Solving life's mysteries

Jace continues to be funny and amazing.

Does the sun wear pajamas?

The sun doesn't have a bed.  He sleeps in the grass.


We had Aunt Dede's wedding this weekend, and you kept me on my feet as I chased you around the venue.  You were upstairs, in the kitchen, behind the bar.....ahhh.  I was so tired, but I picked you up and danced with you.  I know you won't always want me around, so I tried to revel in the moment. Your smile was so big and bright, and you absolutely loved it when I spun you.  I was lost with you in that moment and it was amazing.

Camping brought fun with cousins, but you are still you and want to know how everything works. You kept dismantling this tether ball game determined to figure out how it went together.  Despite getting into trouble constantly for it, you did if fact, figure out how to put it back together by yourself.  Oh Jace.

Bumps and bruises

We went to Boyd Lake this past weekend with the Powers family who has a kid your age (3) and another boy Ashlynn's age (5).

When you were little learning to walk, we used to say you had one speed!  Go!!  Things haven't changed much!

You love camping!  Boyd is great for kids  because there are playgrounds and pavement that kids can ride their bikes.  You zoomed around your big wheel and wiggle seat so fast I just knew you were going run into something!  Vroom Vroom!!!  you  say as you ride.  Wahoooo! is another favorite phrase of yours.

Your dad always says you are going to get hurt, but I always want to prevent it as much as I can.  Some things just aren't preventable though, like this:

I'm sure you're hoping there is a great story to this, but I will have to disappoint you.  You were just bouncing like a crazy kid at the table in the trailer and hit your head on the edge.  It gave you a big goose egg and tired you out from all of your crying.  I was so worried, but I don't think you had a concussion.  While you slept snuggled in blankets from Grandma Smith, I iced your head.  :)  I don't usually think you look like your dad, but this picture reminds me of a picture of Cody sleeping when he was a teengager.  Maybe I can find it and post it later (probably won't happen) haha

Among other things this trip, besides dominating their jetski floatie: 

You tied a knot with one of our tow straps!  We use them to strap down the wagon and when I went to pack up, I had to untie it.  It was very loose, but I was so surprised and proud of you.  No one taught you, you just pay attention and had done it yourself.  You are amazing like that, and you're only three.  I can't wait to see what you can do when you're older!  Help your poor old mom I hope!

I love you little guy!  

Angel of God and Old MacDonald had a Farm. Jace starts Preschool

My baby started preschool today.  Equipped with a new outfit, new shoes, and a new backpack, he was on cloud nine.  today is Wednesday and on Monday Ashlynn started school much to his dismay. He was a terror throughout the entire morning, and when we dropped her off he didn't attempt to move from his carseat and declared, "no mommy, I'll wait here."

"Uh no Jace.  Even if you're jealous, we still have to support each other."

He came, unhappily.  Needless to say, he was elated to go to preschool today.  I scrambled the night before to print out our family pictures so he would have a current picture to put on an "all about me" sheet the teacher wanted.  I thought I had the picture of him on the jetski, but it didn't print.  You on the jetski or pretending to tow cars would really describe your personality perfectly.

Well this morning I picked up said pictures and also had to get a composition notebook for you.  What the heck a three year old will be doing with a journal I have no clue, but I got you one.  Grandma S is out of town so Cody took off work to watch the kids.  He took the kids to school and I told him he had to take a picture or I would "kill him."  It sounds funny, but I this is how much it meant to me, and I was so sad about not being there myself.  A picture could at least document it forever.

I didn't get a picture.  I called Cody after preschool was done.

"Where is my picture???" I demanded.

"I sent it.  Didn't you get it?"

"No!??!"  "If I got it, why would I be calling?" I vented.

"Okay, I'll send it again," he said casually.

I had to write a text to ensure he sent it, and that's when I received this

Okay first of all, Jace is adorable and looks crazy happy.  However, THIS is his first day of school pic???  I had the ladies I worked with look at it.  

"He is so fired" said one.

"That's a man for you," said another.

Ugh!!  I was devastated.  Where is his backpack??  Where are his new shoes??  

Okay, but where is his backpack??  I begged my husband to please take a backpack pic.  I could tell he was annoyed.  I begged some more.  Doesn't he know how important this is to me?  I couldn't drop off my BABY on his first day of preschool.  The least he could do was to get a presentable picture.

I figured he wouldn't do it and that's when I saw this.....

My heart swelled!  Look at that little guy!  He looks so grown up and definitely ready for preschool. He was so stoked to go.  I hope he always loves school.  When I asked him the other day what he was going to learn in preschool he proudly declared, "my alphabet!"

I don't doubt it.  That face is the face of a winner, an inventor, a succedor (if that's word).  If we can guide him right, this boy is going to move mountains.

Tonight when I asked him if he was good, he said "yes" but then when I asked him if he got in trouble he also said "yes."  I asked him what happened and he said, 

"well, I stood up and the teacher said, 'Jace! No! Sit down!'  

I asked him, "Did you?"

Oh yes mom, I did!  

LOL  Good boy.  I love that kid.

Since I missed him so much all day I read his story and tucked him into bed.  he's been doing good saying the prayer "Angel of God" with me at night.  I decided to see if he could say it himself.

"Angel of God and my guardian dear to whom god's love commits you hear...lakdjadkjfskdjflskjdglaksdjgklasjg  Old MacDonald had a farm."

ROFL  I could not stop laughing.  Oh my goodness.  That boy. I called his Grandma Baskall and Grandma Louis and they both laughed out loud as hard as I did.  "Oh dynamite!" said my Grandma Louis.  "I pray for them two every night."

"Thanks Grandma!" I said.  "They need it!"

Parenting peacefully

I ran across this today, and it reminded me of my sweet Jace. Dynamite is the nickname my Grandma Louis has for him.  

Cody is determined to parent him peacefully, without violence, and I respect him for that. I honestly could have gone either way, but we are a united front and we must parent together.  Jace is no doubt a strong willed child.  Fiercely independent and strong, but with a soft heart and gentle soul.  When I yell at him he immediately yells back, but will fold into my arms needing a hug.  

Cody started that too with Ashlynn.  Do you need a hug?  She would always say yes, Jace would always say no, but I soon realized just because Jace said no didn't mean he didn't need one.  I started responding with love during those moments.  Those same moments that would have earned me a smack in the face or a paddle with the wooden spoon, I hug my son instead and afterward have him say he's sorry.

I see a difference.  He asks for hugs now.  I don't even have to ask.  He knows when his emotions are so high and he doesn't know what to do, he comes asks for a hug.  I think this is parenting peacefully.

It's hard to be judged from family members so critically.  I'm constantly being told how bad my son needs spankings. The other day at this birthday party, my mom took away car keys from him and he yelled at her and slammed his door.  My sister-in-law piped up quickly to declare "my kids would never slam a door.  What did we make you do when you slammed doors?" to which her sons quickly replied "kiss it."  She was so indignant and proud until I said, "oh yay, I'm so glad I get my parenting slammed on my son's own birthday."  

She did apologize, but those things are hard to hear.  I know in my heart though, the approach we are taking is right.  I know spanking just causes rage as an adult, proven in study after study.  I have rage and I hate it.  My brother had a saying all kids come out of childhood needing therapy.  I think about that now and I don't think that needs to be true.  Maybe we are wrong, time will tell.

Jace though is absolutely destined for greatness.  He is smart, ingenuitive, strong willed, assertive, but also has a great heart.  Cody and I have to teach him to channel all those strengths into something positive, because Jace is a game changer.  I love that little boy.

Well there's a will there's a way!Well,

Jace, you are an amazing little person.  Underneath your quick temper is a vulnerable heart a loving spirit.  You are also incredibly smart.  I know you get that from your dad and Grandpa Baskall.  I grew up knowing your Grandpa B. could fix anything, and then I married your dad and it was the same.  I just told your dad the other day that I will probably go my entire life with learned helplessness since I had my dad, then Cody, and now you.  You are only three and engineer things at your disposal all the time.  You do things I don't think I could honestly even have come up with myself.  Maybe, you'll invent something amazing someday.  I wouldn't doubt it.

After my last post, you have gone on to get more and more creative in how to two your vehicles.  For your birthday, you got that toolbox and one day while I was on the phone, you asked me to put these:

on the back of your big wheel.  I complied.

and before I knew it you had hoisted your wiggle car on the back and were effectively "towing the jetski."

Well, today, I walked out of the bathroom to find that you had found a tow strap (a lanyard) and looped it around the two handles of the push cars and were "towing a car."

Raising a future engineer/inventor isn't without it's downside.  You manage to break quite a few things in the process!  Flashlights have been dismantled, a screw in the playstation luckily didn't break the system but did render my workout DVD useless, and well, I won't go on.  I won't go on because the casualties are worth the payout, and they payout is I know you have a smart little brain in there that needs to grow and explore.

Our future engineer turns 3!

We celebrated Jace's third birthday this past week, with his actual birthday being celebrated in Glendo and then a family celebration at our house.
Jace's birthday will probably always be in Glendo, so it's a good thing this kid likes his trailer and camping.  He's always announcing to everyone walking by, "This is MY trailer.  My trailer is bigger. Yeah, this MY jetski."  He sure is proud of his daddy's toys!
Just his morning I found his trying to hook up their two push cars as he announced ,"I"m towing the trailer."  Genius!  This kid is so smart he amazes me everyday.

Of course, he had to settle on this setup, because two days ago he was in big trouble for playing with the real jetski trailer's safety chains and hooking them into the spokes of his tricycle.  When I told him no, he took off running.  I didn't see where he went as I was getting the chains out of his spokes only to find him seven houses down laughing trying to evade a neighbor.  NOT good.

For his birthday, I knew he's be happy with anything he can snap together or build.  He got a tool box from his grandma Smith and played with it the entire day.  

A marble run and mega blocks were also on his hit list. This kid loves to engineer.  He needs to know how everything works.

The other day Cody had to fix his truck and took it over to Grandpa Baskall's house since my dad has all the tools one could need.  Jace was right in the action, and when he was told to get away, he was at the window wanting to see what his dad and Grandpa were doing out there with the tools.  When he finally got to go out and help he was so happy.  

He kept sneaking wrenches from Grandpa's tool bags and pretending to fix Ashlynn's bike.  My dad finally figured out what was going on when Jace kept taking wrenches from the metric bag and putting them back into the standard, and taking wrenches from the standard bag and putting them back into the metric!  He has a lot to learn, but he's on the right track.  Engineering and fixing things is in his blood, so my dad and Cody couldn't get too mad.  

He's also my little lovey, giving me lots of random kisses and telling me he loves me.  So blessed to have this little guy in my life :)

I went poopie mommy. In the grass!

There really isn't more to this story than that!  Oh Jace. What will I do with you!