Boys will be boys I suppose! Yesterday morning I caught Mike and Jacob building forts in the bedroom! Mike had built Jacob a fort and attached it to his laugh and learn home (props to Fisher Price for that great invention) and it wasn’t long after the two of them had built it that Jacob was tearing it down!  I though it was pretty inventive and looked like a lot of fun!

I am very sick tonight and I’m not sure how I managed to get so sick so fast.  Yesterday and today I was feeling fabulous but mid afternoon I started feeling a tingle in my throat and now I feel like I have impending strep throat and/or a sinus infection!  Ick!  This is so not what I am wanting right now at all.  I have been downing water for hours hoping to help this infection find its way out of my body so that I can go see the Sex and the City movie tomorrow!  I pray that I wake up tomorrow morning renewed and refreshed but for now I’m heading off to bed in hopes of a restful sleep.

Yesterday Jacob and I had a wonderful visit with Auntie Lisa and baby Sofia who isn’t such a little baby anymore!  Seeing them yesterday just reminded me that Jacob is going to be 2 any day now and Sofia is going to be 1 in less then 2 months!  Crazy!  I had told Jacob the day before that we were going to see Sofia and he insisted that he must “SEE FIA NOW!” - with a little change of topic we were able to move on from those demands (ha ha he can be a little dictator at times these days) and we played with his little people…..

So yesterday morning came along and Jacob actually remembered that we were going to “SEE FIA!” so he was so excited whent hey showed up to hang out for the day.  I had all these fears about how he might knock her over or try to grab at her with too much force but you know - he did very well!  He seemed to really care about Sofia and was so nice to her!  I think Sofia really liked Jacob too!  Jacob had a fun time sharing his elmo book with Sofia and she shared her toys too!  Honestly, the two of them together was very cute!  There was one point where Sofia and Jacob were sitting on the floor rolling a ball back and forth between the two of them!  It was just so fun to watch!  Lisa and I did a really good job of rotating the kiddos in and out of the crib so that they both got some much needed nap time!

I guess for me the best part of the day was just being able to get together with Lisa and hang out.  I really like doing that the best and it really is so much more fun to just hang out and talk and be with the kids then do something like go to the mall for example.  I was excited to hear all about their family’s upcoming trip to Greece and I cant’ wait to see pictures from the event!  All in all it was a pretty great day filled with fun, conversation and of course pizza!  Lisa took some pictures so I’ll add them when I can steal them from her!

For several weeks Jacob would often times walk around proclaiming BOUNCE BOUNCE SHOOT - while vicotriously throwing his arms into the air.  I asked him several times what bounce bounce shoot meant but he always just grinned real big and loudly proclaimed BOUNCE BOUNCE SHOOT again.  I eventually just gave up trying to figure out what it was and assumed it was something he had picked up from a television program.  Then last week while we were out and about for a walk we passed the basket ball court where several young boys were playing a game of basketball.  I was very surprised when Jacob ran quickly to the fence and watched the boys play with his face pressed up against the chain link while loudly proclaiming BOUNCE BOUNCE SHOOT!  *ding ding ding*  BASKETBALL! I guess over the past months that Victoria (the MIL) has been watching Jacob she frequently would pass the basketball courts and Jacob somehow learned that the boys bounce the ball a couple of times then shoot for the basket!  WOW!  The kid is very interested in basket ball so I think my mom is going to get him a little 3 foot tall basketball net for his birthday by little tikes!  I sure hope he loves it as much as he loves watching the boys play!

I am officially on Vacation as of today (Monday) and truthfully I couldn’t be happier.  Yesterday was a really great day - in fact the entire weekend was just a really awesome time with the family.  When we got up this morning we were surprised to find out that Victoria (The MIL) had brought us all fresh bagels with cream cheese!  Yum-O!  What a total delight!  After breakfast we packed up and went outside for a nice long walk with the wagon.  Jacob does so much better in the wagon now then last year!  It was so cute to watch him bumping along as Mama or Dada pulled him.

Along the way we stopped at Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up about 70$ worth of stuff that we needed for around the house and of course totally rocking cool curious george band-aids for Jacob!  One last stop at the bank and we were on our way again!

There’s something so fulfilling, so rewarding and fantastic about carefree, unplanned days with the family.  I know that we’ll have a lot less weekend family time then we did previously with my return to shift work so we are enjoying every moment that we have and how could we not when you have such a vibrant, smart, well behaved toddler like Jacob - his smile and character just brighten my day!

After Jacob went for a nap his Nana and Papa took him for a couple hours while Mama and Dada were off to dinner and a movie!  We had dinner at one of our favorite places - Montanas - then we hop skipped and jumped across the lot to the movie theatre to see the new Indiana Jones movie!  It was really a great movie and I’m glad we decided to see that one!

We had a really great day today enjoying the weather while we visited Nana and Papa!  I thought I’d blog today with a few pictures of the day.  Earlier we had gotten Jacob’s hair cut by a nightmare hair dresser so it was nice to relax and enjoy a barbeque with the family! Jacob’s hat was way too big so eventually we had to roll up the rim!  Just like a Tim Horton’s coffee!!

Mike said I get a blogging break tonight in our blog wars challenge because I’ve had more posts then him this month so far….I am very grateful because the 5am wake ups for work this week have just exhausted my phsyically and intellectually!

There was a moment tonight where I’m sure my jaw disjointed from my face and fell in a direct plummet to the floor - landing there with a resounding thump as my son said to me - Hi MommY…..

Now most people would presume that this was an every day occurence for the mom of a near 2 year old but for me I have grown accumstom to Jacob excitedly calling me MAMA.  I can’t say I thought he’d call me Mama forever but I sure as heck didn’t think he’d make the switch already and I’ve gotta share that I’m totally feeling a variety of emotions about this.  First I’m happy to see his vocabulary expanding and it’s wonderful to hear new words every day - it reminds me that we’re on track (even ahead in some things) in terms of development!  The second thing it does for me is causes me a pang of sadness - Mama was such a sentimental word for me…I just loved hearing him call me his Mama and maybe I imagined that he’d always call me Mama so that’s why it’s so hard to hear.  When I think about it logically i guess I cant picture my 22 year old son calling me up on the phone and saying “Hi Mama, college is going great”….

For now I guess I’ll revel in the change and hope that he’ll continue calling me Mama for just a little while longer!  Just don’t expect me to change my blog name to Mommy Melissa…..not happening folks.

For some bizarre reason Jacob was up last night and since this is not at all typical behavior for him we were both concerned and stayed up until he was able to settle.  So tonight my post will be teeny tiny because I am so tired right now (after getting up at 5am for work) that I am going to go and pass out in my comfortable bed while I attempt to watch the season finale of American Idol.

Tonight we took Jacob to swim class!  It’s something we’ve been doing as a family and I’m quite fond of watching my little guy in the water with Mike.  Mike and I always want our children to feel supported and encouraged by us - so we plan to try and have both of us at classes, activities, etc. as our kids grow up.  I think it’s important for children to feel like their parents care about their interests and acheivements so if both of us are there it shows in some way that we are both invested in him.  I know that we will not always be able to both be there but we’ll try to do our best!  I love it when I’m sitting on the sidelines at the pool and Jacob looks up to find me from way across the pool and shouts MAMA! while he waves his hands in a flail overhead!  It just melts my heart and makes me want to leap up and flail my arms back at him but instead I lift my hand and wave with a big smile of my face - sometimes I give a big thumbs up when he’s done something like kicked his legs or stuck his head under the water.

Next swim session we’re hoping to put Jacob in Tiny Tots - this will be a huge transition for us because it wil be the first time Jacob will be in the water without his Mama or Dada!  Yikes!  The swim instructor does a one on one 15 minute lesson twice a week with Jacob - then if possible I think Mike and Jacob will also do the Guardian swim once a week!  It’s really super important to Mike and I that Jacob learns how to swim and how to be independant in the water.  There is no doubt that he will not be permitted alone in the water anywhere for a very long time but I want him to begin to get the tools to help himself survive in case (god forbid) an accident might happen.

What’s most important is that we want Jacob and any future children to enjoy activities that are active - Jacob will start learning to skate this winter in preparation for hockey.  We’ll give it a go and if he’s not interested after a while we’ll try something different!  In the summer we’d love for him to be active in a sport like soccer or baseball!  Only time will tell what interests Jacob but I know I’m excited to find out what he’ll enjoy doing as he gets older!