Two Today!

My little guy turned two yesterday. My sweet baby boy is two. All day long yesterday, if you asked him how old he was, he would turn that heartwarming smile on you and proudly proclaim, "Two today!" For a couple of hours, actually, he was telling us he was five, mostly because it was making big guy crack up. But he knew that yesterday was a big day. He could tell that there was something special about being "two today."

His gift was a new Thomas the Tank Engine train table, and we couldn't have found anything he could love any better. Since we gave it to him, he has not left its side except to eat (a little), sleep, and get in the car. We've even changed his diaper right next to it! He cried bitterly about going to sleep last night...we think he was afraid the train table might be gone when he woke up. He has been in train heaven.

We had cake and ice cream as a family last night, and we're having a couple of little friends over for a train birthday party tomorrow. We have been celebrating this wonderful kid for a couple of days now, but if I am being honest, this birthday is bittersweet for me. Two is the beginning of toddlerhood...I realize that I officially don't have a baby at home anymore, and that breaks my heart. Two years have gone by much faster than I ever imagined that they could. Every day is amazing to me...he grows by leaps and bounds and learns so many new things. But part of me will always wish I could keep him just as he is now, my sweet, cuddly little baby who can stop the world with his precious smile. Happy birthday, my little guy. I love you more than you will EVER know!

Hooray for Holidays!

This is the last year that big guy will have a whole week out of school for Thanksgiving. Next year he will be in school Monday and Tuesday. So we are celebrating this week! I LOVE having the boys home for a few days. Yesterday we went downtown to Imagine It, the Children's Museum of Atlanta. They had a Curious George exhibit that I wanted the boys to see...they are both big fans of George! We had the most wonderful time! Big guy was all over the place, wanting to try everything at least once and usually over and over again! The George exhibit was really cute. There were lots of hands-on experiences...big guy got to direct a wind machine to make windmills turn, create a shadow play with his hands, and build with Tinkertoys! They also had a really cute "Curiosity" musical that both boys loved. I promise that little guy was having a lot more fun than he looks like in the picture! There was a train track suspended from the museum's ceiling, and little guy would have been perfectly happy to sit there and watch it go around all day! Big guy and I did talk him into trying out some of the other stuff in the museum too! After the boys had played the morning away, we stopped by Atlanta landmark the Varsity for lunch. Both boys made a meal out of nothing but Varsity french fries. I can't complain too much, though...they are REALLY good fries! We had the most wonderful day together...they are really just fun, cool kids to hang out with!

Today, we drove to Buckhead to keep our family tradition of riding the Pink Pig at Lenox Square. The Pink Pig is an Atlanta holiday tradition dating back to the mid-50's. Macy's (or Rich's, as it used to be known) sets up a little train shaped like, well, a pink pig! The pig train pulls you through a giant cutout storybook that tells the story of Priscilla the Pink Pig. Apparently this has been a popular family tradition for many years in Atlanta, but we just started visiting last year. We knew that we had to take little guy this year as he is completely obsessed with trains! The line for the Pink Pig is always VERY long, and the ride itself is pretty short! But the kids don't seem to mind the wait, and it's just one of those things that we look forward to as a family. Daddy was able to sneak away from the office and join us for a quick ride, so we were all pretty excited about that! We don't have anything on the agenda tomorrow except for Christmas decorating...hope the kids aren't too bored after two fun days!

Keep It Positive!

Big guy has, unbelievably, brought home ANOTHER filled positive punch card today!!! I am about to burst with pride. This is finally the year when he is getting recognition for what he is doing right instead of only for what he is doing wrong. I know that on Thanksgiving, I will definitely be giving thanks for the teachers that were put into his life this year, because I know that they are helping him on his way to becoming a better student. His six cards are proudly hanging on the fridge, and he is enjoying his vanilla milkshake reward. Keep it up, my guy...I always knew you were a star, and now others are starting to see it too!

The Price of Beauty

Big guy was watching me put on my makeup this morning. He watched quietly until I started to put on my mascara.

BIG GUY: If I was a girl, and I was a teenager, I would not want to do that.

ME: Why not?

BIG GUY (in a voice filled with terror): Because you are taking that spiky thing and putting it IN! YOUR! EYE!!!!!!

Wiggle Time!

Today we took little guy to see his absolute favorite musicians in the entire world, the Wiggles. Big guy had a ticket and was supposed to go with us, too, but he was up all last night throwing up and having diarrhea, so needless to say, he didn't make it. He was a remarkably good sport about it, too, saying he would just go next year. It fulfilled all of little guy's dreams, though...he couldn't believe what he was seeing! After all these months of listening to the music and watching the dances on TV, he finally saw the "Wy-Wys" in person! At first, he was a little overwhelmed. He sat still chewing on his fingers with his eyes wide. But as the show went on, he began singing along with all of his favorite songs and dancing up a storm! His favorites were all part of the set list: "Dr. Knickerbocker," "We're All Getting Strong," and "Five Little Joeys Jumping on the Bed." We also took a dozen roses for Dorothy the Dinosaur and a bone for Wags the Dog, which we were able to give to one of the dancers. The highlight of the day was when little guy had a chance to wave at Murray as he walked right by us...it was like he had seen a movie star! This was our third time seeing the Wiggles, and they always put on such a terrific show. It's fun for parents and kids alike, and it's so great to see a group who really seem to enjoy entertaining little ones. I'm adding a picture of little guy's amazed face...it really was priceless!

Halloween!

Well, it wasn't the ideal Halloween...rainy and cold, and little guy ran a fever all day. But Halloween is our favorite holiday for a reason, and we weren't going to let it pass us by! Big guy dressed as Anakin Skywalker, and he really was the most handsome Jedi knight in the universe. Little guy was a tiger, and he was oohed and ahhed over by everyone who saw him (although almost everyone said he was such a "cute little girl!" We didn't think it looked very girly!). Daddy took big guy to our neighbors' traditional chili dinner before trick-or-treating, while little guy and his germs stayed home with me. We did take them both trick or treating, though...Halloween only comes once a year! We are really lucky to live in our neighborhood. There are so many kids, and everyone makes such a big deal out of the holidays. I am glad that our kids are growing up here. Here is a picture of the two cutest boys in the world!

Two Months In!

I had my first parent-teacher conference for big guy today at preschool. These have not been things I have looked forward to in the past. Today, however, was a pleasant surprise! Big guy's work is getting better and better! He knows just about everything he is supposed to at this point (with the exception of my cell phone number...it never occurred to me to work on that with him!) His artwork has improved by leaps and bounds since last year. He still needs a little work on fine motor skills, but I know he will get there in time. Best of all, he has teachers this year who can see the real him. They know that he is funny and sweet, and that his emotional outbursts are just a small part of who he is. They are working with him on being patient and having self-control, the same things we're working on at home. I think that he will make so much progress this year with his parents and teachers working as a team. I left that conference feeling uplifted, positive, and so happy about his progress...the complete opposite of my feelings from past conferences.

Little guy is also doing great! He no longer cries when I take him to school. He loves his teachers, Ms. Linda (Ms. Ya-Ya, according to him) and Ms. Tracy (Ms. Tay-Tee). They love him back, which makes me so very happy. They say he is so happy playing with his friends at school, and that he is a great helper to them. He loves to clean up at the end of the day! They also say he likes to comfort his friends who are crying. He'll pat their backs or bring them a toy. His teachers say he is such a joy. I know that already, but it's so wonderful to know that others see it too.

Big guy said his prayers with me tonight before bed, and I was in awe of how he spoke with God. "Oh God, please help to make good choices and have a good day tomorrow. I love you very much and I know that if I never let go of your hand, you will always help me do the right thing. Amen." These boys have brought so much to my life. I will be thanking God for both of them tonight as I say my own prayers.

Fall Fun

It has been a very hard couple of weeks for our family, and I know that I haven't been the mom that I want to be and that my children deserve. However, we all had a mood lifter yesterday when we took our annual October trip to Burt's Farm. This is my very favorite family tradition! Burt's is located in Dawsonville, GA, and it's a beautiful drive through the North Georgia mountains to get there. We loved looking at the beautiful fall leaves on the drive yesterday. The farm itself is full of pumpkins as far as the eye can see, which thrilled little guy to no end! He inexplicably calls pumpkins "bapples," his word for apples, and he was in "bapple" heaven running through the pumpkin patch! The highlight of the trip is always the hayride. We were pulled by a huge tractor all over the farm's property, and we enjoyed stopping and listening to Gourdy and Autumn, the two talking pumpkins. We also had a little scare when our hayride took us right past a huge black bear that was hanging out in the woods! Each of my guys picked a pumpkin to take home and we plan to carve them today. I was really worried about this trip this year. I felt that each time I looked back at our pictures, I would remember the sadness of this time in our family. Instead, I had a few hours of absolute happiness and joy with the two incredible children that I love and adore, and that's what yesterday was about instead.

Going to Bed Tonight

My big guy is not normally much of a cuddler, but every now and then he will just say something so sweet that it takes my breath away. Each night before he goes to sleep, his daddy or I will lie with him for a few minutes and talk about the day. Tonight, out of nowhere, he said, "Did anyone tell you your hairstyle looks good? And your eyes look good? Did you know that your hands I admire so much I have to kiss them? God made you beautiful." I think that some of this stuff came straight out of a book we have read together before, but who cares? It still made this one of the happiest nights ever. He is just so special.

Shoe Shopping in My Future!

Well, it appears that one of the things I thought I would miss out on by not having a daughter may be in my future anyway! Little guy is showing signs of becoming a full-fledged shoe addict, and I have to admit I love it. He isn't happy unless he is wearing shoes. He is happiest when he has several pairs of shoes to choose from, and he is ecstatic when he can change his shoes several times a day. Okay, granted, little boys' shoes are just not as cute as little girls' shoes. But my little shoe addict is pretty cute all on his own, and I'm looking forward to his excitement when we go shopping for new school shoes next week!

Success and Sick Kids

Wow! Last week was fabulous for the most part. Big guy filled up his positive punch card at school in less than two weeks. This is an absolute world record for him. He really struggled with this last year, so this is a huge step forward for him. I am so very proud of him. He has also come so far with his writing...his letters were pretty much illegible last year, and now he can write just about any word he can think of (as long as I help him with the spelling, of course!). I really think that giving him the gift of extra time has been the best gift we can give him.

Little guy also had his first tear-free dropoff morning last week! I was really worried about letting him out in the carpool line, but he didn't cry a bit! Of course, the next day when we were dropping big brother off, he screamed in terror when the car door opened! So we will have to see how things go from here. Due to the flooding, he hasn't had school yet this week. Tomorrow should be another adventure.

Even though school reopened today, big guy missed it. He was running fever and coughing yesterday. We are so blessed that it is just a cold, not strep or the dreaded swine flu. Now I know that even if little guy catches it, it won't be so bad! I'm hoping we finally get back to normal tomorrow!

A Happy Heart (That's Also Sad)

Wow…what a difference a year can make! My big guy started preschool last week, and I can hardly contain my joy about how it is going! After struggling and struggling with the decision of whether to send him to kindergarten or let him do one more year of preschool, I now know definitively that we made the right choice. He is so in love with his teachers, he is making so many new friends, and he’s completely benefitting from being one of the leaders instead of the ”baby.” The look of happiness on his face when I pick him up each afternoon is priceless. On his sixth day of school, he has already collected seven “positive punches” (little pats on the back for good behavior). It took him until Thanksgiving to do so last year. My prayer is that this extra year makes every school year from here on out a little easier.




On the other hand, my little guy started a mother’s morning out program last week, too. This is not going quite so well. He’s my little snuggle bug, my little cuddler…in short, he is my baby. Any mom out there can probably testify to how horrible you feel when you give your sweet baby to his (very kind and understanding) new teachers, only to have him scream and sob as if you are breaking his heart. Today was his third morning, and we’re not seeing any improvement. Today’s crying was louder and more heart-wrenching than the days before. The teachers promise that he settles down and enjoys himself after a while, but that is not the part of the day I see. I wonder if it would make little guy feel better to know that Mommy cries, too, after she drops him off…she just waits until he can’t see her do it. I’m going to give it a couple more weeks, because I know he is in good hands and I know it is good for him to get used to being away from me. But my heart, which is so joyful with the progress big guy is making, is aching for my little guy.

Out of the Box

My big boy is not what you would call a regular kid. I mean that in the best way possible. He is constantly surprising me with his insights, his creativity, and basically just his all-around awesome way of looking at the world. For example, he was watching “The Let’s Go Show” on Sprout the other day, and the host asked the audience what the pages in a book are made of. Without missing a beat, my boy calls out, “They are made of ideas!” When I asked if pages weren’t made of paper, he said, “I’m talking about the story in the book.” Not the first time he has blown me away.




Today was no different! Because of his late birthday, my big boy is beginning his second year of 4-year-old preschool. As bright as he is, he just has a little more growing up to do before we unleash him on unsuspecting kindergarten teachers. We went to his preschool open house this morning and met his very nice teachers. They had a little craft for all of the students to complete. Each child was to take a paper plate and draw his or her face on it, and then add yarn for the hair. My big guy did this admirably, using the right color crayon for his eyes and cutting short red yarn for the hair. Then, as a finishing touch, the teachers had cut out construction paper baseball caps for the boys and bows for the girls. His teacher asked him which he would wear, and without hesitation he chose a green baseball cap and a pink bow. I smiled at him and said, “OK, bud, think about this…which of those would you wear?” He insisted that he needed them both. He proceeded to glue the baseball cap over the yarn hair at the top of the plate, and then he added the pink bow to the bottom of the plate…where it looks exactly like a bowtie. The teachers got a big kick out of it, but I told them to batten down the hatches…there is plenty more where that came from.



I’m so excited about his school year, and I think he is too. He’s growing up so darned fast, but every day with him is a new adventure and a little miracle.

Life With Little Boys!

Today is the day that my little William discovered the stepstool. It has become his new best friend. He has carried it around to every room on the first floor and has quickly learned that there is precious little he can’t reach when he stands upon it. Just like that, the babyproofing that we have done in this house has become suddenly and woefully inadequate. I know that Jack, my older son, was closer to two before he started using a stepstool. But my baby seems determined to do everything a little earlier, a little faster, and with a little more daredevil attitude than his big brother did. And so the ride continues!