-written by Nathan
Jack has been saying, "thank you" a lot recently. He pronounces it "stante you". One morning, I was getting a rag to clean up the baby's spit up mess, and Jack said, cheerfully, "Stante you Dad... for cleaning up Juliana's spit."
-written by Marika
Bedtime. Jack says from his crib as he is begin put to bed, "I don't want this paci. Mommy you take it."
Could it be....?!
- written by Marika
On the way to church last Sunday Jack looked out the car window and said that it looked like somebody had painted the sky blue "with a little bit of white in it". I asked Jack, "Who do you think did that? Who painted the sky blue?" He responded by saying, "I got my ladder out!"
Last night the fat, fluffy snowflakes fell quickly all evening, piling one on top of the other on the roads and yards, streets and sidewalks, creating a winter wonderland. It was the kind of evening that sparkles with "snow light," making the nighttime a little brighter and drawing me to the window again and again.
It was the kind of evening that will curl around a person and her novel, snuggling her easily into the early morning hours as she devours word after word, confident in the absolute freedom of the next morning.
It was the kind of evening that precedes a snow day! A day of rest forced upon the city by Mother Nature's stubborn, wet, sticky weather.
Every teacher's dream.
And, for this teacher, a snow day brings the added blessing of stolen hours with her own tiny ones. Moments that were thieved away from the third grade groups preparing for T-CAP, from kindergarten lesson planning and RtI updating, from quick seconds to run to the bathroom and quick conversations in the hallway.
Those moments were replaced with a two-year-old's precious excitement about building a "smiling" snowman like in the "Peter book" (A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats), followed almost instantly by a two-year-old's crying insistence that he doesn't like it outside and wants to go in!
Those moments were also replaced by slippery slides down the street in a brand new sled. By two-year-old laughter and grilled cheese sandwiches. By footprints in the snowy yard and hot chocolate with marshmallows.
I'll take that trade any day I can get it.
-written by Marika
We were dancing and singing in the living room in the evening. Nathan plays the song Yakety Yak. We both pointedly sing "Don't talk back!" in Jack's general direction and Jack responds by saying, "Yes! I want to talk back!"
Juliana's first tooth made its grand appearance this evening! Like Juliana, the tooth seems to be a bit tentative around new people. It had hinted at its arrival for weeks yet waited until our weekend guests- Nate, Liz, and Phil- had already left to push through. In the spirit of complete honesty, I must admit that this mama got a little choked up upon discovery.
Our girl is growing up.
-written by Marika
Holding Juliana on my lap on the couch I said, "Say Mama. Say Mama." Perfectly clearly she responded by saying "Mama" as clear as can be! Liz, Nate, and Phil were visiting and Liz was sitting nearby as my witness!
Nathan said Jack was looking at the back of the Cheerios box at breakfast this morning. I was at work.
"I want to look at the letters," he said. "J. O. I. N. U. S. What does that spell?"
"It spells 'join us', " Nathan told him. "That means 'come together with us'."
"I want Mommy to join us," Jack told him.
I have always loved the idea of interviewing my kiddos every year around their birthday to put down in their own words some of the things they are interested in at their age and then track how it changes as they get older. Now, I know Jack's birthday is not until April, but after asking him these questions in the living room last night, I couldn't resist writing down his answers because some are just so sweet. I'll probably end up interviewing him again near his birthday, just 'cuz...!
Interview conducted on February 1, 2013:
What is your favorite color? "Red"
What is your favorite toy? "Cars... and trucks.... and trains!" (his voice rose higher with each one)
What is your favorite fruit? "Blueberries"
What is your favorite tv show? "George"
What is your favorite thing to have for lunch? "Sandwiches... peanut butter and jelly ones"
What is your favorite thing to wear? "Shirts"
What is your favorite game? "Dragon Zuma" (a game he plays on the iPad)
What is your favorite snack? "Spoonful of peanut butter"
What is your favorite animal? "Lion"
What is your favorite song? "the ABC song"
What is your favorite book? Jack walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a book from it and said "this one"! It happens to be called Simple Machines and I'm not sure we've ever even read it.
Who is your best friend? "You"
What is your favorite cereal? "Cheerios"
What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Play in the sandbox"
What is your favorite drink? "Milk"
What is your favorite holiday? Jack looked confused so I listed off some holidays for him and he said "I like Valen's Day"!
What do you like to take with you to bed at night? "a water cup"
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? "I don't know" (it's totally cereal)
What do you want to be when you grow up? "Daddy, with a beard"
