the boy

Jacob is most definitely growing into his 3 1/2 year old self these days, picking up on all sorts of behaviours from others, thinking they're hilarious and copying them. Some things make me cringe a bit, but the world is full of things that make me cringe and, as much as I'd like to, I cannot keep my child away from all of them. Better to learn how to deal with them instead.

Today, for example, he was out playing with the hose and water. He put the hose between his legs and said, "I'm peeing in the yard, I'm peeing in the yard". It was hilarious to me, also and something he was bound to do on his own anyway, being a boy and all. But he actually got the idea from one of our neighbours' kids yesterday. 

And last night, Fraser went in to his room after bedtime and Jacob said, "You stupid, bad boy." Cringe. Fraser asked him where he'd heard that and, of course, he didn't give us any straightforward answer. He said it later to me, and I told him that those kind of words hurt my feelings. That's why we don't say them. He thought on that one for awhile, asking me again last night and then this morning:
J: Why do those words hurt someone's feelings?
M: Well, they aren't nice things to say about someone and so, they can make someone feel sad. If someone says those things to you, you can tell them not to talk to you like that.
J: Those words won't hurt my feelings, Mommy. I won't cry.
Good. I'm glad these things still roll off his shoulders and that he treats them more like jokes than anything.

Mostly, though, he's still in his own zone, telling us his interesting thoughts.

He was waiting for his new game to come in the mail. As Fraser was putting him to bed, the conversation went like this:
J: I think my package is coming tonight.
F: No, it's not coming tonight.
J: It's my mind! So leave my minds alone.

One day his leg fell asleep for the first time. I could tell by the look on his face that he was wondering what was happening. I think I asked him if his leg felt funny. He said that it felt like it had too much energy in it.

When he tasted a sample of some sparkling juice at the store (again, first experience with carbonation) he said, "It feels like my tongue has goosebumps."

One day he tells me, "This is an optical illusion - you close your eyes and they disappear."

He was singing loudly before bed one night. Fraser told him, "Shhh, it's bedtime." Jacob tells Fraser to sing loudly. Fraser does it, and Jacob says, "Shhh, it's bedtime, Daddy."

I think he was up in his bed for this one. I hear him up there saying, "I'm just screaming because CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING!?!

Today, Jacob came up with a random imaginary friend as he was getting ready for nap. Jacob is also into rhyming and nonsense words. So, this friend's name is Joshy-boshua. He sleeps in the closet in Jacob's room and needs five books with him when he goes to bed. Just like Jacob. Tonight at bedtime, Jacob called up Fraser to tell him all of our nicknames: Joshy-boshua is Soshua-soshia, Daddy is Daddy-daddia, Mommy is Mommy-mommia, and Jacob is Jacob-jacobia. Besides the fact that I just want him to go to sleep before 9:30, the kid cracks me up.
 
Tonight we were listening to some Medeski, Martin and Wood. If you know their music, you know that sometimes it gets a little..... abstract. Anyway, there was a part with a drum solo. It didn't have much of a rhythm to it. Jacob says, "uh-oh" with real concern in his voice, then looks at me. He looked back at the music player. I could tell he was confused. He thought it was something falling down, making a crashing sound. 
 
Aaahh... the days before so much life experience gives you expectations and familiarities. It's so fun to hear the things that he sees and hears and thinks without all those years and experiences yet, when he's still seeing many things for the first time. Really cool. I am so amazingly blessed and fortunate to have  such a great person for "my" kid.