Jack,
HELLLLOOOO SWEET VALIDATION!!! :)
HELLLLOOOO SWEET VALIDATION!!! :)
After over a year of trying for it, I finally got the promotion that I've been working towards today and I'm feeling very proud!
It was supposed to be protected information not to be shared with others until tomorrow when the company puts out an announcement, but my silly grin gave me away to a lot of the people that I work with already.
All they had to do was look at my face and they said "Oooooh! YOU GOT IT!"
So, surprise-surprise! :)
Anyhow, I came home and you celebrated with me by exploring our backyard - which has changed drastically since we started giving it a makeover. 
How many trees did we take out? 
Want to guess?
We removed the old fish pond in the back and now there is a hole there which you love to climb in. 
I usually don't let you which means that you must try to climb in every time we are outside. It's a challenge now and you always want to see if you can get there before I can stop you. 
Yesterday, I thought I'd act like it was no big deal and see if the excitement wore off, but you stubbornly refused to become disinterested. 
I'm not doing this just to be mean... See that poison ivy along the gate? That's why! So now, you understand.
Here you are calling "Leiaaaaaa... Arrrrrrre Uuuuuuu?" because you don't see Leia anywhere and we are dogsitting.
She was displaying her intelligence by keeping out of your sight in the yard because that is usually good for chasing time. She's NOT a big fan of being chased by a happily squealing toddler. I think she'd rather be dead. 
After running around the backyard, we headed inside to watch the Little Einsteins. 
No we didn't watch the same episode twice and then a different one! Where are you getting this from?
(Did I mention I got a promotion?!?)
Here I have it staged so it appears that you are reading stories and NOT watching too much TV. AGAIN.
The celebration rolled on with cheeseballs and a call from Daddy. See you lying on the phone? That's DADDY!
Uh, hello? Jack? Are you there?
Buddy? I miss you, Jack. Hello? Jack?
I know it appears that you couldn't care less about the phone in your hands but that's only because you weren't there when I took it away thinking you were done and were treated to the most defeaning shriek that the world has ever heard.
I'm still cleaning up the broken glass
(okay - not really - but you WOULD NOT let me take the phone away because that was your connection to DADDY!)
When sleep time finally came last night, it hit hard.
I just got you this new book that I used to read to Juliana when I was a nanny. It's "Stop That Pickle!" and it's clever and silly and we both love reading it. Our plan is to read it so many times that we literally drive it into the ground. Because that's how much we love it. Really.
Part of the attraction might be that I have maintained from our very first reading that the little boy in the story is named Jack. Here you are saying "Hi, Jack" behind your binky...
Then I set the timer to take a picture of us reading the book together - I don't know why. Perhaps to prove to your older self and the world that I really DO read to you even though we watch way to much TV? Who knows. The joke is on me, though, because you refused to play along and stared at the camera until the picture was taken.
I DID catch us playing a game in your crib before bed, though. The game is "Git You!" and is very popular although it is a horrible game for going to sleep and a bad habit to start playing when you get in bed, but all rules were off yesterday because we were celebrating. Did you know I got A PROMOTION?!? I DIDN'T MENTION THAT? Because I DID GET A PROMOTION!
Then I tried to undo all the "bad" I had done by rocking you, but you simply wanted to pull me out of the chair by my arm so you could "TWY IT! I TWY IT, Mommy!"
Another favorite of mine that you have started to say is "NOT YOURS"
As though the MINE explanation wasn't strong enough, so you have expounded on this to further make it clear that not only is this MINE, but it is NOT YOURS!
We eventually got settled and sleep came. 
In the evening you woke up and joined me as has been happening pretty much each night this week.
You are a trooper, but you DO notice when Daddy is gone and need a little extra Mommy to make up for it.
Hey - GLAD TO HELP! :)
Love,
Mommy
I picked you up from school and your teachers had nothing but great things to say about you and your day.
Plus - I dressed up today! I can't explain it, but there's something about dressing up when you know that you look pretty that makes the whole day - I don't know - nicer somehow. I guess it's the confidence and feeling good about myself thing. I should try it more often! 
I tried to take a picture of the dress, but the pictures just came out looking so awkward and stiff. It felt so wierd smiling for myself so I didn't and these instead came out looking wierd because I'm not smiling and completely off angel because I wasn't looking through the lense when I took them - but isn't my dress pretty?!?
Anyway, we ended up going to the Magic House and making sandcastles in their outdoor exhibit outside until that area closed. We actually started making castles out of the construction hats and were having so much fun, we inspired a rash of construction hat sandcastles to pop up all around us. 
After that, we went inside to play with all the inside activities until the whole Magic House closed and they invited us to leave. :)
We came home and ate dinner and watched a little TV, and then played outside with a slide that we got from your cousins and I pushed you on your "School Car" and we shared snacks.
Here you are offering me a pwetzel. Thanks, buddy! :)
You definitely get THAT from me. 
You get so happy when you are snacking. 
Hello! That's totally me!
Especially with cheese! 
You LOVE cheese and I am the same way. 
After our cheese snack, we went upstairs and I read you the story "Stop that Pickle!" that I bought for you on Amazon and we got delivered earlier this week. 
It's a book I loved to read to Juliana when I was a nanny and I'm loving to read it to you, now, too!
Only one more Daddy-less day and then he'll be home for the weekend. 
We have fun, but we miss him.
Love,