46 Months - April 2011

As I write your letter this month you are hanging out at grandma's. About 8:45 this morning you and Tess were running around already driving me nuts, and my house was a mess. Then I had the brilliant idea that I'd call grandma and see if she wanted to have you guys over for the night and bring you back in time for your game tomorrow. Of course she said yes, and of course you flipped out when I told you the plan. Then, just like every time I make plans to send you to one of your grandma's houses, I got sad. I think oh, this would have been a nice day to go to the park (we've been 3 times this week already), or my cleaning didn't take that long, I didn't NEED to send you, but I know it is fun for you, fun for grandmas and grandpas, and a nice break for me. It always helps me realize that as crazy I am when I spend all day every day with you and Tess, I go even crazier when I am here by myself.

You are still in a big-time drawing mood lately and every blank piece of paper you can find is soon filled up with your drawings of monsters, dragons, or people. Grandma brought over some extra big Cars coloring sheets for you last week, and as soon as she opened them up you flipped them over so you could draw on the blank side. I think for your birthday I might just go ahead and buy you a ream or 2 of copy paper and 3 boxes of crayons and let you have a blast.

You also got in on the colored bubble action with Tess when I sent you both outside so I could mop the floor the day daddy got home from Texas. You weren't quite as messy as she was, but I suspect that has more to do with you making her messy rather than you keeping yourself clean.

I LOVE this picture. You look so handsome, and if you look close you can tell the spot right in the front and middle where you cut your own hair with scissors!

Preschool is just about over, and even though I think you haven't learned as much as you would have if I hadn't been there you sure have learned a lot. You can count to 100 (with a little help here and there), and you are getting better at using scissors to the point where I don't fear losing fingers when I help you hold your paper. Just the other day we had a breakthrough when I got you to say Logan instead of Wogan. You still have to think about where to put your tongue, which makes you make this ridiculously funny face some of the time, but it's progress! It almost makes me sad though to have you lose some of your childish lisps and language quirks.

Another handsome picture

Your dad and I were bummed earlier this year when we realized that you were going to miss the deadline for t-ball by about 6 weeks. Luckily we have some good connections and were able to get you on Ms. Teresa's team with your buddy Kashton. Your dad and I are SO nervous about you playing though. Things definitely have to be your idea for you to like them, and the point where you go from enjoying something to throwing a fit and never doing it again is very easy to hit. It is hard to be a parent and know that as bad as you want your kid to like something that you can't force it on them, so we are struggling to find the line between encouraging and pushing.

In the end I hope you know that neither one of us really cares if you love sports, science fairs, or scuba diving, but we want you to do what you enjoy doing. Both your dad and I were "too cool" types in school and missed out on a lot of things because we didn't want to risk looking stupid. That, right there, is the definition of stupid. If there is something you think looks fun, try it (not drugs!). Don't ever stop yourself from doing something because you might fail or not make the team or think that one of us will be disappointed because it isn't what we had in mind for you. You do that, and we will do our best not to push.

You are SO cute in your uniform. I love how your hat squishes your ears down. It just screams "t-ball" to me.

You are such a sweet kid. I love the moments in the morning when you wake up and come in the office to snuggle with me and get a back scratch for a few minutes before you start the day off with some Blue's Clues. The other day during this routine I asked you what I was going to do with you. You weren't sure so I suggested throwing you in the soup. (Somehow this became something we say when Tess is being naughty.) You said that wasn't a good idea and I asked you why not? Didn't you think you'd taste good? Maybe like chicken? Again you said no, so I asked you what you thought you tasted like. "Apples." I about fell off the chair. You always have something funny to say, even when you don't mean for it to be funny. I'm not sure where you got apples from, but it sure made me laugh pretty hard to start off the day.

Keep your sense of humor and do what you love to do no matter what, because the people who enjoy life and laugh are the smart ones - even if they look stupid while they're at it.

Love you Bones (you've started calling yourself Bones. I personally love it)

Mom

22 Months - April 2011

Well I'm currently listening to you scream yourself to sleep. It's night no. 3 without your binky and it isn't going down so well tonight. The last two nights you've been so exhausted that you haven't cried for very long at night. Today, well you took a bit of a nap today so you are wearing yourself out by crying instead. Poor thing. I really wish I didn't have to do this, and I wouldn't have done it just yet except for you lost your last binky and I wasn't going to buy any more. Any trip in the car has also become hell because holy cow apparently if you don't have your binky then you must get OUT of the car like NOW! All I have heard every time we get int he car is OUT! OUT! OUT! while you try to get your arms out of the straps. Oh I wish you hadn't lost that binky quite so soon. (I'm finishing this letter on day 7 with no binky - and you are doing better! Nighttime is still hard, and I'm dreading the car trip to Panguitch this weekend. Still no naps either ya stinker!)

Did I mention your dad was out of town for all of this?

Yeah, he's been in Texas for the last couple week so the timing on the binky ditching could have been better.

I know there are things that I wanted to remember to write about this month. One of them was how you threw the fit of all fits and literally tried to bite your dad's head off. I have the video on my camera and will save it for you to see for sure. It's pretty priceless. The problem is that no one can calm you down when you get into one of your fits. If anyone tries to touch you it just makes it so much worse.

Your language development is coming along a little better too. After getting your ears cleaned out it seems like you are finishing words instead of trailing off and picking new ones up too, so I'm guessing it was worth it. Now I just have to find a doctor in Kanab who can tell the difference between ear wax and a red TM. Unfortunately this development has also lead to a dramatic increase in bossiness. Just today I was trying to finish doing something in the kitchen and didn't get your milk as fast as you wanted it. You kept saying Milk! Get IT! over and over until I was finished and could help you out. If things don't go your way you stick out your pouty lip. I may have a good glare, but the lip is definitely all from your dad!

You also say some really cute things like when you are saying bye to someone you always say BYE! SHEE-YAAA! HAVE FUN! all very enthusiastically. You call Logan Gogi or Gogan, and the other day when you woke up before he did kept wandering around the house saying "Where's Gogi?" and then standing by his bed yelling "Go-gi! Go-giiiiii, ake UP"

After a little fight the two of you had I asked Logan if he thought it would be fun to have a friend over ALL the time to play with. He agreed it would and I told him that you could be that friend. A light must have gone on for him because you two spent the rest of the night enjoying each other playing dragon fight, racing around, and him even reading a story to you while you were in your crib (before the screaming fit). Tessa he is SO sweet. I don't think anything will change that about him so even if he is a big jerk to you at times now, I hope you know that he loves you more than you know and would do anything for you.

You've been the queen of messes lately too. Colored bubbles, yogurt, peanut butter, pretty much anything that has a mess potential becomes a mess reality. I won't even get into the fact that you have started doing me a favor by taking your diaper off by yourself now. That's not exactly helpful darlin.

Purple bubbles+dirt is so fun mom!

Ironically I had sent you two out to play with bubbles to keep you occupied while I mopped. Needles to say I had to re-mop while you both took a bath!

I did remember the bib this time, it just wasn't all that helpful here...

You guys had an early bath this day!

You are such a little no-fear daredevil. We have gone to the park the last few days because it has been so nice. I just sit down and relax while you climb up the craziest stuff because you actually have a harder time when I am standing right next to you or under you while you climb. I watch from a distance and usually make it to you before you fall (which is rare), but there is usually a concerned mom nearby who lingers nervously (and most likely wondering where your neglectful mother is) while you climb. Until you successfully manage to climb whatever it is 3 or 4 times without a single falter. You're just so small that it really does look crazy to see the stuff you can do.

Hmm... I just noticed the no. of months at the title of this letter. 22? How did that happen? You're almost 2! I can't believe how fast it has gone. You are such a little stinker, but a lot of fun too. You may throw an unbelievable number of fits and stick that pouty lip out like it is going out of style, but that just makes the times when you are pleasant all the more enjoyable. ;)

Love you sis,

Mom