Happy Birthday, Shepard!

Dear little guy,

You are growing in knowledge. So smart and inquisitive. I keep trying to get you to put your questions in the "question box" late at night when our brains are getting sleepy. You just want to know everything. You told us so. I love that you are curious.

Make a wish!

You are getting tall. I'm a little afraid at how much you grow and how fast. I'll have to double-check, but I'm pretty sure you've grown 4-5 inches since your birthday last year. And a full 3/4 of an inch in the last MONTH. I'm also fairly afraid that you outgrew all your summer shoes overnight, with July, Aug. and Sept. to go.

Creativity and focus.

Always in the middle of the good time.

You are vocal. This obviously goes both ways, but I love that you know what you want, how you want it and when. And you are learning to be gracious and kind each and every day. I see a strong mind and qualities of leadership. And I pray a lot for the Lord to help us direct you and teach you to be a gracious leader. From "incapacitated" to "deciduous" to "septic tank," the number of words you retain and use are astonishing. It's as if you can't wait to use all the words you haven't even learned yet.

the singing of the "Happy Birthday"-face

You love to laugh. You ask to be tickled instead of having "consequences." (and who can blame you for that, really?) But you are always ready to have some fun. And you've started telling us silly jokes that really don't make sense, except that you find them funny...so we do, too.

Overseeing the lighting technique.

 You are creative and expressive. Your imagination is so healthy, and you love to make up games and situations for us to play along with. Whether it's playing "restaurant" where you take orders and hand out chocolate milk, or setting up "K-Mart" in the sunroom; you always have a plan. I guess I've taught you that...but I do love it when you tell me what's up and then ask, "does that sound like a plan, Mommy?"

I have no idea what you're thinking here. Looking at the cake...

One of the most interesting things we've discovered about you lately is your keen sense of smell. You evaluate most of the world on whether "it smells right" to you. I surely am glad you like my smell, because you are definitely drawing lines on liking, eating, playing with and even entering places based on smell alone. Not sure where this is headed. Perhaps you'll be a "smellologist."  :)

Thinking about sidewalk chalk

Most of all, your Daddy and I love you to the moon and back. We love discovering each new day with you. We pray that you will meet the challenges that life sends to you with grace, truth and love; and send those things back into the world with a great ferocity. We love you the ocean.

~Mommy

(photos from our 4th birthday celebration with a few friends and family on 6/28 at the Harris Street Park)

My "threenager"

I often joke that Shepard is three going on 15. He acts like he's the boss, and is already saying, "You're wrong; I'm right." At which point we say, "Well, either way, that's being rude, and we don't act like that..." Then he giggles and says, "You're right, and I'm right. And that's being nice, right?"

He's listening! So funny how some days he likes to tell you all the rules, even when they're rules he doesn't necessarily abide by. Kinda like a lot of adults I know...but anyway.

It's already JUNE. And my sweet little baby boy is about to turn four. I cannot understand how this happened. But I'm going to celebrate, either way.

Here is his annual "yearbook" that I'm ordering. This is my version of scrapbooking. I love these. And I love getting a groupon and discount codes for them too. Yay for groupon and shutterfly! Enjoy.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own custom photo books at Shutterfly.com.

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

Shepard has officially finished his first year of preschool. I didn't take a cute picture on the front steps with him holding a cute chalkboard. We were doing good to get all the stuff together for water day. On this day, Mommy has to remember to bring a full change of clothes, get him there in water clothes and shoes, with sunscreen on every inch of his wiggling body, bring a towel and wrap two gifts and write cards for the grad assistants/teachers. So, no picture. I did snap these with my phone on that day, so there's that.

Shepard and Landon play in the water table. Landon has alternately been his very best friend and "not his friend" since day one. But mostly his very best friend. Except sometimes Landon says "me first" and isn't very nice, so Shepard goes and plays with Libba.

That's Shepard in the middle and the playground as water day commenced.

Lately, here's what we've been discussing. Cousin Madeleine asked him in the car the other day what he wanted to be when he grew up. He answered "a mommy." At first, my heart leapt, as I thought, "That's actually kind of sweet. He wants to be like me..." Then my brain took over, as I realized that was not his thought process at all.
Me: "Shepard, is that because you want to be in charge."
In the rearview mirror, he just nodded his head yes. Madeleine and I explained to him that he could be a parent AND something else. So he picked "Daddy, because I'm a boy and boys are daddies." So I asked him why. "Because I want to be in charge," he said.
So, that's him in a nutshell. He did say the other day that he wanted to be a Daddy and a teacher, just like his Daddy and teach at Daddy's school and live in his same house, and I could live with him forever and be the Mommy. When I asked him if there was a special girl that he wanted to live with, he said me. So, I'm actually good with that for now.

Have a good holly jolly Christmas

Shepard loved Christmas music this year. Particularly the instrumental "Sleigh Bells" remixed with "Santa Claus' Party" from the Elf soundtrack and "Holly Jolly Christmas." He kept asking why are they saying "Holly Jolly," and all I could come up with was "it means really good." So he sings it "Have a good holly jolly Christmas" now.
The WHYs are killing us. And fascinating. He analyzes EVERYTHING. From pictures in storybooks, "Why is the man driving that truck?" to weather "Why are the clouds smoky?"...to everything. It's non-stop. I'm doing my darndest to answer all of them patiently and with good age-appropriate facts. However, when he asks my why his pee pee has an "egg," I defer to the Husband.
I digress.
Christmas was mostly lovely. After a whirlwind few weeks leading up to the actual vacation (oh Lord, why was it so crazy!?), we were blessed to have a long span of days together with family. We even got our Illinois family for Christmas this year!!! Then, Shepard got a little virus just in time for Christmas Eve, Day and part of the 26th. He was barely sick all year, then got wiped out for the biggest 48 hour timeframe. Sigh.

Here's a photo recap.

Lego table!

Capturing both of us smiling with eyes open is like getting Bigfoot on film.

More legos

Grandma assists with present-opening

Christmas Day. Feeling ok enough to open a few gifts

Yay for presents!

Books with steering wheels!

Illinois family at Grandma's house

Gigi and Pops sort out the train situation

"Kindergarten toys!" from Harry and Suzette

All the blondies...

It seemed that the pile of presents was never-ending.

Melissa and I doing a selfie...for two. With elfie.

Go Panthers!

Look at our cool helmets!

Gridiron Cousins

All the Jones boys with all the kids

Rock-tober--PICTURE EDITION!

I simply love October. Cool air, astonishing sunsets, lots of family birthdays to celebrate, fall festivals. I mean. Does it get better? All that awesome-sauce without the stress of Christmas just yet?

We've been having some fun...

Play-doh night with Daddy

Always my jumping super-hero

Hanging out with the Jones clan for Grandma and Aunt Jessica's birthday celebration...

Dino-Shepard

My cousin-of-a-cousin BFF.

Go Eagles longhair.

And of course, we had to hit up a fall festival! We were there with friends, but when you're all chasing your respective progeny, it's sometimes hard to get a group photo.

My pumpkin

sandbox is always a hit

Giant RED TRACTOR!

Daddy is standing on the back...but that was one big tractor!

Along came a spider and sat down beside him

All three of us looking at the camera would be a miracle

HAY. RIDE.

Some of our friends from church.

Running through the mini-maze

Sad pumpkin. It did not make it.

What a nice little vignette they set up!

Fun water pumps with ducks

On Sunday, we got to participate in the York County CROP walk with Shepard's school. Several hundred folks did a walk to raise money for hunger. Team Jones raised $75! Thanks, everyone! We did a one-mile mini-walk through Winthrop campus. Shepard brought along his trumpet and did great walking.

Prepping for the CROP walk at Winthrop (see Tillman tower in background)

Picture in the Herald (Jerod and Shepard on far right)

Waiting to cross the street on our CROP walk with his preschool director

Beautiful Saturday and an almost-fall hike.

We have been busy bees at our house. The weather turned into hints of glorious fall, and we had to get out for an outdoor day a few weekends ago. Shepard thought the whole idea of a picnic, a playground, and hiking by the river with "castle walls" was pretty awesome. Mommy and Daddy really loved the 75 degree, low humidity day. Mommy loved carrying the little hiker somewhat less. Amazing how he can be "tired" and still have plenty of energy when the playground comes in view.

PICNIC! (or pic-a-nic as he says)

Climber.

Look at the little fishies down there.

Castle walls! (Really, ruins from an old canal)

Super Eagle-Eye Daddy spotted a green tree snake for us. Shepard got to pet it.

Exploring.