PRESCHOOL

can you believe it?  jack started preschool a couple weeks ago.  it's unbelievable.  he started school and will continue until he graduates college!  or grad/law/medical school!  craziness.

he wasn't thrilled about going (and still has his moments), but we snuck pics before we told him exactly where we were heading on his first day:

he cries for me and tells me he misses me while he's at school.  that he just wants to stay home with me.  it breaks my heart, but i know it's best for the both of us!  and i know that the tears are gone in about 30 seconds after i shut the door!!  he adores miss sally and is on his best behavior in order to earn a sticker at the end of class.  seriously, where did the time go?!?  i am so super happy i'm able to stay home with him all the time - i think i would've had a breakdown at this transition if i wasn't able to drop him off, pick him up, and spend the time after with him!!

quintessential father's day

oh, father's day!  always fun, a little unscheduled, and full of daddy activities!

this year, jack and i were feeling a bit sick - he's actually still suffering, and it's thursday, poor little guy.  instead of the big breakfast i had planned to make, we chilled in bed until almost noon!  we watched cartoons, cuddled, and dozed on and off.  a bit nicer than dirtying up the kitchen!

pete rose to these fun decorations, which were selected by jack from some free printables les and i found (jack definitely selected the one les found!).  there was a banner, too, but apparently i didn't take a pic!

all sorts of camping supplies for our trip on the 24th

best brownies ever and daddy's fav
ghirardelli double chocolate with milk chocolate frosting

i made signs describing our day
food choices, activity choices

obviously (as in a few father's days ago), we went to the small airport in concord, buchanan field:

jack wanting to 'fly you somewhere'

taking daddy to 'mexico'

and we ended the day bbqing with my family at the pond.  it was a warm day, and the pond breezes were amazing!  jack also caught more fish than anyone, as usual :):

juice!

remembering jack's early days

it seems like time is just flying by.  jack looks like a kid now, no more baby-stuff.  it's really fun to have a little boy using the toilet, having conversations, playing, just enjoy everything (we're even out of the tantrums and misbehavior - for now!)  pete and i were reminding ourselves of our very first pics of little jack.  you can see those posts here and here.

i'm thinking the fact that my sister is just at her 5th month of pregnancy is taking us back!  eric and laura are expecting a baby boy giacobazzi in late october!  pete and i are super excited to gain 'aunt and uncle' status, and jack is happy about having a cousin (most of the time!).  my brothers are thrilled to have 'the pressure taken off them' (really?  the pressure got taken off US boys :)) and are excited that there will be another little dude running around (it's way easier for them to shop, etc. for little boys!).  

wedding day 4.30

about pressure.  my parents have always been the BEST about pressure.  not once did they mention or ask or even hint about grandchildren to pete and i.  it seemed like they sighed in relief when we announced we were expecting jack, but they had never said anything before.  soooooo, this bull about the pressure is ridiculous, boys!  

in the end, we are ALL THRILLED about a new baby!!  over-the-moon-thrilled.  and remembering the joy in our little jack-a-roo!

sprinklers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

when it's 80 degrees in the shade, there is no other option....

you have to run and play in the sprinklers..........

in the nude!!!!!!!!!!

t2i

{explanation for the obscene amount of photos on my posts}

my new friend.

i am in LOVE.  i take it with me everywhere and i take a LOT of pictures.  seriously, i am sparing you guys A LOT of images.

but i also hope you LOVE seeing so many of my little jack-a-roo :).

u-pick cherries

ah, summer.  we have amazing fruit stands within a stone's throw of our house.  on friday, we stopped to pick some cherries at the u-pick spot with ava + paige, and cory, marley, + riley.  we had a blast running through the orchard, gathered a few cherries, then cooling off with their homemade cherry ice cream with waffle-y thing.  dee-lish!

i absolutely adore this picture!

happy father's day, daddy!!!

happy father's day to the best daddy!!

valentine's day!

{v is hard}

this year was very different than recent valentine's days.... i wasn't home with pete or jack!  instead, i had these lovely ladies, PLUS devon and piper (not pictured :() as valetines:

stolen from devon's fb.

i had to resort to stealing this pic off devon's facebook because i didn't take a camera on this quick trip!  i love how it went down:

(at home depot with my mom and jack, a couple days after jack's party, a couple weeks before becca's shower)

phone rings.  it's tara.
t: hey, jen, i have a proposition for you!
j: yeeeeeessss?
t: do you want to go to chicago on sunday?
j: this sunday?
t: yes!
j: ummmm.
t: les will be there!  you can meet piper and see devon!  it'll be a surprise, doesn't that sound fun?  we'll be back super quick!
j: uh, i...
t: wait, don't say no.  it'll be super fun and cheap!  i have a free flight for you!
j: ummmmm.
t: maybe your mom can watch jack?
j: (cheesy smile at mom) hmmmm. let me ask her.  i'll call you back.

mom said yes, pete was down for a super quick trip, and three days later i was on my way to CHICAGO!!

classic devon/tara/les, tara was a surpise for devon, i was a surprise for devon and leslie.  their reactions were super cute!  we had a great time exploring the city and it was a well needed girly trip.  so, so fun!

win, place, or show!

sorry for all the pics!

for laura's birthday, we headed to golden gate fields for dollar days!  dollar admission, programs, beer, soda, hot dogs.... perfect weather and my favorite cover band, tainted love!  seriously, it was like it was my birthday, it was so perfect!

jack + daddy

thinking about a bet

and they're off!!!!!!!

jack and his toy horses

and cowboy...

sour straws and dollar beers

the giacobazzi's

it was police/fire appreciation day, too!
jack in the ladder truck

plastic horses racing!

birthday girl + jack

jack, horses, mommy

complete with dinner at marin joe's

an Xtra special boys' night in

pete and i slaved all day cleaning out our garage (it still needs a lot of work, but we built shelving, YES!), so we decided to get take-out pizza for dinner.  we ate in our clean(ish) garage and the boys decided they wanted to watch a movie.  pete told me to go scrapbook or whatever.  (SURE!)  i snuck back out to take pictures of them, but i was caught.  check out this father/son bonding over star wars!

y is for young photographer

jack is totally into taking pictures! i can't wait for an excuse to gift him a digital little-boy camera!! last night, he grabbed my hand and said, 'mommy, get your camera! let's take pictures of our doggies outside!' not sure if he was just delaying the inevitable start to the bedtime routine or what (and if so, what a great distraction!!), but regardless, i grabbed my camera and headed outside with my young photographer. he chose all subjects and clicked, i just stood behind him keeping the camera strap around my neck - you never know when a 3yr old might get bored and drop the toy!!

bailey did not appreciate the invasion of her privacy...

pepps and bailey looking for sticks

our birch trees

grass!

mommy, the flowers are beautiful!

oh!  my golf club!

put your foot in, mommy!  look at our feet!
i had obviously changed into pjs :)

my swing set, too!
the bottom right hand blur is pepper.

and then, i guess, taking the pictures got a little passe.  so i grabbed a shot of jack starting to throw a stick to pepper:

and then i bonked the little guy in the head (my eye on viewfinder, not on child).  he got the biggest kick out of it!  i didn't stop to see if he was ok, i just took the photos:

laughing hard!

describing the 'bonk'

it was hilarious to this tired little boy!

z is for zoo

well, sort of!  the zoos are a bit of a drive for us, so we decided to get season passes to six flags discovery kingdom in vallejo - it's only about 15 minutes away!  there are animal exhibits, animal shows, and rides and parks.  it's the perfect spot for a 3yr old little guy and his mommy, too!  gran and grandpa also got season passes.  so fun.  here are some pics from our adventures today:

walrus training
jack LOVES the whiskers sample!

a train ride with gran

i went to the restroom...
they went on the teacups!

jack in line for 'scatabout'

for the record, i would NEVER ride this ride.  but as soon as he saw it, jack asked gran to join him!  it was one of those carnival scrambler-type rides.  spinning and spinning.  and more spinning.  yuckity-yuck-yuck!

a happy wave while gran checks the safety belts

around they go.
jack's not so happy anymore...

super proud, but so glad to be done...

as we walked by later, i asked if he wanted to ride it again.  his response?  maybe when i'm four years old i can ride it again. {he's putting a lot off until he's four, and i'm sure he'll say five then!}

we took a ride break and saw tigers!

i think this is a leopard, gran.
okay, smarty-pants.

heading towards the giraffe, but not taking his eyes off the tigers.

maybe he wants my grass?

a misty sprinkle to cool this little dude off!
we're going to LOVE this later in the summer!!

intently watching the wild bird show

there are a ton more animals, shows, and rides, but because the park is so close, we really only go for a few hours.  i think we were there 4 hours today, and it was a tad long.  last week (during a rain storm!), we only stayed 2 or so, most of which was standing in line and eating lunch!  i've yet to brave the park with just jack and i, but i'm thinking of giving it a whirl next week... unless, of course, gran or grandpa want to go!!