Best Friend position available

Jack's favorite playtime activities include playing: Santa (collecting toys in a bag and redistributing them around the house to different people), picnic (collecting stuffed animals and an assortment of other random things and spreading them out on blankets around the house), and pirate (building a ship and then collecting random treasures and redistributing them around the house.) Do you notice a theme....random toys spread out all over the house. I'm sure all mothers fight this constant battle (and I know it won't end, ever), but my pregnant back cannot bend over and pick up 100 toys everyday. So, rather than teaching him to help me clean up (as we've done forever), I have decided that now I want him to learn to clean-up after himself, without my help. This task takes about 20 times longer than when I "help," but it is something he needs to learn to do. (And, seriously, the back pain is terrible!)

So, tonight as I was trying to get Jack to clean-up after himself, he firmly announced, "You're not my best friend ANY more!" Apparently, if you're interested in the position the primary requirement is letting him watch TV and not making him clean-up his toys. Unfortunately for me, cleaning up after himself is the battle I have decided to fight and TV is the reward for his compliance (which is rare.)

"OK, Here's the deal..."

That's what Jack said to me one day when he was trying to negotiate to get to do something. I realized that I say that a lot, and he decided to give it a try. He says so many cute and funny things, and I need to do a better job of documenting it. For now, here are just a few words that he says that I want to remember:

1. "pa-cuter" (computer)
2. "I'm getting busy" (when spinning around; instead of "dizzy")
3. "My mommy" and "My daddy" (This is how he addresses us. He used to address us this way anytime he said our names; now he doesn't say it as often, so I think this phase may be coming to an end soon. It sure sounds sweet!)

Baseball 08 & 09 --What a difference a year makes!

A friend of ours, Anna Hood, sent Brent some pictures she took of Jack at the LSU-MSU baseball game. In the mix, there was also a picture she took of him last year. I cannot believe how much he's grown and changed in the last year. What happened to my baby? (No wonder all of his shirts from last summer look too short on him!)

Note the tiger tail and the LSU crocs; both were his choices to wear to the game!

So as not to alienate my State friends, yes, he also rang Brent's cowbell while wearing the LSU apparel.

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2009

Jamming to Cowboy Mouth

Post ice cream relaxing

Crabbing in the children's area

New Orleans French Quarter

We went to New Orleans for the second weekend of Jazz Fest. We got there late Thursday night and spent the night at our good friends', the Lagraizes. While they went to work on Friday, we went to the French Quarter. We started with beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Then we made our way down to the French Market and around Jackson Square. It was something we hadn't done in quite a while, and it was a great day!

Mommy & Jack listening to the jazz band at Cafe Du Monde.

Dancing to the music

Taking it all in while we wait for beignets

Jack wasn't crazy about one of the street performers we saw on the Square

Leah and I are both expecting babies this summer. We thought we'd compare bellies now and again in 2 weeks when we see each other at the beach.

Baseball

I might be getting things a little out of order here, but oh well...I'm so behind on blog posts right now. After I get everything documented, I'll go back and correct the dates!

We've enjoyed going out to baseball games each spring that we've lived in Starkville. This season it seems we've missed more games than we've been able to attend, but we've had fun when we've been able to go. During some of the mid-week games, we've joined our friends the Adkersons and the Prathers and their daughters, Emily and Addie.

Addie & Jack

Addie, Jack & Em

During the 5th inning, they always play the "Chicken Dance" and allow children from the crowd to climb onto the top of the dugout and "perform." A friend of ours captured a clip of this...

http://picasaweb.google.com/msulsu/JackRaymondFountain?authkey=Gv1sRgCLSm3LDPsMPVvAE#5334307909521387874
(Jack is the one in the red shirt with his back to the camera. He turns around about halfway through the song.)

Easter morning

At first Jack was more interested in reading his new books than hunting eggs.