The Adventures of Mr. Crankypants

Great Wolf Lodge

2008-12-21T09:56:00.001-08:00

My parents treated us to a weekend away at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos. They have an indoor water park with lots of activities for toddlers. Jack loved playing in the baby pool and going down the little water slides. They even let us take him down an adult slide. I thought he would be scared because the slide was dark and enclosed but he laughed the whole way down. And then made us take him three more times. Unfortunately we forgot to take pictures inside! At night they had a show for kids with animals that sing, Santa and Rudolf. At the end of the show it snow inside! Jack danced during the whole show.

Team Edward

2008-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

I finally got to see Twilight today at the movies. I have read all four books of the Twilight saga and have been anxiously anticipating the movie. I loved, loved, loved it. As good as the book? No. But SO worth the money! Can't wait for the next three.

2008-11-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

2008-11-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

Jack woke up in a very bad mood on Halloween. He has two molars coming in and has been very cranky lately. Jeff and I didn't know if making him wear a skunk costume and knock on people's doors was the best idea but decided to do it anyway. Once he realized that ringing doorbells brought candy his mood quickly changed. He caught on quickly. We took him to my grandparents neighborhood and then to my dad's. All of the neighbors thought he was so cute in his skunk costume.

Hershey Park, Octoberfest and Shadybrook Farm

2008-10-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday UPS rented Hershey Park for its employees. My mom and sister came with us so we could take turns going on rides and watching Jack. We rode all the good rollercoasters and Jack went on every kid ride he could. That same weekend we went to an Octoberfest across the street from our house. For two weeks Jack and I watched them set up the rides and food stands. Every night they would turn the lights on and test the rides. Finally on Sat. it opened. Jack was so exited. He went on a few rides and rode a pony. They had a small petting farm with a baby pig. That's where we spend most of our time. I was ready to take that pig home he was so cute. My mom and I took Jack to pick his first pumpkin. At the pumpkin patch they also had a haunted house. They let me take Jack through it (with the lights on and everything turned off) and I have to say it was still a bit scary. He had a death grip on my arm. Probably not the best idea to take a one year old through a haunted house but living with me he should probably get used to it. Halloween is my favorite time of year!

Introducing Ryan Jamal

2008-09-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Jeff and I with my Dad and Stepmom went to visit my new nephew Ryan. He is so cute and tiny! Jack had fun playing with his cousin Mikayla. On the way there we stopped and toured the Yuengling brewery in Pottsville and on the way home we stopped at Cabela's. Jack loves to see the animals and fish there. It was a very busy but fun day.

Friday Night Lights

2008-09-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

This past Friday we went to a football game in Horsham. Jack just wanted to be one of the big boys and play with them. He ran around a lot and even tried to tackle a few. Luckily they let him hold the ball a few times.

It feels like fall!!!!

2008-09-19T13:02:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning to a beautiful fall day...only in the high 60's here. I decided to take Jack to the scarecrow festival at Peddler's Village. He rode the carousel, saw lots of interesting scarecrows (my favorite was the Jimmy Buffett scarecrow) and ate a very large pumpkin cookie. The weather was perfect though I'm sure it will be hot again soon.

Jack loves to get down!

2008-09-19T13:02:00.001-07:00

Jack loves to dance. He sometimes dances for hours at a time. He loves loud music...everything from country to Lil' Wayne to death metal. He dances to commercials, cell phone rings, even the sound a grocery cart makes on the floor of the supermarket. He's a great carseat dancer too. Sadly, his dancing partner (his aunt Jesse) has gone back to college so he has been dancing a little less lately. Hopefully she'll come home soon for a visit. We miss you Aunt Jess!!

South Philly Block Party

2008-09-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Since we have been back in PA I have rekindled some old friendships from high school. This past Saturday my friend Jenni (who lives in South Philly) invited us to her block party. Jeff was deep sea fishing off the coast of Jersey so he couldn't join us. They closed down the block and had a dunk tank and huge slip and slides for the kids. Jack played in the water and danced to the band. My sister came down with her friend Nick and hung out for a while too.

Jon and Kate!!

2008-09-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

This morning I met Jon and Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8 at the Keswick theater! The event was put on by a local church in Abington, PA. They held their ususal Sunday service and then Jon and Kate came out and gave their testimony, answered questions, etc. Not only did I see Jon and Kate IN PERSON I think we may have found a new church to go to! I have been praying that we find a chruch that suits us. Not too big, not too small, great youth group, friendly people, great worship, etc. It seemed to fit everything I've been looking for. I guess we'll see how we like the service next Sunday when Jon and Kate aren't there! Of course I forgot my camera at home....and my cell phone takes horrible pictures. As soon as I figure out how to send the pictures to my computer I will post one. After Jon and Kate we had dinner with our friend Joe. We watched football and ate steak. And to top is all off I have a job interview for what sounds like the most perfect job ever! Nannying for a 13 year old girl, Molly, from 3-6 ever day. The pay is great and I get to bring Jack! No daycare! Pray that everything goes well...my interview is on Tuesday. XXOO

Rainforest Cafe

2008-09-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

While in Atlantic City we took Jack to the Rainforest Cafe. He slept through most of the meal and when he woke up his face was priceless! We sat in the elephant section right next to a gigantic fish tank. As you can see from his face below he was quite excited. He didn't know what to look at first.

It's been a while...

2008-09-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since my last post! Sorry Ruby! We have had a very busy last three weeks. My parents rented a beach house in Ocean City for ten days. Jack is definitely a beach baby. We spent every day, all day playing in the ocean, meeting new friends, catching crabs, building sand castles and chasing seagulls. He had a ball. Every night we walked on the boardwalk and ate ice cream and rode the merry-go-round. I wish we didn't have to leave! Two days after we got back from the shore our family from Tahoe arrived. Jack and I got to spend 10 days hanging out with our cousins. We spent a day in Philly eating at the Reading Terminal Market and visiting my sister at Jeffersonand two days in the Poconos. The rest of the time we swam in the pool, played at kid's castle, walked around Doylestown, ate lots of water ice and visited with family. I DID NOT want them to leave! I miss all you guys so VERY much. Unfortunately during these past three weeks I neglected to take many pictures. Below are a few of my favorites.

Jack's First Baseball Game

2008-08-12T18:50:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday we took Jack to his first Phillies game. My dad and step-mom bought us tickets which included a tailgaiting party with 200 people! They had tons of food and games and gave out toys for the kids. Jack had a ball. He especially loved the twins Gabby and Gwen. He's quite the ladies man.

2008-08-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Playing in the backyard on a very, very hot day.

Back to the Beach

2008-08-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we took Jack back to Ocean City for the day. He is so happy playing on the beach. He watched three men dig a huge hole for about 2 hours. He's so entertained by everything going on...which is great for me! Gives me time to relax and read!

Jack's First Trip to the Ocean

2008-07-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Ocean City, NJ. One of my favorite places on Earth. Jack loved digging in the sand but the ocean took some getting used to. Jack is obsessed with anything in the sky. Airplanes, balloons, helicopters, birds, the moon, etc. I forgot about the seagulls down the shore. He was in heaven. Between the seagulls, kites and the planes that fly banners up and down the beach Jack was mesmerized. I can't wait to take him back to the beach.

Austin's Visit

2008-07-31T19:25:00.001-07:00

This past week my stepson Austin flew in for a visit. Jeff and I tried to fit as much as we could into one week. We went to South Street, the Philadelphia Zoo, Labertville, New Hope, Rice's Market, a car show, Doylestown, and the Poconos. The best part of his trip was trying all of Philly's best foods: cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, water ice, stromboli and birch beer. Jack loved hanging out with his big brother. We can't wait to see him again in November!

Bears and Rattlesnakes Oh my!

2008-07-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

We spent 4th of July weekend at the cabin in the Pocono's. Jeff and my dad fished all weekend. Jack LOVED playing on the beach and digging in the sand. We had a bb gun tournament (I came in second) and watched the fireworks from a resort on the lake. A bear walked into our backyard while we were eating breakfast on the back porch and we got to see a rattlesnake in our neighbor's yard. Of course I didn't get a picture of either.

Jack has extensive facial expressions. Look at all those teeth! Jess and Jackie kayaking

An evening walk. Notice our festive lais.

Mom is a good shot
The fam on the beach
Grandmom and Poppop relaxing on the beach

Porkchops in the Park

2008-07-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Jack's real first birthday was yesterday. We had a picnic in the park followed by a concert and fireworks. He wasn't too fond of the fireworks at first but got used to them after a few minutes. I can't beleive he's already one!

Jack's 1st Birthday Party!!!

2008-06-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jack's 1st Birthday yesterday. Thank goodness the rain held off and it turned out to be a really nice day. It was 90 degrees and very humid so everyone was in the pool for most of the day. Jack got some really fun toys and his very own mini birthday cake with Elmo on top! He thought it was much more fun to feed everyone else the cake (including the dogs) than to actually eat it himself. He did stuff a few bites in his mouth and by the end he looked like a little smurf. It was a great day spent with family and friends and Jack has a blast.

Rita's Water Ice

2008-06-27T19:51:00.001-07:00

Jack is officially a Philly boy! He loves Rita's Water Ice as much as his mom.

Jack goes down the slide by himself!!

2008-06-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Concert

2008-06-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday night at a park near our house they have an outdoor concert. This past Wednesday they had a Bluegrass band. We went with my parents, grandparents and sister. I took a hilarious picture of my mom trying to do the monkey bars!

Jack's Walking!

2008-06-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

After he took a few steps he stumbled and his head hit my knee. Oops.

Like Father Like Son

2008-06-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

I found these little black glasses in my dad's gym bag. As soon as I put them on Jack they reminded me of a photo I once saw of Jeff. Like father like son!

Jack Goes to the Zoo

2008-06-23T09:14:00.001-07:00

Today is my mom's 55th Birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! We went to a pool yesterday that had a small water park for children. Jack was in his glory. Though I think Jeff liked it more than he did. They had a huge mushroom that sprayed water, buckets that dumped over your head, two waterslides and a big spraying thing. We also had a picnic to celebrate my mom's birthday. This past week my mom, my sister and I took Jack to the zoo. I'm trying to teach him that not everthing says, "woof woof". He doesn't quite get it so all day long he barked at everything. I think he thinks he's a dog. I caught him lapping up water from the dog bowl the other day. My brother graduated from high school on Monday. My dad and step-mom rented him a huge blow up jousting thing. Before everyone got there Jack had the whole thing to himself. He bounced all night long. For 5 hours I couldn't get him off that thing. I was hoping that with all the bouncing he'd sleep better that night. I was wrong.

Celebrations!!

2008-06-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

We had a lot to celebrate this weekend. My sister got an Early Intervention/School Based Pediatric Grant through Jefferson University, Jeff got a raise and Jack was dedicated at our church. Plus it was Father's Day! Here are a few pictures of our celebration dinner in Doylestown and Jack's dedication.

This is for PATCH...

2008-06-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pool and Pocono pictures for PATCH. Enjoy!

Jack's First Haircut

2008-06-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

Jack had his first haircut yesterday. Goodbye Donald Trump comb over! He was such a good boy for the hairdresser. Of course the lollipop didn't hurt.

What to do when its 99 degrees and feels like 110...

2008-06-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the temp. here reached 99. It was sweltering. I think Jeff lost 20 lbs. of water weight sweating non-stop. Thank goodness for the pool. We swam all day only coming inside to sleep. My grandparents joined us Sat. night for a BBQ and Rita's water ice.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-06-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Day Weekend at my grandparents cabin in the Poconos. Jack enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes at Spanky's. Which is my favorite place to eat breakfast ever! We spent all day at the beach on Sunday. He loved playing in the sand with his bulldozer. We biked around the lake, ate smores by the fire and went on a short hike. It was a very relaxing weekend!

Strawberry Festival

2008-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the Strawberry Festival at Peddler's Village. Strawberry fritters, strawberry pie, strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, yumm. Jeff entered a strawberry pie eating contest and came in 4th out of 6. He was beaten by a girl but won $5!

Jack meets the Easter Drag Bunny

2008-03-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! What a fun day. Jack enjoyed his first ever chocolate bunny for breakfast, I won the Easter Egg Hunt '08, and we met a bunny in drag.

The Zoo

2008-03-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I just recently moved from South Lake Tahoe, CA to Doylestown, PA. I grew up here so for me the change has been easy. Jeff on the other hand has had to get used to the fast paced way of life on the East Coast. So far I think he likes it. We definitely do not miss the snow. The winter here has been very mild. We had a son in July, Jack, who just turned 8 months! He's crawling everywhere and getting into everything. He has quite a strong personality and has already started throwing temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. He LOVES the merry-go-round (which we ride at least once a week) so much that I have to pry his little hands off of the horse at the end. Last weekend we took him to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural History (which is my favorite museum) and to the zoo yesterday. I love watching him experience new things.