Tiny Car for a Tiny Man

This Fiat 126 has been parked in our neighborhood for a while now. Every time we walk by it catches my eye.

If we are on a walk as a family, Mike tells us stories about when he lived in Italy as a teenager and he & a buddy could lift up and move Fiat Cinquecentos.

I think he likes to tell the story so he can whip his Italian accent every time he pronounces Cinquecento.

While Jasper & I were on a walk we decided to stop and take a good look at this tiny little car.

I figured it was just the right size for my tiny little man.

Welcome Home Daddy!

I made this sign for Mike on Monday. I would have taken more time with my artwork if I would have known that Mike would like it enough to keep it on the door still.

We are always happy (thrilled actually) when daddy comes home!

Strollin'

Jasper and I have been walking many miles each day. We are LOVING the weather, and just can't get enough of the sunshine and fall breezes.

We bought our BOB stroller last year with an REI coupon, and it has been well worth it. I love this stroller!

Tucked in the back pocket are our essentials: water bottle, teddy grahams and a sippy cup. In the stroller console I keep my other water bottle, cell phone and keys.

More climbing and sliding

This is the 2nd play center that I bought off Craig's List.

Besides the slide, Jasper LOVES the door -- open & close, open & close. That's the name of his game.

Every day at 3:30 PM Jasper and I are ready for a snack. Today I brought our snacks outside so we could munch while we played.

Our current favorite snack is Wheat Thins Fiber Select Vegetable flavor crackers with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Yum, yum, yum!

The only problem is that Jasper has to put the 1/2 cracker smothered in orange hummus in his mouth all by himself. Which means -- orange hummus fingers! A little messy, but so worth it. What's a little mess compared to the joy that Jasper gets out of feeding himself?

Climb & slide... & climb some more!

Jasper has been climbing & sliding all day since I bought him two climb and slide play centers that I found on Craig's list last week for 80% less than the original prices.

Since the person I bought them from was selling two, we put one inside and one outside.

True to Jasper form, he climbs up the slide with a car or truck in hand, then turns around and slides down. He even climbs up with his sippy cup in tow. He ALWAYS has to have something in his hand. It's not easy for him to climb up the slide, let alone with only 1 free hand.

Jasper loves a good obstacle!

Little Reminders

Jasper is 13 1/2 months old, and has been obsessed with cars for the last few months. Some babies have comfort blankies or lovies, but Jasper just carries around a car. He has even been known to nurse with a hot wheels car in his little hand.

I find little cars ALL OVER the house. Yesterday I took a photo every time I found a car in an unexpected place.

Mixed in with my make-up, on top of my hot rollers, in the kitchen utensil drawer, in my tennis shoe, in the fridge and in the kitchen towels drawer.

I found a car in the middle of some freshly laundered towels, and the caught the culprit red-handed as he dumped a red sports car in the dryer.

Push Along

With our wonderful weather in the low 8o's it seems like a crime not to go on a walk.

This morning Jasper and I had a great time walking with June & her little girl Audrey. After our walk we went back to their house to play. Audrey loved to be in her car and Jasper loved to push her along. He's such a little gentleman.

I'll Take My Oatmeal in the Sink Please

Jasper will do anything to hop in the sink.

His favorite place to eat breakfast...in the sink, playing with the water.

A Boy and His Barn

I found this barn for Jasper on Craig's List yesterday and went and bought it right away.

In our Stake Center (Church building) the kid's nursery has a similar activity play center, and Jasper LOVES it. I have been wishing we could find one, but I have never seen anything similar (I am sure because it is old).

The barn has a little chute to drop some eggs down (that supposedly the chicken is laying). Jasper likes to shove his trucks and legos down the chute. The legos fit, the cars -- not so well. My job is to rescue the trapped trucks and TRY to teach Jasper not to push the vehicles down there in the first place.






















When he rung the barn bell I looked around the kitchen trying to see if my cooking timer was going off, or if the microwave was beeping. It was just my tiny man ringing his bell.

Jasper loves this barn, and besides opening and closing the door, he has so much fun pushing the entire thing across the kitchen floor.

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk...

...even if you just mopped the kitchen floor.

Trick or Treat

We're getting ready!

Can't wait to see Jasper in his Halloween costume. He is going to be Michael Phelps...8 tiny medals and all. He does love to swim you know.

Pack It Up!

I am trying to start packing for our upcoming trip to Kirtland, OH and Palmyra, NY. Step 1 was simply to get all of the luggage out. Jasper was thrilled, and thought that I put the suitcases out just for him. He spent a good hour opening and closing them.














Jasper loved that the tiny suitcase was inside of a larger one -- a double deal to open and close.

He kept putting his pumpkin in the suitcase and packing it up, and then unpacking it.

I love my little helper. Unfortunately, we don't seem to get much done during the day besides our basic daily chores. We do have a lot of fun playing together!

Matching Hair Cuts

Since Jasper's hair grows really fast, we went super short on this hair cut. Mike was thrilled, because now he and Jasper have matching hair cuts