"What day is my birthday going to be on next year?"-Jackson

Jackson: Can everyone come to my birthday?
Me: Everyone like who?
Jackson: Just, everyone.
Me: Does everyone have a name?
Jackson (shrugging his shoulders): We can go knock on all the doors and ask them their names and then invite them to my party?
Me: Ahh. So actually everyone. Yeah, no. Pick five friends.

Yes world, Jackson is five. Thought I would announce it here, although if you watch any of the cable news networks, it should make the scrolling ticker.

Currently he thinks he's reading Harry Potter like Justin. Truth be told he's actually "reading" The Magic Treehouse series, but it's been too cute to tell him any different. Justin brought home a random Magic Treehouse book from the library. The cover showed a boy with dark hair and glasses, flying on the back of a dragon. He'd see Justin reading Harry Potter and sit next to him on the couch with this MTH book and say he was reading Harry Potter just like Justin.

At the end of the book there are pictures of the next book in the series and he'd point to it and say, "Mom, I going to need the fourth Harry Potter Book." Thinking I had never heard anything more precious, I went out to Barnes and Nobel to add to his faux Potter collection. What could it hurt to play along? On a whim I asked the sales lady how many of these Magic Treehouse Books there were.

"Oh, I think around forty?"

Can't you just seem him in third grade, talking Harry Potter with his friends?
"What's your favorite Harry Potter?"
"Um, three was great, but if I had to choose a favorite it's probably 27."
He'll come home ticked, and I'll have to scrounge up a pen and my running list of reasons my kids will need therapy.

Surly we all traumatize our kids to some degree by not correcting them on things sooner. Growing up my mom always refereed to ponytail holders and barrettes and such as, "hair pretties." One day during high school my brother Will was walking with a group of friends. One of the girls started to complain about her hair. Will noticed the scrunchy on her wrist and without breaking stride said, "Why don't you just pull it up with your hair pretty?"

Yeah, after being thoroughly laughed at and teased, mom had some explaining to do.

If you've ever watched the Emeril cooking show, you will apprecitate that Jackson is the "BAM!" in our family. He keeps things interesting and entertaining, but comes up with just enough crazy shenanignas that I tuck away a little money here and there that I like to call, "The Jackson Bail Money Fund."

He is so full of life, I'm not sure how it all got squeezed into his little body, but he is a treasure for sure. Happy Birthday Bud, you are finally five. It's all downhill from here.