Seven.Caged.Tigers

Two years ago right now, I had a brand new baby in my arms. He was so tiny and so adorable–and also so Zack! Happy birthday big guy.

This picture is pretty cute, but mostly because of what he was doing.  I’d plucked a daffodil from its plant and taken a few pictures.  I then handed it to Zack and told him it was a pretty flower.  After some consideration, he tried to replant it.  Aww….sweet.

He really has been playing pretend a lot lately.  One of his current favorite stuffed animals is a tiger.  He calls it his kitty.  During his nap, Sara had ejected her food off its perch leaving crumbs on the floor.  When Zack woke up and noticed the cat food bits on the flood he started feeding his “kitty” (he says it like “tete”).  He was saying “numnums,” “yummy,” “doo doo” (for Dewey, his favorite kitty) and pushing his toy’s face into the food.  He then picked up a tiny piece and was feeding it by hand to his animal.

Awww…how sweet!

We went to Portrait Innovations today and had some pictures taken.  They turned out well, but it took forever to get to this point.  Zack was incredibly active, temperamental, and generally unruly.  I felt pretty guilty and definitely didn’t get to his second outfit.  Oh well.  I’m just happy we got it over with!

Those three words were ones he uttered at the dawdling child in front of him as Zack waited for the slide. He doesn’t like slow moving people. He’s a (tiny) man on a mission. Here are a few photos from yesterday. He is really loving being outside. We have problems even getting him to come inside at night. We offer him everything and he usually resists until the very last moment.

Zack likes his baths. Now that it’s warming up, he’s getting them more frequently. Unfortunately he likes being outdoors more than taking baths (or watching The Wonderpets or eating). In any case, I got some new shots of him in the tub. It’s in our new bathroom so you can get a glimpse of our work. Wish you could see more right now…

Who knows, but Zack certainly loves kicking his soccer ball. He actually does it properly (you know, when he’s not throwing it). I am pretty impressed, but then again I don’t know anything about the game. Jeremy is impressed too, and he plays all the time so he’s allowed to have an opinion. Here are (of course) a few photos from Zack’s most recent soccer “session” and a few others…just because…

And finally, the official “DIRTY LOOK”

Michigan seems to finally have accepted that Spring is here.  The state tried to hold on to the snow and cold for much too long.  Now, it’s melted and we’re looking at multiple 60+ degree days in a row.  I can’t say I’m complaining, either.

Jeremy (and I) have finished up on the yard work.  It’s not done really, but it is cleaned up and Zack can play without worry of twisting his ankle on a branch or accidentally eating a bean pod from the most annoying tree on the face of the earth.  Anyway, it’s nice.  My hyacinths are close to blooming.  A crocus bloomed today–the first color of the year!  I’m also watching as the daylilies, iris, daffodils, etc… are starting to peek through the soil.  I can’t wait until things really grow and bloom and summer arrives.

In other news, my in-laws returned home from a week-long trip to Durango, Colorado.  When they arrived they found their front yard torn up and a large hunk of a large tree taken out.  There also appears to be a ton of glass, some random chunks of car, and various other bits from the interior of a vehicle that wrecked in their yard this past Friday.  It was apparently pretty crazy.  Three kids in a Suburban driving (much too fast) through an s-curve and down the road.  They didn’t even step on the brake to speak of before they crashed into the tree.  People drive like idiots down their road.  Like seriously–20+ miles an hour over the speed limit.  I guess it was only time before something like that happened.  According to the news story, the road was closed for three hours for the accident investigation (there is lots of lovely spray paint on the ground and tree).  UM also dropped a helicopter some place to pick up the kid hurt the worst.  My guess is that it was in their large, treeless yard.

Exciting stuff happens when people take vacations…

Actually, not alone really but sans Zack.  It’s strangely quiet around here.  The cats are quiet, the house is quiet, and I am even quiet.  I really do like having some still calm sometimes.  It’s refreshing.  Zack will be back on Monday after the weekend with his grandparents (my parents) up in Gladwin.  He’s having a great time playing, running, screaming, and visiting with neighbors.  He’s such a little social butterfly.

Or not.  Actually, Jeremy and I have done a good job at not giving Zack everything and anything we think he might want.  He’s still too young to beg but we are quick to correct him if he declares something “me” or “mine.”  We also don’t feel a need to buy him anything and everything.  Of course our home isn’t large enough to buy all that much stuff.  What he does have is too much to deal with sometimes anyway–tons of cars, books, stuffed animals, and little people.

For his first birthday we didn’t get him anything big.  We did purchase a small, inexpensive plastic desk for him for Christmas.  This birthday we thought it important to get him a play house.  It’s something he will enjoy for a long time.  It’s also something we saved for, hoped for, and researched.  We ended up finding it at Costco.  He should love it, though we won’t assemble it until closer to the big day.  Prior to that he’ll have to gaze at the box.  Poor little dude.  Anyway, here’s what we will have in our back yard starting this summer.

We don’t do Easter big in our house. It was just my parents and my husband, son, and I. We had a nice dinner Saturday night and a big breakfast Sunday. Anyway…here are a few photos of Zack (who else?) from the weekend.

1.) Yes those are the Wonder Pets - it’s the only show he watches and he loves it.

2.) In some of those photos he is spinning. He does this when he gets really tired. It’s hilarious. He spins quickly, to the point he can’t see or walk straight and sometimes falls down.

Here’s a link to ALL our Flickr photos:  http://flickr.com/photos/lambchops/

Helping Grandpa choose a fishing boat:

Spinning:

Zack loves telephones. Fortunately this little toy phone works as a double for the real one. Here, he’s talking to Papa with a great deal of imagination, dedication, and love.

Zack is quickly closing in on his second birthday. He is getting so big (but still pretty skinny). Anyway, I wanted to put a few pictures of him through the years here. Look at how much he’s changed (and how much he hasn’t).

Apologies for my lack of updates.  This last week flew by.  It’s not that I did much.  I mean I went shopping, played with my son, made a flower arrangement (I’ll take a photo at some point, I’m pretty happy), got new reading glasses, and exercised.  What fun.  Jeremy and I also made the choice to get rid of Max.  It’s been a long time in coming.  We’ve been considering it for years (like 4-5 years).  He’s gotten worse since Zack’s arrival too.  Litterbox issues, puking issues, dominance issues, and he seems generally unhappy.  Today we drove over to Capital Area Humane Society (where we got him from) and surrendered him back.  It was terrible.  I feel like I failed him.  Zack isn’t too aware of what went on.  He was there, but Max really isn’t too kid friendly.  Not saying he ever bit or scratched or hissed, but he’s also very aloof.  Anyway, we are now a 2-cat home.  No more Max, long live Sara and Dewey.

a glimpse of the new bathroom! It’s nearly done.

I actually got this from Jeremy. It’s hilarious. Feel free to tell me how many 5-year-olds you could take in a fight.

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Zack did the thing all babies and toddlers do in their diapers. No big shock there. What WAS a shock was that he has developed quite a little sense of humor. He looked at Jeremy and says “Naughty Daddy!” Of course “naughty” sounds like “naw-nee” so it was extra cute and funny. It seems Zack doesn’t want to take blame for his, er, messes…

Zack was watching his daily dose of The Wonder Pets.  Some time in between his clapping and exclamations of love to Mi Mi (aka Ming Ming) he slipped his cowboy boots on.  He then grabbed some keys and rode his horse.  You can’t ride a horse without keys–you gotta start ‘em first!

Cribs are cool and wonderful and comfortable for children.  They exist for a reason–they make life better for parents and children alike.  All of that is true until you child, Zack for instance, decides to jump out.  That’s what happened.  He jumped out.  He does a lot of thumping around in his room so the actual boom wasn’t louder than usual. What was louder was his scream…”Waaaaaaaa!  Mama.  MAMA.  MAAAAMAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

We’re not putting him in his twin bed just yet.  We’ll wait for it to happen again.  If and when it does he’ll be put in his big boy bed.  We already have it.  It’ll be a matter of moving it into his room instead of the adjacent guest room/library. On the upside, he only scared himself.  No actual wounds from his expedition.

This isn’t a great picture–I saw him with Jeremy’s hat and grabbed my camera.  And yeah…that’s peanut butter on his face.

Almost. This is as close to his “dirty look” I’ve caught on camera. I need to get that look. It’s hilarious!