Jackson Bryant!!

The other day as I was trying to get Jack to brush his teeth, 

my extreme distraction and slight frustration caused me to fumble through my request...

"Bear! Kate! Wait! Who are you again?"

In response, Jack whirled around on the stool...

"Uh, only the very first person to come out of your stomach. Hello?"

He then whirled back around, began to brush 

and as our eyes met in the mirror... 

the buzzed head, mischievous twinkle, and toothless grin

made me shake my head in amazement and wonder.

Who is he again??

Let me tell you.

Jack is our first born and he is a leader. Not only of his siblings, but of his friends.

 He loves to be the game explainer and the rule maker...

some may call it a bit bossy, but I choose to say efficient. 

I mean, if you know all of the ends and outs of how a Gila Monster or Sea Otter acts 

why would you waste time and just let people figure those things out on their own? : )

Jack is a jokester. He is silly and goofy and loves to make others laugh. 

Whether he is pretending to be a 75 year old man with a cane, heckling the other team on the baseball field,

 or doing his dramatic rendition of "Let it Go"...

we hear rave reviews from friends, parents, teachers, and camp counselors alike 

and the consensus is always the same...

"I love Jack. He just cracks me up."

Jack is sensitive and soft-hearted, rough and tumble,  

loving and kind, careless and impatient,

 independent and confident, 

hyper and wild, calm and detail oriented...

he is all of these things and sooo much more. 

He is the very first person to come out of my stomach. Hello?

And he has taught  me as much, if not more than I will ever teach him. 

And it is with a full and grateful heart 

that I wish him a very happy eighth birthday.

: )