Jude: 10 things

1. For a little while Jude cooled on his obsession with Jake and the Neverland Pirates, but then a couple months ago he got back into it. We have to watch the same few episodes basically everyday. His love of Jake is starting to infiltrate his everyday life, too. Whenever I ask him to do something he responds with "Aye, aye Captain Mommy!" He's convinced just about everything he eats tastes like coconuts. When we are out driving he constantly asks if we are on the right "path" and must consult his map multiple times to make sure we're going the right way. Sometimes he'll randomly command me to "fetch him his cabinet of hooks!"

2. I don't know where he comes up with some of the things he says, though. Two of his favorite phrases are "what's going on in here?!" And "are you sure about that?!" Jude will say them all the time, mostly randomly.

3. Jude is a fake sneezer. He'll randomly have a big "uhh, uhh, uhhhh, choo!!!" At first it was cute, but now it's rather annoying. When I ask him to stop he responds, "I just have a cold in my beak!"

4. Sometimes Jude will start yelling "whoa whoa!" and start spasing and wiggling, throwing his limbs and body around. He says it's because something "just makes me wiggly!" Usually it's the house or the car or the smell of bananas.

5. Everything Peter's told me about his childhood has told me that Hamilton kids were not very cautious at all. Jude, however, may look all Hamilton, but has a lot of Langlois in him. He's very, very cautious, sometimes to the point of annoyance. Anything new or unfamiliar makes him cling to mom. A few weeks ago on our way to the beach with Grandma, Jude got very nervous and told us the beach was closed (he fears the waves) and we just had to go to the lake instead.

6. Jude loves to build elaborate train tracks, obviously. But what always makes me scratch my head is how he's more interested in building them than actually playing trains. He'll build this huge track, that I think is very impressive and will be awesome to drive his trains on, he'll drive his train once around, then announce "this isn't a very good track. Let's build another!" and then tear it all down and start over. I would never play toys that way, but clearly this kid is a Mini Peter, future engineer. 

7. I love how close the kids are finally starting to get along. Jude will say "come on Ellie!" and take her off on some adventure. Sometimes I find them playing together so nicely and peacefully that I just ignore whatever I had planned and let them play as long as they can. And Eleanor is really starting to love her older brother. She tries all the time to give him hugs (which Jude refuses, saying he only wants hugs from boys). Sometimes they are terrors who refuse to share or play together, but then there are those awesome moments of best friendship. Maybe this planned close birth order thing will work out!

8. New favorite activity? Going to the pool. Jude's pretty good at swimming around with his little floatie.

9. Jude started his first job chart. He's very excited to get marks on his chart and money for his piggy bank. He's already had a good collection going; I used to give him (or he'd sneak) my change. I counted his money this week and he actually had $9 saved up! After learning about tithing, I explained he could use money however he wanted. Of course, that money burned a hole right through Jude's pocket; we now own yet another Thomas train.

10. Jude's becoming very curious about when and how the new baby is coming. Sometimes he'll ask me how the baby gets out of my tummy (at the hospital, by a doctor, I told him), and then he'll want to know where the baby comes out. I'm still on the fence about telling him; I know from past experience that he's a talker and will gladly tell everyone he meets about where babies come from. I may not be ready for that yet...