Jack @ 17 months

Life with Jack becomes more fun and more challenging with each passing month. I’ve lost count of his words and now he’s started imitating, so we’ll have to watch what we say I guess and stop all that cussin’ (just kidding). He loves to give hugs, especially to his cousin Emily. He is enthralled with her, and as soon as I take her out of the car seat each day, he starts saying “hug…hug?”. Emily usually accepts this admiration with grace and patience, but take a look at the fear in her eyes when we let Jack actually hold her while we try and get a picture for the Marshall Christmas letter.

He can now climb onto chairs which has opened up a whole new level of mischief. Favorite toys? What toys? He would much rather pull everything off the table, pull all the old magazines out of the bin, climb up the railing on the outside of the stairs, etc… Some days I long for a child who would sit and play in the middle of the floor like a lump, but really, I wouldn’t change him for anything. I know that these personality traits, which are trying to me now, will serve him well through his life.

Of course, Jack loves to run around to the visit Christmas tree, where he’s already been disciplined several times before for taking things he shouldn’t. He gets quiet and I know something’s up. I sneak around the corner, wooden spoon in hand… and see him holding the biggest gift he could manage to pick up. “Jack Clay!” – he jumps like I’ve caught him with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar, and turns to run away in the opposite direction. However, the fatal choice of the largest package makes it impossible for him to run at his usual pace, and the inevitable encounter of thigh with spoon is not long in coming. Not that this encounter will make any difference in future behavior mind you. In his little mind is it worth the price… and maybe it is.