Today was Jacob's first swimming lesson. The water was cold, but he is a really good kicker, and practiced blowing bubbles in the water. When we got home, Jacob kept saying "more swim, more swim!!"

Jacob took all the letters off of the refrigerator, and picked out the letter B. I asked him if he could find the letters in his name, and this was what he came up with.

Last night we had a bonfire in the back yard. I started the fire, and Jacob stood at a distance and started blowing at it to try to blow it out! Jacob did a really good job following the fire rules we talked about. He was pretty mellow, and liked watching the fire.














Jacob had fun jumping in the puddles in the driveway when we got home tonight. (See video-about 1/2 way through, he signs "jump" and "water")

Jacob has been really interested in clothes hangers lately. While I was getting ready for work, Jacob hung about 8 hangers on door knobs, closet doors, the gate at the top of the stairs, etc. He'll usually start with empty hangers that he can reach in my closet, but he has taken my clothes off of hangers to use too. He is very proud to see his hard work hanging all over!

At breakfast and bedtime, we make up individual prayers, and he'll say something like, "Dear Jesus...thank you... cherios... strawberries... milk... amen". At dinner, we say the common table prayer. Usually I'll say it, and Jacob will mumble along and say the last word of each line. The other night at dinner, I asked him to say prayers for us, and he said "Come Lord Jesus... amen"

Papa and Nana have some trees that had to be taken down today, so Jacob and I went to see "the truck that chews up the trees". Jacob knows the signs for "tree", "saw", "fall down", "bite", "chew", and "truck". All the way home, he told the story over and over, including the various signs. I love listening to his little stories...he gets so excited when he tells them!!

When we got home, Jacob got to try out his new "Nemo diapers" and "fish trunks" in the bathtub to practice for swimming lessons that start this Saturday. It took him a while to understand that he could get his trunks wet, but soon he was splashing around and "swimming". I think he'll like swimming lessons!

The computer at home has not been cooperating, so I decided I could at least post text stories from work, and hopefully it will be working soon.

We have spent most of our free time outside this week. Jacob loves playing in the sandbox, riding his new bike, and especially blowing bubbles in the back yard. Zachary came to visit last week, and the boys had a lot of fun playing together. And on Sunday, Jacob went go-cart racing. He loves it!!! This was actually his second time (we went once last fall). We saw a lighthouse in a book we were reading this weekend, and since then, we learned the sign for lighthouse, and we googled pictures of lighthouses several times now at his request. I also showed him pictures of when we spent the day in Duluth last October, and we visited the lighthouse. I think we'll have to make another trip there soon!!

Jacob did a lot of egg hunting today. The first hunt was in the living room when he woke up this morning. Every egg he found, Jacob wanted to stick his thumb in and crack open. When we found all of the eggs, I gave Jacob a mixing bowl at the table and just let him have fun cracking hard boiled eggs.I did show him how to peel them, and he did really good at that too. He even cut some up with a butter knife. At Hannah's house there was an egg hunt outside, and he got to pet a bunny, which he was pretty excited about. The last picture is Grace, Jacob, and Cole about to hunt for eggs at Papa and Grandma's house. See video.

Today we dyed Easter eggs. Jacob had a little trouble with this, because his experience with eggs involves cracking them open for baking. It was hard to explain that if you color them, you don't have to crack them on the side of the bowl, and open them. He did pretty good coloring the eggs...and his fingers! See video.

Later, we went to Papa and Nana's house and Jacob got this little fishing pole that has a magnet on the end to pick up the fish. Jacob loved it, wandering through out the house with his fish dangling from the pole yelling excitedly, "I caught a fish!! I caught a fish!!"

Tonight we went to the mall, and stopped to see the Easter Bunny. Jacob was shy at first until the Easter Bunny waved to him from the distance. Jacob waved back, and then walked right up and shook his hand. They waved, high fived, shook hands, and posed for pictures as if they were politial buddies. It was very fun to watch. I wasn't sure how he'd do, espscially after seeing the screaming boy on the Easter Bunny's lap in front of us.

Before we left for the mall, I told Jacob he could throw money in the fountain, and we put 2 pennies in each of his pants pockets. Jacob remembered right where they were when we got to the fountain, and it was another priceless moment as he tried to fish them out, as only a little guy could...reminded me of Mary Poppins digging in her carpet bag!!

Sunday we celebrated Jacob's birthday with Papa and Nana, and Mindy and Mark. We went out for lunch, and at the restaurant Jacob wanted "Jacob's sugar", which he pronounces as "G-bop's zooker", and actually translates to...the salt shaker. I let him taste a little salt in his hand, and last night he asked for salt on his food at dinner. It's amazing what he remembers. Jacob has been really busy playing with all of his new things the past few days. But one of his favorite things to talk about is the "George cakes" that Nana brought.



















Tonight we had dinner at the park and fed the ducks. This weather is so nice, and Jacob loves being outside!

Yesterday, Jacob got a sandbox from Grandma and Grandpa for his birthday. Jacob was outside most of the day today playing with it. Half is filled with sand and half is filled with water...Jacob likes to combine the 2, but did a pretty good job keeping the sand in the sandbox.

Happy Birthday Jacob!!

Tonight we went to Underwater World at the Mall of America to celebrate Jacob's birthday. He liked waving at the fish and riding the escalator's, and he got to go on some kiddie rides at the mall too!! Jacob liked watching the "trains" (roller coasters) race across the tracks over him. When we got home, we had ice cream cake.
See videos.

Today we celebrated Jacob's birthday at Papa and Grandma's house. One of his gifts was a basketball hoop. Jacob could just reach the hoop, but it wasn't long before he thought of bringing in a stool to put next to the hoop to stand on. He had a blast!!!

After the party, Jacob and I got the Easter box out. Jacob was busy pretty much all evening washing plastic eggs in the sink, and hanging ornaments on the little Easter tree. Jacob's facial expressions are so fun to see throughout the day!!

Today we went to Grace's birthday party. Grandma asked Jacob to go stand next to Grace so she could take their picture together. Jacob went over and gave Grace a kiss.



















On the way home, we had to pull over and check out the tractor for sale...
"Incredibly cute farm hand not included"