Bad Guys vs. Superheroes: Sandbox Edition

Anytime Jackson asks Jesse or I to play with him, we know we're going to be trapped in endless role play with bad guys and superheroes. Like any respectable Batman addict, Jackson owns the following bad guys:

• Mr. Freeze
• the Penguin
• Joker
• Catwoman
• Bane
• the Riddler

Jackson owns various playsets such as the jail, Joker's hideout, and the Batcave. However, most of his role playing is more like, "It's Bane's birthday. Let's bring him birthday cake." or "Joker needs a haircut." He has just recently become interested in actually fighting the bad guys. 

While playing bad guys and superheroes for the 483rd time, Jack and I came up with the creative idea to build each figurine a castle in the sandbox.

The superheroes teamed up and flew to one another's aid.

Jackson then knocked over the bad guys' castles before burying them in the sand.

Of course, this caused the figurines to become sandy, which required an immediate bath. Somewhere along the way Jackson also undressed and washed his clothes in the bathroom sink as well.

I love Jackson's imagination. He has driven me especially crazy this week by not listening and following directions, so it's nice to be able to spend time one-on-one simply playing in the sand. Sometimes I need to remind myself that he's just an active three year old boy that wants to play with his Mommy and Daddy.

Mommy-Jack Date at Birkdale

We had a scheduled playdate at the Birkdale Splashpad with some CharlotteMommies friends this morning. Jackson has been so attached to Jesse this summer that I was honestly a bit worried he would refuse to go. We could have gone as a whole family but there wasn't a lot for the triplets to do and it was at 10 a.m. which is nap time. I was relieved that Jack was excited to play in the water and eager to leave. 

Jackson takes at least 5 minutes to even leave my side when we go to different playdates.  Even then, he rarely plays with kids unless he knows them well. I know he interacts with his preschool friends, so I'm not too worried. It would just be nice if he was a bit more social. Oh well. He still had loads of fun without technically playing with his peers.

After an hour we walked back to the car and discussed lunch plans. Jackson wanted a hotdog. I didn't know of any restaurants nearby that sold hotdogs but we parked beside a Qdoba. Thankfully, Jack was equally excited when I suggested tacos for lunch.

We took silly pictures after we ate. Jack said, "Let's make a pretend grumpy face."

I was a nanny for a family that lived in Birkdale one summer. I ended up taking Jackson everywhere I used to take those kids. We spent some time at Barnes & Noble. As soon as Jack saw this display, he exclaimed, "Let's read 'Let it Go!"

After reading a few Frozen books, Jackson played with the awesome train table. (Elizabeth, did you spend as much time here as I did?)

After reading more books and building skyscrapers at a Lego table, we walked to the playground. I was proud of myself for remembering where it was. We were the only two people on the playground which made it even more fun.

Nothing beats going on four different adventures with Jack without having to drive to different places. I love this neighborhood. I wish we had entertainment within walking distance from our house. We had a really fun day together free from any tantrums or meltdowns, which is becoming rare these days. It's so nice to spend time with my happy Jack!

One-on-One Dates

Jesse and I managed to squeeze in three "dates" this week to give the kids and one another some individual attention.

Tuesday: Movie and Park

Jesse took Jackson to the $1 movie to see Free Birds. Jackson proudly paid for his movie and popcorn from his very full piggy bank. Jackson lost interest in the movie after he took a restroom break midway through. He then "played" games at the arcade before stopping by the park for a few minutes of outdoor play.

Thursday: Mexican Fiesta

Jesse's mom came over so the boys (Jackson and his cousin) could play together. While the babies napped, Jesse and I escaped to our favorite Mexican restaurant. (In case you're wondering, we dismissed the chips and salsa but consumed a lot of carbs through beans, rice, and corn shell.) It's been nearly two months since our last date, so it was nice to get out of the house sans kids. After some serious job related stress, we are back to a more relaxed, playful relationship.

Friday aka "Dress Like a Cow and Eat Free at Chick-Fil-A" day

Maddie and I had an impromptu lunch date. I saw a few pictures of Facebook friends dressed like cows, and immediately recalled an adorable cow print cloth diaper passed down from my sister. Maddie was the only one small enough to wear it, so she accompanied me for our free lunch. For once, I didn't overthink anything or spend too much time on a craft. I spent less than 5 minutes cutting amoeba shapes out of black construction paper and safety pinning them onto a white apron. Voila!

They gave Maddie a 12 piece chicken nugget kids meal with a huge side of fries and apple juice! It was an absurd amount of food. Her three siblings helped eat the remains that we brought home. It was the first time any of the babies ate a french fry. They were a huge hit. I had my bunless chicken sandwich and a couple of fries. Free food always tastes better.

We also managed to have some family fun at the pool, the museum, and around the house this week. I wouldn't say that summer is any slower-paced than the school year, but it definitely helps having Jesse here to share the responsibility and attention.

Research & Lunch Date with Jack

Jackson and I have participated annually in a research study since he was a newborn. The study is through UNC Nutrition and Cognition Lab. It began as a study on breastmilk and DHA. Each year we have been invited back for saliva and blood samples and asked to complete various activities and questionnaires.  

Now that Jackson is old enough, he was asked to participate in hundreds of games, puzzles, and activities that tested his memory and IQ. I was required to keep a food log for Jackson and fill out multiple surveys with over 400 questions. Most of the research was conducted in this tiny interrogation room.  The sessions were filmed through a two-way mirror and everything was timed. 

Despite the intimidating set up, everything was surprisingly fun and age-appropriate. The researcher taught Jack how to build several objects with oddly shaped blocks. Jackson was asked to repeat what she did immediately afterwards, an hour later, and a full week later. I was surprised at how thorough everything was. I'm very curious to see what Jack's results are, especially since he answered things in unusual ways or refused to complete some of the tasks in the correct order. I knew he knew the answer, but I wasn't allowed to redirect or assist. For example, the researcher showed Jackson a picture of a girl sitting in a highchair with an empty plate. She asked, "What do you think the girl just did?" Jack said, "Maybe she fell and broke her legs." The researcher and I looked at one another. She asked, "Why do you think that?" Jack pointed to the picture of the girl and said, "Her legs are broken." Sure enough, the girl had braces on both of her legs.

Jackson was as stubborn and silly as always. He had both the researcher and I crying from laughing. For example, the woman handed Jackson a baby doll, cup, spoon, and washcloth and asked him to take care of the baby. He fed her with the spoon and bowl. She asked, "What are you feeding her?" He replied, "slugs and worms". She asked him to clean the baby. Jack rubbed the washcloth all over the baby doll. She asked, "What are you doing?" He replied, "rubbing vomit all over her. She throw up." 

In addition to the hundreds of questions, Jackson also had to complete physical tasks such as hopping on one foot, walking backwards in a straight line, walking down stairs without holding on, etc.

We attended two sessions, lasting about two hours each. I really enjoyed the individual time with Jack and hearing his responses to the questions. He seemed so grown up.

After leaving the research campus, I pulled over on the side of the road and made Jackson take a picture at this intersection. I couldn't resist. How cool is that?

Since we were generously compensated for our research participation I decided to take Jackson out for lunch. He wanted spaghetti and apples. Denny's was the perfect place.

I ordered a baja burger (peppers, onions, pico de gallo, and chipotle sauce) and baby carrots. Jack devoured his enormous portion of spaghetti and apples.  Our entire bill was a whopping $7. This was the best photo of the two of us. Ha!

After lunch, Jackson requested to go across the street to see the fish (aka Bass Pro Shop). We went to the large aquarium. As we were leaving Jackson said, "Can you take my picture with that giant bear?" I was seriously elated since I'm always the one begging him to pose for a picture. He growled and mimicked the bear.

It was such a fun afternoon with my silly guy. I look forward to more one-on-one time with each of the kids this summer.

Ladies Man

This sweet, shy boy is coming out of his shell for the girls.

While at the park yesterday, Jackson was elated to find his favorite classmate, K, on the playground. I was surprised to see the family since neither of us live near this particular park.  I chatted with her mom, who is one of those genuine women who put you at ease. There's never awkward small talk with her. 

Jackson and K are the cutest things to watch. K was strutting around with Jack's Clifford while he chased her. He suddenly stopped, ran across the field, and came back with a flower for K. Jackson was upset when she had to leave. He sulked on the blanket with the babies. Then K approached Jack and handed him a flower she had picked. 

Fastforward to this afternoon at a different park. Jackson, James, Amelia, and Maddie were hanging out on the blanket having a snack. 

We had already been at the park for 45 minutes and I was beginning to clean up when a little girl and her father arrived. Jack isn't typically friendly with strangers, but he warmed up to her quickly. They played with his red ball and hid inside a tunnel. 

I gave Jackson a two minute warning while I loaded the trio in the van. I hollered that it was time to go. Jack said, "Wait. I have to pick a flower for my pretty friend."

He handed it to her, watched her smile, then walked away.

Ladies, get ready for this stud to woo you.

3 Year Well Check

We took Jackson to his 3 year well-check yesterday. I was surprised at how much he was asked to do by the nurse and doctor. He completed the following requests:

• stood on the scale barefoot for height and weight checks
• provided a urine sample in a cup (good thing he's potty trained!)
• stood still while the nurse took his blood pressure
• brushed fluoride on his teeth
• attempted to identify shapes on a vision test (When asked "What do you see?" he replied "Nothing" and "Shape")
• drew a circle and an x
• jumped up and down
• bent at the waist and touched his toes
• walked on his tip toes and on the heels of his feet

He also had to answer the following questions:

• Do you know your name? (refused to answer)
• Can you tell me some fruits and vegetables you eat? ("bananas and apples")
• Do you sleep in your bed? ("yes")
• Do you use the potty? ("yes")
• Do you put your clothes on by yourself? ("yes")
• Do you brush your teeth? ("yes")
• What is the name of one of your friends? (He named his BFF from school and Geo from UmiZoomi)
• Are you a girl or a boy? Is Mommy a girl or a boy? Is Daddy a girl or a boy?

I expressed concerns about social/separation anxiety because Jackson will NOT play in an enclosed area where there are multiple people he does not know. He still gets upset when we leave him at the church nursery. He doesn't transition well. The pediatrician told me to keep taking him places and exposing him to different people. The behavior was common among three year olds, but it would not be typical if he refused to go to the places (i.e. park, church, rec center) for fear of other people being there.

Our other concern was allergies and frequent complaints from Jackson that his eyes are burning. She gave us a prescription for liquid Claritin that is covered by Medicaid.

We were asked if we wanted Jackson to receive the flu vaccine. We declined since we had repeatedly promised Jackson he would not receive any shots. We'll just wait until next flu season begins.

Here is Jacskson's growth since birth and some pictures from his doctor visit:

	Weight	Height
Birth	8 lb, 15 oz	21.75 in
1 Month	11 lb, 1 oz	23.25 in
2 Month	12 lbs, 15 oz	25 in
4 Month	14 lbs, 4 oz	25.75 in
6 Month	16 lbs	27 in
9 Month	19 lbs	29 in
12 Month	21 lbs, 5 oz	30 in
15 Month	23.2 lbs	31.5 in
18 Month	24 lbs, 15 oz	33 in
2 Years	27 lb	34.5 in
3 Years	31 lb, 8 oz	37.5 in

Nurse asked if she could "hug his arm". BP was 72/40

Waiting for the doctor, showing Geo around

Getting to pick out a sticker at the end

Birthday Celebrations for Jack

Birthdays are more like birthweeks in our house. Here's how we spent the week celebrating Jackson's birthday:

Monday: I baked a cookie cake to take to Jackson's preschool on Tuesday. Jackson picked out the dye color for the frosting and decorated the cookie with sprinkles.

Tuesday: Per Jack's request, I provided pizza and cookie cake for lunch at school. I emailed the parents ahead of time so they knew not to pack a lunch. There are only 8 kids in his class and I know them all by name because I hear about them constantly. His peers were more excited about touching the babies than eating pizza. When it came time for the kids to sing "Happy Birthday", Jackson said, "Wait. I not have candles." I blushed a bit and informed him that there were no candles. Oops.

Wednesday: The birthday boy awoke early as usual. My goal for the day was to let him choose anything he wanted for food and entertainment, and to sing "Happy Birthday" as often as possible. His breakfast request was strawberries and "special waffles" (aka cinnamon rolls cooked in a waffle iron). We stayed home since Maddie had her PT at 11. Jackson found great entertainment from watching workers reshingle the roof on our next-door neighbors house. We spent two hours outside before he came back in and zoned out in front of the TV.

After lunch, I took Jackson to the park and Sweet Frog for a special treat. I honestly don't know what happened, but we needed an exorcist for Jackson at Sweet Frog. His meltdown included laying on the floor in front of the register kicking and screaming. I asked him if we needed to leave and he said, "No. I calm down now." Gee, thanks! Sure enough, he returned to his normal (albeit tired) self while we indulged in our frozen yogurt. We even managed to sneak in a quick trip to Target afterwards before he crashed in the car.

Thursday: Our morning was busy with the Easter egg hunt and picnic at school, followed by an afternoon at the park. While the babies napped, Jackson and I went through over a thousand pictures on my computer and talked about what a big boy he was now. I later narrowed down my favorite pictures of Jackson to 75, then uploaded them to Walgreens to print.

Friday: I picked up and sorted our pictures. I've made a large, framed collage for the previous two years. This year I decided to display the photos throughout the house. I put all the pictures related to potty-training on the bathroom door, close-ups beside the hallway mirror, messes with food were displayed in the kitchen, etc.

I stayed up until 1 a.m. baking Jackson's birthday cake.  It turned out well, but a Batman cake from WalMart would have been just as well-received and given me the opportunity to sleep.

Saturday: Party time!  Nearly twenty family members filled our home and yard. Jackson asked for pizza, so we had salad and pizza for the birthday boy. The weather was perfect which meant the kids got to take advantage of the hula hoops and balloons my mother-in-law brought over. Jackson didn't understand the concept of waiting to open all of his presents at the same time. He opened almost every present as our family members arrived. Silly boy! After everyone left and we cleaned the house, Jackson spent the evening wearing his new Batman pajamas, riding his new Batman tricycle

I'm overjoyed that Jackson was able to feel so special this week from his teachers, classmates, and family members. 

Photojournal of Jackson, Age Two

Exactly three years ago today, our life changed when we welcomed this face into the world at 4:28 AM.

8 lb, 15 oz burrito baby

Three years later Jackson Lee is still challenging and blessing us each day. I am so proud of what a reflective, considerate, determined young boy Jack has become. To celebrate Jackson turning three, here are some of the most memorable moments and photos from his third year of life (age two).



No more cribs or pacifiers, big boy room makeover (April 2013)

First trip to the zoo (April 2013)

How my boys spent every Saturday morning in spring/summer

What happens when you let a 2 year old eat a PB&J in the car

Pre-triplets, when bedtime routines consisted of an hour of rocking, singing, and stories with Daddy

Watching planes take off at Airport Overlook (June 2013)

First train ride (June 2013)

Fun with Sparklers on Fourth of July

Final photo as a family of three (July 14, 2013)

Meeting his siblings for the first time (July 15, 2013)



Favorite hobby, feeding the ducks (August 2013)

Alligator cookies (September 2013)

One of many picnics in the park (September 2013)

Catching football after church potluck (October 2013)

Pumpkin patch (October 2013)

Batboy (October 2013)

First day of preschool (October 2013)

"Can we return them?"

Fall Festival/Halloween Costumes (October 2013)

Mr. Resourceful determined to get his candy bucket (Nov. 2013)

Fun at Freedom Park, Panthers Obstacle Course (Nov. 2013)

Annual beach trip (Nov. 2013)

First circus (Nov. 2013)

Final month in diapers

Pinterest Fail=Crazy Christmas Cards

Decorating the Christmas Tree (Dec. 2013)

Finding Jackson the Elf each morning (Dec. 2013)

Starring as Joseph in the school Nativity

First bicycle, Merry Christmas 2013



3-Day Potty Training (Dec. 2013)

Testing out his new ride (Jan. 2013)

Dr. Jack enjoys Discovery Place Kids membership (Jan. 2014)

Clifford Cuddles (Jan. 2014)

Superhero Birthday Party for Cousin Levi (Feb. 2014)

Snowstorm (Feb. 2014)

Building First Snowman

Sous-chef

Visiting the local fire station (Feb. 2014)

Fearless on the Slide (March 2014)

One of hundreds of meltdowns throughout the year (Mar. 2014)

First mini-golf, confused at the 18th hole (April 2014)

Happy birthday, Jackson Lee!