Yes Sir, Mama! ... and other Jackisms

I know I've been lamenting recently that this is a very difficult age in Jack's life.  He's starting to throw fits when it's time to leave a place, he's refusing to change out of his pajamas in the morning, he abhors turning off the TV, he's suddenly an extremely picky eater ... but it's also been such a hilariously fun stage too.  Last night at dinner we were listening to Jack's conversation, trying not to laugh too loud.  I turned to Jon and said, "This must be the best, worst age ever!" and he said, "Someday we're going to look back and really miss these years."  So this post is all about the things we'll remember the most, the things that will continue to make us smile for years to come:

Yes Sir, Mama!
Thanks to our church network, I had a lot of friends from the south while I was growing up.  I always noticed how impressed others were with their manners, so I determined that when I got older I'd teach my kids to say "Yes, sir" and Yes, ma'am," too.  I forgot about that vow until recently.  We've been having Jack respond to any correction or command with "Yes Mama" or "Yes Daddy."  Sometimes he's very eager to comply, other times he can barely force the words out between his clamped lips.  But lately, when he's been really excited about what I just said, he's been yelling, "Yes sir, Mama!  Ok!"  And I secretly admit, I won't correct him.  In fact, I may encourage it every once in a while.  Because it's so darn cute, and it doesn't last forever!

I lik-a movie movie
Jack watched Madegascar at Uncle Micah's house in February and really enjoyed the "I like to move it, move it" song.  So he walks around singing it a lot, randomly.  Except he says "movie" instead of "move it."  Sometimes he sings this when he wants to watch a movie, but usually it's just out of the clear blue.  And almost always in a casual conversation voice.  It makes me laugh to just think about it.

Shake it, shake your booty
This is totally my fault.  We had some issues during potty training with "dripping."  At first we suggested "tapping" but Jack interpreted that as punching and would start punching himself after peeing.  So then we started telling him to "shake it" when he's done.  And one day for who knows what reason I added "shake your booty" to the end.  And Jack has never forgot.  He now says it everytime he goes pee pee.

Boo boo ouchies!
I'm not quite sure what started this phrase, seems like a very inefficient way to describe your pain.  But I think Jack has caught on because over the past few weeks he's been shortening it to just "boo boos."  He needs to shorten it, because he says it all. the. time.  All day long.  "Boo boo on my back."  "Boo boo on my foof."  "Boo boo on my shirt."  But it's just not that simple.  Because early on I started offering to kiss those boo boos to make them better.  And I was pretty impressed with myself when my child started to actually ask for a kiss ... and then walk away miraculously healed.  It was a lot of fun, and a great mommy moment.  But a few weeks in to this and I'm officially "over" the whole kissing boo boos thing.  I mean, once a day would be fine.  But it's like every 5 minutes now.  And not exactly in the most convenient location.  For instance, Jack's always getting boo boos on his toes.  (Maybe we need to get him some steel-toed boots?)  So he'll lift his little foot a mere 2 inches off the ground, and then expect preggo here to bend the rest of the way to meet him.  And just getting close is not enough.  The kiss needs to be in the exact location of the boo boo.  I can't imagine how this is going to play out a few more months from now when I'm really large.

Oh gosh, oh gosh!
This was a strange one.  When something goes wrong (a tower crashes, a ball bounces too far, a chair is kncoked over) Jack will cover his mouth with both hands and say "Oh gosh, oh gosh."  For weeks we were stumped on where he could have possibly picked this up.  It started soon after our February trip so we figured maybe he was copying one of the grandma's, because this certainly isn't something Jon or I have been known to do.  I figured it out the other day when Jack was watching his morning TV show ... Mickey Mouse says "Oh gosh" at least 10 times an episode.  Now the whole dramatic, hands covering mouth bit is another story.  Still not sure where that one came from.  But it's cute regardless.

Oh boy, oh boy
This is another one we can thank Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for.  I do think I say this occasionally too.  But it's not nearly as cute as when Jack says it.  He usually jumps up and down a few times too and says it all really fast together - "ohboyohboy!"  He gets this excited when it's time for his morning vitamin, or we're about to leave on a trip, or we've promised him a treat.  But he also uses it nonchalantly as well.  As in, "hey I'm excited but I'm sure you already know that, so let's move on to the big moment." 

I scared ...
I scared.  I scared of monsters.  I scared of Daddy.  I scared of bird.  I scared of (insert just about anything in here).  Really?  Because it's getting old.  Can you tell I'm a wee bit annoyed?  I tried, with both my kids, not to instill fear.  I purposely didn't use night lights when they were babies (or now) because I didn't want to teach them to be afraid of the dark.  We've never played games about things hiding in the closet.  We don't talk about monsters.  We don't celebrate Halloween.  We try to teach our kids to be bold and courageous, but not foolish...  So I'm kinda ticked that despite my best efforts, my child is suddenly afraid of EVERYTHING.  And I'm starting to wonder if it's due to the "Bear in the Big Blue House" episode that supposedly teaches kids to not be afraid.  I can't think of what else it would be.  Now I know that fear is natural, and I hope my kids understand that there is a healthy kind of fear.  And I certainly don't want to downplay their real fears.  But birds?  Singing in the trees?  And earthworms?  Or the "hole" underneath the front car seat that your sippy cup rolled in to?  I've gotta draw the line some where.  I'm just not sure how to do that at this point.

This is the last time I waste my sparkling grape juice on a toddler.

I tire ... Jack wanna go nigh-nigh.
Ah, I savor these moments.  These moments when my child actually asks me to put him to bed.  Sometimes this is code for "I want monkabinks" but often it's a genuine "put me to bed mom I've had a long day" request.  And I generally oblige.

I walking, I walking
You would think this means "Jack is walking" but what he's really saying is "No I won't hold your hand, I'm walking all by myself!" 

Jack's turn ... Jack do it
This is similar.  Mommy may have put syrup on his pancake yesterday but today Jack wants to do it.  And he wants to do more and more these days.

I donwanit (I don't want it)

You would think this means he doesn't want whatever you're offering, and it does technically. But it's usually "I don't want to do what you're asking me to do." Like when it's time to leave the park, or when it's time to change into clothes for the day. And it's not just a one-time phrase. He will usually say this over and over, and louder and louder, and with tears running down his cheeks and snot spurting out of his nose. Not a pretty moment.

Jude yaughing, Jude yaughing!!
This means "I know I'm doing something to Jude that I'm not supposed to, but since he's laughing that means it's okay, right?"  Usually Jude starts crying a few seconds later.

I yike it, Jack yike it!
We've started to take advantage of this through reverse psychology.  Jack likes to let us know when he likes something, so I usually make it a point to emphasize that I just know he won't like this particular food, and then he's off trying to prove me wrong.  It worked with olives last night.  Jon wanted to offer Jack an olive, I assured him (loudly) that Jack would never like it, and Jack assured us (just as loud) that he "yike" it.  And then ate a handful more.  Not bad.



I yike it, I yike throwing olives into my "sparking juice juice" and stirring it with a fork.  Jack yike it.

So he's really saying a lot, and adding more and more words each day.  And growing out of old faux paus that I found so endearing (like combining the uncles names to create "Mica-Jer").  But it's all part of the growing process.  Thankfully, I have another cutie right on his heels, who's already babbling out future funny phrases of his own.  It just goes too fast.