Jacob...

Jacob, when you read this someday and notice that your birthday post was over two months late (bless your poor middle child heart), just remember that it was eventually posted and that it was my first post after a month long hiatus.

Things I Love About Jacob...

1. He wanted the entire world to come to his birthday party.  In the weeks before his party, he harassed me into inviting every stranger his age we met at the park, the zoo, the pool, ...
2. He named his ukulele Gold-headed Beauty and his pick Green Star Picker.
3. He makes up really elaborate games.  This one is called Checker Chess.  You play with all the chess pieces, one row of checker pieces and 6 checkers off the board.  These are the rules:
   

1. The chess pieces move as usual except the rooks are called lookout towers, the pawns are called guards, and the bishops are called king's guards.
2. Checker pieces can either jump or land on the same space to capture something.
3. Guards (pawns) capture like kings.
4. Three of the extra checkers are doctors.  They can each be used 3 times to revive any previously captured piece.  That piece then moves to its starting position.
5. The other 3 extra checkers are meteors.  They can fall from the sky and kill any piece.  They can each be used twice.
6. The game is over when one player's king and queen have been killed.
4. He loves people.  He's never met a kid he didn't want to befriend.  He has loved every teacher and coach he's had so far.
5. He loves to play the piano and read and is enormously proud of the fact that he can belch like David.
6. We were at a playground last year and there was a kid being mean to Bryan.  Jacob stood up for his brother.  The next time we went back to that playground, Jacob said, "I hope that kid in the blue shirt won't be there.  He's a really hard fighter and I might have to protect Bryan again."
7. He makes up poems.

   If I Had One Wish 

   If I had one wish

   My wish would be

   Let me think

   O, it's candy!

8. And, this is what he made me for my birthday.  Love this guy.