17 months!

Dear Aiden,

It's been a nice refreshing start of spring. It came in like a lion and will hopefully go out like a nice calm lamb. Your favorite part of this month has definitely been getting out in the yard. You hear birds and notice the moon in the middle of the day before we do. My favorite is to yell down at you from the second story window while you are playing outside. You were bumpity-bumping through the grass as Rebecca pulled you in your wagon the first time I did it, and I thought you were going to jump up two stories to get a hug because you were so, so excited to see me. The other day when you and your dad were down there playing, you immediately started playing your little "this is my mom, this is my dad" game. You point and say My Ma, My Da, and sometimes even My Ba (which has become Rebecca's new name)... then you clasp your hands together and giggle as we shake our heads to say yes.
This month you extended on your independent streak. You started walking up and down steps without help. You were super proud of yourself walking down the steps in our living room with no railing. You would sorta bop down them one step at a time and then look back at us with a smile. I'm glad that you know to take it one step at a time.
Your independent mode also led to you not wanting to be held while sitting on our laps including while you play drums. Our solution was to put your chair booster in front of it, so you could be strapped in when you would rail on the drums and reach for more sticks. If you drop a stick you would yelp, sometimes scream, but now you've learned how to "ask nicely" for things. You've discovered that saying puuuhleeeease and pease in the cutest little voice will get you just about anything you want. Sounds like trouble, doesn't it? But gosh darn it, your politeness deserves to be rewarded. You know just when to say it and flash your little impish grin.
You showed glimpses of wanting to help. You started "holding" the dust pan when we swept the floor after you eat (since you insist on letting us know you are done by throwing your discarded food all over the floor and hiding bits in your lap). Most of the time you just smear the dust pan over the food, but at least you're trying to help (ahem, interfere). You also found it really fun to stuff clean diapers in the Diaper Champ and try to flip it back and forth. I think we nipped that in the bud before we lost any diapers.
You thought shoes were really doggone interesting this month. You wanted to try to put them on yourself, on the kitty, on daddy, on the chair leg... Shoes are usually fun to put on you lately because you get so excited. You usually will jump up after you put them on and check to see if they give you a bounce in your step. I'm betting that your new crocs are going to be your favorite summer shoes because of that cushy step. Your list of potential future careers should now include podiatrist since feet get plenty of attention from you. At Gymboree, you find your own shoes on the rack and you enthusiastically reach down to tickle his toes as they sing that song. You catch the tickle bug pretty quickly and those are some of our favorite giggles.
You loved running free whenever you had the chance this month. You wanted to run back and forth while flying kites in DC and this was just enough to help you burn off some steam. You took to walking out of the front door while holding our hands instead of being carried to the car. At Gymboree, you get excited to run after other little kids. There was a little girl wearing an elmo tshirt that didn't know what she had coming the other day. You just wanted to chase her down to tell her how awesome elmo is.
We had lotsa fun talking on the skype to everybody this month. You're so funny now because you knows where the camera is. You offer PopPop your sippy cup to drink. The little straw can sometime geyser a bit, so we're going to need to set aside an empty decoy for you to feed your skype pals. We feel lucky to have this opportunity for you to get to know your family that is far away, and for you to have a good excuse to wear your lucky charm headband hat and try on the cool shamrock shades.
Dad noticed a chipmunk while playing at your new picnic table (which we set up inside right next to the big slider door because we're convinced it will get warm enough for patio furniture eventually and in the meantime, the sun coming through the window is enough to trick us into thinking that this New England spring is mighty chilly so far). He decided that you didn't know what a chipmunk was so he decided to put this little rodent in the mouse category. He said, hey, look at the mouse!" You peeked through the window and when you discovered the little chipmunk your face lit up. You watched and babbled at the mouse until you couldn't help yourself and you banged on the glass and the chipmunk ran away. Then you spent the next half hour insisting that Daddy bring back the mouse... which sounds like different pitches and tones or "Moh, mouse, pease." pease, moh, more. (every once is a while you will spit out a perfectly pronounced version of a word). Days, even weeks later, you will go to that window asking for that "mouse". You will put your arms out, palms up and shrug your shoulders when the chipmunk doesn't appear. I was thinking that we should get you your own mouse, but dad says that I'd have to clean it up after our cats eat it.
Rebecca has started catching what I call parent pride - It must be contagious. She gets wicked excited when you learn something new. I really believe that she works with you well and the one-on-one is the best learning for you right now. She's really reinforced your colors this month and you are getting more consistent at identifying all your colored beads on the twisty wires. You love to color in the bath and you can snap out of any funky mood if given the opportunity to color.

You grew so much taller this month and you suddenly had a big collection of high water pants. It seems like you are in between sizes, so we are back to rolling/cuffing some new pants. I guess we are also in between the seasons, so soon enough the shorts I've been buying for you will venture out of the drawers. We really can't wait for more of those "sunny days"...We're working on "sweeping those clouds away" with all those slightly too long pants...

Love, Mom