You need to get a job...

A friend's recent post on Facebook reminded me of this story, so I thought I'd share:

Over the summer we had our nieces visit us from Texas. We took a trip to the mall one day, and passed by Build-A-Bear. Five-year-old Madalyn looked at Joseph and started begging him to buy her one. Joseph told her that he wasn't going to buy one because he didn't have any money. Then, using her 5-year-old logic, she asked, "Why not? You have a job." He proceeded to tell her that he doesn't have a job because he's still in school. Then she looked up and him and incredulously exclaimed, "What?! You mean you're a grown man and you're still in school?? You need to get a job. That way you can have money."

Madalyn, I hear ya, girl!! I'm sure that to a 5-year-old, the prospect of a man who is still in school at the age of 27 is absolutely mind-boggling. Heck, it's mind-boggling to me as well! But I often think of the fact that even though Joseph has been in school for what seems like forever and we're poor and living off student loans, we are happy! Sure, we can't buy the latest and greatest in every gadget and we still share our laundry room with the guy downstairs, and nearly everything that we own are hand-me-downs that we've had to make due with, but we love where we're at right now. We have made some of the best friends here in Iowa City and we've made so many amazing memories with our family. Even though it will be wonderful when Joseph is done and gets a job, we feel so blessed.

Here is a picture of our nieces and Jake. We love them so much and loved seeing them over the summer. And, Madalyn, maybe when Joseph is finally done with school (after well over 20 years), we'll take you to Build-a-Bear. Just maybe. :)

Twinsies

Today Joseph and Jake wore matching Hawkeye suits to church. They were quite the pair!! Joseph, being an identical twin, is used to dressing the same as someone else, but Jake has never had that opportunity. Joseph used to tell me stories about how his Dad would insist that his boys wear the same thing until they were in 2nd grade (when Joseph says they figured out what was going on), and I completely understand why! For some reason, what is handsome on just one becomes extraordinarily adorable on two.

Those are a couple of good-looking boys!!

I spoke too soon

So, remember how I said that Jake was doing better with his toddler bed now that the novelty of being able to get in and out has worn off? Turns out, the novelty never did wear off. Apparently, since he wasn't able to get in and out of his bedroom at will, he figured he would just stay in bed. Well, that all changed when he learned how to open the child-proof doorknob! What?? Are you kidding me? Safety 1st, I have a little bone to pick with you...

Now that he's figured out how to open his doors again, naptime and bedtime have been a nightmare!! He just saunters out whenever he feels like it for a "drink" or just mostly to let me know that he is not, in fact, going to take a nap, and I can't make him, so there. Just a month ago I thought to myself as I put my wonderful, blissful, content toddler to sleep, "this is just too easy." I'm paying for it big time now. With interest. Three days in a row it's just been a battle of wills. And, as my own mother will attest to, I'm no push-over when it comes to a battle of wills. Apparently, neither is Jake. He has been fighting me tooth and nail during naptime especially. So, instead of getting things done (or, let's just be honest, taking a much needed nap myself) I spend two hours taking him back into his room over and over and over again. This super-nanny technique is becoming my go-to method for how to deal with this crazy stage, but I'm open to suggestions.

I know the kid is exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, that the other day while we were having one of our epic "battle of wills," I noticed it had been quiet for about half an hour so I decided to see what the heck was going on. This is what I found:

Yep, he fell asleep while on the floor playing with his firetruck. Exhausted. And he had a stinky diaper. Great.

This whole situation has been a nightmare (no pun intended). Joseph and I have both been wondering where our sweet, easy-going, good-natured child has gone, and when, OH WHEN, will he return??? I think I've finally met my match....

It's not water

Jake has been saying some pretty funny things lately, so I thought I should start documenting them. With that being said, and without further ado, I present to you Jake's first "ism." I'm sure there will be many more to come!!

When were eating dinner together the other night, Jake asked me for some more "yar-yar" (water). As I poured him his glass of water, I said, "Jake, it's not pronounced 'yar-yar' it's 'wa-ter'."

He caught me pretty off guard when he responded in perfect English, "Mommy, it's not 'wa-ter' it's yar-yar!!"

This is now one of his favorite things to say to me, but he continues to ask for "yar-yar!"

My little boy is all grown up

I can't believe how much Jake has grown in this past month. First of all, he has officially made the transition into a toddler bed! It's been...well...let's just say it's gotten better. At first he was so enthralled with the newfound freedom that he was waking up at 6:00 am and just wandering around the house. Eventually he started going to the fridge, grabbing something to eat, then turning on the tv. Of course, this was all before the crack of dawn while Joseph and I were still sleeping! We would wake up and find Jake plopped in front of the tv eating an apple and watching cartoons. He's a lot better now that the novelty has worn off a little bit. (It may also have something to do with the child-proof doorknob that we ended up putting on his bedroom door. We figured that was safer than having a two-year-old wandering around the house while we were still dead to the world.)

Second, he's off his pacifier!! I know, I can't believe it either. I thought it was going to be a huge, scary, and extraordinarily difficult ordeal, but in all reality, he didn't seem to care that much at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was way more stressed about it than he ever was. Funny how that works, huh. It all happened one night when he wouldn't stop leaving his room (before the child-proof doorknob was on it) and we told him that if he got out of his room one more time that he would lose the pacifier. Of course, he did. So, being the consistent parents that we are, we took it away and he cried for about five minutes then fell asleep, no problem! Then I was going to give it back to him the next day, but he never asked for it again! And that was it! No more pacifier! AMAZING!

Finally, and this may be the biggest one yet for me, he's been successful on the toilet not once, not twice, not even three, but FOUR TIMES this past week! I'll spare you all of the potty talk, but let's just say that I'm feeling cautiously optimistic that we're going to get him potty trained before this baby comes. Wish me luck, and if you have any advice on the topic, please feel free to share, because I need all the help I can get!!

I know that the reason most of you read this blog is for the pictures, so here are a few that I took of Jake playing with his trains recently. I wish I had gotten a video because he was talking to himself the whole time saying things like, "The trains on the tracks...Thomas is on the tracks...Toby is on the tracks...Percy is on the tracks. The trains on the tracks..." He's just talking up a storm. I love to watch him grow!!

All good things must come to an end

It's that time of year again. Joseph left me this morning for school. I'm a dental widow once more. *Sigh...* We have loved having him home this summer, most likely for the last long summer vacation ever. In an effort to go out with a bang, we went with a few friends to the Lake of the Ozarks last week. We had an absolute blast! Except for the part where Jake decided he's done sleeping...but that's a story for another day.

When we got there it was unbelievably hot. I mean, I thought that Iowa had terrible heat and humidity, but it's got nothing on Osage, MO! First thing we did when we got there was strip the boys down.

Then us ladies assigned the men to go outside and grill our dinner. You can tell they were thrilled with this prospect...

We cooled off by taking a nice pontoon ride and swimming in the lake!

Please forgive my whiteness...it's really a lost cause.

Although I didn't get pictures of it, there was also lots of card playing while stuffing ourselves with junk food, swimming in the pool, and chilling on the deck while watching the beautiful sunsets. The trip was full of good eating, good friends, and good times all around. Thanks, Abarcas, for letting us tag along with you on your vacay!! We had an awesome time!

Yummy!

Sometimes the best part of eating at a fast food restaurant is the ketchup:Can you tell he's a picky eater?