So let me introduce you…

Jack is our oldest grandson and today he turns eleven. In honor of his birthday, I give you…Jack Daniel, yes, that is his name. He was born in 2006, could speak at a fairly young age, and he has always thought just a little bit outside the box. When Jack-isms first began, they came from a little boy that looked like this…This is Jack with his beautiful Mom, our daughter.

As he’s gotten older and Jackisms have been somewhat replaced with drawings and books he looks like this…This is last year’s school Art Show. Jack was very excited!

Either way, this is Jack and here are just a few of his ‘isms’…

2010 ~ Jack is 3

• Jack is sitting on the couch with his cousin, Caleb. They want to see “Ice Age,” but Jack decides he wants to see it alone so he says, “No, Caleb, you don’t want to see Ice Age. You don’t need the calories.”
• Jack is running in circles and slips. I pick him up and tell him, “Buddy, you can’t run around in circles.” He’s looking at the tile and says, “Nana, I was running in squares.”

2011 ~

• Jack is bowling in the kitchen with teeny tiny little pins. He comes over to me with his hand on his head…”Tough break for me, Nana. I missed my spare.”
• Cliff and I are teaching for Children’s Ministry at church. I tell Jack, “Hey, buddy, Poppy and I are in your Sunday School class today.” After a thoughtful silence he responds, “Umm…How old are you two?”
• Immediately after dinner, “Nana, what color am I?” You’re white, Jack. “You’re white too, Nana.” Yes, Jack, I’m white too. A moment later, “Nana, what happened to Poppy?”

2012 ~

• In an effort to make Jack interested in some tadpoles I found I thought we could name them after the Mario Brothers characters. Our conversation went like this, Jack, would you like to name the tadpoles?  “Nah.” What if we name them Mario and Luigi, like your Mario Brothers game? He thinks a moment and responds, “Are they Italian?”
• Jack is helping me paint a wall in the playroom. He’s working with a little brush when I hear “Oops, sorry Nana, I got paint on your butt. I thought it was the wall.” I felt it necessary to defend myself. Jack, Nana’s butt is not as big as the wall. Beware the thoughtful silence…he came back with, “Almost, Nana.”
• I was talking about our friends the “Hawkes”. I said that they would be “flying in on Wednesday.” I later heard Jack  saying to his Mom, “The Hawkes are flying in, but it’s okay, I don’t think they’re birds.”

2013 ~

• In my sewing room, Jack interrupts his game of zombie marbles to sit next to Stella, our chihuahua. He informs me in all seriousness, “Oh no, Nana, Stella is getting facial hair.”
• Jack is watching Peter Pan with Colby, two years younger. I hear, “Tinkerbell should be the Mom, right, Colby? You can say, yes.”

2014 ~

• Jack is going for his Year End Evaluation for home schooling when he informs me, “So, Nana, today is the second day of the sixth month of the second decade of the 21st century.” I had to think about that one for awhile before I realized he was right.

2016 ~

• Jack loves to draw and make books. He has a bunch he’s written that I think should be published, but that’s just me. On this night, we’re spending time with Jack and I asked him if he’s used up his sketch books. “Yup, I used them a long time ago. You know what they say, Nana. A sketch book a day keeps the madness away.”
• He follows the above with, “Nana, I’m gonna write a book called “Coffee for Grandma”. It’ll have a coffee cup and I’ll draw little army men in it. You know why, Nana?” No, why, Jack. “Because, the best part of waking up is ‘soldiers’ in your cup.”

Oh, how I love this boy! As you can see, he really is a very big deal.

Happy Birthday, Jack!