Fall Break

LOVE this face!  Thanks to Fall Break, I got to spend even more quality time with him.  Two weeks ago, my parents came in again to spend some extra time with the fam.  I hope they're keeping up with their frequent flyer miles, because they'll probably be able to cash them in for a trip to Hawaii for Christmas.  As always, it was wonderful to have them in.  We ate well and my dad did all sorts of handy work around the house, including hanging a shelf in the laundry room and waterproofing the deck.  I'm sure they'd say the best part was spending time with John Thomas.

 These two really got to bond.  Now when we get to Skype, they sit there and make faces at each other and crack up.  Oh the simple pleasures in life!

 Another perk to grandparent visits is the free babysitting.  I snuck out for a Friday girl's night with some of my favorite ladies.  We are some hot momma's for sure! (If I do say so myself :))

 I must have been feeling really crazy, because I actually went to a concert on a weeknight for the first time since I was in college.  Sarah and I went to see Mat Kearney at the Bijou.  I've never been a fan of grown men in skinny jeans, but he changed my mind.  He so talented, so adorable and so entertaining!  I made the mature decision to take Thursday off so that I could rest, take John Thomas to his 18 month appointment and work on some school stuff.   John Thomas weighs 28.3 lbs., stands at 32.5 inches tall, and his head is 80 percent larger than all other kids his age.  Long story short, he is big, healthy, and extremely adorable!

 We've added a chore to his list.  He has full responsibility for telling Chester bye whenever we leave the house.  This involves getting him a treat, saying "be goodboy" and waving bye to him as we walk out of the house.  It's never too early to hand over some responsibility, right?

We are headed to Boo at the Zoo tonight.  He's going to love it, so you'll have to stay tuned for the pics on the next blog!

Momma's Boy

The best part about only blogging every two weeks is that there is usually more to blog about.  Perhaps the biggest news of the past two weeks was the dreaded, but way overdue, haircut.  Thank goodness Gramma was here to help tame the bear, I mean John Thomas, because he isn't crazy about getting his hair chopped off.  Let's be honest, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I was coming towards me with beard trimmers and almost no experience.

Here at the Kirkpatrick household I can give you any haircut you want, as long as you want it high and tight.  It was a little higher and a little tighter than usual because the trimmer gauge slipped and I had to even it out.  Thank goodness he's too young to remember any of this.  None the less, he's still looking pretty cute to me. 

Last weekend we had some friends over for the Buffalo/UT game.  As you can imagine, John Thomas loved being the only boy amongst several very cute lil ladies.  Although, he might have a thing for older women.  He seemed mesmerized by Caroline, the elementary-aged girl in black.

It might have just been the fact that his favorite lil pal, Lola, wasn't there yet.  These two are too sweet together.  Just last week, she started saying "JT."  It's only a matter of time before she learns how to say, "I think we just need to be friends."  I wonder how many more years they'll be like this before they learn about cooties?

Since the weather was amazing this weekend, John Thomas and I headed to the zoo with our neighbor and her son, Dare.  They are only two months apart, so I think these two boys will end up spending lots of time digging, exploring and running around the cul-de-sac together. 



All of the animals were feeling quite social on Saturday, especially the infant monkey, George.  George was hamming it up for his adoring fans all morning long.  He really is a silly monkey.  Hopefully John Thomas was taking notes, since he's going to be a silly monkey for Halloween.

This morning we headed to church as usual.  It is always one of our favorite things about weekends.  That and spending lots of quality time together.  This week John Thomas will be 18 months old!  He says new words everyday.  My favorite words he says are "purple," "Bible," "Go Vols," and of course "Momma."  He is such a sweet, lovable boy. 

Finally Fall!

It is impossible for me to resist the absolute adorability of my diapered babe, especially when he's being quite the ham!  He was calling, "Chestew" into the megaphone...I mean paper towel roll.  Love this boy!

In the last full week of September, Fall has finally moved in to East Tennessee.  Granted, it's supposed to be in the eighties today.  But it was the perfect weekend and the perfect weather for our first fall fire in the fire pit.  Which, of course, means the first s'mores of the season! 

You may need to get out your binoculars for this, but believe it or not, it's a fox!  I still can't figure out how to get my edited (and cropped) pictures to upload onto the blog, so if you need better proof, you'll have to stop by and see it for yourself. 

Gramma is in town again all the way from Wisconsin.  She is trying to soak up the last of the warm weather before she has to return to the tundra also known as Green Bay.  I think she's also trying to get all sorts of quality time with her "special boy."  They really are peas in a pod, and he revels in the extra attention.  John Thomas is really partial to the weather too!  I'm pretty sure we were outside for the better part of the day yesterday and he is napping with his windows open as I type.  Fall really is one of the best parts about living in East Tennessee and in just a few short weeks, the backyard will be every color of the season and I can't wait!

Rememberance

Today is a day that beckons me to pause and consider the tragedy that forever changed our world ten years ago.  It is hallowed by the lives who were lost and the families who still grieve.  I cannot believe it has already been a decade.  I remember it all in vivid, and petrified recollection.  I had a student this week ask me if I thought that Americans would still remember this tragedy 100 years from now.  I considered the question for a second and realized that the answer to that question is what motivates me to teach.  I answered, "it's my job to make sure they don't."  As I write this blog and consider all that was lost, I find myself feeling incredibly blessed and grateful for all that I have. 

 John Thomas and I had so much fun this weekend.  We didn't have any visitors this weekend, but managed to stay plenty busy.  He was still looking for "Mimi" though, so I had to wrangle one more shot from last weekend.  Mary, please don't kill me.  Thanks for introducing us to "Toddler Tunes" because it's been on our TV almost every night this week!

Saturday we had a unexpectedly busy day.  We left the house at 9:15 and didn't get home until 7:30!  It included Nana Gay's, tailgating, Italian ice, a walk downtown and an impromptu water park splashfest with Lola!   

Sunday was the usual; church, lunch, playtime, nap time and the rest is TBD.  This week, John Thomas will be 17 months old!  Talk about time flying!  He is getting cuter by the day and has quite the sense of humor.  I love to watch him learn.  He is an avid book lover, a water lover (as of 3 weeks ago), an animal lover and he loves to snuggle and laugh.  He is such a special little boy. P.S. Happy Birthday Nicole! 

Season Opener

Who doesn't love an extra long weekend? Well we had all sorts of stuff to be excited about this Labor Day. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Mary (a.k.a. Aunt Mimi), came in to visit and take me to my first UT game in two years. John Thomas loves him some Mimi. She's even been very helpful in giving him his antibiotic, since he came down with strep throat this week.

We made a day out of our Saturday outing. Lunch, movie and then (of course) the game. She searched long and hard to find us tickets on the 10th row, 40 yard line, in the shade. They seriously were the best seats I've ever had. We were so close to the field, I could see Derek Dooley's eyelashes.

I think the last time Mary and I took a picture like this, I was wearing a tie-dye, weighed about 25 pounds heavier and was at least nine years ago. I sure love spending time with friends that have seen me at my worst and still love me. She's one of the best.

As I previously mentioned, John Thomas didn't take long to warm up to Mary. In fact, he crawled in her lap the first morning she was here just to enjoy his morning milk. I hate to even say this, because I realize there may be some jealous grandparents reading this, but he was saying "Mimi" within the first few hours of hanging out. We get to spend one more day together before she has to head back to Nashville. I'll have to keep my eye on John Thomas to make sure he doesn't try to stow away with Aunt Mimi.

Getting in the Swing of Things

After looking back on the blog for the past little bit, I've realized that I must love to take pictures of John Thomas in this outfit. It's not like it's his only set of PJ's or the cutest outfit he owns, but apparently I can't get enough of him in it. Although these two have been peas in a pod for a long time, it's quite the challenge to capture them both sitting still and being cute at the same time.

John Thomas has learned to climb into the chairs on the deck all by himself. Again, it was really more of a photo opp about 30 seconds before this picture was taken, but they WERE leaning on each other and being really sweet before he realized that girls have cooties.

Yes, he is all boy, so please don't let the pink watering can fool you. It came in a set of very masculine outdoor toys. Real men water with pink watering cans anyway. Right?

Last Day of Summer Break

It only took us the whole summer to realize that the best toy in the house was the toy box! It doubles as an awesome fort where you can keep watch from any angle. It even makes a pretty great drum as long as you've got sturdy drumsticks.

John Thomas has really started using the basketball goal a little more as well. Chester isn't as fond of this new playtime game because it usually includes getting his squeaky toys caught up in the net.

This has been one of my most memorable summers! We got to go on all sorts of fun family trips, like Charleston and Colorado. We went on lots of walks, played at the playground, went swimming and read a ba-gillion books! Wish us luck this week as we start our new routine tomorrow and we're back in the real world.