I started this Blog when Jace was two or three months old.  And since then there were really only two people (who I don't see everyday) that I knew would always be reading it - my Aunt Lizzie, and Anthony's Aunt Kathy. Kathy passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly last month, and I have sat at my computer at least a dozen times to try to type anything and I just can't. And then I think to myself that if I am too upset to write my Blog, then I can only imagine how the rest of her family feels, and I get too sad and I start doing something else.  So today I am going to type for my Aunt Lizzie to read since Kathy gets to see all of our shenanigans from up above any time she wants to :-)

A while ago I posted a list of things that Jace could do, so I think it's time for an update.  Obviously the list isn't all-inclusive but I'll try to cover the things that stick out most in my head!

He can climb his slide the right way (from the steps), but not to be boring he can also climb up the slide part. When I make dinner I usually open the back door and let him play outside where I can see him so he's not lingering below the stove.  Last week he managed to very quietly climb up the slide, and before Anthony or I could get out there fast enough, he slid down and bounced onto the patio.  Thank goodness for the padding of the diaper! If you have seen the slide, you know its a little too big for him to be going up and down unattended while on the concrete! 

He doesn't handle the dry Arizona air very well and sleeps with the humidifier on every night.  If I miss one night with it, he will be stuffy for the next couple of days.  He is a humidifier addict!

He likes to feed the dog, as in throw dog food all over the laundry room and force feed Chula random things he finds on the laundry room floor.  He likes to charge at her in a full run and bounce off her ribcage, often knocking himself to the ground.  He likes to grab her tail and tickle his nose with it, feed her food that he doesn't feel like eating, sit on her when she lays down, stand on her when he is feeling adventurous, pull her ear when she is eating, and tell her no no when she bothers him.  At one point, Chula was the one always bothering Jace but sometime in the last month or so the tables have turned and it is far more often that I find myself shooing Jace away from Chula than the other way around. 

He likes to run.  Even if he has nowhere to go really, he just runs around.  He likes to be sneaky and super quiet and he likes to hide.  He is also really into buckling and unbuckling things.  Turning lights off and on, opening and closing doors, unscrewing ans screwing the lids on his sippy cups, etc.

He likes to sit on his little potty chair and fart. He also likes to lift one leg like a dog peeing and fart and laugh histerically about it.  I have no idea where he learned that (although I do have my suspicions!).  I hate to encourage bad manners but it really is funny.  So I try to turn my head away and laugh to myself.

He knows the sounds to the following animals and can point them out in a book: Cow, snake, Sheep, Horse, Lion, Duck (his current favorite). And he can say dog (dah dah), turtle, duck, sometimes bird, ball, mama, dada, nana, nina, nino, juh juh (Justin), Hi, Bye Bye, eye, no no (his favorite word), up, vroom vroom, out and move (both usually directed at Chula), more, done and probably a few others but that seems to be all I can come up with right now.

He can identify his or your eyes, nose, arms, belly, sometimes his ear, feet, and toes. 

His new thing is blowing kisses but he uses them sparingly so if you get one, consider yourself very loved.  They are oftentimes reserved for Winnie the poo or this hanging lemur stuffed animal we got at the Tucson Zoo.

He is wearing size 2t, and still has a bunch of 18month clothes that are getting snug depending upon the brand.  He has GIANT feet, and wears size 7 already.  :-)

His favorite foods right now are apples, blackberries, blueberries, oranges, yogurt, milk, he is still a fan of cheese although he is no longer an addict, rotisserie chicken, strawberries, gerber graduates granola bars and fruit strips, eggs with cheese, tortillas with cheese, cinnamon raisins with peanut butter, goldfish crackers and ice cream.  He doesn't like bread at all and he isn't too keen on veggies either.

I wouldn't have thought this before, but he seems to be a bit of an introvert.  We have been going to gymboree for 3 weeks now and he has no interest in playing with a large group of kids.  He likes to play with one or two but if others come around he will leave and would rather go play by himself.  I'm not sure if that's his personality or if it's just because he is relatively new to gymboree and other little kids.  I guess only time will tell on that one. 

If you have managed to hang with me this long...congratulations!!! I could go on forever but I think this is enough for now :-)