Things that make you go HMMMMM.

Bix 2009

Jace and Daddy survived the Bix. Daddy did really well considering he had a bum back for the 2 weeks prior and hadn't gotten more than 1-2 runs in. Jace.....well he decided to sit down and cry in the middle of his run. No gold medal this year folks. It brings back so many memories of the hop-a-thon. He runs all day long but when asked to do it and whip some other kids behinds participate in some friendly competition, he falls apart! As the saying (known all too well to a lifelong Cubs fan) goes, 'There's always next year'.

Although the running portion of the festivities didn't tickle Jace's fancy, spending time with Nana and Papa did. Check it out.

Stretching before the race. At least he meant business for a minute.



Finally in his element...eating a post-race hotdog.



Walking with Papa after the torture was over.



Riding the Harley at Nana and Papa's.



The ice cream man even visited Nana's!



Sporting his gold medal 2 days later.....he does take after his Mommy.

Run Forest Jace, Run!

Ok, maybe that was a bit cheesy but today is Jace's big race! He runs in the 2-year-old division of the Bix tonight! Daddy runs the big boy race Saturday morning while Mommy and Jace cheer from the sidelines.

Since you didn't make too much fun of Mommy for her title, here are a couple other cute pics from Jace's lunchtime picnic with Gaige yesterday.

Don't Jump!



Real men wear pink....er, kiss their buddies.

Baby Sara

Mommy was sitting around on her bum the other day when Dr. Phil came on tv with a magical potty training solution. He guaranteed in 1 day that your child would be going on the potty. Hmmm. Mommy was intrigued. She diligently wrote down his instructions and got started.

The first step was buying a baby doll. Mommy does tend to frequent Walmart so this step was easy. Check. (Although Daddy was a bit confused when Mommy returned with an actual doll. Apparently he was under the impression it would be a 'manly' doll like Thomas. Mommy politely explained she wasn't sure where trains went potty but was pretty sure they didn't need training.)

The next step was introducing the doll to Jace and choosing a name. (Sara seemed to be his fav.).



Third, Mommy told Jace that he was going to teach Baby Sara how to go on the potty. Enthusiastic would be an understatement...Jace thought this was the coolest thing EVER! So, Jace took off her diaper and gave her some of his big boy undies to wear. (They were Thomas underwear so maybe that makes having a doll a little more manly).



Next, Jace showed Sara where to go when she felt the...urge. He sat her on the potty and waited. And waited. Finally Mommy poured some water down her throat, which in turn allowed a small trickle to flow into the potty. Jace was overjoyed!!

The last step was to have a party for Baby Sara. (Complete with blowhorns!)Jace thought this was the best thing ever and probably would have stood there and blown his horn until he passed out. However, Mommy was anxious to get to the point.



The real final step (according to brilliant Phil) is then to have your child sit on the potty so they can earn their reward (which is a trip to Chuck E. Cheese for Jace). Here's pretty much how that dialogue went:

Mommy: Ok, Jace's turn! Are you ready to do it now so we can have another party?
Jace: No.

Just a few.

Just a few random pictures to keep you up-to-date on the happenings of Jace.

Jace and Mommy bought their first corn of the summer from a street vendor last week. Jace was thoroughly confused as this did not look like corn. After helping to remove the husk he was much more open to the idea of eating this yummy treat.



Jace and Daddy are 2 peas in a pod!



Getting a HORSEY ride from Grandma!



Jace helped Erin pick up her wedding dress on Saturday morning. The pictures of the actual dress are sealed confidentially but Jace made his own picture-worthy fun.

Cows and ice cream.

Cows were the theme of the day as Mommy, Jace, and some friends toured a local dairy this morning. He was in heaven as he was able to see them up close and personal. Mommy was in heaven as the tour ended in ice cream.

Not too bad of a group shot for 5 little ones under the age of 3! It is a little unnerving to see a random cow wandering in the background.



Checking out the wallaby



Petting the baby cow...notice Jace's fearlessness when it comes to animals. This applies to big or small...the pluses of having a big dog!



Watching the cows eat



Mommy's favorite part: ice cream!

WARNING: Picture Overload!!

The title does not lie. This post is composed of many, many....many pictures due to the number of visitors Jace has seen lately.
First, Grandma Steve and his friend Monica came to town from Arizona and spent a couple of days with Jace. Their visit consisted mostly of eating, playing, and throwing rocks.

Daddy, Grandpa, Jacer



The crew with Monica



Throwing rocks by the river....an new found passion of Jace's.



Feeding the goats at the petting zoo.



Then, Jace's Aunt Alisa, and cousins Maveric and Keenan came all the way from Denver! He spent a wonderful day at Grandma Rosie's and then the weekend at Nana and Papa's running around and playing.

A highlight of Jace's trip to Grandma Rosie's....a ride on the tractor with Uncle Keith.



Jace and Mavi loving on the cat named Friendly (who very much lived up to his name).



Grandma Rosie teaching the boys to hula!



Jace loves his Keenan!



Uncle Keith and Papa put on a killer fireworks display at the end of the day.....Jace decided to take a load off with Grandma and enjoy the view.



Ring Around the Rosie



Jace and Maveric cooking at the Children's Museum.



Driving the bus



Otherwise known as the 3 stooges!




Of course no visit can be complete without getting together the offspring of UNI's Dancer Hall. Mommy and Aunt Alisa's great buddy from college, Karla, decided to swing into town...and bring her husband Mike and little rugrat Mikey. This equaled more running and playing for Jacer and his friends.

Horrible picture quality but the only one with all 4 boys eating pizza at Mikey's hotel.



Jace and Mavi being biker dudes.



Doing a little jig....they are definitely from the same gene pool.



And last but not least....giving Mikey some Jace lovin'!

And in the morning............

Mommy, Daddy, Jace, and Oz awoke to one of the worst storms they have ever encountered the other night. Amid visitors galore (and thankfully a week off for Daddy), there was a huge mess to clean up! Check it out.

Mommy and Daddy searched for quite a while to find the umbrella from the table on the deck. It was finally located across the street in the next block down about 3 houses....and is probably dunzo.



The neighbors had part of a tree fall on their truck.



And their big trampoline was picked up in the back yard and lifted over their privacy fence into the front yard!



The street Jace lives on.

slushes and tater tots

Ahh Summa Summa Summatime! A time of makeup free, clothing optional (bathing suits worn of course), laziness where there is nothing better to do than make funny faces with your kin. And frequent Sonic at 2pm for a Cherry Slush and Tater Tots.







For those wondering, pictures of Jace's visit with Drandpa Teve (that's Grandpa Steve) are forthcoming. Please be patient dear friends. If you hadn't noticed (from the above information), Jace and Mommy are extremely busy.

Oh how time flies......

...when you're never at home! Mommy has several legitimate reasons for taking so long to post an update. First, she spent the beginning of last week in KC with Grandma and Erin...that's right, no Jacer. He stayed at home (happily so) with Daddy and Ozzy. Mommy returned home late Tuesday night only to turn around and (with Jace in tow this time) head down to Grandma and Grandpa's for some more quality time. Mommy and Jace didn't return until yesterday afternoon with just enough time to make some deviled eggs for the BBQ they attended and then hit the fireworks. Whew! There is no rest for the weary however, as Grandpa Steve comes to town tomorrow, followed by a weekend at Nana's to visit with Aunt Alisa, Mavi, and Keenan!
As you may guess, with so much activity going on, Mommy has been her usual camera happy self...and she has pictures to prove it! Read on.

Last weekend (like before Mommy ever even went to KC) Jace's town had it's annual festival complete with a swimming pool full of bubbles. Mommy is still unsure as to why Jace is the only kid reluctant to get in the real pool but is the 1st kid to try and jump in the bubble pool.



What kind of festival would it be without a parade...with SUCKERS!!



When you are as busy as Jace, you always must find time for some good eats. With a silly boy to make you laugh.



Checking out the water and rocks by the river.



Having a picnic with Grandma.



Giving or getting (???) a big smooch from Chuck.



There is nothing like totally annoying ANOTHER (after Oz and Reggie) dog. Poor Chuck.



Jace being a rebel and going down the curly slide. There was some 6-7 year old girl there cheering him on. In the end, he was going down on his back. It's good to know that all it takes is a little peer pressure to talk Jace into something.



Jace lovin' teeter tottering with Tracy.



Jace was ready to go to the BBQ a little early last night and proceeded to come to Mommy wearing his winter hat and a vest and proclaimed, "I'm leaving"!



Fireworks!!


Yes, Elmo loved them....in case you were wondering.