Dear Graham, 30 Months

Dear Graham,

During your 30th month it hit me that you’re truly a little boy and not even really a toddler anymore. I can’t say it was one thing that made me think this; but rather a collection of traits, words and actions that combined in front of me to somehow create a little boy. An incredibly sweet, smart, little boy. 

 Christmas extended into your 30th month a bit as you received a Christmas package from your Aunt Kristen, Uncle Rush and cousins. The package contained the movie The Polar Express and as soon as you opened it you wanted to watch it. I had intentionally not shown it to you during Christmas because I thought you might have been a bit young, but there was no turning back now! It was a Friday night and your daddy was flying, so we made a big soft bed on the floor and watched The Polar Express together. You. Loved. It. You didn’t move or get up to play or even really talk. And on nearly every day that followed, you wanted to watch “the train movie.”

Basically every weekend during the month we set up your jump house and you love to spend time jumping in it, but only if mommy or daddy are jumping with you. One day we were jumping together and you saw a ladybug on the side of the jump house. You were so intrigued by the ladybug and immediately said, “I have to tell daddy.” “I have to tell daddy” is pretty much your response to anything that’s neat or different or just plain interesting to you. You ran inside and got daddy and the two of you caught the ladybug and set it free in the grass. 

Over the long MLK weekend we flew to Florida as a family and your mommy and daddy canoed 20 miles and camped two nights with your Uncle Sean and Sam while your grandma watched you. Despite asking for mommy and daddy a few times, you were wonderful for your grandma. Your great-grandma Cahalan was also in Tampa, so your grandpa stayed with her to help and you got to spend lots of time with them as well. Proving that you’re never too young to manipulate a grandma, when she took you shopping at Target, she let you pick out a toy. And, of course, you picked a train. Well, having just one toy apparently wasn’t enough. So you told grandma that you needed one for the other hand too. And, she actually believed you and let you pick out another toy!

One day while in Florida, we pretty much created what ended up being Graham’s dream day. It started with a trip to Uncle Sean’s fire station so you could explore the fire truck. You loved it, except for the fact that “it didn’t go.” From there, we headed to the beach. Even though it was cold and a bit windy, you loved running through the sand and touching the water with daddy. After lunch we hit up the mall where you rode on your first indoor mall train. To top off the trip to the mall, Sam even took you to the Disney store to buy Lightening and Mater cars and then to the mall playground. Yes, malls like this only exist in Florida as they don’t have anything like that here. (*wink*)

 
I mentioned in your last letter about you asking daddy to “fix” things, but it was really taken to a whole new level this month. Your school is right outside of our neighborhood and on the way home we happen pass an office building that has fountains out front. Every day you exclaim about the “mountains” and I respond, every day, with “Yes, there are the fountains.” Well, one day the fountains weren’t on, and so you said, “The mountains are broken. Daddy will have to fix them.” Your tone was as matter of fact as if daddy could go right in and fix those fountains. He appreciates your unwavering belief of his abilities.

Another cute word exchange that I take total and prideful credit for comes to Gatorade. We don’t often have juice at home, simply because I think you get enough of it as school and so the drink offerings at home are either milk or water. I always buy several Gatorades for your daddy and somehow you picked up on the fact that they looked like juice and you wanted some and you even knew what to call it. Except you didn’t ask for Gatorade. Instead, you asked for Renegade, also known as Florida State’s horse’s name. I would much rather you call the drink Renegade than Gatorade, a name that is representative of the school at which it was invented, so I happily poured you a cup of Renegade to enjoy.

Love,

Mommy