Happy Birthday Leif!

Dear Leif,

You are two years old today. Remember the day when I thought you would never talk? We anxiously awaited your first words? Where did that day go? You talk non-stop now and your father and I can hardly get a word in edgewise. Or how about you toddling about, falling down after every 6 steps? Well you still fall down a lot, as evidence by your perpetually bruised legs, but can you slow down a little? It’s awfully hard for us to keep up.

We go for walks every night and you enjoy that. Although you always persist in heading the opposite way then we want to go. Is this indicative of what is to come? Are you always going to seek to be contrary? I realize the sun is in your eyes, but if you don’t keep your sunglasses (sassies) on then it will be at some point on our walk. It is really cute the way you emulate Winny on our walks, albeit a little gross when you get down on all fours next to her and sniff the grass like she does. I know what she is sniffing and would really rather you not sniff it as well. You are very demanding with Winny and scream at her nearly the entire walk, “Winny stop! Winny heel! Winny come! Winny no!” I don’t really yell at her *that* much, do I? Poor dog.

We are truly impressed with your reading skills. Last night you sat down and read the entire “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” book to daddy and I. Today you did it for grandma on the webcam. We beamed the entire time. You love books and some of your favorites right now are your Trucks book, the Air and Space book I brought you back from the Smithsonian last year, Goodnight Moon, the Ernie potty book (and Bert REALLY does go on the potty).

You really like movies and have gone back to the old Nemo standby. I tried pushing Brother Bear on you last weekend, but you got very mad when the bears weren’t on. You picked out the worst movie ever last weekend at Blockbuster. You get this from me, I tend to also pick out the worst movies ever. This one was called Stuart Little 3. I am quite positive you picked it out because there was a mouse on the cover. But really, it was horrible. Let’s not get that one again. You like Little Einsteins and enjoy singing along to the songs as well as Sesame Street (Cookie Monster and Ernie are your favorites). You have mastered the cookie monster voice.

Your closest friends are Cate and Atticus. You also like Jonathen, Liam, Soren and Sebastion from daycare. Ok here’s something you can explain to me… why do you eat everything under the sun at daycare, but are picky as can be at home? You are the apple of your teachers eyes. We hear stories about you that both crack us up and frighten us. Example, you pulled a little girl’s hair at school the other day. Your teacher got mad at you and told you not to do that and wouldn’t pick you up when you cried. You went to your former teacher, Miss Sufia, who was over with her class and told her you hurt yourself. She, of course, picked you up to snuggle. Cunning little boy, you are!

Speaking of owies. We need to discuss the little boy who cried wolf. Every five minutes you have a new owie. You have my klutziness… but it isn’t *that* severe. Just because mommy and daddy aren’t paying attention for a second, does not constitute an owie. And not every owie needs a Nemo band-aid. If every owie did, you would be a walking band-aid. We can’t afford that many band-aids.

You really enjoy water play, swimming, TumbleBus (where you do the zip line all by yourself) and any other activity that requires you to get up and move. Unfortunately the TumbleBus is not at my beck and call, and screaming for the bus at 7pm will not yield results.

You are being a little tease with us as far as counting and ABC’s goes. Your father and I have heard you count to 10 twice now. Perfectly. But when asked to count to 10, you tell us, three, eight, eight, eight. You perplex us. You have portions of your ABC’s, thanks mostly to Choo Choo Soul I am positive. Oh well, you are learning. Mommy is just jealous is all, I would say you will understand someday, but alas, you are a boy.

You truly have a magnetic personality. You draw people in, engage them and make them laugh. You have a knack for this, which confounds me. All I can say is that you did not get this from me. It frightens us a little as we see your personality develop. I worry of your trusting nature, your extreme outgoing nature and your tendencies to get that glimmer in your eye that reminds me so much of your grandma! Yes dear boy, you have been graced with grandma C’s personality! That means you will always be surrounded by friends, you will have an incredible knack for making people laugh and bringing people together. It also means you will throw a mean party (fear in mommy’s heart) and will pack for a blizzard in the middle of summer. Oh wait, maybe that is just a C family trait…

Happy Birthday Leif!

Love, Mommy