Prayers

Tonight's prayers were a moment I can't let go undocumented, so here it goes.  Every night Jackson gets 2 books and 2 songs before he goes to bed.  He has all of his books memorized and loves to say the lines to us as we read to him.  A current favorite is a book called I Love You Stinky Face.  This is an appropriate book in our family because my terms of endearment for Jackson are often bugger butt or stinky butt or...well, you get my point, stinky face fits right in.  So we read our books and sang our songs and then it was time for prayer.

Tonight Jackson requested that Charlie say the prayer.  Sometimes we OK this because "Charlie", Jackson's bear who he has given voice and personality to, actually gives pretty sweet prayers.  At other times we have to veto the idea because Charlie is too hyper and we can't take his high, squeeky voice anymore.  Tonight, however, when this idea was put forward, Jackson also asked that Charlie's dad, Paddington Bear, and Charlie's mom, a stuffed monkey, participate as well.  He gathered them all around him, folded their arms and bowed his head over them.  Then the prayer proceeded like this:

Charlie: Heavenly Father ( high, squeaky voice)
Paddington: Heavenly Father (in a very low voice)
Monkey: Heavenly Father (in a motherly voice)

Charlie: Thank you for this day
P: Thank you for this day
M: Thank you for this day

C: Bless daddy at school
P: Bless daddy at school
M: Bless daddy at school

C: Bless Jackson to sleep well
P: Bless Jackson to sleep well
M: Bless Jackson to sleep well

C: And I say these things
P: "     "     "      "
M: "   "      "      "

C: In the name of Jesus Christ
P: "    "  "  "  "
M: "  "   "   "  "

C: Amen!
P: "
M: "

I love that he didn't falter with their voices for the entire prayer. I love his imagination. I love his love for his Savior, no matter how simple.  I love this little man.

Little Man Turns 3!

This month, on Jan. 2nd, Jackson turned 3!  I can't believe that 3 years ago today I saw him born, I held him and then 3 days later brought him home.  Our lives have been forever changed and we can't imagine what our life would be without him.  He is constantly growing and changing and I can't wait to see what this 4th year will bring.

For his third birthday I stole some traditions from friends and had a present waiting on the end of his bed when he woke up, balloons on his floor, and we wrapped his doorway in cray paper.  We let him choose the activity of the day, which was playing at the play structure (I really tried to influence him towards going to a waterfall) and then having pizza and fries with his best friend Luke for dinner.  I made my family's cherry chocolate bundt cake and the boys, and Harper, had a great time running around on their sugar high.

Yesterday we had his actual birthday party with all of his friends.  It was a train themed party and the boys had a blast.  We started off by playing Red Light, Green Light, having them earn their caps and bandanas to become train conductors.  Then we brought the party inside the house where we played Pass the Parcel, a favorite game I picked up in England.  Next was the refueling station where the boys snacked on popcorn, apples, and bagel bites, and sipped juice from their train cups.  After building up some steam, the boys then made their own train picture frames, some with more of an abstract eye than others.

Now, the boys may have refueled, but I will be honest, we were running out of energy. Me and Dustin against entertaining six 3 year olds was more work than I had planned.  But we chugged along into presents and cake, and ended with smashing up a Thomas pinata.  Overall, the birthday was a success, measured by the huge hug and kiss I received from Jackson.  I am not a real "Suzie homemaker" kind of girl, and cake decorating and party decorating are more detailed work than I enjoy,  but I will do this year after year to make Jackson smile.

And one quick note that I always have to include, or I would be incredibly ungrateful: M, we love you and the beautiful boy you gave us.  Please know that with every new step we take with him, we think of you and love you more.