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.

Oh the pressure!

HEADLINE: 

Shepard's mom incredibly slack of late due to who knows what

Instead of trying to instantaneously recap the last TWO months, I'll just tell what I loved about the last few days...

Easter-egg dying party

• At night when we're settling in for sleep (at long last, usually), Shepard usually turns on his side and throws his arm over me. Like a sleepy side-hug. It's awesome.
• Last night, Shepard and Daddy built a "house" out of sofas, stools and pillows in the lounge. Then Shepard decided it was Mommy's birthday and had me over for (fake) cupcakes, (real) dance party, and he and Daddy sang (real) "Happy Birthday" to me. I invited Henry Hugglemonster and friends and Shepard did their voices. I like watching his imagination at work.
• Shepard asks me about 492 questions every day. I love his curiosity. I wish it had a shut-off at 9 pm, but I love that he's curious and wants all the answers. Questions lately have included:
• Why do we have hair?
• Do boogers have nutrients?
• Why did the sky go boom-boom last night (thunder)?
• Why are eyeballs round?
• Why do we have eyelashes?
• Why do eyelashes fall out into your eye?
• Why is there an American flag there?
• Why does Elsa have frozen powers?
• Why do you not know?
• Why didn't you write the movie?
• Why don't you work for Disney?
• Why didn't Mr. Disney invite you to work for him?
• Is that tree a forevergreen?
• Why is sugar a treat food?
• Why doesn't it have nutrition?
• Why does William have a girl baby (baby sister)?
•  A few nights ago, Shepard led Gigi and I (with capes) on a mission to blast the bad guy (Pops) with hot rocks and make him go away. We ran through the house yelling and being excited together. 
• I should have bought stock in Chick-fil-A years ago. I think they put toddler-crack in their food.
• This morning when he woke up (in our bed because of the thunderstorm), he asked, "Am I four yet?" Not sure what four holds in store for him, but it's funny because I have a distinct memory of asking my own mom if I would EVER turn 4.
  

  

  Aren't they cute? Next year we'll do way more. I need my own dozen.

  
  

  

  Easter basket in jammies

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

Harvest Day at School

Shepard's school recently did a harvest day. They baked apple pie and pumpkin bread in class and practiced acting out a book. Shepard plays the role of an enormous turnip, with the help of some of his friends. He is in a plaid shirt. We had a good time playing "tossed salad" and having snacks in his class. I watched him POUR APPLE JUICE into his own cup. Without spilling. Amazing what they have these 3-year-olds doing. Do note that his class is 3 - 4 year olds with several turning 5 in the fall as well.

We had lots of fun.

TRICK OR TREAT!

This was Shepard's very first Halloween that he knew what was going on. Last year's endeavor into costuming and candy-collecting was a bust. This year, he really wanted to be a "superhero." He didn't really have one in mind, so I made up Super Shepard and made him a logo.

First, we went to an on-campus event that was like a festival and trick-or-treating in the residence hall. That was on Tuesday. He had a blast. I couldn't find his mask, and he didn't want to wear one anyway, so I grabbed the yellow wig I had in my office (for such a time as this...and for Winthrop basketball games)...and he LOVED it. It worked well with his costume.

On Halloween, we went to his teacher's house first (she said we could). He was very excited to see his teacher come to the door and give him candy! Then, we went to some friends' neighborhood and got down to business. However, Super Shepard was quickly done after a handful of houses. We were able to see some great decorations, though and had fun.

We found his "super hero twin" in the residence hall handing out candy!

He got the hang of "trick or treat" pretty quickly.

In all his glory.

Daddy and Super Shepard play a game at the festival

It was fun to trick or treat with a co-worker friend and her girl.

It was tough to get my super hero to stand still

It's a super bucket!

First one up the stairs at the residence hall

Jerod carved an AMAZING Carolina Panthers pumpkin...

Mommy as Rosie the Riveter "flying" Super Shepard after real trick or treating.

Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere.

We got to go on a little field trip with class to the pumpkin patch. We had real, live police escorts shutting down the streets for us! God bless those teachers. They earn every penny. It's stressful keeping up with that many 3-4 year olds!

But fun too.

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