Adventures with J

I really need a camera following Jackson at all times.  This kid is just too much and I can't possibly make note of it all.  Before I know it he's going to be all grown up and I'm going to forget what he was like at this age!  Boo hoo.

Today he fell in the toilet with his clothes on.  He had done his business in his diaper - AFTER he goes is when he insists on going on the potty.  I tell him to go upstairs, we're going to change his diaper, but he runs in the bathroom and lifts himself up on the toilet.  And, no surprise in this house, someone had left the toilet seat up, so down he went getting his pants wet.

A long time ago I introduced the older boys to my favorite musicals - we listen to the cd's in the van.  We had taken a break for a while, and a week or two ago I put Fiddler on the Roof in.  Jackson especially likes the last song, "Anatevka", and will request it quite insistently.  Sometimes he'll chime in on "To Life, To Life" with an enthusiastic "To life!"; but many times he just keeps saying/shouting/growling "Anatevka!".  I've created a monster.  Today I put in Annie to see if I can get him to enjoy something else.  He insisted on Anatevka a few times, but then did actually listen some, so we'll see.

I love seeing how kids remember things at this age.  Quite some time ago we were at the mall and Jackson enjoyed giving high-fives to the mannequins.  Last week I quick ran to the mall to get something and when we pulled in (and not in the same area we parked before), he started up with "High five mannequin!  Hive five mannequin!"  He periodically refers to when Roxy pooped in the house a few weeks ago ("Roxy poop a house?  Ewwww!  Goss!").  Or, ever since we celebrated Aunt Lea Anne's birthday here a few weeks ago he likes to sing Happy Birthday, and today when he saw a picture of her he said "Happy Birthday to you!", and he'll talk about blowing out candles.  Also, he has been told not to mess with the beautiful basket Mike brought home from Guyana for me, and there's a book with a similar looking basket in it - when he sees that page he says, "No, no, Jackson!" 

Jackson loves to look at his baby book, and he'll specifically ask for "boat" (there's a page with a pic of our boys and Harold & Kara's kids on the pontoon boat).  Then the other day he mentioned Uncle Tom, so we found the picture of Mike, Harold, and Tom with all their kids.  After looking at Uncle Tom, Mike pointed to Harold and asked Jackson who that was and he said, "Uncle Harold"; and then Mike pointed to himself and asked who that was and Jackson said, "Uncle Mike!"  Ha!

This age is SO much fun and SO exhausting all at the same time.  I love how he's just soaking everything in, but wow, does he have a lot of energy, and it's amazing that I'm able to accomplish anything during the day.  Thank goodness for nap time!

hugs

I SO wish I had video of this, but alas, I'll do my best to convey it through words.  Last night we went to the airport to pick up Mike from his trip to Guyana (more on that later!).  First, we were getting some looks on our way in because of our "Welcome Home, Dad!" sign, and basically anytime you're out in public with more than a couple kids you're bound to get attention (my four + my niece, my sis-in-law, and myself).  As we were approaching the common area outside where passengers exit from the terminal, Jackson just starts running at people with his arms open and giving out hugs.  He kept going and they all loved it!  He spotted the people that he had noticed in the parking garage with a sign and balloons and went over to them - they ended up giving him a balloon (he didn't ask!).  Then people started coming out of the terminal and he was giving out hugs left and right.  Everyone was getting a kick out of it, and I was just cracking up.  Finally Daddy came and he could run up to him and give him a big hug.  :)  And then he was happy to see Grammy and Papa, and Uncle Eric and Boden who had also been on the trip.

This really reminded me of my last visit to my grandma in the nursing home and how the residents there were getting such a kick out of him.  Well, now we found another way to spread a little joy - free hugs at the airport from a cute two-year-old!  (Under close supervision of his mother, of course.)