TGFTZ (Thank God for the Zoo)

The past two Fridays I've been off work and Jack and I have spent the mornings at the Cincinnati Zoo. There is so much for him to discover and so much space for him to run and get all that energy out! I love watching him learn and it's amazing to see him translate what he knows from all the "booksss" we read to real life. He is learning animal sounds and counting. He verbalizes "one" and then continues to pretend count in his own language. He wants to count everything; trains, ducks ("quacks"), steps, flowers etc.

 This past week we got there early enough to feed the giraffes. There is a baby giraffe that can barely reach her little head up high enough to get a lettuce treat. Jack LOVED feeding them. We had to wait in line and of course could only feed them a couple pieces of lettuce, but the nice zoo worker let us feed a couple extra because Jack was enjoying it so much. He even snapped a pic of us.

He loves riding the carousel, we usually ride it three times in a row and then Mama gets too dizzy!

Jack signing for "more" on the carousel!

Jack's also finds joy in any puddle and running through it repeatedly. I was watching, laughing at him and an adorable little girl,about 3 years old, dressed in sparkly shoes and tutu, walked past and I overheard her Mama say "careful not to step in the puddle" and she casually skipped around it. We briefly laughed at the quintessential boy vs girl difference we had just observed.















However, Jack also loves smelling the flowers. The tulips are beautiful at the zoo and it's so sweet watching him enjoy nature.

He truly loves being outdoors. While we were walking through the more densely wooded area by the monkeys, I had to keep reminding him to watch where he was walking because he kept looking up at the tall trees and saying "wow". Melts my heart. I am so grateful for my days off with this little guy!

xoxo,
T

Easter!!! (A few weeks behind!)

We have been so busy playing outside that we missed posting about Easter weekend. Friday was a rainy day, so we stayed inside to play. We made homemade play-doh and dyed it. Much easier then dying real eggs with a toddler! We are noticing a little Type A in him. He doesn't like the colors mixed or the dough molded in any shape other then a circle ("ball")!

On Saturday, we went to Washington Park for Jack's first Easter egg hunt. It was the craziest thing I've ever seen, every egg on the lawn was snatched up in less then 5 seconds! It was madness! Jack didn't find an egg this year but he had a great time running around the "looking" for eggs.

 

Well, this picture makes me wonder if he really enjoyed the experience. Little grumpy bunny!

He loved petting the "baaa" and the baby pig and bunnies. He wasn't so sure about the baby chicks.

Jack and Mama got their picture with the Easter bunny. Jack wasn't so sure of his at first, but when he saw and Mama was cool with him, it was all good.

It was a beautiful day so we decided to go home and have our own egg hunt for Jack after his nap. Mama and Dada hid eggs all around the yard. Jack carried his basket around the yard and picked up all the eggs like a pro and put them in his basket! He kept yelling "ecksss" Then he played with his baseball tee that Grammy gave him for Easter. He quickly learned how to hit the ball. His favorite thing to play outside is "bubbless".

Easter we had a lazy morning and played with the Thomas train set that the bunny brought for Jack. We then went to a delicious brunch at Sleepy Bee Cafe. We went last year on Easter and they always have tasty Easter specials. It was another gorgeous day so we played outside all day and went over to Meems and Beeps for dinner. 

Meems hid more "ecksss" for Jack to find. He was so excited to find that these eggs had snacks in them! Beep's potato chips, what a treat!

 We enjoyed spending time with Mimi and Great Grandpa Jim too. We tried to snap a family pic, everyone looks great, but Jack had other plans :)

 Jack also discovered the the rope swing and kept saying "wheeee!" Sweet boy.

xoxo,
T

Brrr.....

This past week we were hit with a snowstorm and Jackie and I were sick to boot. (somehow Rob dodged the germs!) Jack had his first ear infection and pink eye...poor guy! For being so sick, he really wasn't acting like it. He was flirting with the nurses at his pediatrician's office and playing with the light switch in the exam room, ("aan" and "off!")
We are finally getting better after two weeks of no sleep, runny noses, coughs and NyQuil for Mama. (I was pretty desperate to get some sleep and let me tell ya, that is some serious stuff!)
I am dying to get back to my running routine. With all the snow and ice and illnesses, my running schedule has been all messed up. Running for me is not optional. I need my daily dose of endorphins. This morning was ugly out there. It is pretty risky running in the dark, in the middle of the road (mostly side streets!) but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I can tell Jackie has been feeling the cabin fever as well. His favorite thing is to play outside, and that isn't really an option for a sick babe!
I've been wanting to get him a kitchen play set and I caved because I found one at Once Upon a Child for half of what it retails for. He loves it! It was a great snow day gift for Jackie and Mama. We played all weekend and he's thinks its so funny to serve me coffee and then pretend pour some in his sippy cup. I'd say we are off to a great start. 1st step to any encounter in the kitchen: Mama needs coffee.

I also treated our house to some tulips while shopping at Trader Joe's, they just remind me of Spring.






The Easter bunny even made an impromptu visit with some much needed treats.

I freshened up my fancy wardrobe of scrubs because I'm obviously feeling the need for some color in my life! The power of color is fascinating. We touched upon it in my last holistic nursing class and it really has made a difference in my mood when I have focused my awareness on colors that I'm drawn to. Currently, I am loving coral and papaya. Maybe my inner awareness is longing for something tropical, it could be the warmth of those colors that is comforting during this frigid weather. Who knows, but sometimes it's the little things in life.



As I reflect on the past couple of weeks, it seems like my mind and body are longing for warmer weather. Friday morning after my run, I was in the bathroom after my shower and I found myself standing in front of the window, soaking up the sun- while it was only for a moment (toddler at my feet, deranging the bathroom breaks any moment of peace)  the steam of the shower and warmth of the sun felt a-mazing.

Cheers to warming your soul, however you can during this crazy winter!
T

***We finally were able to make it out to play in the snow today. We had a blast sledding at "Meems" and "Beeps" and warmed up afterwards with some delicious soup and chili. ***

 Shoveling with a spoon?

 My boys!

Well, hello 2015.

The end of 2014 was a blur and a difficult time for my family. My loving Grandpa passed away on the evening of December 31st. I am just starting to realize the depth of this loss. I am blessed with amazing memories of him from my childhood. 
He would do anything for any of his grandchildren, his support was unwavering, unconditional. He was there even while I was busy "growing up", went away to college, got married, had a baby...his first great grandson. My heart melted whenever I saw Jack and him together.  I am so thankful that the last time I spent with him, Jack was also there.

Although 2015 started off emotionally rocky, my Grandpa would want me to start looking up and getting it together! So, on January 31st I have finally revised my goals for the new year. This year I want to focus on Relationships and Gratitude. 

My goals are: 

• Nourish my marriage (eg. date night once every 2 weeks and plan a Mommy and Daddy vacation for 2015) 
• Take time to do what makes me happy (eg. study holistic nursing and run...a lot.)   
• Express gratitude (eg. Yoga as needed and sticking to our new budget) Ok, so this is super cheesy, but seeing Jack take in the sights and smells of the ocean for the first time, on our vacation to Siesta Key, really put things into perspective for me. He had just turned 1, and the pure joy that I saw on his face made me want to prioritize what we spend our money on. Time to simplify some things!
  

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and beautiful 2015,
Tricia