jackson in his walker/car has got to be one of the most entertaining sites my eyes have witnessed. him being mobile has created this beast within that squawks and squeals with delight each time he walks himself over to experience something new… even if that something is slapping the coffee table repeatedly. it’s the little things. he chases after red incessantly, runs down the hallway to search for paul, and occasionally walks away without me realizing it, thereby causing a full on search for jackson and what he has gotten into (and more squawks and squeals of delight when i find him.)

paul and i celebrated 10 years together this week. aside from feeling unbelievably old, i found myself recalling crazy high school and college memories, remembering what it was like to be 17 and 18 all over again. remembering phone calls that would last until 4 in the morning though we would literally talk about nothing… remembering parties and flirting and shooting bottle rockets off at the one you wanted to cuddle with… remembering conversations while sitting in the bed of a truck in the high school parking lot. conversations that consisted of “we’re leaving for college soon. we can make this work long distance. right?” never knowing that one day that long distance relationship would lead to a proposal, marriage, 3 moves across the country, a baby!

i made jackson a promise when we got word that the navy had changed our orders and we were no longer going to japan. i promised him a car when he turns 16. i totally intend on keeping this promise too. being in annapolis right now and not kadena means that jackson’s grandparents can experience him cruisin’ for chicks first hand, and not only on skype. it means that i can call my parents in a fit of exhaustion and anguish when jackson is in a cycle and they can be on the next plane out and help that same day.

it means that our prayers were answered.

and for jackson, it means that at 16 years old, he will indeed be cruisin’ for chicks.