Monthly Newsletter #26

Dear Landon,

Today you turn 26 months old. 26. GAH! I can’t believe it’s been that long. It seems like only yesterday I was…complaining about how you never slept and cried 23 hours a day.

We have absolutely entered a new phase this month. The “whaaas sat?” phase. It is awesome. Not just because I can tell that you’re checking out your surroundings, but because when you ask what something is and we tell you, you totally try to repeat it. Also, when we tell you what something is, nine times out of ten you actually commit it to memory. Hence the new fascinations with water towers – which I pointed out to you in an effort to keep your attention away from the fact that you were sleepy since we were only 3 minutes from our destination – and lord knows if you fall asleep in the car even if only for a minute, we’re not going to get another nap out of you. Your other obsessions include “skoo butheth” (school buses), “beeg rucks” (big trucks), and “geetahs” (guitars.)

We’re reading a lot of books with one word on each page and a picture, and while it may appear that you can read I know that’s not the case, but you totally know what the thing on the page is. Like “okkopooth” (octopus.) And “nake” (snake.) It’s a step in the direction of reading though and that is totally awesome.

Another bonus to your remembering of things is that you totally remember who people are when you see them now. Even the ones you only see once every few months. And you say their names. You caused several people to cry tears of joy because of that over Thanksgiving. I was hoping “Nuckle Hestor” (Uncle Hector) would stick, but apparently you’ve moved on to “Uncle Heccor.” The rest of them you’re close enough to the right pronunciation that we don’t get to have a fun new nickname.

You are recognizing a few letters and a few numbers when you see them. Especially if you can sit on my lap and point at my shirt and ask me what each letter is while poking me with your pointy pointy fingers. I have to credit your school with this feat. You are a little sponge, soaking up everything you can.

You did also hit a few day care style milestones this month. There was biting. When the day care called I was 99% certain that you had done the biting, but in fact you had been bit. They can’t tell me who it is, and the only reason I know it was a girl was because two weeks later I got another call. Somebody scratched your face. I asked if we were dealing with some kind of bully situation, if it was the same kid, and they said no, the biter was a girl and the scratcher was a boy. Things like this are going to happen from time to time, I fully expect to get calls from day care when you get hurt, by accident or as a victim and occasionally as a perpetrator from time to time – it’s part of growing up and as much as I would love to be able to protect you from those things, if nothing ever happens to you, then you’ll never learn how to deal with hurt. Rest assured, if I start getting calls too often, I will step in and do what I need to do. On the upside, yay for getting close enough to another kid to be bitten and scratched! That’s actually progress.

Your love for music continues to rule your life. You hear music and must dance. You have rock star pajamas and a rock star towel, and you love both of them. You see guitars on signs, in books, in real life and you play your air guitar and dance to the air guitar music. Occasionally we look over to see you dancing to music that no one else hears – perhaps remembering a good song you heard earlier in the day. You want to share your love of music so much, that you tried over Thanksgiving to teach Grandma and Grandpa Wood’s stuffed bear how to play the piano. The harmonica you got last year for Christmas is still a favorite toy.



I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but this month has been pretty good. Your new found communication skills have helped us when we couldn’t figure out what the meltdown was about. We have finally figured out a good schedule, and you’ve attended school for full weeks at a time instead of partial weeks with illnesses thrown in. It’s been awesome. I have often told your daddy that I want to adopt our next child because I’d like to start with a 2 year old – he doesn’t agree – but this is why, because I love 2 year olds. I love this stage, tantrums and all.

Love,
Mama