missing a single letter or sound.  They're genious!!  (Their mothers were teachers.  What would you expect??)
 

Maybe they didn't know ALL the words, but they still played SO sweetly together!  I love those two kids!  

Silly Sleeper

Jesse is a silly sleeper.  I'm sure all parents like going into their baby's room and snickering at the silly positions they get into.  Most nights either Scott or I would go in and sneak a peek, then make the other come see how he looks.  "He looks SO sweet!"  Or  "How funny!!!  HOW can that be comfortable?!"  Those, of course, are hushed, whispered exclamation marks.  :)

Well, now Jesse is out of the crib.  He tried hopping out at 18 months.  What a rough week that was for me, trying to get my boy to sleep in his bed, trying to nap in his bed.  Why in the world would he stay in there when he could get out - SO easily and play.

We have things working for us for now.  Jesse is (by the Grace of God, I believe) napping in his pack-n-play.  It contains him, so I can do the ole 'put-him-in-there-awake-and-he'll-fall-asleep-in-no-time' thing.  At bedtime, we rarely have any crying now.  We do the usual routine of bath, pjs, read, pray, music, shut the door...  Jesse still plays sometimes, and he nearly always takes his lovey, blankey, and pacie (which he calls a bosch??) to fall asleep behind the door.  What a little goober.  Who wants to sleep on the floor when there's a nice, comfy bed with sheets made by Memaw Sandwick on there? 

Here are a couple sleeping shots from August.  Notice how we took the time to document the weirdness before putting him back in bed?

August 27th:  Scott finds Jesse like this

August 28th, he finds Jesse like this

One night recently (not August), Jesse had a hard time falling asleep.  There was a storm 'a-brewin' right when we put him to bed.  I tried rocking him - that was way to silly for Jesse.  He couldn't fall asleep for giggling at me, and I couldn't get serious with me giggling at his giggling.  I tried putting him in bed with me, but that was silly too.  Then Barry got a nice, long, loud drink from the laundry room.  Jesse sat up, "Barry drinking.  Jesse needs drink."  No, Jesse.  You need to sleep, you goober.  :)

Guess what worked???  Daddy's genious idea!  He put Barry in Jesse's room with him.  Jesse fell asleep on the floor with Barry.  While Barry probably longed for the days when there was no Jesse, and he was the only baby.  :)  We let Barry out once Jesse had been asleep for a little while, so Barry could have his space and freedom again, spoiled rotten dog.

August Vacations

Jesse's Daddy and I did the unthinkable.  We went on a vacation without Jesse.  I'd been away from Jesse for a night a couple of times, but we decided to go on a 5 day cruise - but we'd drive down to Galveston and back.  That was a week away from my baby. 

It took a lot of time to prepare and plan.  Jesse would spend half of that week with my parents and the other half with Scott's - and Barry.  I knew we couldn't leave Jesse with anyone who loved him more.  He enjoyed himself and got lots of love from grandparents.  I also held onto what I heard from a few people:  the best thing you can do for you child is to take care of your marriage. 

It was very nice and relaxing.  This was our frequent view as we read on comfy, cushioned lounge chairs.  I devoured The Hunger Games series...awww the easy-read teen romance/action book...  :)

When we got back, we took Jesse back out to Bartlesville's Kiddie Park.  He enjoyed driving the blue car.  He looks like a serious cruiser.

Co-captain of the boat - it's a two-seater

He's letting us know that he's getting ready to drive that horsey.  He was very interested in the other kids going around and around. 

Jesse and Daddy went on the Little Dipper roller coaster together.  Jesse didn't enjoy it too much.  He had a pretty frightened face the whole time, but he didn't cry.  This picture is so funny to me, "You're gonna make me ride WHAT?!"

There they go!  Off on the Little Dipper!

See!  Jesse got a little vacation too.  :)

Hot August

My sweet Jesse is sleeping!  He is really napping it out today.  I've gotten jipped on the length of naps the last couple of days.  He tends to do that.  He'll take shorter ones here and there, then he'll CATCH UP.

So, while he catches up on napping.  I'll work on blogging.  :)

As the wind whips around, the temperature drops, and the sun is hidden by a sky full of clouds, I'll post these warm weather pictures.  :)

What's better than getting to play with WATER?!  My sweet sister-in-law Yvette found this pool for Jesse at a garage sale for $1!  I love garage sales!!

Let's see, there's a sprinkler, two crocs, a hose, and empty milk gallons in there with this boy.

Barry takes a drink...

...so Jesse takes a drink!

Best friends!!  Jesse LOVES his dog!

Poor dog!  This was the only shade he could find - about a foot's width by the fence.  He tollerates Jesse's love.

Whoo-eeee!!!  Mom's given me free reign of this hose!! 

I just love how happy this boy is!  Jesse also prefers to wear his 'sim soot' when he gets to pick out his clothes.  It doesn't really matter where he goes.  I don't blame him - they're sure exciting!  :)

"Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen"

I sprayed him, and he didn't want me to stop  :)

This is why you take pictures - to remember how much fun we had and how adorable he is.  And when he's napping, like now, I can enjoy him, while allowing him to rest, and letting myself recoup.

Happy boy!

August Review Part 1

Funny Jesse!  Here's a little picture story.  (With a lot of my commentary.)  Our family decided to pick up a Simple Simon's pizza - a large is $5 after 7 pm...or something reasonable like that.  Scott probably watered the yard when we got home, Jesse and I headed inside.  I set the pizza on the island in the kitchen and ran to the bathroom.  I hadn't bothered to even turn on the lights.  I came out and looked for Jesse - walking past the kitchen to his room.  He wasn't there.  I came back to the kitchen and saw him sitting at the table in the dark...turn on the light, and he's got a piece of pizza he's eating.  Jesse really likes pizza.

Wait a minute.  The box is still on the island - closed.

And every last piece of pizza is on table next to Jesse.

Oh, ok!  It's empty. 

My theory:  Jesse couldn't wait on Daddy and Mama, and helped himself.  He pulled the box off the island.  He either removed each piece from the box and put them on the table, or he picked them all up from the floor.  Then he put the box back on the island.  What a clever little goober!

Jesse absolutely loves that we have 'Moos' behind our house sometimes.  The first time we realized it, we even got him out of bed to come look.  We hold him up high to see.  Now he wants me to hold him up high to see the neighbor's dog in their backyard.  That's inappropriate, Jesse.  :)

Somewhere along the way, Jesse Blakemore fell in love with 'Bar-ee' (Barney).  It's SO nice to have that option.  I can fix dinner, and Jesse will be entertained by a singing dinosaur and friends.  I love that my boys were resting together.  This is NOT a normal thing for Jesse.  He's also brought a pillow from our bedroom into the living room...  Anything to haul stuff around, dump it, and make a mess. 

In August, we went to Enid for a party for 'She-she' (Sheri).  Jesse got to run around with his cousins Elyse and Ella.  Ella's such a cool big cousin!  Jesse ran around the whole place all night long - unless, or couse, he was eating. 

Catching Up Attempt...from July

I'm not a faithful blogger.  (I realize this is an unnecessary statement - it's obvious.)  But I am a faithful mother.  I keep up with Jesse.  He always eats - usually pretty good food.  I'm a faithful launderer.  We always have the option of clean clothes to wear.  I'm NOT the best stain remover - that title goes jointly to my Mother- and Father-in-law.  They are the world's best at that.  Jesse's Memaw Blakemore once got permanent marker out of my favorite pair of teaching khaki pants.  PERMANENT marker - gone!  That was back before she was Jesse's Memaw or I was even a Blakemore.

Anyhow.  I've been busy with other things.  :)  But I thought I'd try catching up - so I, at least, can look back and remember some fun Jesse stories.  I'm sure all of my readers are long gone.  :)

In July, Jesse got to spend some time with his cousins in Enid.  I'll be so thankful when we can get a good picture of them all smiling.  After this shot, in which Jesse seems to be thrilled, we started losing our subjects, Jesse even stuck his finger up his nose...  It went down hill from here.  :)  But they're precious - Jesse, Elyse, and Erin.  :)

 Next, we have a shot of Jesse being a big boy and getting hair cut at Kidooz.  He gets to ride in a car and watch a video while scissors and clippers are all around his head.  He does a great job - as does the stylist. 

Warning:  this is a very sad picture coming up!  Praise Jesus my boy didn't have to get stitches!  He was running in my bedroom, thrilled to have snagged my chapstick, when he took a tumble.  It happened in the amount of time it took me to take his dirty diaper to the garage.  He tripped and fell head first into the corner of my bedroom door.  It sure looked sad for a while!  :(

One weekend, Daddy, Jesse, and I went to check out the Wildlife Safari in Caney, KS.  It was SO neat!  Jesse thought this bear was a 'doggy'. 

Daddy had a truckful (a VERY big dumptruck full) of dirt delivered to our driveway so we could level out our backyard.  It was terribly rutted from the trucks driven back there to install the fence, then the digging for the spinkler system.  That wouldn't have been much of a problem if it had all taken place in the mid- to late-summer when the ground was as hard as cement.  But this all seemed to take place while the ground was nice, wet, and smooshy.  Jesse pitched into help carry dirt in his wheelbarrow.  We also owe both Memaws and Papas for their blood, sweat, and efforts as well!!

July was the hottest month on record in OK.  We tried staying indoors most of the time.  Execpt for that whole truck load of dirt we shoveled, wheeled, and raked into our backyard.  Like Jesse's Papa Blakemore said, Jesse shouldn't roll an ankle playing football or soccer in the backyard now.  :)