Doughnut Day with Aunt Jennifer

Well this particular week we were lucky to have Aunt Jennifer visit!  She even stayed to come to doughnuts.  I love how these pictures capture how different each child is and their personalities.  I am so thankful for supportive and involved family who are truly invested in the lives of my children. 
One of the traditions I love most is doughnut day.  The ironic thing is I don't even eat doughnuts!  The tradition started with Jeremiah's Grandpa Jack taking a coffee break from the glass shop.  They would rotate between Master's Doughnuts & Rose's Diner.  When they sold the glass shop a few years ago I actually thought what would happen to doughnut day?  Before we had kids Jeremiah and I would show up to the coffee break time on days off from school or work.  Jeremiah has very fond memories of working with his Grandpa and having coffee breaks. It was a tradition I was excited to continue with Papa Jeff.  We used to faithfully go on Tuesdays, but with Classical Conversations on that day we have become more sporadic in our visits.  I love that our kids refer to old fashion doughnuts as "Papa's doughnuts" and both Josie & Jolie eat their chocolate doughnuts top down.  It's fun to sip a diet pepsi and just watch the kids.  Well, who am I kidding I am pretty busy preventing a spill, taking someone to the bathroom, opening a milk carton and just being a mom.  And it's so appropriate that I am writing about doughnut day because we get to go tomorrow!

Summer fun

This really is the last of the best of summer pictures.

Maybe when I'm 5.

Before Jamon turned five, he used to say this phrase for everything.  For example, I would ask:  "Jamon, do you want to try a bite of salmon?"  He would then reply, "Maybe when I'm 5."  This would happen frequently throughout the year.  For some reason, turning five was a big deal in his mind.  And the more I thought about it, five was a big deal.  Before I had children, I would see other small kids and think that once they were around five years old they stopped being super cute and entered an awkward stage of childhood.  Let me explain.  Kids who are four can get away with mispronunciations and other "cute" toddler ways.  But, when kids turn five it seems like people are constantly asking what skill he's mastering, what sport he's playing, how he's doing in school etc.  All the while, I am imagining my not so little four year old who somehow became a kid overnight. 

I know everyone says how fast childhood goes and that I should just enjoy every moment.  Sometimes it's hard to enjoy the day to day chaos of little kids in the house.  But for some reason, when Jamon comes up to me and gives me a "strong" hug or asks me to watch him do something, time does stand still.  He was my first baby.  He is my only boy.  I could make a list of all the things I've done wrong in the first five years, but Jamon is so forgiving, loving, and encouraging.  Jamon keeps me honest and accountable.  Sometimes I like to go into his room and just re-tuck him in after he's asleep.  It amazes me how he went from 21 3/4" long and weighing only 7lbs. 9 oz to 57 lbs and almost 48" in just five years.  He went from the same bassinet his dad used to his Papa's old twin-sized bed! He has grown from footed pajamas to thermal tops and bottoms, and the other night he wanted to just wear shorts to bed.  I used to read to him for hours and now he reads by himself and to our family.

I am sure each stage has its trials and its joys.  I can only hope the next five years are just as good....

Where did summer go?

I knew I would have a hard time keeping up with summer activities, I never thought I would completely abandon the blog for almost 2 months!  In terms of weather, summer didn't really start until mid to late July and now we are in September and having 80 degree days.  I am just now transitioning into fall and realizing I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog, on housework, and on my to-do list. So, this post will simply summarize summer, what we did and what we are doing!

There were a lot of great things that happened this summer.  Our chickens are great and we average around 6 or 7 eggs a day!  Jamon has really stepped up and taken on the care of the chickens.  It's been a neat lesson for him.  The garden did okay.  I was able to can quite a big of green beans, shred some zucchini for future zucchini bread, enjoyed a few tomatoes, picked a few raspberries, but the highlight was the carrots.  The kids ate freshly picked carrots almost daily.  It was amazing!

As I reflect on the summer of 2011, I really just think of my kids playing and time spent with family both near and far. We didn't take any major trips, no major projects, just a lot of playing, s'more eating, sandbox digging, and overall childhood fun.  Jamon really mastered the pumping of his legs on the swing and even Josie learned how to pump her little legs.  I remember standing in the kitchen and hearing Jamon yell:  "mom watch me!"  I stood there watching him swing with a smile on my face.  I enjoyed watching him swing probably more than he did.  It's the greatest thing as a parent to watch your children achieve something, even as little as swinging really fast.

This summer I also realized that Jolie is quickly entering the toddler years.  She desperately wants to follow Jamon and Josie and hasn't realized that she is substantially smaller and is physically unable to do some of the things they are doing.  Both Josie and Jolie possess an incredible amount of perseverance.  I am sure it will be useful later in life.  Right now, it leads to a lot of tears and frustration.  Although toddler years bring a lot of daily challenges, they also bring a lot of sweet moments.  I love how she says "wuv you" or squeezes my neck and holds on for hugs.  She is such a little sponge absorbing everything she hears and sees and what a little parrot.  Every day she is adding more and more words to her vocabulary.  It'll be interesting to hear her and Josie in a few years...

Wildlife Safari is pretty amazing.  We were fortunate to go on a day that wasn't too warm.  The kids loved it.  They didn't love taking these pictures though. 

This summer was full of fun and adventure for Jamon.  He often got to skip naps and go with dad or the rest of the men to do work.  This is him fishing at Lava Lake. He woke up at 4a.m. to go.

This first picture is of Josie getting her first big girl  hair cut.  The middle picture is of her helping me at Winco.  I love how her sunglasses are upside down.  So Josie like.  And lastly, maybe my favorite picture of her this summer.  This is Josie on her first daddy/daughter date.  He took her out to breakfast and as she would say:  "something sepal."  She loves eggs, pampakes, sausage, and o.j. 

I'm free now!

June 8th was Josie's birthday.  I walked into her bedroom and kissed her good morning.  I played with her hair and I whispered: "Josie today's your birthday!  Happy birthday sweet girl."  She happily replied:
"I'm free now!"

I didn't have the heart to correct her.  The tradition in our house is to have a birthday breakfast and your choice for dinner.  She chose chocolate chip pampakes.  With syrup on top.  She always wears a headband on her head when she eats pancakes to keep the syrup out of her hair.  It's hilarious!

She had a wonderful day and it was beautiful outside, just like the day she was born.  I still remember washing dishes at our old house on Thurston Rd.  We just ate chicken enchiladas and I was standing at the sink when my water broke.  She was only 4 days overdue!  We were planning on going for a family walk with Jamon but instead we called grandma & papa and Jamon went and had a sleepover, while we went to the hospital.  Flash forward 3 years....I'm standing in the kitchen washing dishes and soaking up the moment of watching this little wild hair girl eat her chocolate chip pampakes.  I love this moment.  I love this time with her.

Anyway, to celebrate we had a Strawberry Shortcake birthday. However, the only thing Josie knows about Strawberry Shortcake is off of one coloring book that coupled with her love of strawberries and there you go!  I made her a light pink tutu, embellished with applqiue a strawberry t-shirt and the birthday girl was ready.  Aunt Jennifer made an awesome pinata for her and her friends.  I was stuck on a cake idea until my friend Hollan reminded me of cake pops!  Cake pops are all over the blog world.  I made some strawberry shaped cake pops and we enjoyed real strawberry shortcake, strawberry lemonade, chocolate dipped strawberries and cake pops!  We said thank you to our friends and sent them home with a bag full of candy and their own strawberry plant to enjoy!  It was a great way to celebrate Josie turning three or "free" as she would say. 

We are blessed beyond belief with amazing family and friends.  I am thankful my kids have such loving & involved grandparents and great-grandparents and friends that have invested so much time into the lives of our kids.  It's a neat thing.

This is Jolie not Josie...just a cute picture of little sister at the party. 

Aunt Jennifer's strawberry pinata...isn't she talented!

Cake Pops!

I could chocolate dipped strawberries every day. 

The birthday girl gets the first swing!

And it didn't take very long to break it open. 

Josie and Grandma Angie...just a year ago Josie called her "G". 

Chasing the goats. 

Jamon turns 5!

It's hard to believe that Jamon is 5.  Before I had kids I thought that five-year-olds seemed so old.  And now I have a 5 year old.  Hard to believe.  It's so cliche to say, but I still remember being overdue.  Very overdue.  I remember being induced at 6 a.m. at McKenzie Willamette Hospital.  It was beautiful outside.  And at 6:12p.m. Jamon Lee Heacock changed my life forever.  I never could have imagined the boy he's become today and it's exciting to see the man he's becoming. 

At 5 years old, Jamon loves to practice basketball.  He could dribble and shoot for hours.  It amazes me at his personal drive to meet a challenge.  It's a neat quality to see in a child and I am thrilled when I see him accomplish a goal.  For example, he has been practicing for a few weeks at the monkey bars.  Finally, one day he spent about 20 minutes trying. That's a long time on monkey bars!  Finally he made it all the way across and the look of pride on his face almost brought tears to my eyes.  Anyway, other than playing outside, Jamon is a voracious reader.  He will read anything:  cereal boxes, cards, food labels, books, mail, street signs etc.  It's very exciting.

So this morning I woke Jamon up and said:  "Good morning.  It's your birthday!"
Jamon replied,  "It is?  I made it!"
I didn't know there was any doubt, but nonetheless he made it to 5.  His Aunt Jennifer asked him he grew any and he very seriously said:  "I think a little."

Jamon looks up to his dad and Papas more than anything else.  They are amazing role models.  I think there are few things that are more important to a child than a strong relationship with their father and I am so blessed that Jamon has very involved Papas and a Great-Grandpa (Papa Jack).  Jamon loves hunting and camouflage.  Thus, we had a hunting party.  I made orange felt safety vests and the cake pops were green and brown.  Jeremiah and cousin Jim hid ducks in the trees and set up the deer that Uncle Josh made.  The kids put on their safety vests and went hunting around our backyard and shot wooden guns with rubber bands.  It was so much fun.

Before today's party I was reminiscing about each of Jamon's birthday parties.  How much he's changed and matured each year and the way he continues to impress me.  He is so intelligent, kind-hearted, determined and the best big brother to Josie and Jolie.  He is a natural leader.  He is a good friend to others.  He is responsible. He loves reading his bible and does not hesitate to tell others about Jesus.  Jamon is keeping me accountable, encouraging me to know Jesus better, and is showing me how much fun motherhood can be.  All this from a 5 year old. 

Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed aka AWANA

I cannot believe I have not blogged about AWANA's before! Jamon started going to AWANA at our church Springfield Faith Center this past year in 2010.  It is on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:15 pm. When Jamon first started going, he told his Grandma Angie & Grandma Jo that he goes to AWANA's, it sounded like he said "iguana's", so his Aunt Jennifer & Grandma Jo like to tease him about "iguanas."  Jamon indigently responds, "it's AAAWANA" with a major emphasis on the A!

Jamon loves it.  Josie can't wait to go and Jolie doesn't even know what she's in for.  Kids as young as three come play games, learn bible verses, sing songs and learn about the Lord.  They have a workbook that gets signed off and the say their verse to a leader.  Sometimes when they say their verse they get a badge on their vest!  Jamon loved the badges, loved the "homework", loved the games.  He would come home and practice the games from AWANA.  He started bringing his bible with him every Wednesday for the chance to go up to the front and hold a flag.  The program is incredible and I am amazed at how many bible verses he knows in his heart.  I cannot help but think of Psalms 119:11 that says:  "I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you."

He brought his bible so he got to go to the front &hold a sign for the pledges. 

Josie volunteered to be an usher at Jamon's award ceremony.  It was one of the biggest collection nights-who could refuse her?

Jamon knew every word of the songs, however, he stood there with his hands at his sides the whole time! 

Hands are still down because that's what his teacher said to do! 

He is so cute! 

He loved getting an certificate! 

That's the face of a kid who LOVES the Lord!

He brings a smile to my face!