The McQ Zoo: Mother, MAY I?

Titles are tough...but I do love a good play on words opportunity...May has been a bit of a whirlwind in The McQ Zoo. We have had one thing after another with Mother's Day celebrations, the Warrior Dash, birthday parties and of course just regular old work. This Saturday marks the beginning of Memorial Day weekend and our Brooks/McQuilken annual beach trip to St. George Island where we will spend the week with Brett's side of the family beachin' up and dressin' down.

Of course for now, we are busy trying to plan for our epic journey, as packing is always an adventure in itself. I have no idea how we are going to make these kinds of trips work in our current vehicle when we add another baby to The McQ Zoo, but I guess where there's a will, there's a way! And no, I am not pregnant...don't get any rumors started! I am just speculating for the future...

In all seriousness, we should have plenty of room, but it is always a challenge to load everything into the truck bed, and this year we have the added dimension of an awkwardly shaped bike with a baby seat attached. Fortunately for my impatient husband, I am THE Tetris Master, and I'll do the organizing while he does the heavy lifting, and that is just how I like it! :-)

Okay, new topic...on the day we return from St. George Island, Jack will officially be 22 months old. He will be starting Gymnastics the following Monday, and I am certain he is going to LOVE it. I am stealing the format for this next bit of my blog from a friend who posts updates on her kids' development in a bulleted list, and I really like how simple it is, so that is what I am going to do here now.

At almost 22 months old, Jack:

Is jumping, running, climbing and galloping, all of which he has been doing for quite some time, although recently his run has changed to more of a big-kid stride instead of a baby/toddler waddle.
Still loves playing in the water, including his baby pool and the big pool, the kitchen sink, the creek, his baths, and he is not afraid to go under, blow bubbles or have water poured on top of his head. He also remembers how to swim using his water wings!
Can catch and throw a ball. He already has both a football spiral and a basketball jump shot. He LOVES balls of all shapes and sizes, and he throws them everywhere, sometimes destroying things or hurting loved ones (mostly the dogs) in the way.
Is talking up a storm! He communicates brilliantly, even if he is not pronouncing things properly, and for the most part if you ask him to say something he will try and at the very least duplicate the intonation with which it was spoken to him. Some common words: football, ba-ball (basketball), shoot, miss, cook, down, out, drive, train, Chuggington!, flamingo, Gatorade, Mine!, thank you, EAT!, truck, bus, car, wa-wa, gokey (milky), orange, yellow, blue, purple, light, chair, dog, Della, Tug, kitty, turtle, GRandi, PaPa, Kiti (Aunt Christie), Logey (Logan), Boo-Boo (Braeden), Ann, zoo, MawMaw (Grandma), Baa-pa (Grandpa), Kady, hurt, toot, pee-pee, NO!, cup, hot dog, cheese, fruities, belly, duck, cow, pig, oh and the list goes on and on...
LOVES to cook! This kid is obsessed with cooking. He can shake a frying pan over the burner and practically cook anything in it using a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. His specialties are hot dogs, eggs and sausage, but he has been known to dabble with fish and taco meat too! He also ALWAYS wants to help with the microwave and any pouring of anything (pasta into a pot, water into a cup, adding ingredients, etc.).

Is pretty close to being able to ride a bike with training wheels. He has a hand-me-down bike that has pedal brakes on it, and they are a little tricky b/c when he pushes the pedals they often get stuck in the braking position, but his cousin has a training bike with no pedal brakes (it actually pedals backwards!), and that one he can already ride!
Eats a variety of foods. Healthy favorites include strawberries, blueberries, grapes, diced tomatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, oranges, and hummus. He has repeatedly rejected corn and carrots. He also seems to love any meat that is ground in texture, and he likes chicken, but he is not crazy about deli lunch meat or bacon. He especially loves tilapia and salmon. He also loves popcorn, rice, bagels and rolls, although we suspect he likes the butter we put on the bread items best! We never have to make him special food b/c he eats whatever we eat, and his appetite is pretty consistent. Oh, and he can seriously put down some ice cream!
Sings ALL THE TIME, including theme songs from TV shows (current favorites are Chuggington and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), songs from his CDs or the radio, little songs we make up for him, and lullabies and nursery rhymes. He especially loves his "Jack-Bo" songs I have created to the tune of "Bicycle Built for Two" and his favorite classic is "Old McDonald." In fact, singing "E-I-E-I-O" is one of his most charming and crowd-pleasing acts!
Is fearless! He is daring and brave and pretty much not afraid of anything. We don't know how long this will last, but it sure does make every day interesting!
Has an amazingly loving heart and sweet spirit. He wants to hug and kiss his friends and he always says thank you (usually w/out being reminded!), and for the most part he is good at sharing. If ever he isn't handing something over to another kid we just have to tell him when he is done or in a minute to let someone else have a turn, and he is pretty good about it.
Still has some serious chompers! Besides the occasional resulting-in-time-out biting, the kid uses his teeth to open everything. I wonder where he picked this up, b/c it certainly was NOT from me; I hate using my teeth for things - it gives me that nails on a chalkboard feeling! I suspect he picked up this skill from Daddy and GRandi, who often use their teeth to open snack packages and things like that. :-) Thanks, yall! I'm (not) looking forward to the orthodontist bill!
Has a few super duper adorable phrases! Here are 2 of them:

"Oh my gosh!" he says in a slow high pitched almost whisper voice when he is really wowed by something (like the presentation of his plate on his high chair tray when he is really hungry, or seeing something new outside like a certain kind of creature).
"Buck Bronx!" is a made-up "I'm a tough guy" saying by Daddy with a chest pounding gesture that Jack has picked up, only Jack's chest pound looks more like he is making a chicken wing motion!

Fights sleep pretty much every night. He is clearly a night owl like his Mommy, but when he does fall asleep it is usually while cuddling, and I can't complain about that!
Is a pro at camping! He has been on several camping trips, and from manning the fire to cooking breakfast, he contributes in all sorts of ways. If there is a great outdoors badge to be earned for the under 2 age group, he has earned it time and time again!
Spends a LOT of "Time-Out!" Yes, we are a time-out family, and it is working well for us so far. The key is being consistent and only threatening it when we will actually be able to follow through. At home we have a booster seat that we fasten him into, but out in the world it is a little more challenging. At restaurants or parks I have had to just hold him on my lap and count until he stopped crying and/or trying to wiggle away from me. Honestly, he is pretty well-behaved most of the time, but he likes to test us. "Jack if you throw that golf ball one more time, you will sit in time-out." "Jack, stop chasing the cat or you will sit in time-out." "Jack, if you pull Mommy's hair again you will sit in time-out!"
Is exceptionally smart with an incredible memory! If you show him how to do something once, he can pretty much repeat it. He can unscrew any lid, drink right out of the water or Gatorade bottle, and then put the lid back on. His ability to understand concepts is amazing! He just gets how things work! He remembers everything you tell him, and if something is lost around the house, he can likely find it!
Loves the zoo, especially the train! He is super serious when he rides it, except for when we go through the tunnel and do our traditional scream! He also adores the petting zoo animals!
As of today, has gone both pee-pee and poo-poo in the potty! We are nowhere near actual commitment, but right now I think I'll just follow his lead and see how things go!
Is my angel, my little cherub champion, my precious little Jack-Bo.

Once again, this blog has bled from one day into another due to time constraints and many interruptions. Kudos to Lisa Rappa Photography for the beautiful pictures throughout the written portion of this post. I'll leave you now with some recent pictures that I took (and probably a collage or 2!) over the last couple of weeks. The next time I post we'll be in the month of June, and Jack will be less than 2 months away from turning 2 YEARS OLD!!! Boy, time flies when you're havin' fun!