Happy "Jack Patricks" Day!

My baby boy is growing up.

I want to remember every fun moment.

It hit me yesterday as he walked (between two sixth-grade girls he adores) down the aisle of my second church, waving a palm branch behind the cross and light of Christ. I was singing "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna" to Christ, but I was also thinking: "He's a big boy now! He's part of the children's Palm Sunday Procession!" And then he continued to stand at the front of the sanctuary as the Children's Choir (with which he's been going to practice) sang their "Hosanna" song. He chose not to sing until after the service, when everyone but a couple of ushers were gone, of course, but he still stood up there!

So, I want to capture every adorable "little kid" moment somehow, and since we no longer keep up the baby book (or rather, my husband has stopped keeping it up, and I never did--terrible mommy!), I thought I'd share with all of you some of the things he's said recently that I want to have on record, so I never forget.

The first is the title of this post. We told him Saint Patrick's Day was coming up, and I gave him a little Irish flag I'd bought, and he started waving it and yelling "Happy Jack Patricks Day! Happy Jack Patricks Day!" I stopped him and made him say "saint," explaining to him that "Saint Patrick" was a great man who loved Jesus and told the people in the country of Ireland how much Jesus loved them, so they would love Jesus, too.

He still says "Happy Jack Patricks Day." Oh well.

Here are some other fun things he's said and done recently. Now remember he just turned 3 in January, but he loves some big words, and he uses them in context. Like this:

"ACTUALLY" (one of his favorite words) "I DO want this/that," after having said he doesn't.

"APPARENTLY" (another one of his favorites) "this train wants to go over here!" as he pushes it along the edge of the table.

"Y'all need to stop giving me this toothpaste, 'cause it hurts my froat." (protesting against my brushing his teeth this morning with his fruity Cars toothpaste)

Another thing he does that I want to remember: He changes the words to common songs, just like his Mommy and Daddy do. For example: "The bear went over the mountain" has become "The bear went over the choo-choo" and so forth...He knows what he's doing. You should hear some of the songs he creates!

And here's a really cute conversation that took place as they pulled away in Daddy's truck one day:

I said "Bye! Be careful!" But my son didn't hear what I said exactly, so as they pulled away he asked "Daddy, what did Mommy say?"

My husband: "She said you're really cute."

My son: "No!"

My husband: "No, you're not really cute?"

My son: "No, I AM, but that's not what she said!"

He's so right. And so big.

Sigh.

So Happy Jack Patricks Day!