Memorial Day Weekend in the Yoop

Josh and I got to take Jack up to Escanaba for a long weekend. Jack spent nearly every waking moment outside. Both of my parents have huge fenced in yards with tons of flowers, ponds, fountains, and tons of areas to explore.

He got to help water the flowers (and the fish) and feed the fish Cheerios at Grandpa and Grandma Borden's.

While at Nana's Jack got to sleep on a big boy cot rather than in his pack'n'play. He loved it! I think he felt so grown up and in control over when he got to go to bed. Twice he climbed up onto the cot on his own to take his naps! But little boys who can climb into bed can also climb out. On our last night, I was sleeping out on the couch (my allergies cause me to cough all night and I didn't want to keep Josh and Jack up). In the morning I awoke to the pitter patter of little feet running around the house. I got up and looked around. Josh was still asleep. My sister and mom were gone. I went into the family room and there was Jack chasing the cats. He had decided to get up all on his own.

Because Jack liked it so much, as soon as we got home we took his crib apart and converted it to the toddler bed. When he saw it he said "Ooooh!!!" and immediately climbed up on it. His face was just beaming as he sat on his boy boy bed. I even got a little teary-eyed watching how excited he was about it. He's growing up so fast.

Jack's weekend was filled with all sorts of other "firsts" as well.  At Uncle Dave's and Aunt Carol's Jack got to go on his first boat ride (he even got to drive!)

He also went swimming in a lake for the first time. At first Jack loved being in the water. It was super warm and their were little minnows swimming all around him. It was like a giant bathtub. That was until he fell face first in the water. He wanted out, like now. We eventually coaxed him back in with bribes of buckets, shovels, and seashells, but from that point on he refused to move from his spot. His feet were firmly planted and no one was going to cause him to fall over again.












On Sunday we had a cook-out at Aunt Carol's and Uncle Duane's, and it was there that Jack decided what he wants for Christmas this year: a golf cart. Every five minutes he was asking someone to take him for a ride around the yard. Jack also sang karaoke for the first time, although Jack's version of singing is more like beat-boxing into the mic and throwing in a few shrieks just to make sure you're paying attention.

Needless to say, it was very difficult to leave. The U.P. is heaven in the summer and I wish we could spend every day up there. I think Jack misses it too. He got used to being outside so much and being able to wander around and explore wherever he wanted. Today he wanted to be outside every second. More than once he went to the door and just stood their crying because he couldn't be outside. And when he was outside, he no longer listened when I told him he had to stay to the confined little space of our little lawn. At least we'll be going up there again for five days over the 4th so we'll be able to see all of these smiling faces in less than a month!