Obsessions

A friend who's blog I visit often tagged me "forever" ago in a blog world chain entry type of thing. Of course since then I have been obsessing about getting it done, but at the same time am grateful because it is a great way to document more about my little man (and myself). Since being tagged I feel like the magnet that someone (can't remember who gave it to me and it is yet one more thing I am obsessing over) has been shouting at me....so here I go. And those that know me understand that there isn't a more proper blog entry title, content, and concept for me.

Thanks Cindy!

Jack's Obsessions at 21 Months:

1. Papa- Not sure if obsession is even the proper word for this...Jack walks around calling his name, calls out to him in every picture, and even calls out to him when seeing things that Papa only touched once during a visit. When Papa is around everyone else is invisible and the two of them are inseparable. I'm not jealous.....really!
2. Fruit- Jack has been in love with fruit from the day he finally made it through testing all the veggie baby foods. If we would let him he'd live on a fruit only diet. The boy can easily put away his weight (26 pounds per the Acute Care scale tonight) in fruit...he's not picky...bananas, grapes, kiwi, oranges, anything in the fruit category.
3. Stool- Jack has a Baby Bijorn stool that matches his Baby Bijorn toilet training seat topper (which is still in the box til he asks to use the big boy toilet on his own) and LOVES it. He sits on it, uses it to reach things, and sometimes just carries it around the house. But if that stool isn't available he isn't picky...any stool, or thing that he can perch his skinny bottom on will do. He has also been so smart to stack his stool on top of mine (to reach tupperware at the top of the closet) in order to get things he is NOT supposed to have.
4. "I Want This"- The boy doesn't say much...but "I Want This" comes out of his mouth all the time now. Everything is subject to him wanting it...food, DVD's, CDs, remotes, the computer....and if "I Want This" doesn't get it for him...then the fits begin (I know hard to believe...the perfect angel throws fits).
5. Vanity- In all meanings of the word...he loves to look in the vanity, he loves to work on his appearance, and he loves when people acknowledge his good looks. The boy spends more time in front of the mirror doing his hair than me. I wish he only knew that he is perfect without any products, designer clothes, and hours of prep.

Mama Relle's Obsessions at 29:

1. To Do Lists- I have an obsession about obsessing about things. All these obsessions that keep me up at night, make my throat close up, and will probably land me in the nut house one day end up on paper in the form of lists. I have lists for today, tomorrow, the week, the month, the year, life, Nick, Jack, Me, McGowen, and the list goes on. On my lists there is always a bullet to make a list. For every one thing I cross off, I add three. If my list is messy-I rewrite it. In high school I had a printed list of my morning routine. I could sell my pack lists to people.....Yikes-See I just added to research the ability to sell my lists online.
2. Tupperware with labels- I LOVE the Container Store! Everything has a place when you use tupperware and the likelihood of it being put back in that place is even greater when there is a label on it. I have my meds in the cabinet in labeled tupperware (stomach, pain, etc), my purses are in tupperware labeled by season, and the attic is in color coded and labeled tupperware by holiday (ie: green and red for Christmas, orange and black for Halloween). And I wonder at times why Jack is so neurotic.
3. Internet- I could spend days, weeks, months, years...on the Internet. I love to search the web for information, products, and to communicate with friends and family. When I am sharing information with people my sentences almost always start with On the Internet or At Target. At times I get the Internet taken away if I am self diagnosing myself or others. If I'd only stop obsessing about my weight and get off the Internet I could cross off looking HOT off my To Do List.
4. Photos- I know I should stop living life behind the lens of the camera...but I can't help it. My whole life I've been the one that travels with the camera, shares the pictures, but sadly I don't do much with them but obsess about how to best organize them, putting them into books, and worse-creating scrapbooks. And here I am about to sign up to attend a weekend long scrapbook feast when I obsess so much about getting those billions of photos onto each page perfect. People say when and if we have a number two that the number of pictures will decrease....not me me!
5. JACK- Jack is my number one obsession but I'm not going to move it up because it is way past my work night bedtime. I never, never thought that I wanted to have kids much less that I'd have one and he would mean the WORLD to me. It isn't healthy I know to spend so much time finding things to do with him, hanging out with him instead of taking care of myself, and not spending time with Nick sans Jack...but I don't care. I hate that he is growing so fast and I feel like I already have forgotten what my little man felt like to be in my arms when he was a baby. At least I have pictures huh?!?! I am willing to stand up and say, "Hi, My name is Jennifer and I am obsessed with Jack!" You are here so you read the blog....how can one not be....he is PERFECT!
   
   

So now that you know more about Jack and more than you ever wanted to know about me it is my turn to tag a few other Mommy's who keep a blog:

Ashley (Nathan's Mom) & Kellie (Nola's Mom)

Tina you are pardoned but only because with Luke's little brother here soon I figured you have enough on your plate. :)

Fun Friday

So Nick and I (well-I) have a list of activities for the Holidays that we want to do with Jack. One of them was to check out a house here in Allen that has their lights synchronized with music on a local station. Thinking Jack was going to love it we load in the car after dinner, get coffee, and head to the house....pretty sure he wasn't interested at all. So, we move him to the front seat...but nope...then only wanted to play with the steering wheel and buttons on the radio. As we pulled into our neighborhood kinda bummed that it wasn't the highlight of his day....turns out the crappy Garden Ridge blow up snowmen and tacky light jobs in our neighborhood make him scream, "Oh Wow!". We can't drive down the street when it is dark now without him shouting the whole way...not at the dancing lights to music...but rather at the horrible decorating style of some of our country neighbors....Oh well, we'll try again next year.

The other night Nick was taking out the trash and I was reading books with Jack in his diaper (he was a mess after dinner). I mentioned that it was almost bath time and before I knew it he was taking off down the hall trying to find Nick while taking off his diaper. There as music playing in the living room and this is what came next...for a long time. His spinning dancing resulted in many falls, many laughs, and a priceless video he'll just LOVE that I put on the blog one day I'm sure. Enjoy!

Band Director Jack

Allen Christmas Parade

Sunday the weather was beautiful so the Relle Clan loaded up and headed to Downtown Allen for the Christmas Parade.

The police came down the street before the parade started and Jack wasn't down with the sirens. Nick and I were a bit worried since it was a 2 hour parade and we were stuck there with the roads blocked...but all turned out fine.
Once the police passed the parade officially started and the fire trucks were the only other too loud float but he was easily distracted by pointing out dogs, handing him some more candy to put in his throw pile, or putting on more sunscreen (yes...it was very, very sunny and by the end...warm)

Jack + Mommy = LOVE!

Jack wanted to wear Nick's gloves...they were too big but he didn't mind.

His favorite part of the parade...could have guessed that...the Allen High School Marching Band...check out his hands and going while Nick is trying to get his shoe back on.

I think we have a future band member in our family.

He loved the band and kept asking/signing for more after they passed us.

LOVE squared.

The train was another favorite!

It was bright and so I let Jack borrow my glasses (his must be with my camera case...who knows where they are) and since the candy wasn't exactly what I had in mind for an afternoon snack...we stuck with the Teddy Grahams that I packed to snack on.

His best throw that he caught was a stuffed Chick-Fil-A cow with antlers, a red nose, and a sign that says Santa likes milk and chicken. He didn't put it down, hugged it the whole way to Sam's, and insisted on carrying it into Sam's. Very not like him...hope it doesn't become his lovey because well...it's random, weird, and isn't something we can replace easily if lost.

We were nervous about the horses and at first he was not alright with it...but a lady rode over for Jack to pet her horse and he actually did. Baby steps, baby steps.

The fanile of course was Santa and Mrs. Claus on a fire truck. Jack is so cute when he says, "Ho,Ho,Ho" which is what he did while waving at the big guy in red.