Posting #9 - The Case of the Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

So the other day my wife tells me a story of our youngest, Jackson, and of the disappearing peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The story goes like this.

It was lunchtime and our kids were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Jennifer had walked downstairs and only saw Devon & Shelby eating their lunch. When she inquired where Jackson was they informed her that Jackson had gone upstairs with his lunch. Now food, for the most part, is not allowed upstairs at our house; especially when the contents of this particular lunch can so easily get into the carpet. Jennifer had called upstairs for Jackson and was greeted with the response, “Yes, Mommy?” Jackson comes from the around the corner of his room to the top of the stairs, his hands behind his back. The following dialogue ensues:

Mommy: “Jackson, please come downstairs and finish your lunch.”

Jackson: “Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich up here.” (His hands were behind his back hiding the sandwich.)

Mommy: “Let me see your hands.”

Jackson: (Shuffling his hands behind his back and placing the sandwich in one hand and showing his empty hand.) “See Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich.”

Mommy: (Trying to contain her laughter.) “Jackson, let me see your other hand, please.”

Jackson: (Placing both hands behind his back, places the sandwich in his other hand, and holds out his other empty hand.) “See Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich. See?”

Mommy: (Trying even harder to contain her laughter.) “Jackson, please come downstairs and finish your lunch.”

Jackson comes downstairs thinking he has “fooled” Mommy. All the while, he is coming down the stairs with both hands behind his back and turns to face Jennifer so as not to divulge the sandwich cleverly hidden behind his back. Once he clears Jennifer, he turns to face her and walks backwards into the kitchen. Jennifer, by this time, has allowed herself to laugh aloud at the “cleverness” of our 4-year old. Moments later Jackson emerges from the kitchen with a mouth full of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he tried valiantly to hide. He then holds out both of his hands, and with his mouth completely full of food, says, “See Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich!”

Case solved!

Posting #8 - Missing You...

I am currently in Toledo, Ohio. I am missing you all deeply and love you very much! Home isn't home without you here with me or I there with you. I love you babies and may God be with you all!

Posting #7 - Patience

For my avid followers, I know it has been a couple of days since my last post. We have done a lot through the summer and I am working on getting it sorted out so I may post the adventures of what we have done. Stay tuned....

Posting #6 - Yep...I Miss Them!!!

My son, tonight you are on your way to Florida for some fun in the sun. I’m sure your thoughts are purely focused on how much fun you and Colton are going to have while down there. You know what? That is perfectly normal! In fact, I would be quite worried about you if you weren’t. I know you are going to have a great time, and I am certain you will come back with plenty of stories! You know what else? I am going to hang to every word as you tell me about your many adventures.

My sweetheart, you are, I’m sure, playing with your toys and enjoying every moment of being home. If you’re not playing with your toys then I can almost be certain you are drawing Mommy a lovely picture that will undoubtedly end up on the refrigerator; as this is it where it should be. You know what? I am looking at one of your pictures that you drew for me and remembering the excitement you had in wanting to give it to me.

My youngest son, you are, no doubt, being every bit of a tenacious 3 year old you can be right now!!! You know what? That’s exactly how it should be. I can almost be certain that you are lining up your cars on the coffee table right about now and getting ready to show Mommy what you have just made. If not that, then you are burying yourself in as much toys as you can. Again, that’s exactly how it should be.

I am deeply missing all of you right now. The place we called “home” here in Colorado just doesn’t seem right without you guys right here with me. Devon, Teddy is doing just fine and she misses you too. She also wanted me to tell you to have fun while down in Florida. Shelby, your drawings and colorings are safely secured. I am going to bring them back home so we can fill up the refrigerator. Jackson, you left your shoes in the kitchen little man! Don’t you worry though. I will bring them for you so you don’t go the rest of the summer shoeless!

I love you babies and I miss you so much!

Posting #5 - Seven Falls, Colorado

So I asked Devon & Shelby to write what they loved about today while at Seven Falls. My hope was to scan in what they wrote and post it, but I’m still trying to learn this thing!!! So their efforts will not have been for nothing, I will transcribe it for this post.

Grammatical Disclaimer: So as not to take away from their efforts, I am going to type their experience exactly as they wrote it.

Devon wrote:

Seven Falls

“My favorite thing at seven falls was walking up the stair case. Or Seven Fall. It was very cool.”

Shelby wrote:

Seven Falls

“My favorite part was when me and daddy went up 224 stairs and I got tired on the stairs. Then we saw Indians and I saw chip and dale when we were eating.”

Yes, it was a great time today! Next weekend we will travel back up to the Black Hills of South Dakota to take part in the annual völksmarch at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Additionally, my baby boy will be turning 10 years old. We shall celebrate his birthday with a peach cobbler made over a campfire as well as some good times…nah, great times!!!

Posting #4 - Seven Falls, Colorado

Posting #3 - Dreams

What is a dream? A definition of a dream is a “sequence of thoughts, images, sounds or emotions which the mind experiences during sleep”. What about dreams of life? We often dream big as a child, but fail to achieve for a number of reasons. Often, we all end up doing what we have to do out of necessity rather than doing what we truly want to do; or what we dream doing. I hope that as my kids grow older they do what they dream doing!

For Devon, I frequently see him portraying his image of a spy. Watching him duck and hide as if he were James Bond is truly awe inspiring. I could watch him for hours. For Shelby, she often portrays a teacher. She pretends to have her “class” of a garden variety of stuffed animals and toys which she will teach to. Again, I could just sit and watch her for hours. For Jackson, I’m not quite sure. Mainly he pretends to be as big as his two older siblings! He soon will be though, much to the chagrin of Jennifer and me, and he will soon develop dreams of his own. I know that as they grow their dreams will change, but no matter the cost, I will support them in their dreams. Should Devon become a spy, then I wouldn’t have him just settle on that, but to be the type of spy that others write books about. If Shelby were to become a teacher, then I would have her be the very best teacher she can possibly be by being the type of teacher her students wake up for. For Jackson, well, you’ll just have to stay tuned as he gets older.

Dreams are important. Dreams can delineate who we want to be, who we will become, and ultimately, how our legacies will be made. For my children, it is vital they know that we (Jennifer & I) will support them no matter what. I love my children very much. They have truly changed my life and my dream, for them, is instead of growing out of their dreams they grow into them.