Best Friends

As Jack was eating his breakfast this morning, I was unloading the dishwasher and trying to clean up the kitchen a bit. He looks over at me and out of no where says "Momma, you are my best friend" then just smiles at me. I love this kid!

John Deere, it's the better tractor, John Deere....and un-potty training!

It's amazing how children's songs will stick in your head. Jack son has a few John Deere videos that play this goofy song and for some reason this morning I woke up with it in my head. I can't wait to sing it to Chris and get it stuck in his head as well. :)

More about John Deeres...We have resorted to bribing our son to try and get him potty trained. (by the way, it hasn't worked yet) Chris told Jack if he goes potty on the big boy potty he will take him down to Big R and pick out any tractor he wants. Now you would think that a boy who loves tractors as much as Jack does would take us up on this offer, not so much. He does however remind us several times a week that if he goes big boy potty he will get a tractor. The other night while driving to pick up our van after getting 4 new tires (ugh) Jack reminds us of the deal. (another note...my dad has started collecting some 1/16 tractors and just got a John Deere D that cost him over $100) Chris procedes to say, "that's right Jack, if you potty daddy will let you pick out any tractor you want, my wallet stands open for you." Jack thinks for a minute about what Chris just said and replies with this, "I want tractor like Grandpa's." We just about died laughing in the front seat. Chris was quick to add 'any plastic tractor'!


Jack got to watch a real John Deere combine harvesting corn

Orange Juice

My mom has a juicer, and Jack loves to make fresh juice. But it's been a while. So yesterday when we went grocerie shopping I picked up apples, oranges, and grapes to make fresh juice. Well Jack woke up this morning wanting orange juice, so we got it all out and started peeling the oranges and Jack says "lets make juice in the washing machine!"

So Sweet!

Working

Somehow my son likes to work. He always wants to do projects, fix things, help in the yard...and the list can go on and on. One such instance was labor day weekend when my nieces and nephew were up visiting and they were all playing the leaves. Well, Jack didn't think they should mess up the leaves and play, he thought they needed to be taken to the burn pile. We seriously had to tell him to play and we will work later. I just love what a hard little worker he is. When we were working on trimming down bushes this summer and splitting plants, Jack would have his little john deere with the wagon hooked up and made trip after trip to take weeds and trimmings to the burn pile.

A couple of nights we were out in the garage getting ready to paint his last picture for his room and he was playing on the workbench. I was trying to get a picture of him with his tools and asked him to please smile for me. His response, "Can't smile mommy, too busy working!"





Pictures mommy and Jack painted


Picture Jack painted all by himself! (and a little from daddy)

Short-Term Memory

Pretty simple life. Wake up. Go to work. Come home. See Family. A lot happens in bewtween but you get the point. The best part is every night when I get home I hear "HEY DADDY!"
I remember one of my favorite snl hosts of all time (Tom Hanks) had a character called Mr. Short Term Memory Guy. Playing on a game show they would introduce him first. He would say hello and look to his left. He realized he was standing next to a TV Star and he would say "WOW! Aren't you..."(so and so)? The the host moves on to introduce the TV Star and when he says his name, Tom Hanks freaks out again and says "WOW! It's..."(so and so)! This continues throughout the skit. Take my word for it. Very funny.
It doesn't matter if its been 2 hours or a whole day, when you walk in the door Jack gives a greeting to you as though it has been weeks and he has waited...impatiently...to see you again. Nothing makes you feel more loved/accepted/right and like a GOOD parent than that greeting.

Unsolicited Wake Up Call

While trying to find my things and get out of the house this morning I hear a little voice; "Daaaaaaaaaddy......Daaaaaaddy." Jack is up. 4:55 in the morning my Son is ready to start his day. I rush upstairs and have it in my head that I will get him back to sleep so my wife can stay in bed for a while longer before starting her day. My eyes have already adjusted to the light so when I open his door I cannot see a thing. I begin my approach to the bed, arms out in front as not to start my day with a stubbed toe or knee. As I near the bed I hear a little voice whisper: "I got out of my bed Daddy. I got out of my bed." It is coming form the head of the bed but on the floor. There my Son sits on his knees ready to start his day.

In my head I feel that I will be successful using logic to explain to Jack why it is still bed time. I pick him up (noticing he is wet through his jammies) and proceed to take him over to the window. I open it up and show him that it is still dark outside. With the moonlight shining, the ground was glowing white. This gets Jack even more excited as he tells me "It's snowing Daddy! It's snowing!" He did not go back to bed. I got him even more excited to stay up.

On my way to work I reflect on the day before but this morning I thought about Jack and our encounter. What a zest for life he has. Sleep means nothing to him because there is so much to experience. I think there is a lesson there. I don't like waking up at 4:55 on Saturday but my Son is creating more time for us to spend together. What could be better than that?