Not A-Morrow...

Dear Jordan,

When we're busy, time flies...and you like to stay busy!!  Every time you go to bed (nap & night) and just about every hour you ask, "Mom, where are we going next?"  And you don't just want to know the next thing, but the next three things!  The bad thing is you hold me to it, so I have to be careful on what I tell you we are going to do!  The funniest thing you do right now is when I say that we're going to do something tomorrow, you adamantly argue "Not a-morrow! Today".  For a while, I argued with you, but it's easier just to avoid it or to tell you that after your next sleep, we will do something.  I love that you still have some words that you mis-pronounce, because you are really getting to be such a good talker!

It is full-on fall now!  The weather is cooler and the leaves are starting to change.  Today you are a little sick so you and I stayed home from church.  You felt pretty good this morning, so we went on a little walk and found some pretty leaves.  Then you painted a picture with them.  You are really enjoying this season.  Every time we go for a walk, you point out every pumpkin and scarecrow.  And now we have two pumpkins and a scarecrow on our porch and you love it!

Last Sunday, you and I went on an adventure to the Dinosaur Museum (the natural history museum).  It was so fun to go and just hang out together.  You wanted to touch and see everything.  At one point, we were in a little cave and we heard a growling sound.  I was afraid you would be scared so I playfully said, "Uh-oh, it's a dinosaur!".  You said, "It's okay, Mom.  It's just a dinosaur's tummy growling."  After the museum, we got ice cream.

I was struck while we were at the museum with something.  We've been working on your Bible verses for Cubbies and last week was Genesis 1:1.  We had been practicing it all week.  At the museum, they go to great lengths to try to teach evolution.  I'm thankful you can't read because it protects you from getting confused.  But I didn't really think about it until we were playing at this puppet theater and I encouraged you to say your voice.  At the top of your lungs, you said, "God created the heavens and the earth!"  At such a young age, you are learning and believing Truth and I am so thankful that you can be a light!

I love you, buddy!

Mom

 

End of Summer Adventures

Dear Jordan,

You have had a very exciting couple of weeks!  You continue to grow every day in the things you can say and the thins you know.  We are on our fourth week of "school" and you love it.  The other day, you didn't want to stop.  You kept thinking of things we could do.  We have a daily calendar on the wall and one of your favorite parts of it is to check the weather.  You run and look out.  And yesterday, even though it was Sunday, you saw that it was raining and changed the weather.  You also love picking out the "How I feel..." part.  Every day you are either "silly" or "happy".  I am really enjoying the time we spend and I love seeing you learn.  I look forward to years of home-schooling and learning together!

Last week you got to go fishing with Pappa.  He picked you up on Tuesday morning and you went to Okmulgee with him.  He said you caught about 15 fish and really had fun playing.  He told me that you were very good, although I don't think he enjoyed sharing a bed with you!  He brought you home on Wednesday morning and Marcus and I were so happy to have you home.  We don't know what to do without you. :)

Since fall is here, it is the start of football season and volleyball season.  Every time we watch football, you have to find your football and play.  That usually turns into a good wrestling match.  And the other day, we went to watch an OU volleyball match and you enjoyed it.  You spent the first 15 minutes trying to figure out what they were doing and then once you saw the "Boomer" horse mascot, you spent the rest of the time watching (and laughing at!) him.  You would just start laughing and I would look over an the horse would be dancing or high-fiving someone.  It was the first time we went to a sporting event that you were really well-behaved.  It was fun!

Another thing we got to do is go to the county fair.  A couple of days before it started, we saw the ferris wheel all ready to go and you decided you wanted to ride.  I was skeptical but you kept talking about it.  So you rode with Pappa.  Sure enough, you hopped on and loved every second of it.  I was so proud of how brave you are!

You are continuing to really behave well.  You are getting along with friends and it is such a blessing for us to pick you up from your classes and hear how well you are doing.  We are so proud of you!

I love you, Buddy.

Love, Mom

 

Labor Day

Dear Jordan,

This weekend was Labor Day weekend and was Granny and Papa Bill's (your great-grandparents) sixtieth anniversary and eightieth birthday celebrations.  It was a blast!  We went out to their place in Okmulgee and did what we did every Fourth of July and many other weekends all through my childhood.  I was probably in fifth grade when they moved out there, but I remember the fun we had at their old house as well.

Their house is on a two acre lot just outside of town.  They have a large pond stocked with fish and a dock. There is a boat to row in, a basketball hoop, Ping-Pong table, and just lots of room to run.  Every time our family gets together we play games...inside and outside.  We are all competitive and love to play so we just compete and trash talk and fish and sit and talk and watch each other.  It's a blast and this Labor Day was spent like so many others.

Your great-grandparents are getting older.  More than likely they will have to move very soon, so this weekend had the feeling of "the last time".  As nostalgic and sad as that is, I am so thankful that I got to watch you fish and row and play horseshoes and just enjoy the magic of that place!

You are so blessed to have such a family legacy.  Your great-grandparent and grandparents and great aunts and uncles, second cousins, aunts, uncles...they all love Jesus.  I didn't know how special that was until I grew up.  Such a blessing to be surrounded by a family that loves!!!

I love you,

Mom

 

Turning a Corner

Dear Jordan,

It's almost like a switch has flipped and all of the sudden you are a boy.  There is no baby left in you...you are all grown up.  You've become defiant, but this is actually a blessing for us because you understand discipline and are responding to it!  You have suddenly become much easier for us to manage.  You still have your moments where you get out of control, but for the most part, you are obedient and sweet (except for those defiance moments...but every kid has them!).

In fact, we've gone from a point where we either had to go with you to your Sunday School class or Honeybees or we waited for the text asking us to come help with you.  The days we didn't get a text, people always said "He had his moments, but he was fine."  Now, more often than not we are told that you were "very good" and Miss Hailey even said that you are helpful and kind and sometimes the most obedient kid!  I cried when she told us that because we've been praying that you would start to grow in this area and I love hearing that about you!

I wonder if part of your issue was your inability to communicate with us.  Your biggest trigger is when your expectations are not met.  For example, the other day we were all dressed and ready for the gym, but the car seat was still in Dad's car.  We had to turn around and go back inside and you did not handle that well.  But the older you get, the more we can prepare you for things that are different and we can help you process your feelings when things do change quickly and you have to cope.  I can't judge...I am the same way!  I hate change so I can really sympathize with you!  That day we couldn't go to the gym...well, I was throwing a little fit inside. :)

I want you to know that even though you have been a challenging child, you are worth every second.  You are sweet and passionate and you love people.  I learn a lot from you about how to love on people and that is a gift you have from God.  Your personality is strong, but I know that God has big things in store for you.  You are a gift and I love you so much!

Love,
Mom

 

Fireman Jordan

Dear Jordan,

If you were one who ranks days, you would rank today as one of your top 5 ever.  You woke up ready to go!  I walked in and said, "Do you know what day it is?" and you started taking your pj's off.  It was hard for you to wait the two hours before it was time to leave to visit the fire station!

We went with Jack and Cooper and their sisters as well as Grammy and Pappa.  From the moment we drove up, you were in awe.  You just took everything in.  You wore your new fire hat and listened to the firefighters explain where they sleep and what they do every day.  And THEN we went out to see the fire trucks.  You could not get enough.  You got to sit in the driver's seat.  You got to ring the bell.  You got to watch one of them put his suit on...even though you were a little scared of him once he put the mask on.  You could have stayed there all day!

In your imagination, I don't think you've left.  On the drive home, you made siren noises. At lunch, you were going from table to table spraying imaginary hoses.  And then of course as you were falling asleep for nap, you kept making siren noises.  You have a very vivid imaginations, which is one of my favorite things about you!

I'm so happy that we were able to do this.  What a blessing to watch you grow and learn and be excited about things!

I love you,

Mom

 

Book Love

Dear Jordan,

We are in the dog days of summer and it is hot!  I'm so ready for it to be done, even though I am enjoying have the pool.  But I know that once it cools off, you will spend your days outside and that's where you need to be!  You tried to go out and play the other day but you only lasted 10 minutes.  It will be nice to be able to go to the park and to just let you play in the back yard.

You have discovered the joy of library books.  You want to read them all day and it is so fun for me so see you love reading.  The other day, your Dad took you to the library to get new books and you barely made it in the door before you got them out.  You sat on the kitchen floor and looked through all of them.  You already know a lot of letters so you will be reading the books to yourself in no time!

I am working on finding a way to take you to visit a fire station.  I hope I can make it happen because you will LOVE it!! 

It's almost the weekend and it should be fun to get to enjoy some time with Grammy and Pappa. 

I love you, Buddy!

Mom

 

You Say What You See

Dear Jordan,

Now that you are talking more, I find myself answering a lot more questions.  You want to know about everything and most of the questions you ask are hard to answer.  For example: "What is that house doing?"  The only way I can think of to answer is to say "It's just sitting there."  Today, you wanted to call the fire department because two birds were sitting on top of a building and "couldn't get down".  So, we called (pretend, of course!), because that's the only way you will be satisfied.

You also make comments about things...which sometimes are embarrassing to me.  There was a lady checking us out at the store who clearly looked like she has a hard time making ends meet.  You said to her, "Why do you have a hole in your shirt?"  And today when we went to the gym, the guy who checks us in has long dreadlocks and you said "You need to cut your hair."  I have to talk fast to make it not so awkward.  But you are so sweet and innocent that they never take it personally!

Grammy and Pappa are here for 8 months and you are loving all of the extra time with them.  We are so used to spending every second with them, like we do when they are on vacation.  It's taking us all a little bit to get used to seeing them at church and for an hour or so here and there.  It's going to be so fun to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and all of the fall festivities with them!

Jordan, my heart is to really try to share God's truths with you but I feel like I fail so often.  I pray all of the time that your heart will be soft and that you will put your faith in Him at a young age.  Despite my limitations and failures, He loves you so much and wants you to walk with Him.  He's more powerful than we can imagine so He can overcome my humanity.  I hope you know just how much Jesus loves you.

I love you too!

Mom