We've moved...

In case you haven't yet heard the word, we've moved on over to Wordpress! I was tired of using blogger, and liked the formatting of Wordpress better, plus the option for bigger pictures. So head on over! www.jacksoncole.wordpress.com

Oooops!

Well, I wanted to be better. I really, really did! But once again, I neglected the blog. It gets tough trying to balance a full time job, cooking, cleaning, errands, packing lunches, and most importantly spending every possible minute we can with Jack having fun! At least when he's not throwing a tantrum, that is...

So, here we are. Fall 2009. A new chapter into the wonderful world of terrible (er, terrific, I mean... yeah) two's!

Does anyone still read this old blog? If you do, leave a comment, and I promise to start updating this regularly. You have my word!

100 Books Every Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten

I found this list online last week, and I thought it might be helpful for other parents out there. I'm always wondering what new books to get for Jackson. We have quite a few that are listed on here, but I like having a list - something to go to, when I want to get him a new book. They're listed alphabetically by author's name, which I italicized to make it easier for you. Happy reading!


( ) Each Peach Pear Plum Ahlberg
( ) Wheres My Teddy? Alborough
( ) Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing Barrett
( ) Ten, Nine, Eight Bang
( ) The Three Bears Barton
( ) Madeline Bemelmens
( ) Little Gorilla Bornstein
( ) Goodnight Moon Brown
( ) Turtles Race with Beaver: A Traditional Seneca Story Bruchac
( ) Mr. Gumpys Outing Burningham
( ) The Little House Burton
( ) The Very Hungry Caterpillar Carle
( ) Freight Train Crews
( ) Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type Cronin
( ) Happy Birthday, Jamela! Daly
( ) Strega Nona De Paola
( ) Jamberry Degen
( ) The Empty Pot Demi
( ) Rap a Tap Tap: Heres Bojangles-Think of That Dillon
( ) Abuela Dorros
( ) Go, Dog, Go Eastman
( ) A Handful of Sunshine: Growing a Sunflower Eclare
( ) Growing Vegetable Soup Ehlert
( ) Go Away Big Green Monster Emberley
( ) Mean Soup Everitt
( ) Olivia Falconer
( ) Bark George Feiffer
( ) Ask Mr. Bear Flack
( ) The Everything Book Fleming
( ) Corduroy Freeman
( ) Millions of Cats Gag
( ) The Three Little Pigs Galdone
( ) Is Your Mama a Llama Guarino
( ) Lillys Purple Plastic Purse Henkes
( ) Wheres Spot Hill
( ) Bedtime for Frances Hoban
( ) Is it Red? Is it Yellow? Is it Blue? An Adventure in Color Hoban
( ) Youll Soon Grow Into Them, Titch Hutchins
( ) Biggest, Strongest, Fastest Jenkins
( ) Mama, Do You Love Me? Joosse
( ) The Wolfs Chicken Stew Kasza
( ) The Snowy Day Keats
( ) The Caterpillar and the Polliwog Kent
( ) I Took My Frog to the Library Kimmel
( ) Leo the Late Bloomer Kraus
( ) The Carrot Seed Krauss
( ) Swimmy Lionni
( ) Frog and Toad All Year Lobel
( ) Froggy Gets Dressed London
( ) Sylvia Longs Mother Goose Mother
( ) Mabela the Clever MacDonald
( ) George and Martha Marshall
( ) Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? Martin
( ) Guess How Much I Love You? McBratney
( ) Make Way for Ducklings McCloskey
( ) Raven: a Trickster Tale from the American Northwest McDermott
( ) Flora McDonnells ABC McDonnell
( ) Widget McFarland
( ) Too Much Noise McGovern
( ) Growing Colors McMillan
( ) I Stink McMullan
( ) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Numeroff
( ) Diez Deditos: Ten Little Fingers Orozco
( ) BeeBimBopPark
( ) Dos and Donts Parr
( ) Kermit the Hermit Peet
( ) The Little Red Hen LITTLE
( ) The Little Engine that Could Piper
( ) Not a Box Portis
( ) Goodnight Gorilla Rathmann
( ) Curious George Rey
( ) Mouse Mess Riley
( ) The Toolbox Rockwell
( ) Were Going on a Bear Hunt Rosen
( ) Dog Heaven Rylant
( ) Richard Scarrys Best First Book Ever Scarry
( ) Where the Wild Things Are Sendak
( ) The Cat in the Hat Seuss
( ) Spicy Hot Colors; Colores Picantes Shahan
( ) No David Shannon
( ) Lizards Song Shannon
( ) It Looked Like Spilt Milk Shaw
( ) Im the Biggest Thing in the Ocean Sherry
( ) Caps for Sale Slobodkina
( ) Night Shift Daddy Spinelli
( ) Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Steig
( ) A Hat for Miverva Louise Stoeke
( ) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Viorst
( ) Owl Babies Waddell
( ) Mouse Paint Walsh
( ) Mr. Cookie Baker Wellington
( ) Yoko Wells
( ) The Three Little Pigs Wiesner
( ) I Went Walking Williams
( ) Knuffle Bunny Willems
( ) Bear Snores On Wilson
( ) The Napping House Wood
( ) Big Black Bear Yee
( ) How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Yolen
( ) Harry the Dirty Dog Zion

We've been a bit busy

Things have been hectic over the past few months. With the holidays, a kitchen renovation, me being sick, and working full time, it's been hard to find the time to blog. I'm sure you can relate.

Not to mention our laptop died, as well. Oy.

But we've been chugging along! Our boy has gotten big. And I refer to him as "our boy" instead of baby, because that's truly what he's turned into. At his 18 month appointment he weighed in at 29lbs 13oz, and was 33.5" tall. He has 14 teeth. He LOVES sports, trains, trucks, and books. And don't let him see a bubble wand, or watch out. He's saying 100+ words (I can't even count anymore). We've been most impressed with him saying "bulldozer" and "lactose" (ha). Did I mention he also repeats most anything you say in front of him?? He's starting with 2 and 3 word sentences. He loves to give kisses and hugs. And he's the sweetest boy I know.

Don't get me wrong, we also have our fair share of tantrums. BOY DO WE! I fear grey hairs are coming soon :).

We're busy, but we'll try to be better with blogging. Pinky swear. Have you missed us? :)

We...

...are thinking about going to make a comeback :). Soon!

Time goes so fast

My oh my does time fly by! We've had a busy couple of months en la casa de Cole. Jackson started walking mid-September, and hasn't slowed down since. And we've now moved onto running, which sometimes his legs don't move as fast as his little body wants them to!

We still struggle with finding foods that Jackson will eat. He still won't touch any meat or chicken of any kind, he'll eat vegetables *sometimes*, and he eats his fruit *most* of the time depending on his mood. We just keep trying things, and see what he'll do. Yogurt and cheese are always favorites though!

Of course we think some of his eating issues are teeth related. He seems to be working on his fourth molar, which will be tooth #10.

A brief summary of our past couple of months:

We went to Myrtle Beach with Grandma, PawPaw, and Aunt Sarah.

We visited Blacksburg for Reese's first birthday. Reese, Jackson, and Brett had LOTS of fun spending time and playing together!

We went to the pumpkin patch at Homestead.Visited Mt. Vernon in Alexandria.

We also went to Baltimore for their Zoo Boo with some lovely friends for the second year in a row(pictures coming soon).

We've had a great fall so far! We LOVE this time of year!

First haircut

Jack got his first haircut a couple of weeks ago. His hair was starting to get a little wispy, and curling in funky ways, so we decided to take him for a haircut! We went to Cartoon Cuts, based on a couple recs from friends. He did so well! You can see in the pictures that his cheeks are a little red - he had a little bit of a fever. But he still didn't cry during the entire cut, which I was shocked by, since I was half expecting it as we waited and listened to all the others scream :). They had a little tv in front of him showing cartoons, and that kept him pretty occupied. He also got to sit on Nick's lap while he got his cut. He looks so much like a little boy now!

At home after his haircut