A weekend at home

Finally, for everyone but Carmen, we got to have a weekend at home.  We were out and about doing things, of course, but Jayden, Jasmine and I aren't traveling or being boarded, so that's great.  Poor Carmen was back on an airplane this morning, but he's going to two big football games, so I don't feel all that bad for him.  :)

On Thursday Carmen took Jayden to get a haircut.  I had an evening event for work and honestly, it probably went better with me not being there.  It makes me sad, but Jayden just reacts so differently to me - so much more clingy and emotional than when he is with just Carmen.  And he needed a haircut desperately - only the third of his lifetime - kind of crazy to think about.

So serious.  Carmen said he was "sad at first."  But then he just sat there.  As long as it got done, we're all happy.  Even Jayden, whether he realizes it or not, because now his hair won't get in his eyes in the swimming pool.

Apparently afterwards he kept saying "I got haircut!" which probably came out something like "I-I-I-I-I gawt haiwcut!"  I swear he looks like he's 5 years old, not 2.  

On Saturday we went to swim lessons with Ms. Stacy and then got some pictures taken in the afternoon (hence the haircut two days earlier).  Of course Jayden wouldn't smile to save his life and would barely sit still, but eventually I think we got some good pictures.  Carmen and I expended a lot of effort to get those smiles, but of course Jayden is the one that got the lollipop.

Checking out a petting zoo (from outside the fence since we weren't willing to pay to get in five minutes before closing).  

And this morning, Carmen left for a quick trip across the country.  Jayden and I ran some errands and had lunch out.  I recently joined Instagram and have posted about eight pictures.  I like this picture better with the filter, so decided to share the "filtered" version here.  For those of you not on Instagram, it's basically a photo sharing website where you can apply different filters to your photos to get different effects.  It's fun, but basically just another social media site.

Lunch date and a new car.  And a smile!
And also, I have so many wrinkles in this picture!  So sad. 

When we were shopping I saw these:

I was about to buy one because I thought they'd be fun to have at the house and I thought they'd drive Jasmine nuts, which would be funny.  And then I looked at the price tag.  Almost $400!!!!!  Insanity.  So I settled for a picture of the cute stuffed reindeer instead.

After we got home, Jayden took a solid nap (he was exhausted - he was close to falling asleep on the way to the store, but I kept singing loudly and talking to him to keep him awake).  When he woke up, we played cars, we played blocks, we tried to see Daddy on the sidelines in Indy (but did not) and then I made dinner.  While I was making dinner, Jayden was "helping" me clean up.

I was talking to him about one day helping me cook by getting a stool and helping me stir things.  So he ran to the bathroom downstairs, grabbed the stool he uses to brush his teeth and brought it to the sink in the kitchen.  I had non-breakable items in the sink so he played with them (aka "washed") in the sink while I cooked.
This is also proof that saggy bottom sweatpants don't look good on anyone, even cute toddlers.

 At one point I turned around and he was on the other side of the counter, mixing Jasmine's food into her water bowl with two of my tablespoons.  And I later discovered that he had left one of his tablespoons in her water bowl, which probably prevented her from drinking for at least half an hour.  Poor little doggy.

After me spending probably 45 minutes or so making spaghetti and meatballs, Jayden's dinner consisted of bread, carrots, peanut butter crackers and a pouch.  Oh well.  I tried, I guess.  And I didn't think the spaghetti and meatballs was all that great anyway, so maybe Jayden was just saving the calories?

Finally, and maybe most exciting (to me), I actually got Jayden to go poo-poo in his potty seat today.  I learned a few things.  First, Jayden is starting to recognize when he thinks he has to go.  Second, when he does recognize that he has to go, you have approximately 2.8 seconds to get him somewhere safe (in this case from the bathtub to the potty seat, luckily).  Third, Jayden is fascinated by the toilet and flushing and whatnot, so I probably really should potty train him.  Fourth, and last, it is a pain in the rear end to clean poo-poo out of the potty seat.  I mean, it's not really that bad.  But it's amazing how useful the water in the toilet bowl is.  Hopefully none of you are reading this just before or just after eating.  But these are the milestones in a toddler's life and it is Jayden's world after all.

And now it's back to work.  And a crazy few weeks.  Carmen gets home late Tuesday, I have an event Wednesday.  We'll be home next weekend, hopefully doing at least one, maybe three, Halloween celebration things.  I then have an event Monday night and then leave the following week for the East Coast.  Either the day I get home or the next day, Carmen leaves for Denver.  And I don't think Carmen is traveling at any time during the next few weeks, but I don't really know.  And he probably doesn't really know either.  But such is life.  In an effort to find more positives on a daily basis, I am grateful for the things I do have, number one being a pretty awesome kid who mostly listens and only sometimes requires time outs.  ;)