Two and a Half

Our Sweet Michael,

You are two and a half today!  It’s probably about time we started using the term “half”, because if I know anything about kiddos it’s that that half is so very important to them.  We celebrated your half birthday at school yesterday with your friends.  You treated your classmates to Krispy Kreme donuts and chocolate milk (two of your favorites).  I wanted to jot down a few things you are doing these days because I want to remember everything about you being two... and a half.  

You are amazing.  Let’s start with that.  You love suckers and just about anything else primarily made of sugar.  You don’t want to eat much of anything else, except for pasta.  That’s your fave.  Any kind of pasta, but you really enjoy elbows.  You call William “Michael”.  Your vocabulary is starting to take off.  After four months of speech therapy I am now convinced that you were just waiting for your time to talk.  Some of your memorable phrases these days:  “No, wait!”, “I said no!”, “Please, Mama!  Please!”  “I’m sorry, Daddy.”  You can name every single character in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Toy Story and Cars.  You love to pray with us at dinner.  You now know how to cross yourself and hold our hands all while being quiet.  Your favorite color is purple, but you can also identify red, blue, green, orange and yellow.  You can count to ten, although right now we are really working on the fact that you skip seven and go from six to eight!  You wear a size 4T and a size 9 1/2 in shoes.  Yes, you are still huge.  You giggle with delight when you wrestle with Daddy.  You run so fast, we all have a hard time keeping up with you.  Not a big fan of playing with balls, but balloons are another story.  We tried potty training in the fall, but it wasn’t your time.  I’m thinking in the new year we are going to tackle that goal.  You are one amazing jumper.  Now you jump from the couch to the cushions you have strategically laid about the floor not to hurt yourself upon landing.  You are still an amazing sleeper.  I secretly love when you wake up at 6:00 am and snuggle in bed with me until 6:30.  You are a wonderful cuddler.  You love orange juice, Gatorade and chocolate milk (a special treat around here).  You throw things when you are upset.  Not one of your best traits, and it’s a work in progress.  You don’t cry often, but when you do you are very loud.  You love Matchbox cars and have started laying on your stomach to play with them.  I love watching you do this.  You are starting to take a liking to your brother.  You are aware that he needs one of whatever you have and are a wonderful sharer.  When you are hurt you hate to be touched, so we all leave you alone and you quickly stop crying.  You prefer to go down stairs backwards and sometimes head first.  Gives me a heart attach every time.  You can drink from a cup and use utensils perfectly.  I love watching you eat a bowl of cereal.  You have become a huge fan of school- basically jumping out of the car when your teacher opens the door and you always run to me when I pick you up.  I remind you every single day I drop you off to be a good listener.  You hate to have me pour water over your head in the bath.  You love to brush your teeth and are getting that whole spit instead of swallow thing down.  You love to blow out candles.  You eat the middle out of Oreos and give the cookies to William.  Your smile is contagious.  You still take Blank and George with you everywhere you go.  I love that.  You are no longer a toddler to me, but a little boy who is simply growing up too quickly.   I can’t believe you are going to be THREE in six months.  

I love you, Monkey.  

Mommy