2013...what???

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long!  Ok, here's the Reader's Digest version of what's gone on:

Jackson's birthday: he's 3.  It was awesome!  Everyone came, no one caused drama, and the weather turned out gorgeous for early December!  Kids played outside, some adults sat outside, windows and doors were open.  Overall, a very nice day!

Blair's visit:  he came, he saw, he conquered the long weekend.  And it was fun, punctuated with a birthday trip (for me) to Ju Rin, a nice Japanese restaurant where I feasted on sushi and had the pleasure of watching my 3 year old do the same.  A boy after my own heart!  Blair had a good time, too.

Christmas:  very nice!  We spent a nice evening with my dad and stepmom, a fun evening with my cousins-in-law, a great time at my brother's on the eve, and the day was spent with my in-laws at my SIL's house.  Absolutely no complaints.  No one was ill.  There was little to no drama.

New Year's:  also very nice!  Spent the eve with my boys.  Paul and I had our annual surf-n-turf dinner of filet mignon and lobster tail.  We put Jackson to bed, then had ourselves a rousing good Yahtzee smackdown in which I slaughtered my poor hubs.  I was out like a light long before midnight.  The day was spent again at my SIL's where the mimosas flowed nicely into my glass, and all was well with the world.

This week, we also went to see The Book of Mormon.  OHMYWORD, it was awesome!  A lot more vulgar than I could have imagined it to be, but I'm not normally opposed to vulgarity, and I definitely giggled like a school girl.  Jackson spent the day with my sister who gave him a much-needed haircut and had him bathed and ready to go when we picked him up that evening.

Today was a landmark day in our house.  Jackson is no longer sleeping in his crib.  YES, he has a big boy bed!  It was delivered this morning, and while the tot was being entertained by a neighbor kid from up the street, I cleaned, organized, and put his "new" room together.  It was beautiful, however things didn't go as well as I'd hoped in there.  His nap was the first opportunity for him to sleep in it.  Alas, he chose not to nap at his regularly scheduled time and instead, explore the things on the outer limits of said bed: the lamp, the blinds, the bookshelf....  I don't mind those days where he spends a quiet hour or two in his bed, talking, jumping, playing, etc., and today would have been like any other had I not caught him ripping one of his books to shreds.  I had been checking on him via the video monitor, and he was good until I turned it on to see him destroying pages from a book and tossing the shards behind his bed.  SAY WHAT??!!  I went rushing in there, much to his surprise, and scolded him like I rarely do, which upset him terribly.  Frankly, I was surprised to find him doing that to his book, however I do realize he's only 3, and this is part of his little learning process, so I wasn't too angry with him (he didn't know that though!).  Eventually he fell asleep.

At bedtime tonight, there was a little of that same naughty behavior--I even caught him turning on the light next to his bed (which has since been moved).  I surprised him again by marching in there and giving him a firm scolding, which made his little lower lip quiver.  I kissed him, moved his light out of reach, and left the room again.  He was asleep shortly after that.

I know this is all very new to him, and he doesn't always deal with change well.  We all have a lot to learn!  This month will bring a lot of new changes, mostly a lot of new classes for Jackson (an all-sports class on Monday mornings, a preschool-type class on Tuesday mornings, regular speech therapy on Wednesday mornings....).  My hope is to keep us both very busy this winter!  The ultimate goal: POTTY TRAINING.  We're working slowly on it right now, but I'm thinking in the next month or so, we'll spend a week or so going hard core.  Eventually.  :)

Come on, winter.  Bring it.  The sooner you're over, the faster summer's here!!!!