Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, and MORE Dinosaurs!

ROARRRR!! Is a reoccurring sound in our household. Jackson's most recent obsession is dinosaurs. It all started in the fall after Daniel, a friend of Jackson's from preschool, shared his love of dinos with him. Jackson was immediately hooked! Now he only reads dinosaur books, only watches dinosaur videos, only wears dinosaur shirts and pjs (so much for all of his ADORABLE Gymboree cloths!), and ONLY wants to play with his dinosaurs. When I say he is obsessed, I mean he is OBSESSED! He is often in what Matt and I refer to as "dinosaur mode" which is when he acts like a dinosaur. Jackson can mimic a variety of dinosaurs, however the T-Rex (or as Jackson refers to it as "a Sharp Tooth") is his favorite. He often does this at home, however also does this in public! When he is in this mode it is very difficult to get him to step out of his character. Jackson replies to any question exactly the same...with a load "ROARRRRR!" No words can be used, no eye contact is made...just ROARRRRRRRR! I adore his creativity and intensity, however we are trying to teach him about when and where he should do this. Last night the Coco family came over for pizza. Of course, Jackson was in dinosaur mode and scared the Coco's oldest daughter, Sophia, who is three years old. When Sophia started to cry Jackson laughed and said, "Silly Sophia, dinosaurs are extinct!"

Tonight before bed Jackson and I read...you guessed it...a dinosaur book! It is a very interesting book about some of the largest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth. The book discusses scientists, how they find bones and the fact that more dinosaurs might still be waiting to be discovered. Jackson looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Do you think that I can discover them?" I answered, "Of course Jackson!" He then said with excitement, "I am going to go to college and be a taliontologist!" (As you probably guessed, he was trying to say Paleontologist.) After a short pause he continued with a very serious voice, "Mommy, I am going to have to bring my bucket and shovel to college with me." He then ended by telling me that he is not sure how college will help him because he already knows how to dig "really good". (This is the same four year old who told me the other day that he did not need to go to preschool anymore. He said, "I already know everything they try to teach me.")

Brother Love

“My Colton” is how Jackson refers to his little brother. The bond between them is already evident. From the beginning Jackson seemed to immediately take on the responsibility of protecting Colton. The first time I noticed Jackson’s need to watch after Colton was about a year ago, when Colton was only a couple of months old and Jackson had just turned three. We met another mother and her twin boys for lunch at a local fast food restaurant. After getting her boys to the table with their food, the other mother kindly offered to help me by taking Colton to the table so I could get our food ordered. Jackson saw the mother take Colton away and he immediately became anxious, asking “Where is Colton?” and “Why did she take him?” I responded to all of his questions, but none of my answers seemed to calm his anxiety. When we arrived to the table, the mother went to hand Colton to me and Jackson jumped between us, pointed his small finger in her face, as he yelled, “THAT IS NOT YOUR BABY!!” I was shocked and horrified that Jackson would speak that way to an adult, however, at the same time, I was proud that he stood up for his little brother. This was not the last time Jackson became angry at someone for getting to close to Colton. He protects him daily!

This strong bond seems to be growing with each new day. The boys can not eat a meal without making each other laugh so hard that food oozes from their mouths, often ending up on the their cloths, the floor or both. I often find them playing together in Colton’s crib, in Jackson room, under the dining room table, on the couch, etc… They are true buddies and they make me proud!

Introduction

I have finally decided to create a blog for our family. It is difficult living so far away from our family and I think this will be an easy way to keep everyone updated on our lives and the boys. It will also be a great way for me to document all of the wonderful things happening in our lives. I hope you all enjoy!