Torture

Mama torturing her boys.





Poor kiddos.

Bumper

We have two Bumpers floating around now, and we took one to Charlottesville this weekend. Where we promptly lost it (I suspect it was thrown away in the big party clean-up). We weren't able to find the other one on our return, and Nate managed to get to sleep without it last night.

But tonight he was having trouble, and near tears. I told him: "You can suck your thumb anyway, you don't need Bumper to do that." He looked even sadder, and said "It just tastes so bad without Bumper!"

I did another search and found him. It's amazing how glad I feel when I can do something really really good for the boys. I brought him in to Nate and pulled him out; Nate smiled, and really quietly said "Thanks Mom." I tucked Bumper in with Nate, thumb went right into his mouth, eyes closed.

Peace.

Jack's Monthly Newsletter, Three Years Old!

Dear Jack,

You are three years old. Or, as you say "two and a half" (No, three!) "Three and a half." Either way.

We had a simple little party for you at our house, with Grandma, Grandpa and Deborah here. Nate bought you a present all by himself (Toy Story speedway) and you love running the cars around and around the loops. G&G got you a big set of matchbox cars and trucks, and a bouncy ball that you are way to small to use but Nate is bouncing the HECK out of. Deborah got you a dinosaur sticker book and a ittle dinosaur and tiger figure that you carry around everywhere with you. I got you a new pink doll, and watched a shy smile bloom on your face when you figured out what it was. You're a little uncertain what to do with her, but yesterday you marched into the kitchen and showed me "I have TWO pink dollars on my shoulders!"



I can't really process that you're not a baby anymore. You are still so round and yummy, and still love to be held and cuddled. Sometimes after Daddy puts you to bed you call for me; when I come in you ask me to sing you a song. When I ask you what song you want, you always say "Sunshine". It's an amazing parental moment to watch your warbling, off-kilter song make your child's eyes close. You are so sweet and dear and Daddy and I just eat you up.

School has been so wonderful. You have settled in perfectly and enjoy your time there, singing songs and doing crafts and running around in the gym. I think singing songs is your favorite part, and sometimes I hear you singing them in your crib before you fall asleep, or in the morning when you're waiting for us. That is, when you're not yelling "Mom! Mom! Mooooooooooommmmmm!"



Jack I found this post in my "drafts" folder and my memories have faded in these last 3 years, so I'm going to publish this unfinished.

With all my love from the future when you're a big six-year old boy!!
Mama

Hilarious

I called Nate a "drama queen" tonight when he was shivering and frozen after his bath. Of course, he asked me what a drama queen was.

I told him it's someone who is always SO mad, or SO happy, or SO tired. They're never kinda tired, or a little sad, or anything like that. They're always SO mad...he got into the act with "Yeah, they're SO pleasant. Like REALLY pleasant."

Fabulous.

Ouch

The cuteness, the amazing-ness, of Jack actually hurts me on a regular basis.

Daddy was gearing up to give them their regular bath/shower and Jack wanted some juice. Nate and Daddy headed upstairs while Jack guzzled.

Then Jack asked me "Could you hold this for a second?" (one of his favorite phrases) and passed me the juice. "Now I'm gonna go bye bye. See ya Mom!" and he ran off down the hall.

My life is totally perfect, warts and all.

Shake your booty!

One of Jack's favorite, sweetest, things to do is to tell me what he likes about what I'm wearing. While I'm holding him he'll often finger my necklace, saying "I like your neckwace Mama! I like your colors!" and he'll name off the colors in a row (especially fun on my especially colorful one, where he rolls out "I like your blue, I like your green, I like your blue, I like your blue, I like your yelow..." through the length of the whole necklace.)

We try to have frequent dance parties, though they're less frequent than I'd like. Sometimes it's hard to get the boys started, so I frequently urge them to "shake your boo-tee."

Today it's just me and Jack, and I was dancing around in the living room while he was in the kitchen. I may or may not have been shaking my booty. Jack came up behind me, slapped my ass with both hands, and cheerfully said "I like your boo-tee! I like your boo-tee!"

Sigh.

Jackie has a girlfriend!

The transition into co-op preschool has gone...I honestly don't know how to say how well it has gone. Jack barely likes to be left with his Auntie, let alone total strangers. Last year's brief experiment with co-op was a total disaster, so I had very low expectations for this year. I honestly get fairly speechless when I try to explain my incredulity.



The first day I stayed since it was my duty day. The next day we talked it out over and over, and when it came time for me to leave his little lip quivered and the tears welled, but he was fine just a few minutes after I left. The next day it was a bit of the same, and every day since he's given me a big smacking kiss goodbye and that's it. We talk a lot about how I'll always come get him from playgroup, and when I get there he repeats it over and over "You came to get me at playgroup?!" and it obviously comforts him. (Speech therapy note: playgroup is pronounced "pay-geeoop")

His teacher is very keen on potty training, and it's actually having some effect: he's peed on the potty 4 or 5 times now, twice at home. So no pressure, but we're starting to think about potty training. Fun.

Today was another duty day at co-op, so I got to see him do several fairly adorable things. There's a little girl, Alice, who hung out close with me today and so she and Jack spent a lot of time together. At the end of the day, Jack got right in front of her, bent down a bit so their faces were close, and exclaimed "I like you!" several times. It was delicious. I wish so much my Nanny could see him. She would adore him.

I adore him.