Bring your child to work day

Thursday was National Bring Your Child to Work Day, and I was so excited that Jeremiah was okay bringing Jamon for an hour or so in the morning. I have fond memories of going with my mom when I was little. Jamon said he got to talk to a lot of people and Mr. Michel gave him candy! Jamon is so easy going and doesn't take much for him to be entertained. I think he enjoys doing things by himself.

After a couple of hours the girls and I came and picked up Jamon. The girls had so much fun at daddy's desk. I am not sure how next year will go because I know Josie will want to go.

Jolie turns 2

It seems like with each subsequent child time goes faster and faster.  I know that from the newborn stage to the first birthday is the most physical change.  However, from one year to two years is a different kind of change.  It is so fun to see them with more hair, their personality develop, and see how they fit into the family.  Enter Jolie as a 2 year old.  Although she is very much her own personality, it is unbelievable how much she and Josie resemble each other.  Sometimes I like to try and trick Jeremiah by showing him a picture of one of the girls and he has to guess which one it is.  Half the time he is correct.

Because Jolie's birthday is so close to the first day of Spring and near Easter, we did a combined Easter/Spring birthday party.  Fun, bright colors mixed with Easter decorations.  We had mostly family with a few friends over.  Jolie thought the best part of the party was Grandma Angie's lap.  One of the best gifts Jolie gave to me was that six weeks before she turned 2 she decided to potty train herself.  Literally.  I have heard a few stories in magazines and online of kids who decide the want to potty train themselves at an early age.  Both Jamon and Josie were easy potty trainers so I actually don't mind the training.  However, this was a dream.  She literally woke up, took off her diaper and put it in the garbage and climbed onto the potty.  Within days she was dry at nap time!  And within the week she was dry at night.  I shouldn't be that surprised because Jolie is very independent.  She doesn't realize that she is younger than Jamon and Josie and just wants to keep up with everything they are doing.  Ever since the fall, if not sooner, she has been dressing herself, brushing her own teeth, drinking from a regular cup, feeding herself cereal with milk, and buckling her own straps in the carseat!  I keep reminding myself that this great independence and determination is a good thing, because often it results in tears and frustration, from both of us.

One thing I notice about Jolie is that she has very good balance, coordination, and strength, and little fear. This is a dangerous combination.  She started doing somersaults in the winter with no one showing her how.  She climbs on everything.  She is the kind of kid that parents put into gymnastics at an early age because of their energy!  She is also the kind of kid that melts your heart.  We often wake up to the sound of her singing "Jesus loves me."  And when she is not jumping or climbing on or off of something, she is singing "Hosanna" or "Hope for Every Man."  I absolutely love that she loves to sing.  Also, I love that she is the healthiest eater of our family.  Although she did inherit a sweet tooth from her daddy, other than that, she loves and will always choose sliced avocados, tomatoes, salad, hard boiled eggs, black beans, oatmeal, brown rice, fruit, peas, carrots and broccoli!  Jamon is our pickiest eater.  Josie is a pretty good eater and Jolie wins the best, healthy eater award.

My intention for this blog was to try and journal about our family.  To try and write down, capture and remember all the moments that I think I will remember when our kids are grown but I know I won't.  Sometimes, like right now, I get motivated to blog a lot.  And then other times it's months before I update anything.  It's times like this when I get to sit down and reflect on Jolie being 2 that I realize I have to find a way to be more consistent because time is passing by and they are growing up before my eyes.  That being said, Jolie you are a joy to have in our family.  My prayer for you this year is that you would learn to find joy in obedience.  It is so hard to be 2.  I know you get told "no" or "stop" a lot.  I just pray that you will find there is actually more freedom and true joy when we obey.  A lesson that I know comes from the Lord.

Opening Day

Jeremiah has fished on Opening Day for about 25 years now.  And, this year there were 4 generations of Heacocks.  Grandpa Jack, Jeff, Jeremiah and Jamon were all there for the Opening Day at South Twin Lake.  Jamon was very excited to go this year.  Last year when he was only 4 (almost 5) he couldn't go because there was still a lot of snow and Jeremiah was unsure whether or not he would last in a boat. But in a year things have changed.  Jamon has grown to be quite the little fisherman.  He has gone with Jeremiah and Jeff to Lava Lake and the Mckenzie River.  Jamon can tell you the exact number of fish they have caught each time.  He really enjoys reeling in the fish.  I asked him what the best part of fishing is, he replied "the snacks."  That's my kind of fishing!  

The sweetest part of the fishing trip is the one thing I don't have a picture of.  Jamon's Great Grandpa Jack took him out to breakfast on Saturday morning to the lodge, just the two of them.  The best part of it was that Great Grandpa Jack forgot his reading glasses and asked Jamon to read him the menu.  Jamon ended up reading the entire menu word for word. I would have loved to be an on looker to their breakfast conversation.  Jamon talked about it for days so it was a special day for him.  He said he ordered pancakes with strawberry topping and chocolate milk.  Grandpa Jack said he talked the entire time and the waitress got a big kick out of them.  

This year we were lucky to have Aunt Anna and the kids come up to Springfield while the men went fishing.  Anna and I decided that we should make this our annual girl's weekend.  We decided to spend the day at Johnson Brother's Nursery and then went out to lunch.  It was a great day too, however, I am looking forward to when Josie and Jolie are a little bit older to do a weekend full of sewing, crafting, tea, baking and antique shopping!  

This is some of what came from Jeremiah, Josh, Justin and Uncle Jon's boat. 

I love this picture.  Justin, Josh, Jeremiah and Jamon. 

Jeremiah had the biggest catch of the weekend.  He said it was on his last cast too! 

S'mores in April

We have had a very rainy winter.  Really kind of a wild weather winter in general.  There was talk of snow during February, and then we ended up getting almost 6" of snow in March!  And we were so blessed to have some record-breaking beautiful sunshine the past couple of days.  It was so nice that the kids asked if we could have a fire.  In our house having a fire means having s'mores.  Unable to resist the temptation, we had to have s'mores.  Jamon is a very patient s'more making.  He will wait until his marshmallow is golden brown.  Josie on the other hand is less patient and Jolie just wants to eat the chocolate.  It's days like these that I thoroughly enjoy our house.  The kids have spent all day running around.  Literally, all day playing.  And the best way to end a sunny day is with a s'more....or two.  

We really did spend all day outside.  We took an old blanket that my mom had made me in high school and grabbed a supply of crayons, markers and coloring books.  It was a great day.  We even had time for toe nail polish, swinging, practicing soccer.  More swinging, more coloring and more "summer" fun.  It's days like this that make me wish summer was here already!

Josie loves getting her toes painted.  And she will almost always choose pink. 

Jolie could spend all day outside.  She is like her sister, she loves to swing.

Jamon loves to practice and to work.  I love those qualities about him. 

I loved this day with them.  

Sisters

I asked Amy to come over and try and get some pictures of Jolie for her "official" 2 year old photos.  Jolie was uncooperative.  Josie wanted her pictures taken.  It pretty much didn't go as planned.  However, we were lucky to get a few good ones.  The only way to get Jolie to sit down was to give her a lollipop. It worked wonders.  These two girls are the best of friends one minute and then someone is crying the next.  I didn't grow up with a sister so I have no clue what to expect.  They already fight over clothes, shoes, who gets to held by daddy or grandma.  Although I have noticed a friendship forming in the past few months.  As both of them have gotten a little older, Josie has become more "motherly" and Jolie is more playful.  Josie and Jolie really are alike in a lot of ways.  They both LOVE sunglasses, hats, shoes, and pockets.  Both of them are performers  also.  They like to play dress up, run around aside, take care of daddy, pretend cook and both of them are very good helpers around the house.  They both like to sweep, dust, set the table and fold laundry.  Actually, Josie is a very good folder, especially with towels. I hope this continues!  It's fun to look at them in these pictures because this is what they are to us all the time, running around aside, wild hair and wearing pink and blue!