A simple bouquet of flowers

This week, Ella went outside to play after a storm.  There were lots of branches scattered around.  She came in after awhile, disappeared for a bit, and then came running into the kitchen, very excited to show me her new creation.

"Mom, I made something for you!"

That phrase.

It scares me.

Is it going to be a barn made out of construction paper and two roles of tape?  Where am I going to keep another one of those?

Did she try to sew through cardboard again?  There were a lot of Barbie bandaids used in that incident.

Is she cutting up fabric and making more bookmarks?  I don't have any more books to put them all in.

Did she make another paper toilet?  Not toilet paper.  An actual paper toilet.  She made one for Handsome Hero and one for me as a welcome home gift after we had a night away a couple of weeks ago.

Seriously.

But it wasn't any of those things.  It was this.

A bouquet of blue flowers on some of those sticks from the yard.

Yes, construction paper.  Yes, lots of tape.

But perfect.  Absolutely perfect.

I think the entry was just calling for a little, uh, nature.  Don't you?

Happy Birthday, Jack Jack

Four years ago today, in a very surprising emergency C-section, this little man came into our lives. 

I updated you on our big bad four-year-old here just last month, so I'll just regale you with a pictorial history of his three-year-old-ness.

It all started with potty training, which we did as soon as he turned three.



After diapers, there was no stopping him.  He could be in the ballet!

In January, Nate got sick.  Jack was a big helper in getting ready for him coming home from the hospital.

He didn't even seem to notice the tube.

Watching this kid eat gave us hope for Nate!

In the Spring, we discovered the zoo.

He, um, hatched?

On Mother's Day, he was forced very willing to take a picture with mom.



Our summer was characterized by trips to the park,

For which he apparently needed a parasol,

And trips to the local splash pads.

Lots and lots of visits.

In the Fall, Handsome Hero started cutting Jack's hair.  He looked like a burly man who sits around in his tighty whiteys.  All he needed was a beer in one hand.  No, scratch that.  No beer.

Jack is extremely serious.  He takes after his mother.

 

In September we started school.  We homeschool, but this was his first day of co-op.

In the middle of September we took our first ever family vacation.



Jack would not go in the water for the first few days, but by the end he did pretty well.  He would go out a little, and when a wave came, he would flex his muscles and say,"I am KING!"  I think the waves listened.



As Fall went on, we visited an apple farm.  We looked through the pumpkins and ate apple dumplings.

And generally goofed off.

He is trying to learn how to wink. This is his best one yet.

In October, Aunt Merilee came for a visit.

She taught the kids tennis.  He's a natural!  Just look at that reach!  Wait!  Where's the ball?

For Halloween, Jack was Buzz Lightyear.  There was no other option in his mind, so it's a good thing we already had a costume!

Somehow, this boy has just grown up.  All of a sudden, he's putting on his own socks, taking off his shirts, understanding more than one direction at once, sort of.  How did this happen?

But he still tells me what, still cuddles with me each morning, still takes an afternoon nap.  He's still my little boy, for a little while longer.

Happy Birthday, Jack!