Cirque du Soleil

We took the kids to the Cirque du Soleil showing near us today. Mara was entranced by it, but I wasn't too surprised since it's similar to one of her favorite shows at SeaWorld, the dolphin and beluga one. I think Jack liked it too because he didn't fall asleep during it even though it was his nap time.

Sadly, they didn't allow any cameras in the event, so we only have a couple of me and the kids that John took with his phone.

We're Going Round and Round

We ran to the mall today and let the kids ride the carousel. It was the first time Jack rode it, and I think it will be a while before he will ride it again. Even though he was riding on Pistol Pete, he didn't really care for it and held onto me the entire time. However, he acted like he wanted to ride it again when we walked back by it later.

Surprise Birthday Party

We surprised John's dad with a birthday party tonight with family and friends. It was a good night and a lot of fun.

Mara and Jack played with their cousins and other kids while the adults talked. I think we need to look into getting one of these cars for Jack for Christmas.

We took this opportunity to get some pictures of John's family that we haven't gotten in a while.

Almost walking

Monday, July 25

I had a dinner meeting for the Girl Scout recruiting night, so John took the kids to McDonald's for dinner. Jack savored every bite of his nuggets.

Tuesday, July 26

Jack has gotten really good walking with his walker and practically runs when he pushes it. He's even taken to standing more on his own.

Wednesday, July 27

John pulled out our cat encyclopedia tonight, and Mara sat down next to Doxy to show her the pictures of the various cats.

Thursday, July 28

I finally got my awards framed and hung in my cube at work.

First Haircut

We've been talking about getting Jack's hair cut for a while now and finally decided to get it done. There are several kid salons around us, and we decided to go to a fairly new one to try it out.

Mara hasn't had her hair cut since last July, so she went ahead and got it trimmed while we were there.

Then it was time for Jack's haircut. He passed out on the drive to the salon and wouldn't wake up. These were the best "before" pictures I could get while Mara was getting her trim. See how long his hair has gotten up on top and in back?

The stylist proceeded to give him a "little boy's cut" while he was asleep and John held him. In fact, it was probably better that way.

Jack woke up when she turned on the clippers to shape up the edges. He wasn't too sure about the clippers and started crying, but it's also not every day you wake up in the middle of getting your first haircut. :)

Jack got a little stuffed puppy as a reward for getting his first haircut. He kept woofing the entire time he held it. And not to be left out, Mara picked a stuffed giraffe for herself.

He looks like a little boy now and not a baby anymore! But I think the cut suits him.

Good Mood Food

Monday, July 18

When we were at Toys R Us/Babies R Us a couple of weeks ago, we found a good compact stroller that was on clearance. While we have an umbrella stroller that we got when Mara was little, we liked the fact that this one was taller (so we wouldn't have to hunch over when pushing) and that it was a lighter color (the other one was black). John put it together tonight, and Jack seems to like it.

Tuesday, July 19

I really like the Princess Diaries movies, so I finally decided to read the books. Luckily, the library has them. I'm about three-fourths of the way through the series, and they are pretty good.

Wednesday, July 20

Today is the fourth anniversary of my mom's passing, so we to Olive Garden (one of her favorite places to eat) to celebrate her life. Jack was really interested in Granddad's spaghetti even though I gave him some of his own.

Thursday, July 21

Kohl's has several Clifford the Big Red Dog books right now, and I picked up most of them along with a stuffed dog for Jack. He kept giving the dog hugs and kisses and even sat and "read" a book to the dog.

Friday, July 22

Mara enjoyed her very first Baskin Robbins ice cream cone for dessert tonight. She got chocolate ice cream, of course!

Saturday, July 23

We stopped by Arby's for lunch today, and apparently Jack was really hungry. As soon as I set his roast beef sandwich in front of him, he picked it up and started feeding himself like a big boy.

Brown-Eyed Boy?

The true color of Jack's eyes has been eluding us ever since he was born. They started off blue, and then turned to grey. Then, they started taking on a more hazely, brown-green hue like mine, and then today they looked just brown. It could just be because he's wearing a brown shirt, but I guess it's still a waiting game to see what color they end up being.

And just to show how much he loves his Brown Bear, Brown Bear book, he tries to carry the book around with him all the time (actually scooting it along the floor while he crawls since he still refuses to walk), and he gets upset if you tried to take it away. He even gives the book kisses.

Diane's Housewarming

It's been a few months since Diane moved into her new house, so we hosted a housewarming party for Diane today. I think it was a good day all around.

The day started off with my dad and Diane bringing home a new cat that they picked up at the animal shelter. He doesn't have a name yet.

Jack got to finally meet Nizhoni Ruby, and he had fun playing with her as long as there were plenty of toys to go around. It was cute to see them interact, and they really liked their popcorn and milk.

The older kids spent most of the day in one of the bedrooms playing games...

...while the adults sat around and talked, and Diane opened her presents.

Jack also showed us a new trick – he can blow bubbles. Sometimes, he gets the bubbles so big that it looks like he swallowed soap. :)