Dear Evan-43 Months Old

Dear Evan-
This summer is flying by. It is half over and we have had alot of fun. You have loved your camps. Especially Domi and Gene's camp and Rookie camp. I pick you up and you do not want to leave. I have to coax you to get you to go to the car with me! It is wonderful to see you having so much fun. I love that we have found these special places for you and that you have felt secure in these new places to explore and have fun.

Holley our neighbor has been babysitting you in the eves sometimes when we need it on occasion. You really like her and since she lives only a few doors down we see her all the time and you consider her a friend. Meleana still takes care of you too sometimes during the day or on a weekend afternoon. You seem to really like her company and it is special that she has been watching you for the past year.

You really want Mama to do everything. You still request and demand that it is me that dresses you and washes your hair. You use to be protective of my things but you seem to have cooled off about that sort of thing. It is more just about routine now because you are so use to me doing things for you that is the way you want it to work. You can read many words now and I found out by you pointing to the word and telling me the word and something about it. One word is your name. You won't read it but point to it and then spell it out loud! E-V-A-N!

You can put your shoes on all by yourself now. And can pretty much take all of your clothes off on your own. You are very particular about what clothes we put on you and you like to now chose everything. You have an opinion on how they fit too. In fact that seems to be more important than how they look. You will have a shirt on and say, "mama this shirt is too big!".

You love Anna the cat that lives next door. We often sit with her in the courtyard and pet her. She is such a great cat and will just sit with us. You like to lay your head on her and she just takes it. We talk about getting a cat or a dog. You will often ask for a cat more often than a dog. You like to play in the courtyard. We have a huge pink flower tree. This tree loses its' leaves often and you like to take a basket and go pick up the leaves. You like to take a stick and hit the tree to make the leaves fall down. We don't have a yard but how wonderful we have this courtyard for us to explore. It has a nice size fountain in the middle that offers some nice white noise and now the grass and flowers are finally growing. The irrigation wasn't working and all of the grass and flowers would never grow. that was ok too because you use to be able to dig. Now that all the flowers and plants are living we can no longer dig and go to the bluff with your trucks.

You seem pretty good about sharing. I think you get it now. You will even tell other kids they need to share when you want something from them! You still hit and push when you get frustrated with communicating your needs and wants. I am still trying to teach you that your words are to be used and not your hands to make sure you get your points across. You like your own space and when a kid gets right into your face or gets too much in your "elbow room" you don't like it and take great offense to it. I try to watch out for that for you and explain to you that it is perfectly acceptable for you to fave your personal space and for people to respect this request.

You are so friendly and happy. You like to say hi to other kids and engage them easily. You are very interested in water and how everything works. You love to make up words that rhyme. You love riding your bike. When you get hurt there is nothing like a band-aid that will make it all better. You like music. We listen to it in the car all the time. You'll ask me if I like a song and then will say me too! Or sometimes you like songs that I don't and you'll tell me to turn it up. You get the concept of a weekend and love that we can do whatever we want. No work for mama and we can watch a little TV too. Each morning is wake up, chocolate milk and go pee. You really like the order to everything. Don't like it when it is changed from how we normally do things. Whether it's a task or the schedule. I wonder if you'll still be like that when you're older. You started camp with Dara. You love him. Rookie camp is awesome. I think you really like it. It is showing you so many fun activities. Perfect for your age and there are plenty of LD kids there too to help you feel comfortable. It's been a nice summer so far. You are getting so big. I keep trying to just pause and take you in. I know this time is passing by so quickly. I keep saying to myself you are only 3-1/2. You are still my baby. You just show so much independence now it's amazing.

You want so badly to go to Legoland this summer. You have been asking so I think we are going to try to go in the next couple of weeks. It will be fun to get away with you.

I love you very much. XOXO

Mama