A Day With Jacob

Jacob didn't want to go to the mean old babysitter (just kidding...she's really sweet) so he spent yesterday with me. It was a pretty typical day. He said he wanted Trix for breakfast, when actually he really just wanted to suck milk through the jack-o-lantern straw that I keep in the front of my silverware drawer. While I did my Bible study, he pulled out the GI Joes and set them all up--army men together, fences in a row, tanks lined up, airplanes in take-off order, all in the organized manner that is Jacob. Soon he was truly hungry and decided on waffles...with butter and syrup which he licked off first before rolling up the waffles and devouring them. I went about cleaning up the kitchen while he made aliens with the play-doh and goop that we had purchased on one of our trips to Wal-mart. We're down to half a bottle of goop, so I mentioned that we may have to buy some more when we go grocery shopping. He of course, thought we should buy a "different" toy, after all there's plenty of goop for 3 or 4 more creative sessions.

Upon arriving at Wal-mart, I headed to "health & beauty" to get some essentials and he reminded me that "the toys are over THERE." Okay, okay, "we have to be patient." I could have had all my groceries bought in the time it took us to decide on a toy. As we were walking down the same aisle for the third time, I tried to make some cheap suggestions. "No, Nana, not that, we have to be PATIENT." No kidding!!! After several of HIS suggestions, to which I nixed because of the ginormous price, we both agreed on some Black & Decker tools in their own backpack. "Nana, I LOVE my tools." Great.

I tried to hurry through my shopping since it was getting close to my lunch time. (I ate breakfast early, not 10:30 like him.) I only bought a couple of things that would not have been on the list were it not for him. He wanted green pop (Sprite), but then saw Elmo Apple Juice. I persuaded him to make a choice--we couldn't buy both--so he reluctantly decided on the Elmo Juice. Then we HAD TO HAVE Cocoa Straws, something I'd never heard of. While paying for my groceries, he saw a miniature Etch-a-Sketch that he wanted. "No, remember, we got the tools." "But I LOVE it, Nana." "Well, maybe next time we come to Wal-mart that's what we'll buy." The bottom lip pooched out, but no tantrum, and out the door we went. He was asleep by the time we got home and I carried him, backpack of tools and all, to bed for an hour of rest.

After naptime, a late lunch of leftover steak and milk with Cocoa Straws. A well-rounded meal, don't you think? A safe 30 minutes later we were ready for a swim. He likes to put his own sunscreen on and applies pretty thick. While I was getting his back, he was drawing in the sunscreen on his belly and said, "Hey Nana, I made a D." Yep, I think he's ready for school.

When Jacob's in the pool, there's no relaxing. There's only playing. I had to sing about swimming in the ocean on this beautiful day at the beach, unaware that there was an octopus or whale or shark sneaking up behind me. He would suddenly latch on to me and I would squirm and flail and splash, screaming for someone to help me. While we were in the pool, Jacob noticed for the first time our RV sitting out in the field. He said, "Nana! You got a trailer?" "Yes, we have a trailer." "I got a idea. You can go wif us to trout fishing!" I think that's an excellent idea.