From California to Alabama in the words of Jake

I feel like the best way to update everyone on Jake is to just use his own words.  There is nothing I can say that will capture him the way a good "Jake quote" will.  However, since we have been without a computer since our move, I have been doing my best to write them down on paper.  So please bare with me as I try to get current (and please know that I do this mostly for my own memory, but for those of you who find him as humorous as we do...enjoy).

February was a busy month for us.  Jake and I traveled from California to Alabama and back twice on plane before we made the very hairy 3-day drive for our final move as a family.  These quotes will help to give you some insight on what Jake thought of it all.

1) Jake woke up in the middle of our first flight while our plane was in a cloud.  He was very concerned when he looked out the window and all he could see was white.  He asked, "Where did the sky go?"

2 During our layover in Dallas, Jake was so excited every time he saw a service member in uniform and was continually shouting, "It's a soldier! It's a soldier like Daddy!"  However, his funniest comment came when he noticed a man wearing his army back pack but wearing civilian clothes. "He has no jammies on," he told me.  I couldn't help but laugh at his perception of Army ACU's.

3) During one of our many errands during that month I was made painfully aware just how much attention Jake was paying to the radio.  "I want it loud!  This song is my BEST!"  It was Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA."  At least it was patriotic, right? :-)

4) Jake made it clear that he was excited our family was finally together again after our months apart.  As three of us stood in line at my favorite restaurant (last time before we moved), Jake looked around at all the people and exclaimed, "Look at all these families!"  Then with a smile he put his head down on his Daddy's shoulder.   

The first few days of March were completely consumed with our cross country drive.  Jake did amazing...better than we could have ever imagined.  But I do have to say that we could never have done it without the DVD player.

1) Jake fell in love with several movies on the trip, but Tarzan was definitely at the top of the list.  Since he usually speaks so clearly, it warmed by heart when he said, "I wanna watch the babellas."  In other words, "I want to watch the gorillas."  I still have made not attempted to "fix" that word...I think it is perfect.

2)  A few nights later while Jake and Arthur were wrestling, Arthur grabbed Jake by the ankle and held him upside down.  Jake giggled, "I'm like a little baby Tarzan!"  

As you can imagine, life here is a little boys dream.  There are soldiers everywhere and helicopters fly over more often then birds.  Lifted trucks and jeeps are the transportation of choice, and best of all for Jake is that Daddy is back!

1)  Shorty after arriving here, Jake had decided on his future career.

Q: Jake what do you want to be when you grow up?

A: A pilot. (yeah, no surprise there)

Q: What kind?

A: An Apache (Arthur has no desire to fly one, Jake decided that one all on his own.)

2) Jake has also narrowed in on his favorite car...a Jeep.  When he is not making us laugh with his crazy car dance moves, Jake is pointing out Jeeps...all body styles.  This makes Daddy proud.  So proud in fact that Arthur got a Jeep as our second car.  Jake of course refers to it as "my jeep."

3) Arthur's first few days back to work and back in uniform were a little stressful for Jake as he was not quite sure that Daddy was around for good.  As soon as Arthur would walk in the door, Jake would start pulling at his uniform demanding, "Take it off, Daddy!  Let's take if off!"  Uniform=leaving, civilian clothes=staying...that is all Jake needed to know.

These last few quotes are just silly, cute, or sweet things that Jake said during our 1st month in Alabama.

1) Since we didn't have "things" for the first few weeks we stayed with friends and ate out a lot.  One afternoon we were eating at a Chinese Buffet and we realized that Jake was staring out into the distance babbling away.  Since this is very out of character for him, Arthur asked, "Who are you talking to?"  "I'm talking to the Bu-DAH," Jake responded.  Yes, there were in fact three Buddhas in the restaurant, and no, I have no idea why he knows who he is.

2) Several weeks before Jake's second birthday we were driving around discussing what we should do on his special day.  Arthur wanted to include Jake in the conversation so he asked Jake when his birthday was and prompted him with, "March...?"  We really weren't expecting an answer since we were talking to a not yet two year old, but sure enough without any hesitation Jake chirped, "27th!"

3) At our first week at church in our new ward, Jake looked around the congregation with great concern, "Where are the Nephites?"  I guess he was listening when I read the Book of Mormon Reader.

5) It was our first night in our new house.  Jake and I were cuddled up on our new futon (since our things still hadn't arrived).  As he was falling asleep, Jake's sweet little voice whispered, "I love you, Mommy.  I love you mostest of the mostest."