Spring update

I looked at this blog for the first time in months and couldn't believe the last post was Aug. 2011. And it doesn't even count because it's a camping packing list. Then I remembered I started a draft after AJ turned 2 and didn't publish it. I think I planned on adding pictures or something. Anyway I just published it so if there are any viewers left out there, you get two updates today.

I'll start with AJ since he's changing the most. Speech therapy continues and he's doing fantastic. For awhile we tracked his single words and he was up to 100 (ish). They're getting more complex, like yesterday he said 'ketchup.' And he's putting words together like "mow guy" (the kid who mows grandma's lawn). We're getting lots of Why? and What's that? questions.

He's gotten a lot better at managing his temper. Biting and hitting are barely issues anymore. He has found other ways to resist or show displeasure, but it's mostly verbal. The cool thing about him is that he forgets and forgives really quickly. One minute he's crying in angst, pain, devastation, whatever; the next minute he's laughing and frolicking around.

The kid has a heart. Every day there are examples of the sweetness that defines him. One day he was eating a cookie while sitting on my lap. I teased him, pretending I was going to eat it. He pulled it away and said "No, mine!" and I said, "Oh shoot, I really love cookies." Guess what, he gave it to me. (I didn't take it, of course.) Another time, Cohen was working on dot-to-dot puzzles before dinnertime. The book remained on the table and he wanted to do more after he finished eating. His pencil was missing. He wondered where it went and started looking behind his plate on and the floor, etc. AJ continued eating, seemingly oblivious to the pencil situation. Then without a word, he jumped off his chair, walked to the pencil drawer and gave Cohen a different pencil. "He doe." (Here you go). Dominic and I just shook our heads and smiled. Such a sweet, sweet boy.

He looks for fun and reasons to laugh. I love waking him up in the morning because he smiles before his eyes even open. That was true when he was a tiny baby and I'm so happy it hasn't changed. It's my favorite part of the day. A simple glance or gesture will cause him to start laughing and looking for ways to turn it into a game.

It won't be long before the crib is history. He's starting to show interest in the potty but we haven't worked with him much yet. In just a few weeks he'll transfer to the next room at daycare where it's a core part of the curriculum (is that word used for 2-year olds?).

I wish I could freeze time. He's 100% awesome, fun and easy. What a blessing.

Cohen is growing up by leaps and bounds too. In a matter of months, he went from loving Winnie the Pooh and Care Bares to Transformers and Avengers. He's all about guns, weapons, and battles. At any given time, I'm pretty sure he's fighting off the bad guys in a make believe world.

He also loves sports. He and daddy frequently play t-ball in the back yard, or shoot baskets in the driveway. He's an awesome runner. Recently we went to a park more than a mile away via bike (I pulled them in the trailer behind me). He decided he wanted to run home. I agreed and rode home the same speed he was running, totally prepared to stop so he could hop back in the trailer. Nope, he ran the whole way, in sandals.

Self control and making the right decision has been a challenge lately. He throws rocks inappropriately, intentionally hurts AJ, and plays with his toys roughly. I remind him many times a day this behavior is not allowed. It's frustrating, but I remind myself of the many, many challenging phases he has entered and overcome in his 4.5 years. Deep inside he is a kind-hearted, responsible boy who knows right and wrong. We'll get through this phase too.

He loves learning. Randomly he'll ask if we can play math, make rhymes, sound out words, etc. His preschool teachers do such a good job with him, and I'm amazed at some of the stuff he comes home with.

He is so protective of AJ. It's reassuring when we're outside and AJ wanders a little too close to the street, Cohen becomes mother hen and quickly corals him back to safety. Cohen's been a mama's boy since day 1, but he definitely enjoys AJ's company more than mine these days. When they're not fighting, they're so cute playing side-by-side. Cohen meets AJ at his level and talks to him in a way AJ understands.

It's been a tough decision whether or not to send Cohen to kindergarten this fall. We've decided to hold him back. I think he would have done fine in kindergarten academically, but he'll do that much better next year when his emotional maturity catches up to his school smarts.

My favorite times with Cohen is just hanging out talking when there's nothing else going on. He's quite the little conversationalist, and he tells detailed stories about things that happened at school or other random things in his head. He's very creative. One day we got started on a "what if we walked out our front door and..." conversation. What if there were no grass and roads, only water. And we didn't have a boat. What if our doors were locked and we didn't have a key. And he'd go into great detail describing how we'd overcome the challenges to get groceries or get to school, whatever. Pretty amazing problem solving going on, and very quick thinking.

He confides in me, and I really encourage that. I recently saw the quote "Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big. Because to them, it has always been big stuff." I really want him to understand I'm his go-to person to talk to now, through the school years and into adulthood. I think he gets it. Sometimes he wants to hide things from Dominic, which isn't cool, but I'm glad he feels safe telling me everything.

Sometimes he's such a softie. He cannot be apart from Teddy. Sometimes he cries about things that surprise me. I don't try to discourage that because it's who he is. Other times when I expect him to be affected by something, he's not. Like his BFF Ava recently moved out of the neighborhood. I delayed telling him because I thought he'd have a hard time taking it. It was nothing - he has moved on so easily. I hope they both remember their adorable little friendship for the first few years of their lives.

Even with him getting bigger and not needing me as much, and the frustration I sometimes feel when I've told him to stop throwing his toys down the stairs for the 10th time, he's my guy. He's so much like me it's scary. Sometimes I feel sad this his 5th birthday is approaching and he'll continue becoming more independent every day. Obviously my role in his life will change, just like it's already changed a hundred times. I find myself redefining what my goals are, how to manage certain things and shifting focus to meet a changing kid. Sometimes I feel a little blind... what's around the next corner and how do I know if I'm preparing him as best I can? Can someone please give me a manual for this? :)

Two beautiful, dynamic blessings, for sure.