Jasper @ 2 1/2

I've been meaning to write posts like these for a looooong time.  This blog will always be a scrapbook to look back on just as I've always done.  Because it's so hard to find time to sit down and just write, I've been taking notes on my phone about things I want to remember.  So really these are just things I want to notate and remember forever and ever about my adorable boy.

He is at such a fun age.  The first word I would've used to describe him 6 months ago would be Stubborn.  Now, it would be Loving.  He is still totally stubborn, but he is learning there are positive and negative things that happen for his choices.  He is a very emotional boy, though he doesn't cry nearly as much as he used to.  Much to his Daddy's relief (and our sanity!) he does not burst into tears at every little thing any more.  I've found that a quick hug or tickle will snap him out of his mood and get him redirected to the right path.

Though Jasper is stubborn, he can be fairly easily persuaded to do something.  The word he most often uses these days is "Awight".  Whether he's shouting it joyfully, or sullenly dragging it out ("awwwwwight"), if you bargain with him or explain the reason why he needs to do a certain action, he is pretty agreeable to it.  "Jasper, you can have your firetruck, but your you need to put your shoes away first".  "Awight!!"  I absolutely love this quality about him -- maybe because his sister gives us so much resistance and opinion these days!  I am soaking it up from Jasper.  :)

He has become fiercely independent and wants to do everything by himself - "I wan do it!".  From putting on his shoes, to brushing to his teeth, to getting his own water from the fridge.  Buckling his buckles on his carseat is often a battle, especially if I'm in a hurry to get somewhere.  He has relented a bit on the brushing his teeth part - he'll ask us to help him. 
He is currently sporting a spiky faux hawk hairdo and I looooove to dress him in beachy California clothes.  He has the biggest belly and it usually enters the room before he does.  He refuses to wear pants to bed, and is often running around the house without underwear on either.  One night he was sitting on his floor reading a book and he started calling me.  He had closed the book on a very sensitive part and had this terrified look in his eye. I helped rescue him and had to laugh.  Jon winced as I retold the story to him later.

His favorite toys are CARS.  Anything and everything with wheels, he loves.  He's been earning one particular brand of vehicles via his Good Behavior jar and he sleeps with all of them every night.  They are Fisher Pri@e brand and so far he has the pickup truck, monster truck, police car and fire truck.  He's currently working towards the choo choo train.  Oh, and TRAINS!! We live right near a set of tracks so he is constantly on the lookout and shouts "CHOO CHOO!!!" every time there is one or a fragment of one somewhere.  He is also the absolute best plane spotter in the family and shouts "yook, Mommy!  Airpwane!"  Inevitably we have to look for a while until we spot it too....as a little speck in the sky.

His speech is improving, but he still can be very hard to understand.  I'm pretty sure I understand probably 200% more than everyone else.  But his voice is just way too adorable that you almost don't notice you can't understand what he's saying.  Hearing him say "byyyyyye!" in his high pitched voice is the best thing ever.  He definitely learned that from his sister and Mommy.

He is now in Miss Karla's class at school, though he calls her LaLa which Karla absolutely adores.  Karla has always been Harper's favorite teacher and we have been looking forward to when Jasper would get her.  LaLa loves Jasper so much and is always whispering to him "you're my favorite".  I kind of believe her!  :)  His vocab continues to grow as he's in her class.

Our nighttime ritual is one of my favorite things.  The kids and I read a story, then pray and sing Jesus Loves Me.  He can sing almost the whole song and he is just the cutest thing ever as he sings it.  Then they go to their own rooms and as he lays down, we have the same exchange each night:
J: tay in bed! (said in a stern voice while pointing his finger at me)
M: yes, stay in your bed
J: not out!
M: That's right, do not get out.
M: When do you get out of bed?
J: cwock is gee
M: Yes, when your clock is green.  What do you do when it turns green?
J: run run run!
M: And what do you say?
J: Mommy Mommy Mommy!  My cwock is gee!!!

Then we have to do all sorts of kissing and arranging of cars on his bed.  Definitely one of my best times of the day.  Especially when he puckers out his lips and goes "mmmmmmm" as he's waiting for me to kiss them.

Here are some other random tidbits about him:
He loves to associate things with people.  I am HIS Mommy, this is Mommy's car, etc... 
To him the following words are pronounced exactly the same:
Strawberries and blueberries
Kroger and yogurt
Football and baseball
And up until recently it was very hard to distinguish between how he pronounced Harper and Jasper.  But that has gotten better.
He pronounces Noodles as Noonles.

One of my favorite things is when he tells me to "c'mere".  He looks at me very seriously and extends his arm out and summons me with his whole hand waving me toward him.
He constantly yells "YOOK!" which is "look!" to everyone else as he points to what he's excited about.
His favorite game at night right now is to "hold tight!" which is what he does with me after he gets dressed.  He hooks his arms around my neck and hangs down while I do "no hands".  He sees how long he can hang on.
He still uses sign language for some things along with the words.  Usually "please" but my favorite is still "cat".  He signs the whiskers and usually makes a really sweet face.
He LOVES to climb between my legs and it's almost always at the most inopportune time - like when I'm cooking. He pretends they are a tunnel and crawls in and out, sometimes panting like a puppy.