Only brothers fight like that!

We take many trips to the zoo each year.  My kids love it.  Jackson refers to the zoo as going to see "his animals."  One of our trips to the zoo last year was very eventful.  We heard the lion roar and saw a rhino pee, but the part that my boys liked the best occurred with the monkeys.  One of the big monkeys was chasing a little monkey around...and you see where this is going.  Dominick was saying that they were wrestling.  The little monkey was not liking it and kept escaping and then the big monkey would chase her.  Finally he caught her and pinned her down right in front of the window.  All of the other parents were taking their kids away from the window, however, I couldn't get my kids to walk away.  They were laughing hysterically with their little faces and hands plastered to the window.  So I did what every good parent would do and I stopped trying to get them to walk away and I got out my camera and started taking pictures.  Don't judge me.  Dominick kept laughing at the wrestling.  But the best part came at the end when the  big monkey let the little monkey go and we had the following conversation.  "Mommy those monkeys are funny, they must be brothers" says Dominick.  I ask why he would think that and he says "only brothers would fight like that."  Through my laughter, I tell him "yes, you're probably right."

At the beginning of this year on one of our trips to the zoo there was a new baby monkey in the same cage that we witnessed the wrestling.  I think we may have seen that monkey being conceived.  I can't verify that, but I'm pretty sure.  We're going to Austin in a couple of weeks and plan on checking out the Austin zoo.  Hopefully it's just as entertaining.

Conversations with Jackson, or any 3 year old for that matter, are typically very funny.  He will argue with you all day about something that he thinks is correct.  The other day we were in the car and he made a comment about "his baby" (Vettori) and I misunderstood him and I thought he was saying that he was a baby.  So I said "you're not a baby" and he said "no I'm a big boy."  A few minutes later he says "I'm not a big boy, I'm Jackson Jones." I respond with "yes, you're Jackson Garrett Jones." He argues with me "I'm not Jackson Garrett Jones, I'm Jackson Jones."  I say yes you are and we go through this one more time.  I then say "I named you, I think I know you're name," and he argues "you didn't name me."  So I ask him, "who do you think named you then?"  He thinks about it for a minute and then puts his hand up and says "just don't talk to me" and turns his head toward the window.  Really??? Just don't talk to me???  I didn't think that we'd have conversations that ended like that for at least another 10 years or so.  I'm just not sure what to do with that. 

I tend to kill any plant that comes into my house or yard, but I decided that I am going try some gardening.  I'm not sure what grows when in North Texas, so I sign up for a seeds of the month deal where they send you seeds that will grow in your area each month.  Yes, I'm that lazy that I don't want to do any research or have to walk further than my mailbox to get seeds.  Anyway, when I get my first packets in the mail, I'm very excited and I show John.  His response is "I don't know why you would waste money on this.  You don't have a green thumb, you have a black thumb.  You are like the Grim Reaper of plants.  In fact, I think your black thumb even has it's own little tiny sickle."  Thanks for support honey!  Love you too.

Until next time.....

I hear brown nail polish is all the rage....

We had a ton of fun on our trip to PA this past week.  Jackson didn't want to leave.  He cried.  He asked to stay and then asked my dad to come with us to play with him and his Bubby (Dominick).  We had a wedding to go to on Saturday for a friend from college and it was a ton of fun.  It was great to hang with some old friends.  However, I decided to try and drink like I did when I was in college and that was a bad idea.  I'm definitely out of practice but the combination of open bar and college friends apparently makes me want to try for old times sake.  What is worse is that I was "slightly intoxicated" and wearing high heels and someone let me hold their 5 month old baby.  Not their best decision as a parent.

Anyway, while we were there, I had to get a new car seat for Vettori because she is getting too big for the one that my parents have.  While in Walmart looking at car seats, Jackson tells me that he has to pee.  We go to the ladies bathroom and he does his thing.  I'm standing over him to be sure that he doesn't touch the toilet.  He is concentrating on getting his pee in the toilet and all of a sudden I hear a "plop" noise and feel something warm on my foot.  I guess he got really relaxed because some poop snuck out and landed right in the middle of my foot and flip flop.  And a little got in his underwear that were around his ankles.  As he's still peeing I grab some toilet paper and grab as much off my foot as possible and throw it in the toilet and then immediately turn him around and set him on the toilet.  As he's finishing his #2, I go and hike my foot up into the sink....good thing I'm bendy.  I wash my foot and clean my sandal.  The entire time Jackson is yelling "I'm sorry I pooped on your foot mom!" and "my poop is in the toilet!" over and over again.  The lady washing her hands beside me is not making any eye contact with me...for obvious reasons.

I then run out and ask tell my dad to find my mom who is shopping and tell her to get me a pack of 4T boys underwear.  I throw his away because we have more shopping to do and I don't want to carry around dirty underwear.  My mom comes in the bathroom to help and Jackson keeps telling her "I pooped on my mom's foot."  He also tells me after I wipe him that there is still poop in his butt.  I tell him that he is all clean, but he persists.  So I have him bend over and there is a big wad of toilet paper stuck in there.  Fiasco is the word you're looking for.  Ladies are coming in and out of the bathroom and just trying not to laugh.  They kept giving us courtesy smiles and rushing out of the bathroom as Jackson continues to yell "I'm sorry I pooped on your foot mom!"  I can't imagine what they told their families when they got home.  If you start your story with "you'll never believe what happened when I was in the bathroom at walmart today," you know it's going to be a good story.  We were "those people" in Walmart.  Out of control I tell you.

On a cleaner note, when you ask Jackson what he did in school he will always tell you "I made art."  When you ask him what he does at Bible school on Sundays he always says "I made art."  When he says his prayers at night or the blessing during a meal he always says "God bless us and protect us and help us make art.  Amen."  He's so funny.  Apparently art is a very important part of his day. 

Although, we did just find out that his vision is very bad and he needs glasses, so maybe that's why he thinks he needs Divine Intervention during art.  Here's a picture of him in his new glasses.  Yes, that would be Vettori's large hair bow at the bottom of the picture. 

Until next time........