Theology by Jack

And on a lighter note...Some gems from a conversation with our 4-year-old this evening:

-"Satan used to be God's best fairy in heaven, but now he's in Satan's place."

-"Mom, did they shoot Satan out of a cannon to get him far away from heaven?"

-"Are there monsters in Satan's Place? What about dragons? What about really scary cows?"

-"I think there are donuts in heaven. I like the pink ones and the sprinkle ones, but the white ones with sprinkles are my favorite. I hope they have that kind in heaven."

I Have an Idea!

Yesterday Jack was watching a Disney film called "Rescuers." The movie is about a little orphan girl named Penny, and the mice who set out to rescue her.

I told Jack that Penny didn't have a mom and dad, and I explained that his sister in Ethiopia also doesn't have a mom or dad.

Jack's face fell for a moment, and he was quiet. Then suddenly his eyes brightened and he smiled.

"I have an idea, Mom!" he said. "How about YOU be my sister's mommy, and Dad can be her Daddy?!"

Jack beamed with success at his revolutionary idea.

Great idea, little man. Great idea.

Bunny Ears and Spring Snow

I'm sitting in my sunroom, on a completely sun-less day, watching my son eat dirty snow off the slide in our backyard. After teasing us with 80-degree temps on Saturday, I guess Mother Nature wanted one last laugh.







 
This morning we went to an Easter egg hunt at our local library. It's actually one town over, and it's much smaller than our town's library.

On our way to the Hunt. Jack was out of his mind with joy at thought of
hunting for EGGS!

"Give me some EGGS, Mom!"

Because of the smaller size of the library, they are able to really connect with the kids. Ms. Nuccia has storytime every Monday morning for the kids, and she is an absolute delight. She is originally from Italy, and just a hint of an accent makes her voice a tantalizing treat to listen to.

Jack and Ms. Nuccia

Our little friends Alex and Claire join us for storytime each week, and they also went to the Hunt this morning.

"Ok guys, here's the deal: Look for eggs, and put them in your bucket."

I am slightly amused and slightly frustrated that for some strange reason, Jack consistently calls them by the wrong name. He calls Alex Claire and Claire Alex. Actually, he doesn't even call her Alex. He calls her Alice, which makes me laugh out loud every.single.time.

Look! Alice found a blue egg!

"I see it, Mom, but I can't reach it!"

Claire Joy, looking a bit suspicious of the event.

Yes, Heather and I bought them matching bunny ears. And yes, the boy ears had blue sequins.

And, no they didn't stay on very well. They were from the Dollar Store.

As my sister Melody would say, the quality there is a bit lacking...but the prices are pretty good.

Jack had a fabulous time with his bff's...

He was so happy and content and excited...until Claire...

...realized how fun it is to dump the bucket of eggs on the floor.

This did not please Jack. This did not please him at all. That's not how you do it, Claire!

Caught in the act.

Still, all in all a fun time was had, and Jack is anxiously looking forward to another Hunt at our house this weekend. I'm trying to teach him about the REALLY important thing that happened on Easter, but candy.... Jesus? Candy. Candy in the eggs, Mom! [sigh]

...

A few days ago, while talking excitedly with Ken about the Egg Hunt and who would be there, Jack suddenly got a sad look on his face. Ken asked what was wrong. Jack said, "I'm sad, Daddy." Ken asked why, and Jack said, "Because my sister in Ethriopila can't come to the Egg Hunt."

That makes me sad, too, Jack. 

But the way you pronounce Ethiopia? That makes my heart smile.

Good Stuff, Gross Stuff

Please Note: At the end of this post there is a picture of something really, really gross. If you are currently eating, have a squeamish tummy, or are easily grossed out, please do not view it. I will give you another warning before it appears.
 
A few days ago I shared a funny dream I had. My little guy, unfortunately, does not have funny dreams--at least not that he remembers and shares. He does have some bad ones, though, and he wakes up crying in the night. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it breaks my heart.

It's nice that he's able to verbalize now, so I can comfort him appropriately. One night he dreamed he had left a hot dog in the minivan, and apparently this was quite upsetting. I assured him quickly that we had plenty of hot dogs--in the fridge, and there weren't any in the van.

Another dream, that really was sad, was that he had lost all his friends. I reminded him that his friends were all in their homes, in their beds, sleeping. He quickly fell back asleep.

I keep thinking about that dream though. Friends are very, very important to Jack. And we're blessed because he has some really awesome friends in several different spheres of his life. No wonder he would be sad if he lost them!

Recently our friends invited us to the zoo. They receive season's passes from their grandma for Christmas--what a great gift idea!

 I sure did miss my niece Savannah when I saw this sign. Hopefully some day she can join us!

Jack was very interested in this evolution propaganda. I think it was the slidey thing more than the actual content.

Aren't they a lovely family?

..

We've also been enjoying the sand table that Ken built in our backyard, as well as the swingset. Yesterday was a gorgeous day, so in spite of terrible allergens floating everywhere, we went outside for some fun in the sun.

He's really almost too big for the slide, but the rest of the swingset is just right for him.

 Enjoying the view from the shade of our patio.

Ok, but then things got a little gross. And by little, I actually mean a lot. I was walking around the yard, admiring all the tulip and daffodil shoots, when suddenly I came upon something that stopped me in my tracks. Apparently something else was also stopped in its tracks.





This is where you should stop reading if you are squeamish.








No seriously. Stop.




If you don't stop reading, and you throw up in your mouth, or have to make a run for the bathroom, don't blame me.






You've been warned.



Ready? If you're still reading, you're about to see something ... ummm ... very *natural.* I don't know what exactly it is, but I have my suspicions.




I'm only posting it in the hopes that someone can shed light on it's origin ... and it's untimely end. And why it was left.



Last chance, folks. It's coming.




Here it is. Nestled in the grass, a thing-a-ma-jig, approximately 8 inches in diameter.

And here's another shot, blown up so you can see all the ... contents.

Ken was kind enough to dispose of it before our dog found it. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on what you think it is, and how it came to be in this state, in our yard.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your next meal...


:)
Luann

It Won't Be Long Now...

Last week I wrote about looking for signs of spring, and I'm happy to report I found them. Last Friday the temperature got up to nearly 60 degrees, and it felt hot as a summer day in July. (Strange how when I lived in Florida, 60 seemed so cold.)

Jack and I were traipsing around the backyard (picking up dog poop, if you really want to know), when I came across these gems. They grow right in the middle of the (mostly dead) grass, and I have no idea what they are. But I'll take them. Aren't they pretty? I'm sure it's a sign...it won't be long now until spring is really here.

  



We also found these bright green stalks coming up through the dead leaves. They looked so pretty with the sun shining on them.




Lucy had a nice romp around the yard, and before long, she and Jack were sitting on the stairs together.

OK, that's not entirely true. Jack was sitting on the step, because I told him to sit for a picture, and then we corralled Lucy and held her down. Jack and Lucy have a "strained" relationship. Jack loves Lucy...but I think Lucy still holds a grudge about the time Jack pulled her down the stairs by her tail.

And the time he tried to stuff her in a paper sack.



We also had a visit from our little red-headed friend last week. Gracie is the daughter of one of my friends from middle school. I am so jealous of her ginger ringlets and clear blue eyes.



The three of us went to Hobby Lobby, and the kids got to pick out a little something to buy. There was a sale, and I had coupons. First Gracie wanted some big metal keys. So Jack wanted big metal keys. Then Gracie changed her mind. She wanted a craft. Jack still wanted to the big metal keys, but he also needed a craft. I finally got him (forced him) to give up the big metal keys, because what on earth was he going to do with big metal keys that are a purely decorative item? There were many tears, but then Grace found a blue Easter bunny she wanted instead of the craft. And then Jack forgot about the big metal keys and also wanted a blue bunny.  [sigh]

Unfortunately, we only saw one blue bunny. Jack didn't want a yellow bunny. He didn't want a pink bunny. Or a green one. Reluctantly, and graciously, Gracie offered to let him have the blue bunny. She would get a different color. But I think we all know what would've happened if she had done that. Suddenly, Jack would've wanted the alternate color. Thankfully, we dug through the bin of bunnies, and Gracie found another blue! So Jack was blissful instead of blue. That afternoon, they both snuggled on the couch with their respective bunnies. Seriously, the softest stuffed animals ever, and pretty cute, too.

 

See the little peacock pillow behind the dog? I made that. I love the fabric. (I designed my whole living room around a picture of a peacock, but I'll save that story for another day.)  Sadly,the pillow, and it's matching counterpart, are very lumpy. I didn't want to over-stuff them, but I couldn't get the filling to behave. Any pillow makers out there know where I went wrong? I am open to opening them and refilling. I think it might be the quality/consistency of the stuffing? It was a polyester something or another.

...

To celebrate the warm weather last week, we decided to barbecue burgers and buy a swing set. I got out the grill, the charcoal, and had the meat ready to make into patties. Just before Ken got home from work, I went out to start the grill. Alas, we were out of lighter fluid! So sad. Instead we went to Jack Straw's a take out hamburger joint in downtown Wheaton. It was our first time there. The burgers were greasy, big, and delish. The fries were salty, greasy, and fried to perfection.

I felt like I needed a digestive cleanse when we were done.

Ken says we are definitely going back.

We had more success with the swing set than the barbequing. I saw a used swing set on Craig's List, but it was on the small side...and used. I emailed the lady, found out she lived nearby and the set was only a year old. But the price wasn't low enough for me to justify getting a used, small, swing set. So we ordered a fairly big metal set from Menards. It was on clearance, but the website said our local store had them in stock.

The next day, the Craig's List lady emailed me to say she decided to cut her price in half(!) I was kinda sad we had ordered the set from Menards. But then, I got an email from Menards. They were out of stock on the set, and they were CANCELLING my order! They said I could get one from another Menards, but they couldn't transfer from one store to another.

It seemed like divine intervention. To make a long story short, we went with the smaller, used set. It's a perfect size for Jack and some of his little pals, and in a couple years when it's all rusted out he'll be ready for something bigger. Plus we saved more than a hundred bucks by going used.

Ken went to the people's house, disassembled the set, loaded it in our minivan (love how much stuff fits in that thing), brought it home, reassembled it, and wa-lah... Jack's dream come true!



 

Seriously, could that slide be any smaller? I have a feeling it will turn into a launching pad for stunts, or something of the like.

Now if we could get some more warm weather (it was 20 last night and more snow tonight), little Jack-Jack could actually play on it.
...

Every night after dinner, Ken and Jack have playtime. They usually play Hide-n-Seek, Quick Hide--the Giants are Coming, or some sort of shadow game with a flashlight. Tonight they did a craft, with only a teeny tiny bit of supervision from mom. (i.e. "Here's the glue, the paper, the cotton, the stickers, put them here, no not there, etc.")

While they made Noah's Ark and pasted in the animals, Ken told Jack the story. It was pretty neat that when we bought this kit last week, we had no idea Jack would be learning about Noah in Cubbies the very next day. So he got a double dose of Noah, which I think made it more interesting for him.

 

I absolutely love watching my boys play and work together. Ken didn't have much experience with kids when we got married, but he is so patient and kind with Jackson. A few days ago I asked Jack, "What is the name of one of your friends?" He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Uhhh, Daddy!" But of course. I asked him the same thing later in the day, and once again he confirmed that daddy is his bff.
 

 

I was washing the dishes and cleaning up from dinner while they worked on their project, and my favorite moment was when Jack dropped the glue stick and shrieked, "CATASTROPHE!" Seriously, where does my kid get this stuff? Six months ago he could hardly talk!

Here is the almost-finished project. I was sternly told not to look yet, because "it isn't done, Mom!" But I snuck a few pictures anyway.


 

 ...

Before I sign off, a bit of a housekeeping item: A few Facebook friends have left comments and/or sent messages to me and Ken expressing concern about the breaking of my FB fast. They wondered if I had gone back on my word--because they saw a link to my blog on their FB newsfeed.

Oh dear friends. I thank you for your concern about the state of my soul, but as I mentioned in the aforementioned blog, this blog can post automatically to FB with a simple click of a button. I get comments emailed to me.

The good news is that if I should I find myself falling into dire sin of the "break my fast" sort or any other unthinkable evil acts, I will now know who to call upon to set my crooked path straight.

 Looking forward to spring~

-Luann

Irish for a Day

Before Jackson was born, our friends Susan and Bryon gave us a stuffed dog named Scout. Little did we know it would become a beloved toy. It's the official car mascot--always along for the ride. It's also become a bit of a tradition to take a picture on St. Patty's Day with Jack and Scout. It's fun to see how much he's grown.

I'd love to write about all the changes we've seen in the past year in Jack-Jack, but I must make this short. We are having friends over for dinner and there's corned beef brisket, colcannon, horseradish sauce, broccoli and mojito cake to prepare. Not to mention the cleaning. Our little leprechaun is down for a nap, so I have a few hours in which I hope to get a lot done.

Here's a little recap of our last four St. Patrick's Days. Enjoy!


2011--one month old
Jack was so small I had to prop him up--and he kept tipping over! Scout's head is bigger than his, but notice the reddish tint to his hair? That didn't last long. :(


2012--1 year, 1 month
He was such a squirmy worm that the picture ended up blurry. I think this was the best shot out of about 30 attempts. Look at how long and blonde his hair is...evidence we were living in the Sunshine State.

2013--2 years, 1month
Still not talking, but oh what a busy noise maker! He pretty much wanted to do anything but pose for a picture, but I finally got this one. Scout almost didn't make it in the shot.

2014--3 years, 1 month
Jack finally comprehends what it means to sit still and smile. His reward? Getting to see a picture of himself! His hair is darkening--maybe because he's getting older or maybe because we're enduring the longest.winter.ever.

I'm not sure if my photo-taking skills are improving, my subject is getting more handsome, or if it's my new camera, but OH.MY.GOODNESS. Look at this beautiful boy! I can't even stand it.

Wishing you a lucky day filled with leprechauns, rainbows, pots of gold, and the color green (esp. the paper kind with presidential pictures.)

-Luann