a big TWO years old

Dump Everything.  My little G turns a big TWO years old later this month.   I scurry this week to celebrate (in construction-style) and remember this time in our lives. 

G words that make us smile:

• Bombine.  Broken.    (Grandpa fixes a combine in the driveway)
• Tank you  (Thank you)
• Pweas  (Please)
• Awww Choo (pretending to sneeze)
• Trackter    (Tractor)
• Babhoe  (Backhoe)
• Wagon
• HOT Fwwwww Fwwww
• BOOM  (thunder)
• Un….Tree (One Two Three)
• All gone
• Ryan (G’s buddy at our sitters)
• MilllllK
• Baaaa Bye Momma

G likes to help. He mimics me, a lot.  Saturday mornings find us cleaning.  I run the vacuum and G pushes a dry mop around the house.  He thinks this is fun, bless his heart.   One dust rag for momma; one dust rag for G.

Do we clean the house twice as fast?   Ahh.. no.  But if I catch G pushing his small table and chairs across the house and pretend mopping where it once stood…  I chuckle.

 

G makes us do that a lot.  Smile.  Laugh.  Dad asks me the other day, “Why are you throwing G’s sippy cups in the trashcan?” and I say: “I’m not doing that… Hmmmm.”  We both look at G. 

I stamp the missing coffee carafe lid mystery… SOLVED.  I give up hunting, and call Cuisinart customer service the next day. Sifting through things thrown away becomes a new habit. 

G shows interest in gardening.  Small yellow hoe in hand, he helps me attack and pull weeds.. and also the flowers.  “No G, don’t pull THAT one.”  I quickly replant the white Iris and give the soil a good pat. 

 

G laughs  when:

• Dad challenges him to a staring contest
• I step, push and bounce on a shovel to dig a hole in the garden
• We eat corn on the cob and make funny faces
• Dad tunes into the opera radio channel, and we lip-synch 
• We wear colanders at hats

In the past year G learned to walk, run, jump and dance. 

G’s favorite activities:

• Climbing the gravel pile
• Riding in the tractor
• Mopping with a broom  (all the time)
• Drawing with chalk
• Building Legos
• Feeding cattle

Exciting new things G does:

• Follows two part directions (as in:  G go get the truck toy and bring to this room)
• Eats with a spoon and fork (mashed potatoes brings out the default finger pick up)
• Gives his opinion (snack time,  book selection)

Speaking of books, I’ll tell you a secret.  I ordered three for G’s upcoming birthday:

Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce.  Based on Academy Award-winning animated short film, this book was released recently in June 2012.  A terrible wind blows away Mr. Morris Lessmore’s personal library, and he find meaning in caring for the books.  I haven’t read any of these books, but I think this will be my favorite because it’s filled with literary and film references (and I think the front cover rocks)

 

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems.   I immediately love the oversized, old-fashioned lettering on this book’s cover. Leonardo is a terrible monster who is not that good at being terrible. He’s not big, doesn’t have hundreds of teeth, and isn’t even weird.  He decides to find the most scaredy-cat kid and “scare the tuna salad out of him”. 

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog another one by Mo Willems. When Pigeon finds a delicious hot dog, he can hardly wait to shove the entire thing in his beak.  But, then he sees a hungry duckling who wants a bite. Who will be the more clever bird?  The reviews of this book sold me.  It’s a favorite by many who commented.

I plan to pick my favorite book out of the three and write a special letter for G in the front cover.  I can’t wait for these reads to arrive. I can’t wait for his birthday.

 

I especially look forward to reading these books to my TWO year old.  What books are you reading?

Lauren