Today, marks the end of babyhood for the Watson family. Jack is turning 2 and in the full throws of toddlerhood. He is active, determined, and busy. It's not surprising that Jack hits this day with a black eye - the unfortunate remnant of a dance party that went a little too wild. This might just be a sign of his future.
Jack does everything with an intensity. He is determined to accomplish any task on his own. He climbs, creates, and tackles. At 2, there is not a ladder, rope, or other apparatus, that he will not let slow him down. That playground equipment says 5 and above - other parents look on in fear but I know Jack will make it to the top....over and over again. Yet the fun side is not missing because every slide down ends with silent claps and a whee.
Jack loves with fury. He is quick to give hugs without any reason except for the fact he just wants you to know. He may also be quick with an occasional swat and a devilish grin. If the opportunity is any way possible, he will find the mechanism to be in your lap. Then quickly get up for something and start the process all over again. Jack continually wants to make sure someone is watching him. He loves tromping through the yard checking to make sure we are in sight, then when he knows, there is a quick bolt for whatever activity he knows is not to be occurring. He is fast and mighty...And never happy when stopped from that activity. Jack is just as intense with being told No as he is with giving hugs. He will tantrum and throttle for minutes, then suddenly stop when something new has taken his attention. There have already been treks outside of places with screaming child in hands. I don't anticipate that ending any time soon. For the minute he knows he will have to leave, he plants himself on the ground with a firm No, then the screeching starts. It is a joy.
At 2, Jack loves vehicles of any style - trains, trucks, airplanes, boats, bikes. He knows them all and will announce each one. Hours on spent outside pushing dump trucks, tractors, climbing on his sister's bike, and pushing around his pedal truck. On mailbox walks, he is more fascinated by the cars driving down the road than anything. If allowed, he will spend hours playing in the car or on daddy's tractor. Jack loves books, especially anything with flaps. However, he is also a destroyer of books which means they have to be kept out of little hands. He loves fruit and bread but steers clear away from pasta. He is very decisive about which foods he is willing to try and will share an opinion. He will never step away from candy or ice cream though. Luckily his sister is pretty good at sharing. Jack loves stomping, puddles, and anything outdoors. There are many days where you wonder just exactly how he ended up looking like this. The fact we settled on 40 acres leaves little doubt this will become Jack's favorite playground. The future is filled with treehouses, forts, forest treks, and race tracks. Jack will conquer it all.
Jack is creative. He quickly learned to stack stools and utilize cabinets to climb up on the counters. He builds and assembles then knocks things down with excitement. He wants to touch and know everything little thing. He is a helper from sweeping to feeding the dog to closing any door he encounters. Jack is a man of few words but he uses those that are necessary often asking "why" or saying "I wanna" and "thank you". He is a handful in a small package but you can see he is starting to learn and accept the boundaries of only being 2.
There are few words to describe Jack - feisty, tough, joyful, exaggerated, intense, loving, independent - only touches the beginning of the surface. Jack is simply Jack and there is no one we would rather wish him to be.
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