For My Daddy!

Walk a little slower daddy,
said a child so small,
I'm following in your footsteps
and I don't want to dall.
Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see:
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.
Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be:
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.
And I will want to lead just right,
And know that I am true,
So walk a little slower, DAddy,
For I must follow you!!!!

This is a poem that Jackson's teacher put together with his footprints for Dave. What a great poem, and reminder of all the little lives we are influencing!

We love Daddy!!!!

We are spending Father's Day with my mom (dad is hiking up Mt. Shasta with my bro), and gearing up for a camping adventure with Dave's parents starting tomorrow. We have had a great weekend, shopping for the last minute things for the camping trip and hanging out. We had a great visit with Wendy and her kids, pictures of them playing in the wading pool outback will come next week when I am home.

This morning, Jackson and Addison were all hugs and kisses for daddy! Below is the interview Jackson did at school for Dave, his answers are in italics.

1. What is your dad's name? Dave
2. What does he do? He works at ACE Hardware
3. How old is he? 4
4. What does mommy call dad? She calls him Dave.
5. What is his favorite color? Blue
6. What is his favorite food? He likes orange chicken. I don't like orange chicken. I like the chicken part, but not the orange part.
7. What is his favorite thing to watch on TV? Baseball
8. How many brothers and sisters does he have? No
9. Where does he like to take you for fun? We go to ACE Hardware.
10. What do you want to tell him for Father's Day? Happy Daddy Day!

Dave and Jackson are playing at the park, and we are looking forward to the adventure of camping with two children.

Falling (and staying) asleep.

So for those of you who know Jackson, sleep has never (until about a year ago) been his forte. When Jackson was a baby, he slept only a few hours at a time. He was not good at self soothing. Ok, partly my fault...but I just couldn't let him cry it out. Not my style. So we patiently put up with the night waking and the continued night waking. He got better and when he hit age 2 we felt we could actually say he was sleeping through the night. Jackson had night terrors for a while, which got us up...the reason I'm going back to Jackson sleeping is that when Addison came along, we were prepared for more of the same...and much to our surprise, she has been a great sleeper (I know, I am probably going to eat my words, but I am so proud of her!)

From day one, she has slept very well. Yes, she woke to eat every few hours. But even then, she would eat and go right back down. We even got a few nights where she was sleeping 5 hours at a time (we were stoked). A few weeks ago, we had some terrible nights, Dave actually had to drive her around in the middle of the night three different nights to get her to go back to sleep. A week ago, we decided it was time to stop nursing during the night. So as we geared up for the fight we anticipated....it went very well. She woke up a few times the first and second nights, but then she started to go back to sleep on her own. Now, she is sleeping from about 7pm until 5:30 when she nurses and snuggles. I'll take it! Dave actually said the first night she slept all the way through that it was the best nights sleep he's had in 3 years. I am still adjusting to all the sleep, and find myself waking up when she used to wake up.

In addition to her sleeping through the night, she is putting herself to sleep. Tonight she nursed, we talked and she gave kisses (which are the best thing on earth!). When she started to rub her eyes, I put her in her crib. She stood for awhil holding her babydoll. Then she laid down on her bunny pillow, decided that wasn't where she wanted to sleep. She flipped around in the crib and laid down. She likes to play with her hair when she is falling asleep. Addison also loves to hold her baby, or her elephant, or her bunny. She sleeps with three blankets also. I guess we have created quite the "comfort" collection we will have to travel with, but a good nights sleep is soooo worth it! (I wanted to take a picture, but I didn't want to wake her up).

All smiles afer a good night's rest!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures...as promised

Addison and her new friend Zoe...we can't wait until the girls can play together!

Jackson, Addison and Zoe.

Jackson holding Zoe....he was so gentle. Jackson talked to her and told her it was going to be ok.


The kids...flying high! This is their new favorite game. Too bad our arms can only take so much!


Addison looking like she is about to knock over Jackson...what really happened is that she gave him a huge hug from behind while he picked up bugs.

Practicing to be an entimologist...he was fascinated with finding earwigs, potatoe bugs, and anything else that moved. I think he even found a few worms. Ahhh...the joys of childhood!