Jordin Sparks is ready for the holidays!
PEOPLE caught up with the singer about life as of late with husband Dana Isaiah and their 2½-year-old son Dana Isaiah Jr. — a.k.a. DJ — where she chatted about her partnership with Kalahari Resorts (who just opened the U.S.'s largest indoor waterpark in Round Rock, Texas) and how she and Isaiah are keeping DJ occupied during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have a pool and he loves being in the water, so anything that we can do with water [he loves]," says Sparks, 30. "He wants to help me wash the dishes, he wants to step in a puddle, he wants his little splash pad, he wants to pour water into cups, he wants to go swimming. Those are all things that we can do at the house, so I'm really grateful that one of his favorite activities is that, 'cause we can definitely provide that!"
The American Idol season 6 winner admits that not "a lot has changed" in her household, save for her family taking fewer trips to parks and not "seeing friends as often as" they used to. But they've "been able to work some things out to where" they can keep DJ social — and the toddler has "been so centering" for his parents during this time.
"With how crazy everything is going, we want to make sure that DJ isn't affected by any of it or doesn't really sense it, and it's been nice to go from a room in the house and get off a call about whatever craziness happened that day and then to walk into the next room and just roll around on the floor and be immersed in the love of DJ and our family," Sparks says. "It has been a really crazy year, but there are a lot of blessings if we take the time to look for them. I've been in a constant state of gratitude for my health, for the roof over my head, for my family, my family's health. It's been nuts, but it's been good at the same time."
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Jordin Sparks Amazed to See Son DJ Grow: "He Turned 1 and Then Boom, He Was Like His Own Person"
While the "No Air" singer and her husband "went back and forth about whether [they] wanted to travel" and "take the risk" over the holidays, Sparks tells PEOPLE that they decided they would do so since her husband hasn't "seen his side of the family" in almost a year.
"We'll obviously follow all the rules, wear a mask, all those things, and make sure that we're all tested and safe," she insists. "There's a new nephew that was born during this time, and I'm really excited to squeeze him and give him all the kisses ever 'cause he's so cute and I can't wait to see him in person!"
"I know my husband's gonna be really happy to be with his family too," Sparks continues, going on to say that she's "so ready to see" DJ interact with his new little cousin.
But does that mean that she and Isaiah are ready for another baby of their own? "Nope. One. One and done, we're good," Sparks says with a laugh, praising her "incredible," "smart" son for enriching their lives so heavily: "He knows exactly what he wants, what he likes, what he doesn't like."
"It's a lot to keep him entertained, and we have these full-on conversations. So for me, I'm like, 'You know what? I know, mentally, I could not handle two of these conversations right now,' " she explains. "He's got cousins, he's got friends. He's good! And it's not because it's a crazy time, in that he's in his twos or anything — it doesn't have anything to do with that. I'm just like, 'Yeah, one is good.' "
Sparks chatted with PEOPLE over the phone from Kalahari Resorts' new Texas location: a sprawling, 1.5-million-square-foot amusement center perfect for the entire family, with "20 different food options," "a speakeasy piano bar," "a 21-and-up grotto area if you wanna escape and leave the kids in the waterpark" and more.
The star is also set to perform an original Christmas song in the upcoming Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, where she will ride atop a "really pretty" Kalahari float that is "African-inspired, with a big elephant on it."
And that night, Sparks tells PEOPLE, she will release a new project she has been looking forward to for a long time, to "kick off the holiday season" in musical style.
"It's been my dream to put out a Christmas album; that will drop that night at 9 p.m. PST and then 12 a.m. EST on Thursday night, but it really drops on Friday, Nov. 27. It's called Cider & Hennessy and I'm really excited," she says. "I've always wanted to put out a Christmas album, so the fact that it came this year, out of the blue — it just came out of nowhere, just so inspired. I'm really excited for people to hear it."
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