Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! This was such a fun year. Tom was home (thankfully he didn't have rehearsal because Halloween was on a Sunday), so he got to go out with us. Jackson really got into it this year. He was so excited to be Buzz Lightyear. Tom found his costume and went all out, even getting him the Buzz Lightyear wings that go in and out with the press of a button. When the wings are out, they also light up and make noises that sound like you're flying or talking to Star Command. The neighbors all got quite a kick out of the wings.

Getting ready to go out trick or treating! Can you tell how excited Jackson is?

Jackson had been practicing how to trick or treat for the last week. Since he loves ringing doorbells, we knew this was going to be a great year. Jackson would go up to the houses and say "Trick or Treat!" and then after receiving his candy, he'd say "Thank you! Happy Halloween!" We went to quite a few houses this year though we did bypass our favorite neighbor sitting outside.

Jackson would pull out his candy and look at it before going on to the next house. His favorite candy is now Kit Kats....which is interesting since he doesn't like chocolate. He calls them "Kitty-Cat Chocolate". All he has to do is ask for a kitty-cat chocolate and I will usually give him one....I have no willpower when it sounds so cute!

After Jackson's pumpkin was full of candy, we came back and handed out candy while sitting in the driveway. It surprises me how many people sit in their driveways to handout candy, but I have to say, I really like it! Jackson brought out his Buzz Lightyear chair from inside and would lounge in between trick-or-treaters. Jackson loved handing candy out again this year. I only had one bowl for both the young kids and the older kids (who really were too old to be trick-or-treating), so we'd end up giving 1 a piece to the older kids and lots to the younger kids. He accidentally gave an older kid two pieces of candy, and he almost reached into the kid's sack to pull it out!

Halloween dinner - Mummy dogs and a Halloween orange. Yummy!
I actually cooked! Turns out that this was a REALLY easy meal and Jackson loved it. Think this is going to become a new Halloween tradition!
Tom and Jackson took the opportunity on Halloween to dress up as a mummy using an entire roll of toilet paper. When Jackson came around the corner, he held his hands up in front of him and pretended to walk around like a mummy.
Jackson's class had a Halloween party in their room before going downstairs to the carnival. I absolutely loved Julia's costume (who is sitting next to Jackson), dressed up as Snow White. I loved her wig! The teachers also had a "dress-up" station all set up to put on make-up and do hair for all of the little girls. Jackson's other buddy, Joseph, is sitting next to him dressed up as a baseball player.
Jackson and one of his best friends, Batman (aka Nash):
Buzz Lightyear was an extremely popular costume this year - Jackson was 1 of 3 Buzz's in his class. We decided we liked Jackson's teachers too much to let him wear his expandable wings at the school party. Here are Jackson and Max posing together:
Here are Holden and Jackson posing together. They were both looking at each other's "tattoos", and Jackson had to teach Holden how to do the laser pose.

Mining for marshmallows with Jackson's friend, Sarah. The kids had lots of fun playing with the white packing peanuts. Jackson kept putting his "treasure" back so that he could find it again.

Jackson really got into Halloween this year. He was really concerned when he realized that neither Tom nor I had a costume. He told me that we needed to go buy a costume. So, on Friday night before Halloween, Jackson and I went out on the town for some Halloween shopping to get some costumes and candy. Jackson told me that I was going to be a witch. Sure enough, he picked out a green witches hat for me (which was a lucky find since the costume aisle was decimated!). I saved Tom from having to wear a sombrero....until Jackson picked out a pirate's hat for Tom that was about 3 sizes too small! Here is Jackson trying on the hat to see what I'll look like:
Jackson in his "Jr Explorer" costume (thanks Sara!). I was getting ready in the bathroom and heard Jackson playing with something, but I didn't think anything of it. A few minutes later, I heard "Hey Mom - come look!" He had managed to stack everything on (and near) my nightstand without it falling over! In case you can't tell in the picture, he stacked a coaster on top of an empty cup, a glass 1/2 full of water, a small candle, a big tall candle and my blackberry - all topped off with a sock!

All lined up waiting for the OSU Homecoming parade to start.
Isn't this just the stereotypical American shot? Watching the parade on the side of the road, eating candy (a "kitty-cat chocolate, as Jackson likes to call them) and waving your American flag. Life is good.
Jackson loves to be held upside down. And even better than just being held upside down is crawling up and over your shoulder to become upside down. I think we have a future stuntman in our house.
We're so glad you're back, Casey!
Comparing their loot. Stickers and suckers were big this year (to Jackson's and Reese's delight!).
Look at my sucker!

Jackson and Reese really liked all of the music. Here they are dancing together in the back of Papa's truck.

Funny things Jackson said since the last post:

I'm growing! Like a flower! I'm getting BBIIIGGG. I'm not big enough yet. I'm growing, Mom! (Backstory: Jackson has been eating 2-3 times what he normally eats in a day lately, and so I told him a few days ago that he must be growing. He looks down in total shock like it's happening RIGHT NOW before his eyes.)

*****

(as we pass by a lit Christmas Nativity in the back of a trailer). Mom, that's Jesus. I'm not afraid of him. He loves me. We read it in a book. I love that book. We have it at home and at school!

******

Me: What did you do at school today?

Jackson: I played with Holden and Jerrett and John. They're my guys, my buddies.

Me: Really? What about your other friends?

Jackson: Max is mad at me cause I took his spot. I was there first. So I played with my other buddies. I was the leader.

Me: How did you become the leader?

Jackson: I said "Come on guys, let's run" and they did. We played soccer and kicked the ball hard cause of my really fast shoes.

"Mom Guilt" Strikes Again....

Remember back to Jackson's first Easter Egg Hunt at his daycare? Just to recap: plastic eggs (still in the wrapper and UNFILLED), no candy to include in the eggs, and no change to even buy Starburst from the vending machine. Thanks to Ms. Cresha, I was able to borrow 50 cents so that Jackson could have some candy-filled eggs like everyone else. While I was stuffing his eggs with the Starburst bought from borrowed money, in walks another mom with her daughter dressed up in her beautiful, spotless Easter dress carrying a beautifully decorated Easter basket filled with beautifully dyed Easter eggs that had obviously taken quite a bit of time the night before. All I could think of was "I was supposed to bring a basket too???" Still getting the hang of this parenting gig - Jackson's daycare is sometimes my Cliff Notes version, reminding when I should be doing for Jackson at various ages. I'm constantly surprised that Jackson is old enough to be doing 1/2 of the activities they do at daycare with him. As a result, we're always a little behind the eight ball when it comes time to do non-routine activities at school.

Fast forward to this week. We received an email from his school letting us know of the various activities that were going to be happening in the next month or so. I always get a little feeling of dread when I see their emails - I always wonder "what did I forget this time?". The big news this week is that on Friday, they are having their annual bike and trike-a-thon. The older kids are supposed to bring their bikes and trikes to school....and don't forget their helmet! This shouldn't have been a big deal, right? Well, there were a few minor issues:

• I can't remember the name of Jackson's class (is it Discoverers or Explorers or Seekers?) OR his room number. And unfortunately, that's the only way to tell who is supposed to do what. I was pretty sure I knew what class he is in (after all, I've been dropping him off in the same room for almost 2 months now), so I decided he was in the class that is supposed to bring their bikes. They're always doing stuff earlier than I think is possible (and they always prove that Jackson can do it!).
• He doesn't have a helmet OR a bike. Should I have already bought him a helmet, even though he doesn't have a bike? Is he supposed to wear one on his Big Wheel? Am I a terrible mother for not having one yet?
• Jackson doesn't know how to ride a bike (at least not at home).....and he hates riding his Big Wheel. In fact, I can't remember if he even really knows how to ride his Big Wheel without someone pushing him. Is he supposed to know how to do that already?

I was determined that Jackson was going to show off his bike riding skills on Friday. I sent Tom an email that said looks like we need to buy a bike (and a helmet) early this week so that Jackson could ride it on Friday. As soon as Jackson and I got home on Monday night, we went right outside so that we could practice pedaling on the Big Wheel - didn't even let Jackson have dinner first so as not to waste the daylight. (I know, I know - it's hard to have a demanding mom, but when Jackson wins the Tour de France, he'll thank me.) I learned a few things on Monday night: 1) Jackson, like me, likes riding downhill, and 2) Jackson, like me, thinks its too much work to pedal uphill without someone pushing you from behind. Unfortunately, the school parking lot isn't level.... He also learned a few things from Jenna - no matter how slow you go, you still need to steer (pretty sure Jim doesn't appreciate Big Wheel tracks in his yard along the sidewalk). It was obvious that we had a ways to go before his "event" on Friday.

Fortunately, I had lunch with my good friend Katie today. She reassured me that Jackson's class probably wasn't biking on Friday. She told me Jackson's class was doing the "hop-a-thon" instead. Whew! I know he can hop! He can be a rabbit or a frog (incidentally, the corresponding noises Jackson makes for either of these animals sounds the same......"rabbit" or "ribbit".) So thankfully, I was concerned over nothing. And now I know what to expect next year and can start preparing in advance (we'll begin a training schedule early next spring). Needless to say, Santa is going to be bringing Jackson a bike (and helmet) for Christmas - whether he wants one or not! :)

I did feel pretty good about my mothering abilities last night, though. I saw a picture of some creative Halloween meals, and thought "I can do that!". I actually tried it, and it came out pretty cute. Jackson loved the "Halloween Spaghetti" and seemed to really have fun eating the spaghetti out of the bell pepper cut to look like a pumpkin.

It has been absolutely gorgeous out lately. We've spent a lot of time at the park. Jackson's imagination has really started coming out, and he loves to pretend to be various characters at the park. For some reason, Jackson always makes me be his trusty sidekick and Tom be the bad guy. Maybe it's because Tom has such a good "evil laugh". Either way, it's funny to watch it unfold each time. This time, Jackson was Buzz Lightyear (and wore his Buzz Lightyear armband that makes sounds), I was Woody, and Tom was......yes, you guessed it - Zurg! Jackson made Tom chase him all over the park. It all worked out, though, because by the end of our time at the park, Jackson told me "Zurg is my best friend. He's nice now. He's my best friend."

Jackson has been dressing up a lot. One weekend, Jackson and I ran quite a few errands, and Jackson decided he needed to be a superhero in order to come with me. He wore his superhero cape and diego gardening gloves everywhere that day. That was the most fun I've had running errands in a long time! I think there is a lesson to be learned there. Everything is more fun with a cape!

Jackson is really enjoying Amazing Athletes. I'm so thankful that he has that opportunity at school. We've been playing a lot of soccer and now baseball in the house. I think we're going to have to change that rule soon because he's getting so good at it. He really has some power behind his swing and his kicks!

Jackson has also started playing with his baby doll, Charlie (I don't know where he came up with that name). He likes to feed it and thinks it poops every 2 minutes, which means I have to change its diaper (he refuses to do it). Jackson likes to hold it and cradle it when it is crying. It's so sweet to watch him pat the doll on the back gently and say "It's ok. You're safe. Daddy's here." Makes me melt.

Tom's friend, Mike, stayed at our house a couple of weekends ago while in Tulsa to help judge the Broken Arrow band contest. Jackson was so excited to meet "The leader of the Green Superheroes" (aka - the Cavaliers). He even made us change his clothes so that he could wear his superheroes shirt, and he got his drumsticks ready to play for Mike when he came downstairs. I have never seen Jackson be so enamored with someone new so quickly! He wanted to show Mike everything that he could do. Here is Jackson showing off his skills on the iPad with the Talking Tom app (a cat that repeats what you say and purrs when you rub its belly or head):

Another milestone! Jackson has FINALLY begun sleeping in his bed again. We're now in the routine of reading 1-2 stories before he climbs into bed on his own. It's even to the point now that he doesn't cry when we leave his room. He also now likes his door closed with just the nightlight on - what a big change from a month ago!

He did it!

It's official-Jackson is potty-trained! They always say to be patient and it will eventually click. They were right. In less than 1 day, he went from diapers to going consistently in the potty. We had promised him new Toy Story bedding when he could go consistently in the potty (3 times in 1 day - we're softies). He was so proud of himself when he finally got it - it actually took about 2 weeks before he was successful. Since then, he lays down on his bed pretty much every day.

Good night!He is so proud of his new big-boy underwear. One of our neighbors had stopped at our house so that Jackson and her daughter could meet each other. Jackson promptly pulled down his pants to show her his Thomas underwear. I could tell that she was impressed. I was very proud. It was a great first impression for a new neighbor. (Sarcasm doesn't really read well on a blog, does it?)

Jackson thought this was the best game ever. He loves hats lately and will make almost anything into one. The pants apparently look better on his head than his legs - either way, I think he's pretty cute. He ran back and forth this hallway for quite a while. Love you, little streaker!I left Jackson alone for about 5 minutes while he was painting so that I could finish some laundry. When I came back, I found that he had been extremely busy "painting" some masterpieces - on all visible body parts! He used his markers to give himself some really nice tattoos. The next day, while we were outside playing, he decided his tattoos needed a little more work and proceeded to color all over himself with chalk. Needless to say, it was bathtime shortly after.

We got the spring cleaning bug a few weeks ago and decided to totally clean up our pantry. I can't believe how much space we have now! It feels so nice to be able to actually walk in and not be tripping over Jackson's grocery cart or multiple kitchen appliances. Tom and I find ourselves opening up the pantry door and just looking around with a smile on our face. It's the small things in life.

While we were mopping the floors, Jackson made a train out of the kitchen chairs and then strapped in George Lightyear for a ride. He loves buckling himself into his seat - this activity probably occupied him for at least 15 minutes!

We all three went to the Tulsa zoo for the first time. Jackson really wanted to see the monkeys, bears and the zebras. Of course, when we got to where they were, he'd take 1 look at them and then wanted us to move on to the next set. I don't think he realized how uncommon it is to see these animals!



Jackson's (and Tom's) first taste of cotton candy. Neither of them really liked it. Thank goodness it was free!Of everything that we did and saw at the zoo, when you ask him what he likes most, he says the train!
Playing with the dress-up doll puzzle in his Woody outfit. He has been wearing it so much lately. In fact, over 1/2 the time that we ask him what he wants to be for Halloween, he tells us "Woody". Of course, the other 1/2 is always Buzz. We'll probably end up buying Buzz and then let him pick depending upon his mood for the school party and then trick-or-treating.
We bought the iPad originally because we thought it would be great for Tom's work and entertainment when either one of us travelled. We had no idea Jackson would become so quickly attached to it or so good at the apps. He now has his own screen filled with his apps. I love it because most of them are educational games that he loves playing. However, he also loves Pac-man, and I'm embarrassed to say he's almost better at it than I am!
I love how decked out Jackson is here with stickers - stickers on his foam visor (to shield the bright moonlight), his Cowboy Woody-Jackson sticker from Johnnie and the yellow bus! All ready for a good night's sleep!
Eating hibachi at Kyoto's
Jackson was so afraid of the fire!
This is one of my favorite pictures...
Hmmm....do you think Jackson is tired of me taking pictures?
I don't know how I did this, but I caught Jackson just as he slid down the slide - almost like I planned it! I love our new camera!

The other day while we were coloring outside (I draw some pretty incredible flowers on our driveway if I do say so myself), Jackson saunters over to me and says with a sly grin "hey pretty lady!" Now where would he have heard that?

More pictures from September: