Happy Easter!

It's been a quite couple of weeks - Easter was the big event which Baby J wasn't quite old enough to get into. A new dress, eggs everywhere, and chocolate (hmmm...that's a word in her vocabulary already!). Big J spent the weekend with Uncle Jeff's family and Marc came down here (plans had already been made for Jason). We just hung out all weekend and Marc "hid" some eggs for her and taught her how to find them.

We took some flowers and eggs to the cemetery where, after some convincing, J parted with the eggs so we could leave them to decorate for Daddy for spring.

I finally got up the guts to go to a "singles" dance a few weekends ago - got all dressed (make-up and hair even...so NOT like me!) and sat in the parking lot! It was at the church building where Ken & I used to go visit his deaf friends and I just couldn't get myself to go in - and didn't get very excited about the people that I saw going in anyhow. Guess it's just not time yet, at least not this week...so I'll just keep booggying with the kids although I'm not sure I'll ever get all the words to the songs from "Hairspray" like Big J has. With his new DVD we'll learn not only the words (which he's already got memorized and sings in his sleep [just ask Josh!] - and seem to float through my mind constantly) but some of the dances, too - - -Broadway, here we come!

Spring is still springing, we've dug up the dead plants in the flower beds and preplanted the vegetables in little pots. I've got visions of grandeur - haven't ever had a garden here but hope to spend a lot of time outside this spring and summer. Baby J has her new sand/water table, chalk for the sidewalk, and bubbles to keep her busy outside!

Work is great-with a recent reorganization I now have 8 additional techs that report to me, many of which I've worked with before! Things were getting kind of slow (almost boring) and the past couple of weeks I have thoroughly enjoyed being super busy - and it helps the diet, too... no time for snacking!

Off to bed now - my 5:30am wake-up call for Jazzercise comes awfully early!

Happy 2nd Birthday to Jenelle

WOW - two years old... not sure if the nickname "baby J" is going to last, might have to make it "big girl J"...but not rushing it!

We had a fun gathering on Sunday night to celebrate her big day. Of course it was after her nap and it took her awhile to figure out why everyone was here when she woke up. She warmed up and enjoyed having lots of attention, and the presents were fun-she managed to open them throghout the evening, didn't get the concept of open them all at once...when she got to that point she really slowed down. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of her with cake & candles that night but we got her to re-enact her birthday for us on Monday (her real birthday) and managed to get some pictures around the mostly eaten cake.

Her 2 year checkup went well at the dr's office - she is just above average sized and way above the best in cuteness! I told Jason I want to enter her in the city's baby contest this summer and he said that we shouldn't because it wouldn't be fair for the other babies, we shouldn't put her in so that the other kids would have a chance ;-)! It seems like she's decided to really start using words the past couple of weeks and seems to surprise me with a few new words every day.

And to top off the festivities she actually had success in the potty tonight! She's been "practicing" all the sounds and faces (I wonder if it would be appropriate to video tape her doing her potty routine-it is hysterical!) and last night spent 30 minutes up and down from the potty before I gave up and put her to bed. Tonight she sat down and I think it surprised her, she hopped right up and asked to get in the bath - YAY! This could be the start of something good...of course, it could last us for months or even years, but you've got to start somewhere!

Big J finished his basketball season last week, his team was in the semi-finals of the multi-city tournament when they met their match from a neighboring city. It was a great season and he enjoyed playing.

Looking forward to SPRING! Crocuses in the front yard, birds in the neighbors' trees (ours are too small), lawns being mowed and watered are all simple reminders that it's just around the corner!