Happy Easter!

Jake had a great Easter. The Easter Bunny came to Daddy's house in the morning and at home in the afternoon. Double the sugar, double the fun!

Although at home, Jake's favorite Easter egg filling was quarters. And MeMe and PapPap sent money in a card. Jake said, "Look! A dollar!" We explained that it was FIVE dollars, but Jake insisted it was A dollar. Either way, he was happy. He spent his $5 and his $2 in Easter egg money on a book later that day. That's my boy...

He had a great time helping to make dinner. We made banana pudding with Nilla wafers, pudding, whipped cream, etc. and then topped them with purple Peeps. He was very artistic, layering his ingredients and putting the Peeps on just so.

He does NOT liked deviled eggs though. He took one taste and was practically scraping it off his tongue! Must be his father's side, everyone else in our family loves my deviled eggs...

Just Drive...

Doesn't Jake look too cool in his car? I predict a lot of broken hearts 15 years from now... (just because so many girls will want him, but he'll be too polite and nice to play the field, I hope)

Man Nipples?

Jake has a habit of getting completely naked during his evening "Poop Break," which was created to make sure he "goes" -- otherwise, he'd hold it for days with predictably uncomfortable results.

Anyway, I was sitting on the stairs outside the bathroom waiting for him. Suddenly, Jake got a very puzzled look on his face and the following conversation ensued:

J: "Mommy, what is this?" (pointing to his nipple)
M: "That's called a nipple. Everyone has two."
J: "But why?"
M: "Well, mommies like me use them to feed our babies, like I feed Charlie."
J: "So can I feed a baby?"
M: "No, only mommies can. Boys like you have nipples, but they don't work. They're just for decoration." (Well, what was I supposed to say? Not even scientists agree on why men have nipples!)
J: "But why? I want to feed a baby!"
M: "Sweetie, I don't know. But everyone has them. You do, and Poppy does, and so does Daddy."
J: "No, Daddy doesn't have them."
M: "Yes, honey, he does. Girls and boys have them, just like we have noses and toes and ears -- everyone does, including your Daddy."
J: "No! Daddy doesn't!"
M: (sighing yet laughing) "Yes, trust me, your Daddy has them, too."
J: "NO! Poppy does, but Daddy doesn't!"
M: "Okay, you can check next time you see Daddy. But everyone has them, Jake."
J: "Not Daddy."

I'm not sure why Jake insists that Daddy is nipple-free, but he is going to be sadly disappointed next time he sees Daddy...

Baby Van Gogh

This morning, Jake was sitting next to me with his paper and pens.

M: "What are you doing, Jake?"
J: "I'm drawing Monster Trees."
M: "Wow, Monster Trees! That's cool! I can't wait to see!" (trying to be supportive of my child's creativity)
J: (very exasperated) "No Mommy, I said I'm drawing a MASTERPIECE."
M: (face red) "Oops, sorry."

How Was Your Day?

Sometime during dinner, I usually ask Jake, "How was your day?" and then leading questions about what he did at school.

Last Sunday, Jake came home from his dad's and we sat down for dinner. Jake leans over and very seriously and sweetly says, "Mommy, how was your day?" When I said, "Pretty good, but I missed you." he replied, "I missed you, too! What did you do?" and then proceeded to make comments and ask more questions as I told him what I'd done that day. He did it again last night. The kicker is that he seems genuinely interested in the answers...too cute!

More Coolness

Jake got a temporary heart tattoo from one of his school friends for Valentine's Day (along with way too much candy, but that's another story).

He was fascinated! He thought he was so cool to have a tattoo "just like Poppy." He really wanted another one and finally I found some acceptable ones at Copp's, the local grocery store (they are made in America from all-natural vegetable dyes). He loves putting in his 50 cents (from his piggy bank) and seeing what cool tattoo he gets.

Of course, we had to explain that he can't get a permanent tattoo until he's 18. I softened the blow by explaining that he can try lots of cool different tattoos between now and then. Meanwhile, he loves making "muscles" and showing off his tats.

Cool, Man...

Some things, like leather jackets, just never go out of style when you are a cool rocker...

The other day, I asked Jake what he wanted to be when he grew up.

J: "A rock star, Mommy!"
M: "What kind of rock star?"
J: "Like Bwuce!"
M: "Oh, so you're going to play the guitar?"
J: "Yes, and I will sing, too. I will have lots of different guitars, because Bwuce does." (I love how he has that Elmer Fudd thing going on with his "r"s, it's so cute.)
M: "Bruce writes his own songs. Do you think you will, too?"
J: "Yes, I will use my words and be on videos!"

Hee. Jake talks a lot about "his words" lately. I think it's because they are focusing on getting the kids to "use their words" as school, instead of hitting or getting mad. When Jake gets upset at us, he will say, "Listen to my words!" Of course, then he often cannot tell you exactly what words he wants you to pay attention to...more that he wants you to pay attention to him, I think.

Wheels On the What?

Jake's teacher told me that Jake and his friend JT were playing music -- they were using the big wooden blocks as pretend guitars and microphones. Jake was singing one of his songs (probably the Goo Goo Doll's "Better Days," his most recent favorite). Apparently, JT asked, "Can we sign "Wheels on the Bus'?"

It's tough to be ahead of your peers...

Thanks, Mommy

Jake tends to get twisted up in his covers when he sleeps, or they get knocked off the bed. Usually, I check on him a few times a night, when I'm up with baby Charlie, but sometimes Jake will call for me because he's cold.

Sometimes, but not always, I'll hear a soft little "Thanks, Mommy" when I go in to tuck him back in, even if I think he's asleep. It's so sweet!

Roar!

Jake got some giant building blocks for Christmas -- the large cardboard kind that are great for building forts. (And causing scars -- Mommy has a scar on her eyebrow from being hit in the face with one of those blocks as a kid, although to be fair, the block opened an existing wound that came from sliding off a bald man's head. Really. Okay, on second thought, never mind the block story, it's just too weird and I'm sure they've improved the cardboard technology since 30 years ago.)

Jake likes to build forts with the blocks. When he builds them with Poppy, they pretend to be Godzilla and Mothra and knock the forts down while roaring loudly. When he builds them with Mommy, they make interesting architectural statements and play inside the fort.

Here is Jake and his doll Phil in a Mommy fort, being attacked by Godzilla. Shortly after these pictures were taken, Phil was thrown to Godzilla as a distraction while Jake escaped...

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem...

In one of his videos, Bruce Springsteen plays his guitar without wearing a shirt. Jake has decided that he wants to be "like Bwuce" and so he's started taking off his shirt to play, too. Always willing to take things to the next level, Jake decided that if no shirt was cool, no pants must be even cooler. So now he likes to play rock 'n' roll while dressed just in his underwear. He's moved from Springsteen to Red Hot Chili Peppers...

I'm a Big Brother!

"Yeah, well I caught one that was THIS big..."

On January 17, Jake became a big brother again. Charles Spenser Finnegan was born at 8:43 am on Thursday, January 17.

Jake got to meet Charlie on Friday, although he wasn't allowed to hold his baby brother, due to an RSV scare with his other little brother, Kyle (Jake had been staying at his daddy's house with Kyle, who was sick). Jake thought Charlie was pretty cool, and he was really glad to see Mommy.


Jake enjoyed visiting the hospital (Mommy was in for four days) and having room service and eating on the hospital bed. Charlie got Jake a "Jack's Big Music Show" dvd to watch while hanging out, which went a long way to making Jake happy about being in the hospital (although I'm not sure he realized the baby would be coming home with us).

Jake decided that the bassinette was a "baby aquarium." One day, I put Charlie into his Moby wrap so we could all take a stroll around the hospital floor for some exercise. Jake got a very puzzled look on his face and said, "Mommy, take the baby out of your tummy and put him in the baby aquarium."

Poppy decided that he didn't need to take Jake out of the room when the doctor came to check my incision. He thought it might help Jake be a bit more empathetic. The look on Jake's face when he saw it! Poor little guy, I think it might have scarred him for life... Although he certainly has been more empathetic. He's very sweet, patting my tummy and asking if I'm okay.

So far, he seems to enjoy having a baby brother. He wants to hold him, and he's always putting his hand on his forehead and saying "He feels hot, Mommy. Is he okay?" He's definitely acting out a bit more, and wants Poppy a lot more than Mommy, but I'm sure he'll adjust...

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!"