Happy Spring!!!!

I figured after three months of not posting a blog, I better have a darn good excuse for not being on it. Well I do! We are expecting another little one (or two according to Kai) October 7th. I wish I could say the past three months were easy. I told Jeff I felt as though I were jet lagged 24/7. For those of you who know that feeling, you also know it is very difficult to keep your eyes open and motivate to do anything. But as is with all things, that too passed!

Kai has grown and changed so much these past few months. Toward the middle or end of January, he came into his "I." That was a challenging time for all of us. It was all about, "No, I'm going to do this or that." or "I NEED such and such." Very determined and focused little mind. He has worked through that and is now well balanced. For the time being anyway.

My mom, Deborah, aka Unchi (Lakota for grandmother) by Kai, has moved to Las Vegas, NM so we have been able to see a lot of her. She makes long weekend visits and we have gone to see her in NM too. Kai and I drove down to Sante Fe to see my mom for 5 days in February and then for Spring Break in March, Kai and I met my mom in Southern CO - Alamosa area for a trip to the Sand Dunes and Colorado Gator Park. Both a huge hit for Kai.

Kai has found a new love and interest in puzzles. His collection has grown quite large and he will sit and do puzzles for 30-45min. at a time. He will do all of them, take them apart and do them over. Fun! Gives mama and papa some down time. As the weather gets warmer and the snow melts, Kai loves going out into the backyard and playing with his dumpers, excavators and diggers in the sandbox.

Quotables from Kai

I asked him one day if he wanted to go to a friend's birthday party and he responded, "Yes, I sure do!"

In Jan. Feb. he was really into the difference between girls and boys and we were at a restaurant eating. A little 2-3 year old girl sat close by and was watching Kai. I said, "Look Kai, that little girl is looking at you." He said, "She's a girl?" I said yes. Next question - "She has a vagina?"

When I told him I had a baby in my tummy, he was quiet for a minute and said, "Mama, you eat a baby?"

One evening he was sitting on the edge of our cast iron tub and I told him that I would like for him to get down because it was dangerous. He said, "Because I could break the bathtub?" and I said, "No the tub is very hard, you could break your head." and he said, "And then I would cry like this and say,'Mama put my head back on.'"

He has really enjoyed listening to Johnny Cash. He calls them his cowboy songs. Johnny Cash has one song called Johnny Yuma. Two weeks ago Kai and I were walking down Main St. and a man with a cowboy hat came walking out of the local bar and Kai looked at him and said, "Is that Johnny Yuma?"

Yesterday he told his daycare provider, Kathryn, that he loved her. When she didn't respond right away Kai said, "You're supposed to say I love you too." Kathryn looked at him and said, "Kai you make my heart sing." and he responded in saying, "What does that sound like?"

Here is wishing you all moments where you can hear the songs of your heart.

Happy Spring.

The Jacksons

Easter Sunday!
Kai found lots of Easter eggs with stickers! They all had to be put on.
Looking for eggs?
Making Easter Eggs.

Big Gator at the Colorado Gator Park outside of Alamosa, CO.
Petting a tortoise at the Gator Park.
Holding Roswell, the little alligator at the Gator Park.
Recycled home in Antonito, CO.
Great Sand Dunes National Park outside of Alamosa, CO. That tiny speck is Kai crawling.
Mama and Kai at the sand dunes.
Kai getting ready for the hike up the dunes.
Little ranch hand at a goat farm we visited.
Rounding up the big sheep.
Snuggin' a baby lamb with Unchi (grandma).
Petting baby goats.
The two hunched over people are the goat farmers. They didn't speak a lick of English and moved here years ago from Cuba.
Farmer Kai taking mama for a ride on the tractor.
Going for a 4-wheelin' ride.

Cooking some yummies.
Burying badger.
Making something useful of ALL the snow we have had.
It just kept on coming.

Kai with his new and most favorite quilt from mama's good friend Gail.
Visiting Unchi in Santa Fe in February.
Oh Trains!!!
Inside an earthship home outside of Taos, NM. This is at the earthship center which is a cool place to visit.
Winterfest in Redstone, CO. Kai with Sunny and the Winter Wizard.

Discovering BIG icicles at the Redstone Winterfest. Events included ice climbing, snowshoe racing, dogsled races, and a ice sculpture contest.

Drinking from crazy straw glasses from Uncle E.

Papa shoveling the deck.

Taking Papa and Badger for a ride on Kai's plasma car.