Jack Mettee, Friendly 5-Year-Old

I've been thinking a lot lately about the weekend we left Spring Hill. The things I remember most about that last day: My mom came to help me clean my quickly-sold house. My neighbors brought food to celebrate one last meal together. And I was so very pregnant. When it was over, John and I climbed in separate cars -- he in the Uhaul, me in our Camry -- and we left that life to start a new one here.

We celebrated Jack's 5th birthday yesterday -- he's the one I was so very pregnant with back in Spring Hill. It's been five years since we packed everything up and moved to a place where we knew almost no one. And yesterday, we celebrated his birthday with all his close friends from school. Then, Jack and Ben tagged along to a separate work party after school where my dear Le Bonheur family serenaded "Happy Birthday" to him. We've come so far from that scary ride to Memphis in our Uhaul.

Some things I want to remember about Jack at this age:

I'm the one he wants when he's hurt or wants to snuggle, but John is definitely the cool parent. He loves dinosaurs and monster trucks -- and sleeps with his monster trucks perched on his bed rail. They are his protectors from the bad dreams.

When he grows up, he wants to be a stegosaurus, and he's already preparing me for this. Stegosauruses have spikes, and so it'll be hard for me to hug him when he grows up -- with the spikes and all. But it'll be OK, mom, he tells me. His favorite TV shows are Dino Dan on NickJr. and Monster Jam.  He and his best friend, Josh, could play with monster trucks for hours at a time -- and do.

He's still attached to his blanket, Bobby. It goes to school with him for naptime and he sleeps with it. He still sucks his thumb when he holds the blanket. I have this picture in my head of him sitting on the couch, holding Bobby and sucking his thumb. I hope it is etched in my memory forever.

He loves to cook with me, especially on Friday mornings when I try to make a decent breakfast. He climbs up on his chair with the whisk my mom bought for Christmas, and helps out. He still can't crack an egg.

My favorite time with him is when we snuggle at night and read books, after he's whined a sufficient amount about the fact he has to go to bed. Two nights ago, during our prayers, he thanked God for Jesus and the cross. I was a happy girl.

He still whines some about putting his clothes on by himself and wears his underwear inside out at least 4 times a week. And he still has to ask which shoe goes on which foot, though I think I've finally convinced him that socks do not have an assigned foot. Silly bands are always an accessory. He gives them to his friends when he gets to school and collects new ones. This is a never-ending game.

At 5, he's divided the world into two types of people: friendly and not friendly. "He's friendly, mom?," he'll ask. This is after he's walked up and said hello. The stranger's reaction determines which group he gets assigned to. He says hello to everyone he meets, even those we pass in the aisles at Kroger and Target. After saying hello, he introduces them to Ben. "He's my brother," he tells them. Ben wants to be just like Jack when he gets bigger, and Jack is only mildly annoyed with him -- mostly when Ben tries to play with his most prized toys. He also watches over Ben when I'm not looking, and knows when to come find me when I'm needed most. I can't wait to watch them grow up together.

I've posted some pictures of Jack's birthday lunch at school yesterday. John and I took Jack's favorite foods for the class: pizza and donuts.

The class singing "Happy Birthday" to Jack.