Twenty-seven

Tadpole,

You are now twenty-seven months old. You pick out your own clothes and decide whether or not to 'spikey' your hair. You typically start off your day with a demand of, "Cheerios, please". You are an entire real little person. I am constantly in awe by this fact.

The past several weeks have been a bit tricky for us. I am particularly busy at work right now, your Daddy is still ill, and you are in to EVERYTHING. We have a few friends and family members who seem to be a bit more of our support than normal, too. More notably, however, your teacher left your school. We did not have time to warn you and had little opportunity to debrief. Frankly, you are heart-broken by her departure. I did the best I could to make sure you had the opportunity to say a proper goodbye (you both sobbed). I gave her a small token of our affection of her - including a picture of you. You say you are happy with your new teacher, but your demeanor just isn't the same. You are tired, off your routine and just not excited about school right now. It makes me sad and has me reconsidering things. Unfortunately, I know that this is just one of many of your losses of which I will bear witness to over the years. It is excruciating. In fact, your Aunt E, Uncle B, and N just moved. I do not think you actually noticed yet. When you do, it will be a sad day.

On a more positive note: You do have a lot of positive things happening in your life. You recently inherited a police car that you like to use to cruise around the neighborhood. You have mastered several more songs, including "Where is Pinky?", "Twinkle, Twinkle Traffic Light" and are a complete master of the Happy Birthday song now, too. You still adore reading, but have altered your favorites of the month to include, "If You Give a Pig a Party". You are into a number of books regarding construction equipment and animals, too.

Your ability to manauver yourself effectively seems to increase daily and you are slowly mastering your domain. You are less fearful of falling than you once were and are more graceful in your approach to many things. You recently developed an interest in potty training. You desire to wear 'big boy underpants' secondary to your preoccupation with a book regarding a boy named Michael, but you are not quite there yet. We provide kudos every time though and continue to encourage you. One of our favorite phrases, which applies to most things right now, is "Practice makes progress".

Last week, you and I devised 5 rules for your behavior. Daddy agreed that they are solid and we rehearse and try to live by them each day. They include:

1. No tantrums
2. Use your words
3. Follow directions
4. Make good choices
5. Have F U N!

As always, my sweet boy, you make me laugh each day. I am proud of your sweet demeanor, entertained by your humor, frustrated by your level of stubbornness, and in awe of your awesomeness. Every day - no every hour - I say thank you for the opportunity to be your parent. You make me (and your Daddy, too), a better person.

Love,
Mama