Who Is That Big Kid?

Seriously?  Is that "dude" really my almost 21-month old baby boy?  I am just dumbfounded when I think about the rate at which my child is growing.  Sometimes I wish life was like my DVR with live TV; I would love to stop and rewind when something really awesome happens and experience it over and over again.  I try to capture as much as I can with pictures and document it through blogging, but I am sort of learning that unless I want to stay up all night (literally ALL night) and spend the rest of the week trying to catch up on sleep (and failing miserably at it), I need to blog more often with a little less content at a time.  So, since Easter weekend is starting tomorrow for my family, and I am sure to have lots to share after celebrating, I better get this update going right now.

This week Jack and I made a pit stop at "The Castle Park" (actually Wills Park) on our way to visit some friends.  We had a very special playtime together, and it was truly just good ole' fashioned fun.  The playground there is amazing.  Funded by the community, it is an all wooden structure built with secret passage ways and bridges with obstacles and little surprises around every bend.  It is by far one of the most unique playgrounds I have ever seen.  Here are a couple of pics to show you some of the detail...

  

In these pics, Jack looks like he is a 4-year old!  He is so tall! 

Jack was totally in to all the nooks and crannies, and we played hide and seek together (of course I only pretended not to see him).  He laughed hysterically every time I popped out from behind some mysterious hiding place, and he ran from me squealing while I chased him around.  I was having a great time too!

"Driving" is one of Jack's favorite things!                                       "Gotcha!"                              

      "Hey, Jack!  I'm up here!"                                                          "Boo!"                           

Later that afternoon, The McQ Zoo rode our bikes to Ridgeview Park where we met The Stokes Family.  Braeden borrowed Jack's helmet and took a spin with Mommy in Jack's seat!  He really loved the ride!

Braeden in the bike seat wearing Jack's "ducky" helmet

The next night Daddy worked late, so Jack and Mommy had left over pasta for dinner.  Jack also had blueberries, yogurt and graham crackers with milk.  He seemed to enjoy experimenting with different flavor combinations, and I think he might have been trying out the pasta sauce as a potential war paint. 

Work was really irritating for me this week.  I would have much rather been spending each day with Jack.  We had dinner with GRandi and PaPa on Wednesday, and Thursday we took Jack for Mexican at El Azteca where he chowed down on floutas and chips and salsa.  Friday couldn't come soon enough!  Tonight I finished up my Easter goodies shopping, and then we hung out with Grandma a bit and ate mini-pizzas for dinner.  After she left Mommy and Daddy played with Jack and read books together (That's Not My Bunny...about 6 times), but man, was Jack tired when we finally put him to bed!  He fell right to sleep within about 5 minutes of his little head hitting his pillow.

I'm excited about Jack's Easter basket!  We got him a Leapfrog Tag Jr., which I should be downloading right now, but instead I'm doing this.  Okay, time to move on to the next task.  The Zookeeper's work is never done

Happy Easter Weekend! 

Hey Giraffe! What's Up?

Copyright 2011 Brooke McQuilken/Big Frog.
All Rights Reserved.

I have to begin this post by introducing The McQ Zoo Family Crest!  That's right, yall, we actually have our very own custom designed Family Crest.  This image symbolizes what our family is all about, "Hearts, Hands, Paws and Claws," and embraces our overall theme of love and zoo-like chaos.  It started with an idea in my head and then quickly turned into a sketch on a sheet of copy paper.  With the help of Lanny at Big Frog, my vision came to life as a graphic that I can use on t-shirts, address labels, greeting cards, and yes, even my websites.  Some people may think having a family logo is a bit over the top, and as Simon might say, "indulgent," but if you know me, then you know how much I LOVE themes, and this suits me and my family perfectly!  Besides, who doesn't like an opportunity for matching family t-shirts?  ;-)



We have been having a TON of fun lately!  You will see throughout this post that we spend a lot of time with our friends Ethan, Ann and Braeden Stokes.  Braeden and Jack always have a blast together.  It has been such a wonderful experience to watch their little friendship bud from infancy to toddlerhood.  They are 2 peas in a pod, although different as night and day, but both with sweet, loving little hearts and joyful spirits.  We are both such fortunate families.

We became friends with The Stokes Family through our playgroup "My Mom Picked My Friends" (MMPMF), and it is just a lucky coincidence that we live within a mile of each other.  (Ann and I knew each other in high school, but we were just acquaintances back then.)  Now we see each other roughly two times per week!  Usually it is just a playdate or meeting up for dinner somewhere perfectly kid-friendly, but sometimes we go on special adventures, and of course we see each other during MMPMF events.

A few weeks ago our two families went to Stone Mountain during the special Spring Break week, and it was well worth the $16 we paid for Brett to get in!  (Jack was free and I have a membership.)  The boys created time capsules and played in a big outdoor sandbox. 

We rode the train and then took the sky buckets to the top of the mountain where we had an amazing view of the Kennesaw Mountain, Buckhead and Atlanta skylines.  We took lots of pictures and tramped about up there for quite some time before heading back to pick our spot on the lawn for a picnic and the Lasershow.  Jack and Braeden loved every minute of it, and we all agreed it was a perfect day.

Jack eating fruities on the train

Jack and Daddy on top of the mountain (Jack is holding his time capsule!)

Skyline - a little hard to see through the haze though...

A lonely little tree on top of Stone Mountain

Riding the sky buckets back down the mountain

Practicing his ball-throwing skills on the lawn

Hey Hollywood...I mean Braeden!

Classic family pic!

The next day I had to work, so I was pretty bummed, but that afternoon Jack made a new friend, Chad, at Hammond Park.  They had several slide races.

Jack and Chad saying "cheese" to 2 different cameras!

Look at that handsome boy!

Tuesday of that week we took Jack back to Mandy to get his haircut finished.  This time I took a Tootsie Pop, and since Jack was now familiar with the place, it went much more smoothly.  In fact, Jack did not get upset at all, and it made the entire traumatic experience of the first round feel like just a fluke.  I do think that having a sucker makes a big difference, and mommy has learned that lesson well for next time.

On Friday Mommy and Daddy went on a date to Opening Day at Turner Field to watch the Braves beat the Phillies.  We had pretty good seats and enjoyed our time out with Lisa and Art Wilkerson as well as Ethan and Ann.  Jack spent the night with Grandma.  Saturday morning Grandma brought him back and took Jack and Mommy to breakfast.  YUM.  That evening we went to another cookout at the Multhauf's house.  Jack and Audrina play really well together, even though she is almost 3 (the same age as cousin Kady), and it was nice to have the chance to catch up with old friends, but I don't have any pictures of our Braves game or the cookout.

Sunday was another gorgeous Georgia spring day.  We decided to take our bikes to Kennesaw Mountain and go for a little ride.  Jack got to ride his bike too, but mostly he just wanted to pose for pictures.  After our ride we played with balls in the field for a bit and Jack did some climbing; it was basically just a nice day to spend time as a family. 

Jack posing on his bike

Touchown!



Back foot planted before launching the rocket...



Perfect spiral!

When we got home we pulled out Jack's blow-up pool and let him go to town in it on our deck.  We put way too much water in it though, and it overflowed and leaked down onto the deck below ours.  We'll be more careful next time, but Jack sure did have a splashing good time!  Della even got in on the excitement!  (BTW - Since it is always so hard to choose which pics I like best, I've decided collages are a really good way for me to post multiple pictures in less screen space, so I purchased Microsoft AutoCollage 2008 for $19.95 b/c my free trial expired.)

Monday Son-Day was another zoo adventure, this time with our friends Kristin and Cora Picken.  Cora is such an adorable little doll.  I just wanted to eat her up!  (Seeing her made me really excited about our plans to start trying for #2 this fall!)  Jack was very sweet to Cora, and we journeyed our normal route through the zoo with only a few more baby-accommodating variations.  It was another lovely day.

Then the work week crept back up on me, but we still had a fun week.  Tuesday Grandma and Grandpa brought us Moe's for dinner.  As you can see, Jack enjoyed finger painting in his queso...taking "say cheese" to a whole new level!

Wednesday we had dinner at GRandi and PaPa's, and it was yummy teryaki salmon and steak.  Jack chowed, and then we watched AI upstairs while GRandi gave Jack a bath.  Thursday was just a normal night in for The McQ Zoo; we had pizza for dinner and watched TV.  No pics...

The weekend cycled back around and it was a busy one, that is for sure!  Daddy went out of town on a river trip with some of his friends while Jack and Mommy had lots of quality time together.  On Friday we had dinner with Aunt Christie, Grandma and Grandpa while we braved the storms that caused flooding in the restaurant's parking garage (Mommy had a bit of a sour taste in her mouth from a no-good cop that night too!  See that story here!)  Then Jack and mommy settled in for a good night's sleep to prepare for a fun-filled Saturday!

The Stokes' Family invited us to Braeden's "Spring Fling" at The Chastain School.  Braeden's Daddy took lots of video and edited it to create a short film you can see if you click here.  The boys got to see Sandy Springs Police, Fire and Ambulance rescue vehicles, and they got to sit on a Police motorcycle!  They also saw Elmo and the Chik-Fil-A cow!  There was a small petting zoo area, 2 bounce houses, face painting, cookie decorating, a bake sale, games and prizes and even a real choo-choo that chugged around the parking lot throughout the entire festival's 3-hour span.  We were sad that Daddy wasn't with us, but we had a great time anyway sporting our McQ Zoo Family Crest t-shirts!

After the Spring Fling we had lunch at Chik-Fil-A with Ethan, Ann, Braeden and his grandparents, Gama and Papa, who LOVE Jack-Bo.  Then I took Jack home for a nap that may go down in history as the longest he has ever taken, 3 HOURS!  In that time I did laundry, paid bills, watched TV, relaxed a little myself, and worried about why Jack was still asleep.  I finally woke him up right before 6 and we took the dogs for a walk and then ventured out to Chin-Chin for a Mommy/Son dinner date.  It was awesome.

After bath time Jack got into his new jammies and we settled down for bed with some Easter books.  Jack fell asleep, and even though I had intentions of getting up and moving laundry, I fell asleep too.  We woke up this morning at 8:45!  It was by far the most sleep I have gotten in months! 

And boy did I need it too b/c today was another zoo adventure, but this time with Grandma, and since it was her first time there in a few years, we did EVERYTHING.  All 4 giraffes were out!  The meerkats put on quite a show, and Jack even took us to see the elephants twice!  We rode the train multiple times but only took one spin on the carousel, and Jack even did the bounce house!  We ended with ice cream and a stop in the souvenir shop (a tradition whenever going anywhere with Grandma), and a plan to leave around 3PM changed to about 5:30 when we finally headed home.  Check out all the pics here, but below are some of the highlights.  As you can see Jack had one of the best times ever at the petting zoo!  He LOVES animals!  Maybe he will be a zookeeper someday too!

Jack and Mommy are home from the zoo, reunited with Daddy who returned from his river trip in one piece.  Daddy is giving Jack a bath and catching up with him after missing him all weekend.  Tomorrow we get to visit some special friends for lunch after what is sure to be a fabulous morning at Gymboree, and then maybe we will meet up with Braeden after naps.  I have to say...I love my life.  Things are not always picture perfect.  We battle toddler tantrums (I'm hearing one right now from the bathtub!) and struggle financially; we face the challenges that come along with living in a society with so many different influences; we make mistakes in our parenting on a daily basis, and at the end of each day we are only human and un-originally normal.  But we do have something no one else has...something unique and extraordinary.  He has 10 toes and 10 fingers, 2 ears and a button nose...

...and the sweetest smile I've ever known.

Yes, Jack is my life...so what's not to love???

A Tribute to the Hair - The Days Leading Up to the Cut

Monday late-night

It has been a wild last 2 weeks.  After an amazing Monday Son-Day with friends at the GA Aquarium, Jack-Bo ended up coming down with a tummy bug that really hit him hard.  He spent most of that Monday night and into Tuesday on the bathroom floor.  Out of the 5 times he threw up, we made it to the toilet twice.  Pretty good for a 19.5 month old!

Then again a couple days later the pukeys came back.  Poor little bugger.  It is SO HARD to see your little one sick, and tummy bugs are awful b/c they can be totally fine and then just spew everywhere.  Both my nephews Ethan and Logan also ended up getting the same bug that week.  It was a potent visitor.



Thursday night - just pitiful!

A boy and his dog

Friday morning Jack was sleeping off some of the sickness while he snuggled with Della.    All of our animals love to cuddle up, and they just adore Jack, especially when he is asleep b/c it means he can't torment them!

Between the 1st and 2nd rounds of sickness, Jack had some fun at GRandi's!  Here is a super cute pic with his long hair at her house!  He loves her backyard!

Despite feeling icky, Jack was still able to have some sticker fun with Daddy!

On Friday Jack was feeling much better.  We were supposed to go camping, but the weather and sickness changed our plans for us.  By Saturday, Jack was pretty much back to normal, so we ventured out for a family trip to Costco.  Jack helped push the cart.

We had to restock our "fruities" supply, but Jack could not wait until we got home to get his fix,

 so he opened the box while were were still there.

Other Saturday fun included Jack dressing up like a ghost,

 ...parking all of his trucks at the top of his slide and then sending them down one-by-one,

...and playing his kitty keyboard and singing songs.

Sunday morning Jack and Mommy got up very early and played with finger paints.  Jack was SUPER messy.  It was so much fun though. 

Jack started out very serious.

Watching a little Oso too...

Mixing colors

Discovering that finger paints can be whole hand paints

LOOK AT MY HANDS!!!

Mommy tickling Jack-Bo's thighs!

Later on that day we had some fun with friends.  Here is a collage of Jack and Braeden playing together!

The next day was Monday Son-Day again.  (It was also PaPa's birthday!)  We started out at Gymboree and then pit stopped at Chik-Fil-A for lunch with some Gym-pals.  Jack's appetite was really back now, and he ate 10 chicken nuggets!  Then we went home for a nap before heading to Open Gym in the afternoon! Gymboree twice in one day???  Now THAT was special!  Here is another collage, this one of our Gymboree visits with one profile pic from Chik-Fil-A mixed in.

The grand finale of Monday Son-Day was frozen yogurt with Ms. Ann and Braeden at Menchi's.  It was Mommy's first time, but Jack is apparently a regular there, visiting often with Aunt Christie and/or Grandma, so he was very familiar with the chalkboard.  With all that sugary goodness, Jack and Braeden went a little crazy beating on the table like a drum!  (By the way, these collages were created with Microsoft Research AutoCollage 2008 trial version, which I downloaded for free and have no idea when it will expire and they'll want me to pay!)

The rest of the week I worked, so not too many pics were taken.  Wednesday we watched Ethan and Logan perform "Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi in the High Point talent show.  Ethan played guitar while Logan sang.  They did awesome!  They are super cool cousins!  Friday we celebrated PaPa's birthday and had an impromptu spend the night at GRandi's.  Then Saturday we rushed home so we could get ready for Jack's hair appointment.  The rest has already been written here... at least about the haircut anyway.

Saturday evening we took our short-haired boy to a cookout at the Summerville's.  It had been forever since we saw them last, so this was a super special occasion.  It was beautiful outside so we sat on their deck to eat and got to participate in the inaugural run of their new grill.  Thanks, Matt and Lauren, for the yummy burgers, chicken, sausage and onions!  Your new grill is fabulous!  Jack had a blast showing off his new hair in addition to some of his amazing skills like somersaults, singing and jumping.  He especially loved playing with their dog, Pescha.  Okay, last collage of this post...

Unfortunately Mommy has to work tomorrow, so Monday Son-Day has been cancelled since I have to make up for that awful week when I had the flu.  It is going to be a long week and I will miss my little Jack-Bo so much!!!

Stay tuned for my next post about our Stone Mountain Adventure!  In the mean time, have a great week!

P.S. Happy 20 month birthday to my Jack-Bo born August 4th, 2009!