Two and a half!? Amazing!

My darling little baby turned two and a half yesterday, can you believe it? How fast the time has gone. We did the traditional 6 month measurement on his wall and he's 36.5" tall. And I think he's getting ready for another growth spurt. But what honestly impresses me the most is how huge his personality and his heart are.
As an example, KiBa was spayed on Thursday. She was a very unhappy puppy, as you can imagine, on Thursday and Friday. Jake has repeatedly gone into the cage where she is being confined and sat with her and Friday morning he requested that we read her a book to make her feel better. Yeah, he's a peach my boy.
Sundays we go to the park before we go to the farmers' market. We brought bread to feel the ducks (who were ungrateful and uncooperative) and the squirrels. While most boys chase squirrels, Jake was chasing them to feed them. He just wants to love everyone. The park has these things that you talk into one and they go through tubes and you can hear the voice somewhere else. Jake spent probably 5+ minutes saying "I love you, Mommy" back and forth with me. He also finishes the lines when I sing "You Are My Sunshine."
OK, I'm done gushing. Well, probably not, but that's all for today. Pictures of him in KiBa's cage to follow.

Jake's new sister

Welcome KiBa!! We have added a new member to our happy family. Her name is KiBa. She's a 8-9 month old Shiba Inu. She was a rescue dog due to health issues. She is blind in her left eye and has a little hole in her heart, but she's super sweet. She and Dippy are getting along like, well, sisters. KiBa thinks Dippy is awesome and wants to be with her and do what she does. Dippy thinks KiBa is a pest. They have had some rocky moments in the less than 24 hours that KiBa has been here, but they have also played a little and we're sure that they will grow to be close friends. Jake loves KiBa and I'm sure that they will also be close friends as she is much more "accessible" than La Principessa, Serendipity who hardly lets him pet her, much less give hugs. KiBa will take love and attention in any form so that works out for him. I'm sure that she will continue to grow in all of our hearts because, while her heart may have a little hole, it's twice the size of any other dog's.

It's the little things.

Every day Jake does a hundred things that, if I had this blog up 24/7 I would write down. Things that I hope I never forget. Moments that seem like the whole world when they happen, but are over in a minute and, sadly, more sadly than I can express, often forgotten. So I wanted to take a few minutes to note a few of the little things that I hope I always remember, as much for the feelings they evoked in the moment as for how darn cute they are and how embarrassed Jake will be when I tell the story to his future girlfriends.

The fact that he can't remember the difference between potato and tomato. He knows they're different but he can't remember which word is which.

The fact that he thinks meatballs grow on trees. You know, those little spiky balls that grow on liquid amber trees, those are meatballs and, apparently, in Jake's world, ducks LOVE to eat them.

Him reenacting the octopus rescue scene from Diego where the octopus digs the animals out of the cage and then they swim away. Reinterpreted for carpet floors.

How much Jake loves Dippy. He gives her hugs, gets upset when she won't let him pet her, and one night sat on the floor next to her and dug with her just to be near her. You have to know Dippy to get this, but trust me, it was a moment.

How much he loves to help. I swear his most often said phrase is "Mommy, I help you?" Someday this will be a distant memory so I'm savoring it now (and writing it down so I have proof he used to be like this).

The nightly ritual whereby Daddy has to give a hug and a kiss to every animal in the bed. This is no small task. The roll always includes Elliot the dragon (watch out for the spikes, Daddy!), Bink, Wolfie, Meow, Magic Lion, Murphy, and Merely. There are also often visiting animals, so you can see how it might take up some time.

Ah, there are a million more. I just hope I remember 10% of the darling. That would probably be doing pretty well and it might even get me through 15. Memory is a funny thing though. You never can tell which moments will imprint indelibly and which will slip away. And I wonder, what memories are we creating for him every day, every week? All I can do is my best to make sure there are more happy moments than sad ones so that the odds are in his favor.

Is it Spring yet?

You would think so by my son's attire. He looks ready for Easter (which we don't celebrate), golf, or the next Pottery Barn Kids catalog. Not sure which. Gotta love that hat.

He is getting to be a real charmer, most of the time, and very creative. Imaginary play is definately the big thing around our hosue. Last week he was a pirate. We also took a spaceship ride to the moon and to a red, cold, bumpy planet. When we got to the green planet with all of the plants, he fell into the water and we had to go home. So sad. After a flower fight, in which I was not involved, I looked outside and asked who had put all of the flowers on the ground.

"Was is Jake and Ama and Daddy?" I asked.

"Maybe." he replied. "Or maybe it was a flower monster!"

Honestly, it was hilarious. He's a firecracker, that kid.

He sang... no, he belted out a great rendition of "Happy Birthday, Grandma Lynn" at the table last night, even though the family was obviously a little loud and overwhelming for him. He had an amazing time, as always, playing with Cousin Ben. Hilarity ennsued there as well as Ben taught him to say various things and sent him over to the table to perform. Ben, who is a smart child with a strong sense of self-preservation, didn't teach him anything bad. I think the major phrases were "Silly Goose" and "Monkey Boy," both of which made Jake dissolve into fits of giggles. Honestly, is there anything cooler than that sound? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it cures cancer.

We had a great time digging in the garden on Saturday. Jake and I cleared another 4 feet of garden space, which is great because we have a ton od sedlings that we planted coming up. I'm glad he loves cucumbers, because we seem to be replete with them. Woo hoo! He likes looking at the baby plants, but I'm not sure he gets it yet. I can't wait for the flowers and then the fruits to start coming so that he can get a sense of the purpose behind all the bizarre activities that Mommy has been inflicting on him.

In the spirit of Spring, youth, and new beginnings, here are Jake and Ben making faces. Ah, to be young!