weekend update

we're back on track with our weekend updates ... albeit one day late.

and we hope that this was worth waiting for. but please, manage your expectations, people!

so, this weekend, we here at llvj did our part to spur the american economy. who needs tim geithner when you've got a charge card and an ikea!!

we started saturday by going to the scandinavian superstore for some bookcases. we were shopping for replacements for all the built-ins we left behind in our "dinky" apartment. ever since we started livin' la vida, we have had no place for our books. in fact, they're still in boxes nearly three years later! but, with the growth of our family and the impending foul weather, we've realized that the basement can no longer be a repository of junk. well, our junk anyway. kid junk is what we're clearing the way for, hence the need for ikea's storage solutions.

jack was a bit of a handful while we were there, so we took no photos. it was all we could do to make it through unscathed (and without knocking down displays). despite his mixed behavior, jack did score his first train tracks set and has been in love with it ever since.

after a restorative nap, we headed out for ... more shopping! our plan at present (for those who have been on the edge of their seats wondering) is to move jack into the guest room and move the baby into jack's current room. of course, this requires the purchase of a dresser for jack's "big boy room." so, we loaded into the car for a visit to local baby store great beginnings, where we selected a lovely highboy for our big boy. let's hope that a nice wood case piece eases the transition of being booted from your room.

if saturday was a day of shopping, sunday was a day of socializing (plus a little shopping). jack and mommy headed out early to the local plaza, leaving daddy to enjoy some peace, whilst we enjoyed some fine french breakfast items.

not to worry ... jack is not missing a tooth, he just has flaky crust on his incisor

(photo credit: jack mershon)

afterward, we embarked on a massive pre-thanksgiving grocery shop, and jack was helpful for about 80% of it. the other 20% ... well ... don't ask.

we arrived back home just in time to ready ourselves for the first birthday party of jack's buddy, kay taylor. although the star of the party was reclusive, jack was all over the place -- enjoying the toys, the exotic cuisine, and (most of all) the cupcakes. before the cupcakes were served, jack repeatedly said, "i want to party!" in his book, i think this means singing and eating cupcakes.

"partying"

"eeww -- that does not taste like cupcake!"

after another restorative (but way too short) nap, we readied ourselves for a happy hour with our beach friends. as per usual no photos were taken because the chaos could not be captured digitally. but grace, garrett, lucy, phia and jack enjoyed playing with toys and making their own marching band (killer recorder/kazoo section) while babies james and phoebe looked on.

we have a big four-day weekend coming up, so our next update should be a cornucopia utopia of jack-tion.