Left Behind

Dear Sawyer,

I took you and JieJie to the park today, where we met up with our friends Ellie, Bernie and JoJo. JieJie and Ellie were riding their scooters around the track and you were desperately trying to keep up with them but you are still a scooter newbie and kept fumbling and tripping over your own feet. You tried so hard but they were going so much faster, so you got a little frustrated, abandoned your scooter and ran after them, calling out, "JieJie! JieJie! Wait!" She and Ellie were too far ahead, though, and you couldn't catch up so you started crying. Oh, sweetheart! It was sad but also a little funny at the same time. When JieJie and Ellie came back around, they saw how upset you were and we spent the rest of the afternoon playing on the jungle gyms in the playground, where you were better able to keep up!

Love,
Mom

Mr. Sun Is Awake

Dear Sawyer,

Funny things you have said or been saying recently:

- "Waterlemon" (instead of "watermelon"--it's so cute how you switch the two consonants!)

- Sometimes you stand with your hands on your hips or your arms crossed and declare, "I'm a man!"

- You ask me questions but then dictate how I should answer them. Examples: "Mama, can I have a cookie? Say 'yes.'" or "Do I have to nap? Say 'no.'"

- "The man say 'I love you.' The man in the music box." (It took me a beat but I eventually realized you were talking about the stereo; you had heard the man on the Music for Aardvarks CD singing the "I Love You, I Love You" song!)

- "Mr. Sun awake!" (At bedtime, I tell you that you have to go to sleep because Mr. Sun is asleep and that you can wake up when Mr. Sun is awake. So now when you wake up in the mornings, you yell out, "Mr. Sun awake!" to let me know that the day has started and you can get up now!)

Love,
Mom

Hide and Poop

Dear Sawyer,

When I started semi-potty training you (we will go into full training mode soon), you were good about pooping in the toilet but now when you have to poop, you go into hiding! The other day, we were in the living room and you slinked behind the foyer wall. I asked you why you were behind the wall and you said, "I'm sad." Worried and then suspicious, I went over to you and asked you if you were pooping. You insisted, "No! I sad!" but then grunted a telling grunt. Caught ya!

Then yesterday, we were in the kitchen when you suddenly ran behind the stairway door and peeked out. I asked you what you were doing and you said, "I peeking at you." My mom-Spidey sense kicked in and I knew that you once again had to poop and were just trying to hide it from me! Sneaky little guy!

Love,
Mom

Missing You All Day

Dear Sawyer,

Cute things you said today:

-When I asked you what you wanted for your snack, you replied, "I want junk." I said that eating too much junk would make you sick and reminded you, "Remember the book 'Yummy Yucky'? 'Ice cream is yummy. Too much ice cream is yucky.'" You said, "Too much ice cream is my favorite!" Haha!

-After JieJie came home from school, you hugged her and said, "I miss you all day." So sweet!

Love,
Mom

The Wave

Dear Sawyer,

Many times, you will be by yourself--playing in your room, finishing up your breakfast at the dining table--and when I walk by, you look up, smile at me and give me this quick wave. It's such a small gesture but it's so sweet and always makes me smile.

Love,
Mom

Good Night Song

Dear Sawyer,

You may "want to be grow up" already but you still love your snuggles with Mama! At bedtime tonight, you climbed into my lap, laid your head against my shoulder and asked me, "Can you sing 'I Love You, I Love You'?" Anytime, baby bear! I sang that song, plus a couple more, all while holding you close to me and it felt so, so wonderful!

Love,
Mom

Growing Up Fast

Dear Sawyer,

It's bad enough that you are already so tall and wearing size 3T and starting nursery school in the fall, but then you told me last night, "I want to be grow up. I don't want to be tiny. Can I please grow up?" I replied, "But I like you tiny! Why do you want to grow up so fast?" Your response: "No, you like me grow up. I want to grow up fast, fast like a race car!" How about you grow up fast, fast like a sloth?

Love,
Mom

Ant Man

Dear Sawyer,

I say it all of the time: One of the best parts about having kids is seeing things through your innocent, awestruck eyes. We were playing in our front yard this afternoon when you spotted an ant in the driveway. You then spent the next five minutes squatting down to watch it, following it across the driveway and trying to feed it blades of grass. JieJie, already a little jaded at age 5, got bored and said, "Can you stop looking at the ant? Let's go play!" You were fascinated by the ant, though, and turned to me and marveled, "The ant so cute! It so tiny!" You also asked me, "Can I step on it?" I said no and you said ok and continued to observe it.

In other news, Daddy turned 37 today! We celebrated at home with cheesecake and homemade carrot cake cookies with coconut cream cheese frosting.

Love,
Mom

Head Block

Dear Sawyer,

There's no denying it -- you really are growing so tall. You were sitting in my lap tonight while I was reading a bedtime story to you and JieJie and I could not see over your head! Your noggin was directly in my line of sight to the book and I had to peer over your shoulders to see the pages. This was not the case a month ago!

Love,
Mom

So Tall

Dear Sawyer,

After you turned 1 year old, you stopped sitting in your high chair and insisted on sitting in a regular chair at the dining table with the rest of your family. You could never quite reach the table, though, so you always ate while kneeling on your knees. That is, until last night, when I looked over at you and realized that you were eating your dinner off of the table just fine while sitting on your butt. Both Daddy and I were surprised by this seemingly out-of-nowhere growth spurt and commented that you are now so tall. You replied, "I not so tall! I tiiiiny!" And you emphasized the "tiny" part by holding up your left hand and bending your pointer finger downward. Haha! Well, like it or not, you are so tall now but I'll always see you as my tiny baby!

Love,
Mom