We set up this tent in the living room for a few days. Jacob likes sleeping and reading books in it!

Celebrating Roger's Birthday at Pizza Hut

Jacob was trying to turn on his favorite TV show, Sid the Science Kid, he missed a number on the remote, and saw a Judge Judy kind of court show. So I explained what was going on, and how the judge would listen to both sides, and make the decision, etc. A little while later, Jacob comes out wearing his black cape backwards like a judge robe, and sets up this whole court room in our living room. My job was to make up court cases and play both the defense and the prosecution, and then Jacob would decide who wins. We had a fun time!

Jacob is really good at thinking up processes for things when he plays. He doesn't usually just build something...it has to be a long process that goes from one area to the next to the next to the next. Imaginary things "go up here, through this, over there, along this path, under this", etc. Jacob is so creative!

For the past week or so, Jacob's new thing has been to not step on any cracks when he is walking. I remember doing this when I was a kid!

Nap

Jacob decided he wanted to draw. He didn't tell us what he was drawing until he was done, but we were wowed. It was the death and resurection of Jesus. Jesus dying on the cross in the middle, a soldier laughing, a woman crying, the stone in front of the tomb, and the bright light from inside the empty tomb. Nate and I were impressed!

Bike riding

Last night I picked up a balloon from the party store, and wrote "I love you Jacob" on it. I left it in his room for him to find in the morning. It is so fun to see how excited and appreciative Jacob is about something that was really such a small price to pay! He's a neat little guy!

Feeding the ducks

Jacob passed his first round of swimming lessons, and is now taking a second session. He likes wearing his swim goggles in the car, and draping his towel around his neck like an olympic swimmer! He also asks me to take lots of videos of him during his lesson, so he can see what he looks like swimming when we get home.

End of dinner:
Jacob had not eaten all of his food, but said he was done.
I asked him, "Who is going to eat your spaghetti and salad?"
..."Jesus!"

Last week Jacob learned that he really likes baby spinich. We had some for dinner tonight, and I asked Jacob if he knew what food group baby spinich was in. He thought it was the tree and plant group. I asked him if he could name any of the food groups. He said, "Dairy, Fruit and Vegetable, Protein, and the Sometimes Group". Then I asked if he could name 3 foods in the protein group..."roast beef, steak, ham...and crab legs!!...and lobsters!!"

Jacob has been working really hard to save up money for our Disney Cruise. He has a little mailbox that he keeps his earnings in. We do not pay for doing things around the house, but he has been helping with special projects to earn money, and if I catch him doing something good, sometimes I will give him a penny to add to his container. Today, Jacob had a really bad temper tantrum...a long time out, "I hate you mom", the whole nine yards. Afterwards, when he was calm again, he was sitting in my lap and we were talking, and Jacob said, "Ya know what Mom, if you were saving for the Disney cruise, I would give you a penny for loving me so much!"

I love being home with Jacob every day! It's hard to beat having a grahm cracker and apple juice picnic in the back yard with Jacob for a morning snack!

Leaving swimming lessons today, it was raining as we were walking to the car. Jacob says in a girl voice, "Oh my beautiful wickedness!"

Nate came home from work and caught Jacob and I playing train in his room this afternoon!

We are starting the process of doing some upgrade work on my grandma's house. Jacob came ready to work!!

There's nothing like a picnic with your friends!

School Shopping

We have been doing a lot of family bike riding lately! Jacob and I have also been working on a big card house using my old business cards from when I was working. It is currently 2 levels high, about 3 ft x 3 ft, and has all of the necessities...including a trap door between levels which Jacob cleverly crafted!!

Tonight we did the bumper boats and go carts at Lilly Put. It was Jacob's first time driving his own bumper boat.

Jacob and I were eating chocolate Dove Promises, which have messages inside each wrapper. Here is a list of what Jacob said he would write in the wrappers:
-Worship God with all your might!
-Love your neighbor as yourself.
-Treat other people like you want them to treat you.
-The 10 commandments
-Jesus died on the cross and rose on Easter, and if you believe in Him, you can go to heaven with Him.

Jacob was soaked from head to toe after climbing across the start of the Mississippi, so he borrowed Nate's sweatshirt until we got back to camp. We checked out the rest of the state park, and even climbed up to the top of this fire look out.

Today we went to see where the Mighty Mississippi starts.