Behind

I seem to have fallen significantly behind here and there isn't much I can say for myself. Your father and I are having one of the most stressful times of our lives right now and in that case we both withdraw a bit. You on the other hand are blossoming with knowledge, imagination, personality and cheer. It's joy to be around you.

There is so much to say, I am going to try to break it down month by month:

Aug: We said goodbye to your beloved brother after a trip to Kentucky to Tootsie's House. You and Brother and Grandma hit the fountains at the courthouse much to your delight.

Sept: The highlight was your birthday! We had a John Deere extravaganza. Party Hats, chocolate candy tractors on green frosted cupcakes, and a John Deere tractor cake put together by me and Nana. We had the party at Grandma's porch. Your cousins helped with opening presents and you all had a great time pushing around trucks and devouring cake. You loved your ukulele. Nana bought you a Thomas set, only fueling your addiction to what you call chug a choos.

Oct: Nana moved to Nashville and you have been having a fab time with her. She has been keeping you home a day or two a week. You are killing us with the why, who is that, where did that come from, what's that, what's in the store...etc. Non-stop questions! You jump, you pedal, you gallop. You wake up and sing to yourself peacefully for nearly a half and hour. I love listening to you. We had several family events at the barn with big bonfires and you played ring around the rosy in the dark with all the other kids. You climbed on hay bales and chatted up strangers. Nana and I took you to a pumpkin patch farm and it took you a bit but you finally fed a goat. It would have been cheaper though if we had just stayed home and let you climb on the riding lawn mower cause that was your favorite part. You also wanted to know where the lions where. Maybe time for another trip to the zoo!

Nov: You are starting to memorize books and rhymes and songs. You have picked up crazy phrases from day care such as My bad, and No Deal. You are starting to color more and your imaginative play has exploded. We have great conversations in the car in the morning and evenings. You have turned into a chocolate junkie and you are crazy about watermelon and raisins just at the moment. This weekend you have a birthday party and a trip to see the trains at the Science Center.

I know you won't remember any of this but it brings us so much happiness to experience the novelty of the beautiful world through you. You are happy healthy and wonderful. I am proud but mostly I just feel lucky for the blessing that is you.

I did it!

My Dear Boy,

You have been so much fun summer. You are now speaking in full sentences about 90% of the time. "I don't want to ride that city bus", you informed me last night. It's like someone put your speech development on warp speed.

You are proud of yourself when you do something, even something small, announcing, "I did it." I hope that stay with you for the rest of your days because there are few things more valuable than your confidence.

Big Brother is here for the summer and sadly is leaving next week. You stood at the door and cried for him when he went to camp in the morning. You love watching TV with him or anything with him. It's so sweet. You've picked up some phrases from him. Nu-unh, and No, I'm fine right now. In fact you have really been into the whole family lately. Spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, talking to Nana on the phone, and really not wanting me to leave you at school in the morning. We are having quite a good time playing together and you don't the fun to stop. Can't say I blame you, hard for me too kiddo.

As for your father and I, I think we will remember this year in particular. It's been a bit hard on us so far but still time for things to turn around. You and your brother have been a bright spot in our lives this summer. It's special when we are all together and there is nothing that makes you happier. We make not always know what is going on in that head of yours but in this case, we know just how you feel.

Ouch

Two trips to the ER in around two months, that's how it's been with you lately. First, you took a headlong plunge into the edge of a chair rail to the tune of three stitches in your eyebrow. Second you took a standard walk on the sidewalk and turned into a week of a cast and not two weeks of an immobilization brace. And it's my fault. Because my dear, Mommy is clumsy. I'm sorry. I have cursed you it seems with both my addiction to chocolate and my pitiful sense of balance. Now that you have proved yourself to be a defective Weeble, I have to keep a closer eye on you. Especially since you always want to try things that are just a tiny bit out of your reach. You want to go the big playground, you want to climb the curved ladder, go go go. "Outside, Outside a minute" was your mantra. You have slowed down a bit in the days since you got the brace but it won't last long I am sure. I don't want to hold you back, I want you try, and I want you to fail. We all have to learn how to get back up. But I promise, I'm going to do better keeping up with you!

Climb!

"Climb" you say as you haul yourself up the little "rock" wall. Yesterday was your first attempt and it was awesome. You pulled yourself up with determination even after you fell. That's you my boy, determined, undeterred from your chosen course of action. It's good to know that you will just keep climbing, that aspect of your personality is already abundantly clear.

You are also a ridiculous amount of fun and as your father said last night a "gigglepotamous". As we sat looking at a lizard in one of your mountain of books, I ran my fingertips over your belly. "Pitter-patter, pitter-pater", and you LAUGHED, head thrown back, squirming as I tickled you. It was a delight. You had your first baby sitter this month, who wasn't family that is, and she was astounded by you. She remarked she had never seen a child so into books. And it's true. I can lure you away from almost anything with a book, or the promise of reading.

In stereotypical Toddler style you like to have things a certain way. You'll come to us with some tiny scrap of paper or a piece of onion skin and say "Mess." If you don't want to eat something you tell me, "Dirty, Sink." Of course this love of order in no manner applies to toys, which you clearly feel belong strewn all around the play area.

We did a lot of entertaining and going out this month and one night stands out. We took you to a dinner party, where there was a 5 year old. One who thought making you laugh was a great trick. You climbed on his mini picnic table and jumped off, put buckets on each other's head, chased and jumped on the dog beg. I just let you run, and you had the time of your life. It was awesome and I was glad to give you the opportunity. Because sweet boy, that's what you are giving us, the time of our lives.

EEK!

It's almost the end of February and I haven't written anything! Nana and your brother have been here much to your delight. We have been to parties and the Zoo. Tiger- GRRR, Lion ROOOar. You have been wonderful, practicing your jumping, adding many new words to your vocabulary and squealing at the moon. For some reason you are captivated with tractors and are insisting we look through your tractor calendar sometimes 3 or 4 times in a row. I have now completely run out of ways to make that a learning opportunity. You are starting be able to pick out the color blue. You are crazy about books. I lured you away from the slide today with a book. Clearly, you are your parents child. Your speech is frankly incredible and your teacher can't believe you are the youngest in your class. They tell me everyone loves you there and I think there is one primary reason. I think you are the only kid your age that says Thank you (Dank ou) and it enough to melt any one's heart. I hope that when you are older you will remember that gratitude will take you a long way with people.

It's a hard month though as it is the anniversary of my father's death. It has been three years and while it is starting to feel normal that he is gone, it is still awful. He would have been thrilled about you. He was an outdoors man through and through, he would have taught you things about the natural world that I never could. All your calls of "Outside, Outside" would have been rapidly answered. He would have been there for you 100% just like he was for me. I know you would have changed his life for the better, you certainly have mine.

I scream, You scream, We all scream in the bathtub!

We play this little game that involves screaming at the same time. If you start and I don't play along you will pause and remind me, Ma, Ma.For some reason we only do this in the bathtub. Superior acoustics I can only assume. I can see that the days of this game are waning so I felt like I needed to document it. One of our many little things that make every day so special that in time neither of us will recall.