While Daddy Was Gone...

Last Monday Josh left for Seattle for a conference for work.  While we missed him while he was gone, Jackson and I had a really fun week just making up our own schedule and hanging out with friends :)  I didn't take a TON of pictures, but here is our fun week:

Monday we met Susie and Rachel at Pirate's Cove Water Park!  Jackson was super pumped about the outing, but once we got there he was pretty timid (as I expected) around the slides, waterfalls, and other water elements.  Luckily, there was a tot pool that was very shallow and had a much more low-key slide.  Rachel and Jackson LOVED throwing themselves down the slide again and again.  After we did that we explored the sand play area and then we tried the large pool again.  Jackson did let me take him up and down the smallest slide, but there were jets of water shooting up at us and down on us, which was frustrating for me.  I think Jackson would have LOVED going on the slide by himself if he wasn't attacked by water from every angle...   Monday afternoon we went to play at the park with Brandi and KK--it was beautiful weather and it was fun to get in an early evening playdate :)   Jackson had two firsts while we were at the playground: he "watered the flowers" like a big boy when he had to go potty, and he developed a love for swinging!!!  He was so content to just be pushed on the swing--that has NEVER happened!

Tuesday we had some special visitors: Rebecca and her daughter, Eloise!  Rebecca and I went to Sunday School together in middle school and have stayed friends since.  She and her family just happen to live in DC!  Jackson had a lot of fun playing with Eloise and showing her all of his toys.  They especially liked giving each other rides on the fire truck :)  

Rebecca was super excited to hear that our new neighborhood includes a Five Guys, so we headed over there for lunch before they drove back home.  Tuesday seemed to be the day to see some "long lost" friends because we drove to Fantasy Playground in Lake Ridge to meet Stephanie and Lily after naptime!  We had been to this playground last summer, but this was a MUCH better visit!  Jackson's skill set is just so much different and I can sit down and watch him instead of trying to follow him everywhere.  He had a good time playing with Lily...even though it DID storm at the end of our visit :(  

After Jackson went to bed, I started on the large project of reorganizing all of the boxes in which I packed away Jackson's old clothes.  We have lent some clothes to several friends when they had baby boys, so I wanted to get it all put back together, and back into the closet!  Our extra room had exploded with all sorts of odds and ends.  Getting that room straightened up was one of my big goals while Josh was gone!  After working on that for a while, my neighbor, Rachel, came over for some girl time.  We pretended to watch a movie, but we really just chatted...until 2am!  LOL  I LOVE getting to do that every once in a while!  After she left, I stayed up for another hour finishing packing up the baby clothes!  Yes, I do think I'm a bit crazy...

On Wednesday, Jackson and I took Kaitlyn with us to story time at the library.  They were SO good and had such a good time!  For the first time since we have started going to story time, Jackson voluntarily sang along and participated with hand motions!  I was THRILLED!!!  Brandi brought Liam over to take a nap with the big kids so she and Scott could get some moving preparations done.  After naptime we all went back to the Buerstattes' for dinner.  Scot was then nice enough to lay all of the kids down while Brandi and I went out for a little ice cream date :)  It was SO nice to chat without being interrupted by short people!

Thursday morning I took my swap time with Brandi and ran some errands.  It's always nice to get that break! After naptime we went BACK to Fantasy Playground to meet Susie and Rachel!  The weather was amazing, and they had fun running around.  Unfortunately, while we were on our way to the playground, my phone just died :(  We raced home after our playdate, and I got Jackson fed and ready for bed.  Then I took him over to Rachel's house to lay him down.  That way I could go get a new cell phone that night and not take Jackson with me.  It is AWESOME to have neighbors who are good friends and are happy to help :)  The short version of the story is that I DID get a new cell phone (woo hoo!), but the woman hooked it up to JOSH'S phone number!!!  I had to go to a Verizon store then on Friday morning WITH Jackson, and get it all sorted out.  GRRR...

After fixing my phone on Friday morning, I took Jackson over to Brandi's to nap while I went to see "The Help!"  I have never seen a movie by myself before, and it was sooo good!  I met Brandi at the playground with the kids--yet ANOTHER beautiful day!  After that Jackson and I just had a low-key evening before he laid down for a bit before I woke him up to go pick up Josh at the airport!!!

I am enjoying the fruit of my labor each time I walk by the extra room and the guest room.  Throughout the week I managed to get the basement all cleaned up, all sorts of baby gear we are keeping for when we have #2 stored away in the extra room, unpacked the last boxes of books on to the bookshelves in our bedroom, and organized the closet in the guest room.  Here are some before and after shots: