Hey Bud,
You were my travel bud and super snow day kid this month. I couldn't get enough time with you really. I felt like I was noticing how tall you are getting and that little crinkle in your cheek when you smile more often than usual. I started calling you Bud and you'd reply, "Ok, I'll be your buddy!" I also tend to say, "Are you ready Freddy?" whenever we are at a store, and I think the people around us assume your name is Fred. The name game for your brother continues, but I think we may have a winner, and it's not Freddy.
Big decisions were made this month that will change your world beyond your wildest imagination right now. I get a little emotional just thinking about how much we're going to rock your little boat this summer. You're going to become a big brother, which will be worth all the trials and tribulations. Our timing of throwing a whole new living arrangement in the mix will probably max out your adaptable nature. Simple things will need to adapt, like how you line up Todd, your big stuffed jaguar, to be sure that he can see the door in your room and scare away the monsters. Your simple world will become a bit more complex, but I assure you it will all even out and enrich our lives.
You seem to understand that there is a "city place" called Washington, DC and that we will be going there to live. On the day that your dad received his Georgetown contract, you were wearing your homemade Jack the bulldog mask when daddy came home. You were excited to lead daddy on a scavenger hunt for some special treats. The end spot was your bedroom bookrack where a new Sandra Boynton book, Yay, You! Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On, was waiting in your homemade wrapping paper for its first read-through.
I think we're pretty proud of you, but it's possible that you are even more proud when you get to have your daddy at school with you. Your school hosted a Bagels With Dad event (which I was admittedly very jealous of - and there better be a Muffins with Mom on the calendar later!) where you got to show off all your works to your dad. He got to participate in an hour of your normal day and you were so excited! You have started occasionally prepping things with me during the day that you want to show your dad when he gets home. You made a puppet show with paper bag puppets where you waited all day for your daddy to be your audience. Then when daddy was in front of you, you decided that you would much rather bounce on his belly and wrestle.
Your daddy created a new game you call Sea Anemone where you put a toy on his head and he closes his eyes and reaches out his long arms to try to catch you before you get the toy off his head. You played this while trotting around the house in your new body glove "scuba suit" which made you look like you had big muscles. You liked your scuba shoes so much that you didn't want to take them off even when they were giving you a little blister. You were getting ready for all the excitement in Florida.
You laid in your dark room the night before we left for Florida playing "What do they have in Florida?" with your dad. You would giggle when daddy asked if there was a city named Miami in Florida and you insisted that you weren't going to see any scary crabs in Florida. You sometimes tell us when we are driving in the dark car that you need light. We explained that it is safer to drive with the light off in the car, and asked you what you can do in the dark. You claimed to not be able to do anything but sleep.
Luckily, you were were really into wearing your "save my life vest" on the boat in Florida. You were a very good listener, and a safety guru throughout our trip. At my aunt's house on the water, I resorted to a mild scare tactic to ensure that you did not go outside by yourself, because I told you that iguanas like to look for little boys by themselves to bother. You had so much fun at your Great Aunt Lulu and Uncle Scott's house in Florida being spoiled by everyone. You are always excited to see family, and you even ran up to hold your Great Poppie's hand as he crossed the street and especially enjoyed playing with plastic spiders and lizard tongues (party blowers) with your Great Uncle Bruce and racing horseys and big pianos with Great Aunt Lulu.
You love to fly and you earned a policeman badge from the security check guys. You were such a good boy on the flights that we got the "oh, I didn't even know there was a kid sitting behind me, and that's a compliment" comments from surrounding passengers as we deplaned. The funniest moment was when we were waiting in the airport and it started thunder storming. You pointed out to the big baggage cart that was uncovered and being rained on (a lot!) and said, "Hey look mom, they're washing our bags!" Um, yep that's an optimistic boy.
You love picture pages that involved "finding the mistakes." There was even one in the Southwest Airlines magazine which burned through at least 30 minutes of our flight. It was a beach scene and you thought it was so funny that the lifeguard was looking away from the water. You saw your friend's birthday invitation which had a cupcake with a firecracker sparkler on it. You said, "Oh mommy, look there is a mistake, they have a pencil in their cupcake!" You also love books that have little characters hidden throughout - like Smile Crocodile that has a little snail hidden on each page.
After being back at school for a day at the beginning of the month, you started zipping your jacket on your own. Mrs. Healey made sure that you came out to tell me right when you were dismissed. You also can open your own cheese sticks (which you tell me is pretty tricky because you have to pull hard). You declared the other day, "I can learn something at home just like I do at school - like tying my robe belt!"
We were responsible for the weekly snack at school and I asked you what you'd like to bring. You wanted to bring in yogurt drinks for every day of the week. I said that we needed variety of snacks and you said, "Ok, sure, how about the yellow ones the first day and the red ones the next day..." You ended up bringing some of your favorites to share, including raisins and cheese. You like to eat snacky rabbit food. We went over to our friend's house for dinner and you took a big bite of the butternut squash risotto, which you thought was mac and cheese, and the face you made was a classic. I was just happy that you swallowed that bite, and then politely asked for some cheese chunks off the salad.
You have such an active imagination and you can be very convincing. You came running out of the bathroom exclaiming that there were "snow flakes falling all around" and I immediately jumped up to check it out. Thinking maybe the window was open somehow, you quickly started explaining the winter wonderland from your imagination. Your Gran and Pop sent you a package with your favorite rock friend "Doggy Rock" and a new friend Glass Kitty all wrapped up in their very own box house (with a water dish, and food - turns out they like snakes, raisins, and pez) That rock and shard of sea glass are great pretend toys.
You like to pretend that we are a cast of characters, most recently you will make daddy your big brother and me your little sister. "Sister and Brother, I just came from the scary future which has monsters, let's go to the future now!" The "future" is usually in the dining room. You like making a fort out of big king sized sheets and sitting under playing with your Alphie robot. You frequently pull out your "movie screen" which is the black side of your cars mat - so that your "characters can create a movie."
You are lucky to enjoy what will likely be your last New England winter (at least for a while) during a record breaking year. The records for snow fall have been overtaken by over 10 inches in just about every area. The giant snow drifts are getting too dangerous to climb, but you loved playing your snow shovel guitar on top of Mount Aiden. Mount Aiden and our snow fort are now completely covered with another foot of snow. Your favorite thing now seems to be to walk as far as you can in the deep snow so that you get to some fresh clean snow to eat. You claim there is something about snow (and shower water) that tastes better than a popsicle or a glass of fresh water. Big bowls of "snow ice cream" (just snow, a bowl, and spoon - you didn't want me to add anything to "the perfect snow") were a special treat.
Your favorite snow day game was Trouble - You think it's pretty funny to "cause trouble" when you land on mommy's piece because "you love her." You love playing Woody Says (instead of Simon Says) while wearing only underwear and your Woody towel. You tried mini boxers for the first time, but you aren't into sticking with them since you think they are too tight, since you were into pulling them way up high on your waist. Even in our cool house, you insist on taking off your "hot school clothes" as soon as you can.
You were really excited by this combo comb/hair pick that I found in my drawer. You said, "Oh mom this is great - it's a fork and a comb! I can eat my meatballs with this end and then comb my hair." It's gonna create the same look as the ham sandwich hair your Uncle Woah showed you. You were big on your construction worker stuff this month, so everything turned into some sort of tool with a purpose.
At the library there is a kitchen right next to the doll house. You decided that some of the dolls fit nicely in the frying pan, and after you were done cooking, you put them on a plate and said, "ooh, yum, humans!" You love to make the distinction on what humans do versus animals, and tell me all the words you know for humans - people, adults, children - all human! You like to watch your dad play Wii, and you think he is Mario. You like to cheer him on as he runs into the Grand Star, and I think that your imagination was blown by just seeing Mario Galaxy in action.
You love to talk about your favorite unit of time "this week." For example, I got to read this book two times this week or I already brushed my teeth this week. You were into talking about calendars lately. You would talk about crossing off the days and putting special stickers for the weather. You were big on correcting me if I brought up a different month - like the baby is due in April or I plan to graduate in June - you'd chime in, but mom it's only January!
You are uber huggy sometimes. You'll say, "I'm hugging you and rocking my baby." Your little brother is "my baby" and you sometimes will ask if he can hear you or move out of the way when you want to sit on my lap. You were with me at my doctor's appointment where they cleared me of the previa issue so I could carry you again. You remind me that "The Maureen" said you could hold me (Maureen is the name of my midwife.) When it's time for bed, your dad usually takes you upstairs, but before you go, he tells you to give me an itty bitty hug. You respond by running up with the biggest hug you can.
One of your favorite games to play in the car and my favorite game of the month was juke box Aiden. You'd ask, "Do you want to hear a song, I have some ready." I'd ask, "How about Frosty?" You'd respond, "Well, I don't have any of those left, but I have leftover Jingle Bells ready to sing." The juke box had some "leftover" christmas music, but was mostly full of the new bear hunt song you learned at school. The bear hunt song is a leader repeat type song and you'd lead Gran and I through all the steps. It was a great way to make sure you stayed awake in the car.
You learned that XO means hugs and kisses and you like pointing that out when you see the letters and following up with a big hug and smooch. You said that tic-tac-toe is a big huggie game. I think you're ready for a lovey dovey Valentine's Day. Thanks to Gran and her super sticky letters you already have valentines nearly ready for your friends at school too. Just like your juke box can be out of certain songs, I asked for a little kiss the other day when you were leaving, and you told me "I only have big kisses left!" Lucky me ;)
Here's to a happy and healthy February full of XOXOs, Mom
