2 years 9 months

Dear Little Man, You are learning and doing new things every day. Big deal. You're a kid. That's your job. Newslflash: your mother still thinks this is Summiting Everest amazing.

Especially because she is learning so much from you along the way...

You're teaching me how it is to play hard. To fight for the right to play. To beg, "Just one more minute, Mama," with your index finger pointed upward. I'm super bad at play. I'm cerebral. I need more play in my life.

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You teach me to not be so self-preserving. You see a stack of blocks and you bulldoze them. You're not afraid. You don't even think about the feeling of seeing everything topple. You rejoice in it. Because it's fun. I need to be less preserving of everything around me. Dust to dust and all that.

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You are the sneaky pete of our household. Sometimes I catch you, out of my peripheral, slithering up to your sister's lair wherein dollbabies and ponies await your exploration. I love your secret play, love overhearing you give character voices to the unicorns that are normally off-limits. And then you go back to the train table and shunt some trains like it ain't no thang.

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You've been needing a LOT of discipline lately. Some creative countermanding of your cuteness has been in order. At times, you get put out on the porch. That's right. The rest of my directives and penalties were not proving effective. So, to the porch you go. To cool off. To have a sitdown with Daddy. To ponder. To pry your way back in. You are teaching me resolve. I am getting a preview of your future as our strong-willed son who is equally aware of his powers of adorableness.

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Keep Calm and Teach On, my Little Man!

xoxo Mama

Check-up

I was watching a video of 18 month-old Baby Girl today, and just that 1 minute 30 second of poorly captured bathtime frivolity reminded me of how much I had forgotten. Like how instead of saying, "Ciao!" she used to say "Bye, Chow!" like there was this invisible playmate named Chow who followed us around and only wished for an occasional adieu. So I thought I'd offer myself and anyone else who can bear the unremarkableness a little check-up on the fambam at this present moment in time, January 2013. *** Mr. Loverpants IMG_0646

Working: hard at building up his client load to about 10/week. Teaching 2 courses this semester. Reading: the usual mixed cocktail of Boston Globe, Chatt Times Free Press, NYT, Slate, etc. Exercising: regularly, and playing frisbee just about every weekend Learning: about teaching Aging and Society Enjoying: riding the motorino all over town

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Working: hard on teaching Little Man to express emotions through words instead of pushing hands Reading: short books with simple vowel/consonants! Exercising: at swim lessons which begin soon! Learning: how to pray with intention rather than just repetition Enjoying: My Little Ponies and drawing unicorns, particularly ones with legwarmers

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Working: on staying in his own bed all night long. Reading: books involving vehicles of any kind. Exercising: by running, running in all directions, as children are wont to do Learning: how to sing church songs--he has such a sweet voice! Enjoying: Thomas the Train ad nauseum, building tracks and playacting scenes with Baby Girl.

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Working: to stay organized and on top of grading--so far this has been the most focused semester. Reading: a book on antiquing by Maureen Stanton and finally reading A Thousand Gifts Exercising: trying to hit hot yoga once/week and running 4-6 mi/week, some weight training Learning: more about design, typography, and the publishing industry Enjoying: getting crafty with my kiddies, watching NBC Parenthood and of course Downton Abbey Season 3

Compensation

I am rocking him in the same rocker at the same hour on the same sabbath night as I rocked him in my distended five month-pregnant belly four Christmases ago, at my in-laws' house. Everyone else is upstairs and I am wondering when his eyes will shut and I can heave this gangly heft with pretty eyelashes into bed.

He strokes my face with his bare palms. I am annoyed--he is the reason I keep breaking out like a time-of-the-month teenager.

"Tatum, stop touching Mommy's face."

"But," he says, voice groggy, "I love your face. I love yourrr faaace, Mommy."

Whispers, I love your face.

And with that, the record of any lost sleep for the cause of this boy was wiped clean.

The memory of not being invited to dozens of dances by teenage suitors was erased.

I only know this moment where a boy in my arms told me he loved my face.

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