Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son
How did this…
June 6, 2009
…become this?
September 5, 2012
It feels as though it was just yesterday that I was counting your fingers and toes, learning to perfect the swaddle and swaying you to sleep. Now you know all the planets, are learning to read and have strong opinions on where you’d like to go out for dinner.
You are the gift that keeps on giving and you make me smile each and every day.
Have an awesome second year of school, Lucas! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.
While everyone is giving three cheers for surviving their child’s first day of school today, I’m cracking open a cold one, sighing heavily and praising God that I survived my first day back from vacation.
Today started way too early and made me wish I had slept more while I was in Cabo San Lucas over the long weekend.
It was the longest I had ever been away from Lucas without hearing his voice or seeing his sweet face… four days and three nights and it was agony, even though I did have a lot of fun and was able to relax like I haven’t been able to in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my girlfriends and laughing like I was 15 again.
Almost as soon as it began, it was over.
I thought of this view at least a dozen times today.
The dog was up three times last night; 2:00 AM, 2:30 AM and then again for good at 6:00. Lucas, on the other hand, slept in until after 7:00. Go figure!
After that, I was in full throttle…. I spent half an hour on the phone arguing with the Tucson Water Company, another 20 minutes pleading with AT&T to reverse $800+ in international roaming charges I did not incur because my phone was out of commission for the four days I was away, I unpacked, did six loads of laundry, picked up and dropped off dry cleaning, made a visit to the super market with meal plans for the entire week, (what can I say, when I can’t sleep, I make lists) took Lucas to swim lessons and a toy store to buy a birthday present (was I gluten for punishment, or what?), played umpteen rounds of Go Fish and read dozens of books while Lucas sat on the potty and lastly, I made a pile of back to school items my little preschooler needs for his big day tomorrow.
There truly is nothing like coming home or being reunited with your family and routine. I live for all three.
Hugs and kisses, catching up on my weekend and theirs, sharing photos and presenting souvenirs as gifts, shaking sand out of travel bags and wringing out swimsuits and stowing away suitcases, followed by more hugs and kisses.
I couldn’t stay away from these three if I tried.
As a side note, I am very proud of Lucas, he (almost) made it through the entire day today in underwear. My head is of course pounding from hearing myself ask, “Do you have to use the potty?” 900 times and I’m only mad at myself for his one accident.
I’d say I earned uno mas cerveza.
I’ve noticed a lot of first day of school photos popping up on Facebook and Instagram this week. Seriously, where has summer gone?
Lucas goes to a year round Montessori school and August 1 marked his first full year as a preschooler.
We have come a long way since last summer and I’m constantly amazed at everything he is learning.
This week, his class is focused on the Olympic Games and last week it was Ecuador. I’m not sure why they spent a week learning about the South American country, but I loved hearing him tell about the tortoises and volcanoes on the Galapagos islands, “which are also known as an archipelago”. I die!
Up until a couple of days ago I had no clue he knew this:
Well, I’m impressed and very proud.
School is cool!
I hope all your children have a wonderful fall semester and that your back to school transition is a smooth one.
Lucas is 2 1/2 years old today and they were right. I was warned. Everyone that said it goes by fast. By it, of course, I mean childhood…. mine, yours and especially our children’s.
One minute it was just Todd and I and the next we became a family by bringing home our newborn son. Fast forward in lightening speed time, we began celebrating all of his amazing milestones and he soon turned one and then two and now attends preschool, sleeps in a twin bed, lives on macaroni ‘n cheese and has begun asking us all sorts of inquisitive questions about the world around him.
Right before our eyes Lucas has turned into a little person… a wonderful, thoughtful, strong-willed, energetic little person.
I constantly search for the pause button and desperately try my best to stay present so that I don’t miss a moment of his childhood.
I want to remember these days of sweet innocence and discovery forever.
A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
– Author Unknown
Linking up with Galit (These Little Waves) and Alison’s (Mama Wants This) Memories Captured.
The photo above was created using picnik.
Letters For You will resume next week.
Until then, from my home to yours, have a warm, wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday!
Look at what Lucas made for me at school ~ swoon ~
The best part?
As soon as he gave me this card, he said he needed to make another one and when I asked if that was because he had more things to be thankful for, he replied “Yes, Daddy!”.
I am so thankful for my family, but especially my little Lucas.
Linking up with Alicia’s Wordful Wednesdays.
You’re okay, you’ve got your night light and water and books and lovey.
Nothing has brought me more joy as a mother than hearing the things I’m teaching Lucas repeated back to me. I get such a thrill when I can see in his eyes that something has clicked; a new shape or color has been committed to memory or an additional lyric to a song has been learned. I love witnessing his exploratory mind hard at work taking in everything that he encounters and retains. It’s as though all of my hard work as a parent is being paid off.
Your humidifier is on and we’ll be back to check on you in a little bit.
I can’t hide my smile when Lucas uses “please” and “thank you” without being prompted.
I’m tickled every time he blesses me after a sneeze.
My heart is all a-flutter when Lucas tells me he loves me first and asks for hugs.
This morning, I walked into the living room and heard him comforting his Elmo doll just the way his father and I do at bedtime.
Mommy and Daddy love you so much. Have a good sleep.
It was our bedtime routine verbatim. Not a day goes by that I am not simply amazed by my son.
What has your child done lately that has stopped you in your tracks?
Don’t forget to enter my Michael Bublé holiday CD give away!
Almost 28 months into this mommy gig and Lucas has single-handedly made angrier than I’ve ever been, tried my patience in ways I didn’t think were possible, made me happier and than I ever believed I could be and has had me bursting with pride, joy and love.
On this roller coaster ride, he is the boss and he is my heart.
Please follow me to The Kir Corner to read about my Proudest Mommy Moments.
Thank you, Kirsten for asking me to be a part of your wonderful series and for being a good friend. Your recent love and support mean the world to me and I’m honored to have you in my corner. xoxo
There is truly nothing more endearing than having others fall completely in love with your children and treat them with as much love, compassion and respect as you do.
The lovely Shell of Things I Can’t Say is here today sharing a poignant letter of gratitude to her son’s Occupational Therapists.
Dear Bear’s OT girls (aka his Occupational Therapists),
Thank you.
You have no idea what it means to have my son excited about coming to see you. He calls Occupational Therapy “my play place.”
You make it fun for him. You help him. And you all love him.
My Bear has the sweetest heart. He really does. But, often, others don’t see it. They see his struggles. They see the things he does that are “bad.” They see him as a difficult child.
But, you don’t.
You greet him with a big smile.
You thank him for being such a good helper when he reassures a crying child in the waiting room that “Don’t worry, this is so much fun. Don’t cry. Go have fun with the girls.”
You give him choices and laugh right along with him when he squeals with joy.
You let him sit in your lap and stroke your hair. He loves playing with hair. It’s soothed him since he was a baby. And you never pull away from his touch.
You run your fingers through his hair and rub his back and make him feel safe.
You understand when he has a rough moment and never scold. You gently pull him back to what he should be doing.
You encourage him and make him feel like he’s doing a great job.
You never get frustrated with him.
When I share the struggles he has been having, you nod knowingly, letting me know that what he is going through is completely normal and that you have strategies to help.
You give me hope that things won’t always be so freaking hard.
You don’t judge him or me for what he is going through. You only focus on what can be done to help. That kind of acceptance brings tears to my eyes.
I wish I could scoop one of you up and have you spend the day with Bear at school. I wonder how differently his day would go if he had such encouragement and individual attention all day long.
But, we have to share you with the other kids who need you.
I’m sure there are days when you are tired or deal with kids who give you a hard time, but you don’t let it show.
I’m just glad that you are there for Bear, to help him at his “play place.” I understand that this is your job and you could say that you are only doing your job. But, I know differently. I know that you don’t have to care so much.
That caring? Is making all the difference in the world to my Bear.
For that, I cannot thank you enough.
Sincerely,
Bear’s Mommy
My sister, Lucas and I just returned from Dallas, where we had a wonderful visit with our aunt and uncle. Traveling with a tot is always an adventure and I have written about it before here and here. As usual, Lucas was great on the plane and owned his “star of the weekend” status like a trouper.
More on our trip in a later post…
For me, our long weekend adventure began in the car on the way to the airport. There was a time when Lucas hated being in the car because he hated being in his car seat, but nowadays, he is talkative and observant and the longer we have to drive, the more chatty he gets. His vocabulary and recall continue to amazes me.
In the hour it took us to get to LAX, when he wasn’t joyfully singing or chattering to himself, he:
Our trip hadn’t even begun and I was already exhausted. Why is just listening to a child so tiring?
Apparently I wasn’t the only one…
Once we arrived in Texas, it was all about water tower and train spotting.
Every month I used to share a list of all of Lucas’ milestones, but I haven’t complied one in a while. Every day Lucas shows me another wonderful side to his personality. His likes and dislikes are as complex as yours and mine. He’s amazing.
Here is what I know and appreciate about my son today:
Lucas doesn’t have to be the center of attention. He is much happier being left alone to do his own thing. He’s a true observer, curious and quiet, taking in his surroundings, unless he’s the only child around and then, all bets are off!
Lucas is very loving IF and when the mood strikes him. He enjoys giving “pat-pats”, especially to babies and stuffed animals and nothing melts my heart more than hearing him say, “Mommy, come up here” when he wants to be picked up.
Lucas loves blueberry bagels, blueberry scones, blueberry waffles, blueberry yogurt, blueberry cereal bars and blueberry muffins, but will NOT eat a blueberry.
Lucas loves water in all forms; he lives for bath time, swimming pools, playing with his water table in the back yard, charging fearlessly for the ocean and diving into fountains.
Lucas loves sitting in his “special” chair to watch TV, singing the “ABC’s” no matter where we are, throwing dirt, meticulously removing wrappers from crayons and dancing. You should see his “hotel dance”.
Lucas’ favorite past time I would have say is playing with his Thomas & Friends trains and is ability to identify each one is astounding.
Lucas’ favorite color is yellow, favorite movie is Cars, favorite meal is macaroni and cheese, favorite dessert is M&M’s, favorite book is Where The Wild Things Are and smiles brighter than the sun when he plays with Play-Doh.
Lucas loves older children and if they give him the time of day, he will follow them around like a little lost puppy dog and talk about them for weeks.
Lucas pretty much refuses to pose for the camera and with nearly 6000 photos of him in iPhoto, I suppose I don’t blame him.
Lucas will ask for his lovey first and then “Mommy” if he hurts himself or bonks into something. I’m not happy with this, but I understand.
Lucas will march over to his lime green time out chair when asked. Shocking, I know!
Lucas isn’t a fan of meat. Occasionally we can get him to eat turkey and only recently (as of last week) has he started enjoying hot dogs.
Lucas is afraid of four things:
As you can imagine, this list could go on and on and on, but I’ll spare you keep some things to myself. Lucas appears to be a typical two year old, but he is my two year old.
