Month 39 (3.25 years old)

Dear Abe,

Well, I think you have hit that magic age. I know I have said that before, but really, this age is magical. It is magical because all of the sudden you turned into a grown up boy. I feel like every day you do or say something that I have to tell someone about. You are so funny, smart and sweet all rolled into one little boy. You are pretty self-sufficient – you go to the bathroom by yourself (even though you use about half a roll of toilet paper each time), you can get stuff out of the fridge by yourself (it is usually yogurt), and you can play by yourself (your dialogue for Woody and Buzz are happiness to my ears). Soon, we will be teaching you to drive so that we won’t have to take you places. Heck! You can take US places.



It’s like all of the sudden things started to click for you. You aren’t having meltdowns as often, you generally listen to us, and you are pretty much an all around good kid. I think we are really lucky. However, there is one tiny thing, but I will get to that later.

But, the best part is the way you talk to us. You talk like an adult, yet the things you say are those of a child. And, let’s face it. You don’t shut up. You have a running monologue for just about every situation you are in, but I love it. LOVE. IT. when I went to your school for a special Thanksgiving lunch with the parents, you were so excited. You sat at your table with your friends and would not stop talking. “This is my Mama! My Mama is here! See, Mama, that’s an octopus. Do you see my cubby, Mama? I made that turkey for you. I am going to drink some milk. What’s that thing right there? Oh, sweet potatoes. Right. Right.” I looked at your teachers and asked if you were like this all the time. They nodded yes.

So of course the “naughty” thing you do has to do with talking. You love to say words that you know are bad. It is probably normal, and also mostly our fault, for either saying those words and/or reacting to the words you are saying. But, all of the sudden you would say “poopy diahreaa butt.”Or everything would have “butt” at the end, like “Sam-butt” and “Woody-butt” or “Mama-butt.” You have also down the random bad word – like one day you just said “Bitch” out of the blue. Like, to test us. I seriously freaked out that you may have Tourette’s. But, I know it is just for the shock of it. You know you are doing something wrong. Quite frankly, if saying bad words is the worst thing that you do, then I think we are going to be A-okay. I mean, just listen to your Baba. She is like a trucker!



You have really started to like doing puzzles. I find it interesting that you like them so much, because I am not really such a fan, but I wonder if that means you will like to do crossword puzzles with me when you get older. You are sort of like a savant, because once you have completed it once (usually with some help) you can do it by yourself very quickly. And you do it again. And again. And again. Yet, your enthusiasm does not die down each time you complete it. “MAMA! I DID IT!” It makes me so proud each time.

You have also seemed to have taken an affinity to young adult vampire romances. The other day I was reading “New Moon” and you came over to sit next to me on the couch and said, “Whatcha readin’ Mama?” When I said, “New Moon” like you would even remotely know what that means or it was about, you said, “oh yeah, let’s read this.” So, we flipped through the picture-less book and looked for the letters “D”, “T”, and the word, “the.”

But even though you are growing up and are becoming so mature, you still let me be your Mama. Sometimes, when it is getting close to your bedtime and you are tired, you will walk up to me, blanket in your mouth, fresh from a bath in your jammies. I ask you if you want to nuggle with me and you nod and crawl up with me on the couch and lay down. You do not even know how happy this makes me. I cannot think of a better night than me and you watching our favorite show of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” while nuggling on the couch. I know now that those moments are the reason why people become parents.

Love,
Mama