Our Favorite Everyday Place

There is this park in SM that has everything an almost two year old could need. Evan loves being there so much. We do try to go at least every other day so he can play in water, sand and run in a wide field of green grass. They also have a great Toddler playground. He climbs up and does the slide all by himself. He just loves it. It is a fun day for us.

What to Do with Money

Lastnight, Daddy got home from a consultant job. He got paid in cash. He handed them to Evan who immediately thew the money over his head and started rolling in it giggling! We cracked up. How did he know this is what one does with money?? We would pick up the bills and Evan would take them back and did the whole thing over and over again. It was like he had seen someone do this before or had been told how to do it.

Mama's!

Evan has become protective over my belongings. I first noticed it when a couple of weeks ago we were carpooling with Brandie and Sofia. Evan and Sofia were in there carseats sitting side-by-side in the backseat. I placed my bag between them and started to drive. When all of the sudden I heard Evan saying, "mama" "mama" "MAMA!!". I took a look in the backseat to find my bag on Evan's lap and Sofia trying to grab it from him.

Today at the beach we loaned someone our sunscreen and Evan was pointing at it saying, "Mama" "Mama" "MAMA!!". I tried to explain that we let people use our things sometimes. It is about sharing.

Tonight we greeted Daddy in the courtyard when he arrived home. I had my bag in hand and Evan would not let Steven take my bag from me. He kept reminding him that it was "Mama's"!!

Clean Up

Since I can remember Evan has liked things tidy. He doesn't like it when he sees a spec or if food gets messy. He will spread out his fingers uncomfortably and tell me he needs help wiping off his hands. I have encouraged this trait! He doesn't like it when I get something on my clothes either. He will point and make sounds to tell me that something is wrong and needs help.

Today E was in his highchair. He had dropped some food on the floor and was pointing at it telling me that something was wronged and needed to be cleaned. I thanked him and told him I would do it as soon as we were through eating. A few seconds later, he got down off of his chair went to the floor and cleaned it up. He then got back up in his chair and started to eat again finishing up his breakfast.

Dear Evan-20 Months Old

Dearest Evan,
This has been a busy month for us. We are doing so many new activities together. You love playing with Play-Doh now. We have a special cabinet for you where we house the Play-Doh, markers, paper and crayons. You will start saying "Play-Doh" and go get it and take it to your chair so you can play. You love pressing the dough with your finger or asking Mommy to make "Ahdahs" (Balls)for you. We have started watercolor painting. You are a natural. You love water and I thought this would be a great art skill to start. You love to dip your brush into the water and then apply it to the paper. It has been great to do together because it has helped you really learn your colors too. You still call all colors Yellow (your favorite!) but I know you know they each have a their own name. When I ask you which one is blue or red you will point to the correct color.

You are so physical and love to have wide open spaces to run around and play. You have really started running this past month. You can also jump pretty well now. It makes you smile! You love for us to play hide-n-seek together at the bluff. Mommy will hide behind a palm tree and you will call my name "mama" and wait for me to giggle or give you a hint. You will giggle non-stop and run to where I am hiding and say "Boo"!.

You are curious about toilet things. You announce to me when you pee or poop. You like to flush the toilet. We got you a potty chair and you point to it and say "Pee Pee". We haven't started potty training you yet. We are just getting use to the vocabulary and I am going to let you set the pace of when we actually start. I think around two we can get more serious. I will say you hate your diapers and much rather run around naked!

You Absolutely love music. Today we were in the car and Daddy was driving you and I were in the backseat. You were kicking to the beat of the music and slapping your hands on your knees. Daddy and I were too. It was a special moment. One I hope I don't forget. You were in the backseat not too long ago when Frankie Goes to Hollywood came on the radio. They were playing "Relax". I turned off the car after arriving home mid-song. I turned to look at you and you were giving me the "More" sign from the backseat. I turned it back own and you continued to kick and smile. You ask me to turn on the radio or will turn it on yourself. You like to dance and will ask me or Daddy to dance with you.

You still LOVE trucks. I have to say it is your absolute favorite thing. You love books too. We read so many books throughout the day. Right now it is all about reading the Carl dog books or Mama Llama books. You have a few truck books too that we read many times throughout the day.

We started looking for a babysitter this month. We met the first one at a park. You were playing in the sand between us while I was interviewing her. She really didn't have much to say to you and I didn't get the best feeling from her. To confirm my feeling, at the end of the interview she looked down and started to talk to you. You looked up at her and tapped her on the nose with your small, blue sand shovel. I laughed our loud. It was a relief that I wasn't doing these interviews on my own. I definitely had a partner in it and you made yourself quite clear. Since then, we have found Emily. She seems to be working out for us. Time will tell but she seems to have a quiet spirit and likes to play with you. I am home 99.9% of the time. But it gives you someone new to play with and helps me to work a bit.

Grandpa Chuck is moving to LA. We are going to get to see him more often. It will be nice to have a Grandpa living close by. He rented a house in Ventura about two hours away.

I cant believe how fast the time has gone by. Over the weekend we went to see one of the Piglet babies turn two. You will soon turn the big two-too. I have wondered lately how it will feel to know you when you are 6'3" and towering over me. I hope that you will be happy and love the life that you have built for yourself. I also hope that you are kind and have so much love in your life.

One more thing: Now when I ask if you want something or if you like something you will say," Yea" in the sweetest most sincere way. I love it!

I love you my sweet son. I grow to love you more each day. It is so much fun to talk to you and learn about you.

Love-
Mama

Beach Time with Dada

Smoothies

We have a coffee shop that makes a smoothie we all love. It is called the "Very Berry". When we went away to Palm Springs this summer we tried different recipes and found one that is similar to this one. We make smoothies now all the time and Evan loves them. He has his own straw cup and we hand it to him as we begin the blending process. E will get up on his red stool or stand and our feet while the blender goes. He will imitate the blender sound too. He knows what is coming!

Yellow and Other Observations

Yellow is Evan's first color that he knows how to say and identify. It is amazing because he really understands that everything has a color but can't quite yet say which color it is. So-we start most conversations with him pointing to an object and saying, "Yellow?". He also understands counting and will point to multiple object and make a sound as he points to each object. His capacity for learning and understanding amazes me everyday.

This week I told Evan that he looked so nice and he immediately looked down at his outfit and then looked up at me with a huge grin. I was amazed that he understood what I was referring to and he appreciated the compliment!

Each day I hear the sounds that Evan makes and think how much I loves those sounds. I know one day soon they will disappear as he takes on speaking real words and sentences. Right now he often says "NaNaNa na'..."Oynyah"or "En-nah. I am going to miss thes sounds so much. He loves to make actual sound effects instead of words. He makes a splash sound instead of trying to say "water". We walk past the ocean or a fountain and it is "pssshh".

So much happens each day and I think to myself that I really need to add "that" to the blog and then life happens and it all gets away from me. Time is going so fast. I feel so lucky to be able to stay home with my little boy and watch him grow. He grows and grows and grows...I try each day as it comes and try to stay in the present with him. Weeks go by like days and months go by like weeks. I know I will look back at this time with such fun-filled memories of our days spent together.