tj turns 7.

you know that old saying, "one year & wiser, too," well, that totally doesn't apply to my tj. he's one year older & about five years wiser. he may only be 7 but he's a well put together seven year old. he amazes me on the regular.

tj is not just smart, he really is wise. he just gets things. he understands life, people, the way the world works. he's a numbers guy. math in all forms is just his thing. he memorizes everyone's license plates.  he's always counting & adding & subtracting. he's even figuring out the basics of negatives & fractions & multiplication on his own. he just thinks about the world & what goes on around him numerically. it's fascinating really. his teacher says that she always calls on him last when searching for a math answer because she always knows he will get it right. and she likes to try to trick him with tough questions-but it never works. tj's memory is a steal trap. that guy remembers every detail or everything that anyone ever said or did. he remembers every where he's been & how to get there. again, it's fascinating. until he's correcting me on every account. then it's humbling.

tj is mature. he is reliable & responsible. i always know i can count on a tj. he is conservative & cautious. he never pushes his limits. he is intuitive, empathetic, aware, & thoughtful. his heart is so big that i amazed it fits in his little chest. he is understanding. he never wants to put anyone else & he is always so content with what he is given. he's always telling me, "it's ok," & ensuring me that my mistakes actually worked out for the better when i get things wrong. he is a peacemaker. he gets along with everyone-but that doesn't mean that he likes everyone. he cracks me up. he plays with every kid that comes his way but at the end of the day he really prefers to be around nice people. he really doesn't care for rude, grumpy, or snotty people. he is kind & good. tj has an incredible sense of right & wrong. and he truly likes to choose right. he really just likes to be a good person. but he does have one weakness…swear words. the kid loves to curse. and i figure if that's the one bad thing he does, i'm totally ok with it. plus, it's pretty damn funny. he always considers others, to the point that it can make his life unnecessarily hard. he wants to include everyone, make every thing fair, & help everyone he passes. especially babies. he has a real thing for babies. it's adorable to see this shy guy around an infant. first, he'll spy the baby & stealthily watch it from across the room. then he'll slowly inch his closer. after a few minutes, he's suddenly next to the baby. he'll discreetly start rubbing the baby's hand or foot while maintaining a neutral stance focusing else where in attempts to hide his excitement. and when no one is looking he'll start kissing baby's forehead & rubbing his cheek on the baby's. it's hilarious. i always tease that he has two weaknesses, babies & balls.

this kid loves sports. he will play anything with a ball. i'd dare say 90% of his free time is spent in a sports related activity. really, nothing excites or frustrates him like a sporting event. tj is really the most chill child. he is so easy to please & cruises through life. until a ref makes a bad call in the game he's watching or his brother makes an unfair foul or his video game character commits an error in a game. then my little angel turns in to a total beast. he never throws fits, ever. unless a sports game is involved. i guess that's true passion. his favorites are still football & soccer but he switches things up & throws in some baseball, golf, tennis, & basketball on the regular. he doesn't just have incredible physical abilities, oh no, this kid has quite the mental game. he understands the rules, plays, & ongoings of even the most complex games. he puts me to shame. he will call plays before they are run, & he's always coming up with better alternatives than what the coaches call. and that's why we call him "coach." it's kind of his calling. he doesn't have the best work ethic, he prefers to exert the minimal amount of physical & mental effort to accomplish menial tasks. but when it comes to sports the kid just won't stop. there is nothing worst for a tj than having to quit a game early. or even on time. he wants to keep playing until long after the sun has gone down.

tj is quiet, until he's not. we always tease that tj has two volumes, he's either making my heart swoon with his tender raspy voice or he's making my headache with his high pitched squeals & screams. his teacher says that she never hears him talk until free time, when he gets so caught up having fun he forgets he's in school. then he's suddenly loud, like real loud. he loves to be with his brothers & friends but he really cherishes his alone time. he's the best snuggler the world has ever seen. nothing lights my life like his surprise kisses, his cheek rubs, & his bear like hugs. tj, you own me. he loves art. he is often found with paper & crayons doodling away. he loves music & warms my heart with every note he sings. he is a sucker for oreos & milk. he is a guacamole master, no bowl of guac leaves our kitchen without his critical approval. he'd eat mexican food for every meal if i'd let him. he's mad about race cars & dreams of owning a corvette one day. he's a friend to everyone, but his bff's are his brothers. 

tj, we love you more than words can say. you've had a pretty awesome seven years & i am pretty excited to see where these next twelve months will take you. there's nothing you can't do. you're going to do big things one day, tj. you just wait & see. you fill our hearts & our home with so much joy, so much peace, & so much love. we are forever grateful for you. happy birthday, tj.

tj insisted on celebrating his big day with a soccer party. no big surprise there. i decided to combine his three loves soccer, flags, & trophies to put together a world cup party. he was totally surprised & loved every bit. he invited his closest friends & played soccer until we literally ran out of drinks & were near dehydration. his only party requests were soccer, a milk bar style birthday cake, & flags. tj, we love every excuse to celebrate you. 

1.  tj's best friend: kam (he had a tough time answering this. he hates to make anyone feel left out.)
2.  tj's name: todd t.j. watkins jr.
3.  tj prefers to go by: t.j.
4.  tj's favorite animals: penguin
5.  what does tj want to be when he grows up: a football player
6.  tj's favorite movie: college football games

7.  tj's favorite song: "watch me" by silento

8.  what makes tj happy? "when cooper & daddy go with me to the park to play football"

9.  what makes tj sad? going to school
10.  tj's favorite food:  joe-joe's & pancakes & eggs
11.  tj's favorite place: football fields & football stores
12.  tj's favorite color: really, really light blue
13.  tj's favorite game: football
14.  tj's #1 wish right now: "to have my own real football helmet. i would want to play for auburn & have a football helmet & jersey."

tj turns 6

today tj turns 6. and it's about time, too. he's been claiming the age for over a month now. he's mature, intelligent, & sizable enough to pass, too. tj is an absolute delight. he brings so much joy to my world. he is a natural caretaker, peacemaker, & friend. he is thoughtful, kind, & sweet beyond compare. he is aware of those around him, and their feelings.  he likes to make sure that everyone around him is included, cared for, & happy. he has a big heart & he isn't afraid to use it. he is a major snuggle & up until this past month only todd & i reaped the rewards of his boundless bear hugs & sweet snuggles. but during our trip to the mainland he was handing out loves left & right to his aunties, uncles, grandparents, & cousins. he truly loves his family. and their dogs. tj is a major dog lover. i would argue to say that he is more in love with the dogs we visited than the people. tank & lola being his favorites. tj is shy, the shyest of all my guys. he's cautious with people, and very observant of their actions, and aware of their natures. but once you break through his walls & earn his trust, he will love you something fierce. and you will witness the immense emotion & energy that he hides inside. he is silly & wild & a real crack up once you get to know tj. he is absolutely hilarious. but he is a bit of an introvert. he enjoys his friends & family but he does get overwhelmed at times & craves alone time. he could play football by himself for hours. speaking of which, this kid's love for football has only grown since his last birthday. i would dare say that he is obsessed. he wakes up & plays football. gets home from school & plays football. talks about football. watches football. reads about football. and according to his accounts, he dreams only of football. he has a natural eye for the game & understands so much more than i do. his physical skill is nothing compared to the mental game this boy masters. tj just completed his first flag football season. he started out a bit reserved but quickly let his skill shine. he scored touchdowns, ran plays, & pulled flags with the best of them (which is pretty rad considering he was the youngest on his team.) he has crazy good running skills & made some pretty incredible jukes to dodge defenders. but he is just as incredible in the classroom as he is on the field. tj is excelling in school both academically & socially. he is sounding out words, performing basic addition and subtraction, & solving pretty complex critical thinking. he is a natural leader & the kids in his class recognize it. when asked to choose someone to take charge they always vote tj. they recognize that he is capable & fair. his teacher is always sure to call on him because she knows (what we have come to understand around our house) that tj doesn't speak up a ton but when he does he has put a lot of thought in to what he has to say & you should pay attention. tj earned the pueo award for "beginning with the end in mind" which didn't surprise me in the least. tj is a bit of a rebel deep down inside. don't tell him i told you, but he secretly loves saying swear words. i don't know why, there's no explaining it, but he has had a love for bad words since he was only two. and he has been known to walk the line on house rules on more than one occasion. 

tj we love you more than words can say. you are such an incredible blessing to our family. you bring so much peace, joy, & love in to our lives. watching you grow has been a true pleasure & i can't wait to see all the things you accomplish as you continue on your adventure we call life. you are great in so many ways & greatness is a natural part of you. we love you, tijjy buns. inside & out.

1.  tj's best friend: kam (he had a tough time answering this. he hates to make anyone feel left out.)
2.  tj's name: todd t.j. watkins jr.
3.  tj prefers to go by: t.j.
4.  tj's favorite animals: penguin
5.  what does tj want to be when he grows up: a football player
6.  tj's favorite movie: college football games

7.  tj's favorite song: "watch me" by silento

8.  what makes tj happy? "when cooper & daddy go with me to the park to play football"

9.  what makes tj sad? going to school
10.  tj's favorite food:  joe-joe's & pancakes & eggs
11.  tj's favorite place: football fields & football stores
12.  tj's favorite color: really, really light blue
13.  tj's favorite game: football
14.  tj's #1 wish right now: "to have my own real football helmet. i would want to play for auburn & have a football helmet & jersey."

kahului warriors #2 & #3.

this rugby season was a very unique time for the watkins team. we had not one, but two rugby players on the same team. it was possibly the only time that tj & cooper will ever be teammates. seeing these two team up was probably the highlight of my life.

they play well together all the time but even more so when it comes to sports. tj loves to block & tackle, & cooper loves to run & score. they make the perfect pair. tj was a little hesitant the first few practices & games (ok, he was a little hesitant almost the entire season) but having his big brother by his side was all the comfort he needed. there were so many times when cooper walked tj on to the field holding tj's hand or wrapping his arm around his little brother's back. cooper is a great leader & a great example. and tj was more than eager to follow suit.

cooper's speed gave him a one up on the field. he  scored more trys than i can count & not many could get past his defense. often times, tj was the youngest & smallest on the field but he didn't let that stop him. there were plenty of times where he pulled flags, handled the ball, & he scored twice. they both love rugby, love their coaches, & especially love their team. they've come to know their teammates well over the past two years, they play so well together on & off the field. i can't say enough good about the maui rugby organization. we look forward to next season when mylo joins his brothers on the field.

(this post was requested by cooper. he loves to read "the watkins team" & gets on the blog at least once a week. they all love to look at old pictures & read the little blurbs i type. it makes my efforts on this blog all so worth it. coop came to me on monday & asked that i post something about rugby, & his wishes are my commands.)

if you want to check out the warriors live you can check out some of coach tim's videos:

https://www.facebook.com/timskye/videos/vb.582237914/10153157147872915/?type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/timskye/videos/vb.582237914/10153244247157915/?type=2&theater

my lens.

it's months (8 to be exact) since i dusted off my big camera & took some quality shots. such a shame.to be honest, i completely forgot about it. that is, until coop & i were discussing his talents & dreams when he caught me off guard by asking me what my talents & my dreams are. ummm, total blank. it's been years since i thought about myself long enough to consider such things. i told him my biggest dream was to be a good mommy, but to a sensible 7 year old like coop that wasn't a good enough answer. he wants solid factual quantifiable answers. so after a few minutes of racking my brain i remembered that one of my long forgotten goals was to master my dslr. and there you have it! the reason for my new constant accessory. i' try to bring my camera along anytime i think i may have a few moments of down time. i still have a long long road ahead of me if i'm ever going to attain my lofty goal but there's no better place to start than the bottom, am i right? for now i'm just trying to keep off auto mode & figure out the overwhelmingly tricky settings. 

honestly, few things make me happier than pictures of my boys. i wish i could just truman show their entire lives. some days are sunshine & rainbows & others are just plain rough but when i look back at our photos  every smile, every tantrum, every tear, every moment seems down right perfect. i need to take more pictures. i don't want to miss any of it. so i hereby solemnly swear to capture it all (okay, maybe not all of it but definitely more.)

(waiting for cooper's baseball game to start with mylo, tj, & todd.)

(a typical lazy sunday afternoon at the beach with my men. soccer, football, sand castles, beach combing, & bbq.)

(scavenger hunt at ali'i kula lavender field & picking flowers at kula strawberry farm with our maui ohana. tj insisted on the biggest plant he could find, cooper got his favorite flower, a sunflower, & mylo simply wanted one small stemless blossom.)

tj's cops & robbers party

tj had a hard time narrowing down a party theme this year. he contemplated a star wars party, a truck party, a tool man party, a halloween party,  a cowboy & indian party, & a blue party. but in the end, he went with a "policeman party" which was kind of a given considering his love for all things police. i was not at all excited about his decision. i had no clue how to pull off such a thing. then one day it dawned on me, oh, duh, cops & robbers. ti's only requests were donuts, "lockers" (handcuffs), & all his friends. this party ended up being one of the easiest, yet. a small order to online order, a few late nights crafting, a run to krispy kreme & we were set. we opted to have it at kepaniwai heritage gardens for its location & beauty. but, i totally overlooked the fact that it's the wettest spot in the area & this party was being held in the middle of december. bad call, mommy. thankfully, the kids didn't mind the drizzle (hence my sons' extra frizzy hair). 

the party started with finger printing & mug shot coloring & a few rounds of hot money bag (ya know, hot potato with a money bag). tj loves anything that resembles stamping so the finger prints were a highlight for the birthday boy.

next, the kids picked if they wanted a cop or robber treat bag. each was filled with a snack (chocolate milk, donuts, donut holes) & cops & robbers goodies, (tattoos, a robber mask, play jewelry, gold coins, hand cuffs, & a badge). they ate while checking out their goods.

while they were in to their dress ups they posed for their own mugshots. which was pretty hysterical for the adults.

that's when i realized (wink, wink) that the piñata was missing & in its place were some rather suspicious finger prints (originally, i planned to have coop dress as a robber & the kids would have to chase him down to retrieve the stolen goods but since the party was held during school hours i had to adjust my plan). the kids searched the area using the robber's footprints & fingerprints to track down the piñata. they worked together to open the piñata & dig in to the goods. my mother-in-law made the most adorable money bags for the kids to put their candy in & use to haul home their party favors.

while the mom's worked on clean up the kids did car chases, some were cops & some were robbers (originally, i planned to have a chalk board painted box car for each kid that they could decorate with chalk but i got to lazy at the last moment & this happened instead.)

tj loved it all. especially, pretending to be a policeman all day. and opening presents. he woke up the next morning asking if he could have another birthday party.

oh, yea, & i made all the printables for the party so i figured i'd share the labors of my love. if anyone's interested here are the links to the free printables.

mugshot coloring pages

finger print pages

mugshot quote signs

mugshot background (my photoshop skills are very, very basic. these are large files since i printed them large-i went with the industrial print from fedex, something like $3 each. long story short, the files are too large to upload to google docs & i don't know of any other way to upload them. if you'd like these printables email me & i'll send them on over.)

TJ turns 4.

at 10 days early & with only 2 hours of labor tj burst in to the world in a rush, and he's been cruisin' ever since. he's my little roller coaster with the highest highs & the lowest lows. he's got a heart of gold & he is always aware of others. in the words coop, "tj always knows when i'm sad & shares his toys with me. and he always knows when i'm lonely & plays with me." he is a thoughtful & sensitive little snuggle bug, but can throw fits with the best of them. and he isn't afraid to let his lungs loose (as he made obvious the second he was came in to this world with the loudest newborn wail i've ever witnessed). he's a problem solver, a confidence builder, a helper, & a teacher. he's the shyest, most reserved of my bunch, but steal his toy or push his brother & he's quick to put you in your place. he's naturally athletic & pretty dang smart but he has no inclination to show off his abilities. every once in a while, when he's feeling up to it, his true talents shine & my jaw drops. he's got the most incredible memory & never loses a matching game. he is a natural comedian & knows exactly when to throw in the perfect punch line. he loves to dance & makes up his own raps. he can't wait to play on a sport team & earn his own trophy. he loves playing dress up & is almost always found in costume. his current favorites are a tool man, policeman, & fireman. he never wants to cut his hair, and i'm ok with that. his word of the year is "cundanganut" which means pretty much anything. he loves anything with sugar & avoids healthy food like the plague. squished in the middle of two pretty dominate personalities i always worried he would get lost but this kid has his own opinion on everything & nothing can swerve his determination. he has no problem playing up to cooper or down to mylo & every so often he prefers to do his own thing alone. he's a major daddy's boy, like big time. he still insists on being snuggled to sleep every night & since todd started school i get to do the honors. he says the sweetest prayers & always remembers the needs of those around him. every day he warms my heart with the sweet things he says & the thoughtful things he does. he's pretty incredible & he's mine, all mine. happy 4th birthday, todd juniors (his preferred name at this point). 

1.  tj's best friend: cooper, mylo, kam, and august
2.  tj's name: teejay
3.  tj prefers to go by: todd juniors
4.  tj's favorite animals: dogs 
5.  what does tj want to be when he grows up: a wild kratts 
6.  tj's favorite movie: star wars 

7.  tj's favorite song: justin beiber "baby", & pharrell "happy"

8.  what makes tj happy? treats

9.  what makes tj sad? when my brothers don't play with me
10.  tj's favorite food:  pizza
11.  tj's favorite place: legoland 
12.  tj's favorite color: silver & blue
13.  tj's favorite game: lego star wars
14.  tj's #1 wish right now: a penny

student athletes

we've now got three student athletes on the watkins team. 

1. cooper's loving the first grade. he lucked out and got the kind of teacher that every mother dreams of. he amazes me with his school work. since he's one of the oldest in the class & kind of brilliant it makes sense that he would be the smartest in the class. but that's not the amazing part. what's so rad about this guy is how he uses his down time at school. he finishes all of his assignments in record time & rather than sit around he challenges himself to take his assignments one step further. if the teacher asks them to copy his spelling words he will copy his spelling words then write sentences for each word. if the teacher asks for sentences he writes paragraphs. oh, and he rarely comes home with homework because this time-manager finishes most of it while in class. he's just like his mama. and i couldn't be more proud. he just started another year of soccer & he couldn't be more excited. soccer season is his favorite time of the year. he got his favorite coach, daddy, again this year. he's kind of a natural when it comes to managing sports & school. when cooper's teacher asked him what made him special he said, "i'm super fast & super smart." (coop was asked to write sentences for his spelling words. the word was hat. he wrote "the man had 1 hat on monday, he had 3 hats on tuesday, the net week he had 10 hats!" so creative. then for the word what he wrote, "what was the present? it was a surprise. i wonder what it will be. a boat? or a big toy master? now it is night time i woke up and it was a big remote boat. it was my first guess! yesssssss!" um, brilliant.

2. tj started preschool. it's called storybook school & it's a co-op. so far he loves it. i wasn't sure how he would do but since a few of his old friends are in the class he seems pretty comfortable & confident. i taught the first week & loved it. the kids are awesome, the curriculum is so fun, & i just love seeing a different side of tj. on days he doesn't go to storybook school tj & i do our homeschool. we've been doing "school" since january but we've really stepped it up this school year. we have our homeschool preschool every morning (he insists. in fact, he won't leave the house until his school is done.) so far he's mastered shapes, colors, & coating, & he's half way through numbers. we have weekly themes & field trips. each day we have art, reading, a fine motor-skill, & a gross motor-skill activities beyond our worksheets. i love this quality time i get with my middlest child & he amazes me with how quickly he catches on to everything. he has a unique way of thinking & every day he comes up with something brilliant that just amazes me. he has an incredible memory, & a real knack for distinguishing differences, & navigating problems. tj was going to start soccer this year but with two other student athletes in the house i decided i couldn't take on another time commitment. but he thinks he's on cooper's team & participates in all the practices. 

3. todd started the executive mba program at university of hawaii. this is a distance learning program so he's able to do most of his schooling from maui & just travels to oahu every month or so. he couldn't be more excited about this new phase of his life. needless to say, this is a real adjustment for our whole family. he now works full-time & attends school full-time, which combined equals about a billion hours a week. so we squeeze in family time every chance we get. between school, work, & coaching todd doesn't get much downtime but when he does you can usually spot him on the waves or passing a ball at the park.

(just cause it doesn't feel right writing about 3 of the 4 i'll add a little tid-bit about the mighty. if he's awake while tj & i do our homeschool he always joins in. he either colors in his favorite coloring book for the day or he works on color activities with me. so far he knows blue, orange, white, & "hulk smash". and he's a huge fan of the number 4. he hates the 3 hours a week when tj is away at school. i was so excited to have some alone time with my baby but he prefers the company of his brothers. he may love soccer more than any of my other boys. he wants to play all the time. and he insists on practicing with cooper's team, through the entire 2 hour practice. he dribbles, passes, & shoots right along with the u8's.)

tj's road rally party

prepping for tj's party was abnormally tricky this year considering his birthday fell only 4 days after thanksgiving & the day after family left island. thankfully, my job was minimal since tj has been planning his birthday party for the past, um, 4 months. basically, since he attended coop's treasure hunt party. some details have changed during his party planning process but for the most part he has had the event perfectly outlined. he wanted his brothers & best friend to attend. he wanted donuts & chocolate milk. and he wanted to bring his motorcycle. so we decided to go with a road rally party. his friends showed up with their favorite mode of transportation. we had races, an obstacle courses, & red-light green-light. they loved it. the kids made their own license plates, raced handheld cars on tracks, ate their little hearts out (or at least, the moms did), & left the party with winners medal & a few road rally goodies to keep them racing for days to come. tj loved cruising on his motorcycle, devouring all the powdered donuts he could get his hands on, & passing out the medals at the end of the party.

this experience was a real eye opener for me. you see, tj has always been shy (he gets it from his mama) in one-on-one situations but this was the first time he was the center of attention in a group beyond our family since his last birthday. and i was surprised to discover that he was a little crowd shy. he had so much fun participating in the games & playing but he did not enjoy the few moments when the focus was turned on him (cutting the cake, the birthday song, & present opening). looking back i feel so bad having put him in an uncomfortable situation but now i know better for next time. after the party he told me he had a lot of fun playing but he didn't like all of his friends there. he said he doesn't want to have anymore birthday parties (which is totally fine by me but i doubt his resentment will last until this time next year). 

i'd have to say tj's favorite part of the whole day was happy meals at the park for dinner (he is so easy to please). he likes his friends but he really loves his family. he truly does feel most comfortable & happy when he has his closest loved ones by his side (he is so much like his mama). he was so excited opening each gift. every time he did a crazy happy dance all over the grass. it's moments like this i just melt.

t turns 3

i usually start off birthday posts by mentioning how unbelievably fast my child has grown & how i really can't believe another year has passed. that just isn't the case here. tj is mature beyond his years & has been acting like a 3 year old for quite some time. maybe it's the result of having a big brother, maybe it's because most of his friends are 3+, maybe it's just because he's brilliant & amazingly unique (i prefer to believe the latter).

tj is remarkably smart. or maybe, wise is a more appropriate term. he is aware, & intuitive, & he just gets things. like that the reason mylo is crying is because he can't reach his toy or that cooper got his feelings hurt because mommy brushed him off while making dinner or how mommy is short on patience because her sons have been extra wild. and he always responds accordingly. he'll ask mommy to get mylo the toy, he'll ask cooper to play with him, & he'll tell mommy a funny joke & give her a big hug. he has a big heart & he isn't afraid to use it. he always makes sure that everyone is included. he is patient & thoughtful towards his brothers. he is cooper's biggest fan & mylo's biggest protecter. he loves his brothers fully. we try to give him individual time with either todd or i but the truth is, he doesn't like it. he would much rather be with his brothers than without, even when ice cream is involved. the kid is really a saving grace in our family. and his sense of humor is unreal. tj is hilarious. he comes up with the most witty responses & has perfect comedic timing. there are so many times when todd & i are burst with laughter at the unexpected things that come out of his mouth. tj's food preferences definitely take after his swiss side. he loves his chocolate. he could eat it day & night. he instists on chocolate milk breakfast, lunch, & dinner. and don't even get me started on his requests for cookies, cake, & the like. it's often, "mommy, you yook so pwetty today. i yike you hair. can i had a cookie? i say nice wowds. can i had a cookie, now?" the little booger knows how to get what he wants. he was potty trained at 23 months. the kid has the best blatter control of any toddler i've ever met. he can hold it forever. seriously. he has never had an accident. he refers to going potty as "making a waterfall". tj has incredible athleticism. but he is not a performer. he only shows his talent & speed at his personal convenience. never, ever when requested. same with showing off his intelligence. he knows so much but you have to trick him to draw it out. he will never count in order. he plays games & mixes up all his numbers. but if you trick him into counting & pretend like you aren't listening he will count to 20 no problem! same goes for colors & shapes. the kid is humbly brilliant. he is a little shy & when the hesitation to speak arises he resorts to growling. yes, he would rather growl at someone than speak to them. he calls it being a tiger. he's not big into tv. he loves super heros. captain america & superman most of all. he is convinced that by putting on a muscle suit or a cape he grows super natural powers. he insists on wearing either superman or batman pajamas every night & when he does he refers to himself as the super hero in the third person. he'll say "superman is thirsty." etc. unfortnately, he is a little confused about the role of a super hero & often uses his powers to dominate those around him by physical force. he favorite word is condanganut. he made it up himself. it can mean anything. it can be a feeling, a noun, a verb, but it is always something positive. he loves picking his mama flowers. he never wants to cut his hair. he is wild & spontaneous & loving & thoughtful & strong & everything i could ever hope for. we are so very grateful for the all that he is & all that he brings to our family.  we love him with all our hearts! i hope he has the 3rd birthday of his dreams. so far, he has planned sprinkle pancakes for breakfast, his birthday party, chicken nuggets for lunch, a trip to his favorite park, & frozen yogurt.

tj's 3 year interview

what's your name? tee-jhay wakens
what's you full name? todd jhuniors
how old are you? 2. no, 3. no, 16.
what's your favorite color? ba-lue & ba-lack
who is your best friend? coopy & my-my
what do you want to be when you grow up? a twuck man & a supa hewo.
what is your favorite food? shocolate candies, & shicken nuggies, & bwanch (ranch). 
what is your favorite game? tweasure balls (caribou)
where is your favorite place? to shocolate milk. hahaha. to condanganut. hahaha. 
what makes you happy? mommy, daddy, coopy, & my-my
what makes you sad? nutting makes me sad. evewy ting makes me happy. 
what is your favorite movie? thomas da twain
mommy/s favorite tj quotes of late: "mommy! somesing bited a hole in my body boawd! pwobly it was a shawk. o pwobly it was a centipede." "mommy, dat's so nice of you to shawe wits me." 

2.5 years

so different. so much the same. 

tj's party

at the tender age of 2 tj planned his very own birthday party. i asked him if he wanted a party. to which i received a very eager, "YES!". i then asked him what he wanted at his party & he explained that he wanted cars, cookies, cake, & candy. lastly, i asked him where he wanted his party. he told me he wanted his party at the park. and that is more or less exactly what happened. i am proud to say i put on this whole little fiesta solo. todd had to work so with the help of my eldest we put on this last minute party for our favorite little 2 year old. feast your eyes on tj's woody wagon party.

*this was the first party for one of my boys that wasn't completely dominated by cousins. we missed our jones crew like crazy today. cade, kam, katie, ry, jillie, ellie, maddie, james, edie, & jakey we love you all so much & can't wait to see you this summer.