Let the hunt begin...

Time to find a job! I am officially a member of the job hunting portion of the population. This is a little intimidating now that I am looking at a completely new and unfamiliar job market. On account of the competitive conditions in the country, I have been trying to find ways to stand out to potential employers. To come up with ideas, I have been reading about the different tactics people are using. One of the tactics is to attach a picture of yourself to your resumé. After reading this, I really got to thinking about my appearance. I got really used to shaving when I felt like it. This afforded me the opportunity to grow a beard or goatee whenever I wanted. Well, I began to wonder what an interviewer might interpret my appearance to mean. After asking around for opinions I was faced with a choice. To shave the beard or to leave it. It become the general consensus that it should go. I took these 2 pictures to see which made more sense. I'm torn.

On a more interesting note, neither Jaycee nor Jayden care for my beard. Jayden feels my face a little then proceeds to smack it: point taken. Jaycee was really studying my face the other day and after a long pause she asked me "what is all this weird hair coming out of your face?" I wonder the same thing. Maybe I should add this to my resumé. "Able to quickly grow facial hair and the ability to shave it even faster"...

When you need a helping hand...

Jaycee is at a really fun age right now. She can do most everything on her own (within reason) and she understands the importance of this. I suppose that is why she has been on a recent mission to "help" with everything we Jess and I do.

For example, I often make nachos as a quick snack for Jaycee and I. All I have to do is get the chips and grate some cheese. When Jaycee sees the grater she insists on "helping" me. Her version of help consists of eating one handful of shredded cheese for every handful she puts on the chips. By the time she is done helping, I spend twice the time cleaning up grated cheese from everywhere.

Lately we have found ourselves outside working on the yard. Jaycee loves to "help" with the yard work. As you can see in the picture, the required outfit for gardening for Jaycee isn't for everyone. When Jaycee decides her work is done, I get to pick up all the tools she needed then I get to sweep up all the dirt that somehow got out of the planter and onto the sidewalk.

I try hard to cherish these times. I know the day is coming when she won't want to hang around me let alone "help" me. Its just hard to understand how I end up with more work than I started with. C'est la vie...

Mobility phase 2: Climbing...

We knew it was coming, but it certainly doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Jayden is getting around pretty well. She can basically run now and her balance is pretty good. It takes a lot to knock her down, which is good considering Jaycee is always pushing her around. She stomps around with confidence now and isn't afraid of getting into tight spaces since she knows how to get herself out as well. However, the need to climb has also shown up.

Anytime any elevated object is around, it takes Jayden about 12 seconds before she attempts to climb it. She has begun testing out what is climbable and what is not. I have caught her trying to climb the wall and the entertainment center in addition to her high chair. She understands that scaling objects gives her some advantages. Maybe it is reaching a forbidden item or gaining a vantage point to drop down and attack her sister. No matter what the reason, she has no desire to keep her feet on the ground anymore. Of course, the result is falling and so far we have been able to keep the distance pretty small between her and the ground, but Jayden has her sights set on some pretty high spots. She complicates things by her need to multi-task. She never just climbs. She has to climb and dance when she reaches the top. Or, she needs to carry a rolling pin as she ascends. The other day she was climbing the footstool and talking on her cell phone. I'm not sure who she was talking to, but she was very irritated with something they were doing (or not doing).

Jayden is really coming into her own. I wrongfully assumed that I could have only one daughter that demanded the spotlight all the time, but it looks like Jayden is headed down the same path. May the loudest child win...