Ann Rules!!!

Is it weird that I enjoy reading stories of true crimes, many of them about rape and gruesome murders? And I often can't put them down? Ann Rule used to be a cop and she now writes these fascinating true stories about the criminals, the victims, and the trials she has covered or been involved in, many in the Seattle and greater Washington area. Some you may have heard of include Green River, Running Red, about America's most prolific serial killer, and The Stranger Beside Me, which chronicles the history of Ted Bundy and Ann's relationship with him before and after his murder spree. I find it very intriguing how these people can be so demented as to not feel any regret or remorse about what they've done, and I can't imagine how a person can turn out that way, so it's interesting to read about some of their thoughts and comments, as well as to catch a glimpse of their pasts to see whether there could be any underlying causes for their sociopathic behaviors. The human mind is very interesting and it amazes me how we can all be so different. Ann writes about the victims and their families with much respect and her books are often sad, yet touching. If you are interested in a different genre and can handle reading about some of the more disgusting details revealed at crime scenes, in police interviews, and during trials, check out Ann Rule's books for a fascinating look at some very twisted minds. (Doesn't that sound so Reading Rainbow-ish? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't recommend these books.)

P.S. Take another look at the earlier blog about the deck - I have updated it with a few more pictures.

Welcome, Sadie!

Sadie's first night in her new house

We picked up our new pooch from a guy by St. Cloud on Sunday evening. She is really beginning to adjust to our home. She still has a tough time being put in her doghouse behind the fence at night, but she is crying less now than she did earlier this week. At first Sadie would follow us around everywhere when we were outside, but now she's beginning to venture out on her own. We have left her out the past couple days during the day, and I'm always nervous when I get home thinking she might have run off, but she's always there waiting. I wasn't sure how long it would take her to adjust, but she seems to be figuring things out quickly, so I need to stop worrying! She is a chewer and is also starting to try to dig out of the "kennel" area at night... we've been warned about the digging so I hope it doesn't get too bad. We are trying to teach her what is okay to chew on and what is not, like Jackson. She tried to playfully bite him a couple times and he just moved his hand away like, "This is no big deal." He smiled at her once but otherwise doesn't react much to her yet. It's fun to have a new puppy around and she's sure a cutie, but it's also a lot of work! I told Curt that Sadie will be his job since Jackson is mostly mine. :)

Sleeping on the deck, where she spent most of her time this week. At first she cried about going up and down the stairs by herself, but she's getting the hang of it now.

Checking out our DQ treats

4 Months Old and Pictures Galore!

Already?! Unbelievable!!! Say it ain't so!!! Alas, Jackson turned four months on the 11th. The crazy speed at which time flies is a recurring theme here on the Wojo blog and I can't help but mention it nearly every time I write about our son. We have been marveling at his growth and all that he's been learning. Every time I see a slightly older baby I just shake my head to imagine how much more he's about to do! I wish I could just freeze time...

Jackson was a very big boy at the doctor's office and he didn't even cry that much when he got his shots. I stayed in the room this time because I felt really guilty for leaving last time. They brought him out crying and I felt like a bad mommy, so I am glad I endured it this time and it wasn't even that bad. After he calmed down we went over to visit Daddy and say hi to his friends who held Jackson until he fell asleep! He weighed just 16 lbs (not even double his birth weight yet; I was guessing more like 17 or 18) and was 25 inches long. He's getting pretty tall and his legs are so strong! They said he's in the 75th percentile now. More average than the jumbo baby he was at 2 months. :) Here are some random pictures to share...

With Uncle Ben, who pretended like he wouldn't be thrilled to have a nephew...

The Wojo family at the cabin on Memorial weekend

Wearing his new shades and fishin' hat

Madelyn (niece/Goddaughter) and Jackson looking like a couple chubbies in their hats and pjs!!!

Avery (2 mos) my friend Shawn's daughter (she works with me) and Jackson hanging out at our house. We got to babysit for a while and then Shawn and Avery hung out on the new deck with us! Thanks for coming over, girls! We can't wait to see you again!

Back Yard Haven

I can't believe how terrible I've been about posting! It's been half a month again! Lots has been going on in the Wojo world since then. Hopefully I'll be a more frequent poster now that we finally got high-speed internet at the house. It makes a world of difference!

So you probably recall from earlier posts that we had been working on building a deck this spring. I shouldn't really say "we," I guess. More like Curt, Dad, Ben, and Chuck. Us ladies cooked and ran errands for the boys, took care of the baby, and gave the boys lots of crap (plus a bit of actual physical help), so that was our way of contributing. Anyway, after many, many setbacks - including snow in May (grr!) - the deck was finished on Memorial weekend! We haven't had that much time to enjoy it yet due to crummy weather this spring, but now it's finally starting to be nice out so we hope to be out there a lot.

This is what the back of our house looked like when we moved in, minus Chuck walking around.

This is our friend Jim from Curt's work who came over a couple evenings to help get the floor boards finished. He's building a house this summer, so we owe him some favors. Thanks, Jim!

Chuck was the mastermind behind the deck project. He helped with the design and has the most experience with this kind of work, so he was in charge. He did the door basically by himself and did an excellent job with our whole project. Thanks again, Chuck!

Dad and Curt working on stuff. I think Curt's doing something for the stair railing there.

More work on the posts and railing for the stairwell during a beautiful sunset...

Mom and Meline testing it out.

Here is the finished deck.

The deck building crew. They look pretty proud, eh? As they should - it's wonderful! GREAT WORK, BOYS!!! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!! :)

Tummy Time Surprise

Hooray for the beginning of my summer hours! We are officially on 20-hr. work weeks and I will be off Mondays, half Thursdays, and Fridays until the end of August. I couldn't be happier to be spending more time at home with Jackson.

This morning I put the baby on his tummy on a play mat so he could work on some tummy time. He usually gets fed up with it after a couple minutes, but he's getting better at lifting his head and neck and even his upper body. I read somewhere that you're supposed to have a baby do tummy time up to 8 or 10 times a day. Who has the time for that?! Especially when the little ones don't seem to like it very much? We feel pretty good if it happens more than twice! Anyway, after I put him down I went to get a glass of water. Imagine my surprise to find him off the play mat and on his back when I returned mere seconds later! He had rolled over all by himself! At 3.5 months, no less! I was totally amazed, and he looked pretty shocked with himself too! After whipping out the camera and setting it to record video, I waited patiently as he hoisted himself up on one arm, only to realize after a few moments that this first roll was, indeed, an accident. But a pretty special one at that.

Chewing on his puppy while getting his diaper changed

Smiling for the camera - FINALLY - instead of just looking at it like, "What's

that thing?"

Making faces at himself in the mirror

Life in Motley

I wanted to make good on my promise of delivering more pictures of life in Motley. If you previously viewed this entry, sorry about the layout! I didn't have time to fix it then, but this version is better. Still not great... I'm still learning!


Here's Jackson napping in our bed. I can't believe how big he has become and how quickly it happened! Isn't he sweet?!

Below is a picture of Curt and our family friend, Chuck, working on the deck in the pouring rain a couple weekends ago. They were soaking wet and freezing when they came in that day! These tough boys sure worked hard, though.



On the right is Grandpa hanging out with Jackson, who just got out of the bath. Grandpa, not realizing he'd just been in the tub, said, "How come you're so hot, buddy? Is that a hot outfit or what?" Hehehe.

Just this past weekend we were visited by Curt's cousin Jim, his wife, Liz, and their three kids, Vince, Connor, and Maggie (baby #4 is on the way!). Curt and Jim are very similar people and the four of us have a lot in common. It is always a good time when we can hang out together. Curt and I learned that, although it works for Jackson, our house is not prepared for children yet! We have lots of work to do before he can start crawling/walking and getting into everything!!!

Here are Jim and Vince helping out with the deck. Thanks for contributing, boys!
This is Liz cuddling with Jackson. It was super windy out but we really wanted to sit on the deck and test it out, so I threw this winter hat on him. He didn't like that so much since it was too tight and it left a little ring around his head. You can tell it was a bad idea because it makes him look so chubby. We quickly put on a better choice.

On a happy closing note, tomorrow is the last day we have preschoolers in the classroom! YAY! We are going to a park in Wadena for a carnival/picnic on Thursday to celebrate the end of the year. Work has been SO stressful lately and we are all very ready for the year to be over! After the holiday weekend I only work 20 hrs/week and I am incredibly excited to have more time at home with Jackson! I CANNOT WAIT!!!

Mother's Day and more

Wow, has it been a long time since I posted! I have a few spare minutes on my lunch break for once (it's mostly taken up by pumping) so I can give you a little update. Sorry, no pictures today. Again I need to remind everyone that I knew this would happen and have said so several times - it seems as though there is no time to do ANYTHING anymore! Especially since Jackson is so entertaining now that he's starting to giggle! That's right, I said giggle! It is the sweetest thing I have ever heard in my entire life! It was so sweet the first time a couple weeks ago that I cried. :) I suppose that's how every mom feels about the little accomplishments of her first born.

Speaking of which, I was able to celebrate a very special day on my first Mother's Day. I was so proud to be able to do so as a mom this year. Jackson has been such a blessing and I am so proud of our little family. Working with children who have special needs and come from troubled families reminds me on a daily basis of how lucky we are to have a healthy, happy baby boy. I thought about all the moms that I am honored to know on Sunday and took some time to reflect on the things you have taught me and the gifts you've given me in my life. Thank you all for your inspiration, support, and love. And for those of you who aren't mothers, I hope you celebrated your own mom on this very special day! And thanks to Jackson and Daddy for the sweet necklace. I was very surprised and have been wearing it almost every day. :)

In other quick news before I have to go back to the classroom (only 4 days left with children! YAY!), we are in the process of building a deck in our back yard and have been busy the past few weekends with this huge project. I will have to take some pictures soon and post again next week. A huge thank you goes out to my parents and our friends Chuck & Meline for helping us undertake such a task! We couldn't have done it without you and we're so grateful for your assistance.