Jackson at 21 Months

I've already mentioned quite a few ways that Monkey Boy is driving us nuts. He's also adding a few more degrees of angst right this moment, as he is screaming and fighting his nap while I am trying to blog in peace. I am rising above it by writing a post about his wonderful side. Monkey Boy truly does have one, I promise.

He's blossoming into this amazingly cute little boy. He adores his big sister, and usually his first word when I enter his room in the morning is, "Day-dee?" as in, "Where's Katie?" He is spunky and scrappy, ready to tackle and chase anything that moves. When I do crunches during my workout in the morning, he thinks it's an invitation to body slam. He gets a wicked grin and straddles my stomach and starts bouncing, as if he's riding a horse. Then he squawks and squeals because, really, what could be more fun?

I love the way he walked around on Christmas Day with a fistful of football playing cards that Santa left in his stocking, muttering "poo-ball" to himself over and over. And at mealtime, he would sit in his chair and point to our holiday carousel on the counter and say, "Mommy wake horsey up," his way of asking me to turn the carousel on.

I love that you can see the concentration on his face when he's thinking or playing. In my family, we call that furrowed brow "Steeley Eyes." Maybe I'll explain that in another post sometime.

When I sit on the floor to play with Jackson, he takes that as an invitation to read books. He grabs a book from the shelf (usually it's Big Dog Little Dog or Are You My Mother?) and brings it to me and plops into my lap saying, "book." Of course he doesn't want me to read it. He just wants to flip the pages and point to pictures. But it's a start.

I love that every time we get in the car, Jackson asks for his best friend, Liam. He just started calling him Liam about two weeks ago. Before that, Liam was "B-Beth" because that's what Liam always calls me. (Elizabeth is hard for a two-year-old to pronounce.) So Jackson called him B-Beth until Liam kept saying and insisting, "I not B-Beth. I LIAM." I think it finally took. Jackson thinks we are going to play with Liam every time we get in the car, probably because we usually end up seeing Liam at least half the time we go somewhere.

Jackson calls his milk "boppy." Not sure why. He loves to build with blocks and then, like most kids, knock the blocks over.

He loves loves loves balls - throwing them, kicking them, sitting on them. Lately, he's been carrying a rubber ball in one hand and a plastic cat in the other. And if he has room, he'll cram an empty Altoids box in his grubby little grasp too. He carries these things around all. day. long. Sometime he even sneaks them to bed too.

I learned a little trick from my friend Danielle, who credits our friend Mary. They both started telling their kids things like "It's gonna cost ya" to bribe a kiss from their kids. I've been trying this with Jackson, and I think it's starting to work. I'm a little more blunt, though. I just tell Jackson, "Mommy kiss" and now I'm starting to get the kisses. He'll walk up to me and say, "Mommy kiss" and I'll bend down and get one for no reason at all. They are the most gooey, slobbery kisses in existence, but oh-so-sweet.

About two weeks ago, we were listening to Christmas music while driving around and looking at the holiday lights. My iPod was playing "Joseph's Lullaby" by MercyMe. It is a heartwrenchingly beautiful song. Dan asked me to burn it to CD for him so he could play it for Jackson while they rock before bedtime. That song has now replaced the song we've been playing for both kids since Katie was six months old: "Lullaby (Good Night My Angel)" by Billy Joel. When "Joseph's Lullaby" starts, Jackson curls up into your chest and sucks his pacifier (he switches the consonants and calls it "dap-see" instead of "paci") and I am telling you what: you have never felt such peace and love in your life. It makes the Monkey Boy moments worth it. Almost.

"Joseph's Lullaby" by MercyMe

Go to sleep my son,
This manger for your bed.
You have a long road before you.
Rest your little head.
Can you feel the weight of your glory?
Do you understand the price?
Does the Father guard your heart for now,
So you can sleep tonight?
Go to sleep my son.
Go and chase your dreams.
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace.
I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight.
Lord I ask that he, for just this moment
Simply be my child.
Go to sleep my son
Baby close your eyes
Soon enough you’ll save the day
But for now, dear child of mine.
Oh, my Jesus, sleep tight.