Drew,
I’m rather late in writing this newsletter this month. But I’ve finally curled up in the green chair and decided to write before I forget all the wonderfulness that you’ve experienced this month.
Right after the first of the year, you figured out how to open your bedroom door. Your daddy and I were lying on the bed one evening, relaxing and talking about how our day had went, and you were supposed to be quietly reading in your room. All of the sudden, we heard a door open and you walked into the hallway and said, “HI MOMMY. HI DADDY.”
It was pretty cute but it’s obviously become a bit more difficult to keep you in one place when you really, really want to go stare at the bathtub and contemplate hopping inside.
We took a trip to Baltimore this month to see some of our family and celebrate Grandpa’s birthday and you got to meet Uncle Bob and Aunt Glenna. Uncle Bob has a delicious camera and is a professional photographer and you sweetly posed for him often.
You’ve also started to sing. Your favorite songs are Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Jesus Loves Me, and sometimes…Twinkle Jesus. Which I actually tried to sing once because how can a mommy refuse a sweet boy who is asking in all sincerity for you to please sing Twinkle Jesus!?
When it’s time to head to bed at night, there is a long list of things that must occur. You say night night to all of the items you can see (the couch, chair, wall, moon, window, iPod, etc.) and sometimes include the helicopter that goes over our house occasionally.
You have already figured out your colors, surprisingly. And you get them right about 95% of the time. When you narrate during the day, which is apparently what your daddy did when he was a little boy (NERD ALERT), you say “hi blue truck, there sa geen ball, bye bye lellow hat.”
We often see you pretending while you play. You have a bundle of balls to play with and when you are particularly giggly, you’ll grab a handful and run in the corner and say “how many balls? FOUR balls.”
We’ve been stuck inside most days during this month, and it became obvious that it wasn’t helping mommy very much so we snuck in a trip to the park during the day when daddy came home for lunch. It was a rare day when it reached 60, and was a bit warmer. You and I both loved being outdoors and you finally got in the toddler swing at the park without throwing a giant fit.
This month also marks the first time you’ve thrown up. 🙁 I’m not sure you’ll care to know that as you grow up, but hey, why not. You’ve been an exceptionally healthy kid – no ear infections and just the occasional cold. I’m not sure if you had a stomach bug or just played too hard after eating dinner. Either way, you were over it soon and back to normal.
You’ve also taken to rocking all of your animals in your arms and burping them. I pretended with your stuffed bear one afternoon and you watched, wide-eyed. And sure enough, it’s become something you do every single day.
One of the odd and terribly hilarious games you’ve been playing lately is Spin the Maggot. Mom, before you fall over in horror, please keep reading. 😉
We have a magnet on the fridge that has a woven string that dangles below it. Drew has discovered that he can pull it off the fridge and dash away while spinning the magnet as hard as he can. With glee. Of course. And all the while, he shouts “SPIN THE MAGGOT SPIN THE MAGGOT.”
The first time we heard him say that, we slowly looked at each other and said, “did he just say what I think he said?”
You’ve also started doing a Smiley Face and a Silly Face and a Frownie Face. I first implemented this Amazing and Wonderful Parenting Technique one afternoon when you were stomping around with the biggest frown on your face. I was making macaroni and cheese and you wanted some right now thank you very much and I was saying, you have to wait, please. You frowned so hard I thought your chin was going to fall off so I said, “I see your frownie face. Now can you please let me see your smiley face?”
You absolutely understood what that meant and proceeded to grin so wide that you looked like the Joker. It’s become our secret psychological move whenever you get out of sorts.
Here’s a good example of how funny it is:
The Happy Face
The Fussy Face
The Silly Face
The last thing I’ll mention is that you’ve really made your daddy and I be more social this month. Whenever we go to the grocery store or shopping, you say HI to everyone you see – in a VERY loud voice and with big blue eyes and it always shocks folks and then we have to stop and talk, etc.
Your daddy and I are both introverts when it comes to strangers and so it’s just been really odd and yet humorous. We were at Barnes & Noble yesterday afternoon, looking for The Great Divorce, when we rounded a corner and you saw a father and son walking along. You swelled your chest up and shouted loudly, “HI! HI! HI!” I just knew you were going to add “PEOPLE!” to it and then once again, we’d look like parents who never get out of the house at all.
Hmm. Moving on.
The father of the little boy just guffawed and then leaned down to his son and said “that little boy just greeted you!” I think the little boy just thought Drew was a freak for being so friendly but it’s really quite hysterical that you are SO happy to see other people.
I’m not sure if it is because I started teaching you early on to say hi to the moon, the door, the sunshine, the cars, the flowers, and then you just decided to include EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD as well.
No matter. There isn’t anything wrong with being friendly. I just need to somehow convince you that some strangers need the Fussy Face instead of “OH HI I LOVE YOU.”
I love you very, very much and look forward to watching how you change and grow this next month.
Love, Mommy