Merry Christmas!

Jake had a wonderful holiday. We were up before he was--he slept in until almost 7:30 am. He woke up in a great mood (and why not?)

We went downstairs and in our tradition, he put the 25th snowball on our Advent Snowman. Then it was over to the tree...where lo and behold! Santa had come and left a blazing red, flying V electric guitar, amp, and purple stand-up microphone. Jake was so excited, he was almost speechless. It's sad, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to top this gift. It's all he's talked about for months, and then it was there! Peaked in the gift-giving department at age three...

Then it was time for stockings and other presents. He really liked everything he got. We got him smaller stuff, as the guitar was his main gift -- games, DVDs, blocks, etc. But his family outdid themselves as always. Aunt Abby & Uncle Keith got him a Leapster Laptop, MeMe and Pappy got him a very cool cash register, Nanny got a Light Drawer, Uncle Ed & Aunt Linda and Uncle Greg and Aunt Vickie got gift cards...he had plenty of very nice gifts. His father dropped off a few presents to open, including a very cool digital art studio.

But the big gift was definitely the guitar. He played it all day long. He would make up songs and play his heart out, then turn to us and say very sternly, "Clap!" I think he would have slept with it if we let him.

We all stayed in our pjs all day long, grazing on snacks. Everyone got to eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. We watched "Shrek III" as a family that night, cuddled on the couch. Maybe it was just the Xmas spirit, but it was an almost perfect day--no fights, no tantrums, just love and happiness. A great day, other than me being on bedrest and having to spend most of the afternoon upstairs lying down....But Jake came up and asked to watch cooking shows with me, so we hung out together. He does like to watch cooking shows...and read cookbooks. If he doesn't turn out to be a rock star, maybe he'll be a chef!

Cattywampus

Jake's vocabulary has taken another huge leap. He's always been verbal, but now it's like talking to a 10 year old (or possibly a 30 year old).

Last night I made spaghetti and meatballs. (Jake will now deign to actually eat the pasta and sauce, not just the "balls of meat.") He was being very polite and practicing excellent manners -- asking me to please pass the salt and pepper, etc. He asked for the parmesan cheese and tried to shake it, but nothing was coming out because it had made that annoying clump it sometimes does.

Jake sighs and hands it to Alex, saying, "Poppy, can you please fix this? It's all cattywampus."

I'm sure that's something he's heard his father say. Between David's expressions, mine, and Alex's, it's no wonder Jake comes up with some funny phrases now and then...

Sense of Mortality

Where exactly does a three year old get a sense of mortality? He still insists Calvin the Cat is just sick, not dead, and he doesn't know his grandma died recently. Maybe at school?

At any rate, Alex showed him a video of a monster truck rally (he can't wait until one comes to town so he can take Jake--lord knows, I'm not going). Jake watched, and then Alex said, "So what do you think? Doesn't that look cool? Do you want to go with me sometime?"

Jake turned and looked at him as if he were crazy. "Why no, Poppy. I could be killed!"

Of course we explained that no one, including Jake, is actually in the cars when the monster trucks are crushing them!

Exploding Buildings

Poor Jake was absolutely terrified the other night.

He and Poppy like to watch Springsteen's "Atlantic City" video and there is a part where they show some of the old buildings being torn down. So Alex decided to find a clip of one of the hotels in Vegas being blown up, thinking Jake might enjoy it, as it's a total show--fireworks, music, a countdown, etc.

Jake was completely freaked out! He started sobbing. Finally, Alex brought him in and we figured out that Jake was afraid there were people still in the building who got hurt and that he was afraid it could happen to our house. We talked about it and explained how buildings are imploded, and that no one is ever, ever inside, and that could NEVER happen to our house. Finally he calmed down.

The next night, as soon as he walked through the door, Jake was asking to watch the "building blow up video" again. Poppy took him up to watch it and they talked about it. Turns out, Jake was fine so long as he knew that "Bruce" wasn't inside. Apparently, he made a connection between the Springsteen video and the implosion and was concerned that his hero Bruce Springsteen might have been hurt.

He then came downstairs and told me all about it. He asked again if our house could blow up and I said no. When I asked him why, he thought a minute and then replied, "It's made of metal!" We also talked about how our house was small and low to the ground, not high like a hotel. I asked if he thought anything else might blow up and he said, "Not Daddy's house. Not my school. They're too little." Yes! So he feels safe now, and I think he's proud that he watched the video again and didn't let it scare him.

Mommy's Helper

Jake and I had a really nice morning. We came home from the diner (our family Sunday ritual) and I asked him if he wanted to help me clean my and Poppy's room.

I turned on the iPod and he danced all over with his guitar, playing and singing. Once the room was clean, I switched the music to something a little mellower and we organized all the baby things. He was so helpful and so excited at seeing all the nice things for his baby brother. He particularly liked when I went through the clothes and told him if something had been his or his little brother Kyle's. He kept saying, "The baby will be so small!"

He also liked putting away the blankets and accessories, although he was a bit perturbed that the baby didn't have any toys. So I told him he could pick out a toy for the baby, from him.

He is SUCH a sweetie...

Smarty Pants

Jake has had a lot of colds/sinus stuff this fall/winter. He's gotten into the unfortunate habit of picking at his nose, mostly unconsciously.

I'm trying to help him break the habit, so I usually say, "Jake, please don't pick." when I see him doing it. Today, we were driving home and I saw him in the rearview mirror, picking away. So I say, "Jake, please stop picking."

To which he replies, "Mommy, you shouldn't watch me, watch the road!"

Oh Christmas Tree

We put up our Christmas tree over Thanksgiving weekend. Jake really had fun putting on all of the ornaments. We have a lot of ornaments that "do" something, so those were extra fun. We also talked about different ornaments, like the ones I've gotten him since he was born and the ones MeMe bought him. He liked hearing about when he was little.

The only thing he didn't like? The ribbons I put on the tree. Instead of garland or tinsel, I put gold wired ribbons on the tree, cascading down from the star.

The other night, Jake and I were looking at the tree. I said, "I like our tree this year, it's so pretty."

Jake thought for a moment, then replied, "Personally, I don't like ribbons, Mommy."

It was the "personally" that cracked me up...

Fingers and Sweetness And Love for Baby

Most mornings, I get Jake out of bed. Then he goes into Poppy's study to give him a hug and say "good morning." I sit on the stairs until Jake comes out so we can go down and get breakfast.

This morning, Jake was asking Poppy about some of the stuff on the bookshelves:

J: "What is that?"
P: "That's a book I bought when I was 14. That was 30 years ago. Do you know how long ago that is?"
J: "Why no! I don't have that many fingers!"

Much laughter coming from the stairs at that point...

***
Later in the morning, Jake and I got ready to leave for school. We walked out into the garage and Poppy had left the door up for us.

J: "Hey! Poppy left the door up for us!"
M: "Yeah, he did."
J: "That is so sweet!"

***
Jake gives the baby a hug and kiss every morning. We went to have pictures done and he was so sweet, posing with the baby. He likes to say that "It will be Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year's Eve, and then the baby will come and I will be so happy!"

Random Jake Stories

Tonight, I met some friends for dinner so Poppy and Jake got "manly bonding time" alone together.

They were watching Bruce Springsteen videos. Poppy showed Jake one where Bruce runs across the stage and does a cartwheel and sort of bounces up at the end. Jake thought he should do it too, except he doesn't know how to do a cartwheel. He would run across the room, then throw himself down on the floor. Then he'd bounced up and ask, "Do you think could Bruce could do that?" Um...

I didn't get home in time for Jake's bedtime, which is rare. I told Jake that if I didn't, I would be sure to come in and give him a kiss (which, of course I did). About 2:00 am, I hear "Mommy! Mommy!" I go in, and Jake (mostly asleep) says "Did you have good? Did you have good?" I think he meant did I have a good time. I said, "Yes, I did, but I missed you." I gave him a kiss, tucked him back in and he was out. Such a sweetie.

Happy Halloween from the Dark Side

Happy Halloween!

Jake had a great Halloween. When we asked him earlier, he said he wanted to be "Eddie" from the movie "Eddie and the Cruisers" or Elvis, specifically young (hot) Elvis from the '68 comeback special. Eventually it was just Eddie. One of his favorite songs for a long time was "On the Dark Side" from the "Eddie and the Cruisers" movie. He's seen the clip on YouTube dozens of times. Poppy will also show him the music numbers from the movie, including the sequel (how many of you have seen that particular tribute to 80s hair?). Jake also loves watching the DVD of the Elvis Comeback Special -- the one where Elvis was in great shape and wore black leather. Seeing Jake do "Jailhouse Rock" along with Elvis is quite the treat.

When we went out to a Halloween superstore earlier this month, we showed Jake a bunch of costumes. He fell in love with the "50s rebel leather jacket" and that was that.

It was funny, they had a party at his daycare on Wednesday and parents were invited. It was fun to see the kids all dressed up. There wre princesses, Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, Superman, a fireman, Brett Farve (it is Packer country) -- all the normal things you expect kids to dress up as. And then there was Eddie from "Eddie and the Cruisers." That's my Jake, always the individual.

Jake loves Halloween. We decorated the house inside and out with all of our many light-up pumpkins, talking skulls, ghosts and snow globes, etc. It's been orange and black here for a month now. Party City finally put up their giant, inflatable rooftop pumpkin a few weeks ago, and Jake waves "hi" to "Big Pumpkin" every morning on the way to school and on the way home. It was a sad day yesterday when Big Pumpkin was taken down...

Trick or treating went well this year. Jake went to a bunch of neighborhood houses and came bag with a giant bag of candy. He was polite and sweet, and played his guitar for anyone who asked. :-) He loved seeing all of the many decorations. Of course, all he wants to eat now is candy, but that's a whole different story...

That's My Poppy!

I'm late posting this, but Poppy's book is finally here! It should be in a store near you...ask for it by name, "The Sword-Edged Blonde" by Alex Bledsoe.

Jake thinks it's very cool that Poppy has his own book, although he doesn't really understand why there are no pictures. We went with Poppy yesterday to a reading at a book store downtown. Jake was very quiet and attentive, and clapped like mad when Poppy was done.

What Are You Thinking About?

Today was a beautiful fall day, so after Jake's nap we decided to go for a hike by the "cweek" -- our favorite walking park/trail. On the way there, the following conversation ensued:

Jake: "It's a beautiful day!"
Mommy: "Yes, it's really pretty. It will be nice by the creek."
J: "It will be quiet."
M: "What do you think you'll hear?"
J: "The trees. The creek."
Poppy: "The sound of the monkeys in the trees..."
J: "Nooo! I don't think so."
M: "Poppy, that's silly...what were you thinking of?"
J: (gravely) "Monkeys"

Poppy and Mommy just burst out laughing...

The What?

Jake loves to watch music videos, particularly of bands playing live. Poppy decided to play the Live Aid DVD with the performance of Queen, recently voted as the best live performance ever by Britons (in some survey). (By the way, this is the original Live Aid of the idealistic 80s, not the corporate, soulless more recent Live Aid).

Jake was pretty fascinate by Freddy Mercury -- as any sane person would be -- but then he started asking to see the "hoo hoos." Huh? "I want to see the Hoo Hoos!" Finally we figured out that he wanted to see the live performance of The Who, which Poppy had also told him was on the DVD.

That's Poppy's boy - he likes his classic rock.

Drumroll...Jake Got His Hair Cut!

If anyone saw a pig flying by, or heard the crack of ice far, far below their feet, don't panic -- it's not the end of the world. It's just that Jake finally got a haircut!

He showed up a couple of weeks ago from a visit to Daddy and Amy's with a very nice hair cut. It's so good to see my handsome little boy again! He got so many compliments on it at school. He was so cute about it, he would just duck his head and look sy, but you could tell he was pleased.

Daddy insists it was because he introduced Jake to the stylist the last time Daddy had to have a cut. That probably helped, but I really think it was because Jake had decided that he *wanted* a cut. He told me he was getting tired of pushing his hair away from his face. You can't make Jake do anything, you can only make him think it was his own idea...

I also think the fact that Daddy and Amy promised him anything he wanted at Toys R Us helped, too. At first, Jake apparently wanted a new toothbrush, until they foolishly took him to the bike section. He ended up with a new trike. :-)

Doesn't my little guy look handsome?

Pumpkins and Corn and Chickens, Oh My

We took Jake to a corn maze in Lodi last weeked. It was hot as blazes (high 80s) and let me tell you, being in a corn maze with no breeze when it's hot is not much fun. Jake liked it, though.

He and Poppy got to use a giant slingshot to shoot pumpkins into a pond at a target. If you hit the target, you won a prize. I think the real prize was for a big and little boy to get to cause mass pumpkin destruction....

Then we went through the maze. It took about an hour. You got a map of part of the maze, and navigated it to a mailbox with your next clue, with 8 clues in all. Jake got so excited when we would find the next clue. "Hey! It's the mailbox! We did it!" The best part for Mommy was the each mailbox had a bench, so I could sit down and drink some water. The heat was not fun for a pregnant woman! Not to mention one that had to go to the bathroom and had a baby kicking her bladder...I think we did the maze in record time, because about halfway through, I was done. Luckily, Jake thought we were in a race so he had a good time.

(By the way, he's not really alone in the maze, like the picture would lead you to believe. It was just a big open stretch and he was happy to get to run.)

Jake also got to meet a chicken -- actually a rooster -- but he was uninterested in the batch of chicks they had. Combined with his major crankiness, and my incipient heat stroke, we decided we had enough and took off for home. I guess there's a reason corn mazes, etc, happen in October, when it's usually nice and cool!

Huh?

Jake has gotten into the bad habit of calling repeatedly for Mommy and Poppy once he's in bed. I decided it was time he went back to going to bed right away, so I started telling him that if he could go to sleep and not call us, he'd get a special surprise the next day.

It's been working well, but then he went to his daddy's for a couple of nights.

Tonight, I remind him about getting a special surprise if he goes right to sleep and doesn't call us.

"What will it be?" he asks.

"Well, on Thursday you got to listen to Laurie on the iPod on the way to school," I reply.

"But what will I get tomorrow?"

"I don't know, it's a surprise. But it will be special," I answer.

Jake thinks for a minute, then his face brightens. "Hey! Maybe it will be a new lamp!"

Um..."Maybe!" I say, giving my silly little guy a big hug and kiss goodnight...

I"m King of the Oranges!

Jake's appetite can be iffy at dinner time. We have a few tricks up our sleeve to get him to eat. One is to have a contest about who can eat the most fill-in-the-blank. Jake and either Mommy or Poppy gets a serving, and then the non-participating parent counts "1-2-3-Go!" and the contest is on.

Jake usually wins. We actually made a crown that the winner gets to wear for the rest of dinner. Here is Jake, being King of the Oranges.

Mommy. That's Mean

The other night, I made dinner. I usually try to separate Jake's food, even when I put it on a "big boy" plate (no dividers). I put mandarin oranges on, then added a roll.

"Hey!" I hear. "That's mean, Mommy!"

"What? You asked for a roll," I say, puzzled.

"But it's touching my oranges and will get it all wet. That's really mean."

"Oh, sorry." What else could I say

Zoo, Schmoo

The weather was beautiful here last weekend, so we took Jake to the zoo. Madison has an awesome free zoo; not very large, but a good variety of animals and it's very kid friendly.

Normally, we have a fairly set routine of how we walk through the zoo. Last weekend was the "Zoo Fun Run" so we knew we had limited time before all the runners returned and the zoo got crowded. Poppy really likes the herpetology house (snakes, lizards, bats, etc.) so we decided to head that way.

We spent a lot of time on the way admiring the flamingos (because they're pink) and the badger (because it's Wisconsin and my child has been brainwashed to think badgers are cool). We also checked out the rhinos and the new giraffes--a bit hit. Jake loves how tall the giraffes are, and we got really close to the baby giraffe.

We arrive at the Snake House but....it's across from the new carousel and kids' play area. Of course, we had to go. Jake loves choosing an animal for the carousel ride, and waving madly every time he goes by. Then we did a penny race with one of those huge funnels; big fun to see whose penny would go down the drain first.

Then, on to the brand new play area. It's huge; a three-story tower of parental terror, with lots of rope bridges and tunnels and hidey-holes. It was absolutely crawling with kids.

Jake can be adventerous, but he's a "hang back and check it out" kind of kid. The first time he climbed up the rope ladder, it took him five minutes of cautiously testing it, and figuring it out how it worked. He was been literally crawled over by other kids. He didn't seem to mind, but it bugged me. Of course, when he reached the top we cheered him wildly.

There was a part of the structure that involved stacked rooms made out of thick plastic webbing. The idea was that you would crawl up into one through an opening at the bottom left, and get into the next one through an opening in the bottom right, and so on -- fairly safe, because a kid really couldn't fall down more than one small level. But the "rooms" were about shoulder-height on Jake--he had a really hard time climbing up. He tried the first one and said, "I can't do it, Mommy!" Through lots of patient coaxing and coaching, we got him to climb through. It was hard work though, made harder because a lot of much bigger kids would literally push him out of the way or crawl right over him, knocking him down when he had hauled himself halfway up.

It's very frustrating as a parent to watch that. Here's your little guy--who is little for his age, anyway--being tromped on by bigger kids. But you can't show your frustation or fear. No, you have to stay positive and encourage your kid (who's natural inclination would be too give up anyway because if he can't do it the first time, perfectly, he doesn't want to do it all at all) to keep going. Jake was SO proud and happy when he finally made it up to the top. He knew his limits though, and didn't go all the way to the very top level, where all the really big kids (and the big slide) were.

So we took him to the zip line. That was scary (for us). The zip line platform was over my head. Jake got to watch other kids go on it while we were waiting in line, so we explained what he needed to do. Poppy lifted him up and Jake grabbed on tight, then....wheeeeee! Off he went. At the end, he was probably three Jake lengths off the ground. Talk about scaring Mommy! But Poppy was there to catch him. It was so worth it to see the look of excitement and pride on Jake's face.

That's the hard part about being a parent, I guess -- not letting your fears get in the way of your child learning new things or stretching themselves. And not letting your protectiveness make you rude to other kids and/or parents! I mean, really: some of those kids were old enough to know to be gentle with littler ones, even if they didn't help them. I try to teach Jake that he needs to be nice to smaller kids, and help them out. While Jake was climbing the Webbing Ladder of Despair, only one little boy even noticed him and actually waited for Jake to pull himself up to the next level.

At the zip line, one other mom and I had to constantly go and fetch the handles and bring it back to the deck. Common courtesy would tell you, once your kid had done the line, you should bring it back for the next child, right? (Most of the kids had an adult with them.) But no....the kids would jump off and the parents would walk away. We told Jake when he was done, "Okay, let's take it back to the next person in line for their turn."

I can't believe we are the only parents trying to teach our child manners, respect, and kindness...are we?

Thank You, Thank You Very Much. Hunh.

Poppy and Jake listen to all kids of music. I'm constantly surprised by Jake's musical tastes. Don't get me wrong, he loves The Wiggles as much (or more) as any other three-year-old, but he also likes bands and singers most three-year-olds have never heard of.

The other day, a song by The Who was playing. I'm not a huge fan, so I changed the station. From the back seat I hear, "Hey! Turn it back!" Surprised, I ask, "Why?" Jake replies, "I like that one!" Once I returned to The Who, I was instructed to "Turn it louder, Mommy."

Jake really, really likes Elvis right now. In fact, I think Elvis may have replaced Eddie & The Cruisers as the favorite current band. I don't have much Elvis on my iPod, but Jake really likes the version of Elvis doing "Maybelline." Poppy bought a DVD of the famous "Elvis in Hawaii" concert, and Jake loves to watch and do all the Elvis moves. Here he is...all he needs is a spangly jumpsuit...


He likes lots of different Elvis songs, but "Guitar Man" is his favorite.

Sunrise, Sunset

Jake loves the sunrise and sunset. One of the things we do every morning when we get in the car is talk about what kind of day it's going to be--cloudy, sunny, cold, rainy, etc. Because the days are getting shorter (and we leave the house at 7 am) the sun is usually just rising as we leave.

He loves to talk about the colors and point it out to me, especially at the part of our commute when we come up over a hill and you can really see the skyline. "Oh! It so beautiful! Look at the pretty colors, Mommy!"

He used to say, "It's sunset, Mommy!" I explained the difference between sunrise and sunset, so I think he understands now. The other day, he slipped and said "sunset" when he meant "sunrise" and I gently corrected him. "Okay, but it beautiful!" Well, true. It is beautiful no matter what you call it...

Threes Are Literal...

Jake does really well with his potty training -- actually, he's done. The day he turned three, he decided he is a big boy and would go on the potty. And he has.

He does really well at listening to his body, and telling us when he has to go, even if we're out in public. The other day we were at Border's and he told me we had to go.

I took him into the ladies' room with me. He's not quite tall enough yet to stand at the toilet and pee over the rim without assistance, so I had to pick him up a little bit. I'm busy helping him get his pants and underwear down, while also lifting the seat and picking him up, when I say, "Now Jake, remember, don't touch anything in a public bathroom."

He replies, "But Mommy, I have to touch you!"

Um, well, true. :-)

Baby Names

Jake knows that Mommy has a baby in her belly, although he's not terribly excited by the idea -- probably because it doesn't seem real to him. (I don't think he remembers his stepmom being pregnant with his brother.) But he will ask every now and then, "Is the baby getting bigger?" and kiss my belly.

I told him he would be able to feel the baby moving around soon because the baby was getting so big. He got the strangest look on his face and kind of slowly leaned away from my stomach...

We ask him what we should name the baby. Here is his list of favorite names to date:

Pancake (his favorite thing)
House (apparently, some reference to Mommy's size)
and
Phil (which is his doll's name, for some odd reason)

I don't think we'll be going with any of those...

Things That Make You Go "Vrooom"

Jake has a car. Not just any old push-with-your-feet Fred Flinstone car -- no, this is a car "just like Mommy's!" It's an electric car that with a "gas" pedal, a steering wheel and horn, and more. Top speed? Three mph, although Jake thinks he's going 300 mph, at least.

It didn't take much for him to learn how to drive it. He's already an expert at wide turns and staying on the road (in this case, the sidewalk). He does sometimes get distracted by his own shadow: Hey! Look, I'm driving a car! But overall, he's a good driver. He loves feeling as if he is doing something Mommy and Poppy and Daddy do. And he likes that the more he practices, the better he gets (we're working on turning around in driveways). Reverse gear is still a issue, but that's true for adults sometimes--in fact, some adults Jake is related to (not naming names, of course).


Thanks to MeMe for the fabulous birthday present! Jake loves it!

Dissent & Revolt, Three-Year-Old Style

More birthday fun for Jake -- he got a cool purple lightening strap for his guitar! And because all rockers need to be rebellious, a "Dissent and Revolt" sticker for his guitar. I think it will end up being accompanied by Elmo and Blue's Clues, but hey, he's only three; rockers have to start somewhere.

The guys at The Guitar Center were most impressed with his guitar and the fact that he plays it so much. Jake was a little overwhelmed with all the noise (there were a bunch of guys there playing the electric guitar) but he really liked looking at all the different guitars hanging on the walls.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

It's Jake's third birthday. He's had a great day. Mommmy and Poppy woke him up by singing "Happy Birthday" and he got to eat both french toast AND cereal for breakfast.

He opened one present this morning -- a "real" two-octave kids' piano from Nanny. He was so excited! Now he can watch his "Laurie" DVD and either play guitar like Laurie or keyboards like Susie. Although after watching that DVD, he thinks you play the piano by standing up!

He had a great day at school and was "king" of the room. Mommy brought in a Curious George ice cream cake and special treats for all of his friends. Everyone said the cake was really yummy. Jake also got a present from his Daddy and Amy; a toy UPS truck. BIG hit.

In fact, UPS was part of his birthday: After dinner at McDonald's (Jake's favorite place to eat in the world) we drove by the district UPS facility and saw lots and lots of "PUS twucks, Mommy!" So cool. Jake can discuss the medium trucks, the 18-wheelers, what colors they are, what they might carry...he's quite the UPS truck expert. (Don't ask me, I have no idea why he's obsessed with them.)

He got his very own digital camera, a McDonald's gift card, a game, and a Wiggles DVD. Tomorrow he gets to see the Wiggles live in concert and he is very excited. On Saturday he has a family birthday party planned. Whew!

Of course, he didn't get one thing he wanted -- a rhinoceros. We discussed that we don't really have room for a rhino, so we decided we would have a pretend rhino for a pet. Jake decided that he would name him...."Bunny."

Currently, he and Poppy are watching "videos". The Beatles are a big favorite right now.

Sigh. I can't believe he's three. Seems like yesterday....

Random Stories

Random Story #1
Jake was playing his guitar the other day and singing. I couldn't quite make out the words. "Jake, are you singing 'On the Dark Side?'" Exasperated, he replies, "No Mommy, I'm singing 'Paper and Fire'." He likes his Mellencamp...

Random Story #2
While visiting in VA, my sister was nice enough to loan us her minivan. We got in one day and the door got stuck for a second before we could get it closed. From the back we hear, "Piece of crap!" Where did that come from?

Random Story #3
Every night Poppy and Jake watch videos on Poppy's computer, which sometimes acts up when downloading YouTube for some reason. The other night the Explorer window shut down, which is what happens when there is a problem. There's a heavy sigh and then, "Piece of crap." And NOT from Poppy...although I suspect that's where the phrase originated.

Shaggy Boy

Jake's hair cut boycott continues unabated. I'm not sure why he equates getting a hair cut with having a body part lopped off, but he does. MeMe almost had him convinced to let her cut his hair, but by the time we were in a place with scissors that would work, the moment had passed. I'm going to start carrying hair scissors around with me so I can take advantage next time!

Meanwhile, he spends a lot of time pushing his hair out of his eyes and generally looking like a sheepdog. Let's hope this phase passes before his hair gets longer than mine. (My dad suggested holding him down. I had to explain that there's no way you can hold a screaming, flailing three-year-old still enough for a hair cut without risking bodily harm to someone. Besides, it's not that big of a deal.)

The Fruits of His Labor

Jake loves to help me water. He has his own watering can, but he prefers to use my big one. He'll also help manage the hose, although he likes doing that for about one minute, then "It's all done, Mommy! That's enough!"

We have some pots in the backyard with tomato plants and green beans. Everyday, Jake says "Let's check our 'mato plants!" He loves to be able to pick the tomatoes and beans and he's very critical of if they are ready or not. We'll talk about just how red a tomato is, or it it's still orange. "Oh no, Mommy, this one not ready."

Here is Jake proudly display the fruits of his labor. Now if we can only get him to eat them...he doesn't actually like tomatoes to eat, just to grow...

Jake and the Elephant

We went to Circus World this weekend, which is sort of a living museum for the old summer camp of the Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey Circus. They have exhibits and a lot of the old buildings and equipment, but they also do shows and have fun stuff for kids.

Jake was VERY excited because he got to ride an elephant! I was sort of torn, because I'm actually against using animals in circuses, but he was so excited by the idea that we had to do it. Poppy was going to, but he couldn't because he hurt his leg working out the other day. I thought Poppy was being a wimp until I got on -- elephants are very uncomfortable! It was like riding a 6-foot-wide broomstick.

Jake fit perfectly, of course, and thought being up so high was cool. The elephant, Tomba, put its trunk back to smell us when we got on. I told Jake it's a good thing he hadn't eaten any peanuts or the elephant might have thought he was lunch! Jake laughed.

There was one other very exciting thing about the elephant experience...Tomba pooped! Yes, Jake saw real, live elephant poop.

J: "Mommy, he poop!"
M: "Yes, Jake."
J: "Why?"
M: "Well, it's like your book...'Everyone Poops'."
J: "He poop in the yard!"
M: "She's an elephant, she's allowed."
J: "He poop a LOT!"
M: "Yes, elephants poop at lot, they're big."
J: "Wow, he POOP!"

Jake was also impressed that Tomba was a movie star and has been in movies. In fact, when retelling the story, he says, "I ride an elephant. She a movie star!"

Jake liked the camels, too, but not when one tried to eat his hair. Yuck! He wasn't at all interested in the ponies.

We also saw these really cool and talened Chinese acrobats. Jake was enthralled by their tricks and feats, especially the younger kids they had in the show. I think he was planning on trying some tricks himself...

Two Firsts

Two "firsts" for Jake today:

One, he pooped on the potty! This is a big deal. He's been potty trained at school during the day for a long time (at home is another story), but he still always pooped in his pull-up. Today, he told his teacher he had to go potty. Then she heard, "Miss Mal-wee, I poopin'!" Big excitement! Now, if we can only get him to start going on the potty when he's home...

Jake's second "first" was exciting, but not as positive. He fell off his bed! Poor little guy, I heard him crying and ran into his room. He has rails on his toddler bed, but he's such a restless sleeper I guess he worked his way off. He bit his lip and has an "owie." I didn't realize it at first, and just gave him a hug and put him back to sleep. He couldn't settle down though, so I went back in and that's when I saw the dried blood. Almost gave me a heart attack. At any rate, he was cleaned up and it's just a little spot on his lip. He got some "gwape" (Tylenol) and some cuddles, and now he's fast asleep. I, on the other hand, am wide awake at 4:30 am....

The First Movie

Jake saw his first movie in the movie theatre!

It was rainy on July 4th, so we took him to the 10:00 am showing of "Ratatouliie." He's been obsessed with the movie since he saw a preview for it on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD he got for Easter. He would ask us to put it on repeat and watch it for as long as we could stand it. "The mouse! He steal the cheese! He runned away!"

So it was a big day when we told him we were going to finally see the mouse steal the cheese. He was fascinated with the theatre -- the outside with all the posters, buying the tickets, the huge screen, the seats, the snacks.

He doesn't quite weigh enough to keep the seat down, so when he first sat, it kind of folded up on him. He looked at me with this quizzical look, as if to say, "Is this how you watch movies in a theatre, Mommy?" Needless to say, he watched the rest of the movie from Mommy or Poppy's lap. He was very good, talking quietly and paying attention.

He did really well although he was ready to go about 20 minutes before the end of the movie. "I done, Mommy." We decided to go, but then Jake decided he wanted to stay after all. We were almost out of the theatre, so we found a seat down front. Unfortunately, another family was letting their little girl run up and down the aisles so Jake wanted to do that, too. We had a hard time making him understand that no, *we* sit in our seats to watch movies.

He applauded at the end and seemed to really enjoy it....even though the scene from the preview was never in the movie. Nope, the rat never did steal the cheese and run away.

Helping Peoples

Tonight on the way home, Jake and I saw a police care by the side of the road, helping a broken down car.

"Mommy, there's a police man!"
"Yes, he's helping someone."
"Why? Why he help someone?"
"Because that's what police do, they help people."
"Like Batman!"
"Um, yeah, like Batman. Sort of."
"And like Superman! He helps peoples!"
"True. Although police officers can't fly or stop planes. They're just regular people. Who else helps people?"
"Um. Batman helps peoples!"
"Yes. So do firemen."
"And Superman! He helps peoples!"
Sigh. "Yes Jake, you're right."

Hair Washing

Jake hates having his hair washed. Every night at bathtime, he says, "Don't wash my hair!"

It's become such a battle that hair washing went from a nightly occurence to a once-a-week trauma (for all involved). Poppy has been working tirelessly to overcome the hair washing phobia.

Last night, breakthrough was achieved: hair washing without tears! AND soap! Alex let Jake help pour the water (with quite a bit of help). It took about 7 minutes and a lot of negotiation to wash the hair, but washed it was. Hurray!

Jake was so proud of himself and of course, he received lots of praise for his bravery. He behaved so well at bathtime last night that he didn't get dinged any vidoes at all, his normal consequences for bad behavior. So he watched "Johnny Quest," Grand Funk Railroad ("That was great!"), and all of this other favorites. Then it was time for story, song from Mommy, snuggles, Mommy's Magic Sleepy Safety Dust, and bed. A nice end to a nice day.

That Was Great!

Jake's musical tastes run to fairly simple rhythms. The other night, Alex showed Jake a clip of "Some Kind of Wonderful" by Grand Funk Railroad. Jake watched, completely fascinated, then said, "That was GREAT!"

Jakeisms

Here are some of Jake's favorite expressions:

"What are you talking about, Mommy?" (said in exasperation, when he doesn't understand something I'm trying to tell him)

"Oh my goodness!" (when something surprises him)

"Good my grief!" (when something amazes him)

"Dagnabbit" (when something annoys him)

"Bummer, dude" (when something disappoints him)

If Only...

After being away from Jake from Tuesday through Friday, it was wonderful to come home. As much fun as he had with Poppy, he cried for me every night at bedtime...not something he's done for a long time.

After hugs and kisses, Jake and I spent the evening together hanging out--playing outside, eating popsicles, etc. We were cuddled up watching "Curious George." After each episode, they show a bunch of kids doing something related to whatever George learned about in the episode. They always preface it by saying, "Curious George is a monkey so he can do things you can't do."

I said, "Oh yeah, we can't do that." Jake says, "You can, Mommy! You can do anything you want to do!"

I wasn't sure what to say...was he spouting back some affirmation he'd heard at school? Or expressing that adults can do what they want? I figured given the context, it was the latter. "No, Jake, even Mommy has rules and things she can't do. Everyone does. And everyone has to have good behavior."

He just looked at me and sort of rolled his eyes. I guess from his perspective, adults can do whatever they want to do...if only!

Go, Go, Go!

Jake was quite impatient this morning in the car. We were sitting at the light, getting ready to get on the Beltline. It turned from red to green. "Go, Mommy, go!" I hear from the back seat.

"Jake, there are cars in front of me, I have to wait."

"But it's the green arrow!"

"I know, but I have to wait for the cars in front of me to start driving, or I will hit them. Besides, we're going now."

"Yeah, but that car is winning!"

Oh my, I've created a speed demon. Every time I stopped at a stop sign, he would pipe up, "Go, go, go! Mommy, let's go!"

He was also in a singing mood today. Besides Laurie, he sang along to Eddie and the Cruisers and Kermit the Frog. Kermit sings "The Rainbow Connection" which is the song I've sung every night to Jake for...well, years now. It was so sweet to see Jake singing along and smiling, although he said, "That song makes me tired!" I guess he associates it with bedtime!

Big & Little

Alex got a guitar from our friend Jen (her old practice guitar, thanks, Jen!) so he could learn to play and teach Jake. He even got the chording for "We Are the Dinosaurs," Jake's favorite song.

As Jake said to me this morning, while getting into the car, "Poppy is a good guy, Mommy."

Going to Bed & Waking Up

Last night, Jake had a hard time going to sleep. He actually hopped out of bed and came down the hall a couple of times (usually he just calls for us).

One time he appeared at my bedroom door and said, "Mommy!" (big smile). I said, "Jacob..." and he finished, "...Nathanael Piper!" Little smartie.

This morning, he woke up very early, at 4:45 am. I heard him stirring around. He fell back asleep a couple of times, but was pretty restless. I got up at 5:30 to take my shower. I heard him over the monitor saying, "Mommy! Mommy? Come here, I love you!" He kept repeating it, and when it had no effect, he switched to, "Mommy! Come out and get me! I need kisses!" He never got upset though, and was in a really good mood when I got out of the shower and fetched him for kisses.

I'm Gonna Be a Rock Star!

Jake finally realized a long-cherished dream -- at least, as long-cherished a dream as a two-year-old can have.

He got his very own guitar.

He was so excited! He actually slept with it the first night. He likes to play and sing, "just like Laurie." In fact, we put on his Laurie Berkner DVD and he runs around and plays to all of the songs.

I picked him up from school today and the first thing he said was, "Hey! My guitar is at home."

He likes when Poppy or I play rhythm on his drums or tamborine. We are not allowed to sing, of course.

Who knew that so much happiness could be had for $15? Ask Jake if he's going to be a rock star when he grows up and he says, "Oh yeah!"

Feel the Love, Part II

Jake has been very affectionate lately. He tells us he loves all of the time. Except, he says, "I love you, too!" Which is doubly cute, because not only he is expressing affection, he's acknowledging the fact that he knows we love him.

Nothing is better than having your adorable son come up to you, throw his arms around you, and say, "I love you too, Mommy! More than anyone!" Sniff. Melt.

Of course, he's not above using affection to get what he wants. At night, his favorite delaying tactic at bedtime is to ask for a hug. "Poooooopppppyyyy!" he'll call. Poppy sticks his head in the door. "What's up, Jake?" "I need to give you a hug!" says Jake, holding his arms out. Who could resist?

Thank You. Thank You Very Much.

Jake is getting more adventuresome in his choice of evening "videos" with Poppy. His current faves:

* "Don't Mess Around With Jim" (their toothbrushing song, for some reason)
* Brandy (the "hippie" song because it shows the original band with their 70s hair)
* Our friend Jen Cass singing at her husband's birthday party (probably because it also shows her little girl)
* KT Tunstell's "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" (woo hoo!)

And of course, Elvis. The other night, Elvis said, "Hunh!" during the video in that Elvis way. Jake went, "Hunh!" complete with head toss and lip curl. Don't mess with the King, baby...

Superman!

What is it with boys and superheroes?

We don't watch any of the superhero cartoons--they are way too violent for Jake's age. But during nightly "videos" he and Poppy watch little You Tube clips of various superheroes. Batman, Superman, Spiderman...Jake loves them all (including Wonder Woman, which makes Mommy happy).

One video shows various clips from the Superman movies, set to the theme music. Jake loves when Superman says, "Would you care to step outside?" and when he saves the plane from crashing. "Wow! He stop the plane!" He can sing the Spiderman cartoon theme song.

In fact, Spiderman is his favorite. I'm not sure if its because right now Spiderman is everywhere, but he prefers Spiderman to Batman or Superman. Which is funny, because as we know all men choose a superhero allegiance fairly early on in life. You can tell a lot about a guy based on who is favorite superhero is.

Jake's dad likes Superman; Jake's poppy likes Batman. Jake, perhaps wisely, chose Spiderman. He has a Jake-sized stuffed Spiderman that Gran Grace bought him. He sleeps at the foot of Jake's bed and keeps Jake's room monster-free.

Despite his fondness for Spiderman, imagine Jake's glee when he saw this enormous statue of Superman in Metropolis, IL. He couldn't stop looking. He thought it was really cool! A Superman visit is definitely a nice way to break up a long car ride...

Sleepy Boy

The cry comes at 3:00 am -- "Mooooommmyy!"

Is he sick? He's been coughing. Did he have a nightmare? He's been talking a lot about monsters. So in I go.

From under the covers comes a little hand holding a sock, then a bare foot is thrust at me. "Put my sock on!" I put the sock on.

"Give me my paci!" I find the paci on the floor and hand it over.

And he's out like a light.

While I'd never let him get away with such preemptory behavior while awake, it's sort of sweet to know that in the night, he completely trusts Mommy to take care of him.

My Little Comedian

Jake has a thing about throwing away trash (not suprisingly, given who his mom is). He loves to throw away trash. He's learned that used napkins, empty snack packages, and more all belong in the trash. He also knows that if you leave a sippy cup out with juice or mlik, "it's old" and needs to be thrown away.

The other day I was dressing Jake in the morning and as usual he was not cooperating. (After all, getting dressed means leaving the house, something my little hermit crab would rather not do unless McD's is involved.) I said something like, "Jake, please come here, I'm getting too old to get up and chase you."

Surprisingly, he did. Then:

J: "Mommy, you are OLD."
M: "No, I'm not!"
J: "Oh yeah, You OOOOOLLLLDDD."
M: "Really."
J: (devilish twinkle in his eye) "Yeah, we throw you away!"
M: (mock horror) "No! You can't throw me away!"
J: "Oh yeah!" (laughing)
M: "Well, I'm not so old I can't catch you and tickle you!"

Which of course, I did. Much hilarity ensued.

Hee, Jake is starting to make jokes. I suppose that too is not suprising, given who his daddy and poppy are.

It did hit home a little. Poor guy, when he is in college I'll be as old as my mom is now, and ready for retirement. Not that I'll be able to afford to retire, given the likely cost of tuition.

On The Dark Side...Oh Yeah

Jake loves music. He loves to sing, he loves to dance. Every night he and Poppy watch "videos" on YouTube. Jake's favorite (besides Spiderman, Superman, etc.) is a clip from "Eddie and The Cruisers" where they sing "On the Dark Side." Jake bounces and claps along. He has a little toy microphone and he walks around the house singing "Eddie and the Cwuisers song, Mommy!"

He likes to watch any kind of music video and concert DVDs fascinate him. If you ask him, he will tell you he wants to play guitar or drums.

On a recent trip to Tennessee, Jake got to see Alex's stepfather play a REAL guitar. It was a major moment in his young life. He stared and stared. The expression on his face when he got to actually touch the strings as A.C. was playing was priceless.

Maybe one day he will be a world-famous scientist/rock star!

Of Apples, Sponges, and Pitchers

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, that little minds are like sponges, and that little pitchers have big ears. So true!

It's always amazing to me to hear Jake repeat something back to me that I say, or act the way I would act, or remember something we've talked about but not recently. Having a child is like having a little mirror with an odd reflection...often fuzzy and sometimes crystal clear--usually when you least want it to be. Like when you're in the car in traffic and from the backseat you hear, "Go! Get a move on!" (ahem)

This morning, Jake was watching the episode of Oobie where Oobie gets scared. Oobie talks to other kids to find out what they do when they get scared. So I asked Jake what he does:

J: "I run away!"
M: "Really? Then what?"
J: "I find a mommy!"
M: "You mean me?"
J: "No, a mommy with kids."

I finally realized he was repeating back what we talk about when we read "Little Red Riding Hood" -- don't talk to strangers, and if you get lost, you should look for another mommy with kids and ask for help. Still not sure why he connected that with being scared, as he's never been lost, but good to know he remembers!

A little while later, I was dressing him and I asked him to get his sneakers:

J: "I no see them." (shrugging, hands up the air)
M: "Oh, I think we left them at school."
J: "Bummer, dude!" (with major eye roll)

Of course, that's what I say in a similar situation when he's around, instead of cursing. Good thing, or I'm sure something entirely different would have come out of his mouth!

He also made me "breakfast" this morning. This means making "coppee" with his pretend coffee maker, toast with his pretend toaster, and then smearing "jam" on it from his play food. He serves it up very neatly on one of his play plates, and hands me the cup. He gets a serving too and takes a big sip, then lets out a big sigh of satisfaction (I think that's a Daddy and Poppy mannerism). Suddenly, he jumps up -- "We need napkins for manners!" Too funny.

I suppose I realized what a big responsibility this motherhood gig is, but now I really need to pay attention to what I say and do when he's around! Gotta model that good behavior...

Meet My Son, Sampson

It started with a spritz of water.

Of course, it is my fault because I should have told the stylist that Jake fears and loathes the idea of water on, near, or even spoken of in relation to, his head. (Washing his hair is a weekly, much-dreaded ritual that requires tears, pleading, and fear -- and that's just on my part.)

Yes, we tried to get Jake's hair cut. I thought we did everything right. We talked about what would happen. We excitedly speculated on how cool he would look, and how impressed everyone at school would be. We brought the mini DVD player so he could watch Mickey Mouse in "Twice Upon a Christmas" (aka "Million Upon a Never-Freaking-Ending Christmas" given its heavy rotation year-round) while getting his hair cut. He got the choice of sitting in Poppy's lap or in the way-cool seat shaped liked a car (he chose the car). We promised treats.

But nooooooo. As soon as the first spritz of water hit his head, the arms went up, and the screaming began. And I do mean screaming. Loudly. At the top of his lungs, not to mention vocal register. He got so worked up that we couldn't even talk him down or through it. The stylist stood by helplessly. Unlike some, she didn't try to gut it out, she just refused to touch him. Of course, the other customers looked on in semi-horror. Which, let's be clear, doesn't actually bother me; I don't care what they think about my parenting skills. I do want Jake to learn that he has to respect other people and screaming and making people flinch is not respectful. And I don't want him terrified, either.

Once we reached the point where calm reason and hugs could reach him, we had to leave. (You can't not give in to the tantrum on something like this, it's not fair to the innocent bystanders.) On the way home, we had a long talk about bad behavior and consequences -- as in, no, we were not going to McDonald's and no, he could not watch videos or play when we got home, he could go to bed. We love him, nothing will change that, and he can always have hugs and kisses, but bad behavior results in consequences.

We reinforced the lesson with another personal grooming session. He badly needed his toenails cut (I used to do it in his sleep, but now he wakes up!). I told him that if he let me cut his nails with no crying, screaming or flailing, he could have two M&Ms. That would be his reward for good behavior. If he didn't have good behavior, no M&Ms and no bedtime story. It was hard, but he gutted it out and let me lop off the oh-so-valuable toenail body parts. Hurray! Celebration dance, high fives, hugs, kisses, and M&Ms all around. I asked him after I tucked him in which felt better, good or bad behavior, and he actually said, "Good!"

Let's hope a lesson was learned. Meanwhile, he's starting to look like an Ewok. Soon we'll have to use barettes to hold his hair back...

Sandbox World

Jake got a new sandbox. He LOVES the new sandbox. Much time is spent building castles, walls, and making molds with the deluxe sandbox tool kit he also received. He particularly likes adding water, just a little bit at a time, so the sand is at the right consistency for building. He can play for quite a while in his sandbox.

In fact, the only other outside thing that holds his attention for as long is his new "Super Bouncy Ball." A mere quarter in a cheesy dispenser at the grocery store has purchased hours of fun. He likes to bounce it against the garage door. It's most hilarious when Mommy bounces it really high. But best of all is when Mommy has to chase it down before it rolls into the street. Good times!

Happy Mother's Day!

Or as Jake thinks of it, Mommy's birthday.

Jake made me lovely card, with lots and lots of tape. "I tape, Mommy!" It also had stickers, pictures, and drawings. Jake has just learned to draw a circle (or at least, something vaguely egg-shaped) so all of his art now contain what look like lopsided donuts. "He" also got me a beautiful necklace with a charm containing his name and birthdate, and all my gardening stuff (pots, plants, flowers) so we can garden together.

It was Jake's weekend at Daddy's, but given that this was a special occasion, he went to Daddy's Thursday night through Saturday night so he could be home for "Mommy's Special Day." For whatever reason, he did not want me to have the necklace (which he brought with him from Daddy's house). He tried to tear it off my neck several times. "No! No Mommy, no!" But he couldn't tell me what, exactly, he objected to. I wore it anyway and caught him eyeing it throughout the day, obviously plotting how he could remove it. Today, he finally told me why. "Jake, you gave this to me." "No, I not. Amy did." "Is that why you don't want me wear it?" "Yeah." "But it has your name and birthday on it. I love it because it's celebrates the day I became your Mommy. It's beautiful." "It not beautiful. It not nice." Shrug.

He was so sweet and loving most of the day (other than that) so it was quite the surprise when he walked into the kitchen, tore down the card he had made from its place of honor on the refrigerator, and tore and crumpled it up. "No, Mommy!" he said sternly as he placed it in the trash. Apparently, he was mad at me, I think because I was making dinner and he didn't want to eat it. (Or maybe because he had made it at Daddy's house? Who knows...)

I took him upstairs to change his Pull-Up and he said, "I don't love you, Mommy." Sigh. "Well, I love you, Jake." "Yeah." (shrug) "Are you mad at me?" "Yeah. I DON'T love you." "Well, you can be mad at me, it's okay. Just say so. I will still love you."

Of course later on all was forgiven and it was hugs and kisses and love. But man, it goes right to the heart when they first drop the "no love" bomb....Happy Mother's Day...

Mommy, You Have Owie?

My darling boy is perfectly aware that some people are boys and some are girls, but has never shown the slightest curiosity as to why this is so.

The other day I was wearing a v-neck shirt. I was bending over, putting his pjs on after his bath, when he got a very concerned look on his face. He started patting my cleavage. "Mommy, you have an owie?" "No, sweetie, that's Mommy's chest. Mommy is a grown-up girl, so she has bumps on her chest." "Oh. Looks like an owie."

Apparently, all the memories of breastfeeding have faded away...

Burps & Good Behavior

Riding home tonight, Jake burped. The conversation went like this:

J: "I burp!"
M: "Say excuse me."
J: "Mommy burped!"
M: "No, I didn't burp."
J: "Yeah!"
M: "No, I didn't. You did."
J: (Burp -- "catches" it in hand) "Here Mommy, it for you!"

Gee, wonder where he learned that...(Poppy)

We went to Kohl's tonight. I told him if he behaved, we would go to "Old McDonald's" for dinner.

J: "No! I no want to have!" (pronounced hayv)
M: "Jake. Can you have good listening ears?"
J: "Yeah!"
M: "Can you be respectful?"
J: "Yeah!"
M: "Can you have good manners?"
J:: "Yeah!"
M: "Then you can behave. That's all it is."
J: "Nooooo!"

Luckily, he had good listening ears, respect and good manners so he got to go to McDonald's. But according to Jake, he is not a have!

Yes, It's Dead

What is it with boys and gross things? Jake saw a crushed soda can in a parking lot yesterday, with some leftover Coke spilled out. "Ew! Gwoss! That yucky!" He was completely disgusted by the soda baking in the the sun. (And yes, we picked up the can and threw it away; trying to teach him to be a good citizen).

But give him a dead, bloated, stinking muskrat to poke with a stick and he's in heaven...

Jake The Flirt

Jake is quite the flirt. One of the teachers at his school came up to me at pick up time and said, "Jake is sooo sweet! He picked a dandelion for me and said "You my girl, this for you.'" His teacher Miss Melissa said, "Hey! He did the same thing for me!" I guess when he's three he'll learn about juggling his girlfriends better... :-)

He does this when we're out, too. Today he had to go to the doctor (he has another sinus infection). He always flirts with the nurses -- makes sure he smiles, says "Tank you, Miss Pat" and gives them a shy little look from under his lashes. Of course, they always swoon over him and say what a polite, cute boy he is. Which he eats up with a spoon.

I guess it's tough being adorable.

Conversations with Jake, May 1

Jake was very funny on the way to school today. He kept asking me what character his different Toy Story gummies were -- "Who dat, Mommy?" I explained to Jake that Woody is a cowboy and what a cowboy is, and that Buzz Lightyear is a spaceman, and what a spaceman is. He thought about it, and decided that he wants to be a cowboy. Then the conversation went like this:

J: "Mommy, where my horse?"
M: "You don't have a horse. You can have a pretend horse, though."
J: "Oh. Okay. But where my real horse?"
M: "You don't have a real horse, sweetie."
J: "Why? Why I no have a real horse?" (genuinely puzzled)
M: "Because you have to have lots of land to have a horse. You can't just have a big yard, you need to live out in the country, with land and a fence."
J: "We don't have a fence."
M: "No, we don't."
J: "Where *is* the country?"
M: "You know how you drive to Daddy's house, and you go past the cows in the field, with the fence? That's the country."
J: "That's the country???" (very surprised)
M: "Yes. The country has lots of land, and fences and barns for the cows and horses. Horses need land to roam on, fences and barns to be happy."
J: "Okay."

He just cracks me up. At one point, we had to wait for a school bus to pick up kids. Then the conversation went like this:

J: "Hey, that a school bus!"
M: "Yes, it's picking kids up to take them to school."
J: "My Daddy and me went on a school bus."
M: "You did? Where did you go?"
J: "To pick a pumpkin!"
M: "Wow, you went with Daddy on a school bus to pick a pumpkin with your friends. That's cool!"
J: "Yeah" (heavy sigh) "I miss Daddy."
M: "I bet he misses you, too. You will see him tomorrow, on Wednesday, though."
J: "I will?" (happy)
M: "Yes, you will. Then it will be my turn to miss you when you're gone."
J: "I miss you, too, Mommy. And I miss my Amy. And I miss my Poppy."
M: "I know, but you are so lucky to get to live with Mommy and Poppy, and go visit Daddy and Amy. Not everybody has four people to love them that much."
J: "I know." (very smug, happy look)

We also had a conversation about the seasons (we've been reading a Dora book about seasons) and he informed me that it's "ping" because the pinecone flowers are on the ground. I guess he thinks pinecones are evergreen flowers. Too funny.

Jake Shows the Love

Who said that little boys aren't affectionate? Well okay, maybe I did. Jake isn't the most affectionate kid in the world...mostly when he's tired. Otherwise, he's too busy.

I kept him home on Friday, May 4. We had the BEST day. Lots of fun and bonding, just Jake and me. We were at the grocery store and in one aisle, I gave him a hug and kiss and told him I love him. A couple of aisles later, he patted my hand and said, "I love you Mommy" and then reached up to give me a hug and kiss. He was so sweet and serious about it and I got sort of teary-eyed. I said, "I love you, too, Jake. I'm so lucky to have a boy like you." He said, "No, *I* lucky." Just about made me cry in the middle of Copp's!

Here's Jake with his easter basket...showing the love to his M&Ms and jellybeans ("Dey my favowite, Mommy!")

Get Buff!

Alex has been going to a personal trainer. I tease him by doing my Cartman impression...you know, from the episode where Cartman is bulking up and he says, "Yeah, but I'm the one that's gonna be on tv, looking all buff."

Last night, Alex was leaving for the gym. I asked Jake, "Where is Poppy going?" Jake says, "To the gym." I ask, "Why is he going to the gym?" Jake says, "To get buff!"

It's Back

Well, I sort of lost track of posting stuff on this blog. I did update everything on my Yahoo 360 blog. See it here. So you can read posts about Jake until he was 18 months old.

What's he doing now? Pretty much everything! I can't believe he's going to be three years old in a few months.

I won't be writing in Jake's voice anymore, but I will share stories about MABITU (most adorable boy in the universe). He's quite the character. So check back often.