Jake's Christmas

Jake had a great Christmas this year. He really, really wanted a drum set and a Bat Cave playset, so his daddy and I divided up the gifts. Alex and I (or rather Santa) got him the drum set. Hmm, think we got the wrong end of that deal? Nah, he was so excited when he saw it! Besides, all of his other musical gear -- electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, recorder, etc. -- are here at home anyway. Now he can be a one-boy band!

Jake got lots of other fun presents from Mommy and Poppy, and from his family. Puzzles and games were a big hit this year, along with some new Wii games to play.

It was our usual relaxed day, where we all just hang out and don't ever get out of our pjs. Not having to get out of his pjs is definitely one of Jake's criteria for an excellent time!


Look! Santa ate his cookies and the reindeer ate almost all of the carrots! (We...er, Santa and the reindeer...left just a few crumbs and a a bit of carrot with a bite out of it) Jake is just old enough to really "get" Santa and still young enough to completely believe in a man wearing a red suit, flying all over the world with presents. A rabbit hopped through our yard sometime on Christmas Eve and left tracks in the snow right by our front door. Jake thought they were reindeer tracks!



Jake sees his drum set for the first time. It's a cool set, with it's own leather drum seat. It adjusts different ways and it is wired so the bass lights up when you hit it. Jake decided he now has a band, called the "Robot M&Ms." Sadly, the Robot M&Ms broke up before Christmas was over and formed a new group, the "Broken Robot Eaters." (Seriously, these are the names he came up with.)



Trying out the drums. Our poor neighbors...it was pretty early for drumming, but you can't say "no," now can you? It was unlimited drumming on Christmas.



Even when not playing the drums, Jake wanted to sit on his drum seat. Here he and Charlie watch a new DVD and eat snacks. In their pjs. That really is Jake's idea of a perfect winter day...

More Pics

It's been so long since I updated, here are some pictures from the last couple of months..


Charlie and Jake love to wrestle. Of course, Jake doesn't know his own strength and Charlie has no fear, so it can be sort of nerve-wracking. But Jake usually tries hard to be gentle. And they both laugh so hard!


Every year, Jake and I make a gingerbread house for Christmas. This year, it was a Willy Wonka brand house, so the candy was particularly good. Oddly enough, once it's made Jake doesn't want to eat it. He just likes eating the extra candy during the building process.


On Thanksgiving weekend, Madison had an "open house" downtown with free hot chocolate and treats at select merchants, and free trolley rides. It started out as a very cold day, but warmed up a bit. We had a great time. Jake is posing on the Capitol building grounds, with State Street behind him.


I bought Jake and Charlie Thanksgiving pjs. Jake's said, "Everyone is grateful for me" and he liked to point that out every time he wore them.


I also bought the boys matching shirts that say "Mommy's Little Monster." They look too cute wearing them and sadly, on this day, they were all too accurate. Don't be fooled by how angelic they look here! It was one of those days we were stuck in the house because of weather and they were just stir crazy. Can't wait for spring...

Halloween

Jake wanted to be Darth Vader this Halloween--mostly because of the chance to wield a light saber, I suspect. It was a relatively warm night, especially for Wisconsin, so he could get away with a sweatshirt under his costume. We had a great time going from house to house; many of the houses in our neighborhood really go all out decorating for Halloween. There were packs of kids roaming around, all hyped up on sugar and excitement, so it was a good night.


Darth, all set to extort candy from unsuspecting rebels...er, neighbors.


It was my turn to take Jake out; Alex stayed at home with Charlie to dispense candy. I ended up with the important job of holding the mask, flashlight and light saber.


Jake got TONS of candy. He was so sweet and polite, many of the neighbors commented on how he said "please" and "thank you" which I guess from the comments, not a lot of the kids did. Jake may sometimes act like a wild little heathen but at least he's a polite little heathen!



Darth sharing the love with his little brother. Charlie wore a onesie which said "This is my costume." After all, his bedtime was still about 5:30 then, before dark.

Apple Picking

We went apple picking one rather hot October day. Jake had a great time and we came home with lots of apples. Luckily, Jake likes apples. I had visions of making apple pie, but never got around to it.




Getting bigger every year.




Hay piles are fun to climb on...

Quick Jake Takes

I've been terrible about keeping up with the boys' blogs...so tired all the time! Here are some recent cute Jake stories.

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Last night, Jake gave me a big hug, then said, "Mommy, do you know what a hug is? "No, Jake, what is a hug?" "It's something that you give away and then it grows even bigger!"

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Jake thinks we get pizza from "Little Sneezers" on Friday Family Fun Nights.

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Jake likes to talk about what he will be when he grows up. It changes a lot. Currently, he wants to be an actor. Specifically, the actor in the Godzilla suit. But no matter what he wants to be, he gets very anxious at some point and says, "Mommy, when I grow up I'm not going to move away. I'm going to live with you forever." Of course, I always assure him that's fine with me.

***
One morning, I was getting Jake dressed and when he protested something, I offhandedly said, "Come on, you want to look nice for the girls, don't you?" He said, "No! I don't like girls, just boys!" Alex said, "Oh, you say that now, but one day you'll like girls." Jake denied that he will ever like girls, to which I replied, "Don't you want to get married one day and be a daddy or poppy?" Jake stopped for a second, thought hard, and then said, with a horrified look on his face, "No way!"

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Another morning, Alex was watching a YouTube clip where a guy was pulling books off the shelf and reading the titles, then adding, "...in your pants!" Sort of like when you read a fortune cookie and add "...in bed!" Jake wanted to watch, so Alex let him. It was perfectly clean and the double entredres were going right over Jake's head, but he found the concept hysterical. I came downstairs to see what all the laughter was about and found the two of them pulling Jake's books off the shelves, reading the title and adding "....in your pants." So it was "Journey to the Center of the Earth...in your pants!" Ha, ha, ha. "How The Grinch Stole Christmas...in your pants!" Hee, hee, hee. You get the idea.

Jake kept laughing about this the entire car ride into school, saying titles of different books he's read recently and adding "...in your pants." Lately, Alex has been reading him children's versions of classic literature.

We walked into the classroom and Jake proudly walked up to his teacher and said, "I have Moby Dick in my pants!"

It was a special, special parenting moment...

Awww...

On the way home today, Jake asked me how my day was. I told him I spent it packing for my upcoming meeting. He asked what kinds of things I packed, so I told him. After I reeled off the list, he thought for a minute then said, "Mommy, would you like to take some cereal?"

No trip is complete without cereal...

Short and Sweet

Recent conversations:

(Jake hands me a strawberry)
M: "Thanks, Jake."
J: "My pleasure, Mommy."

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(Reading him a story about Blue from Blue's Clues visiting his friends, all of whom are celebrating different holidays)
M: "Here we are visiting Orange Kitten. Orange Kitten celebrates the festival of light, Hannukah."
J: "Oh! I want to celebrate Harmonica, too!"

****

Jake was listening to the mix CD we made for him. When a song would come on that he particularly liked, he would pump his fist and say, "Yes!" When a Springsteen song came on, he exclaimed, "Alright! Rock and roll!" and started dancing.

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We drive by a middle school every day on the way to and from school. Lately, the football team has been practicing. Jake would say, "Hey look! Those kids are playing Packers!" A couple of weekends ago, his dad took him to see the Wisconsin Badgers play (Jake's favorite part was the band and doing the wave). So now when we pass by the school Jake says, "Hey! Those kids are playing Badgers!"

Happy Birthday! Jake Is Four

Jake is four years old now.

It's so hard to believe. I remember being pregnant with him, and him being a tiny newborn, so clearly. It is true what they say: When you have kids, the days are long but the years are short. It's amazing to me that he's gone from:



To this:




He is now 39 inches tall, and weighs 33 pounds. He's still in the 25th percentile for height and weight, but he's on the charts! And he's very healthy. He has seasonal allergies, and tends to get upper respiratory bugs a bit easier than most, but he comes by that honestly (thanks, Mom). He likes a wide variety of food and likes to make healthy choices -- although he certainly also likes sugar, particularly cupcakes, popsicles, and candy.

He's incredibly verbal, with a large vocabulary. He has good fine motor skills and can write his name, and draw circles and other shapes. He can even draw recognizable pictures now -- for his birthday, he made "thank you" cards with pictures of animals and you could actually tell what they were. His teachers tell me that he is a good listener in circle time; he pays attention and can talk about the subject at hand.

Music is still one of his favorite things, and he loves to play his guitars and make up songs. He also likes to play in his playroom, having epic battles of Batman vs. the Killer Butterflies, or make forts for Godzilla to attack and destroy. We play outside a lot (Mommy is his usual playmate) and go walking or hiking quite a bit.

Jake likes to play the Wii. When we first got it, the Sports games were a little beyond him. He would get incredibly frustrated, to the point of crying. If Jake can't be good at something, or win, he gets very upset (it's scary to see your worst traits in your kids!). We're working on the concepts of "trying your best" and "being patient." He's gotten a lot better. We also got him some games he can succeed at. It's amazing how much better he's gotten, both in terms of the fine motor skills and analyzing capacity necessary to play, and in having the emotional control to keep trying and not get upset or give up to easily. He really is not a baby or toddler anymore!

But he's still a sweet, loving kid who likes to snuggle and is very thoughtful and caring. I'm so lucky to be Jake's mom! It's been a wonderful four years.

We Can Be Heroes

Jake with his light saber, a fun squirt gun alternative.

Jake likes to play with his water pistols. Because I am his usual playmate, we don't play games where we squirt each other unless it is really hot outside (hey, I don't want to get all wet).

One of his favorite games is to pretend that our front porch is a fort. Now that he's getting into "Star Wars," it's become a Rebel hideout that we must protect from aliens and monsters. I am "Mommy Princess Looey" and he is "Captain Hero Jake." We spot aliens and monsters and then shoot them with our laser pistols, er, squirt guns.

Jake comes up with some really funny monsters. For example, the Yellow Slugula, which drips bright yellow slime wherever it goes. Or the Giant Green Farticus, which is as tall as a tree, bright green with bumpy skin, and lets out a giant fart with each step it takes. Or the Spiderificus, which is a giant spider that likes to eat chocolate.

Sometimes he gets so excited while we're running around fighting the alien monsters, that he just spews out names: "Mommy Princess! Watch out! it's the Goobershnorklegrrblmldfkl!"

The other day, we were getting our squirt guns and going outside to play:

J: "Mommy, you can be the hero and I will be the princess."
M: "Okay, but you know Princesses can be heroes, too."
J: "Oh! Then we'll both be heroes!"

And that's how we spent our evening after dinner...being heroes, making the world safe from the dreaded Goobershnorklegrrblmldfk.

Two Conversations....

These conversations took place in my car recently:

#1 - Fly Me To the Moon
J: (out of the blue) "Mommy, I don't want to go to the moon."
M: "Why not?"
J: "Because I would really miss you guys."
M: "We would miss you, too, but you could always go for a visit and then come back. That would be cool."
J: "No. Rocket ships sometimes blow up."

#2 - What If God Were One Of Us?
J: "Mommy, what's that?" (pointing)
M: "That's a church spire. Churches have those on top of their roofs, so you know it's a church."
J: "Maybe we should go to a church."
M: "Maybe. What do you think happens at church?"
J: "I don't know...maybe something with animals?"
...
M: "Um...no, actually it's where you go to learn about God?"
J: "Who's God?"
...
...
M: (mustering all her well-honed parenting skills) "Well, some people believe God is a powerful force for good who created the world. And [insert lengthy yet simplistic explanation of the world's leading religions' take on the concept of "god."] "
J: "Oh. Can I have ice cream?"

Snakes!

Jake got to go to see a real, live snake! Poppy took him out of school early to go to the event.

For days they had talked about what snakes might feel like and look like up close. Jake would say, "I don't know. Maybe rattle-y?"

There were tons of kids there, but Jake was so well behaved that the snake ...dude? guy? handler? bent down and made sure that Jake got to touch the snake.

Afterwards, Jake was pleased to report that snakes are "soft and dry."

Sweet Dreams

I'm not sure how this is comfortable, but apparently it is. We find him in all sorts of positions during the night, some even stranger than this one.

But Mommy I Will Miss You

The other day on the ride home, Jake asked me what we were having for dinner.

M: "Spahgetti and cheese toast, I think."
J: "Yum! That's my favorite!"
M: "Do you want to help me cook?"
J: "Sure! I'm a good cooker."
M: "Yes, you are. Do you think you want to be a chef when you grow up?"
J: "Yes! I will a chef and have a restaurant and cook for lots of people."
(pause and then a small, soft voice from the back says)
J: "But I will miss you, Mommy."
M: "Oh, I would miss you, too, Jake. Tell you what, when you grow up, you can live near me."
J: "Yes! I will live right next to you and my restaurant will be next door and you can come visit me and I will cook for you every day."
M: "Sounds good to me, sweetie."

If only it were that easy...I'll remind myself of this conversation in 10 years, when he can't wait to grow up and leave home...sniff.

The mighty hiker, ready for anything. Water bottle? Check. Walking stick? Check. Binoculars? Check. Toy gun? Check. Hat? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Bug spray? Um, bug spray?

Soon after this picture was taken, the mighty hiker moved into the shade. Swarms of the Wisconsin state bird (aka the mosquito) attacked. End of hiking trip...

What's a Calorie? And Hey, That Man Is Fat!

As a special treat, I took half a day off work so Jake and I could go to Vitense's Golf Land, a fun family entertainment center here in Madison. Jake and I pass it every day on our way to school and work, marveling at the many fun creatures populating the mini golf courses. I told Jake he had been so good lately, he would get to play putt-putt for the first time (or as he calls it, "hutt-hutt").

Before we went, I took Jake to lunch. While we were waiting for our food ("Why does it take so long to cook our food, Mommy?" he always asks) we were building forts with the jelly and sugar packs. Jake asked why there were three different colored packets of sugar in the container. I explained about the difference between sugar and artificial sweeteners, and we talked about calories and making healthy choices. Jake was really into it, and talking about healthy foods. I was mentally congratulating myself for raising a kid with such a good attitude toward food, when Jake informed me he likes sugar.

M: "Yes, I like sugar too. But I don't want to eat too much, because I don't want to be unhealthy and get fat."
J: (seriously) "Noooo." (thinks for a minute) "Hey, Mommy! That guy is fat!" Pointing to customer at the next table, who of course heard him and gave me the evil eye.

So then we had to have the talk about not pointing at people and not talking about them in public....

Jake in July

What a busy month! Earlier in July, we went to my parents in NC for vacation. Jake had an awesome time. MeMe and PapPap spoiled him, of course. Here are some highlights:



Jake went to the beach for the first time! He was very excited. He loved the sand, the waves, the salt air....just like Mommy does. He had a blast with his Uncle Nate, who took him out "way far!" in the waves and helped him ride the boogie board MeMe bought.



Speaking of MeMe, here are Jake and my mom at the estuarium in Washington, NC. Jake really liked all of the open tanks they had with different crabs, shrimp, turtles and fish. They also had a baby alligator, which fascinated him.


Happy Fourth of July!



We had a lot of fun in NC -- sometimes too much fun. Jake's schedule got a little off some days. He handled it pretty well most of the time. He had a blast on the Fourth of July -- we had a cook out, he played with the neighbor girl, he went swimming (it was really hot while we were there), and of course we went to the fireworks down by the river. He got to stay up until 10:30 pm and have ice cream! He thought the fireworks were really cool. Either Nate or I held him the entire time (Poppy, who is not a big fireworks fan, stayed home with Charlie) and Jake just oo'ed and ah'ed the entire time. Here he is at the end of a long day. Thank goodness he isn't too old to want to snuggle with Mommy.




Here's the family, after our $900 Mexican dinner (there was a little error on the Visa charge...oops!). Uncle Keith is taking the picture, and once again, Poppy is home with Charlie, enjoying some peace and quiet. Everyone just loved Jake, and couldn't believe how big he's gotten. It was really nice to spend time with my sister and brother, and my brother-in-law and niece.

His vocabulary is certainly much bigger than most three-year-olds. He and PapPap were talking about something, and Jake said, "That's very disturbing!" We were talking on the phone to MoMom and PopPop and PopPop was surprised that he could 1) hold a conversation and b) understand everything Jake said, very clearly. You can tell and Alex and I don't talk down to him. If Jake doesn't understand a word, he just asks what it means.



Madison has its decorative cows, Washington DC has its donkeys and elephants, and Washington, NC has...crabs. (Insert your own joke here.) Jake really liked finding all of the different crabs around town. "They are so pretty, Mommy!"




Jake's cousin Elle is staying with MeMe ad PapPap this summer. She was so sweet to Jake. They liked to play "Chuzzle" together on the computer, and she would watch his cartoon shows in the morning.




Jake's very first friend was Morgan, the daughter of my parent's next door neighbor. They were born just two months apart, so she's an older woman. Morgan's mom is also an older mom (ahem), so we had a lot in common. We used to take Morgan and Jake strolling around the neighborhood. Now, they were old enough to actually play together. Morgan has a four-wheeler and an electric Jeep--lots of fun, although Jake asked her to "Go slow! Slow down!" when they were driving. Let's hope he still feels that way once he gets his license! This picture makes me think of the future, when Jake will be going on real dates, instead of play dates...sniff. Let's hope he dates teenage girls as sweet and nice as Morgan.



Here are the Pipsoes on vacation. We really did have a great time. As usual, it went by too fast. Jake keeps talking about the trip, saying, "I wish we could go see MeMe again today!" Me too.

Jake: The Third Year

Here's a video of Jake from his second to third birthday, with a soundtrack by one of his favorite bands (he is only three...)

Little Stories...

At school, they do a fun activity every month for the kids -- field trips, special visitors, etc. This month, Wayne the Wizard, Magician and Ventriloquist, is coming next week. Jake asked, so I explained what a magician and ventriloquist are. I asked what he will think when Wayne comes. "I will be so freaked out!" Hee, he makes me laugh...





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Jake is ready to move on. The other day he said, "When Pluto is gone, I should get a hamster." He can even tell you what kind of hamster. I guess Pluto won't be missed.





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Jake always notices what I'm wearing. He particularly likes necklaces.

Recently, I wore a couple of necklaces, layered. One of them is a small "P" Jake says "Mommy, I love your neck-a-lace" (always a three syllable word with him). "You have a P for me!" "Me too, Jake, my name is Piper, too." He looks at me as if I'm crazy: "No you're not, your name is Mommy!"





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We went to Door County for the weekend. (Happy Anniversary to Mommy and Poppy) The parts Jake liked most? The swimming pool and game room at the motel. Really, we could have stayed at the Holiday Inn down the road and he would have had just as good a time.






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Jake likes to play mechanic. The other day, he was "helping" Poppy. Alex gave him a real screwdriver, figuring he couldn't do anything with it. By the time I came outside 20 minutes later, Jake had removed every visible screw from his electric car...

Just So We're Clear...

Jake has many stuffed animals, but he is particularly fond of Bunny (a gift from Grandma on his first Easter), Emmephis (a stuffed elephant his Aunt Abby gave him when he was born), and Froggy (a gift from MeMe). Those three get to hang on his bed and sleep with him, instead of being relegated to the Pile (by his bed) or the dreaded net inside his closet (where bad stuffed animals go).

Tonight, Bunny was MIA. I had looked around, but could not find him. This conversation ensued:

J: "Mommy, where is Bunny?"
M: "I don't know, sweetie. Maybe he's on an adventure!" (brightly)
J: "Why?"
M: "Well, maybe Bunny went on an adventure so he could tell you all about it tomorrow."
(pause) J:"Mommy, Bunny is a stuffed animal."

Olbrich Gardens

We went to beautiful Olbrich Gardens here in Madison. It's near the lake, across from the Capitol. It's a gorgeous spot. It was a perfect spring day and Jake, Poppy, Charlie, and I had a wonderful time (Charlie slept the entire time). We would tell Jake to run ahead to a certain spot (like the tulips) and he would take off running, then talk to the flowers until we caught up with the stroller. He and Poppy had a great time exploring the Rose Garden tower and the Thai temple (only one in the United States).

Mother's Day

Jake made me a beautiful stepping stone with his hand print. He was so excited to show it to me, the first thing he said on Mother's Day morning was "Mommy, let's go open your present."

Here's some pictures of me and Jake and Charlie. The sweetest word in the world has to be "Mommy."

Jake & Poppy

Aren't my boys handsome?

Hairy Is Beautiful

The other day, Alex was changing shirts and putting on deodorant. This
conversation ensued:

Jake: "Poppy, what's that?" (pointing to Alex's armpit)
Alex; "That's deodorant."
J: "No, no, what's THAT?" (pointing again)
A: "Oh, that's my underarm hair. You'll have it when you grow up, too."
J: "No, I won't!"
Me: "Sure you will. All men have it."
J: "No they don't."
M: "Yes, they do. Your daddy does, too."
J: "No he doesn't!"
M: "Honey, he does. He has hair on his chest and face, too. When
you're a man, you are hairy."
J:" No, my daddy isn't hairy! He's beautiful!"

Boy, is he in for a surprise when he sees his Daddy this summer in a bathing suit...

Preclampsia Walk

Did you know that although more than 200,000 pregnant women get preeclampsia every year, no one knows what causes this sometimes deadly disease? Very little research is being done to find out causes, and possible cures, for this disease, which can cause premature births, developmental disabilities or delays, or even death and permanent damage for mother and baby. The Preeclampsia Foundation works to raise awareness about preeclampsia, HELLP, and related diseases, with the goal of getting more moms and babies the help they need, and ultimately, finding the cause and cure.

Alex, Jake, Charlie and I will be participating in the Madison Walk-A-Thon on Saturday, May 31. Your pledge will help enormously. Please email me if you'd like to support our walk for babies and moms. Thanks!

A Three Year Old's Love is Conditional

Sometimes, Jake looks so sweet and cute.

For the most part, he is. But he's reached that stage where he had demands -- demands which are not always met to his liking. When they aren't, he can get a tad....upset.

The other day, he was mad at me for something or other, and he told me he didn't love me. I asked why. "Mommy, sometimes I love you, and sometimes I don't, and that's just the way it is," he patiently explained.

"Well, I love you all the time," I replied, trying to hide my laughter. It's hard to argue with logic like that.

Boo Boo

Jake has had a fun weekend, but he hasn't been his most graceful. Friday night he managed to walk smack into the door frame, bonking his head. This morning, he did a face plant on the rocks by the driveway. He scraped himself up pretty good with that one.

Most of the time, Jake barely notices when he hurts himself. We've had issues at school where he comes home bruised or battered and we don't get a "boo boo" notice--and it's because unless the teachers see the cause, Jake rarely complains or tells them.

Today he cried a bit when he fell, and we went in and washed him off. I asked him if he needed a band-aid and he said no, just some "special cream" (Neosporin). And then he went about his day quite happily.

Tonight during his bath, I noticed that he really had scraped his arm. He noticed me looking. Once he saw his boo boo, he became very dramatic. "Oh, I need a band aid!" he said. I told him once he was dried off and in his pjs, we'd get him a band-aid and his "boo boo buddy" (a gel-filled ice pack that looks like one of the characters from the movie "Cars.")

While I was drying him, he kept saying anxiously, "I hope my pjs don't cover my angle!" Huh? His leg wasn't hurt, so I knew he wasn't talking about his ankle. He kept saying it and I kept not getting it until finally, in exasperation, he pointed to his elbow and said, "My angle, Mommy!"

Well, I guess it does make an angle when you bend it...

(Oh, and he got his band-aid and boo boo buddy. And short-sleeved pjs. All is well.)

Here's Jake, enjoying himself at the creek.








Jake plays his guitar outside...









Boys love sticks...








Do these two look alike or what?

Quick Takes

Jake has taken to trying to stuff his doll, Phil, up his shirt so he can be "pwegnant." He also likes to "feed" Phil like Mommy; he pulls up his shirt and puts Phil up to his chest.

Each day at school, he gets a note that tells me what he ate, when he napped, what his mood was like, and what his favorite things to do were. Imagine my surprise when his favorite thing was, "feeding his baby." At least he's nurturing his pretend baby and not trying to kill it!

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The other night, Jake laid both of his hands on my cheeks, looked at me very sweetly, and said, "I care for you, Mommy."

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Jake has started eating vegetables again (he used to love them). The other night, he actually asked for salad!

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We bought Jake a bunch of glow-in-the-dark stars for his ceiling. He also has Twilight Turtle, which projects stars onto his walls and ceiling. We turned the light off to see what the new stars looked like, and he said, "Look, Mommy! It's a whole consolation!"

*******

I was doing laundry today when Jake appeared about half-way down the basement steps. "Are you in the water, Mommy?" he asks. "Where's the water? Is it invisible?" He had heard us talking about how the basement was leaking...

Fish Are Friends, Not Food

Jake has a new pet! Welcome to Pluto the betta fish.

Jake has wanted a pet for a while. Since he can't have a cat (his first choice), we decided a betta fish would be a good starter pet. They're extremely low maintenance and inexpensive; the tank, food, accessories and fish all cost less than $20. And it's a lot less smelly than a gerbil and there's no chance of escape (or biting). Plus, Jake's classroom has a betta fish so he's familiar with them.

Jake picked out a lovely purple and white fish and a matching purple "house." (He wanted a green fish but you can't really find one.) At first he wanted to name his fish "Will" (rhymes with "Phil?") but ultimately decided on "Pluto." He's a little disappointed that he can't take Pluto for a walk, but so far has been a very responsible pet owner, carefully feeding Pluto each night.

Current Events Boy

The other day, Jake took a copy of the local paper, spread it out on the floor, and lay down to read it (I must confess, one of my favorite paper-reading positions). He quite seriously read through all of it, paying close attention to any car ads he saw. For some reason, he's convinced that we need a new car. He also muttered to himself at the articles, I guess disturbed by the news...