it's not where i am, it's who i'm with

I know a lot of mothers.  We all have similar experiences with our kids, love to talk about life raising small children - and all seem to be able to relate to life as a stay at home mom.  But one area in my life that I'm not sure anyone will ever be able to relate to is being Jude's mom.  I have no idea how to explain this kid without seeming like I'm making fun of him, because my feelings for him couldn't be more opposite.  The kid literally cracks me up in the head shaking, baffled, where did you come from sense.  And it is all of the Jude quirks that make me love him even more.

Remember how he makes EVERYTHING out of paper?  The other day he was playing Super Mario Brothers in our living room.  He designed, cut out, and taped all of the characters to the wall, couches and entertainment center.  Then he took the Yoshi that he made and ran from one bad guy to the next defeating each one and gathering coins at the same time.  He even made sure to make a mushroom picture that he could run to in case Yoshi got small.  There is just no stopping his weird creativity.

I came home from my Sunday meetings, and saw that he had made this:

In case you can't tell - it's him, made out of stuff.  

This leads me to my BDEM:

This morning as I was searching Cyber Monday deals Jude kept coming up and talking about his snowman costume.  I have to be honest and say that I really was not listening at all.  If you know Jude, then you know he gets an idea and has to see it through.  AND he talks about it in full force until it's done.  

After coming up to the computer several times talking about snowman, stealing scissors, grabbing the tape, and leaving while saying things like, "it'll go in my costume drawer because it's a costume"and, 

I turned my pajamas inside out.."  he finally came back and said, "It's done mom!"

Yep.  

There you have it....a snowman costume.  Yes, he colored sticks and TAPED them to his arm.  Yes, those are colored pieces of coal taped to his pajamas, and yes - it now is in his costume drawer.  Because according to Jude, he "can't wear it all the time yet because there is no snow, and people won't believe that (he) is actually a snowman. There has to be snow for that."

I don't love this kid despite his weirdness,  I love him for his weirdness.  And boy, is he weird!