Sandbox Boy

Jackson loves the outdoors SO much! It is quite messy though, he loves to go from water table to sandbox, stopping along the way to take a bite of mommy's apple, and give the dog a big kiss (ew).

Today, he ran in the house ahead of me, taking all the wet sand in the world with him. He's a messy boy, but i wouldn't trade it for the world.

I Truly Believe...

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." 
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Happiness

DIY: Diaper Sprayer NOT

Until now, we've never thought we needed a diaper sprayer. As Jackson is almost 16 months old, his diapers have definitely gotten messier, and i really wanted to get them cleaner before they went in the wash. Also, he's using less diapers a day now, so we're going longer between washes, like generally 3 days. I just don't like the idea of the diapers sitting that long with poop on them. Ick. (We use a locking diaper pail, and have never had a problem with smell of the diapers outside the pail)
Here's our diaper sprayer:

The total cost was $40 for the Mother Ease diaper sprayer. To buy the parts to diy one would have been at least $50. I was actually surprised that diy was not the cheaper option here. Apparently prices on the parts to build it must have gone up since this diy tutorial was written. If you want to diy your own diaper sprayer, here's a link to the instructions.If you want to buy one, the Motherease sprayer is available here.  We've been using the diaper sprayer for about a week, and it has made a difference. It is MUCH easier to get the diapers cleaner with this, than trying to use tp to get the poop off! However, before starting a child on solids,  i don't see much need for one. Obviously Jackson has been eating solid foods for almost a year, and i really wish we had purchased one of these earlier.

The Worlds Best Bubbles

Jackson lovs bubbles. Well, he loves watching bubbles as i play with them. The problem is, a lot of the bubbles we buy are just junk, they're small, and don't last long enough for Jackson to chase them down. Here's a recipe for awesome bubbles. Way better than the cheap-o ones you buy at walmart.

The World’s Best Bubbles

1 1/2 quarts of water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup liquid dish soap

Mix water and corn syrup until completely blended. Slowly stir in soap. Will last several weeks in an airtight container.


Entirely unrelated pictures:

Jackson being shark boy after his bath. Thanks to Auntie Nicky for the adorable towel.

Man oh man, i fall more in love with this sweet man every day!

My Latest

Here are a couple of projects I've been working on.

I already had the letters, so this one was easy. I sanded down an old piece of wood siding. (Sanded A LOT because i was worried about Jackson getting a sliver) Then i stuck the letters on, and had hubby hang it. This cost about $10 for the letters, which I've had for a while. i plan to stencil it at some point, as I'm not a fan of the fake look of the vinyl letters.

And this frame, I've had forever, but was sick of the bronze look of it. This took about 1.5 cans of spray paint to cover. i kid you not. I love the look of things painted white, but man it's a lot of work!
My next project involves these colors:

And my bathroom/ bedroom walls. When i get around to it. Who knows when that will be. Have i mentioned that painting with a toddler is hard?

Mothers Day Weekend

Banana Berry Pancakes

Wagon Rides

Spinin' in the swing!

We spied a robins egg nest!

Playing with his big cousins.

Baseball champ. Jackson can overhand throw a baseball, i would say 10-15 feet. It's amazing.

His first time wearing sandals!

Sharing a flower : )

Enjoying his sandbox for the first time. He didn't really "get it" before. He still doesn't like wet sand on his hands, but he likes to dig in the dry sand.

Thankfully, there was no sand in the eyes!

Jackson Says "Daddy"

Isn't he the cutest gd thing you've ever seen and/or heard in your life? Fyi, even though he can clearly say "daddy" clear as a bell, he still, has not uttered the word "Mama", or "Mommy" or even "Mom". 
However, he saves almost all of his kisses for Momma, and i can deal with that.

My Favourite Quotes for Mothers Day

I'd rather be a mother than anyone on earth
Bringing up a child or two of unpretentious birth...
I'd rather tuck a little child all safe and sound in bed
than twine a chain of diamonds about my [carefree] head.
I'd rather wash a smudgy face with round, bright, baby eyes
Than paint the pageantry of fame or walk among the wise.
- Meredith Gray
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." -Agatha Christie
What took me by surprise is the way I feel when her face lights up when I walk into a room because I am her world and she is mine. Being a mother is like taking your heart out of your chest and watching it walk around.
-Author Unknown

Blogging Vacay

As may be obvious from the lack of posts the last few days, i'm taking a mini blogging vacay. Time to regroup.
Be back next week!