The Non-Pajama Parade

Thursday was pajama day at Nicholas' school.  They wanted all the kiddos to wear their PJ's for the day and planned a little parade at the end of the day for the benefit of all the doting parents and their cameras.  For days we had been asking Nicholas if he wanted to wear his pajamas to school but every time we asked we got a response just shy of "Hell no!".  Who knows why he wasn't interested, but we like to think it's because his sensational level of common sense told him that wearing PJ's in public just isn't right.  (Ahem, maybe he can pass that on to some folks in Wal-Mart.  Just sayin'.)  But I left work early and headed over to his school to support my non-pajama wearing boy anyway.  I tried to hide behind my phone as I took this video because I knew once he saw me he wouldn't be interested in hanging with his class.  I almost made it.  I just love how he stops dead in his tracks when he finally catches sight of me.

One Proud Mama

Potty training.  Two words that have terrified me since the minute Nicholas was born.  It's been looming over my head for such a long time now but I'm relieved to say that I think we're almost there.  It's been just under a month that we've really been hitting it hard, and it was slow going in the beginning, but during this past week it really seemed to sink in with him.  They say you're supposed to really celebrate every time he's successful, and celebrating it has been.  I just can't help myself when that beaming, prideful smile of his springs up on his face when he realizes he did it!  We've been using a bag full of little green army men and some of Daddy's old Star Wars toys as rewards and they've been working beautifully.  I know every kid does this eventually, and he's obviously not the first, but I am just so incredibly proud of him for this major accomplishment.  Way to go Nicholas!!!

Now I certainly couldn't include any pottying pictures (unless I wanted to seal my

fate as a truly hated mother a decade or two down the road) so I thought I'd share this

super  cute video I took of him the other night instead.  He started doing this snoring

impression a few days ago and it makes me laugh every single time I hear it!!  We had just

 pulled into the garage when I took it so please forgive the darkness.

 

Hey, Monkey!

Yesterday was project day.  A few months back, I found these really cool wall decals online that I just had to have for Nicholas' room.  They've been sitting in a drawer collecting dust since well before Thanksgiving so I decided it was finally time to get after it.  Yes, it was painstaking.  Yes, it was time consuming.  And yes, it was totally worth it!  I'm so excited about how they turned out and Nicholas is totally loving his new monkey roommates!

There's a New Cowboy in Town

Something really special came in the mail today for Nicholas.  For weeks, he's been wearing a pair of hand-me-down cowboy boots around the house that were just a bit too big for him.  Well, I think the solution was pretty obvious - order him a brand new pair that he can wear all the time.  It was big excitement this evening when he opened that box and saw what was inside, let me tell ya!  He didn't want to take them off for a single second and even tried to argue his way into wearing them in the bathtub and sleeping with them in his bed.  I finally convinced him to say goodnight to them by giving them a big hug and kiss, then I quietly snuck them away.  I think he's in love.

I think you can tell from his panic stricken face in the background

 that I wasn't helping him get his other shoes off fast enough. 

Oh, I wasn't kidding.  As soon as we were out of the

tub and in our pajamas the boots were back on.

Quite a smart look if you ask me.

It Ain't Over Yet!

Who says you have to say good-bye to Christmas when the new year arrives?  Not the Jaggis.  We celebrated our final phase of the holidays this weekend when Ryan, Cindy, and Jillian came to visit.  As usual, it was great fun and the kids were definitely pleased that there were more presents to unwrap.   I have to admit it was nice to bring Christmas back, even if it was only for a short visit.  I'll take what I can get!

I have to explain this doctor's kit that Nicholas is playing with because I think it's a story that most parents can appreciate.  A few days after the real Christmas was over, I was putting some things away and discovered some presents I had bought for Nicholas and hidden (apparently really well) and forgotten.  But it worked out because I just wrapped them up and gave them to him this weekend.  Good thing I found them (doctor's kit and Mr. Potato Head) because he LOVED them.  I received about 100 shots in the arm yesterday, each one followed by "make you feel better".  You bet it did, baby!

Free Parking

I was doing some computer work in the office yesterday while Nicholas was quietly watching a movie in the living room.  When I came back in the room this is what I found - apparently Thomas had decided to park his buffer right on top of my couch.  Oh, wait a minute.....aha! Here's the real culprit!  I seriously needed a good laugh at that moment and that's just what I got!  The boy has impeccable timing.

Wrestling In The New Year

Happy 2011 everyone!!!  Our year has gotten off to a great start so far.  Busy, but still great.  All of our Christmas decorations have been packed up and stored away in the attic.  I was very sad to see everything go and the house looks so bare now, but I must look disappointment in the face and accept it.  Over the weekend, our cousins were in town from Rolla, MO for a wrestling tournament at the fairgrounds.  On Saturday evening, Adam and his friend Devon were both wrestling in the finals so we took Nicholas to watch the matches.  It was really cool to see all those kids competing, and let me tell ya, they've got a lot of heart!  Their fire and determination was visible on their strained faces as they dueled it out on the mat.  Nicholas had so much fun cheering on his cousin from the stands.  In fact, the very first thing he said to me the next morning was "Fun last night!"  Oh, and he also singlehandedly ate almost an entire bag of popcorn.  I think that added to the pleasure factor quite a bit.  Who needs a nutritious meal anyway?  The event was also a great opportunity for me to get some practice taking pictures of sporting events.  Those kids were simply amazing!