Jack's Birthday Week with Grandma

At the end of March, my mom came to visit for a week. It was the perfect time for her to come since our daycare was closed for their annual vacation and it was both her and Jack's birthday. She got to stay home with Jack for a few days while I went to work and I took a couple days off to spend time with her. We didn't do anything too exciting, we just spent time together and let her shower her little Jackpot with affection. Here are a few highlights from the week. 

A FUN WEEK WITH GRANDMA

Her first weekend here, we went to a big baby swap meet at a nearby school with our friends Denise and Matt. It was a grandmother's dream! She bought him way too much stuff. Luckily about half way through she bought him this HUGE bike and couldn't hold anything else. Haha. 

One day during the week, we went out for a little brunch in South Park. 

And another weekday, we went to our favorite playground in Balboa park. She really had a blast playing with him here!

Jack LOVES playing with Grandma

Here Grandma, have some sand

LOVE. I have to frame this one!

Every time she comes I feel like she does something with him that I thought he was too little to do - and she always proved me wrong! She put him on the little slide by himself and took him on the big slide in her lap. He loved it but I think she may have loved it more. :)

She's crying out of happiness here :)

She likes to pretend that he is knocking her over on the swing. He LOVES it! That's actually one of the things that got him to start clapping!

Grandma is hilarious!

Earlier that week we celebrated her birthday (April 2nd) with a delicious chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake (YUMMM) but unfortunately I didn't get any usable pictures. Then on Friday night, we went out for birthday dinner at Outback.  After dinner, we got a little ice cream at Dairy Queen and let Jack have his first taste of the good stuff. My mom had been asking all week if she could give him ice cream so this was as much for her as it was for him. And he loved it, of course. 

On Saturday we went to the New Children's museum. First we played in the toddler area, which was modeled to look like a giant sink with fruit and dishes in it. My mom was a little bit of a helicopter Grandma, scolding the other children for not sharing or being nice to Jack, but it was all out of love. 

She's a little bit of a big kid herself :)

Then we played in this very colorful "rain house" with giant foam puzzle pieces on the floor. 

Happy Grandma

It was a fun day and we'll definitely have to go back!

JACK'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Jack's party was the next day so I had a little prep to do. We decided to do a dinosaur theme party (see my facebook invite image above) and make cupcakes. I was lazy and bought little dino sticks to put in the cupcakes. I thought they turned out great though!

On Sunday morning, Joey and I lugged all the stuff over to our neighborhood park and set up for the party. We were expecting somewhere between 15 -25 people, so we had a TON of cupcakes and pizza. 

Our friends trickled in, some with, some without babies, and we just hung out and snacked for a while. 

Jack with his biggest fan - Stephanie and her soon-to-be hubby Ben

Jasmine playing with little "Jackman" as she calls him

Uncle Fabian helping Jack attack the balloons. He loved the balloons. 

Lots of moms and babies spread out on the lawn. 

Jenn, Kate, and Tonya getting a little pizza and fruit.

It was a nice day for a park party!

The birthday boy in his birthday hat for all of 10 seconds. 

Sarah was impressed with how much Jack could eat!

Some of the babies started to get cranky, so we had to get the show on the road. Everyone wanted to stay for the big cake event - but first, presents!

Birthday bud Logan was eager to help Jack open his presents!

Then it was time! We sat jack in his little high chair, sung happy birthday, and brought out his cake. At first he was interested, even skeptical. 

But after just one bite of that frosting (homemade cream cheese frosting!)...

...he was in heaven! He scarfed that cake down like a little piggy!

And he loved the attention too! Everyone was standing around looking at him and laughing, and he was eating it up! After every bite he would close his eyes, wiggle his bottom in the chair, and make mmmmm noises. It was really adorable. 

Eventually we decided he had enough and took away what was left. It wasn't a huge cake but it was one of his first tastes of sugar and we were a little afraid of the consequences!

After the cake, people with babies slowly started heading out. I tried to get a group picture but some of our guests had already left, so I just did my best.

Some of our more hardcore or baby-less friends stayed for a while longer so we just hung out and let the kiddos play. 

Logan getting a little of the good stuff for himself! 

Attempting to take a nice picture...

The balloons were a total hit

Jack loved his little birthday bike we got him, and Pres did too!

Big kids Fab and Sarah playing with Jack. 

Pres is too cute!

Grandma pushing Jack around on his little bike 

We can always count on Broc, Jasmine, and Pres to be in it til the end!

Eventually, Jack came down from his sugar high and needed his nap so it was time to go. We packed up and headed home after a fun day. 

The birthday boy is beat!

And that was it. Jack took his nap and was fine that evening. AND he still eats vegetables! 

SAD GOODBYES

On Tuesday, my mom had to go back home. It was sad to say goodbye and she cried when I had to take Jack to daycare that morning. Sometime's it is so hard living so far away! But at least we had a nice visit and I'm sure it wont be too long until we get together again. 

We love you mom!