Sea World

We took E to Sea World over the weekend. He loved it. I think he is fascinated with animals especially ones that splash. We saw Shamu and we saw so many dolphins. I think dolphins are his favorite. There is an Elmo's Sesame Street park there and he did not want to leave. He was having so much fun. He climb up these huge nets up to tunnels and slides. He dies so much now. He is so coordinated and loves to push himself to do new things. I love that he will often say, "try?" in order to do something new whether it is to eat or drink something or do a new challenge. The other day he asked me to get into a small space with him and I told him I was too big. He looked up at me and said, "Try?". How could I say no to that?

Dada vs. Steven

E has recently been calling his Dada "Steven". It cracks me up. Tonight I could hear him speaking to Steven in the kitchen about cooking dinner. I could hear Evan say, "Steven?" And then continue to ask him about the pasta they were cooking. So funny. Then, I heard Steven say, "I would prefer you to call me Dada?"

Hold On Tight. No Drop it.

Since we have been home from St. Barths Evan has slowly been going towards using a real cup. When we were away we only had one sippy cup with us. We ended up offering E a real cup more often than not. We would tell him to becareful and to "hold on tight". His little face would take on our concern and those little hands would take the glass with care and look up at me and say, "hold on tight. no drop it". Tonight I was getting some milk for all of us and I asked if he would like a "mommy glass cup". He said yes. Before our trip he would possibly agree to having one but then say he would like a cap on it. Tonight he sat at the table with us and drank from his big boy cup and you would of never known he ever needed a sippy. There are so many things like this that I am noticing lately that show me he is growing up

Dear Evan-30 Months Old

Dear E
You are 30 months old today. I cannot believe that you are two and a half! Where is the time going? So much has happened this past month and I cannot wait to tell you all the things you have been busy doing.

You are talking up a storm. I feel bad as you are now saying so much that there are times I don't have any idea what you are saying and I have to ask you to repeat your question or thought. A few months ago I could stay on top of all of your words and pretty much knew all the time what you were saying but now you increase your vocabulary so much each day that it makes me struggle to know what you are trying to tell me. Sometimes you just smile when I cam guessing incorrectly or you will just look at me and say, "Noooo!" Your language is now quickly becoming sentences after sentences not many one word comments are left. The other night we were at the beach house and drove home. When we reached the alley you said from the back seat, "No home. Noodles. Restaurant." Your Daddy and I just left and we kept driving and took us out to eat. You love to be out and always let us know when you don't want to go back home yet. But this was the clearest you have ever spoken to us in terms of what you wanted to do. You love being home too and there are times where you tell me, "No outside. Stay home now".

You are becoming more and more physically able in so many ways. You climb rope ladders all by yourself and can hang with both arms off of monkeybars. You can even pull your knees into your chest while you are hanging. You jump and skip and dance like there is no tomorrow! All of these things you have been doing for a while but recently they all look so effortless and you do them all on your own without any suggestion from us. You know your capabilities and are growing very quickly confident of them so much so that you place yourself in new challenges and try to figure them each out on your own with your body.

You are becoming curious about going potty on the toilet but we are not there yet. You watched yur friend Isabel use the toilet and that made you more curious but after a few days of sitting on the "Toto" at home the curiousity died. We will see when it comes back. You ask all kinds of questions about body functions. You are so intelligent and really want to know how the body and things work. You proudly told our neighbor Holly the other day that food goes into your mouth and into your belly and then it goes around and around. Then it goes out the bottom to make poo poo.

We have Meleana two mornings a week. You are becoming more attached to her and don't seem to mind when I leave and she takes care of you. This summer I am slower with work and really want to spend time with you as much as I can. She is with you usually no more than four hours a day and then I come home and you take a nap and then get up and play later in the afternoon. Daddy is home with you two whole days a week. It is a good schedule and it is fun to see you hang out with everyone. You love our neighbors as they have all taken such interest in you. Brad, Holly, Monica and now Mark from upstairs. You will call to him from the bottom of the stairs for him to come play with you. Let's not forget to mention Anna the cat. You love her and will go call for her too outside her door.

You love to paint. You ask to paint often. We usually use plain water and many brushes. I have been adding in one color to the water so you get good at mixing and learning about the chemistry of it all. Your favorite thing right now to do is play with the mulch in the courtyard with your trucks. You have a couple of diggers and a dumptruck. You keep busy for hours.

Your absolute favorite food/drink is chocolate milk. You ask for it multiple times a day. We have to limit your milks to two small ones a day or you won't drink anything else. You have your goods days with food but usually you are too busy to care to eat. I think you love noodles right now the most and applesauce. I buy a squeezable one from TJ's and you love to drink it out of its package. You are into treats now. You understand what a treat is and will request one from time to time. Specifically a "chocolate treat". You are a boy after my own heart!

This past month you went to St Barths with me on a business trip. It was so great for you to swim everyday and see such beauty. We had a nice yard for you to play with a garden hose and all kinds of rocks. I took you to all different beaches. You loved the one that had many rocks that you could throw into the water. It was so fun to get you a passport at two years old and expose you to the world outside of our regular existance. You are an amazing traveller. We have been home for well over a week and you still ask about our "new home". We also went to SF last month and you had the same reaction to living somewhere new. You called the house (hotel) "new home" and our rental car "new car". When I asked you what home you liked better. "New home" or "Old Home" (SM) you answered, "Old home". Phew. That was a relief! Your schedule stayed the same when we traveled and you were happy to come home too. You seem to have a very flexible disposition and enjoy the new experiences.

You are so friendly. You say "hi" to everyone. If they don't say 'hi" back you watch them for a while and then go back to whatever it was you were doing. You are one happy kid. It is so much fun to be with you. I love to see how much you love music and dancing too. We watch a show called "Yo Gabba Gabba". You love it and it encourages your love for music and dance.

Your favorite thing to play with is the vacuum hose. You play with it as a fireman's hose and you and I run through the courtyard with our fireman hats and put out fires. You take it with you in the bath and all over the house. It is the best toy EVER!

Thank you for being my son. I love you more than words can ever say.

Love,
Mama

Dear Evan-29 Months Old

Dear E,
This month has been fun. You had an airplane ride to San Francisco. We stayed in a nice place with a huge field in front to run through. You liked to play with your trucks at the flagpole. Each night you would make a comment about how the flag had disappeared. We liked to hang out at the fire pit and play with the rocks and look at the flames. You made many friends. It was the first time I really ever saw you take off and play with other kids. You are still so into trucks. You are doing much better when I have to leave you. We talk about it first so you know what to expect each day. You seem to do better knowing if I am going to have to go. We are going to send you to Cassidy Preschool in the Fall. It is only three hours a day and we will start slow with only two mornings a week. It seems to be a really nice place. It is a huge step for all of us and it will be fun to see how it all goes. You don't seem that interested in potty training yet although you do well to tell me when you want your diaper changed. You still prefer, "Mama do it". You corrected me for the first time when I called a truck a bulldozer and then you corrected me and told me it was not one but a "backhoe". We have so many conversations now. It is so much fun! We are going on an international trip this next month for Mama's work. We are geting you a passport. I hope this is the beginning of so many fun trips! I know it will be. I love to travel. It is one of my most favorite things to do. I hope one day it will be for you too.

I love you.

M

Airplanes and Taxis

It is so important to me that Evan have a life that includes travel. I realized when I was 16 years old and took a trip to Europe for the first time what travel gives and this is a gift I want for him to have starting young. A gift that offers him so much opportunity and experience. I think the earlier you give the wanderlust the better. It is so good to be influenced with worldly perspective and the knowledge and experience of that comes with these journeys. We are starting small as we are going to SF for a week. He will be on a 55 minutes airplane ride. I can't wait to see him in the air!

Almost Twenty Nine Months...