Signs You Know Jack is Sick

Jack doesn't get sick often, so I've compiled my own little diagnostic check-list.

1. He doesn't want to eat - even Popsicles.
2. He doesn't want to talk.
3. He falls asleep during a movie, after surpassing his all-time best sitting time of 30 minutes.
4. He cries - a lot. Mostly about us not having a movie about Fire Dogs. Then he asks "why I was cry-in?"
5. He says "I have a feber."
6. He lets Chuck go snow blow without wanting to help.
7. He throws his socks at Ryker and then immediately runs over and apologizes very sadly.

17 Years Younger

Our family got a Wii Fit this weekend (a late-arriving Christmas present). We hooked it up yesterday and I started my journey back to my 125 pound high school sports playing weight. (Okay, probably not a realistic goal, but a girl can dream.)

Anyway, the first thing the Fit makes you do is a body test. You put in your age and your height and then it weighs you and tests your balance. I was having a grand ol' time until it announced that my "Fit Age" is 48 and my Mii stooped over, winced and grabbed her back like a geezer.

48?!

I mean, I know that I'm no Twiggy (or whoever the modern-day equivalent is), but 48?!

Here's where my competitiveness comes in handy. I have managed, in less than 24 hours, to reduce my age by 17 years! I am officially 31 Fit Years Old today. At this rate I'll arrive at work tomorrow a tween. What will I wear? And who will I eat lunch with?

MPR

A figure sits by himself at the kitchen island this morning. He's eating breakfast. There's not much light yet. The only sound is the radio tuned to MPR.

"I'm listening to the news."

Sounds like a typical morning in the Banjostrand house.

Except that was Jackson.

Things I Don't Want to Forget

A few things I don't want to forget about each kid right now.

Jack:
1. How he pronounces museum - "woo zee um"
2. How he tells me that it's okay for people to need help sometimes.
3. How he thinks that Daddy knows everything.
4. How he practices singing and learns the words to songs he hears.
5. How he wants to "sit and talk about his day" (his words) in the lobby of daycare before we can get in the car.
6. How he takes a break out of every meal to give each of us hugs and kisses.

Ryker:
1. How much he loves "horsey horsey on your way."
2. How he loves to play with his pacifier more than he likes to suck on it.
3. How his hat falls over his eyes on the way home every night and he falls asleep.
4. How he scratches his head when he's tired or shy.
5. How he loves to practice blowing bubbles.
6. How he flings his arms up and down and cracks up every time you make eye contact with him.

Associations

Report from proud liberal parents:

This morning Jack was about to watch the Bob the Builder movie. As Chuck was getting it ready, Jack sang "Bob the Builder, Yes We Can!" over and over again. (The parents of toddlers who read this blog are singing it along with him right now and cursing me for getting it stuck in their heads AGAIN.)

After a few rounds he changed it up.

"Barack Obama, Yes We Can!"

Good boy.

Criminal Justice According to Jack

If you've been reading our blog for awhile you know that Jack is slightly obsessed with people making good choices and bad choices and has, on more than one occasion, begged me to go find the cars of people who made a bad choice and cut us off. He told us on the way to StL that he wanted to be a policeman when he grows up.

He also seems to have developed a little alter ego that whisper-repeats things that really strike him as important (or words he doesn't know).

Both of the afore-mentioned traits exhibited in one concise conversation:

Momma: "When people make good choices, good things happen. Like you made good choices with Daddy and then I took you sledding. And you made good choices while we were sledding, so we had hot chocolate when we got home."
Jack: "Yeah, dat was fun!"
M: "But if people make bad choices, then bad things happen - like that man who got pulled over by the policeman."
J: "It's okay if he needs help from the policeman, Momma."
M: "Oh, definitely, but I think that man actually broke some rules, so the policeman is writing him a ticket."
J: "WHY????"
M: "Well, when you are an adult and you break rules, you have to pay money."
J: (not-so-stage whisper) "Paaay moneeeeey..."
M: "See, adults have to follow rules too. And if you don't follow the rules a bunch of times, they take you to jail." (I'm not sure I can explain why I decided to share all of this with him, except that I was bored in the car and it seemed like a good transition into a talk about him behaving more.)
J: "And sometimes, if you are really bad, they put your face on a building... (not-so-stage whisper)...buuuiiilding."

2008 - A Year in Review

That title seemed like a really good idea. I'll write a post reviewing the whole year. Then two thoughts occurred to me. 1) I can't seem to remember anything earlier than June and 2) Even if I could, I doubt our readers would really be THAT interested.

So I'll just say that 2008 was a great year (at least the half I remember). It was the year that we welcomed Ryker to our family...

...the year that Jack turned 3...

...the year I decided I liked cooking again (when I have time)...

...the start of Jacknastics... ...the year that we learned about bull riding......the year that Jackson learned about Africa and developed his first crush...

And to ring in the New Year with a bang, Ryker decided to finally find his balance and sit up unaided....

I can't wait to see what the new year brings.

Peace and love to all of our readers,

the Banjostrands