Beach Babe

While Daddy is off on the west coast, Jaiden and Mommy jetted to the beach for four days of fun in the sun. Just a few pictures from our little trip!!  Jaiden adores the beach and loves jumping in the waves!! He comes to life here at the beach, loves spending time with Granny Elaine. 

We're off to the beach today, followed by water balloons and s'mores!!  Hoping this summer slows down so I can enjoy every second with my beach babe! 

Xoxo,

Mommy 

Cheers

One of my favorite things about sharing mealtime with jaiden is that he loves to Cheers you!!! Maybe just one time or maybe 20 times, but regardless it makes sharing a meal with him a million times better!!!

Xoxo,
Mama J

Four Christmas's

We celebrated with Jamie and Rachel on Friday night which is always a fun time!! Then we headed to West Deptford on Saturday to celebrate with my dad, Aunt Julie, Uncle Gordon and Finn!! Jaiden chased Finn around the house all night. Monday Uncle Ashton came for the Christmas festivities in Mahwah which was filled with our Chinese food tradition. Tuesday Jaiden was thrilled Santa came and we made monkey bread, my mom and Gerry came, we opened preset after present ad had a wonderful pork roast. Wednesday we traveled to Brigantine to celebrate with Casey, Nikki, Julie, Gordon, Finn, Granny Elaine, Mom and Gerry!!!! And boy was it a party, Jaiden even managed to stay up until 11:15 PM somehow. We always play the grab, which is chaos and hidden side deals to say the least!!

I am going to share a few fun photos from our whirlwind Christmas. We are blessed to have such amazing family to spend the holiday with!!!

Xoxo,
Mama J

Fireworks on your feet!!

Last night we celebrated New Year's Eve with Jaiden at around 8ish. All day he said he wanted to go to the city to see the big ball drop. We watched countless you tube videos of the ball dropping from years past!! Jaiden must have watched it 200-300 times. He then told us that he didn't want to see the big ball drop because he didn't want the fireworks to get on his feet. When we went outside to grill he made sure to say be careful, don't let the fireworks get on your feet!!!

He tried hard to stay up until the ball dropped!! But don't worry he watched it this morning at least 30 times in a row.

Happy 2013 to our amazing family and friends. We are blessed to have you all in our lives and can't wait to share with you our big news to come this year!!!

Xoxo
Mama J

Santa Clause is Coming to Town!!

We headed to Nuance for their annual kids Christmas party. Jaiden and I practiced in the car what we would say to Santa. He was adamant on saying he wanted marshmallows. Okay Jaiden are you sure there is nothing else you want?! No mom, just marshmallows!!

We get there and eat some pizza, get a sword from the elf making balloon animals then we head towards Santa!! He sees him and eyes as wide as ever goes to sit on his lap.

Here we go ... What do you want for Christmas little boy?? MARSHMALLOWS says Jaiden. Are you sure there is nothing else I can get for you. No just marshmallow treats. Okay.

Picture taken, and the elf hands Jaiden a gift. Off to the side he opens it up. Disappointed as ever he says, this isn't marshmallows.

You're right it's an awesome dinosaur that turns into a car toy.

I hope Santa remembers the marshmallows on Christmas morning!!

Xoxo,
Mama J

We're Back!!

I know that this blog has been MIA for a long time, but things have been crazy ... weddings, moves, new jobs ... but Jaiden is 3 now!!  Where did the time go??  A beautiful baby, to a silly toddler to a handsome little boy.  He is finding his own, deciding what he likes and doesn't, challenging us in ways I never knew was possible and making us laugh until we cry.

I am going to use this space as a place to post funny photos, cute and adorable things that come out of Jaiden's mouth!!  A place I can look back on in five years and remember those moments that might have been forgotten if not for posting them.



XOXO,
Dada & Mama J

11 Step Program for Those Thinking of Having Kids

Saw it, loved it ... before having kids I would have thought 'oh, parents... they are so overdramatic!' But this is pretty much dead on!! But I am LOVING it - Jaiden is such a happy baby!! However, we are in TANTRUM zone ... approaching terrible two's only ten months early! But read and enjoy :)

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Love,
Dada & Mama J