Digits

Having the boys has brought many things into our lives. One of which is numbers. I remember vividly how Matt and I would document every drop of in-put and out-put the first few weeks of Joe's life. The in-put was measured in CC's. Out-put was measured as "wet" or "dirty."

And I never realized that babies, through their first 2-years, have their ages measured in months. I remember telling people that Jack is "17 months" and watching them calculate the figure to 1 and a half years. I've learned, through motherhood, that half-ages aren't readily utilized until your child is over the 2-year mark. As it turns out, Jack will turn 3 and a half this month.

Then as the boys grew, attention was paid to sizes of clothing. What really is the difference between a sleeper that is size "24 months" and "2T"? I will never know. The digits that represent shoe sizes are also impossible to figure. Joe's tennis shoes are size 11. Jack's Keen's are size 6.

The boys have always measured smaller than average on the growth cart at the pediatrician's office. Each doctor visit we receive more digits: Joe's height is 5%. Jack's head circumference is 12%. Joe weighs 40lbs. Jack weighs 30lbs. It is all numbers to me.

So as I dutifully collect the numerical data on my most precious possessions, new numerical data came home from school in Joe's pocket. Digits. Real digits. He came into the kitchen pulled out a scrap piece of paper with the digits and slapped in onto the kitchen counter. I looked at it...confused...and said, "Joe, what is this?" "It's Hannah's phone number. She gave it to me so that I can call her."

So here they are: The digits I've been fearing. A girl's phone number.

Do you love that the digits are written on a piece of paper torn out of a Disney coloring book?

And here she is. The digit-giver. She is one of the cutest and nicest girls in Joe's class. I'm not sure yet if a phone call will actually be placed between Joe and Hannah. But the digits have been collected, along with the other digits of in-put/out-put, weights, heights, sizes, and ages.

Updates

We, as usual, are busy. The boys are both growing and active as ever. Here is an update:

Joe. Joe is doing great in Kindergarten. He has had a few play dates with K04 buddies. Vaughn & Chase have come over to our house. He also has a lot of fun at school with a friend named Sam. He talks about all the kids in his class - so it is hard to determine if he has one or two that he his closest with. He probably talks about Madi (Madison) the most. And if you ask him about it, he blushes and runs from the room. Joe was "Star of the Week" March 15-19. We were able to go to his classroom. Mrs. Schempp had a quiz for us. It was a competition; who knows Joe better, his family or his K04 friends. Thankfully the family won 5 to 3. Some of the questions were: Joe's favorite color = purple (family got it wrong). What does Joe want to be when he grows up = Jedi Knight (I answered Jedi Master). What is Joe's favorite book = Star Wars encyclopedia (family got it correct). What is Joe's favorite movie = Return of the Jedi (Daddy answered it correctly). During the presentation, each family member had to say what we liked to do special with Joe. I couldn't come up with anything - my mind was blank - so in my motherly-Joe-is-my-baby state of mind, I answered, "Joe and I like to hug and kiss." The class erupted into laughter and Joe turned red. Sorry Joe. As soon as the words, came out, I knew I was in trouble.

Joe is in Lego League right now. Lego League is every Monday night at Augustana. Each Monday the League learns about the basics of engineering through Legos. The first night the topic was levers. The second session was about wheels and axels. Joe & his partner created the fastest car - and boy was he proud! We celebrated with ice cream at DQ after. This Monday is "Pull Pull Pulleys." The professor that is overseeing the program is very impressive. He is a PhD & the SD Chair of NASA EPSCoR Steering Committee. The League is funded, in part, by Lego.

Joe starts baseball in two weeks. We are all very excited.

Joe with some of his Lego League equipment.

Joe's Star of the Week event

So Proud of Joe being Star of the Week

Joe's class on a field trip to Avera McKennan (Look who has questions)

Jack. Jack-a-roo. Where do I start with Little Jack? He is talking and talking and talking. At three he can go from being a snuggle-bug-wants-to-be-held little guy, to an independent-I-can-do-it-myself big boy. The other day we were playing & he was hiding from me. He was hiding under his "snow blanky" and I said, "who is under there?" and he responded "it is Jack Roo!" He loves his snow blanky. He sleeps with it every night. He eats breakfast with it every morning. If he is not feeling well or is over tired, it is the first thing he asks for. And last night his snow blanky turned into a cape. A cape for Captain Underpants. Captain Underpants ran around our house yelling "Captain Underpants!" Captain Underpants chased Chance & Wrigley yelling "Captain Underpants!" He is so funny. He definitely has Matt's humor.

Unfortunately Jack is too young to start T-Ball. He is very good at baseball, however. He can hit well off the tee - and can hit just as well from a real pitch. He is batting left and throwing right. I can't confirm or deny that his daddy didn't have something to do with this left/right-sided preference. Jack has little, if any, fear. He is rough and tumble and extremely adorable.

Each day, while getting buckled into his car seat he says to me, "Mom, wake me up & pick me up & bring snacks & wake me up & pick me up & kiss me up & bring snacks & bring drinks..." until the car doors is shut and Matt & the boys drive away.

Jack's usual relationship with Snow Blanky

Introducing: Captain Underpants

Captain Underpants is very cute

Captain Underpants likes to dance in the kitchen

Captain Underpants needed a potty break

Snow, Snow & More Snow

Since December 1, Sioux Falls has received over 36 inches of snow. It is incredible. Joe has had 2 snow days away from Kindergarten. Matt has had to work from home multiple days because of the north-pole-like weather conditions. I like snow; but this year, the snow has been too much for me. It was great to have a ‘White Christmas,’ but Christmas is over & spring is 6 weeks away.

Unfortunately along with the snow, we’ve had below-zero degree weather. We have managed to venture outside a few times. There are many reasons we love living in Tuthill; all of this snow has revealed another reason to love our house & our neighborhood. With almost 3 feet of snow – not counting some of the spectacular drifts – we have great sledding in our back yard.

Jack having a "Wahoo" fun time on his sled.

Daddy, Jack & Joe at the top of a snow run.

Boys having 'snow' much fun.

My entire leg is stuck in this drift of snow.

Little brother hides his face behind big brother as they plummet down the snow hill.

Welcome Back

It has been much too long since the last blog entry. I have many excuses, but will not waste time listing them. This blog is for Joe & Jack...so let's get right to it.

Joe has had a great start to school. He loves kindergarten. Friday, January 29, will mark his 100th day of school. This is a very big accomplishment for the Kindergartners. There is a party scheduled. We had to make an 100-day poster. We have to bring 100 pieces of a treat of our choice to school. Joe can now easily write, using the appropriate upper and lower case letters, his last name. He is also keeping a journal in Mrs. Schempp's class. It is fun to read his thoughts and ideas as a 6-year-old. He can count by 5's and 10's. Joe knows all the coins by name & knows their value in pennies. Since starting kindergarten, Joe's knowledge is so vast that I can hardly keep up with him.

Jack Enjoying The Summer

Jack is enjoying pre-school. He was moved from the toddler room to the preschool room in August. Jack also participates in the TumbleBus at school. The TumbleBus is a gutted-out school bus filled with gymnastics equipment. Each week the TumbleBus has a theme. This week the theme was dinosaurs. Jack really likes it. Jack recognizes all the letters in upper & lower case as well as through sign language. He is starting to write.

Joe Enjoying The Summer

Other notable happenings since our last blog:

• Star Wars toys and figurines have taken over our family room
• Grandma Minneapolis passed away
• Joe turned 6
• Jack turned 3
• Grandpa Ron was inducted into the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame
• Mommy got a new job
• Santa visited
• Sioux Falls received over 20 inches of snow
  

Joe's first fish!

There were a few casualties - Jack liked "holding" the bait

Joe & Jack with the World's Best Nanny: Chady!

In the leaves with Wrigley

Jack's 3rd Birthday

Yoda & Obi-Wan Kenobi

Joe's 6th Birthday

Grandpa Ron's Hall of Fame Induction

Preparation

Kindergarten starts Monday. Just three short days away. We have done much to prepare. Step one was Joe's four kindergarten shots. Next came school supplies. Grandma Dolly, Joe and I spent the afternoon at Target picking out markers, glue, folders and other supplies essential for a successful year. The new 5T shirts and pants are hanging in the closet ready for cooler fall weather. New white tennis shoes are sitting by our front door. Joe will start Monday with his Jonas Brothers backpack filled with all the tools he needs to be prepared to start his educational journey.


And it is clear that I am not prepared. And the truth is that I've never been prepared for this wonderful journey of motherhood. In planning for our family, I was not prepared for the double, confirmation, blue line on the pregnancy test. I cried and cried. I was not prepared when my OB referred us to a perinatologist who said "your baby is not growing." I cried and cried. I was not prepared to fall instantly in love with a small, blonde baby boy named Joe. I cried and cried. I was not prepared to receive hugs and kisses from a one-year old that was a spitting image of me. I cried and cried. And so on Monday when I have to watch my baby start his first day of school, I will cry and cry. It is clear I am not prepared.

FORE!!!

Joe has been participating in The First Tee Program over the past couple of weeks. The program is designed to get kids interested in the game of golf. It also teaches them etiquette to use in golf and everyday life, such as introducing yourself to others by shaking hands and looking the person in the eye. Although there is good meaning behind it, the day I was present it didn't seem like the kids truly understood the eye contact part of it!

To a bunch of 5 year old kids, golf may not seem like much fun. It doesn't have the excitement that baseball, kick ball, or putting your little brother in a head-lock does. However, I'm sure one day Joe will find out how fun it actually is to play golf. When you are thirty-something, out on a golf course in the middle of summer, with 3 or 4 other friends, acting like you are five all over again, is fun. Actually, it's a lot of fun!

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Where Has The Summer Gone?

Well once again, here I am apologizing for not blogging about the boys as much as I'd like to. However, I am very excited to now be able to blog from my BlackBerry! Thank you Blogspot for finally creating this opportunity!

Anywho,what have the Jacobson boys been doing to let summer 2009 basically fly past us in the blink of an eye?!

Joe was in his 2nd year of tee-ball. He by far was the Joltin' Joe, the Ted Williams, the D-Lee of this group of youngsters. Compared to last year, he has matured so much on the field and understands the game so much more. I think I was most impressed with his ability to play 3rd base, or "the hot corner" as Joe has begun to call it. Joe made every play one inning while playing 3rd base. Properly played, no errors, and on-the-mark throws to first! "No runs, no hits, no errors and nobody left." Way to make Daddy proud Joe Joe!

Besides cheering on his big brother at tee-ball games, Jack has been busy himself. Jack attended zoo camp this summer and loved it. Now, every time we drive past the zoo jack shouts from the back seat, "Mommy, my zoo camp! Daddy my zoo camp!" And from that point on we need to talk about Jack's days as a toddler zoo keeper at the Great Plains Zoo.

We took our first true family vacation in July. We ventured out to the Black Hills and "roughed" it at Custer State Park. All of us, especially the boys, had a wonderful time! You name it, we did it! Wall Drug, Dinosaur Park, Storybook Island, Bear Country, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Flintstone Park, pontooning at Lake Pactola and not to mention having our lunch the first day we were at our cabin interrupted by one large and wild buffalo!!!

Now as the summer winds down, we are now T-Minus 9 days until Joe begins Kindergarten. Where oh where has our baby gone Mama? To everyone who reads our family blog, this is your warning to buckle your seat belts and hold on tight because I know Mama Jacobson is going to be taking to the Blogspot soon. And when she does, it will be an entry devoted to her first born graduating from day care and moving on to the public school system. I already have my box of Kleenex!


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