JollyJobe.com

When we were growing up the Leprechauns always came to visit us on St. Patrick’s Day. We would wake up to our clothes hanging from the ceiling fans, furniture turned upside down, or suitcases packed like we were going on a trip (side note: how my parents had the energy to do this with 4 kids is beyond me…1 kid is exhausting to us these days! Mom and Dad thanks for the fun memories!)

Well it seems the Leprechauns have paid us a visit!

I think we even caught a glimpse of the little Leprechaun in action:)

In all honesty, our house looks like the Leprechauns come every day and now with packing it is for our eyes only;) The movers come on Friday…eeks…and then we head to corporate housing for a week before a fabulous week in Sicily with Matt and Susan and then I promise we are US bound! Can’t believe this adventure is coming to an end! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Jack had quite the dilemma on his hands today….who would he choose to be his Valentine:)

We went to afternoon tea with his friends

Where it became fairly obvious that we had a ladies man on our hands…The first lady came on pretty strong…

The second woo’d him with her curly hair and sense of humor….

Then Woman #1 gave him a talking to for having a wandering eye

Jack stopped and pondered life….

and decided he only had eyes for….HIS MOM!

Hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!

John always said that he hoped that Jack got the Daimler sleep gene but I think he forgot to specify which part of the Daimler sleep gene he wanted Jack to get. You see there are 2 parts to the Daimler sleep gene…

First, we can sleep anywhere, anytime. True story–last week I fell asleep sitting up on the toilet (seat closed) while watching John give Jack a bath.

**Sometimes a nap just feels so good….

But with the good comes the not so pretty. Anyone who has ever slept with us (and the list is long…I kid, I kid) knows that we are a bit CRAZY in the bedroom (gosh this is going down a different path isnt it?!?!). In order to protect our identity, I will not put a name with the following actions but a Daimler has been known to: wake up swinging a bat in his/her sleep, run around the house making noises like a siren, take a shower and get dressed in his/her sleep; leap on a roommate to let them know that a man in a pink shirt is in the room and alligators are on the floor, and of course talking nonsense in our sleep is a regular occurrence (our spouses really love us).

Well, it was pretty clear that Master Jack did not get the sleep anywhere, anytime part of the gene. But, it appears he got the other part. Within the past week, we have found Jack: sitting up looking drunk and about to tip over, standing looking eye to eye with the monitor completely asleep, and then taking the monitor down and sleeping with it next to him like a stuffed animal. So it appears we have an adventurous (that is the positive reframe of crazy) sleeper on our hands…John says dealing with me is enough but crazy always loves company right?!? Let the bedtime shenanigans begin…night night!

Jack (the grandpa) and I have just spent the past snowy week in London with John, Caroline and jack (notice the lowercase).  It is our last visit until they come home in APRIL…..Yahoo!!

A trip to Edinburgh was planned and we left Friday by train for the weekend.  The train was fabulous and it even included lunch. jack was particularly fond of stirring his pretend coffee.

We all took turns entertaining him and it was an enjoyable trip.

Caroline and John had found a flat to rent and it was a great location for exploring the medieval town of Edinburgh.

But even better than exploring the town was exploring the flat with a “push bike”.  jack (and his pushers) were able to complete about 50 laps around the flat.

A “push bike is now on Caroline and John’s wish list for when they return to Richmond.

There was a lot to see in Edinburgh.

We explored the cobbled streets of the city and it’s shops.

We stopped at the National Museum of Scotland and it had a kid’s exploration area.

We all climbed to the top of  Edinburgh Castle and enjoyed the views from the top

We were back home in time for a last take-out meal from the snow covered Churchill Arms.

It was a breathtaking site and and a great memory of our visits to London.

Love,

Sussy and Papa Jack

Wahoo…I have to admit we are a little bit excited to be done taking these pictures (so much pressure!)  but it is fun to see how much he changes from month to month. We are busy checking off things on our “London to-do list”.  My parents are coming on Wednesday and I think they are our last visitors…CRAZY!!! I know everyone is looking forward to one last Sussy blog:) Have a good week!

We are a bit torn as John has grown up cheering on the Redskins but John’s cousin, Steve Hauschka, is the kicker for Seattle…who to choose?!?!?

Since Jack only has Redskins gear

And his friends cheer on the Redskins

And his Daddy

It appears this is going to be a Redskins loving house but we will be sending some positive vibes to Steve… just not too positive;)

“Happy Christmas!” said the bigger-than-life-sized sign displayed on the Mercedes dealership as we drove from Heathrow Airport to Caroline, John and Jack’s house in Notting Hill. I had to process what I read for a minute as it sounded funny. Being American, I am used to wishing others “Merry Christmas” or the more politically correct, “Happy Holidays.”

When we arrived at the Jobe’s John explained that everyone in London celebrates Christmas and wishes each other a Happy Christmas regardless of religious beliefs. He said Londoners are all very into the holiday. I felt a smile come across my face, I knew we were in the right place to celebrate a very special and HAPPY Christmas 2012!

Our two one-year-olds, Michael and Jack, were happy to be reunited. They know how to be both cute and mischevious together. There is a lot of banging, throwing and overall destruction that John and Caroline were kind enough to put up with in their flat. (If you are a faithful reader here you will recall Michael terrorizing Jack at our house in Germany in September.  Not much has changed.)

With a set of one-year-olds it can be challenging just to get out of the house.  We do it, but it can consume the better part of a day.

On Saturday the lure of Borough Market motivated us with the promise of good eats. John introduced us to duck and chorizo sandwiches that were certainly scrumptious.  We also tried Caroline’s selections – gourmet grilled cheese with leek and onion and halloumi and cabbage sandwiches- that were equally delicious.

On Christmas Eve, we ventured out to see the famous Harrods’ Christmas windows. Caroline and I were in awe of the beautifully created Disney scenes of Snow White, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast with themed dresses by Valentio, Versace and Missoni.

*Cinderella in Versace

While we looked Jay and John hurried through the crowds with the strollers carting Michael and Jack. They were good sports and despite the crazy crowds we got our only group shot in front of the famous Harrods bear.

Caroline was kind enough to find a children’s church service right around the corner.  The less-than-30-minute service was a crowd pleaser (well almost, the majority of the children under 3 lost it at the 20 minute mark and numerous parents, including me, had to get up and pace the isle with impatient toddlers before the service ended).  A few carols, an unpretentious, uncomplicated sermon, a prayer and we were done.  It was perfect! Michael and Jack’s favorite part of the service was attempting to tackle the nativity scene set up in front of the alter.  John and Jay had to hold them back by their pants to prevent the destruction of several porcelain sheep (no fences in this manger!).

After the service and the boys went to bed  and we blended family traditions and ate oysters “Rockefeller” and sushi.

Christmas morning was a real joy! Watching our “Santas Helpers” tear through paper and boxes was the highlight of our day.  Michael and Jack quickly determined that their favorite toys were the music set Caroline and John bought for Jack.  I think music class is going to be a big hit in the Jobe house.

We spent days cooking our Christmas feast- Caroline’s dad’s stuffing, Jay’s parents mushroom casserole and two new Jobe/Aldridge dishes rack of lamb and parsnip and sweet potato au gratin- and it paid off. Everything was yummy! It was a treat to spend Christmas with Caroline, John and Jack. For the Aldridges, it was certainly a Happy Christmas filled with joy.

It will be sad to see our travel buddies leave Europe.  We have enjoyed time in Ireland, Germany and the U.K. with the Jobes. Thanks for the great memories!

And the laps I have sat in! Figured Jack’s trip to Virginia can best be told by the laps that he sat in…in Jack’s words:)

*This lady was on fire…she looks calm in the picture but she wore me out–every time I turned my head she was coming back with a new toy (they actually didn’t look too new to me–perhaps cerca 1985). She put me to work: I went on her daily Harris Teeter runs, helped her empty the dishwasher, and even ate a few crumbs off her floor. Best of all, when my mommy wasn’t looking she put whipped cream on my finger to lick off….I want to see more of this lady.

*This guy had a pretty comfy lap too for reading books but he really scored points when he….

Took me outside! I heard him muttering about having to take Vitamin M (aka Motrin) after carrying my 25lb self around but I think he would say it was worth it.

*These people flew all the way from India so I had a chance to sit on their well-traveled laps…felt like first class laps to me

*Margot and Stephen scored some major points for bringing a dog…he was just too quick I could never catch him

*I really thought I had seen it all….and then this man brought out a talking dog! Blew my mind!

*Not sure what was up with this guy but luckily I did not sit in his lap

*But wish I could have sat in hers….

*This is when I learned that I am not the center of the universe….can you believe there is another kid that people think is cute?!?! Luckily, my grandmother has enough love and space on her lap for the both of us.

*Ahh, finally my parents decide to hold me

*But nope that didn’t last long…they tried to hand me off to this strange fellow….the nerve….

So here I am…back in London…with a sore bottom from all that sitting:) I had a great visit and am asking Santa to see more of these people in the coming year….hope my wish comes true!

PS: Thanks Mom and Dad for keeping our bellies full and a smile on Jack’s face! Thanks to everyone who made such an effort to see Jack–it meant so much to us. xoxo

Hard to believe that 1 year ago today this little peanut entered our lives….

And look at him now….

Happy Birthday Master Jack!

* delicious cake thanks to Sussy

Jack: You have rocked our world…in a good way….I think;)

John: We made it! One year!

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes and support/love as we have stumbled our way through this parenting business…it takes a village right? Jack is lucky to have a mighty wonderful village looking after him!