i asked jack to put on his snow boots. he said, "no, i'm going to wear my business shoes today." yeah, his "business shoes" were his black hi-tops.

merry christmas

so...these pictures are in the wrong order. but, whatever. you'll get the idea.

we had a fun christmas. it was the first christmas for all of us to have a family of our own. nate and i thought jack would be up at 4 wanting to open presents. he impressed us by not coming in until 6 o'clock. i loved hearing his little voice say, "mommy! nate! santa came!!"

jack is a little photographer. he loves taking pictures. i found a vtech camera that looked pretty neat but jack was like no way! he wanted a "real" camera. he picked out a red one that he thinks is pretty cool.

nate and jack figuring out the camera. jack keeps the camera in the car with us just in case he sees something "cool."

of course nate and i needed help opening our presents. jack was so nice and helped out.

jack is a funny kid. he has always been in to wrapping things up and pretending its his birthday or just giving himself a surprise. he decided to put some of his old toys in a box and wrap them up. he put it under the tree and actually left it there until christmas morning.





jacks dance



he does it when he's happy.

i loved this present. jack is really into drawing pictures of our family. after jack and nate wrapped my presents jack drew our family on the back of one of the boxes. it was my most favorite thing. i love that little boy.

scoping out the goods. notice the medals on the tree? (bottom right) well, it wouldn't be a christmas tree if jack didn't add his own decorations.

oh and his "night cap." that's what he calls it and it just makes me smile. there were a couple times he wouldn't go to bed unless he had it on. i had to sneak back in there and take it off because he sweats so bad.

oh my goodness, this is my most favorite christmas moment. nate put beef jerky in our stockings. jack grabbed it and excitedly shouted, "bacon!!! i got bacon, mommy!!!

the calm before the storm

jacks first christmas program

jack had his first christmas program at school. he was a king and even had a solo. his teacher said that she didn't intend on anyone having a solo but jack kept correcting her on the song...so she finally just asked him if he would like to have a solo and do it on his own. he was so proud.

notice the gap? yeah, that would be jackers hiding from me.

stink pot

jacks solo:

the chubby little snowman had a carrot nose

a long came a bunny and what do you suppose

the hungry little bunny, looking for his lunch

at the snowmans carrot nose

nibble nibble crunch!!

i know i know...

i'm so behind. hopefully, these pictures will

buy me some more time.

*jack made me stop the car right by our house so he could sing to the cows*

*i found jack going through a cabela's catalog while we were at my mom's. i asked him what he was doing...he said he was picking out what he wanted for christmas. considering this is jack that we're talking about....it's just weird.*

*the other night jack said he had a dream that humans had tails. he was a little concerned about it.*

*this is jack trying to tell me he couldn't go to church because he's had such a rough week."



*hmmmm, well he was just really bored on the crazy long drive home from nana's house.*

i'm going to try really hard to stay on top of blogging.

well, it comes as no surprise that jack is obsessed with my mom. but, its going to levels that even i think are ridiculous.

little boy: mom mom, whose tummy were you in when you were a baby?
me: nana's. cause she's my mom.
little boy: well whose tummy was i in when i was a baby?
me: mine. because I AM YOUR MOMMY!
little boy: (gasp!) i'm going to tell people that i was in nana's tummy because i love her.
me: okay. i think you're weird.

then last night i asked him to say the prayer at dinner. i reminded him to bless the food because otherwise he would just pray about nana.

heavenly father, thank you for this day.

thank you for nana and jack.

thank you for papa and reissy.

i want to live with nana so so bad.

thank you for our house.

thank you for our car.

thank you for nate's job.

i miss nana so much.

in the name of jesus christ, amen.

uh, jack, you forgot to bless the food...and mommy and nate. sheesh!!

fine.

bless the food.

bless mommy and nate.

i want to live with nana forever and ever. i want to. me, jack.

(i like how he said, "me, jack" like just in case jesus didn't know who was talking to him. i'm sure he just didn't want ther to be any confusion. i mean, can you imagine if reiss ended up living with nana?)

amen.

christmas tree farm

i can't lie

i was really excited to get a real tree.

i can only remember getting a real tree one time growing up. i thought i was the coolest thing. i was really excited to take jack.

jack walking up and down the rows trying to find the perfect tree.

we finally found the perfect for us.

thanksgiving vernal style

it was so good to see my family over thanksgiving. i have missed them so much.

nate didn't get much of a vacation though...he went to work with my dad everyday. but, jack and i sure had fun!! jack has missed his cousins so much so he was busy the entire time.

uncle nate was initiated into the family. felt bad for him. sucks being the new guy. all the kids loved him. a little too much. jack thought he was hot stuff cause nate was all his.

slap jack!

papa taught jackers how to play a fun new card game.

happy halloween

i'm lame

i was horrible about taking pictures on halloween.

jackers decided on being a ghost buster...way better than a swamp creature.

*he'll even sing you the theme song*

jack wanted a scary jack-o-lantern

nate was in charge of that for him

soccer

okay, i had to find something to burn jacks energy. the kid has an insane amount of energy.

however, during most of the game, jack was either talking to the coach or busting out some break dance moves. nate and i would constantly be telling him, "jack, help your team. go after the ball."

after every game the coach would tell me how funny jack was during the game. he would go up to them and say things like:

i like my red soccer shirt.

thanks for being my coach.

thanks for letting me be on your team.

hey, watch this...(and do a funky move)

uh, no way is a ball getting past this kid.

break it down, jack!

the kid is funny

just a few randome conversations that i've had with jack. i wanted to make sure i had them down somewhere...so i can use them against him someday.





jack: (crying) mommy, i'm just so upset.


me: why are you so upset, jack? you were just laughing a minute ago.


jack: you love nate more than me. you kiss both of us and i just want you to kiss me. you snuggle with nate and you never snuggle with me.


me: oh my word, jack. you're so funny. i love you both. yes, i do kiss nate and that's okay. and pretty sure i snuggle you every day...all day long.


jack: well, i want to sleep with you. why does nate get to sleep with you? he's so lucky.


me: cause that's what you do when you get married. one day when you have a wife you will have someone to sleep with too.


jack: (freaking out) no, i don't want a wife. I want you to be my wife. mommy, will you be my wife when i grow up.


me: uh, okay.


jack: thank you, mommy. will you snuggle me? you're so warm. you're the hottest mommy i know.











jack: mommy sometimes you tease me and say, "jack, there's a mouse (scream)!"


me: oh, i'm just teasing. it's okay.


jack: (without missing a beat he picks up The Berenstain Bears Trouble with Teasing book) do you see this book? teasing is nasty!! you shouldn't tease, mom!!!!!!


me: (seriously, what could i say? he had me) you're right, jack. i'm sorry. i won't tease you anymore.

waterpark

jack was in the shower just now yelling for me. he said he was ready for me to help him wash his hair. it told him i would be in there in a second. he hollers for me again. then he starts laughing. hard. i go in there and it is wet...everywhere.

me: jack! what on earth happened in here?!
jack: (he looks at me like "duh, you don't know?) i was just playing waterpark.

cute tush

last week we went to the pumpkin patch with my brother and his family. jack was dirrrrtay. when we pulled in to the garage he told me he wanted to take a shower. i said sure thinking he meant later on that night. nope. he came right in and got butt naked. i told him to give me a few minutes and then i would turn on the shower. he was running around like a wild man.

me: jack you gotta cute tush.
jack: (puzzled with his arms in the air) you think my tush is cute?
me: yeah, i do.
jack: but it toots.

children's museum

jack had a good time at the museum.

they had a tornado simulator that he thought was great! he had to get in it a couple times.

jack wants to be an "animal doctor" so he thought this was amazing. he loved it.

me: jack, we are going to go to the store in just a little bit.

jack: mommy, i want to get a toy.

me: no. jack do not even ask for a toy. you are not going to get one.

jack: (melt down) but, i just really want a buzz lightyear gun. the one like caden and reissy got at disneyland.

me: sorry it's not going to happen. christmas is coming. if you get all the toys you want now santa won't be able to bring you anything. how sad. honestly, jack, you have a room full of toys that you don't even play with.

jack: (crying even harder) mom, i only have 2 hands (shows me his hands) i can't play with all my toys at the same time.

me: i'm not asking you to play with all your toys at the same time. play with some today and play with some tomorrow.

jack: you're the meanest mommy i ever saw!

me: yes, thank you. i must be doing my job.

jack: mommy, do you remember when caden spilled the milk on the table?

me: seriously? i swear, you're so random.

the funny things...

he says

*this picture cracks me up. he can make the most random faces*

i took jack to the park the other day. he was running around like a wild man. i had put two shirts on him because it was pretty chilly. but, by the time we got back in the car he was dripping with sweat. so, i told him to take off the long sleeved shirt before we left. his response? "(gasp!) mom, what if someone sees my pecs?!"

the 3 of us were in the car going somewhere the other night. nate and i told jack that we should make a paper chain so we could count down the days until thanksgiving when he gets to see nana. we told him that every night he could take off one link. when he got to the very end it was time to go see nana. without missing a beat jack says, "what if i just take them all off at the same time? then it will be time to go to nanas!" clever.

uh oh...

farmer has been planting...

harvest should be sometime around may 24th

the things he says

the other day jack told me i needed to give him more options. ummm ok.



jack came in to the room wearing his cowboy hat and lookin all "tough." he said, "there's a new sheriff in town, little lady."

i'm jack sanford

and i'm addicted

to

chocolate!

it's been a while since i've given jack a candy bar. he's been asking and asking for one. i picked one up the other day and i told him that if he was good he could have a little bit. well, he's a stinker. it took him 4 days to earn a little piece of that chocolate bar.

i let him eat some of it on the way home the other day. he got super quiet. i looked back and it was almost as if he was in a trance. his eyes were glossy, i swear. his body seemed calm. he looked at me and said, "mmmm, that sure was a good chocolate bar!"

i could not stop laughing.

a couple things i forgot...

to mention about the first day of school.

i have to blog this because i don't want to forget. the first day of school everyone had to stand in line and wait for the director to tell you what classroom you would be going to. when it was your turn the parent would tell them their child's name and they would let you know where they went. anyway, there was a little boy who was about 5 people ahead of us who was wearing a shirt that said, "my daddy drives a deere." (listen, we live in the country...no jokes) when it was this little boys turn the director said, "oh, your daddy drives a john deere!! that's so neat!" well, jack in his quiet voice *read: loudest voice* says, "hey hey, my daddy drives a john deere too!" everyone turned their heads and looked right at us. it was funny.

when it was jack's turn he walked right up to the desk and proudly said, "my name is jack sanford fleming!" the gal couldn't stop laughing.

jack goes to preschool

he may have been just a little excited to go to school

dear jackers,

today you started preschool. i never thought this day would actually come. i remember bringing you home from the hospital. the thought of you going to school seemed like decades away. you have grown up so much. i am so proud of you, jack. you are such a special little boy. you're my best buddy. i'm the luckiest mommy in the world because i have you for my little boy.

on our way to school you were just grinning from ear to ear. you kept saying, "i'm so excited to go to my school!" i was excited for you too! but, i had just a tiny ache in my heart. on the short walk from the car to the school the last 4 years flashed before my eyes. i saw sleepless nights filled with pacing the floors with a crying baby. i saw a lot of tears and a lot of smiles. i saw your first steps. i heard your first word. i saw your first tooth. i saw your first hair cut. i saw you attached to my hip at all times. i saw that where ever i was you were there too. you have been my shadow. you and i have been through so much together. just you and me. though hard and frustrating at times i have loved every minute of it. its been just the two of us for so long. partners in crime. but, i realized as i was walking you into school that your life is now changing. and mine too. you are starting a new journey. i now have to let go of your hand and let you experience life. meet new people. try new things. i will always be right there cheering you on. i'm your number one fan. it's time to let your light shine, buddy. i hope that you will always be a good example to all your friends. always be kind and loving.

i love you, jack. i will always be here to help you out along the way. you make me so proud. i know that you can do anything.

love,

mommy

and remember...

i'll love you forever

i'll like you for always

as long as i'm living

my baby you'll be

mommy loves you, jack!

gag

not sure if i can type this without getting sick. but, i have to do it because one day when jack is older and reads this he is going to laugh.

i was in the kitchen making lunch when jack walked in.

jack: mom, i got a toe nail in my tooth. i can't get it out.
me: (gagging) what?!
jack: i chewed off my toe nail and now it's stuck.
me: (gagging) open up let me see.
jack: ahhhh
me: got it! jack that's disgusting. do not bite your toe nails.
jack: thanks mommy!!

seriously, i really do groom the child.

he just cracks me up!

jack got a little water on him so he thought he needed to strip down to his skivvies.

little boys are just so random. i love it!

notice the mosquito repellent fan hanging from his undie bums.

practicing his ollies

australia

trip to australia=a freaking long flight

4 flights later we made it to cairns. at some point on the 13 hour flight nate leaned over and said the most romantic thing to me. he said, "next time we go on a trip like this i'm spending extra to sit in first class."

we got up early one morning and went out on the beach. the next thing i know farmer was making a mad dash for the ocean.

this picture just cracks me up. farmer turned model. watch out.

i know i know you want more pictures.

but, people, we were on our honeymoon and this is a family blog. i think you're pickin up what i'm puttin down....right? right?