22 months

Dear Keaton,

What a month of so many distinctions... I look back over the month of photos and I can't believe they were all taken within the same 30 days.  We went from sand to snow boots covering your tootsies within a matter of a week....and then back again to sand.  You definitely prefer the sandy toes to those silly boots that somehow cause you to tip over (I remember those trick boots did the same thing to your brother).  

When we first ventured out to the sandy beach in Florida it was still wet from an earlier rain.  You stepped tentatively and said, "Mama, sand is slippery, I tippy!"  You keep describing sand as slippery now because you think it's funny.  You were such a giddy sailor guy steering Lulu's boat and letting the autopilot steer your arms back and forth.  The floaty car, that you barely fit in still, nearly lulled you to sleep.  You wanted to swim independently in the deep water, insisting that we "let go!" which made swimming with you a bit challenging.  

I think one of your favorite parts of the trip was running to find Pop Pop, your chip supplier.  He would give you a tostito and you would run around licking the salt off. English "muddfin" with peanut butter is a messy treat that you like to lick and eventually eat.  "Yummy good!" was your favorite description for any food you love.  You love orange juice, which you insist on calling apple juice. 

This month I will remember you distinctly saying Thank you, You're Welcome, Please, and Stop It.  Sometimes sweetly and sometimes with a fierce insistence of a nearly two year old auditioning for the terrible twos and testing his limits.  You would sometimes be my ultra flexible guy and other times if we gave you a little spicey instead of your favorite "spicey bigs" you would throw it back at us.  You started hating your backwards facing car seat so much that you would gingerbread boy nearly every time I went to strap you in.  We installed your new Radian to match your brother's and you seem so much happier.

There are certain little phrases that it seemed you were testing out.  Sorta looking for a reaction from us to see if you were using them correctly.  For instance, "I broke it Daddy!" usually something you intentionally threw or busted up Legos or block towers.  You also would say "Dat scary!" at the zoo otters without an ounce of fear in your voice, and if we'd say "nah that's not scary, it's funny" you'd say "oh ok, funny"... then you'd repeat it.  

 You like to repeat the same things you hear Aiden say.  "Wegos!" are some of your favorites.  You tried trading Aiden for toys just like he does with you - "Here like!?"  If he says No, you correct him and say "No tank you!"  Laughing at your book by throwing your head back and really gut laughing to imitate your brother reading his joke book.  After pretending to read your book, you get to the last page and loudly declare, "The End!" 

You love your new Disney stuffed friends.  You dance around with your favorite Minnie Daisy.  I found a couple new Mickey Mouse books, mainly because I was getting pretty tired of reading Doctor Mickey over and over again.  Your other favorite board books lately are the Nose Book, Dr Suess' Amazing Alphabet Book, and this random opposites book.  You repeat open and closed and up and down.  Then you find a toy to show me how it opens and closes.  Or you throw a stuffed friend up in the the air and shout "Up!"

You're what Aiden calls "a silly guy!" You will sitting in Aiden's lap and tackling him by butting your head against his chest.  Then you will try to keep him pinned down while giggling and shouting "Oh my goodness!"  Aiden usually joins you in a giggle fest, and then eventually calls me for help because you've figured out how to shift your weight around to really keep him pinned.  Here is another typical scenario: You hit Aiden in the head with a car, he says ouch, you say sorry, Aiden asks what are you sorry for?, you hit him in the head with the car again...

When you are really excited to go do something your little arms jet out behind you like you have wings and you take off running:

There is a puzzle with a piece missing
There is a drum that hasn't been banged on recently
There is a window on the playground train station where you need to pretend to order food

There are library books waiting nicely on the shelf and you must get to them and pile them on the table
There is a grocery register with items to scan and pile into a too tiny shopping bag

You were so excited when we went to your new gym class at the same spot with the same teacher that your brother used to have.  You looked at me with disbelief, seeming to say this is for me!?  I don't need to just calmly sit near you and I can actually jump, run, and hang on the bars just like my big brother!?  You were the teacher's model and she used you as her example at each of the stations.  You can do a forward roll on your own.  Then you pop up and say "Yay bommersault!"

You've been playing more in your play kitchen lately.  Your specialty being "soup!" made out of "nummy trees" from the train set.  I suppose when you are mixing trees and train tracks in your "bubble pot" it might be time to get more of the play food back out.  Wooky and Jessie and their hats (that love to fall off in the car and under tables) are a favorite for you and your brother.  

Your retired kindergarten teacher Gran commented that you have a good grip on a pencil.  I am pretty sure that is from you carefully copying your brother.  You are getting more and more into crafts.  You especially like what your brother calls "picture pages" where the page has little water color paints built in.  You love anything where you can dip in water and attempt to splash it around... or try to spill it.

You were so excited to see Aiden up on stage at his school Musicale.  When his performance was over you kept asking "Where'd Ainen go?!"  You still love to rock in the basement on the piano and guitar.  Your specialty are the metal ukulele moves.

You are getting better at slurping spaghetti without making as much of a mess.  You like to play around at restaurants lately, making it a little more challenging.  Your dipstick straw technique into your water or milk causes little spritzes that make you laugh and it's hard to distract you from that game.  When we were on the airplane this game was particularly tricky.  The whole airport experience was a bit more challenging this time, but thanks to your baby backpack, you enjoyed strutting to the gate all on your own.  That backpack along with my sweatshirt were the best distractions because you love zipping zippers...over and over and over.

One of my favorite things is hearing you try to sing songs like "Happy, Happy to You!" to the tune of happy birthday.  You started using I love you at just the right cutie pie time lately.  That is enough to make me melt on the coldest days and make even the sunniest days sunnier.  Here's to another full month of countdowns with you... I hear you now, "one, two, tree...jump!"

Love, Mommy