So instead of a post about our outing, I thought I'd do a little Andrew update. This is such an interesting age, and there are so many things I want to remember. I've been feeling rather nostalgic lately - I think something about having a new baby really makes it hit home that my first baby is not at all a baby anymore. I've enjoyed going back and reading about him when he was just my tiny infant. I can't promise that I'll be good about updating during the school year (not even sure I'm going to be good at doing the things that I have to do), but I hope to document as much of this time as I can, for both boys, since it really does fly by. This post will probably only be interesting to me and the grandparents, but there are so many things that I don't want to forget!
The best way that I can describe Andrew at this moment is that he is two different children - sometimes, most times, he is this smart, funny, sweet boy, on the cusp of learning and grasping so many new things. He amazes me with his memory and his curiosity, and is picking up new skills at a rapid pace. Other times, he is ornery! Three years old is TOUGH! I do not understand why people call it the terrible twos (unless Andrew is just behind, and this is that...). Andrew was such an easygoing two year old, but three is a whole different story. He is contrary and many things are a battle - he doesn't want to get in the bath, but then he doesn't want to get out. He never wants to stop playing. He will hit, throw toys, or grab things he's not supposed to have, and then laugh and run away like it is a game. There are so many days when I feel like he could spend wake-up to bedtime in time out... and that's a bummer. And time out doesn't always work! Sometimes he'll hit me and say - "I hit you! I want to go to time out!" We are trying lots of different things, and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. I just keep reminding myself that this is phase and that someday I'll miss these days. Well, not necessarily miss the ornery times, but miss everything else... Because there are so many amazing things too. Getting to spend time with him this summer I've noticed so many neat things about him. Here are some neat things that Andrew is doing now...
- He still loves to read. I don't even think I could pick a favorite book because we read so many different ones. Sometimes he'll be into one books for a few days and then switch to a different book for the next few days. Often immediately after finishing a book he'll request to read it again. He loves to pick out books from his bookshelf, and a constant request I hear is "Read it to me!" while he hands me a book. He has memorized many books, and will sometimes start reciting the words to a book, especially if something reminds him of the book (construction equipment, for example, will often start him reciting parts of Goodnight Goodnight, Construction Site), or if you prompt him with some words.
- He's become very interested in letters and sounds. He's always loved the letter 'A' and was interested in words that begin with it, but now he'll often ask what letter something starts with. Sometimes if I give him the sound, he's able to come up with other words that start with that same sound. For example, we were talking about 'C' one day, and I said that it made the /k/ sound like in 'cookie', and he replies, "like Karen". I was very surprised! He's done this a few other times, with Ds and Gs. Sometimes he's way off base, and that's ok too - I'm pretty sure he thinks 'firetruck' starts with every letter (As in: M says /m/, like in 'mommy' and 'milk'... Andrew: "And firetruck!"). The teacher in me wants to push him and practice and see what he can do, but the mom in me knows that I should just let him learn what he wants to at his own pace. I know there will be plenty of time for phonics in the future, and I should just encourage his interests as he expresses them.
- He has an amazing sense of direction! He will remember where places are that he has only been to once or twice, and will ask about them if we are near. We are often shocked at how well he knows the location of places. I guess he just sits in his carseat and watches! He also knows (most of the time) his rights and lefts. I doubt that he would know his right hand versus his left hand, but he can get the directions correct most of the time when we are driving. He's always asking us -which way is this? Which way next?
- He has an amazing imagination. If you ask him about something, he will often give you a very detailed (and very made-up) story of events. For example, the other day he had a couple cuts on his fingers (it looked like he had closed them in something - a drawer or cabinet or something similar) and I asked him what had happened. He started to tell me a story about a giant spider that lived under water and it was blowing bubbles and that it was dangerous and it bit him. We get stories like this all the time. They often involve something dangerous and he emphasizes the word... I can just hear his little voice say "That's dangerous!!"
- He loves to sing and does so all the time. Lately some of his favorites are This Old Man and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. The Andrew Riley Song (to the tune of Mickey Mouse) is still a popular one also. I love to hear him sing. He belts out the words with such emphasis, often mistaking certain words - but he doesn't know or care, he just loves to sing! He hasn't been napping well the past few weeks (probably increasing the ornery-ness), and we'll hear him in there singing to himself (and not a gently lullaby - he's loud!!). I think he sings himself to sleep often. Just tonight we put him to bed and thought he went to sleep, but Jonathan heard him an hour later in there singing "A-N-D, R-E-W, R-I-L-E-Y, Andrew Riley! ch-ch-ch Andrew Riley....). He's just lately shown an interest in our music. He'll request for us to turn on music in the house, and occasionally he'll request songs in the car. We bought the soundtrack for the Lion King, because he loves Hakuna Matata.
- He says so many funny things. Lately he's been talking with an accent (Southern? Texan?). I'm not sure where he gets it because neither Jonathan or I talk with accents. You can hear it when he says things with the short a sound. It's like he says it with a long a and then makes it into two syllables - for example the word 'yeah' (pronounced 'ya'), he will say "yay-uh". Today we went to a splash pad and we had so much fun asking him to say it - "splayush payud". I'll have to try to get in on video, because it's difficult to describe! Even though his speech is pretty clear and understandable, he still says some things incorrectly. While they are not hard to understand, some of them are pretty cute. For example, he calls Jason's Deli - Jason's Jelly. A restaurant near my parents house, Tamale King, is called Molly King. And every Friday we eat at Conn Street (Pecan Street).
- He's started eating, a lot! He's always been a light eater. He'll usually eat a pretty good breakfast and then snack and eat small meals the rest of the day. I've never really worried about his eating. He's not dropping in percentiles, and I figure he'll eat if he's hungry. We offer semi-balanced meals, but many times he eats snack type foods. Lately he's been eating full, big meals. The other day we had hot dogs for lunch and he finished a whole hot dog, bun and all, and asked for another. He ended up eating about half of the second, plus fruit and chips! I was shocked! I think he must be going through a growth spurt, because he will often say he's hungry and want to eat a meal. He already seems so tall and big to me, how can he get any bigger?
- He's starting to become more independent. He doesn't want to be carried very much, and he really doesn't like to hold hands. I've noticed that he's not quite as affectionate either, because he's interested in other things. One day at HEB we were waiting at the deli counter and I kissed him on the cheek and he said "Mommy, don't kiss me!" I was shocked (and a little sad)! It was like a glimpse of elementary school Andrew, too cool for kisses from mom! Sometimes he will be in cuddly moods, and I take as much as I can get. He still wants hugs and kisses when he is sad or hurt, and although I don't want anything to make him unhappy or hurt, I do cherish the closeness. Even that is becoming shorter - he'll get a quick kiss and be off, back to playing. I'm proud of his independence, but as a mommy it is sometimes hard to let go!
Yesterday was a really rough day - he was in timeout many times, and a couple times he got up from time out only to engage in a new time-out-worthy behavior. He didn't nap and was tired and grouchy. It was trying for us and for him. I had a book club meeting that evening, and I remember feeling excited to get away. Some days like that I am just counting the moments until bedtime. But then there are days like today. He took a long nap and woke up rested and refreshed. He was happy and friendly and so talkative. We made cookies together and decorated them with frosting and sprinkles (his favorite!). He was charming and sweet and funny and just a joy to be around. We went to dinner at Conn Street and he made us all laugh and smile. And it's amazing how quickly those difficult days are forgotten! I just wish I could bottle him up at times like these -he's at such an amazing age. He's growing into his personality, and sometimes I think that I see glimpses of the kid he's going to become. And even through the most trying, time-out-filled days, I want to remember how lucky we are to be parents to this amazing, smart, sweet, funny, and lovable child! Andrew Lucas, we love you so much!
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