Say What?

A few things Jackson is saying:

"Sure!" When asked if he wants something he likes.
"I think so."
"No thanks." When asked to do something he doesn't like.
"Don't like that anymore.  Very much."
"Don't like that very much.  Anymore."
"Want to show you something." Accompanied by tugging on your finger, as soon as you sit down.
"Look at me!"
"Come with me."
"Go to McDonalds.  Get me a smoothie."
"Take me back to preschool!  Right now!"
"How are you this morning?"
"Goodbye friends!"
"Where is Grandma?"
"Daddy going on errands."
"Good" when asked "How are you?"
"I'm sorry." After a potty accident.  Or when prompted after pushing.
"Stop it Hayley!"  All. The. Time.  In the car.
"Want to watch Kipper/Barney/Yardigans/Fireman Sam."
"Mom. Mom! MOM. MOM!" "What?!" "Hold my hand." Love this.
"Jackson do it." As in, "I want to do it by myself."
"Jackson is awake!" with a huge smile.  Sometimes as early as 5:30 a.m.  It's lots cuter closer to 9:00.
"Ow! That stings!"
"Wipe Mommy's kiss off!" When he's teasing me after I kiss him.
"Bless you!" as he sneezes.  Then, "Excuse me!" when he's done.

 His favorite things to sing:

Wheels on the Bus
Itsy, Bitsy, Spider
B-I-N-G-O
ABC Song
Pop! Goes the Weasel
The Birthday Song

And some of Hayley's:

"I'm sweating like an elephant!"

And this conversation:
Hayley: "One of my fish will be dead when we get home."
Me: "Why do you say that?"
Hayley: "Because I forgot to feed them this morning."
Me: "You fed them kind of a lot last night.  Some of their fish flakes were still on the bottom of the bowl this morning.  I think they'll be fine."
H: "Like they were saving their food?  Like leftovers?  Like cavemen?"
Me: "Um.... Yeah."
H: "Wait, where do cavemen get their food?"
Me: (Not one to mince words) "They kill it, and cook it, and eat it."
H: "Do they eat people?  Like other cavemen?"
Me: "Uhhh... No."
H: "What do they do when they meet other cavemen?  Just invite them in for iced tea?"
Me: (Cracking up by now) "Yeah, maybe.  Why do you think they have iced tea?"
H: "Well, cause they can just make the ice cubes out of sand."
I cannot wait until this girl starts writing more stories in school.  Her teachers are in for a treat!

December Update

 Well, we finally got out the Christmas stuff and decorated around our house.  At least with the things that Jackson can't destroy/can't reach/can't get hurt by.  He loved this little play nativity that we got last year.

He may not know the whole story, but he's got the main characters down pat.  Of course, he also thinks the  donkey had just as important of a role as Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

We did not put up the big tree.  I really was too nervous that it would end up on top of Jackson sometime within the month, and a visit to the hospital is not exactly the "Merry Christmas" I have in mind.  We did buy Hayley her own tree to put in her bedroom, and got out the "kiddie" ornaments.  She was plenty happy with that situation.

Jackson took a liking to this Santa.

But would only get close enough to the real thing to give him a high five.

 We tried inching him a little closer to Sinter Klass at the Dutch Party, but he didn't handle that very well.

Hayley was more than happy to chat with Sinter Klass.  She wasn't scared of him or the Swarte Petes, even though they had their sack ready to take the naughty boys and girls back to Spain to be slaves.  That part of the story scared the crap out of my when I was little.

Then again, Hayley is happy to tell pretty much any Santa what she wants for Chistmas.

Which would be great, except that the gift that she keeps telling Santa she wants is one that she hasn't even mentioned since October, that I didn't buy, and that I can't find anywhere.  So, if anyone sees any of the extra large ladybug pillow pets that they had a Costco a couple of months ago, please let me know.

If not, I'll hope the other presents she finds under her tree is enough. 

Random

Just a few things.

I wish I would have known about this: http://haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com/ when I was pregnant.  So funny.  Seriously, click the link.

Don't you just love how old friends "get you?"  I do.  Plus, you can talk about the people you both know who turned out crazy, and it makes you feel exceptionally normal.

Don't let the Christmas lights on the outside of our house fool you.  We have no decorations for Christmas up inside our house.

We may not do a Christmas tree this year.  Because my son is a crazy little tornado, and I would be scared for the ornaments, the tree, and him.  Hayley may get her own little tree in her room out of the deal though.

I cleaned the playroom and put nearly half the toys in storage.  Neither child has even noticed.  If that keeps up, they are out of here.  (The toys, not the children.)  And I might "clean" again.  Also makes me wonder just how many of the Christmas presents we bought are really necessary...

Oh yeah.  Christmas shopping is done!  Almost.  Have to pick up a few more giftcards.  Oh, and wrap everything.  Ugh.  I hate the wrapping.

Switched over the CDs in the car to the Christmas ones.  Some guy honked at me (mean honk, not "Hey, good lookin'" honk) while I did it.  I say bad Christmas karma to him.

This week I got called a "competent teacher" and a "favorite teacher." :)

If you are wondering what to get for your child's teacher, let me help you out.  My hands down favorite gift goes like this: Card (store bought or home-made).  Nice handwritten message from kid.  Nice handwritten message from parent.  That's it.  Sure teachers love all the other stuff, but kind things that you say and really mean go such a long, long way.

My husband is absolutely impossible to surprise for Christmas, birthday, basically anything.  He seriously guessed my surprise present.  Trouble!

I resisted getting any kind of a smart phone, even with the Black Friday deals.  Just couldn't do it.  Gonna stick with my dumb phone.

I finished the Fablehaven series.  It was fantastic.  If you have a fourth grader or older and they haven't tried it, they should.  Also recently read these scary-but-not-too-scary-because-you're-ten books to my class: Trapped in Death Cave, The House on Hackman's Hill, and The Letter, the Witch and the Ring.  All of them are books that I read in fourth grade.  And, I just found out while reading the last one that it's actually the third in a series, so guess I'll be reading the other two.  After I finish rereading The Candy Shop War.  And its sequel.  And the Giver series again, because there's a new bonus book like ten years after the other three, which were ever only marketed as a trilogy!!  Excited. :)

Okiedokie.  That's it for now.  Not a single picture.  Sorry.  Brain dump only.

Treehouse Update

Jeremy wanted me to post a treehouse update, so here you go:

 It also now has a railing.

Yeah, it's a little bit massive for a treehouse.

But lots of fun!