Funny Jake comments

So a few days ago Jake fell off our coffee table and jacked his ear up. We took him into Matt's clinic at ASU and he put little bandages on them that I forget their name. Anyway, last night I was trying to peel them off in the bath and explained to him that it wouldn't hurt, but they need to be changed after the bath. He's shaking his head no and squirming away from me and finally, he put his hand up (like "stop") and said "NO MOM! You're NOT a doctor!" Of course Matt was in ear's length so he had to come to the rescue with a big cheesy grin and say, "what do you need Jake, daddy's here!"

Today Jake was helping me push the hershey kisses in the middle of peanut butter blossom cookies. We were unwrapping the candies and he picked up the package and said, "this says 'delicious'" then he flipped it over, "and this says 'good for you, grow food'". (We talk about how he has to eat grow food to get big and strong, and before he eats sweets)

Our Little Star

Tonight Jake "performed" his first role in our church Christmas Program. They did a modern day story of Jesus' birth. Jake was one of the stars that sang "Twinkle Twinkle Great Big Star, God has placed us where we are, Shining Big and Shining Bright, To show us Christ was born tonight..." And they did a rhyme, Jake's favorite part, "God made my face, my toes and my hands, I have a place in God's great plans" It was so cute that I had to record it, but it's fuzzy because it was really dark and my camera didn't like that. The video didn't pick it up but when Jake turns towards us and holds out the star, in the middle of the song he goes "Look mom, a star!" Also, Noah Skeens had a speaking part as a Shepherd (cowboy), he was so cute! The kids did great and delivered the message almost accurately!

My 30th Birthday!

Last week I celebrated 30 years and it was a great day! My mom took me and the boys to Le Grande for breakfast and a little later we went to the park. You can see Sam partaking in sand (apparently he really enjoys this delicacy!) and attempting to swim with the ducks! That night my sisters picked me up for dinner at my favorite restaurant Oregano's and there waiting (surprise!) was my friends from bible study and mom.) We had a great time and Lyndee made reindeer ears that said "Katie is 30" Unfortunately Matt was out of town at a conference but he made it up to me when he got home! He treated me to dinner at the Rokerij and a night at The Pointe Tapatillo. It was great to have a night away and we picked up the boys after our morning hike for swimming in the heated pools and jacuzzi--they LOVED it! I am so thankful for where God has me in my life. If I would've known half my life ago that at 30 I would be married to MATT SHORES with two beautiful boys, own a great home and have family and friends that TRULY love and support us, I would think it was too good to be true! It's so easy to live in discontentment with day to day struggles, but to reflect on the blessings that God has bestowed upon me, I realize I have SO MUCH! I love you all! Thanks for making my day so special!

 

 

 

 

Backfloat Ribbon

 
 
These pictures were taken two months ago when Jake got his backfloat ribbon at Hubbard's! This is his coach Doug whom he LOVES swimming with! Being a swim teacher I am obviously passionate about children being safe in the water, so to see my own son floating all by himself for several seconds is paramount! And I love that he's so comfortable he goes ahead and crosses his legs too!

 

Free Child Labor

 

Jake was so excited about decorating the tree for the first year, it was great! Matt and I just sat back and watched as he took out all the ornaments and hung them one by one, often saying under his breath, "I didn't think I could do but I DID it!" Notice the "grouping" of similar ornaments in the same spots and that they're all in the center third of the tree on the front only! I didn't have the heart to guide him, I just thought it was so cute that he was so into it!

Thanksgiving Day

 

This is Jake's "flagstaff cousin" Gavin who is three weeks older than Jake. They played miniature golf and soccer together (kind of) on Thanksgiving Day at the Downings. It's fun to watch the boys growing up and communicating when they think no one is watching!

Cool Whip Hair

 

I was making the cool whip/cream cheese layer for the pumpkin pie I made on Thanksgiving and somehow Jake made it out of the kitchen with my spatula. I look across the room into the quiet living room to find Sam licking off the spatula Jake is holding to his tongue. Next he rubbed the spatula in swirls on the top of his hair as if to "stir" the white creamy mess. It's hard to say "Jake, stop doing that, and bring me the spatula" with a straight face. So I took a picture of the unphased and sugared up Sam instead.

Three weeks later and the candy hilarity continues!

Tonight at bedtime I said, "let's pray" and Jake said, "I already talked to Jesus, the candy is gone....Yord, the candy is gone, can you find it?" As I was silently cracking up, he saw me laughing and joined in the laughter. For like 5 minutes straight we just cracked up together. If you haven't laughed with your kid lately I highly recommend it. It lightened my mood, that's for sure!

The Meaningful Prayertime of a Two Year Old

Last night I went into bed with Jake to say prayers-as usual, but this time I asked him if he wanted to pray. He said yeah, but then it was silent. I said "do you want me to start?" He did so I said "Dear Jesus..." Jake said "I don't know what to say to Jesus". I said "just tell Him what's on your heart." He said " I need candy".

Snapfish:Photo:Shared

Snapfish:Photo:Shared
I absolutely love this picture of Jake and Mia. They are at the Great Pumpkin Festival at Desert Botanical Gardens this October.

Out of the Mouth the Heart Speaks

So I know I'm not alone in the battle of the candy obsession after Halloween. Every day Jake asks if he can hold his candy (bag). This leads to sorting his candy by category (he is so his father) and even showing me a lolly pop bouquet he arranged in his hand. Eventually a melt down occurs because he doesn't get to eat the candy (either he already had some and is petitioning for more or it's 7 am). Last night Matt and I laughed when Jake's true heart was revealed. Matt took him into bed and was saying prayers. Matt ended with "bless mommy and daddy and Jake and baby Sam" at which point Jake adds "and the candy".

Halloween 2008

The boys enjoy a pumpkin cupcake and fruit at the Hubbard Halloween Party

Jacquie takes care of all these boys: Frank the zebra, Jake-Mickey Mouse, baby Tommy-the monkey, Tommy-Spiderman, Sam the Turtle and Drew is Elmo.

Our little Turtle

I wanted to get Sam crawling in his Turtle costume on video because it just totally makes the outfit (and him) so much cuter than a picture!

ASU Football Game

This is my friend, Kristen Barnett. I coached her at Phoenix Christian in cheer. She was a captain and very sweet, so we stayed in touch and get together from time to time. This was the first chance I've had to go to one of "Matt's games" and unfortunately we lost miserably (again). But it's always fun to be at the game and catch up with a friend.
By the way, I would've taken pictures of Matt on the field if I could've found him! I guess he moved around a lot so I saw the other doctors he works with but never saw him.

A Tale of the Sleepless Shores Family

After our long day in Sedona, we were all exhausted. Jake only slept for a total of an hour in the car so I was hopeful for a great nights sleep. Why would I set my expectations so high? He was up at 12:30 for "water" even though he was watching cartoons. That didn't appease him so 20 minutes later he came into our room. In Matt's half-asleep state, he said "com'ere buddy" and gets him up into bed with us (NEVER a good idea). He tells him he needs to go to sleep or else he'll go back to his bed. After a few minutes of quiet Jake says, "Mommy? The oranges (on our tree) aren't ready yet. They're greeeen!" [Another minute of quiet] "Daddy? Guess what's in my pocket? GRAPES! HAHAHAHA, JUST KIDDING!" Matt-"Go to sleep Jake" Jake-"Ok, maybe we can talk about it after the nap." 5 1/2 hours later we woke up and I was shocked that he actually slept in longer in between us than he has in months! {Don't worry, I will never become a co-sleeper fan! All bets were off the next night!}

The Shores Family Annual Sedona Day-Trip

 


Every year (this being the 4th) Matt and I go up to Sedona when the leaves are changing and hike and eat at our favorite little area in town. It's been fun to incorporate the kids the past few years. Jake did so great walking almost the whole time by himself. He felt like such a big boy jumping across (through) the creek, and thanks to some thick Timberlands, his feet didn't get soaked (just the shoe!) Sam did amazing on only 30 minutes nap and of course loved the outdoors. The travel was a little hairy with an accident that had the 17 closed (Matt did a great job of navigating us there as there were NO cops to direct or detour signs). On the way back the traffic was backed up into the mountains. It took us 3 HOURS to get home, with crying babies who were tired and hungry...good times! But as Matt and I talked about while we were in it, it seems so miserable at the time, but when you look back on the memories, you remember the fun time you had while you were there, not the frustrating drive.

Mac Daddy

So the boys and I are out and about tonight at 5:30 and Matt wouldn't be home for dinner tonight so I decided to go through McDonalds (one of the two fast foods Jake will eat, the other being Taco Bell). So I order chicken nuggets and had the plan of stripping the outer layer of batter-fry on a few for Sam and then heat up some peas and corn. We get home, all very hungry, I open the box, and it was not chicken nuggets, it was a BigMac! Great, I thought, Jake doesn't even eat burgers, and I sure as heck don't. But I'm NOT driving all the way back to fix it so...Sam will eat it! So as I'm scrambling to heat up some frozen nuggets for Jake and make the peas and corn for the boys, Sam is getting more impatient by the second so I'm like cutting pieces off at a time-top to bottom and in wedges. While cutting the final section before he stopped eating, I realized, Sam just ate 3/4 of a BIGMAC! Yes 3/4 to be exact. Double patty, double bun, lettuce, special sauce, even the pickle. I quickly gave him some corn and peas hoping to redeem my poor feeding job, which of course he ate too, but that doesn't change the fact that my 9 month old just consumed approximately 20 grams of fat--which is half the fat we should have in a day so probably what, the amount of fat he should have in a week? AWESOME! Just chalk this one up as another "mother of the year" award! And pray for his bowels tonight. I don't even want to think about the havoc that one will reak (sp?) on his body!

What's the saying, "A Well Fed Baby is a Happy Baby"?

 

Well if it's not a saying, I will make it one! Sam ate more breakfast than Jake this morning, and I was thinking if I could always quantify their portions by the same foods, I would probably find this to be true most meals! Where does the kid put it!?!?! This morning Sam had 3 small blueberry muffins, a scrambled egg and a pluot (plum/apricot)! Jake had 1 1/2 small muffins and a starburst :) (the starburst if he ate the 2nd FULL muffin...isn't that pathetic!?)

October 4: First cool day at the park!

 
 
 
 
Today Nena met me and the boys at Granada Park and it was beautiful! We were there from 10:30-1 and it was COOL! We played on the playground, fed overstuffed ducks (Jake was really upset that they wouldn't eat his duck food, so he fed them cheese) and then had a picnic in the grass. It is so great to finally be back outside! I LOVE the Fall!

Midnight Madness

So we thought we solved Jake's coming-out-at-night problem by not leaving his sippy cup of milk within reach in the fridge, not tuning the TV to Disney so he can watch cartoons, and finally putting a gate up at his door, with long and detailed speeches of NOT coming out until the sun comes up. Well last night he surprised us again with a new twist. He conquered the gate and had both TV's on ESPN. Matt found him snacking on popcorn and yogurt covered pretzels watching some sports center! Matt said, "what are you doing!?" Jake goes, "I don't KNOW!!" We have no idea how long he was enjoying his sports center party (population 1) but he was caught twice and we think it was probably an hour in total! Oh boy, what will he think of next!

Such a boy

So today we were pulling out of church after bible study and Jake says "Look Mom! I got a booger!" He proudly held up his finger to show me (I'm looking in the rear view mirror). I said, "Ok, do you want me to take it?" Jake-"No." Me-"well what are you going to do with it"? Jake-"put it right here on the door". Just to add to the other grease and grime in my child-friendly car!

So much for the "Quick Shower"

Yesterday I assessed the situation and decided it was a safe time (and my only chance) to take a quick shower before small group. Jake and Sam were both quietly playing in the play room so all was good. I took probably a 3 minute shower, and when I turned off the water I heard "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH" from Sam. So I rushed out in my towel expecting to see Jake laying on him of something, but he was minding his own business, up on a chair in the kitchen doing something at the counter. In passing I asked if he knew why Sam was crying and he said "he's just crying". So I went to pick up Sam and come back to the kitchen, only to find what Jake was actually doing. He said, "look mommy, I cut pear!" with a huge smile on his face. Oh yes, he had a STEAK KNIFE in his hand and had successfully cut wedges of pear (pretty accurately I must say). I lost my breath for a second as I gently removed the knife from his hand, at which point my baby starts coughing and then gagging. I bring him over the sink and start pounding on his back, and out comes a chunk of Matt's ESPN magazine, some saliva, and then a piece of bermuda grass (from an hour earlier when we were outside)! Oh, why do I bother with personal hygiene...

Sam is on the move...already!

So a few weeks ago, I thought to myself, "I don't think Sam will be on the pace Jake was on with crawling and walking, he seems to just want to hang out more" which would be totally normal at 7 months. Jake crawled in the 8th month and walked at 9 months and a week or something crazy. Two weeks later, the day he turns 8 months, Sam woke up and decided he was sick of sitting still, and now he is RIDICULOUS! The kid is 100% focused on how he can get from here to there and up there. He started scooting a little last week and now this week is starting to crawl more and two days ago started pulling himself up to a STAND! I don't think Jake even did that this early, he's so young and small, it just looks funny! But yeah, he pulled himself from tummy to knees to a full stand on Jake's train table and was SOO happy he figured it out that he just can't get enough of that action! Let the good (and scary) times begin. Seriously, pray for me and my safety attention to the new toddle-r in the home!

Jakester stories

For all two of my viewers out there :) I had to share some cute recent stories and quotes from Jake.
- When Jake tells stories lately that include him, he refers to himself as "Jakesters"...never Jake. Like, "Mommy! Want to go swimming with Daddy and Baby Sam and Jakesters?"
- Yesterday he went to Nena's and then on to the library for story time. He arrived with typical bed head and being the good care-taker that I am not, mom took him in the bathroom to wet and brush his hair. In the process Jake told Nena that his hair had hiccups!
- Lately he's become quite intouch with his feelings. The two funny things he's said, trying them out, is (pouting) "Mommy, my toys aren't listening to me," and (pouting) "I'm upset with my blankies" (maybe he meant to say ob-CESSED with my blankies!)
- If Jake is trying to tell me something and I say "huh?" or "what?" he'll respond loudly, "MOMMY, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! I SAID..." Yeah, funny, but not cool. This no doubt comes from my attempt to teach him how to politely respond to me when he either doesn't hear me or doesn't understand what I have said to him, instead of saying "HUH!?" 10 times. Looks like he's pulling a little reverse psychology on me!
- And of course my favorite comment that I've been hearing a lot lately, "Sam, you my best friend!" Matt and I get it a lot too, usually accompanied by a thigh hug, which always warms the heart!

The Miracle of the Bottle and a Feisty Baby

SO I am so excited about what God has done in my life (and Sam's) I just have to share. Sam has not yet successfully taken a FULL bottle in his 7 months of life! He would always just drink 1-2 oz. and then scream bloody murder NON-STOP until I finally came home to relieve usually my mother-in-law! Not only was it getting old, but I needed a solution within two weeks! I started back to work and each shift I've gone in has been totally stressful because the day care provider has had to hold him off and let him cry until I get to my break and can come nurse him. Each day I went in I was so stressed out about when he would need to nurse and if the timing would work out. Also we are going to Kyle's wedding over Labor Day weekend and Matt really wanted to leave the kids, but we can't if Sam won't TAKE A BOTTLE! It finally occurred to me after I felt I had exhausted all options that the one option I had not even visited on this issue was... GOD! I had not even been praying about it! I realized I was talking horizontally about it a lot, but never vertically. So I decided the next day (yesterday)I was going to hit it hard with Sam offering only bottles and pumping all day (which I loathe). I prayed about it that week and a lot the night before the big day. I woke up Thursday with confidence that the Lord WILL provide and DOES answer our prayers, but nervous because of the risk in pumping all my milk and if it doesn't go well (as it never has) having nothing in me to fall back on! I just kept praying...

...I went to yoga and our focus was PRAYER and SURRENDER! Living Streams is honored to have 24/7 prayer at our church this week in the chapel where we meet for yoga. On the alter was a big wooden cross with pinned prayers all over it. All during class we just kept our focus on the concerns of our heart and OFFERING them to God, surrendering them over to him, throwing them off our shoulders. Alisa also talked about her kids being so precious to her, but that they are not really hers, they're HIS! I thought of course of Sam. Why have I held onto this Lord? DO I trust you? REALLY? You CAN do this! You are capable! So I threw it off my shoulders and onto the cross where I pinned my prayer.

...I got out of class and called my mom where Sam was supposed to be napping but when I left him he was screaming. She called me back after Sam woke up to report that dadadadadad (drum roll) HE TOOK THE ENTIRE BOTTLE!!! ALL 6 OZ!!! I got tears in my eyes! This was GOD! Nothing was different except the prayers of me, my mom and several other loved ones! Througout the day I continued to pump and feed him bottles and he took it like a champ! No tears. It was truly a miracle. I had never yet seen God answer such a specific prayer for my children in such a quick time. THANK YOU JESUS! I am still on cloud 9 praising Him! California, here we come!

Where is Jesus?

The other day we were on the way to work and Jake said "OWIE OWIE OWIE MOMMY MY OWIE HURTS! Will you pray for my owie mom, PLEEEEEASE?" (Does it get any better than your child asking you to pray for him?) So I said "YES! Dear Jesus, PLEASE heal Jake's owie, Lord, help it to feel better soon, AMEN!" So this same thing repeated about 3 more times where Jake shouted "OWIE!" and begged for me to pray for his owie. Then Jake said "Where is Jesus?" (I wondered when he would start to question his physical existence). I said "well, He is right here with us. He's in the car with us right now, he's outside watching over everyone on these streets, he's in heaven, he's in my heart, he's everywhere! Jesus is our invisible friend that we can't see but he IS here! (So I'm all proud of my answer, and after a short pause)..."Where is he?" He obviously didn't get an answer that made sense to him but I was so excited that these conversations are starting to happen and that JAKE is initiating it instead of me talking his ear off wondering if he even gets what I'm saying!

It makes me think how honest and faithful children are. I am so thankful that Jake could just candidly ask his mommy, "where is He?" If only when we doubt the Lord's presence in our lives we could ask the ones we love and trust, "where is He?" and get a true and bold answer, HE IS HERE! He NEVER leaves! Then maybe we would be stronger and more equipped to stand against the devils schemes when we are tempted to walk away. (Ephesians 6) It is my prayer that this is the accountability I have with my most loved ones and can offer to those I love.
Thank you God, for using children to teach us lessons you have for us!

Jake and Halle Skeens become friends while their nutty two year old siblings bounce in the next room

My favorite video clip

So I love this clip because nothing special really happens, it's just an ordinary day at the Shores home, but that's what makes it so special. It's a true glimpse of my boys interacting and daddy coming home from work ready to "hit the field". Mind you this was spring still so this could take place at 5 pm. These days Sam is not on the grass and the play time with Matt and Jake (yes, exluding me) lasts for about 2 minutes. How many days 'till October??

The Beach is no time to rest...

...Batting practice continues! Ok, so this isn't Jake's best game day but can you imagine with all the excitement around him at THE BEACH!? He had only been talking about going to "da beeeech" in "Cal-e-foorna" for two weeks and here we are! Come on dad, give the poor kid a break! Can't he just be TWO!? But if I said that Matt would remind me that pros don't become pros by sitting around and relaxing. (uh-huuh!)

Two Little Monkeys jumping on the bed!

Mia Skeens is Jake's best friend, and you can see why! These two have SO much fun together doing anything, but being silly and giggling is what they do best!

A Mover and a Shaker

I just think it is hilarious that this kid actually gets restful sleep when I watch the shenanigans that go on in his bassinet! Here Sam is, 5 months old, and doing almost a complete (face-planted) pike while snoozing away.