Me Three

Dear Sawyer,

When I left for Barcelona, you couldn't hold up just three fingers. When I came back from Barcelona, that was literally the first thing you showed me as I walked through the front door. You exclaimed, "Mama! I'm 3! I'm 3!" and held up just three fingers like a pro. GongGong taught you how to do that while I was away and now whenever anyone asks you how old you are, you don't answer verbally but just look at the person and silently hold up your three fingers. Haha! It's so cute!

Love,
Mom

Shared Bathroom

Dear Sawyer,

Our house has six bathrooms so we never have that problem where one of us can't use the bathroom because someone is already using it; another bathroom is always available. GongGong and PoiPoi, however, only have one bathroom in their apartment so when we were there this afternoon when you and JieJie had to use the bathroom at the same time, we ran into that very problem. The funniest part? JieJie was already sitting on the toilet when you felt the urge to pee but instead of waiting for her to finish and get up, you ran into the bathroom, pushed the step stool next to the toilet, climbed on top of the stool, pulled your shorts down and almost peed right on your sister. No!!! I ran into the bathroom behind you and picked you up before you did your business. You said, "I have to pee! I have to pee!" I said, "You can't pee on JieJie!" And you aren't that good at holding your pee sometimes and JieJie hadn't even wiped yet so I held you over the bathtub and you peed into the tub. Yep, that happened.

Hahaha! I still can't believe you did that!

Love,

Mom

Revenge Is Wet

Dear Sawyer,

Daddy, JieJie and I went to Barcelona for a week while you and GuhGaw stayed home with PoiPoi and GongGong. (We will take you on international trips when you are bigger!) It was the longest I have ever been away from you and I was worried about how you would handle it, but you were fine and PoiPoi said you behaved very well the whole time. When we came back yesterday afternoon and our taxi dropped us off, you and GuhGaw were standing in front of the living room windows and shouting, "Mama! Mama! You're home!" with big grins on your faces.

However, there were two incidents that proved that you weren't totally okay with me leaving you for so long. First, you refused to video chat with Daddy, JieJie and me during the first couple days we were in Barcelona. When PoiPoi held the phone up to you, you actually ran away and said, "No!" Fortunately, you warmed back up to us on the third day and talked to us every time we called after that.

Second, PoiPoi said you only had one pee accident the whole time we were away and that you were great about telling her when you needed to pee or poop. But within an hour of me coming home, you had not one but TWO huge pee accidents! You had the first one when you were playing with JieJie in the study. You peed a lot all over the floor but I figured you were just excited to be playing with JieJie again and didn't want to stop. But then just half an hour later, we were eating dinner and you peed all over your chair! And again, it was a lot of pee! Where did it come from? You had never had two accidents (and huge ones at that) so close together, even when you first began potty training, so the only explanation was that you did it as payback for me not taking you to Spain, haha!

Oh man. But pee or no pee, I am so happy to be back home with my baby bear! I missed you so much!

Love,
Mom

Real Huggies

Dear Sawyer,

Cute things you do now:

-Sometimes your hands are dirty or my hands are dirty when you want a hug, so I give you an "air hug." That's not always good enough for you, though, so after we have washed our hands, you often hold out your arms toward me ask, "Huggie? Real huggie?" Of course!

-When you take off your sandals, you take one off, carefully push the Velcro strap back down and put it on the shoe rack. Then you take the other sandal off, push the strap down on that one and set it next to the first sandal. You are so neat and organized!

-You like to make silly faces at me, especially when you are sitting on the potty and I'm waiting for you to go. When you eventually go, you shout excitedly, "I pee on the toyyy-let!"

-I don't know what it is, but there's something about the way you run that is just the cutest thing ever! Maybe it's how you pump your arms or slightly tip your head side-to-side as you run. I do especially love how when you run, you often shout, "Blaaaazing speed!"

-You "read" books aloud by narrating what you see in the pictures and repeating what you remember from the story from when I have read it to you. It's so sweet to hear you reciting stories this way.

-When I tuck you in at night, you grab my arm or wrap your arms around my neck and say to me softly, "Don't go yet."

Love,
Mom

Good To Go

Dear Sawyer,

You continue to amaze me with how well-behaved you are! We met up with Aunt Sarin and Julietta for lunch today and while we were waiting for our food, you and JieJie were playing with some Legos and toy cars. I said that when the food came, you would have to put the toys away. When the food did come, you saw it and said, "Time to put the toys away!"

After lunch, we all went to a nearby playground. After an hour, I told you guys that it was time to go. I could tell that neither you nor JieJie were ready to leave but you both came down from the jungle gym. We started walking out of the playground and JieJie started to protest but you told her, "We come back 'nother time!"

Thank you for being such a good little boy!

Love,
Mom

Not Correct

Dear Sawyer,

At dinner tonight, you spilled some milk on your leg and I was too lazy to get up to get a napkin, so I just wiped the milk off with my T-shirt. I had never done that before and you looked at me and said, "That not correct!"

A few minutes later, you were looking at the family photos hanging on the dining room wall. I am a bad mom and haven't updated any of the photos on that wall to include ones of you, so you asked, "Where is Sawyer in those pictures?"

I love the way you talk now. It's so cute!

Love,
Mom

Tough Enough

Dear Sawyer,

I was impressed earlier this month when you got your shots at your checkup and didn't bat an eyelash but you exhibited a whole other level of toughness today. We were walking down the street and you were trying to catch up to JieJie on her scooter. You were running pretty fast and I told you to slow down before you fell--and then you fell. You scraped your hand, knee and leg and your knee was bleeding slightly. You whimpered a little but then that was it. You stood up and were so brave while I cleaned up your boo-boos. I didn't have a Band-Aid but you sat in your stroller and calmly held a napkin on your knee to stop the bleeding until we got to the restaurant we were going to.

I don't know what was up this afternoon but JieJie got pretty hurt, too, when we arrived at the restaurant. The restaurant has two heavy glass doors and I asked JieJie to hold the interior one open while I held the outer one open and pushed you and the stroller in. While JieJie was holding the door, it started to close and her hand got caught! I couldn't get to her because I was still trying to hold the outer door open and get you inside. JieJie's eyes widened in pain but she didn't scream or cry; in fact, it was me screaming "Her hand is caught! Her hand is caught!" that got the waitress's attention and brought her running over to help.

JieJie did cry a lot once her hand was freed and her hand must have been sore for awhile but she was still able to wiggle and move it around. The waitress brought over ice to put on it and JieJie soon stopped crying and went on to scarf down three whole slices of pepperoni, broccoli and mushroom pizza (btw, I could only eat two before getting full!).

I have such tough kids!

Love,
Mom