Preparing for Christmas

But Mom...I want to help with the Christmas cards! I'm sure everyone would love it if I colored them a pretty picture with my crayons.


Hmmm...How far do you think my mashed potatoes will fly if I let go???? (Yes we have acted on this thought!)


I'm sure Daddy misses the snow, while he is in Antigua for work...yeah right!


I'm so happy Dad is home, especially when he feeds me pizza.


Unfortunately Jack came down with an ear infection this week, so we have had to put our Christmas preperations on hold. We are finally on the upswing, after seeing the doctor...thank goodness!

I left Jack alone for 1 minute...not lying, and this is what I came back to. At first I thought that he had actually hurt himself, but then realized that he had decided that it would be much more fun to wear his raspberries, than to eat them!!

I want to join the Math Club

It was pretty funny when Tom came home and said that he was asked by a co-worker if he was in the Math Club in high school. (Those of you who know Tom are aware that this isn't too far fetched!) Needless to say we had a good laugh when Jack was playing with his new bath toys and we figured out that the numbers would stick to his head!


Look at me! I am a math wizard! (Hopefully I won't take after my mom's math brain!)


Hmmm...I think I'll get my own snack!

Happy First Birthday!!!!!

WOW!!!! It is so hard to believe that a full year has passed! We can honestly say that the past year has been the BEST year we have ever had! So much love, laughter and joy entered our hearts and home when Jack came into our lives. We can't wait to see what the next year will bring!


Can you believe that I had to wait a whole year to have my first taste of birthday cake?


Yup...it was well worth the wait!


I have a feeling that this is going to be Tom's face at Christmas too. I don't think he was ready for all the assembling that goes along with birthdays...hey hon...it will only get better...just wait 'til Santa comes!!!!


It looks like Grandpa Tom and Ryan are giving the giraffe an "exam." This is the gift that Ryan and Jen thought that Jack just had to have...a GIANT giraffe tent. We have already had people drive by our house, and then later question us about the giraffe. All I can say is we will get even one day!


Jack was sooooo excited about all of his gifts and the noises they would make. I think it got a little overwhelming, as he started to shake and make goofy faces. We all had a great laugh when he would do his little excitement shake!


Grandpa Tim, did you sleep in my new tent all night?

I can't wait until we go camping with the Hoffes next summer, and I can sleep in my very own tent, on their campsite of course!


Some may think we are asking for it, but we decided with Jack's interest in music we thought the most appropriate gift would be a drum. He surprised us when he grabbed both maletts and started wailing away!


All bundled up for a ride in my new wagon!

Week Fifty Two

So I figured out how I was going to become a millionare...invent a baby-proofing device for the toilet paper roll! Seriously, just when you think you have baby-proofed everything, you learn that the term baby-proofing is just one of those things that exists in theory!


Now I just need to figure out how to turn this thing, so I can "walk" into the bathroom and get the toilet paper!


A new favorite pastime...the diaperbox derby! I am sure we will be creating a real soapbox derby car down the road!


Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!

Week Fifty One

After being in Amsterdam, all last week, Tom made it home safely, before heading to the Northwoods to go hunting. Jack wore his camo, in an effort to get Dad to take him along also...maybe in a few years buddy!


Staying home with Mom does have it's advantages...like real milk and chocolate chip cookies.


Do you think he enjoyed his first cookie? Look out Grandpa Tim...now you're going to have wrestle Jack to get to the cookie jar!


This seems to be the look on Jack's face quite frequently..."I didn't do it!!"

Week Fifty

Sorry!!!!!! I am a little behind, and I was a bad mom and didn't have the camera out nearly enough! There is only one picture this week, but we were super busy! Our weekend was an "official party" weekend. Friday night we attended a going away party for one of Tom's co-workers, and on Sunday we were able to help Hailey celebrate her first birthday (I, of course, forgot the camera for Hailey's party!)

May I get you a beer? Jack was the hit of the party with his infatuation with the keg. Hopefully he won't be as interested in them when he gets to college!

Week Forty Nine

This picture clearly shows motherhood at its best! Jack decided it would be fun to splash as much water as he could out of the tub, and I was lucky enough to be the one whose turn it was for tub time!


Happy Halloween!!!!!!! From Jack the Jack-o-Lantern


On Sunday we all bundled up a took an evening walk down by Lake Michigan. Here is just one of the amazing sights we are lucky enough to view here in Milwaukee.


I guess you didn't hear me the first time, I said....I'M ALL DONE!!!!! For some reason Jack has taken to screaming a lot lately. We're hoping it is just a faze, as I'm sure anyone who has called our house lately, does too!


GRRRRRR!!!!!


On Friday evening we met Ryan and Jen out for dinner. Jack was very well behaved, and then someone (we won't mention any names!!) decided it would be fun to teach Jack how to stick out his tongue. He spent the rest of the weekend doing it too! All I can say is look out Hoffes...what goes around comes around!!!!!!


Jack decided he was tired of waiting for the tub to fill, so he crawled out to the kitchen to help Tom load the dishwasher!!! There is nothing like chasing your naked kid around the house!!!!!