Huh?

Dear Connor,

I tried to teach you how to tell time on a clock today. You looked at me with the same blank expression I have on my face when Daddy tries to explain to me what he does for a living.

Love,

Mom

Flip Flop

Dear Connor,

You have a regular-sized stroller and a toy doll stroller. You're supposed to sit in your regular-sized stroller when we go out and push your doll stroller around the house. Instead, you insist on pushing your regular-sized stroller during our walks and plopping your big butt in your doll stroller when we're playing at home (you've actually ripped the seat of the doll stroller because of this). *sigh*

Love,

Mom

Potty Time

Dear Connor,

After dinner tonight, you set your play kitchen on its side, opened the refrigerator door, sat down in the refrigerator and said "Oi neow" (Chinese for peeing). I guess you want to start potty training!

Love,

Mom

Funny Stuff

Dear Connor,

Every day, you find new ways to make me laugh. Here are just a few of the funny things you did over the past week:

-When we went to the playground, you saw a pigeon walking by the swings and began imitating it. You ducked your head down a bit, stuck your arms out behind you and started walking just like the pigeon was walking.

-Daddy asked you if you wanted to be tickled. You smiled, lifted up your shirt and stuck your tummy out toward him. I guess the answer was yes!

-You learned how to say "a course" (of course) and say it all of the time so matter-of-factly. "Do you want a peanut butter sandwich?" "A course." "Do you want to play with your trains?" "A course." "Do you miss your friend Chelsea?" "A course." (awww)

-When you're playing with my phone or one of your toy phones, you hold it to your ear and say, "Hewwo! Doing?" (as in, how are you doing?)

-After you sneeze, you say, "Achoo! Sneeze!" Guess you want to make sure everyone around you knows you sneezed!

-You know you have to say please if you want something but sometimes you forget and just start whining so I'll ask you, "What do you say?" So sometimes when you want something, you say, "Say please! Say please!" instead of just saying, "Please!"

-When we're out and a vehicle drives past us, you wave excitedly at it and shout, "Bye-bye car! Bye-bye bus!"

-You love to watch the video of yourself drinking two smoothies at once and ask to see it whenever I sit down at the computer by shouting, "See cup! See cup! See cup!" Anyone who walks by our house when you do this probably wonders why there is a little boy screaming out a bra size. 

Thanks for all of the laughs, little guy!

Love,

Mom

Fun Ride

Dear Connor,

Who needs to go to Disney World? We went to the mall today and you had a blast just riding the escalator. You'd never been on an escalator before and kept pointing at it and shouting, "Stairs! Stairs!" whenever we passed by one so I took you on one to the second floor of the mall and then we rode it back down to the first floor. You were beaming from ear to ear the whole time! You looked so thrilled that Daddy took you up and down the escalator a second time but then we had to go and you started crying and screaming when we walked away from the escalator. But don't worry, sweetie! We'll be back the next time Mommy and Daddy have a craving for Cinnabon.

Love,
Mom

Thomas Party!

Dear Connor,

You're obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and all of his train friends, so picking the theme for your birthday party this year was easy! We had your party at City Treehouse on Saturday and decorated the party room with Thomas banners, balloons, plates and napkins. And while I said last year that you were getting a standard-issue round birthday cake this year after it took me five HOURS to make your monkey cake for your first birthday, I couldn't help myself and decided to make a Thomas cake for your second birthday. With help from Aunt Elizabeth, it only took three hours to decorate and turned out awesome. And from the look on your face when you saw it, I think you thought it was pretty awesome, too:

A week before your birthday, I started teaching you the "Happy Birthday" song and you learned how to sing the whole thing (albeit, out of tune) by the day of your party. You even know to blow out the candle at the end of the song (even if there isn't an actual candle in front of you when we sing it). Your birthday is over now, but you still occasionally request that we sing the song by chanting, "Hat day! Hat day!"

City Treehouse is a pretty cool space. There is a large treehouse and slide, a fun little cave to crawl into and a huge water table with lots of toys, which is where you and your friends spent most of your time. 

Happy birthday, sweetie! I hope you enjoyed your party!

Love,

Mom

You're Two Years Old!

Dear Connor,

GongGong was cleaning his basement the other day and found an old photo of me when I was two years old. GongGong said he hadn't seen that photo in years and was especially struck by it because the little two-year-old girl in it has grown up and now has her own two-year-old. Happy birthday, Connor! You turned 2 years old today and I couldn't be prouder to be the mom of such an amazing little boy. 

This was a big year for you. You learned how to walk. You learned how to use utensils and drink from a cup. Your vocabulary exploded and you learn dozens of new words every week. You know all of your letters and can sing most of the alphabet song (minus an H here and an R there). You can count to 20 (though you say "twenty" instead of "eleven" so you count like this: "nine, ten, twenty, twelve . . . nineteen, twenty!"). You can identify a dozen shapes and most of your body parts. You can name a few dozen animals and imitate the sounds they each make (your impression of a chicken always makes me laugh). The concept of colors still seems to be a challenge for you but you know blue, purple, yellow and green. 

You have learned so many things, including--unfortunately--how to throw a monster tantrum. The terrible twos are not just a myth in our household and you actually got a head start on them when you were about 18 months old. You are such a cheerful little guy but that changes the second I refuse to give you another cookie when you've already had three, or take away something you're not supposed to play with or tell you it's time to leave the bookstore. You scream. You yell. You cry. You throw things. You throw yourself on the ground and flail around like a crazy person. Sometimes you get so mad, you even try to hit me. Dealing with you when you get like this . . . yeah, it's not fun.

But temper tantrums are to be expected and what is fun is watching you become such an incredible person. You are so smart and pick things up so quickly. You are so curious and want to explore everything. You are polite, always saying "peas" (please) and "ankyoo" (thank you) and sharing your toys with others (most of the time). You are loving and affectionate and totally make my day when you give me one of your sweet kisses or tight hugs. You are so active and energetic (seriously, can you share some of your endless energy with me?). And best of all, you are so full of joy. You are always smiling and laughing and looking at the world around you with big, bright eyes. That's my favorite quality about you and I hope it is one that you will always possess. 

Happy birthday, sweetheart. I love you more every day. 

Love,

Mom

Hiccup Cure

Dear Connor,

Daddy had the hiccups tonight so I told you to scare him and make his hiccups go away. You then walked up to Daddy and said, "Roooaaarrr!"

Too cute!

Love,

Mom