This is a sad, sad post for me to write. Jack's 3rd birthday went by without much fanfare this year. We had just finished our move and didn't really have any friends to invite over for a party quite yet. I also had just started a part time job working nights at the kids club in my gym... The combination of those two things meant that I just didn't even know where to start. I didn't have time or energy to plan a party, and no one to invite to a party even if I did have the requisite time and energy required. I have pangs of guilt even as I am writing this.
Instead of doing any of the party stuff, we took him out to eat dinner, and bought him a little cake all of his own. He really liked being sung to in the restaurant and he thought the cake we bought at the store was the best thing ever. Oh my little love. At least we got him an awesome scooter that he loves!
What can I say about my Jacky boy? Two was a difficult age for us. Jack has really decided that he is going to exert his independence and always share his opinion on things. Sometimes, this is hilarious. other times, not so much.
After several failed attempts of potty training, I'm proud to say that we've almost got all of the kinks worked out (mind you that this is February that I'm writing this and he turned 3 in November). Potty training Jack is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life. It requires ALL of my patience and all of the kindness I can muster. I have to remind myself constantly that he is learning something new, and I am also learning how to potty train someone. We are both doing this for the first time and their are bound to be hiccups along the way. Jack is one of those people that must decide he wants to do something himself, before he will do it. He doesn't do things just because you tell him he should. He's a lot like me in that way. Anyway, it's been a really difficult process, and still is difficult some days. I still have to remind him to go to the bathroom every couple of hours because he rarely takes himself. But I am proud of him for sticking with it. You could definitely say that Jack has perfectionistic tendencies, so he really gets mad at himself when he has an accident. You can see it in his eyes that he's frustrated. It's got to be hard to keep trying at something that's hard to do day after day after day.
Speaking of perfectionism, this year, Jack has started displaying some OCD characteristics. He gets mad when he's dirty or when something is out of place. His version of "playing" involves lining his toys up in perfectly straight lines. If someone knocks one over, his world ends.
Along those same lines, Jack is incredibly bright. He often recites words and uses them in correct context that just shock me. Like tonight, when Charlie was crying for a toy that fell on the ground Jack said, "Oh just stop being so dramatic, Charlie!". He takes my breath away with his wit and charm. This kids is something special.
He often recites entire books back to me word for word. I'll read him a book, and then a week or so later pick that same book up again and he can recite along with me, or fill in the missing words when I pause in the reading. He's pretty genius.
He can identify and tell you the scientific names of specific dinosaurs, and not just the common ones like t-rex either, he knows things like Therizasaurous and Dimetrodon and Argentinasaurus. This kid LOVES dinosaurs. Loves is actually an understatement probably. He eat, sleeps, and breathes dinosaurs. It's all he wants to read about, talk about, watch on tv, or play with.
Currently, his favorite things to watch are, of course, dinosaur related: BBC documentaries on dinosaurs and archeologists (which he calls watching "the real, not-talking dinosaurs), The Land Before Time movies (who knew there were like 12 of those movies made!), and dinosaur train. I mean, how many three year olds do you know who ask to watch documentaries?!
I feel like, over the course of the last few months, Jack is transitioning out of the terrible two phase and I am catching more and more glimpses of my sweet little boy.
Every so often, he'll look at me and say, "You are the greatest mom in the whole world" or "I sure love you mom". It melts my heart. I've also been loving putting him down for bed at night. He has come to understand that bed time is non-negotiable and so it is no longer a power struggle between us. Every night we lay and bed and Jack will ask me, "So, what was your favorite today, Mom?". It's so cute the way he wants to talk about our days together. After, I will sing him a song while he cuddles up next to me. When I leave, I tell him that he is special and there is no one else in the world like him. He sighs and says, "Aw mom, you say that every time!". I mean it though. It's in those still moments that I appreciate him the most. Those moments when I'm not distracted by a million other things. He knows it, and I know it, and that's the time we really connect. I need to be more conscience of making more moments like that for the two of us. I cherish them so much.
Jack is really starting to be sweet with Charlie. They are finally getting to the age where they are starting to play well together. Sometimes, Jack will run into Charlie's room after Charlie has woken up from a nap, and he'll yell, "BROTHER! I MISSED YOU!". Then he'll climb into Charlie's crib and they will jump together for a few minutes.
Jack's night terrors have all but stopped. Up until about 5 months ago, he used to scream in his sleep. It was the saddest thing ever. He still wakes up anywhere between 1-5 times a night, but now he will just quietly walk into our bedroom, and tap me on the shoulder to wake me up. Then, Gordy or I will walk him back to bed and tuck him in, and he will fall immediately back to sleep. I think he just gets a little lonely and wants to know that we are still here.
Jack's favorite person is his Grandma, hands down. She probably will be his favorite person for his entire life. He just loves her. That's all there is to be said about that.
Jack's favorite color is still yellow. A happy color for a happy little boy.
I can pretty much always count on him to follow important directions.
Jack clears his used dishes from the table when he is done eating.
Jack loves to sing and does so often.
He finally decided that he loves going to nursery just as it is time for him to go into sunbeams, but he has made the transition really well so far.
He is working on learning his letters and on his prewriting skills. He is actually pretty decent at tracing letters, but he often gets distracted and likes to draw snakes on his paper. Silly boy.
Jack's favorite food is pizza. I recently discovered that he likes licorice. He has decided as of late, that he is going to be more picky about what he eats. More assertion of his independence, I guess. So, we have instituted the "you have to try at least one bite of every dish on your plate" policy. Growing up must be so difficult.
Sometimes, I look at him and think about how he is such a blessing. The fact that he is even alive is a miracle. He is so curious, intelligent, and sweet. I hope I am doing all I can to help him along his journey. I hope I am being a good enough mom to him.
