Today You Are 2!

Dear James,

Today you turned 2 years old. It's so hard to believe it because although sometimes the days seem to creep along, the years go by all too quickly.

You have brought so much joy and happiness to my life. You're a little ball of energy. You're happy, and silly and pretty ornery too.

This past year you have learned how to walk and now run, jump and climb. I'm starting to think that you're part monkey. Just in this past week you've climbed up on Mimi and Pa T's table and our table at home. You've taught yourself how to stand on the rocking chair in your room and hoist yourself up onto your brother's bed. You climbed out of your pack n play twice at Mimi and Pa's At story time this week, you climbed into the bin in the middle of the Lego table at the library. Oh, and yesterday you about gave me a heart attack when you made it half way over the porch ledge before I was able to stop you!

You don't like to ride in your stroller very much. You'd rather walk like Daniel. You can make it pretty far too! Although, between you and Daniel it takes 20 minutes to walk 2 blocks because you have to stop and look at everything along the way! We're also working on remembering to hold a hand when you cross the street. You'd much rather be independent.

You are obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You've loved it for a long time, and get so excited when you see Mickey or any of the characters. You've also discovered just about every other Disney and Nickleodeon cartoon now and came name almost all of the characters and sing a long to a lot of the songs.

You are a very picky eater. I shouldn't be surprised because I was too. And Daniel still is. You have a few staples that you'll always eat. Yogurt and chicken nuggets. You hate milk and will only drink water. I even tried to give you chocolate milk and you spit it out like it was the most offensive thing you had ever tasted. And don't get me started on your hatred of peanut butter. That's just wrong! :)

Some other things you love include:

• swinging at the park
• Llama Llama books
• Little Pookie books and many other Sandra Boynton books as well!
• saying goodbye to everything including inanimate objects
• bubbles
• coloring or "painting" as you call it.
• balloons
• bath time
• your loveys
• ice cream
• If You're Happy and You Know It, Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Wheels on the Bus
• trains and railroad crossings 
• the moon

Things you're none to thrilled about include:

• getting dressed
• being given a food that you don't want
• people singing if you're not in the mood. (you'll scream, "no!" over and over)
• being buckled into your car seat
• when Daniel does something that you wanted to do
• being carried
• having to come inside

Your vocabulary has been growing leaps and bounds every week. You say new words almost every day and can put together 3 and 4 word sentences. You can already recognize almost all of the capital letters of the alphabet. You call "Q" "cute", which is adorable. And you can count to 5. Sometimes you get to 10 but miss a number here and there.

Other cute words and phrases include:

• "Bye! C-ya soooon!"
• The frog says, "Yibbit!"
• Yabbut is rabbit
• "I love you" (although you don't say that one enough!)
• "On no! What happened?"
• "I coming!"

You have such a silly side and then a very opinionated side. I love watching you become you. I feel so lucky so be your mommy and so thankful that God picked you out just for us. 

I love you so much my Jamesy boy!

Love forever and always,
Mommy