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Thursday, January 13, 2011

J is turning 3!

Today you are 3 years old! Happy, happy day! We had the breakfast of your choice this morning: scrambled eggs, ham, toast with honey, and chocolate milk. We had the birthday banner up, and you were confused as to why the cupcakes on it only had one candle each. Luckily, there were three cupcakes, so you were mollified quickly. We went to the Children's Museum, and you loved the ball room and the water tables but were afraid of the 6 foot replica of a shrimp hanging from the ceiling over the model boat. It was a good day, even though it was freezing.

Two was a hard year for us, I think. You became more emotional, as did I, and you spent a lot of the year pushing against restrictions while craving, even demanding routines. At the same time, you learned so very much: how to sing, how to ride your tricycle, how to cook, how to imagine, how to joke, how to say your ABCs, how to go to the potty, how to build a train track, how to dig in the garden...the list really goes on and on. You're still a work in progress, but your progress comes so fast some days it seems like to wake up not knowing how to do something and go to bed an expert.

This year you began to show off an inventive mind. Case in point: we have long read a story to you about dinosaurs (one of many, MANY books we have on your subject of choice) which also discusses other early animals, such as the 13 foot moa, which is now extinct, or, as the books says, "in other words, there are no moa." Recently, while potty training, your daddy asked you if you were done and you looked up at him and said "In other words, there are no moa." You are a verbal DJ, reusing and remixing everything you hear from books or videos and incorporating it into your own speech in creative ways. Just today you have been telling me "Happy news of the year, Mommy!" Your verbal fluency warms the cockles of your English teacher mother's heart!

This year you also met your little brother and though his existence has changed your world dramatically, you are sweet with him, teaching him to hug and walk and play with your toys...sometimes. You still call him "tiny," even though he weighs almost as much as you. I hope you will continue to be as good for his self esteem!

Right now, you have many obsessions: dinosaurs, macaroni and cheese, watermelon, Winnie the Pooh and Curious George, swings, and trains. You also love to draw; you're in a monochromatic phase right now and believe that all your drawings are letters to Santa. In fact, you believe that Santa brings birthday as well as Christmas presents, which is one of the reasons he still requires lots of letters. Today, when I suggested that perhaps it was time to get rid of the gingerbread house from Christmas, you told me you would write Santa and tell him to come get it tonight with his reindeer. Apparently, Santa's duties are many! Today, I also went through some of your baby clothes, getting ready for a garage sale, and I picked out a few of my favorite outfits of yours to save. But I have to say, while I loved baby you, of course, I am more fond of you now, when we can see who you are becoming, hear you learning to be the person you will be, and, hopefully, help you come the best version of yourself.

Right now, I love your unruly hair, your mischievous laugh, your ever growing Southern accent, your eager run up to the stand to get Daddy after Sacrament meeting, your reluctance to wash your hair, your stinky feet, your endless requests to "play on the floor" or "play on the bed," your tendency to walk on your toes, your unsolicited "I love yous," your endless retelling (and embellishing) of stories, your willingness to hug, your ticklish tummy, and your sweet tooth, among many, many other things! Happy Birthday, Toddler J! My blogging birthday present to you is to refer to you only as J from now on. You've made it through the baby and toddler stages with aplomb, to you've graduated to new nomenclature. Like many of the gifts we give you, you won't know about or appreciate this one for years, but that's the fun of these gifts, no? My live birthday presents for you will appear at your party. See you then!

Love, Mommy



1 comment:

Linsey said...

Happy Birthday, Jacob. We love you!