Pandora's Box

I have the messiest boy ever!  For those of you who know Jacob a little bit, you know he throws himself wholeheartedly into things, and usually those things are messy.  It's been his whole life long that we've been trying to teach him things like washing his hands properly, using cutlery at appropriate times (he still occasionally will get caught eating RICE with his fingers), taking a shower,  not leaving sticky hands prints on every wall and railing he's been near, basic hygiene.  You get the idea.  In other ways he is so meticulous and organized, he's just a real enigma.  I get that boys like to explore and be free in their environment, but it's not an excuse for lack of cleanliness- no it is not next to Godliness, but at times I wish it were.

 2006

This week, he was at the kitchen table doing homework and coloring a poster and I had a look into his pencil box, which has been a bone of contention at times, but I don't usually see it.  Dare I see his locker at school :)  One if his habits is sharpening his pencils and just leaving all the shavings right in the box.  Needless to say, everything in it has turned black and is covered with charcoal pencil dirt, which is one reason he often hops in the van at the end of the day with black hands and charcoal marks on his face.  I could just kiss him :)   I asked him if his teacher ever said anything, well apparently this week she took a glance his way and said, "Oh my what have we here?"  Then I learned that his best friend calls it Pandora's box, and that quite a few neighboring classmates borrow his pencils and also sharpen their pencils in there.  It's always a mystery what will fall out of Pandora's box (I forgot to take a photo).  It was replaced this week with new felts and pencil crayons. The pencil sharpener has been confiscated.

It's part of his charm, it just so makes Jacob who he is.  This week, a surprising morning event occurred, Jacob got up, went on the treadmill, jumped in the shower and combed his hair!  Wonders never cease!

Oh I love that boy!  Just keepin' it real.