Halloween Spooktacular

On Saturday, Mommy took me to the Niagara Power Project for their Halloween Spooktacular.

I wore my raincoat and rainboots as a costume and was a really cute bee. I had lots of fun there. I got to play with Lillian, Greydan, and Morgan. There were lots of fun games to play. I even won some! We played ring toss, and a bunch of games where I had to throw beanbags and stuffed animals at things. I'm really good at those games! And the best part was all the candy. I love candy! I got sweettarts and starbursts and a big lolly pop. I was having so much fun right up until the end. That's when Mommy ruined it. There was a haunted house, and I didn't really want to go in, but all my friends were and Mommy said it would be ok, so I believed her, but it wasn't. There were so many scary lights! They flashed on and off really fast, and it was really dark in there even with the scary lights. We got half way through, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I started screaming for Mommy to get me out, but we couldn't move very fast. She kept telling me it was ok and that it was just kids being silly, but I don't know what she was talking about. I didn't see any kids. Just scary lights. I hope we don't have to go in any more haunted houses for a while.

Fish broke off, jump, fall water.

The Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of Columbus Day weekend, we took Jack up to Lorton Lake to see the salmon run. His Daddy had taken him up 3 weeks prior and he has been telling the same 2 stories ever since. Those 2 stories go as follows: Fish broke off, jump, fall water. The first being that he was watching a fisherman trying to land a fish, but it broke off. The second is that, at the fish hatchery, they were jumping up ladders but some of them fell back down into the water. Jack really likes the fish, so we thought bringing him up could get us a few new stories. "Guy fall in, cold brrr," is the only new story we came away with. (In case you can't guess, a guy fell into the river while he was trying to land a fish in a net. It was very cold.) It really was very cold all weekend. Jack didn't care, though. His Grandpa took him on a golf cart ride, he got to see fishies, his daddy took him fishing in a boat (without a hook, though, poor kid!), and he got to "caw" off the island at Uncle Brian (which he's still doing.) Oh, and there were donuts. The child loves donuts! He started asking for them Monday morning. We didn't buy any until Monday night with the intention of eating them for breakfast Tuesday morning. He didn't sleep very well at all Monday night, and I'm fairly certain it was because we denied him his beloved donuts.
Jack had really wanted to tell this story himself, but I was afraid "Fish broke off, jump, fall water, guy fall in, cold brrrrr" would be a little too cryptic.

Pumpkinville

Today we went to a place called Pumpkinville way down in Ellicottville with Uncle Brian and Aunt Cara. It was a lot of fun. There were sooo many pumpkins there! Mommy and Daddy even let me pick some to bring home. They had lots of other fun stuff there, too. They had those big people cut outs with the holes where your face can go. I didn't really get it at first, but then Daddy showed me how it works.
They also had a giant corn maze. It was so muddy! I fell down and got very, very dirty. I also found lots of corn. I really like corn, but Mommy wouldn't let me keep them. She said they were for the cows and birdies to eat, not little boys like me. My favorite part, though, was hot pumpkin donuts and apple cider. Mmmm, they were sooo tasty! They were covered in cinnamon sugar, and I didn't even care that I was eating them with my muddy hands. A guy was playing good music on a guitar, and I was so happy. I think everyone should go to Pumpkinville!

Leaf Diving

Yesterday, Daddy raked up all the pretty leaves in our front yard. They come in so many colors. There's red, yellow, orange, and brown. Some of them even have lots of colors on the SAME leaf! My favorite part, though, was jumping in them. Daddy was trying to use my wagon to bring them all to the back yard, but I decided that it was much more fun to jump into the leaves from it. It was more like leaf diving than jumping, and it was really fun.

Picking Applesauce Off Trees

Since it wasn't raining this morning, Mommy and Daddy decided we should go pick applesauce off trees. We went to a place called Blackman Homestead Farm, and picked lots and lots of apples. There were lots of different kinds. Sometimes they were way up high, and sometimes I could reach them by myself, like these Red Delicious.

Mommy says she is going to make an apple crisp, butI really hope she makes applesauce. When we were all done picking apples, I got to make friends with a baby goat. But then it started raining and we had to go home. It was a lot of fun. I can't wait to go pumpkin picking in a few weeks!

Happy Birthday Super Jackson!

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Now that I have TWO aunts that live far away, I have to be better about it. Mommy and me have been very busy, though. Look at my T-shirt. I'm going to be a big brother! I'm not really sure what that means, except that Mommy is very sleepy and that I'm not allowed to jump on her belly anymore. Anyway... I just had a birthday. It was lots of fun. I turned 2 years old. For my birthday, all I wanted was a bike, blue. And guess what I got. A bike blue! Then, my Uncle Lukey came over and played with me during the day. And then, my friends Greydan and Lillian came over to play. We got to have cake! I love cake! Mommy decorated it herself. It didn't look as nice as the one my Nona made for me, but she tried hard. I also got lots and lots of presents. I even got train tracks for my Thomas the Tank Engine trains. One of my favorite presents, though, was the cape my Nona gave me. I think it was actually one of my uncle's when they were little. It is red with blue, and I get to be Super Jackson when I wear it. I like to wear it when I ride my new bike. Mommy even let me wear it to go see Dr. Ferguson. I got to be Super Jackson when I got my flu shot, and it didn't hurt Super Jackson nearly as much. I like to play Super Jackson. My birthday was a fun day, and I can't wait to do it again.

The Bee Picnic

So today I came out just in time to discover that Jackson had "set the table" for all his little bee friends, whoever they might be. "A plate! A plate!" was his joyful exclamation when he saw me. His Nona bought him this little bumble bee raincoat and matching boots set, and the child has hardly taken it off in 2 days. He especially likes the boots. He can even put them on all by himself (thank god!) He really is my little "bitty bee."

The Tale of the Tricksy Hobbit

Once, not so long ago, in a land not so far away, a Hobbit was locked out of the tower and away from his Daddy by an evil Troll. His Daddy was up in the tower painting his office (finally!), and the evil troll (Mommy) was blocking the stairs with her rather ample ass in an effort to prevent the Hobbit from turning a nice shade of Vanilla Brandy. This was a problem, and the Hobbit needed a plan. He decided this was the moment. He ran off while the evil Troll was otherwise engaged in a conversation with the Daddy, and returned triumphantly holding the plastic piece for the refrigerator lock that the evil Troll was, up until this point, unaware that he could remove. In her shock, she abandoned her post and ran to the now unlocked refigerator to see if it truly was, in fact, said refrigerator lock. Not only was it indeed the refrigerator lock, but she arrived at the refrigerator just in time to hear the peals of laughter ringing down from the upper floor as the Hobbit finally reached his Daddy.





Hobbit 1: Evil Troll 0.





PS... We're back.

1 more week

Hi All,
Sorry we have been MIA for the last month or so. We will be getting our internet hooked up on 8/17, and then we will share all our wonderful adventures with you. I just wanted to let you know that we are all ok, and have been ALL OVER the place. You'll hear from us soon.

Amy and Jackson

4th of July

Sadly, this is the only picture my mommy remembered to take all 4th of July weekend. We went to Lorton Lake with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Kelley, Maddie, Great Grandma, G.G., and Uncle David. Uncle Greg and Steph were there for a little while, too. 4th of July is Grandma's birthday, so everyone throws a big party for her and sets off lots of fireworks. At least, that's what she told me. It was lots of fun. We got to go to the beach and play with a dump truck, and then I got to pick out a ball and turtle choo choo to take home. It was really cold and windy, though, so we didn't stay too long. After my nap, Uncle Greg and Stephanie were there and we had dinner. Then, we got to see lots and lots of fireworks. There were so many colors and they were so noisy. They said, "Boom! Pshhh! Roar!" I really liked them. And then we got to eat cake that tasted like pudding. It was the best day!

The next day was a much nicer day, and Maddie and I played outside in our little house. Aunt Kelley even let us eat our lunch out there. That is what this picture is of. We had red applesauce, and it was tasty. I finally got to go out on the boat, but then it was time to go home. I was sad, but Mommy says we'll try to go back after everything has slowed down. I'm not really sure what that means, but I hope it means we can go back.

Jack -And A Whole Lot More- In The Box

As you may or may not be aware, we are gearing up for another move. Technically, this will be our 4th in 2 years. With any luck, it will be our last for quite some time. This is the first move, however, where Jack is somewhat aware of what is going on. In an effort to distract him from the boxes we were trying to pack, we set up a particularly large one for him to use as a fort. In typical toddler fashion, he opted to copy Mommy and Daddy instead.

He carefully put every toy that we've left out for him to play with inside his box, taking special care to move books out of the way when the big ball didn't quite fit all the way to the back. And every so often, he would try to back in, just to be sure he still fit. I'm not sure if he was trying to use it as a fort, but with every last toy that he owns inside it with him, or if he's afraid that since we aren't packing his toys that we are going to leave them-and him!- behind. Either way, it was really adorable.

Papa's Choo Choo

This is me and my Uncle Joe Joe playing in the back of my Papa's choo choo (or truck, if you don't speak Jack). I like Papa's choo choo. It is blue, my favorite color.

Cherry Festival at Cobblestone Farm Winery

On Saturday, me, Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma all went down to Cobblestone Farm Winery to their Cherry Festival. It was lots and lots of fun. I ate soooo many cherries. I even got to pick some! The best part, though, was spitting out the pit. I'm usually not supposed to spit stuff out, but this time I was allowed. It was a little tricky, though. You have to get just the right part - the little stone in the middle. Sometimes, it is hard to find.

After we picked cherries, there was a band playing music and we got to dance. When I first heard the band, I was still in the cherry orchard and they were singing Wild Cherry's "Play that Funky Music (White Boy)." I just HAD to dance. Mommy and Daddy did finally convince me to leave the orchard, but I ran straight for the stage. We did lots more dancing, and Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma had some juice but I was allowed to have any. I didn't think it was very nice of them to not share. They said it wasn't very good anyway, though, so I guess I'll forgive them. All in all, it was a really fun afternoon. I hope to get to do it again sometime.

Blue Oyster Cult

Every summer, the town of Lewiston (which is technically where we live) puts on a series of free concerts at the Artpark called Tuesdays in the Park. Last night's concert featured Blue Oyster Cult. We all had a great time, Jack especially. Who knew he was so into hard rock and heavy metal? He even had the head banging down!

(A note about the video: I forgot that my camera only takes horizontal video and won't turn it vertical. So I'm sorry about that. Also, the clip cuts out rather abruptly to protect the eyes of the faint-hearted from a nasty-looking fall. Don't worry, it looked worse than it was. He's fine.)

Lamp for Sale

Baby-shaped lamp, good cond. Less than 2 yrs old. $10/bo. Pick up only. No returns.

;)

Syracuse Balloon Festival

Yesterday, me, Mommy, Daddy, and my Uncle Joe Joe went to the Syracuse Balloon Festival. It was way far away from my house. It was lots of fun, though. When we got there, my Aunt Mimi was there! Mommy said we were visiting her at her work. We walked around for a while and there was a beach with lots of sand for me to dig in and throw around. Then, we went to play on a blanket and listen to music. We even got to eat Pizze Fritte, but it was very hot and hot things are scary. After a while, though, it wasn't so hot anymore. So, I had lots and lots of bites. It was so yummy! After that, we went over to see the very best part: The Hot Air Balloons! Hot Air Balloons are just really, really big balloons. I love balloons. They were my favorite part. They were so big and so pretty, and I really loved the way they just took off up into the air. There were so many of them, too! They were so much fun to watch. My Aunt Mimi says that her, Nona, and Papa all got to ride in one way up the air. I don't know if I would have liked that. But watching from the ground was nice.
On the way back to Nona and Papa's house, Mommy and Daddy wanted to stop for dinner. We went to a place called Doug's Fish Fry in Skaneateles, which Mommy says has the best fish fry of anywhere on Earth. The fish was pretty tasty, but my favorite part was the choo choo. There was a choo choo train that went on a track all along the ceiling. It was so cool! It even went through the walls. And every so often, it made a real train whistle noise. I couldn't believe it! It sounded very real, but it didn't really sound like it was coming from the train. I never really figured that out. (It was actually the elderly gentleman sitting behind him making the noise- but only when he wasn't looking!) It was a great day, though. I think everyone should go look at really big balloons sometime.

Me and my Auntie La

This is a recent picture of me and my Auntie La. She put me in that nice, canvas Ithaca Bakery bag and swung me back and forth way up high in the air. I think it made Mommy a little nervous, but I fit inside the bag so perfectly and it was so much fun. I love my Auntie La!

I throw ball

My Auntie La left today to go to a place far, far away called Peru for a whole year. So, Mommy says we have to step up the blogging so she doesn't feel so far away and so that she has something to do while she's supposed to be working. Unfortunately, Mommy left her camera at my Grandma and Grandpa's house. So for today, I'll just tell you that I said my first real sentence on Saturday morning. I usually find that Mommy can figure out what I'm trying to tell her with just one word. Sometimes I need two, like when I have a boo boo or I want to get out of the car. ("Bye bye choo choo.") But on Saturday I was having so much fun playing with my Uncle Joe Joe's baseball that I said "I throw ball." Mommy looked really surprised. She thinks I can't talk, but I can say a lot more than she thinks I can.

I'll have to find other stories to tell you, or old photos I haven't shown you, for the rest of the week. I miss you Auntie La.

Little Jedi

This is the scene I walked in on the other day. Apparently, Daddy has decided that it is high time Jackson begin learning the ways of the Force. It is such a long movie, though, that they were just skipping through to the "good" parts. Remind me again. Which parts are those? :)

Big Boy Chair

So I was sitting in my high chair yesterday, eating my breakfast, when Mommy told me I was such a big boy for eating my yogurt with a spoon without making a huge mess. I thought about this for a minute and realized that if I really was such a big boy, I wouldn't be sitting in this little baby high chair. Don't get me wrong. My high chair is pretty nice. But big boys sit in big boy chairs, and if I am a big boy, I should sit at the table like a big boy. So since then, that is what I've been insisting on doing. I think it is going pretty well. I still have to be strapped in to my other chair, but it helps me reach the table better so that is ok. And now I get to eat on an Elmo mat, so it is even cooler. I like being a big boy!