Happy 6th Birthday Jackson!

It's official. The big man is 6 years old.

It's hard to believe that 6 years ago, he was born 6 weeks early, weighing 6 lbs and 6 oz (ok hold up, what's up with all the 6's?), and that he was taken to the NICU pretty immediately for breathing issues and an infection that turned out to be pneumonia (after it collapsed his lung).

But despite that rough start, he's surviving, thriving, jiving! He's our original rock star and resident know-it-all. And we're so proud of him.

Happy Birthday Jacks. We love you!

Birthday Favorites Quiz
Age 6

Book: Dinosaur Atlas, Magic Treehouse series
Song: You Know My Name (Casino Royale soundtrack)
TV Show: Sponge Bob Squarepants
Movie: Jurassic Park
Restaurant: Boston Market, Cheesecake Factory
Car: FJ Cruiser
Color: red and orange
Animal: elephant
Class in School: art
Place in the World: Colorado
Event of the Last Year: Losing first tooth

What are you going to be when you grow up? Zookeeper to lizards and snakes

The Many Faces of 5

His very last day as a 5 year-old! How can that be? He just looks so much like Anthony in all of these. Pretty soon it'll be impossible to tell them apart!!

Little Picasso

Jacks has been doing art camp this week, and he is loving every minute of it. The theme is rainforests, so he's getting to draw, paint, and sculpt animals to his heart's content. Above is his masterpiece from Day 1. Yesterday they worked with clay, so I'll share the finished product once it's fired and finished.

Jackson's Birthday Present, Phase One

The gravel has been rinsed, the water's in and heated and conditioned...and now all we need is some fish! Tune in Thursday, for Phase II!

Blast Off!

Well, these pictures are all terrible. I'll just put that out there right away.

Still, despite the fact that the Air and Space Annex made mincemeat of my camera's capabilities, we had a great time. This museum is basically a giant hangar out at Dulles Airport, built to house all the cool stuff they couldn't fit at the original downtown.

The first thing you see when you walk in is the Blackbird SR-71 (or is it the SR-71 Blackbird? I dunno...ask Jackson). You can't really see it behind the boys in this pic, but take my word for it, that's what it is.
Jacks was fascinated by a display explaining how engines work. He loved watching the pistons light up as they fired. (Don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about?)

This Space Shuttle is the most ginormous thing I've ever seen. Jacks pointed out the "bricks" all over it...the tiles that cover the exterior, the ones that caused the trouble a few years ago by falling off, remember?


It is quite possible that the boys' favorite part of this museum was the McDonald's. But when compared with the Dallas "airplane festival" at Love Field, Jacks declared this one, "way awesomer."So it was a hit, and a great way to spend our Sunday.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzz

Daddy gave both Jacks and Cody buzz cuts on Sunday. Jacks is an old hand at it, so he wasn't fazed at all, but although Cody was very enthusiastic beforehand, it took a lot of coaxing to get him through to the end. He did have more hair to being with, after all.

A look at the finished products...

Future's So Bright....Gotta Wear Shades