"If you know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, raise your hand!"

Today was a pretty exciting and educational day...we had our sewer line replaced. An excavator and a bobcat dug a huge trench in our front yard 8 feet wide and 9 feet deep from our house to the street. We had 2 big piles of dirt almost as tall as our house, which Jacob liked climbing on. He built a camp fire out of tree roots, and even made a sand castle on the top of the pile of dirt. The workers were really nice, and Jacob was "just one of the guys" during their lunch break.

Bumper Boats and playing at a park.

Jacob got a little plastic brush from picture day at school on Monday, and tonight he wanted to brush my hair, and "make me look so beautiful". I think he spent about 45 minutes on the masterpiece, complete with head bands, barrettes, and lots of bobbie pins. He was so calm and patient the whole time, and he hummed and sang to himself while he worked. It ws so cute!...ALMOST as cute as my hair!

Jacob was going on and on about marrying Kendall. Finally, I said, "You know, it's okay to be friends with someone forever, and not marry them." Jacob replied, "But I want to marry Kendall...I want to spend the rest of my life with her." I asked Jacob, "What do you do when you're married?" Jacob said, "Well, first you have a wedding...and then you have an anniversary...and then...oh ya, I know...then you go on a "Honey dew". I asked Jacob where he would go on his honeymoon, and he said, "I would fly Kendall to Texas for my "honey dew" and introduce her to my friend, Zachary. And mom, when I get married, you can come. And you can give me a present...like some toy trains!"

We went to a family celebration in Fargo on Sunday, and today Jacob asked me, "Mom, how can sons have sons?" I explained that when Dad came out of Grandma June's tummy she had a son. And when Dad grew up and became an adult, Mom and Dad got married, and God gave us Jacob and that he is our son. And when Jacob grows up, and becomes an adult, he might get married and have a son too...So, a son (Dad), had a son (Jacob), who might have a son (his baby) when he's an adult. Jacob said, "I think I am going to name my son "Jake" because it's kind of like my name...or maybe I would name him 'June Grandma'". I asked if Grandma was a boy or a girl, and explained that since she was a girl, she has a girl's name, "So," I said, " maybe you will want to pick a boy's name for your son." Jacob thought for a minute and said, "Hmmm...maybe Mister Grandma, because 'Mister' is for boys!"

Lots of anniversary celebrations this weekend. In fact Jacob made this cake for Grandma and Grandpa's anniversary today. We are learning to use the pictures on the back of the box of cake mix to see what to do next. He mixed everything together, checked it with a toothpick when it was done, and frosted it. Jacob and I talked about what an anniversary is, and he asked, "Mom, when I have an anniversary, can my stuffed animals come? I want everyone to come!...and duck will quack his friendly welcome!"

Jacob and I have been talking about Nate going to Conneticut for work. Jacob thought it was today, so when Nate left for work this morning, he kept saying all of these sweet things to Nate like, "Daddy, I won't get to see you for a while. I'll miss you, but you can still draw a picture of me in your head and think of that. And you can put real pictures of me on your computer so you can see me while you're gone."

Tonight, we went to visit Carol at her assisted living apartment. Everyone there is so sweet to him, and tonight I let him bring his recycling truck to show Carol. As he was carrying it down the hall when we were leaving, Carol asked him, "Wow...how did you get those big muscles?" Without a second thought, Jacob replied, "I eat my steak and beef jerky!"

Jacob is really interested in sounding out words and spelling. I was on the computer yesterday, and Jacob asked me if he could type, so I pulled up a new word document. He picked the words he wanted to spell, and sounded them out one sound at a time, and found the right letter on the keyboard all by himself. He was so focused, and asked to do more words today. Here is a complete list of the words he spelled. FYI...We have been learning a lot about butterflies lately because the neighbor across the street raises monarch butterflies as a hobby, and gave Jacob some chrysalis (cocoons) to watch them grow into butterflies and release.

JACOB
FELLOW
DAD
MOM
LOOSE (LUCY)
GAMA (GRANDMA)
GRAPA (GRANDPA)
APO (APPLE)
CAFE (COFFEE)
TREE
BABBLO (BUBBLE)
TOO

T
E
C
A
R (ROCKET spelled from the bottom up)

CRASD N (KRISTEN)
FISH
HOUS (HOUSE)
BALL
WAO (WOW)
WHALE (With us making the sound of each letter)
SHARK
CRISILIS (CHRYSALIS)
JIR (JAR)
BUTTARVLI (BUTTERFLY)
CHOCLAT (CHOCOLATE)

Jacob and a little girl in his class (Kendall) constantly talk about marrying each other. Here is the conversation I had with Jacob in the car tonight:
"Mom, when can I marry Kendall?"
"I think you need to be an adult before you can marry Kendall."
"Ugghhh...I hope she'll still be ALIVE then! I hope there won't be a stone that says Kendall on it."

I received an email from Jacob's preschool teacher, concerned about his behavior the other day. During free play, Jacob had some little dolls "trying to hurt each other" by pushing each other off the roof of the doll house, and he was gluing the markers and scissors to paper in the art center. We went into preschool early the next day to help clean the art center, but Jacob definately loves doing free art. So we went to the store and he picked out a scrapbook, stickers, zig-zag scissors, etc, and he asks to scrapbook every day now. It is really fun to see what each page looks like when it is done.

Today, I let Jacob sit in the driver's seat in the car in the driveway. We scooted the seat up for him, he put on his seatbelt, and even got to start the car. He loved testing out all of the buttons and dials for the radio, windows, air vents, turn signals, and winshield wipers...like his own little cockpit!

Tonight Jacob and I went to the store, and we took the Escape, which Nate usually drives. It was almost out of gas when we got in, so we went to the gas station, and got gas, and Jacob washed the headlights. When we pulled into the driveway, I told Jacob, "Let's wait to tell dad that we filled up his tank, and when he gets in the car to go to work tomorrow, he'll be so surprised!" Jacob agreed, and Nate just happened to be in the kitchen when we came in the house..."Dad...guess what...there is a big surprise for you in your gas tank when you go to work tomorrow because Mommy and I filled up your tank at the gas station! You're going to be so surprised!!"

Jacob is totally into recycling, and wants to collect boxes from cereal, mac and cheese, etc and keep them in his room (partly I think for his trains and cars). We agreed that this was okay, but they will all have to go out to the recycling can on garbage day each week. I didn't realize just how much we recycle, but we were playing in Jacob's room (with his recycling truck) and Jacob saw me looking at the big pile he collected and said, "My room's kind of like a compost for recycling!"

First time mini golfing. Jacob drew the last picture just before Sunday School this morning!

Today we went to Fawn-Doe Rosa in St. Croix Falls, WI. Jacob had such a great time feeding the animals! (see video). On the way home we stopped in Lindstrom to see a statue of the Statue of Liberty. As we were looking at the pictures tonight, Jacob drew the last picture by tracing his hand, and adding the corn that he was feeding the animals today.

Just goofing around!

I taught Jacob how to unlock the door with the house key. Everytime we pull in the driveway, he asks if he can do it. As he gets to the door, he says the instructions out loud to himself, "Teeth up, turn towards the house!" He caught on really quickly.

Nate commented that the scrape on Jacob's knee is healing good, and Jacob replied, "Sometimes when I want it to feel better, I give it some kisses!"

Jacob loves watching Chilly Willy cartoons on the internet. He laughs so hard during the cartoons!

Jacob and I have been talking a little bit about the presidential conventions, and that we will be voting for a new president in a few months. Jacob doesn't seem to remember much about when I took him voting with me last time. He is very excited to go with me this year though. He knows the names of the 2 candidates, that they both want to make rules for our country, that they tell us what rules they want to make, and then we get to vote for who we think would do the best job doing what God wants for us. Tonight, he explained that his dinosaurs were "having a convention to decide how to not become extinct."

First day of school! Jacob liked having a little longer day, and eating lunch at school this year. There is a new aide in the classroom this year, because last year's aide went on a mission trip to Egypt. When Jacob asked about her, I reminded him where she went and he was a little concerned, "I hope King Herod doesn't see her." After a 3 hour nap, we celebrated Roger's birthday with Papa and Nana at Pizza Hut.

Jacob made this baby dinosaur egg out of soap shavings at the nature center a while back. We keep it in the bathroom, and as you wash your hands with it, eventually you'll uncover the plastic dinosaur. Today Jacob was in the bathroom for a really long time, I finally went in to check on him. When I went in, Jacob was at the sink with the water running, and a clump of soap in each hand, "Look I gave birth to a babby dinosaur!" He was so proud of himself!

This morning we made a playdough sculpture garden for his little people, since we went to the real sculpture garden yesterday. We also took some pictures. Jacob loves taking pictures, and using the tripod and the timer. The last picture is one he took of himself. We had a lot of fun just goofing around doing silly poses!