lately

Now that I’ve finally caught up on that tedious holiday blogging (because I’d be mad at myself next year if I didn’t blog about this year’s holidays!), it is time for an update on what’s been going on in the J household.

Right at the moment, Pat is listening to some excessively loud concert on his iPad. In other iPad news, our whole family now plays Candy Crush. In other Pat news, he and his eldest son are taking ice skating lessons together every Sunday afternoon for eight weeks. If that isn’t the sweetest thing to imagine, I don’t know what is. Ryan is doing great, even after falling forehead-first onto the ice last week. Pat is doing excellently as well! :)

Samuel Robert is fully TWO AND A HALF, with the stubborn behavior to prove it. He mimics every horrid behavior that he sees big brother exhibit, and the language to go along with it. He is halfway potty trained, with peeing being the big winner and pooping NOT SO MUCH. I have offered this child every bribe in the world, set up multi-media presentations for him to watch in the bathroom, and enacted various make-believe worlds with his favorite stuffed animals to try and get him to go, but nothing. NADA. Zip. Zero. He WILL NOT poop on the potty. (He will, however, go in the bathtub. GROAR!!!)

 

Some new additions to the household:

A new rack of hooks by our front door!!! It only took us 8.5 years to install a fixture upon which one may toss coats when entering our home. Important deets on the rack: Designed by: James J.; wood scrap acquired from the collection of: Bob B.; board primed, hardware applied, and rack hung by: Bob B.; board painted by: Anne J. (color: Dove Wing by BM); hardware by: Home Depot.

After years of searching and countless ordered and returned pairs, I have finally purchased a new pair of boots!!!!!! (and they match the ottoman!)

I’m also shopping for new eye glasses. I think I’ve blogged about this before…I despise shopping for glasses. Like, maybe even despise it more than bathing suit shopping. I think the last time I blogged about shopping for new glasses I never did even buy a new pair, so here we are a few years later and I’m again shopping.

hi

Also, I rarely wear my glasses so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but I insist upon trying on a gazillion different pairs and returning multiple times with multiple audiences’ opinions before I can purchase.

We need a drumroll for the next updates please…

Our Ryan has:
-agreed to sign up for an ACTIVITY (skating), and has begun said activity, and LIKES it.

-eaten SCHOOL LUNCH (ham and cheese sandwich with one ketchup packet and two mustards [???] once!!!!! And liked it!

-sat in the back seat of the bus (today.) Every single other day of the entire school year he’s sat in the first seat directly behind the driver.

Here he is climbing a ginormous pile of snow in a parking lot in Duluth.

Here is Pat looking just the part in a gas station meat market outside of Duluth.