first day

kindergarten, here he comes!  when i took him he told me "go away, mom, stop following me."  he was slightly grumpy - i had to tell him to be grumpy to get that smile out of him... but i'm so proud of that little dude.  it's amazing how much older they look by just sticking a backpack on their back, i mean, come on, really?

#longhairdon'tcare

basically the reason this kid hasn't had a hair cut in a while is because he didn't want one.  i didn't feel like arguing and he sure looked cute anyway.  he was actually excited to get his hair cut and ready for that new change and he loves his short hair now.  my niece, christina, is at evan's hairstyling college and she is doing so great over there!  jorel said "i like christina's hair cuts because they are so nice and smooth!"  she did say that we were going to cut all that hair off and he responded "so it's going to look like grandpa ron's?!"  he was a little concerned... 

all about j-man

i haven't done a "just jorel" post in a while, so i thought i would.  he really is at an age where he is just too much fun.  his attitude comes out every once in a while, but overall he has been rather pleasant lately.  i feel like he doesn't argue as much and fight me to go to bed - well most of the time anyway.  he plays well with his toys and his friends.  and it is VERY true that kids say the darnedest things.  he cracks me up everyday and he is getting to be such a big kid.  all of that bitter sweet stuff that you love and hate.  he still just likes to be in his undies and play with his cars and trains.  he is getting smarter and smarter is even starting to read.  anyway.  he's just the greatest.  AND he'll be 5 SO SOON! EEK!!!!

also he started calling me "your majesty" and when he opens the door for me he says "step on out little lady" - cracks me up every time!

mini cali getaway

i always love a trip to california, even if it's a quick one.  we left thursday (28th of june) night and got back sunday night (july 1st) but well worth it.  i actually didn't have to drive this time because my parents came.  thrusday night we got there and visited for a bit.  my parents got a hotel room for the weekend so they left and jorel and i stayed with my sister.  the next morning we went for a swim at the hotel and my sister and i got underwater pictures that are pretty dang hilar... got ready and went to lunch at panera bread.  yum.  i haven't eaten there since i left the east.  we hit up the dodger game that night for mormon night!  yes, awesome, i know.  they have had that tradition for 25+ years.  ate some dodger dogs and watched them lose to the mets, but oh well.  it was fun and now jorel is a dodger fan :).  we had pretty good seats out by right field, except that andre ethier wasn't playing... and we got to see fireworks, even though they were mostly behind the scoreboard, plus got to walk on the field!  that was pretty awesome.  i have never stepped foot on a major league field before.  i may be lame, but i sure though that was cool.  i told jorel i loved him the next morning and his response was "i love fireworks"... thanks kid.  the next day we headed to santa monica to see the pier and walked around a bit.  the nephew ate some sand, and jorel got to feel the ocean again and feel a sand crab - tickly little buggers.  we didn't stay too long on the shore so we didn't get swimsuits on - but come september we will have plenty of time for that!  i can't wait!  we had some pretzels on 3rd avenue and stopped by the converse store to get stevie some high tops.  adorable by the way.  we headed back and didn't get back until dinner time so headed right over to shakey's.  spent the night lounging around.  jorel was pretty good with stephen.  stevie was just enthralled with his cousin.  it was great to see him so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after his eye surgery.  sunday we got up and got ready to head out, but not before we filmed some video for my grandpa's 95th birthday that is coming up this month.  also, my sister and i roller skated for about 10 minutes outside her condo, but man it was hot that day.  we said our goodbyes and headed off down the road.  it was a great trip and we are always good at squeezing stuff in.  i also got to upgrade to my sister's canon 40D so the xsi is for sale, if you want it.  i'm glad we'll be seeing my sister and her hubby and the nephew this month for my step-brother's wedding, hopefully.  and then again the first week in september for the BIG vacation. 

 seriously, check out this kid's hair!!!

more jorel-isms?

jorel has had this blanket since his aunt deni gave it to him for christmas, but has only recently found interest in it. he LOVES it now and tries to take it everywhere.  he puts his arms in it every night to sleep.  if he wants it, he'll asks for his "snuggly one" instead of his snuggie...

yesterday we went to the park after dinner and getting back into the car, he said, "mom, i love you, thanks for taking me to that place."  it was very sweet and kind of out of no where.  

when the sprinklers are on and running over the trampoline, he pretends its his car wash.  also he is terrified of going through an actual car wash.  

speaking of the trampoline, jorel has decided that he likes to climb up and then jump OFF of the trampoline - he is SUCH a boy! (he also was jumping off a stack of chairs in sunday school)

speaking of being a boy, he loves to run around in his underwear, especially his boxer briefs and also likes to sleep in them... 

when jorel is playing with his toys and making them talk, especially with his thomas trains or cars, he plays like he's telling a story  - for example "'i'm puffing around the bend,' says thomas."
he is such a little stinker monkey!

in-n-out

 here's a look into the things that jorel has been doing lately.  you know how at in-n-out they have the stickers they give to kids?  well jorel decided to imitate one - you'll see in these pictures, it was pretty funny.  

this was from back in may.  some of the girls at work like to hear the funny things that he says, and so here are some of their favorites and some of them happened a while ago and maybe i've even told them already, but pretty funny anyway:

jorel was running around the house and decided that he wanted a piece of bread after seeing me eat one. so i was holding his piece of bread while he came a took a bite out of it.  he went running off again and came back to me and said "YOU ATE MY FREAKING BREAD!" and all i could do was laugh because he was the only one who had taken a bite out of it.  

one that happened more recently was when he was sitting on the toilet and had a little toot he said "Mom, that was my steam."  Keep in mind that he is OBSESSED with thomas the tank engine.  next time he called it his "steam puff" that's how i know it was related.  

while visiting at my sister's house he walked into her room while she was pumping and he said "oh, Aunt Jaana, you're getting milk out of your belly buttons" meanwhile pointing at her "belly buttons."  all she could say was "yep" haha.  oh man.  i hope i won't have to explain that one later....

he's starting to come up with funny names for things by association of what he knows.  like target is now the circle store and maverick was the big rectangle store.  

his leg hairs were eyelashes one day. 

while jorel was treating me to my father's day dinner at red robin, his pants were barely high enough to cover the essentials - he's been doing so many things on his own, and when those pants are up, they are up.  i didn't notice "mom, my pants aren't working" until he was climbing on the seat and lifting his arms.  maybe you needed to be there for that one...  just love him!

anyway, i know there are so many more, but these are the ones i'm remembering right now.  he is just too funny and is growing up too fast.  he's the best!

oh yeah, if mom is mowing the lawn, you won't find her without jorel