30 Months

This afternoon Kyle and I spent a couple hours playing outside together in the spring sunshine.  My very sweet and very active little guy usually takes an afternoon nap during those warm sunny hours but today we opted to skip it.  He has been on a too late schedule - too late waking up, too late napping, too late going to bed - so I decided we needed to forgo nap time today and make it an early bedtime.  My sweetie girl was fast asleep, however, and Jonathan needed to do some studying for his classes.  So, Kyle and I headed out doors to spend some time one on one.  

Watch out, Mom, here I come!

Our friends have a trampoline and he and I had a good ol' time playing on it.  He enjoys jumping and he also discovered that he could roll from the edge inwards towards where I was laying and knock right into me.  To a goofy two and a half year old, that is a very entertaining game.  

I tried to grab him to take a photo but he was determined to get away.....

So, I tackled him instead.

Then he agreed to calm down long enough to document our crazy hair!

Mine turned out a little crazier than his.

Pause jumping for a quick trip down the slide.

Ok, back to being goofy with Mom.

Yes, two and a half.  My big boy turned two and a half on my birthday, September 2nd.  I can hardly believe what a big boy he is.  He is no longer a baby, not a bit.  He still likes to snuggle, sometimes, and he isn't potty trained, but he's all boy....Big, strong, handsome boy.  The potty training thing is a real sore spot, since we haven't had the opportunity to even begin that sequence yet.  And the next couple of months aren't looking very good either with all the traveling we have to do, but I'm going to give it my best shot as soon as I have a good full week and a washing machine plugged in.  But I digress....

Kyle's vocabulary is really unbelievable and Jonathan and I are always asking each other, "did you teach him that?"  One of my favorite words he says is, "danerwous".  Knives, moving cars, razor blades, dogs eating their food, stove tops, curling irons, and gas heaters are all danerwous.  His pronunciation isn't probably the best but his ability to compile sentences and express concepts is great.  Currently he is in this phase of breaking up his sentences word by word.  It is exhausting to listen to at times and honestly, I'm ready for this phase to pass.  "Don't. Step. On. Ellee. Make. Her. Cry. Hurt. Her. So. Bad. Go. Around. Be. Good. Brother."  "My. Friends. Go. Bye. Bye. Come. Back. Soon. Move. To. New. House. Be. Lots. Fun. How 'bout that?"  And so his incessant chattering goes.  He loves to end sentences with "how bout that?"   I bet it's so that everything warrants a response.  Sneaky little booger.  He is also stuck on ending each sentence with a really loud and high pitched draw.... like, "Mommy, are you in therrreeeeeee?"  "Mommy, are you going potttyyyyyyy?" Yes, sweetie, announce it to the entire world why don't you?

He is so sweet with Ellee, although he tests his limits occasionally.  I think in his heart, he is truly tender towards her.  It's us he has an issue with sometimes and wants to see how we will react.  Earlier he asked me, "Mommy, we don't put Ellee in the traassshh?"  Um, no, we do not.  The poor girl has already been knocked a number of times, some on purpose and some by accident, but I guess she might as well get used to it now.  Of course, if we know Kyle purposely did anything to hurt her, he gets reprimanded.  However, he can just be very clutzy.  He does show a lot of love towards her.  Last night I had her sitting in her Bumbo seat looking out at the yard and I saw as he ran by her, he stopped to kiss her head before he continued running.  The other day I was inside but the window was open and I heard him saying to Ellee who was also sitting outside, "I wuv you so much, Ellee."  

Jonathan has been diligent in teaching Kyle a few Bible verses and I really feel like we've only scratched the surface of what his little brain can retain.  He knows Genesis 1:1, Matthew 7:12, Ephesians 6:1, Philippians 2:4, Proverbs 18:4 and a couple are slightly paraphrased because Jonathan has simplified them for him.  Kyle loves to read his Bible story at night and to pray about everything he can think of.  "Thank you my food, my family, my cars, my good day, my sister.  Thank you no crying, no screaming, happy heart.  Thank you my friends house let me play outside have lots fun."  It is precious to listen to his little heart and hear how he is processing this crazy life.

Don't get me wrong, we have our share of rough days together.  He is trying so hard to assert himself and find his boundaries and there are days where I'd like to give up on him completely and stick him somewhere he can't get out.  He is stubborn, so very stubborn just like his mother.

Sometimes it boggles my mind that we live on the opposite side of the world now.  Most of the time, I just go through the day and do the things I would do whether I'm here or there - dishes, diapers, dishes, diapers, cooking, diapers, cleaning, etc.  But sometimes I ponder how far away we are and why it is that we came.  And sometimes it feels very, very lonely.  Days like today, however, are such sweet treasures.  I am able to enjoy my big boy (and my baby girl), laugh, play and for a bit, quit worrying about all the other things going on in our life.  I am so very thankful for the two living, breathing, needy distractions I have which force me to think about someone besides myself.

Today I am thankful for my boy who has changed me and stretched me and challenged me so much in these two and a half years.  I love his smile and big blue eyes, his thick hair, and his dirty boy hands I try constantly to keep clean.  I love his sweet voice and his usually agreeable spirit.  I love being his mom.

~Abby