Stepping into Bed

So we have embarked into a new phase today...
We took off the side of Jackson's crib, creating his toddler bed complete with a safety railing. I had attempted to complete the transition of the crib on my own when Scott was away this past weekend, but this was just not to be for me to do on my own.



Alas, the odds were stacked against me. I wanted to do it before Scott got home on Monday all by myself (+ 1 little helper), but when I started trying to find all the right bolts and pieces for the transition railing it just didn't work out. First, the bolts were missing; fine, I can buy new bolts (once I found the correct measurements and style). Second, the holes to secure the railing were not aligned; that's okay, I can make an adjustment to the tightness of the bolt and it will stay in place. And lastly, the railing wobbled if you tipped it; okay, I get the point, get a new railing! So, Jackson slept with the 'Mommy-tried-her-best' rail guard for one night and proceeded to fall out of the a fore mentioned tippy railing the next morning, talk about super guilt inducing moments. No bumps or bruises so we are all good to go.



So being the great daddy he is, Scott went to Walmart today to get a proper safety railing. Then after dinner, the 'boys' pulled out the tools and did a little assembling. Jackson just loves to get right in there. All you have to do is mention tools and he's there with helping hands.



He's also graduated to a pillow as he loves to pull Scott's pillow around our bed and flop all over it. It's actually kind of weird how he goes a little crazy when playing with Scott's pillow, not mine, just his! So that being said, he had a little pillow from Grammie that we have been holding onto until he was ready. We'll find out if the pillow works for him or not in the morning. And I think we are pretty safe on the bed exiting as he has a little stool to help him into and out of bed. And as yet, he had not managed to open door handles in the house so escaping in the night/early morning is not a factor, but I'm sure it will be very, very soon for our crafty little man. Wish us luck on the sleeping front!



Next step...
Changing his room decor from baby to little guy.
aka...Bye bye fishes! Hello Fast & Furious (Cars & Things that Go!)

Long Weekend Wrap Up

Great relaxing weekend spent with family. Here are a few moments from our time with these loved ones....

- Playing countless hours with the cousins; Sophie, Fynn & Jackson had excellent cousin-time banked this weekend. So happy they have each other.

- Delicious meals prepared by Scott & Scott. Man, can those boys cook. And they don't do a bad job in the clean-up department either. We are definitely blessed to have those men in our lives.

- Pony riding lessons for Sophie. We are all so proud of Sophie and her great accomplishments this weekend. I think she definitely grew up right before my eyes while facing this new challenge head-on. Can't wait to hear and see more from this amazing little girl in her first year of school.

- Visiting the IPE in Armstrong. Jackson loves to get down with the farm critters. I think his favourite were the Pygmy goats, so cute!

- The Village Cheese Co. in Armstrong. I think I will have to make this a stop whenever we are passing through. Love, love, love the smoked cheese and who can say no thanks to cheese curds!

Lazy long weekend moments complete with drizzly afternoon showers perfect for those cuddly comfy naps with someone special.

Anniversary Getaway!

Scott & I were given a wonderful gift from my parents for our seventh anniversary (wow! 7 years already!)... a trip for Jackson to visit his Grammie & PaPere for a week. Yes, a whole week!

When Grammie first called with the suggestion, I had to tell her that I would have to call her back with an answer after talking with Scott. The discussion wasn't so much if Jackson would be alright for a whole week but would Mommy be able to handle it! And after a very supportive husband's reassurance that everything would be just fine, I called back my mom to okay the trip.

So this just left us planning what we wanted to do for our anniversary. We decided that we would head to out for a little geocaching/road trip with whatever stops in between we felt like. We booked a room in Nelson for the first night followed by a night in Vernon for our last overnight. Then we just packed a small bag, our new 'anniversary' camera (gift to ourselves), and the GPS and hit the road. It was very strange at first to not here the constant babble from the back seat but comforting to know that he was in safe hands and having fun. And with all the smoke in the valley we were happy to know that Jackson was enjoying the clear Fraser Valley air at his Gammie & PaPere's.



Our getaway started a bit after lunch as we were in no hurry to get anywhere for any particular time. We were just going to enjoy the moments as they happened. With this in mind, we probably hit our first geocache at about 2pm en route to Nelson. Along the way we stopped in Greenwood to cool off in the little candy store for some frozen lemonade and sweets. We thought about popping into the famous 'Copper Eagle Cappuccino and Bakery for a famed cinnamon bun but thought otherwise as it was just too hot for pastries and coffee.

We checked into a cute little boutique hotel on the main strip and decided supper was definitely next on our list. After a great recommendation and reservations secured by the front desk, (Thanks Sara!) we were on our way to the All Seasons Cafe. Yummy fresh produce, we could literally see the vegetable/herb garden from the patio seating, and great service in a quaint homey setting.



After dinner, we strolled around downtown Nelson to take in the warm summer evening and peek into all the cute little shops and cafes. Good thing they were closed or else we would be a whole lot lighter in the pocketbook. Such cute little stores and some pretty trendy boutiques. Will have to remember that for our next visit...



Next morning; we headed for Vernon by way of Nakusp and the Needles Ferry. It was a long hot ride, did I mention our air conditioning was not operating at full capacity? And we had quite a line up to wait for that before mentioned ferry. Good thing we brought along some good books.



Once in Vernon, we checked into our hotel and just had enough time to grab a bite to eat before heading to the Starlight drive-in movie theatre in Enderby. Ever since we have been married, a full seven years already, we have been talking about experiencing this drive in theatre but have never actually gotten around to making firm plans. Well, this was the night and it did not disappoint us. It was a double feature that didn't start until 9pm so we knew we were in for a long night. But we loved every minute of it. Especially how you can control the volume control of your own sound system, it is fed through a predetermined radio station, and you can shut off the volume of your neighbours if need be, windows and closed doors work great for this. So glad we finally got to check this off our to-do list.

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Lots of lazy relaxing moments were shared by Scott & I for our seventh anniversary getaway. Thanks for the great gift, Grammie & PaPere. Maybe we'll do it again next year!

Big Surprise for Mommy!

Please forgive me if you don't like potty talk but I did give you fair warning....

Jackson & I were getting him ready to jump into the tub for his nightly bath. We were following the usually routine of fill the tub, add the bubbles & toys, undress, sit on the potty. We have not been successful with the potty as we are just trying to get him used to the whole concept of what it's for and so on. But while getting his towel and soap ready I hear a " Mommy, Pee-pee!"


Sorry so blurry but it was mostly Mommy's fault as she was so excited and Jackson was just more confused than anything!

And to my great amazement, I find that Jackson has in fact gone pee-pee in the potty. And like any crazy momma the first thing I grab is the camera to capture this momentous occasion. Jackson had no clue why his snap happy Mommy was trying to take a picture of his pee, all he cared about was flushing the toilet.
And of course, the excitement was so big that I had to phone my mom to tell her all about it. I know... crazy huh! But how often do you get a 'first-time' moment. Don't let them slip away. Jackson is already over 19 months old, where did all that time go! Rejoice in the little things! And have fun during the journey!

Saving for a Rainy Day...

Our little guy is a stacker, packer and general overall organizer. He has learned that everything has it's place although it doesn't always get back there 100% of the time, he is doing pretty good for 19 months. He likes to help clean up toys into a bin and put garbage and recycling into their proper trash cans. And he is a great little sweeper. So great that he recently earned his own little hand broom and dustpan. I love to watch him drag that little brush and pan around the kitchen...so cute! I just hope this helpful nature continues well into his tweens, teens and twenties!!!



Jackson is learning early that you must start saving from the beginning to get ahead! When he finds stray coins, usually from Daddy's pocket, he clomps (he's a clomper, not a runner or a scamperer) off to find his treasure chest bank. He loves hearing the clink of the coins in his special little glass bank. And I love that he keeps looking for more when the pile has run out!

Sunshine Festival Parade

It was a hot one today!!! Well into the high 30's! Whew!

And what a day to have a parade in Smalliver.

My work had a float as did the fire department so Momma & Daddy were negotiating where Jackson would ride this year. Momma won this year but only because Daddy didn't have Jackson's fire truck wagon totally 'pimped' out for this year's entry. We just got his new pneumatic wheels on a couple of days ago. It now looks like a mini-monster truck. Jackson can't wait for his first ride on the new wheels.

So Jackson got to be a little farmer for my flower/farming float. He was so good on the float. But that's probably because it was soooo hot that he was too tired to do anything else. And when people are giving you treats and water and cooling you down with water why move around and get hotter.

Great way to spend a scorching hot summer day!

Right Now...

Sunday July 12, 2009 1:28pm

(blog inspired by SIL's posting)

I am hearing...

the soft soothing sounds of our heat pump as it cools down our home. It's already over 35 C (and climbing) in this beautiful South Okanagan Valley.

I am watching...

my husband making dinner preparations for the Schaffrick clan tonight. Yummy Chicken Satay & Green Beans Sambal. I am so blessed to have a wonderfully talented husband who loves to cook. Thank you Scott!

I am reading...

The Trophy Wifes' Club by Kristin Billerbeck.

Got hooked on these great little series she writes. So glad that they are available through the library.

I am enjoying...

a little 'me' time blogging before Jackson wakes up from his nap. He was pooped after church and went down even before lunch. So he will be hungry very soon. Good thing Daddy already prepped it so the little muncher can get right into it! Didn't I tell you he's the best hubby ;)

I am looking forward to...

our afternoon 'bike-go' ride with Jackson's new MEC bike trailer. He absolutely loves it. And who wouldn't when it's Daddy or Momma doing all the work!

I am sending out prayers...

to all of our loved ones whom we don't see very often. Although we don't visit often please know you are in our thoughts.

I am feeling...

so blessed that I have a wonderfully healthy & happy family.