Thanksgiving 2007

He followed tradition and got stuffed to the brink......he loved it!

Flu Shot

He got his flu shot this afternoon and he did really well. So, I took him to Dairy Queen and got a small strawberry milkshake for a treat.

I thought we would share.

My mistake.

I got one sip - to start the milkshake in the straw - and I never saw that shake again. It was his first milkshake, so I'm gonna let it slide this time...but next time kid, I'll wrestle you for it if I have too....

Maple

He's taken to calling himself "Maple". Not "Jackson Maples", just "Maple". I am "Mommy Maple" and Chris is "Daddy Maple". He thinks it is the funniest thing in the world.

Celebrating the Illini Win Over OSU with a Popsicle

Jackson just HATES Ohio State...

This Poor Kid...He Sure Didn't Win The Mommy Lottery

We got Jackson some new shoes last week. He had been crying and fighting us when we would put his shoes on, but I just thought it was part of his new attitude about getting dressed - namely, that he doesn't want to. Nor does he want to change his diaper, or wear a jacket, or ... you get the idea. Quite frankly, I wasn't sure his feet had grown that much and thought that maybe the use of thicker winter socks was making his shoes just uncomfortable enough to make him whine about it.

You see where this story is headed, right?

Sure, hindsight is 20-20 for you folks on the outside, but give us a break, we've got other stuff going on too....

Anyway, when we measured his feet at the shoe store, we were surprised to find that we had been cramming his size 7(w) feet into size 5 1/2(w) shoes. Seriously. That had to hurt every time he walked. Exactly how long do you think he suffered with wearing shoes that were severely too small? I mean, it had to take quite a while for his feet to grow 1 1/2 sizes.

Honestly, I think that his feet really just sprouted out very quickly, so I don't think he was uncomfortable for that long. With his height, we've noticed that he is a step grower - not much growth, then all the sudden he sprouts up. I think his feet are the same way. Plus, I've always thought that he had small feet for his size and I think his feet have just now finally caught up with him. I mean, he's a pretty tall kid for his age and those size 5 1/2 looked pretty small on him, even when 5 1/2 was the correct size. He very clearly recently had a growth spurt, so I think that his feet are just trying to catch up with his height.

And, yes, I know that all sounds like an giant excuse for not having noticed that I was cramming his boats into tiny shoes, but it makes me feel better, ok? Plus, I think it's genetic - just ask my sister. She'll tell you she was forced to wear shoes that were two sizes too small up until she went away to college. According to her, our Mom's house was worse than prison that way. Like I said, I think I came by it genetically, so it's not my fault. So, in true Gen X style, I blame this all on my Mom. :)

Here he is, showing off his newly proportional feet for you.

Counting (With Just a Little Prompting) and Some Self Admiration

He stayed home from daycare today because he had a fever, so he is not feeling the greatest. Was it mean that I wouldn't let him see the "baby" in the video camera until he counted for me, even though he is sick? Whatever....suck it up, kid. It did feel a little like when we were training Venus to sit/lie down/etc. - she had to do something before she got the treat. Anyway, that is why, immediately after he says "ten", he demands to see the "baby".

Having Fun in the Tub Last Night After Going #2 in the Potty for the First Time