technical difficulty ...Please stand by!

Hi everyone out there!
This is for all of you non-bloggers that may be trying to post comments...
you can't.
yet!
I have set up my blog to enable you, but the progamming hasn't caught up I guess...
I sent a query to tech support, and should hear from them, eventually!
IUntil then, I would like to hear your comments, and check my email more frequntly than the blog...hint hint...
And for anyone that uses my links to the Bushel 'n' peck blog today.. I must say now that I apologize in advance for their lack of shame...

Junk Food Junkie

Jimmy has a new tooth today. Number 8!
Some where along the line one of those cute little teeth turned sweet!
Our little kiddo is turning into a snacker! Mind you, we don't give him mass quantities of the stuff you are about to see, and not all of it is all that bad, we even go organic when possible!
He has discovered as you will see:

Malasadas kinda like a sugar donut



Cheetos especially the big twisty ones!


Pocky mmmmm.....pocky!



And to round it all out


Fresh Steamed Broccoli!


Yes, he is eating broccoli... And he will go to town on raw carrots and apples, too!
That happens to be carrots all over the rest of him if you were wondering.

Meanwhile it is fairly quiet around here with Jeff gone...
I got all the laundry washed and have thought about folding it and putting it away... That might happen tonight to avoid any mishaps. I say this because the cat is misbehaving again! In the 24 hours that Jeff has been gone she has peed on the wall (her litterbox is clean), puked on/in my shoes, chewed through the cord of my cell phone charger and is currently sitting on my pillow on the bed giving me the stink eye.
I really don't understand what her deal is... I don't think she's gotten close enough to me to smell the very nice cat I am feeding while his owner is on vacation...but maybe! I hope not to repeat the late night bug feeding incident, so I have been nothing but nice to her... I not only refilled her food as I do everyday, but emptied it out and washed the bowl and her water dispenser before refilling them, brushed her, put out a nice fleece blanket to sleep on in the sun and I put up a gate to my bedroom so that she can escape Jimmy, who has taken to tackling her at any time...
The gate to the bedroom also benefits me, since Jimmy has learned that drawers are easy to open, and there's stuff inside. Like socks! Underpants! T-Shirts! All of which need to be taken out and displayed. Then toys or crackers can go back into the drawer before Mommy comes in!
I really need to put the laundry away... again! Sigh.

Watch out Martha, Here he comes again!

Oh yes they call him the STREAK!

I don't wanna work, I wanna Bang on my Drum All Day!

Good lord what have we done...


I plead temporary insanity!


We bought Jimmy a drum.

But not just a drum, a whole FUN in a Drum KIT!

There are maracas, a tambourine, a harmonica and a drum with flames on it. Also the drum sticks. Ooooohhhh the drum sticks! Very useful for drumming the drum, but also drumming on the floor, drumming on the walls, drumming on the couch, and maybe drumming on the cat, but we're not too sure about that one; she runs too fast! Jimmy does carry the drum sticks around with him drumming as he goes, and has only poked himself in the eye once (I'm still cringing at the thought!)
The maracas are great fun as well, and portable enough to go in the car.
The harmonica still confounds him. Jeff has learned "I've Been Working On The Railroad" - Jeff and the new train obession is a whole other story- but Jimmy has only gotten one surprise note out of it. Not for the lack of trying, mind you... A kazoo might be more Jimmy's speed just yet.

And now the pics. Note the joy on Jimmy and Jeff's faces, and the look of disdain (or is it disgust) on the cat's...
And Jimmy does like to run around with his sticks!

A Breakthrough!!

Yesterday was a great day in the advancement of Jimmy's skills!
He has always been a boy to take toys down and dump them out of any container that the toy is stored in. Dump dump dump! Toys out on the floor, everywhere!!!!
Yesterday, I saw a glimmer of hope...
He sat quietly playing with his sorting blocks and after dumping them and spreading them out, he actually put a few back in the container! Deliberately! Yeah!!!

Other than that I am starting to let Jimmy be in control of the spoon during his mealtimes... It's messy, but has to be done eventually...
Note in the picture how clean and neat the side with the spoon is (almost like it wasn't used at all!)

Pebbles and sticks and leaves, Oh my!

There are many pretty things to see at the Wahiawa Botanical Garden. Unfortunately, there are also mounds and mounds of leaf litter, sticks, berries and rocks for small fingers to pick up and put in a small mouth.
Needless to say, we didn't stay long. But after a nice breakfast, Jimmy was ready for a nap anyway!

While he still can not (or will not because he thinks we're crazy) identify his own nose, Jimmy can almost pronounce "nose". He also has mastered the squat. It seems like just the other day I was telling Jeff that Jimmy would learn to do that soon. Come to think of it, it was just the other day. Last Wednesday, I believe... So no more having to sit down to pick something up off the floor! No!! Now we can pick up toys by just squatting and continue along our merry way!
Hopefully I will be able to capture this on film soon.
Until then, here is Jeff celebrating Father's Day with his boy and also a picture of what I think is the true reason that overalls are such a popular wardrobe pick for young boys...

All the better to bite you with!

A good-ish picture of the newest tooth! Seven total now!
The next one should be up in the next few days or so... we hope!

Today was the latest attack in the flea war, so Jimmy and I had to clear out for the day... We ended up walking around Waikiki, where we walked through the tube. Jimmy did not enjoy it as much as I thought he would... oh well. Tomorrow we will go to the botanical gardens where he can run around and find lots and lots of stuff for mommy and daddy to pick out of his mouth!

It's a slow day

Slow day, slow day in the neighborhood.

O.K., I admit it, Raffi has changed the way I relate to the world. Seriously, the man has a song about everything! Going to the zoo, the corner grocery store, counting, brushing your teeth, riding in an airplane, bowling, eating and nearly everything else I do in the daily life with Jimmy...

Oh except changing diapers and laundry, but we don't really need to memorialize those topics in song, do we? There are enough duck songs to cover in the spaces.

So yes, we all sing while we are walking down the street, something in our shoe or not, and we roll our eyes and bug them out when the biscuits are rising... We sing while we eat our apples and bananas, sing while we get dressed, and if we see a robin in the rain...
It is a completely different version of reality... It is fairly nice, I hope we get to stay here for a while.

On the "To Do" list this weekend - in a fancy bulleted list!

• An outing to the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens
• Dinner out for Father's day
• Laundry
  
• Maybe a beach trip
• A final attack on the fleas (we have almost completely eradicated them, YEA!!!) and
  
• Teaching Jimmy where his nose is...

Happy Father's Day to Jeff and the Grandpas!

Oh yeah, he'll be real one day!

Everybody, meet Takoyaki. He is Jimmy's new
best friend. Yes, he's a blue stuffed octopus, and Takoyaki is a fried octopus ball, but Jimmy's too young to understand that and we thought it was funny. Besides, it's fun to say... Try it..
Tako YAH ki...see? Fun!

Who would have guessed that with all of his teddy bears, chickens, ducks and such that Jimmy's favorite toy would be a blue stuffed octopus. The chickens are still a close second, but Takoyaki is by far more fun. I mean he's got 8 legs to grab and chew on and two tags on his belly.

Takoyaki started out at the aquarium in Waikiki.
We were hanging out in the lobby waiting for Daddy to come back from parking the car when Jimmy decided to check out the gift shop. To my surprise, he cruised right past all the squeaky toys and jelly toys right to the back corner where this little octopus was perched on a basket of other stuffed sea life.
Jimmy snatched Takoyaki and proceeded to waltz right out... Mommy waltzed right back in with him and the toy to pay for it and then Jimmy was released.

Jimmy likes to walk around with Takoyaki and will snuggle him in his sleep. He even knows Takoyaki's name, and will go looking for him if we ask.

I predict that Takoyaki will eventually have different (read replaced a few times) eyes and some of his fuzz loved off...Yup, he'll be real one day...

What are they thinking?!?

OK, this is a non-Jimmy related post, but I had to spread the word about this...

I saw this on Mir's blog Want not and had to share... Her words are most appropriate... "No. Just, NO!"

Click here to see "it"

they want HOW MUCH for a TSHIRT? And they put What on the butt? And apparantly the accent over the "e" makes it all better...
Whose crackpipe dream is this?



I mean, I love and can't wait to get back to the land of Target, but not if this is how they are going to rule the empire...

Things that make you go hmmmm....

O.K. I'm done now, and as an added bonus for listening to my rant here's an extra picture of Jimmy being cute! Yea!

Little ponies and small peeping frogs!

Oh my!

Well I said a few days ago that Jimmy is learning new things everyday, and I really wasn't exaggerating about that. Saturday night we taught Jimmy how to "Gimme 5" and "High 5" with much hooting and clapping on our part. Jimmy does do it, but mostly he gives us the "you guys are crazy" look and a gentle tap.
Yesterday he figured out sonething else new. As Jimmy ran around the house and rode in the car we kept hearing a small horse clip-clopping behind us! We looked back just to find Jimmy grinning back. Yes, he has figured out how to click his toungue, and very much enjoys doing so. So while I am doing chores or even now as I write this, he is busily clicking away as he pulls all the dvds out of the cabinet, as if he disapproves how they are organized...


Another development is that Jimmy has outgrown his little tub and is getting bathed in the big one... While in the land of Target we found some tub treads. They are very cute little frogs...but I have issues with them...

I mean I may not have been a Mommy long enough to become immune to the idea of showering by myself, but having six pairs of eyes looking up at you, bugging out and grinning at your nakedness isn't exactly relaxing...
Seriously, would you want this looking up at you while you shave your legs?

This one is for Sarah

I have passed a turning point, and hopefully won't look back for another year or so (like when Joey or Suzie makes their appearance).


I have graduated myself from diaper bag usage and moved on to my first attempt at the Mommy Purse.


I found this nice little purse at the exchange for around $20, and figured I would give it a shot...
Here is a picture of my cute new purse with all of the stuff that goes in it.

Let's see, there is a sippy cup with snacks in the base, tylenol, a foffer, emergecy toy, hand sanitizer, 2 lipglosses, cell phone, wallet, a book, a change of clothes, 3 diapers, wipes, a jar of food, spoon, another snack, spare batteries for the camera, washcloth, and the Hello Kitty book of pictures and other cards that won't all fit in my wallet (ex. costco, safeway, insurance, ect.).
Not pictured but also in there was a small tube of lotion, Jimmy's vaccination record, an emergency feminine product, my small pad of paper with pen and the camera (it was in use , duh)!


I realize that most of this is still Jimmy gear, but I don't care. It is the bare minimum of stuff required for a successful outing with the boy. On top of that it all fits in my new Mommy Purse and that is the important first step to diaper bag liberation!

And it really does all fit, and close... See? Yes I realize that the spout of the sippy cup pokes out the top, but that's just fine with me... It all fits in there and it fits in the basket of our new, smaller stroller. The airline trashed our old one, but it was getting pretty beat up anyway...

This picture almost looks like you should be playing "I Spy" or "Where's the Foffer", huh?

So there it is in all its glory! My first Mommy Purse!

Like a turtle...

Jimmy got stuck today...


Since the fish tank is gone, Jimmy's room is now a safe place for him to play. there are no exposed outlets, cords are tucked away or anything heavy on the bookshelves within pulling down reach...
I feel O.K. with him playing in there, and let him play semi-unsupervised. He generally comes out into the living room every 15 minutes or so or I will go in and peek at him playing quietly and happily with his toys...

Every so often there is a holler, generally from him bumping into something or getting frustrated with a toy.
Today there was an all out "Mommy come help me" type of holler...


I rushed in, and rushed right back out to get the camera... This is what I found in his room



Here's a closer look!

I'm sure he felt like this....












But once I started taking pictures he stared hamming it up and got laughing!

If you are what you eat...

Jimmy would be good on ramen...
Here he is at our favorite ramen place chowing down on bean sprouts and fish cake... yummy yummy fish cake! He is really good about eating new things when we are out and about!

I wish I could get him to eat new things this easily at home!!!

He is chugging along at trying new foods here and there; he had a quesadilla a few nights ago. That is a good thing, since he seems to be starting up on a jar food strike again...

Today Jimmy also started to figure out that putting his face in the water without holding his breath is probably not a good idea...
We have been trying to teach Jimmy this for a while, mostly by just keeping his head above water for him. It is hard to do out in the open water where a wave can just come up and dip his face unexpectedly while he is concentrating on his splashing...
Today we went to the toddler pool on base and I just let Jimmy put his face in without stopping him... He got one good snoot-full of water (I figure pool water is a bit better than ocean water) and he kinda freaked out, but after that he only did two small nose dips for the rest of the afternoon!
We had a grand old time splashing around for most of the afternoon and then watching all the way too big for the toddler pool (grumble grumble) kids splash around during the adult swim.

I think tommorow we will venture out to explore the big park that has swings! Yea!

It really bugs me!

We are starting on another wave of the flea war!

I got my Diatomaceous Earth(Thanks Sarah!) in the mail today and applied a dose to the living room carpet. This will be vaccuumed up on Saturday and we will possibly rent a rug doctor next weekend... I am so glad we are moving...
I love it here in Hawaii, but co-existing with bugs is a fact of life here... I do not keep a dirty house, but we live with cockroaches, ants and other creepy-crawlies. The fact that we have all jaloucie style windows and a door with a poor seal and no cold freezes to kill the bugs means that there is no way to keep them out!

I tolerate the ants fairly well, am grossed out by the roaches (especially if Jimmy finds a dead one before I do...crunch cruch crunch...), but am focusing lately on the two that are biting my family!
Fleas and mosquitos...
I am always searching for baby friendly pesticides, but may still resort to chemicals very carefully cleaned up...

Oh well... I will post the progress of the erradication... in the meantime, enjoy the pic of the day! This is Jimmy being pleased with himself after snatching my garlic toast at Applebee's in Portland.
I'm off to wash the cat.

Huge news!

Things are exciting around here today!

First of all, Jeff and I have reclaimed the living room from the toy pile of no end.
I have been voicing my paranoia that Jimmy will pull the fish tank down on himself to Jeff lately, and Jimmy proved my point wonderfully in front of both of us by wobbling the legs of the tank stand to the point that the water in the fish tank started to slosh a bit. Thankfully, the protective part of Daddy kicked in and the fish went out Sunday afternoon. A quick trip to the store to pick up some pop up hampers and the toys migrated into the recently vacated fish corner!

There are still a few toys in the living room, but you can see our nasty carpet in almost the whole room!!!

Jimmy graduated from the infant play morning today. Since he is walking, we get to start going to the toddler play group!! Yea!! This is especially nice for me because the toddler group is in the afternoon instaed of morning!!! Yea #2!!! No more bailing out early from playgroup because it's naptime!!!

The best thing that has happened today is my Sister got a contract to publish her first book!!! Yea#3!!!! Whooo hoooo!!! Go Dodo! Can't wait to read it!!!

I really am going to be blogging!!!

OK, OK! Eight months ago I started this blog and now I actually have the time to start using it!
Let me start by catching you up on the year so far!
The year started out great with our first christmas as a family and we spent new year's day on the beach! In a few short months Dodo and I would take a fantastic trip to Japan for the cherry blossom festival (Jeff's christmas present to me) and Jeff and Jimmy took a trip to visit Grandma Sue.
I started on Nutrisystem, and have currently lost 20 pounds and I also lost 13" of hair with a donation to locks of love...
After our first set of trips, Jimmy started walking! And sleeping through the night ..... again!
Then we messed up his schedule and took him on another trip to the Mainland, with a few days in Portland and a week in Colstrip for Uncle Ian's HS graduation! We had hoped to visit with Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Barry while in Portland, but they were away, attending the birth of Jimmy's first cousin, Alaina (welcome to the world little girl!), but we did have a great trip. We went to Tillamook, which was like watching "Unwrapped" live, and also got to hang out with Autie Camas and Uncle Mak! Jimmy didn't quite know what to think of them, since they had never met...

We are now back home again, relaxing and getting back into the routine of our lives...
Jimmy does new things everyday, a few days ago he figured out laughing is fun, and yesterday he started clapping...
We are also getting gears turning for our next big move...
We will be transfering to Bremerton in September, but Jimmy and I will be staying at Grandma Terrie and Grandpa Jim's house while all of our household goods are in transit, so will be leaving in 10 weeks!
I am glad to be moving back to the land of Target, fresh produce (instead of freshly-delivered), and measuring distance in hours inteads of miles...
I feel sorry for Jimmy, though... He is so irresitably cute with his bright blue eyes, blond hair and pink cheeks, he stands out among the Hawaiian and asian babies that are here. Moving back to the mainland will be like Superman moving back to Krypton, he will use his super-cute powers... maybe not entirely, he still is a vicious flirt! The girl that he pooped on in the plane didn't get mad, not that there was anything to be done but clean it up, but he flirted with her the rest of the flight!

I hope to have a few moments each day to write something, but you never know, I may not get back for another eight months...