Dear Jack,

Your favorite phrases right now are:

I had it!  I HAD it!

No, mommy, no!

Stop bodderin' me!

Be nice!  Be nice, mommy!

HEY!

Sh!

Some others that are more neutral and less abrasive:

I'm hawnry.  (I'm hungry.)

Ittire.  (I'm tired.)

Iwan muck. (I want milk.)

I see it.  You see da bug don dare?  You see it, mommy?

Sit down.  Sit down, mommy.  (To cuddle or watch a movie or read.)

C'mer.  C'mer, Evan. (When he wants Evan or daddy to join him in play.)

May I have carkers?  (May I have crackers?)

Tanks.  (Thanks)

Teez.  (Please.)

(If I tell you to say thank you you say back to me, "yer uh-cum, mommy.")

Some endearing phrases of yours:

mmmmmmMUCH! (I love you THIS much when you hug us or stick your nose to ours for a kiss.)

Okay, well I'm sure there are more... there must be more for the endearing list...

Hm.  Moving on. 

No, no, I jest. You are very tender-hearted.  Maybe that's just it: you wear your heart on your sleeve.  Life goes from very, VERY upsetting to you to VERY pleasing and affection-filled.  If you are told no, you cry.  If you are told naptime or bedtime or no outside right now, you cry.  When we run errands and return home and you see our subdivision sign, you cry.  When we pull in the driveway, you cry.  When I say we need to run errands, you cry.

BUT... when I say I love you mmmmmMUCH you laugh.  When you laugh, your eyes laugh, too.  When I read you a book, you laugh.  When I blow on your belly, you laugh.  When I swim with you, you laugh.  When I throw you on a bed or couch, you laugh.  When Evan and Madalyn include you, you laugh.  You also start shouting, "Guys!  Guys!" because you feel being part of the group calls for the use of this word.  When we're at a park and all the kids join together in something, anything, you start running and laughing, "guys!  ha ha ha, guys!"  Like "aren't we having the best time, guys?  I'm big, aren't I guys, aren't I?  I'm one of you?" 

When I pick you up from your nap all sleepy you say, "hi, momeee," with soft but increasing inflection, as though me waking you is the most pleasant surprise of your day, and then you lean your soft sweaty head against me, all crinkled from the blankets you slept on, and I feel like I've left the earth.

One time recently I tucked you in between them and gave you a cup and blankie and went through the bedtime routine, all the way to shutting the door and leaving you all... just to see what you'd do.  E and M were so excited, they hovered over you, cooing, but you lay there frozen stiff for 30 minutes for fear you'd lose the privilege.  Finally, you decided it was all too exciting and sleep would not be had and you walked out and let me put you in your crib without a fight.

You've been having melt-downs since you were about 9 months old, but I think it's slowly getting better as your communication matures, (please Lord!)  Luckily, your smile and giggle are more than compensation.  And it is a GOOD THING, Mister!  A darn good thing.  It's a good thing I've watched you go in and kiss your sister to wake her up in the morning all on your own, saying, 'mmmmMUCH, Ma."  It's a good thing you've starting affectionately calling me "mom-mom" at times.  It's a good thing that you lean into Evan and hug both your siblings often, just because you could use one of their bear hugs.  It's a good thing you want so badly to sleep with them when they sleep together on weekend nights.

Speaking of sleeping... you climbed out of your crib after we'd tucked you in a few weeks ago.  I heard a slow pitter patter of little feet outside my office and said, "Shaun?  Did you tuck Jack in?"  He said he had and then there you appeared in my office, looking around casually like you were a full grown adult in footie pajamas, just checking on things before calling it a night.  But it will take more than one escape for me to move you to a big boy bed just yet!

You are into everything still.  WHEN will you tire of my makeup drawer?  Of covering our tile with lipstick cave paintings?  WHEN will you tire of daddy's penny stash, or the steamer, or the bathtub faucet?  WHEN will it no longer fascinate you to throw C.S. Lewis underneath running water?

Daddy spent hours- HOURS- in the hot sun, disassembling our riding mower to replace the belt therein.  He got the new belt on and said getting it on was the most difficult part... he would run get some gas and be back to reattach it.  He left, I weeded, and you- YOU yanked that belt right off.  Yes, you can imagine the reaction when this was realized.  And then after daddy fixed it again and ran over another kid's pool towel left in the backyard to get stuck around the blades, I think he was ready to send all of you to some distant relatives for a long visit.

Your potty training is going pretty well, though.  So we've got that going for us... kind of.  As long as I remember to take you.  The few times you've had a #2 accident, I've caught you trying to dispose of it in the kitchen trash can BY HAND, or I've heard you plop plopping it into the potty and flushing it down, as if that should take care of it clean and tidy, brush the hands together and call it done.  The problem is that you can't get on the potty by yourself and you're not quite realizing the need to ask me to take you.  But you can hold it, and you can do it... if I remember it.

How I DO WISH you would quit taking off the #2 diapers while sleeping.  How I AM SICK of the #2 cave paintings on your bedroom walls and crib spindles.  PLEASE, for the sake of my SANITY and your well-being child, would you LEAVE THE PULLUPS ON AT NIGHT!

Never a dull moment, Jacky boy!

It's a good thing your eyelashes are so long and soft that when you press them into your cheeks I think they might leave indentations.  It's a good thing that your lips are so plump and red that I can't look at them without stealing a kiss.  Thank goodness that your nose is a button and your hair is spun gold.  Thank goodness that you look like an angel because you don't always act like one.  Thank goodness you have a soft heart so that I am reminded to show mercy.  Thank goodness you are mine because I can't imagine life without you.

Mommy 

DAY ONE, 2006:

ONE YEAR OLD, 2007:

TWO YEARS OLD, 2008:

                                                                                                            "CHOO CHOO!" 

 

Thank you, Aunt Carolyn, for the wonderful BIG BUBBLE machine!!

 

  

                                                                                                                                                                POP!!

 

I could tell you something really gross about this blue icing.... really, really gross... having to do with the dye and the potty, but I won't.  Wait.  Maybe I just did.