Dear Evan-24 Months Old

Dear Evan-
Happy Birthday! You turned two this week. We had a party for you at the gym where we have a class each week. You love that place. Every time I tell you we are going to the gym you look up at me and say, "Bounce Bounce Bounce!". Then-we had a small party at the house for a few people that couldn't make the gym party. We did that on your actually birthday night. We sang to you over cupcakes. You have been to so many parties the past few month you know all about blowing out candles, cake and presents!

We had a fun month. We had a 12 days of Christmas package from Neena. By the time your birthday and Christmas rolled around you were one expect on how to unwrap a gift. We gave you a play kitchen for your birthday. It is set up right next to the kitchen and you have fun putting things in and out of your sink and cabinets. It is fun for me to look inside as I never know what I will find. Sometimes there are beads inside a pot next to some vegetables or a truck will be parked inside. For Christmas you received a Thomas The Train set from Grandma and Grandpa Mink. You received so many trucks and gifts I thought you were going to explode from happiness. On Christmas you were so happy you would dance around and make cute noises of pure glee. It was amazing to see you. You are a happy child anyway and to see you happy beyond words was a gift to me in itself.

You are starting to talk so much. You amaze both Daddy and me everyday with your comprehension and your quickly growing vocabulary. You use 2-3 words now to describe things or make your needs know. You truly use noise effects as much as real words to get your points across. You are my little shadow and always want to know where I am or you will say "with me" as you want to go everywhere I go.

We have recently started to watch a little TV. You like Thomas and Bob the Builder. There is also a show called "Sam the Fireman" that you like. We really limit your TV as there is so much more interesting things to do in life. But it is a treat to sit and watch one of these shows with you. You get so into it. You will walk up to me with the remote and ask "Bob"? or "choo choo"? (Thomas) or make a loud siren noise for the fireman show. It cracks me up.

You like to paint. I think you would paint everyday. You will often bring your paints up to me and ask me if you can paint. I have saved many of your paintings all ready.

One of your favorite things to do with me since you were very little is to go through all of your trucks and line them all up in a line. I use to do that for you and now I see you do it all by yourself. We color code them or we put them in smallest to largest order. You like to sneak the small ones next to the large ones and will announce that they are "Tiny".

You get in and out of the car by yourself now. You will still ask for my help on occassion but usually you will announce "Baby" telling me you want to do it. You refer to yourself as baby. In gym class we go around the circle and all of the kids are just starting to say their names. You haven't done that yet and I usually say your name to the group for you. This past month we went around the circle and I ask what your name is and you said to the group, "Baby!". It was so cute and great that we all laughed. Now that is what you say when you are asked what your name is. I know there will be a short time of this answer and I am loving it for as long as you will be saying it.

We take another class together called "Bee Planet". It is in Temescal Canyon. I really wanted to get you away from the city and have you see the great outdoors at least once a week. It is a fun class and you really seem to enjoy it. We do all sorts of activities together.

Tonight you were playing with your little car that has all sorts of buttons that offer different sounds. You had pressed one that made a song and I started to dance. You looked up at me and pointed to the music box we have in the hall and said, "Dance"!? I immediately went over and turned on the i-pod. We played Dancing Queen and you were dancing in the red light of the Christmas lights overhead holding a gift tag in one hand and shaking it. You kept saying "hot tea" as the gift tag reminded you of a tea bag. Daddy came in to dance with us. All three of us were dancing together and I just wanted to stop time and hold on to that moment forever. I guess by writting this night in our blog I am holding on to it in some way. These are such joyous times. They are memories I will hold on to forever. I am so proud of you Evan. You are a joy to be around. You have a greatness about you. A quietness and a peace that you don't find in many people and you are only two years old. I find you amazing and I am so lucky you are my son.

Happy Birthday my little guy. I love you more than words can say.

xoxo

Mommy