Jacob the Monkey Man

So there we were - at the hospital - 5:45 a.m. Tuesday morning. Mark and I are both sleep deprived and stressed out. Kyle's surgery would take place at approximately 7:30 a.m. Jacob and Kyle were both wide awake and ready to go... It was early - especially for our family - we are the "Sleepers" - you know, the 9 a.m. get out of bed - noon get up and go kind of family... Tuesday? We saw the sunrise. I don't remember the last time I saw the sunrise. Oh wait - I do - I remember one day around Thanksgiving I had to be into work before 7 a.m. - and I actually made it - except the whole way there I kept thinking that there was something wrong when it was DARK on my way TO work...

Anyway,

So you know, I think any 4 year old child that is up way early after staying up way too late will become overtired. At our house, we refer to this as "Loopyville" - a description I believe I picked up from my sister.

Whatever it was - Jacob had it.

Picture this...

Kyle is out of surgery, out of recovery and ready to go home. The nurse comes to our room with the wheel chair and tells me to sit in it and put Kyle on my lap - hospital policy. Mark goes ahead to get the van by the door. Jacob? He decides, and even convinces the nurse, to let HIM push me out of the hospital.

Around the corners, through the cooridors, through the Lobby - this is what I hear and so does the rest of the hospital...

"Tarzan the monkey-man, swinging from a rubberband. He don't care. He don't swear. He don't wear any underwear."

Over and over and over.

Jacob is entertaining everyone who hears him....

My face is red.

The nurse's face is red.

Jacob is smiling from ear to ear.

What a monkey. I wouldn't trade him for the world.

In the Eyes of a Child

Mark called me today...

"It's summer" he says proudly.

"What?" I question him. I thought maybe this at-home-Dad stuff was too much for his head...

"It's summer" he repeated.

"O.k." I said, questioning a bit.

"Jacob decided it was summer today," he explains, "He saw a squirrel and a bird - so it's summer."

And now you know...

Days Gone By

In a perfect world, I would be taking time to write about my children every day. Of course, in a perfect world, I would have time to write about my children every day... but... a perfect life would be boring.

Wouldn't it?

So we have had a few big milestones this last month... Alex turned 9. I can hardly believe it. He was very funny about turning 9 too. He was at his Father's house for the big occasion. I called him up first thing in the morning to wish him a happy birthday...

"Hello?" a very tired sounding voice says to me.

"Hi Baby... Happy Birthday"

"Mmmm" he moans back to me, very sleepily.

"What's the matter Sweetie?"

"I couldn't sleep last night."

"Oh, I'm sorry baby, that will make today kind of hard, being so tired."

"Yes," he said, "Only I couldn't sleep because today was my birthday. I was so excited about turning 9 Mom."

"Aww..."

My poor little one. I hung up with him and told him to try really hard to have a fun day with his Dad...

I could hardly believe he was 9. It seems like just yesterday he was my little stinker - learning everything faster than any baby in the world. Walking by 10 months, getting into everything... challenging my everything...

It's funny, now he has a little brother, just like him.

Kyle. He's been so silly lately. Definitely growing up faster than he should. He got his first hair cut this past month. Mark would tell me every day how much he looked like a little girl. I just didn't want to cut it because as long as his baby hair was still there, he would still be my baby. But little Kyle... he would get mad and pull his hair so hard until he would cry. So finally, one night, I couldn't take it anymore. I picked him up and off to the bathroom I went... clippers in hand.

15 minutes later...

I had a big boy.

No more baby curls.

No more beautiful long blonde hair.

Just a fuzzy head.

But still cute as a button.

And, still my baby.

He will always be my baby. Just like Jacob. Only Jacob is getting too big too! This month brought him to kindegarten screening. That's right - SCHOOL.

Jacob will start kindegarten in the fall. I can't believe that either. I just don't understand how it is that my children seem to be getting so big and I am still 25?

Life. It happens all around us every day. Sometimes I just wish I could capture every second on a camera in my mind so I could I play it over and over again and never miss a moment of my baby's lives...