Oh...it seems that I have failed to have an update on Jackson in a while. And what better day to chose to do it, but his half birthday! Yes, my baby boy is 2 1/2!
You may find this hard to believe (as I am about to write a blog with 27 pictures), but Jackson isn't into taking pictures lately. Well...ever. You have to catch him in the right mood, and I have gotten into the habit of snapping anywhere from 3 - 15 pictures of a single moment on my iPhone. I then go through and delete the bad ones. And usually I get 1 acceptable one in there. But back to my point...the only picture I could get of him on his half birthday? Wearing a Lion hat standing on his stool at the bathroom sink annoyed because I am interrupting his train play to make him smile.
Oh, my sweet boy.
And you are so sweet. MOST OF THE TIME you have wonderful manners. You are helpful and a good listener. You say please, thank you, and I'm sorry without being prompted.
You love playing with your trains, cars, and animals. And you have recently become enthusiastic about building tunnels and towers with your blocks.
You love being outside, and you love going to the park. You go down the biggest slide over and over and over again. And you enjoy swinging, too.
Not even rain stops you from wanting to play outside.
You still go to soccer class once a week. Every week you get better at kicking the ball, running, and jumping. You are very good at following directions, and you enjoy learning from Coach Kyle. Your favorite thing to do at soccer class is play with the "hoops". I love watching you play and your laughter is contagious to both the other kids and adults alike.
You love your little brother so much. You are finally getting the hang of how to play with him, and you are getting better at making sure Samuel always has a toy to play with, too.
You love to watch Yo Gabba Gabba and Backyardigans, and your favorite movies are Madagascar and The Lion King. In fact, several weeks ago we went with Aunt Holly and Myles to the movies to watch The Lion King in 3D. You paid attention and kept your glasses on the whole time!
Our bedtime routine is so much fun. You and Samuel take a bath. Then you both brush your teeth and your hair. We play together for about 15 minutes, and while I am putting Samuel to bed, you pick out a show to watch on the TV. I usually make it back in to snuggle up and watch the last 10 minutes with you. Most nights you go to bed at 8:30. You wake up around 7:30 in the morning, but you like to sit in your bed and read. You also still take a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. I am glad that you are a great sleeper.
I am amazed every day with how well you speak. I love talking with you. You crack me up. And you're learning "Daddy Jokes" at an early age:
(after making your train engine and two freight cars into a triange) "Look, Mommy, look! A triangle!" Then you stopped, look at it again, and said "A TRAINangle!"
One of your most asked questions is "What's that sound?". You also like to ask "Where's (insert name here)?".
You are able to count objects as long as there are under 5 things. After 5, you get a bit confused and skip to 9. You know that your name is Jackson Wayne Bennett and that you are 2 years old. You can even hold up two fingers.
You are just now fitting into your 24 month clothes. Your legs are long and your waist is tiny so I have trouble finding pants that fit you properly.
You are a good eater. Your favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, cheesy tuna, applesauce, pizza, oranges, peas, yogurt, peanut butter, and cake. Every Saturday morning we go to the Donut Bank. You used to eat the donut balls (or boboballs as you call them), but lately you have been ordering a Cream Filled Long John. You call those "chocat". Most Saturdays, we stay home and have a PJ Day.
You love to be tickled. When I put you to bed at night, while I'm singing our song, you say "Tickle, Mommy" and you just laugh and laugh. Your laughter is so contagious. Sometimes you and Sam will sit at the table and just laugh at each other. That is a wonderful moment to observe.
One of your favorite places to visit is the bridge downtown because they have real train tracks at which you can look.
You are getting to be so independent and resourceful. If you want something, you will get it...like the time you rolled this suitcase all the way from Nana's room out to the car.
When we get in the car, you usually ask for music, and I turn on the Adele CD and we sing tracks 1, 2, 3, and 11 at the top of our lungs. I LOVE singing with you. It is a time that I treasure more than you could imagine. And I love how you know the words.
You sometimes refer to yourself as "Messy Boy" and that you are. When you eat, you eat. And you enjoy it...
...even if looking at it does make you go cross eyed!
You like going to Brandy's...in fact, sometimes I have a hard time getting you to leave in the afternoon. Your best buddy there is Dylan. Your other friends are Emma, Devin, Baby Cooper, Natalie, and Leah. Samuel goes to Brandy's with you now, too. On Wednesdays and Sundays, you go play with Miss Judy at church. You think that the church is Miss Judy's house. At church, your best buddy is Jake. He's in middle school.
You are one cool dude.
I love you so much, Jackson Wayne.
