Technically, your 27th month ended one day shy of Halloween, but I can't post all of the pictures leading up to Halloween and not Halloween day itself.
Like a page out of a storybook, October involved all things fall-related, including pumpkins, fall festivals, farms, costumes and, of course, trick or treating. And you loved it all. Seeing the excitement through your eyes made the month so much fun, except for those few moments at your fall festival when you became deathly afraid of another little boy wearing a Hulk costume. Apparently you loved all of October except the scary masks.
We
started the month with a long weekend in Florida so your mommy could
throw one of her best friends a baby shower. Our flight was delayed for
nearly two hours before taking off, and you could not understand why you
couldn’t get on a plane. Right now. It didn’t matter which plane or
where it was going. You just wanted on it. And with your speaking
abilities only continuing to improve, I heard about how you wanted to
get on the airplane about 1,000 times. When we were finally on the
plane, you were great at flying and did really well staying in your own
seat the entire time. While in Florida you entertained everyone, from
your Auntie Shann who took you to the zoo where you fed the giraffes to
your Uncle Troy who you would call for when he wasn’t in the room.
Also during the month, we managed to cram in not one, not two, but three trips to three separate
farms. For the little boy who sings “Old Macdonald Had a Farm” nonstop,
this was pure bliss for you. The first trip involved a pumpkin patch at
a Christmas tree farm. While you loved riding on the hay ride, you
pretty much could care less about posing next to some pumpkins. The farm
was conveniently located next to a municipal airport, so you spent much
of your time watching airplanes take off and land. Little did you know
that after the farm, we headed to that airport to eat in their little
café, which features lots of windows for you to watch planes through.
The
next weekend featured a trip to Dewberry Farms, where you jumped (on a
bounce house), played (on a playground), petted (animals in the petting
zoo), rode (a little train) and ran around until your heart was content.
By the time we went to pose with some pumpkins at the end of the visit,
you wanted no part of sitting with an orange spherical object when
there was so much other fun to be had.
On
your third and final trip to a farm in October, you went for a birthday
party that involved really seeing the animals up close and even riding
on a pony. When you said you wanted to ride a pony, I had visions of us
waiting in line only to have you change your mind once it was your turn.
However, you surprised me in not only getting right on it, but not
wanting to get off of it when your time was done. Now at home when we
read your farm book, each time we come to the page with horses and
ponies you talk about how you rode the pony at Charlie’s birthday. It
clearly was a memorable experience.
You
were a cowboy for your third Halloween and this was really the first
year that you experienced trick-or-treating, even though you had no clue
that you received candy at each house (in fact, you denied the single
piece of candy we were going to let you have after trick-or-treating and
then you never asked about it again). We went with neighborhood friends
who range in age from three to six. But you were not going to let being
the youngest slow you down. You would run with them in your cowboy
boots, making sure not to fall behind. And they would help you open your
candy bag and get to and from each house. You would yell “yee-haw” when
asked what a cowboy says. And you kept your cowboy hat on all night
long.
During your 27th
month, we really learned how much more you can comprehend, which never
ceases to surprise me. You respond much better to knowing what a
situation will be like in advance, so I spend a lot of time telling you
about what we’re going to do, or experience. It also means that you get a
lot of “five more minutes” warnings before it’s time to leave a
situation or take a bath or go to bed, because it makes transitions so
much easier.
Not
everything about parenting is so easy, especially when you are so
strong-willed (a trait that I think will eventually serve you well). On a
day filled with those special moments that only a two-year old could
create, it was finally your bedtime. I offered to sing you a song after
prayers and chose Jesus Loves Me. On this particular night after a long
day the word “no” coming out of your mouth frequently, when I got to the
chorus and sang “Yes, Jesus loves me,” you promptly said “no.” And then
I would repeat it in the chorus, to which you said “no” again. And it
played out this way through the entire song.
On
this one particular night, I don’t think I was ever so excited to say
good-night and pour myself a large glass of
“I-survived-a-two-year-old-today” wine.
Love,
Mommy
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