Jack's Imagination

We've been wowed in the last several weeks to see how Jack's imagination has exploded. He's always pretending to be driving, or that his stuffed animals are eating...he talks to his stuffed animals very sincerely. He also pretends his food is a car...or a train...or elmo...or a carriage...the list goes on!

This last weekend he decided that under the kitchen table was a train. He had a throw pillow as the "door" and he would have us sit under there with him. He'd get out of the train and walk to the back and "check the fire." And he'd push buttons on the underside of the table to turn on the music.

And this week he discovered he can take the bottom cushion out of the couch and make it into a train/car/bus, etc. But the best part is seeing him "drive." (See the video :)

The other perk about the couch-vehicle is that it's much more comfortable for mom and dad to participate (instead of under the kitchen table)!

The Dreaded Finger Nails

For the first 20 or so months of Jack's life, I pretty much always waited to clip his nails until he fell asleep somewhere--in the car, on the floor, etc. Then we got to the point around the time he turned two that he doesn't really fall asleep in the car as much as he used to and his nails got longer, and longer, and longer. I finally had to start clipping them while he is awake and boy has it been a struggle!

We've tried everything--showing how we clip our nails, clipping one at a time throughout the week, holding him down crying. I always dread the day I notice that his nails desperately need to be clipped--it happens way too often!

Then this week happened. One night I laid Jack down in his crib and he said, "Mommy, clip Jack's nail." He has said this to us a number of times but then he generally pulls his finger away the second we get close with the clippers. But this time, I grabbed them and he actually let me clip his nail! Then he kept telling me which one's needed to be clipped, including his toenails! I was thrilled that he finally was desperate enough to let me clip them.

Two nights later I laid him down in his crib and he asked me to clip his nails again. So I took the opportunity to finish up clipping what I had missed before but if he asks again tomorrow...?

Needless to say, that boy is such a smartie pants.

Our Little Talker

Jack is saying so much these days--he's such a little kid now! We just can't believe our baby is growing up so much. But it's also nice that he can tell us what he wants and what he's thinking. It also amazes us all the time. I wanted to write down a few of the phrases and things we hear all the time these days.

He can count to ten and he sings parts and pieces of the ABCs all the time. He loves to sing with us so we've been singing songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "You are My Sunshine" and he sings along (in fact, this morning he was in his crib waking up and started singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...He almost had it all but his favorite part is "...like a diamond in the sky."

When he asks for something and we respond with "You want {blank}?" He'll say "Yes! Okay!" when we get it right. He also adds "anymoreee" to the end of a lot of sentences. Edward told him, "Maybe when you grow up you will drive the Space Shuttle." And he responded with, "Jack no drive the space shuttle anymoreee."

He also loves it when I am free to play with him and he begs me to be done eating all the time. He also thinks when I take a sip of my drink that that means I'm done (apparently I always end my meals with a drink--LOL). He stands there and when I take a drink he says "Yay! Mommy all done!" He'll also check my bowl or plate and say "Yay! Mommy all done!"...I have to be careful if I want to refill.

He's also the most polite kid I've ever known. For months now he says "please" and "thank you" and "sorry!" or "sorry about that." Sometimes he goes overboard on the "sorry's." He'll even say sorry if you run into him on accident (he's little and gets right under my feet!) I'll try to explain to him that "Mommy is the one that is sorry because I ran into you" and he'll get a little upset and say, "Jack sorry toooo...also."

Below is a video we made to send to Aunt B while she was out of town. I thought it was a cute example of how he sounds these days. (Especially the constant "Mommy! Help, Mommy!" :)