JJ and Jayla Update

Time for a JJ and Jayla update!

JJ is now officially 3 ½! His new thing is that when we are driving somewhere he likes to know how many miles are left. When I tell him how many miles he usually says something like ‘that’s not too bad.’ He also has become very interested in numbers. He’s started to realize that there are numbers everywhere, like on the pages of his books, on the player’s uniforms, and on the clock in the kitchen. Sometimes he will watch the clock and announce the new time each minute. :)

JJ is also really into a coloring phase now. He likes to take his coloring books to the basketball games, and often times in the mornings his first choice of what to play is to do some coloring. Recently Jake told JJ to try and color inside of the lines and to take more time coloring his pictures. Usually JJ scribbles really fast with one color of crayon, and colors about 10 pictures in 5 minutes. But, this new idea of using different colored crayons and staying in the lines has really caught JJ’s interest! He loves to show off his pictures when he is done by hanging them on his bedroom door.

JJ still likes to pretend play that we are going to a hotel. Except now, he’s added in the scenario of going to ‘his game’. He got a coach’s board for Christmas, so when we are pretending that we are at his game he gets all dressed up in his uniform and then tells me that I am his coach. I have to draw up plays for him, and then he executes them on his little tikes hoop. After his game then we have to ‘clap it up’ and bring it into the center and yell ‘TEAM!’

I’ve caught a few cute things that JJ has said lately. The other day we had just parked the car and were getting ready to get out. Jayla had been crying for about 5 minutes before we had parked because she didn’t want to be in her carseat anymore. After we parked I went to get JJ out of his car seat first. As Jayla cried, JJ turned to her and said, “Don’t worry. We won’t forget you. We won’t leave you in the car.” Jayla responded with even louder cries and then JJ said, “Oh, you’re all right, Bobby, BE TOUGH!” Hmmmmm, I wonder if he’s heard that line from Daddy before? On a different morning a few weeks ago, JJ and I were talking through what we had planned for the day. And, he said, “So, after my nap we will go to the gym. That will be good to get out of the house and get some energy out.” Yes, he’s definitely heard his mommy say that many times this winter! It just sounded so cute coming from him!

Now onto Jayla who will be 21 months old in a little over a week. Let’s see, like I posted last week, Jayla has really gotten into our cats lately. She often will forgo playing with JJ and I in the living room to go and search out where the cats are. Our orange cat likes to hang out in our master bathroom on the ledge next to the whirlpool tub. Jayla has figured out how to climb into the tub, and then she stands in there and plays with the kitty. She also likes to drag books and other toys into the tub and sit in it and play (with no water in it). Before she figured out how to climb in there she would tell me that she wanted to go for ‘a ride’ and then she would point to the tub. So cute! She really likes to sit in things. She is kind of obsessed with chairs, or any sort of corner/place where she can be enclosed. She is often found hiding behind our curtains, and behind the clothes hanging in our closet.

She also loves, loves, loves it when JJ chases her. Sometimes she will take something that he is playing with, just so that he will chase her down the hallway. She screams and giggles the entire time as she runs away! I’ve noticed that since our trip to Ghana, JJ and Jayla have gotten much closer. If I am getting dinner ready, or putting away laundry, etc. they actually play together now, which they didn’t do before. They love to play with these little ‘puppy purses’ that Jayla got for Christmas (she got two of them so it worked out well!) They will wander around the house and pretend that they are going to the store. Jayla will come up to me and say, “Bye Bye!” And then she will wave and say, “See you soon” (which actually just sounds like a mish-mash of words and then a really long high pitched sooooooon). It’s funny because she copies the exact phrases and pitch that I use when I talk.

Jayla loves trying on everyones shoes that are parked in our locker area, and she also loves hats of any form. She cannot resist the offer of a popsicle, sucker, or popcorn. And, she still loves playing with her babies (now she's added changing their diaper and having them go 'ni-night'). One of her favorite things is also to jump on the bed, on the couch, or even just on the plain old floor!

Here are LOTS of pictures:

Getting groceries.



Busy, busy.

Someday JJ is not going to like this picture, but it's true....sometimes Jayla and I make him play with the babies with us! :)

Still loves Elmo!

Just beautiful...especially with the yogurt stain all over her shirt. :)

Jayla likes to eat sitting up on her knees now.

Playing JJ's new favorite....Candyland!

Here's the coach!

Look out, he likes to blow that whistle!

The coach doubles as a player too.

UN-tamed 'do after naptime.

Tamed 'do. Much better!

Daddy's helpers.

My loves.

I LOVE this picture! :)

Trying to figure out how to get to those Doritos!

Daddy and JJ at a highschool game (on Tuesday and Friday nights we make the rounds to watch Yaw play, as well as some of Daddy's other players).

And this is what happens when Daddy tries to take a picture of Mommy and Jayla!

Not to worry, Grandma Lori got a good picture of us.

And Mommy got a good picture of Jayla and Grandma!

All of us after one of Yaw's games.