Sorry, I don't know how to get the big spaces out - maybe someone with some more computer knowhow than me can help me out! Leave a comment if you know how to help! Thanks in advance!Wow – can you believe that it has been an entire month since the last post?! This summer is flying by and I can hardly stand it! I really don’t want it to end. I feel like I just transitioned out of the school year and am finally beginning to relax. But then I look at the calendar and realize that August is almost here. It’s time to start ramping up for the school year – a new challenge this year as I will bet at a new school.
Well, what has the Roll family been up to this month? Great question! A lot! I’ve been to two weeks of training, one for AP Chem and another for using Vernier products for the classroom. Both were wonderful weeks with so much to learn that I didn’t get everything in that I had hoped.
We spent the weekend before July fourth at my mom’s. Jed spent some time playing in, err drinking from his Elmo sprinkler. Silly boy. We all had a grillout together, as the Oswald’s joined us for dinner. Then we headed up to Sanitarium Hill to watch Rhythm and Booms! It was fabulous. I was a bit nervous that Jed wouldn’t like the noise from the fireworks, but he didn’t mind. He must be used to all the noise since we have a train running through our backyard at all hours of the day and night. He even curled up next to Aunt Pam and tried to fall asleep. A few minutes later, he was in my arms sleeping instead.
We have discovered the fun and exciting times at the Onalaska Aquatic Center. Jed loves it – especially the slide in the kid’s area. (Scroll down for pictures) Jed still gets very excited when Daddy gets home because he gets to play in the car for a little while. We also went to Jed’s second county fair (his first was last summer when we saw Uncle Ryan play for Battle of the Bands in Washington cty). Jed really enjoyed the fair – from the sheep, chickens, cows, rabbits to the rides and big “trucks.” It was entertaining to watch him gallivant around the small animal barn. He was acting a very proud – like he owned the place. As he passed the sheep, one bleated loudly in about a foot away from him. Jed startled and looked like his pride was squashed. I couldn’t help but smile at the new sheepish looking Jed.
The following day, we packed up the car to head to Verona to visit the Kilp’s family (see link to their blog in upper right). I haven’t seen Karen and Andy since May of 2005 – before our little ones were born. We had a wonderful afternoon meeting each other’s children, visiting, watching Jed and Bella “swim” in the pool and enjoying Butterburgers at Culvers – yum! I didn’t manage to take out the camera, but Karen put up a few of her pics on their site. Thank you Karen and Andy! (Andy - Congratulations on your ordination!) Then we drove up the my Aunt and Uncle Marquard’s cabin for the weekend. It was Jed’s first lake, boat, cabin and canoe experience. We enjoyed visiting with everyone there. And we definitely got a lot of visiting done since the weather was quite chilly for mid-July. Even Jarrod was wearing his jeans and a borrowed sweatshirt!
Drinking out of the sprinkler - a regular occurance. Really, he tries to drink out of anything that holds water - cups and glasses of course, but also the top of his water-sand table, drinking fountains, hoses, bathtubs, watering cans, puddles and the swimming pool.
He's so proud of himself!
I just found this picture - I didn't realize he fell asleep before curling up with Aunt Pam. He really must have been tired - I don't blame him since the fireworks didn't really get going till after 9:30om.
When we got back into town we were blessed to get to visit with Brooke who we haven't seen since our wedding. While she was over, she and Jarrod watched as Jed took a tumble in slow motion. It was one of those falls that doesn't look like it would cause any damage, but he had three small goose-eggs on his forehead. Here you can only see two.
Jed found my goggles in one of my boxes full of stuff from school. He though they were pretty cool to wear. All ready wants to be like Momma . . .
The goggles now reside in his toy box.
At the Aquatic Center on family nights you can take in floaties. Jed loves riding around the pool via Daddy power. I'm a bit worried that he is going to pop it because, as you can see, he chews on the built in "toy."
There is a really great children's play area with little fountains. He has a great time trying to "catch" the water.
Did he discover his ears? We don't know, but he will plug his ears at funny times - like at the pool. He also did this on a walk we took. Maybe it was too noisy walking by the busy road?
At the fair we found a large plastic cow. Jed was very gentle, petting it instead of pounding it. He really felt special up there - had to go back and sit on the cow later on in the evening.
He really liked all the animals. But he was most interested in petting the rabbits - maybe because we always see some in our yard.
His first carousel ride. We ended up sharing a horse but had a blast. I know that you can't really tell from Jed's look, but after we got off he was really excited. He wanted to ride again.
We found one other ride to take Jed on. He spent the entire ride showing concern, but when we got off, he was pointing to it and saying please in sign language. We didn't go back because it almost made Mommy sick to her stomach.
What a cutie - he thought it was pretty neat to sit in the tire.
Can you spot little Jed? I wish this picture was big enough to see his face! He's in the process of exclaiming "Wow!"
See the rainbow?
I am so blessed.
On a whim, I took his Thomas motorized train set out that he got from Grandma Tut for his 1st birthday. He was so excited! The only problem is that he doesn't have the skill, yet, to set Thomas back on the track if he falls off. Nor does he realize that he can't sit on the track or pull the track apart. When any of these things happen he starts screaming and crying. Not fun. We'll put Thomas away for a little while longer . . .
Jed liked spending time at the cabin. He also enjoyed the water and the boat ride. He did not like the life vest. He also did not like the band-aid we had to put on his foot to prevent his water shoes from creating another blister (the first one had just healed).
The Tuttle family tradition of taking a picture of the family by the car.
Jed can now climb. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Let's see . . . he can get on our bed, the couch and the chair with out needing out help = good. He climbs the back of the couch to play with the lightswitch, climbs on his Lego bench to watch the trains out the window and can get his leg over the edge of the bathtub = bad. But cute. Hard thing is, cute is once only. The subsequent incidents are not cute.
Jed likes to throw objects into the bathtub - so before a shower, one of us is usually cleaning out the tub first. Yesterday I heard him throwing objects in and didn't think anything of it - it keeps him busy while I make dinner. Then I saw the door move to shut, but it didn't make it. Normally I wouldn't have even been concerned, but for some reason I checked on him. I looked around the door and saw feet in the air, his hands in the tub holding him in a hand-stand like position. He must have tried to get whatever he had thrown in . . . I was so funny, but you can't laugh (at least in front of them in the moment).
So, I said Thomas was going to be put away . . . Well, Mommy left a tiny corner uncovered. Big no-no. Jed really LOVES Thomas, so Thomas had to come back out to play. And the screaming began again, after we all had a lot of fun building tunnels around the track with blocks. This was difficult for Jed because when we usually build towers, he gets to knock them down.
I have to say how amazed I am at how bright and observant Jed can be - even when I am frustrated because it is getting more and more difficult to hide something or distract him.
Thomas ran out of steam (a.k.a. dead battery), so Jarrod promptly changed it. Jed watched Daddy so intently. Afterward Jed tried his hand at fixing Thomas too.
Shhh . . . don't tell Jed . . .
A few days later, Thomas was packed up and put in a red bag and hidden. We'll try again in a month or two.
Jed really likes to type. Usually he is sitting in our lap with his keyboard on the desk, since that is where keyboards are found. But I watched with amusment as he carried his keyboard out of the office, into the living room and plopped it on the chair. He then proceeded to climb onto the chair and peck away.
Ahh . . . this is Jed in his glory - sitting down for a snack of strawberries. I wish I could catch the excited look he has and his exlaimations of joy as I bring them over. 
Classic Jed. He loves to spontaneously point out lights in any room he may be in. He does the same with ceiling fans and basketball hoops as well.
"Be gentle with horsey," Mommy says as Jed tries to poke him in the eye.
Here are the rules & requirements:
