The Many Faces of Jack....

I thought I would be fun to dedicate a post to the kid who keeps me hopping.  Jack. Jackson. Jackson James Rairdon.  The kid who we thought would never talk....and really didn't till the week that he turned two....he said a five word sentence....and NEVER STOPPED TALKING AGAIN.  Seriously, this kid never stops talking!  I could (and probably should) have an entire post on all of the conversations we have.  I am sometimes just amazed that someone can actually come up with this many things to say.  As I am typing this he is sitting in front of me asking no less than 100 questions to Tom instead of sleeping...thanks to the great nap he had a school today.  And the funny thing is he does not ever want to take "I don't know" for an answer.  If you say that he will just respond "Can you tell me...Mom, can you please tell me?"

So we have learned to create an answer that will hopefully satisfy him (not likely) or we are trying to master the redirection..... again...another word to describe how to handle him.
REDIRECTION.  

He can turn on and off the attitude or frustration or anger or waterworks.

Just last week, when I dropped him off at MDO he was hysterical.  All morning he had been rushing me to get to school. He was so excited to his teacher after vacation.  We go down the hallway with the happiest kid ever turn the corner to his classroom and boom....substitute.  He looked at me and then took off screaming running down the hallway.  I had to run a Jack free errand that morning so I had to have him at school.  So I handed him over kicking and screaming.  It is so hard to walk away from a kid that is that upset that you are leaving him.  But his teacher said that he was screaming for like 5 minutes and then she said to him "Do you like Star Wars?" And that was it....turned it off...super happy kid...no problems...

This kid can be the sweetest kid in the world.  He loves his baby sister, he loves playing student to Anni when she gets home from school, loves pestering Ben and Noah till it drives them crazy.  And he loves to whine!  He has the most distinctive high pitched whine that I have ever heard.  And he can turn it on....

My challenging, happy, talkative, sweet, funny, never boring little boy....

His smile melts my heart...I love it when he comes randomly to me with a great bit hug and tells me "I lub you Mommy!"  One of the best sounds ever.... Even when he follows it with "And I lub dogs, too"

So a coupe weeks ago we went to visit my sister and meet her new little boy.  I was determined to get a family shot.  At first I wanted a nice...well coordinated....pretty background.... family shot.  I rarely get full shots of the family.  By the end of the afternoon, the boys had just come back from the skatepark, Noah had busted his knee, it was cold, all of my outfits were dirty or not matching.  But I made everyone just go out to the backyard instead of the park ... just as they were... just as they always are....for our "real" family portrait.  I got one....I finally got one...very real.... not pretty...just real....and I love it.
(Thanks Keith!)

But before I got that I had Jack pose for me.  He was cracking me up as usual.... and went through a gazillion expressions.... Here are just a few...