Never a dull moment

Spring is trying to come back here in NW Arkansas after it was rudely ushered away by one last freeze that lasted about 10 days around Easter weekend. A lot of our plants are struggling to survive that one and our kids were the fortunate recipients of one more cold, we are just now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from that one. Nevertheless the stories keep coming and since many of you don't get to experience them everyday I thought I would post a few highlights from the last week or so.

Tales from the Jack:
Jack is coming into his own more and more everyday. His personality is funny...not like peculiar funny but like he is really funny. The things he says, does, and his little facial expressions are funny. You know that he is showcasing some new talent around our house when you hear in his sweet little voice, "hey hey look at me guys....look at me guys." Of course you have to say it in Jack voice to get the full cuteness of it but it is hilarious. He also has a fascination with his tennnnnnis shoos. We were out for a bike ride the other day and we got to Taylor Davidson's house and from about 100 feet away Jack pulls up his feet and says, "Hey Tay Tay....i got tennnnnnnis shoos on" These are not new tennis shoes he just loves to wear them and to make sure others notice them. Not just his tennis shoes but he wants everyone to wear tennis shoes....Mommy have tennnnnnis shoos? Daddy have tennnis shoos? Bubba have tennnnnnis shoos? Kate have tennnnis shoos? Jack loves to bring me my tennis shoes before I go to work or go for a run. I run some days when I get home from work and when I do run, Jack looks at me with his pretty blue eyes and his scrunchy face and says, "I go runnin'?" So as I am finishing up my run he and I run down the street together and do our cool down. Cooper likes this part too.
The other night I heard Jack who thinks we might someday want to actually pee in the potty running naked from out bathroom to the living room yelling, "we got a streaker in the house." This of course is much more cute when you can see this little naked jay bird running through our house in his little voice proclaiming his streaking...PRAY FOR US!
Tales from the Coop:
I know I have harped on Cooper's imagination but the boys if full of it. The things he comes up with sometime I think it would be impressive for a 12 year old to have thought. The other day Tamara and I were talking in the kitchen around a meal time about God. Honestly, I don't remember know exactly what the discussion was but there was a small break in the conversation and Cooper said, "Dad....you're just not making any sense!" I laughed and said what do you mean buddy? He shrugged his shoulders and said, "you're just not making any sense!" So I began to explain it to him, which by the way this was a conversation between Tamara and I, I used an analogy of some king. I started by saying, "you know that...." So the light bulb comes on for a min and he says with this big grin on his face, "You know that....word" Again we all started laughing because at first I thought my 3 year old was using some good ole slang..."word". I came to realize he was giving me an analogy of his own...you know that word....cheerio?
One day last week I was mowing the yard and the boys were outside with me when Cooper sees a butterfly on the ground and says, "look it's so beautiful" Fearless Jack goes over and touches it and proclaims gladly that he had touched the butterfly. Cooper asked me if it would bite and then tried to touch it but it flew away. I found the butterfly again in the back yard a little while later which by now Cooper was referring to as "his butterfly", we looked at it again and it flew away again. Cooper got really sad and sort of walked away with Jack. I looked over a few minutes later and he was just sitting in the grass sad. I went over and asked him what was wrong and he said, "I just didn't want my butterfly to leave." It was so cute.
One last story:
Several months ago, I was putting a pull-up on Cooper when i realized that he had some coverage issues in the rear. I asked him to turn around so i could get him squared away and he decided to stick his hips out pushing his little butt toward me and looking over his should said, "how bout this?" I lost it laughing and I smacked his little butt and he laughed too. Well fast forward to every time he gets out of the bath he gives me at least one "how bout this?" What do you know, monkey see monkey do....Jack has caught on. So now after bath time there are 2 little jay birds running around my house sticking their hips out and asking me..."how bout this?
There is never a dull moment and we are loving every minute of it. we love you all and hope you are doing well.

Stephen