My little buddy

 

I've had the best time with my little buddy lately!!!  We've had fun going to the pool, beach, and trying new outings, the most exciting of which was roller skating the other day. ("Wooooahh! I'm slippin!" was his first reaction, until he got the hang of it more and he kept saying "Oh!! Cool!"--one of his new favorite adjectives.) Timothy will officially be two and a half on August 10th, and as we approach that mid-year mark I am getting a glimpse of what age 3 will be like. He has always been a very upbeat, energetic child---eager and excited to do activities (special things like painting or play doh, building a fort, or playing an instrument) but these days I notice him focusing even harder on each of those things and more, really seeing something through and finishing whatever it is instead of getting distracted half way through. On his guitar, he's begun using both hands and really concentrating on where he places his fingers and which string he chooses to strum on. He turns the pages in his coloring book very carefully, wanting to make sure he has "just the right page" before he commits to it. If the coloring box is missing the yellow crayon he does not want to start coloring until he finds it.) And yet, while he has that observant side to him, I love how it's balanced out so nicely with his peppy, spontaneous little self. If we say "Timmy, do you want to go on a boat ride?" he'll  immediately and enthusiastically (translation: loud voice, hopping and waving his hands)  say "Yeahh!! Let's go! Let's go for a boat ride! Or...."Do you want to get some stuffed animals and take them up in your treehouse with you?" he'll say "Wow! Good idea!! Let's go get them!!" "Do you want to get the paint box out and paint?" "Yeahh! I'm so excited to paint, Mommy!!!!" .... When he does a jump into the pool, he doesn't just do a regular jump.... he switches it up like the big kids, doing straddle jumps, cannonballs, leaps, bellyflops--you name it!! .... 

But ooohhhh, no matter how much energy it requires of me to keep up with him, he is the sweetest most loveable thing. Granddaddy got him yogurt the other day and in the most sincere, animated voice he says "Ooooohhhh THANK you, G-Daddy!" Moments like that, I catch myself feeling so grateful and happy to have such a peppy little kid that brightens everyone's day.  Even if it's a topic that at first seems foreign to him (like our first trip to the dentist)....he responds so positively once we talk it through....We watched several you tube videos of kids going to the dentist, and we talked about it a lot. The morning leading up to the appointment he kept announcing "I get to go to the DENTIST!! He's gonna check my TEETH!!!"

 

 

Other recent conversations/happenings:  

 

When we run out of a particular snack, he tells me "Have to buy more at the store, Mommy!"

      ·         “Mommy/Daddy…I need to ask you something. I need to ask a question.”

·         “Come here. I wanna show you something!”

 

       " I've got a surprise for you!”

·         “I wanna tell you a secret!” 

• "Oh no! I can't catch that lizard! Lizard's goin' too fast!"

• "Daddy took me to the doctor. I had a splinter in my foot. Doctor made it allllll better."

 

• "I gotta be REEEEALLLY careful crossing the streets. Cars might hurt me!" (Hurray that this message is sinking in!)

       T: "Mommy, wanna color with me? (Crouched down on the ground, scribbling on his papers...)
       M: "Mommy's back hurts right now. How about I watch you? (Usually I am willing to get on the floor, but that particular day my back really was killing me.)
       T: "Oh? Your back hurts? Here. Here's a bean bag. Sit right there.  (He literally walked across the room and pulled the bean bag over for me. haha Busted! I had to accept his offer and leave my cozy spot on the couch.)

·          “Ooooo I hear thunder, Mommy! Rainstorm's coming.”

 

• "I wanna go on the UPS airplane!!" (At the airport, this is always his fascination....not any airplane, but specifically the UPS airplane. He has always had a soft spot for that brown logo. Spots it from a distance as we drive around town, and always loves getting a package.)

  “Bugs are getting me! Ouch I got a bug bite!” (Mosquito season in Florida…ugh! Not fun)

 

• " I see horses over there! I wanna go pet them!" (The conversation we have, each time we pull into the club.)

 

• "Yay! I went over the train tracks!" (He's fascinated by passing over a real train track around town.)

• "Mommy, I want a friend to come over!! Please?" (He sounds like he's 7 when he says this.)

·         “I made this for you!!” (Coming home from school or “camp” with a craft.)

 

• "I get nice and clean in the bath!!"

 

• "Let's get nice and cozy!" (Pulling a blanket over himself and wanting to cuddle to watch a show.)

 

·         “Let’s go on an adventure!”

·         “I wanna follow that ambulance!” (He's fascinated by the idea of ambulances zooming by, going to the hospital. He so wishes he could see what happens when they get there.)

·         “Why, Mommy? Why?” 

·         “Ohhhh!! It’s beautiful!” (Randomly, often when playing stickers or making a neat shape out of play doh)

·         “ I do it all myself!” (Climbing up into the carseat, getting something out of the fridge, putting his clothes on, etc.)

·         “I wanna take my volxwagon! I wanna take my ice cream truck!” (Loves taking his 2 new trucks from the Mast General Store in Asheville, into school these days.)

·         “I’m proud of you, Mommy!!” (Squeezing my neck…so sweet….and love that he repeats phrases we often say to him.)

 

"Let's go on a bike ride! I pedal all myself! (He is finally more interested in his little tricycle, and able to go longer distances on it now. Naturally, it's the dog days of Summertime when this outdoor activity

 

One of the  "monologues" he does when we are driving in the car is to talk about all the things he has at home...." I've got trucks at home. I've got goldfish at home. I've got kitty cat at home. I've got puzzles at home. I've got markers at home......"  (It always tickles me to see what he names.)

 

• "We gotta say our night time prayers."

 

I continue to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hearing his little voice sing in the backseat of the car. It always surprises me how well he knows the second and third verses to a lot of songs. Some of his recent favorites are "I've been working on the railroad," "I'm a little teapot," "The B-I-B-L-E yes that's the book for me," "She'll be coming around the mountain," "A Sailor went to Sea, Sea, Sea" , Polly Wolly Doodle, The Noah's Ark song, and "Big Rock Candy Mountains". 

 

 As I'm writing this blog and recording all these memories I'll appreciate looking back on a year from now, I realize that I have not signed in since end of June. Here's a quick recap in pictures of our July trip to Asheville over the 4th.

 

 

 

 

 

4th of July parade!

 

Picking blue berries

 

It was SUCH a wonderful treat to have the York family stay with us, and to catch up with my dear friend Emily! I just LOVE her kind, loyal heart,  passionate beliefs, and sincere devotion to her friends, family, and children. It was so fun getting to enjoy our kids together for a few days, and Timothy loved having play mates!! We WILL do it again, sooner rather than later. :)

 

Holding a baby chick at Biltmore

 

 

He is OBSESSED with any mode of transportation.....airplanes, tractors, cars, boats, buses, trucks. We spend at least 30 minutes a day, probably more some days, discussing all these vehicles. They are always on his mind!

 

Lastly....as we enter August, I am still shocked and awed when I think of the big number change. No more 2's in front of my age--EVER!! 30 something for the next 10 years it is! ahhh!!! But as I begin a new decade, I am so grateful for all the Lord's blessings! And I am looking forward to celebrating with family, friends, and fun things planned. Birthday fun all month long! --Yay!

 

 

 

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