Jakers

I just realized that as of today we officially have a two and a half year old. I remember when I was young just how important that half year thing was. I thought I would write about some of the cute things Jake has been doing lately to celebrate this momentous occasion. So, please if hearing (or reading) about other people's kids makes you sick then do yourself a favor and stop reading right now!

The thing I've noticed most about Jake is what a creature of routine he is. I knew that babies need routine. It seems that toddlers do too. Who are we kidding here. I still like routine for the most part. Anyways, what tickles me right now about Jake is that as soon as I go in to get him in the morning it's like watching that movie Groundhog Day over and over. I know exactly what he's going to say. He starts off by jumping out of bed and saying "OH HI MAMA!" Then he looks at his sippy cup from the night before (yes, I know we shouldn't let him have a cup in bed) and proclaims "THAT ONE YUCK! I BUY A NEW ONE!"

As we head downstairs together he gives me a running commentary on who is awake and who is asleep. And you better believe this includes all of his toys. We also discuss the fact that daddy is at work which for some reason Jake associates with donuts. I guess because on the days when Mike is off from work he often takes Jake to get donuts. So Jake will say "Daddy at work. He getting DONUTS!"

At the bottom of the stairs he will look at me and tell me who he wants to watch on TV. We usually start with a little Elmo and go from there. It's usually around this time when he will look down at his hands and realize that he has Mr. Crab in them. His voice is filled with sheer delight when he tells Crabby "OH HI PABBY! I SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!! LOOK AT HIM. PABBY SO CUTE!"

I just love this little boy. He is so happy to see Emma when she wakes up and lavishes her with hugs and kisses. Yes, he still has his two year old moments. I'm utterly sick of the words NO, MINE and I DON'T WANT TO. But I see his little heart softening towards people and his mind working vigorously all day long. In a sense, he's becoming very independent. He wants to do things all by himself so much more now. He also is becoming a problem solver. The other day when his ball rolled under the bed to where he couldn't reach it, he went and found an object long enough to stick under the bed to roll the ball out with. I think he's got his daddy's knack for fixing things.

Okay, two more little Jake stories and we're done. Yesterday, we took him to his friend's third birthday party. It was a pool party. Now, apparently we've been watching way too much Finding Nemo around here because when he saw the pool he told his daddy that there was a shark in it that might get him. The sharks' name was Bruce just like in the movie. Fearless as he is, he didn't let the possibility of a shark attack keep him out of the water. He even jumped off the edge of the pool into Mike's arms a few dozen times. Such fun!

Lastly, I keep thinking of our family outing to the mall a few weeks ago. My niece and I were looking at clothes when I looked up to see Jake bent down with his head underneath one of the dressing room doors looking up at whoever was in there. Seriously? It starts this young? I think I might tell him he should stay out of girls dressing rooms because there are sharks in there that could get him. Think that will work?