Saturday, September 28, 2013

And now you are two….


When I was a child and went to my grandparent’s house at Dauphin Island with my cousins in the summer, we would play a card game called “Authors”. One author was A.A . Milne who wrote Winnie the Pooh books and a book of poems titled “Now we are Six”. I can remember hearing that title before I was actually six…many years ago. Now for a few years my age begins with the digit “6” however.  This is the title poem:

When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

I was with you yesterday, and it had been a week since I had seen you. As always, you had grown and changed in a week. But now you are two, you seem to change even more quickly. You have an amazing memory! We listen to children’s songs on a CD while riding to and from your school. You have always enjoyed them, but yesterday for the first time you sang along with some of the songs. And you could “name that tune” after hearing only one or two notes! Last Friday on the way home from school a large truck towing a house trailer blocked traffic for awhile. You were intrigued by the truck backing the house off the road. It was unusual to see a truck going backwards, much less with a house attached. You are very attentive to your surroundings. You comment about the buses as we pass the school with many yellow buses parked outside. One of the mothers at school brings her daughter a little orange called a “cutie” every day after school. She always gives one to you too. Yesterday you gave your classmate a Sesame Street bar. You were so sweet handing it to her. You seem to enjoy school; you are never upset when I drop you off. And I think you are learning a lot. I’m glad your awesome parents have made school an part of your early life.

You & your parents hosted an amazing birthday party to celebrate you becoming two years old! You were dressed so cute & you seemed to really enjoy yourself. It had an Elmo theme and it was a delightful party.  Elmo’s friend Dorothy the goldfish joined your family. When your mother was little she had a goldfish like the one in the cartoon movie “Pinocchio”. She decided she wanted to pet the fish and I think that contributed to an early death. I think the death of a goldfish is one of the earliest “death experiences” many children have. Goldfish often have very short lives but I hope Dorothy survives a long time.

Reading books to you and putting you down for your nap is such a special thing to do. You are very attentive to all of the details in the books. You are always so sweet even though I still can’t sing your favorite bedtime song. You seem to enjoy your pre-sleep time with your bed buddies (dog, sheepie, Nanny & extra Nanny). You chat with them and quietly play in your bed for quite a while before you go to sleep. Yesterday we played outside with your neighbor Camdyn who is 7 months old. It is fun to watch you be the older child rather than the youngest. Time passes so quickly. How can you already be two? Even though I think it’s going to be delightful and exciting, I know you will not be two “for ever and ever”,  so I’m going to enjoy every minute I am with you…now that you are two.
Elmo Birthday Shirt!
Elmo after the party


Dancing in pretty Skirt


No longer in baby swing!




Happy Family!

Displaying Your Artwork!


Listening to Elmo's heart

Reaching the doorbell now!

Blanket ride with your "peeps"!

Mustache!

Popsicle time with Granny

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Almost Two!

It is almost September…the month you will become two years old! You are so talkative and you have a very big vocabulary. Yesterday when I picked you up at school as we walked to the car past the fenced-in play area you said “I play there.” A spontaneous unprovoked complete sentence meant to share information with me. It had been a week since I had seen you. You had grown a lot in a week! Since your Dad started back to work this month I’ve begun my time of staying with you while your Mom works. You have become somewhat more assertive and more easily provoked and impatient. I think that is a “rite of passage” and part of the challenges of parenthood. But you have also started showing more delight and excitement about things--such as chapstick! You are able to put facts together and figure things out without specifically being told. You remember many details like the morning at breakfast you reminded me to push up your sleeves. You take my telephone and talk to your Mother on the phone in the car. And you took a picture of your leg! One day early in August you surprised me by running ahead when I set you down as we came out of a restaurant. It scared me to death but I retrieved you and learned a lesson. The world was calling to you…as it will continue to do. En route to and from school we listen to a CD of children’s songs. You remember them & ask for specific songs. One favorite right now is “Happy Birthday”. You don’t sing along yet but you are taking in the songs. You love pop sickles, blowing bubbles & your dog Sunday. You had allergy testing this month and went to the dentist for the first time. And you’ve started “potty training”. And when you turn two, there will be “no more bottles”. You have a small bottle before nap & at bedtime. I think you will be able to give it up okay, but it will be significant that bottles and diapers will be over soon. Although it is no longer a new awareness, I continue to admire what good parents you have. They love you and work together to do what is best for you, even if it’s hard sometime. One day after I left your house while you were napping your parents told me you cried when you woke up and I was gone. I told them that I cried too. Maybe not literally…but I do have a sense of loss as I leave you for a week! How lucky I am that I can spend time with you at this time of your life.    

After reminding me to push up your sleeves

Almost too big for swing!


Shopping Cart at Target
Self made Photo of Leg

Pop Sickle time!


My Friend Sunday

Delighting in Chap Stick!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Eight Days in July 2013

 
Neighbor cat
Cooking with Daddy
After nap Popsicle with Granny




             Chace Lake Poolside & Swings

The end of the day at Music Camp


Wearing Back Pack for Music Camp


I got to see you eight days in a row in July! Before that I visited one afternoon while your Dad did some errands and came to visit with Maggie Rae and Papa. I stayed overnight while your parents went out and when they went overnight to a concert in Atlanta. But during the time your Dad went to Wyoming, I was with you 8 days in a row…although not all day every day. I took you to Music Camp at Hilltop Montessori 5 days and it was fun to watch you go from being teary- eyed when I took you to your classroom to being comfortable then happy to go into your class. After class the teachers had all of you sit on a bench waiting to be picked up. It was so sweet to see you sit with your back pack ready to go home. En route to & from school we listened to a CD with several songs you really liked…Itsy Bitsy Spider & Happy Birthday were 2 favorites. And you liked the many American flags displayed on Highway 119. The trip was a little long, but you were never fussy. One day you played with Maddyn next door then we went to music at Gymborre and had a short swim after nap time. You were always sweet to hold at naptime and bed time and so funny to hear talking on the baby monitor. One morning I heard you count to 11. I was amazed but your mom said you had been doing that for awhile. You are coloring well and love for me to push you around the house while you ride on your “auto”. And you still love books and really pay attention to the words & pictures. Every afternoon we did some travel time outside in each of 3 vehicles: your red wagon, the stroller and the tricycle. The picture of you with the cat was made by your mother at a neighbor’s house. The cooking picture was with your Dad after he returned from Wyoming. But the messy popsicle one was made by me & was part of a routine post-nap popsicle experience! Next week your Dad will start back to school and our fall routine will begin. You will be going to Hilltop on Thursdays and Fridays every week. You are growing up so quickly! Your vocabulary grows every day. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead!

 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

More Pictures Spring 2013!

Your parents make some funny pictures!

Won't be long until you really drive!


Dancing at the library!



The Chace Lake swing...one of your favorite places!




Elmo is your favorite for sure!!

Bitty Baby's Hat!

Catching up on Pictures!

For some reason there was a time I could not upload pictures to my blog! But today I can! I tried to load pictures associated with past blogs, but that was quite a challenge so I decided to just make a "catch up" blog with some of my favorite pictures...not sorted well but all from spring of 2013!

Bath time!

Neighbor's porch

Bench at UAB Hospital

Firefighter at MOD walk

Dinosaur at April 27 MOD walk

Back yard tour in wagon!

A beautiful family!

Cousin Micah at Children's Hospital (born Nov 22, 2012)

Hugs to a Dog visiting Children's Hospital


Dog at Doo Dah Day 2013



A favorite picture-Chace Lake Pool 2013

Morning in sprinkler!
Mother bird on nest!


June 2013 visit-Cousin Maggie Rae
Dad & Bear


All 14 of us at Dog Sled Ride in Juneau Alaska!