It's actually time to talk about Jack

 We are living in actually land right now.  Jack has always liked this word, but I've noticed its use has gone up tenfold lately.  And not just by Jack.  Do I say actually because he says actually?  Or the other way around?  Hard to tell these days.  Of course I feel like I use it appropriately.... "actually, that is not what is going to happen..."  Jack is a little more liberal.  He may just like the sound of this word.

I feel like we've hit another parenting milestone recently.  That is, we now live with a fully cognitive child.  Meaning, there is no longer a small child in our midst who we can mollify with "fuzzy" rationalizations.  Case in point.  I'm driving, Jack drops something in the back seat.  He wants me to get it for him.  "Jack, I can't get that for you because I'm driving."  In the past, that would have sufficed.  Last week he replies, "Okay, mom, well you can get it for me when you get to the next red light."  It's like he "gets" life now and sees through flimsy excuses.

He's also an inventive thinker.  This is fun a lot of times as he has a great imagination.  Other times, it comes back to bite us.  Last week, we went on a play date at his school to meet his teachers and classmates.  Jack loved returning to his same room from last year and quickly found the new toys.  He started  serving up a table of food to me and putting fruit in a tea kettle for "tea soup."  A friend came over to play too and Jack started hoarding the food and trying to edge the other little boy out.  I was talking to him that night about what had happened and asking him "What are some other things you could have done?"  I was looking for "I could have shared," but what I got was "I could have just ignored him."  Hmmm.  Wish us luck that he chooses friendlier approaches next week when he goes back to school!

Jack with our five baby ducks: Sam, Elvis, Penny, and "the twins"

He continues to be a voracious reader.  I never thought we'd need to give books away, but we are drowning in books.  Add stacks from the library and it gets a little chaotic.  I like it thought because it keeps the content fresh :)  Jack has a great vocabulary and I think it comes from his reading.  He's recently gone on record with things like:

• "I'm dashing up the stairs."
• "And then I realized I wasn't full!"
• "I didn't notice that before."
• "I don't have any energy left."

There have been more moments of sweetness toward Cora lately, though he can definitely annoy her!  (And she's no longer afraid to show us how she feels.  She'll holler, shriek, or grab back a toy.  We now have to be careful to make sure Jack is actually doing something wrong before we jump in.  I think she may have gotten a few freebies before we realized she may have been working that situation.)

Jack likes to say things to Cora like "You are the cutest baby I've EVER seen!"  He also gives her his own nicknames, which oftentimes include the word chubby.

Jack loves me a lot.  (The feeling is mutual.)  He always wants to snuggle his momma and can be really sweet.  He's generous with his "Love yous" and kisses.  I hope he's always this free with his affection.  The snuggles don't stop one day, right?!

Jack L. at Vacation Bible School