Simon | 2 Years, 11 Months

Life through your eyes.

• You sit next to me at the dinner table, turn to me and say "Love ya Mum".  It's my favourite.
• You love to make me laugh, in fact if you get into trouble you cry because you aren't making me happy.  The thing that makes me laugh the most is this funny face.  You have to frown and scrunch up your nose as you push down your brow.  I think Daddy and I used to do it, before we were old and responsible.

This face makes me laugh but I can barely
look at this photo.  Capturing you still is tricky.
That's your hand.

• You are a serious social butterfly.  Any person, anywhere you will talk to and usually make their day.  You have friends at Brian's school that I don't even know, adults and grade 3s included.  This trait of yours is one of my favourites because I truly believe you were sent here to change us on this front.  I hope you never lose it and I do my best to not screw it up for you.
• You love to run.  If we drive past an open grassy space you ask me to stop so you can run there.  Your favourite part of your new (older kids) gym class is when you run around in a big circle.
• You love to run but boy do you walk slow, usually when we are doing school pick up/drop off.  I've taken to playing the "you can't catch me I'm a gingerbread Mummy" game so you run after me.  You catch me and eat me.  I taste like gingerbread apparently.

Treasure everyday.

• You and I are having some serious fun right now.  It's delightful and I'm savouring it all.  Even the special little things like holding your hand while we watch a movie, pinky promising your teensy tiny little skinny pinky finger, all the cuddles and even putting shoes on your tiny little squishy feet.

Your pride and joy.

• You are very into role play right now.  Your toys talk to each other with long in depth conversations and they play and do things together.  This week you chose one of your teddys and tucked him into his own bed (a folded up blanket on the floor) and gave him a blankie (an old thin face washer).  The next day I bought out my dolls and I introduced you to them.  We dressed them (Brian joined in too) and played a bit.  I took a photo of you one day when you were sitting watching TV with one of my dolls right next to you, sometimes you played, sometimes you watched TV.  I won't be passing these on to my daughter as I had planned when I boxed them up way before I was even married (and that's totally OK) but it was nice to see my children playing with the same toys I did when I was little.  I'm ready to let them go now and will preach to others that it's best to save good quality unisex toys like Lego and Schleich animals.
• You wore girl's pyjamas this week.  (While we are on this girl thing).  We had to exchange some pyjamas for you at Cotton On Kids.  They are all packaged up but they have a few out to try on and the only ones in the size we needed to try on for you were girls.  You took it in your stride and declared "I'm a good girl" as we put the top on.  We switched tops and tried the pants.  Pretty sure you loved the pink.  Thank you child for letting me dress one of my kids in pink.  It was fun once and I promise I won't enjoy it next time.  But you better promise too...ha.
• You totally rocked toilet training.  On the first day we started (a Monday) you screamed out "I don't want to be trained".  By Thursday you well and truly were and it wasn't difficult at all. Next you trained me that you didn't need nappies during nap time (which at the time were 3 hours long - hello holidays and hello growth spurt).  Right now you are telling me you want a nappy overnight and you are wetting it just to spite me, I know it.

Little man, big city.

• You are pretty well into boy stuff.  Collecting rocks and leaves and touching moss by our school car park everyday.  You love cars and I wonder if it's the wheels you watch as you play with them or it's just everything about them that you admire.  You like to watch bugs and mostly don't want to kill them unless Brian does.
• You continue to love lying down on the floor (like a star shape) in the strangest of places.  You wouldn't get up this past week when the School Principal was behind you trying to get past.  For the most part I let you just do it but sometimes Simon you need some dignity!  (You regularly say "oh the indignity", from Brian's talking Gordon train).

Adventure in a backpack.

• You carry your backpack wherever you go and it was probably the best idea to pull it out for you.  I rarely need to carry a car in my bag now, you have them and about a 100 other things in your backpack.  It's the perfect size, you pack it yourself, love to wear it and you use it several times every single day.
• You are getting better with food.  You ate lettuce recently, reluctantly but you did it.  Fussy is still your middle name, food wise.  If you have a late nap and wake up after dinner time (which sometimes happens) you thank me with all of your being when I give you baby food (the chunky casserole older kid stuff) and cous cous.  You gobble it down like no tomorrow and head back to bed.

Easter chocolate.  At least
most of it's on your hands and face.

• You are the king of bad food and we probably need to watch you here.  I want you to grow up big and strong and fit and healthy.  You love chocolate and lollies and tasting all those bad things that you really shouldn't.  Thankfully you love bananas and yoghurt and grapes and mashed vege too.

Big and little all at once.
You love to help.

• You are almost 3 and next year you start Kindy.  How on Earth did we get here?  It goes so very fast, but I'm thankful for all of the special times we share.  I'm thankful that I remember and record the everyday awesomeness.  I'm thankful, 100% for you and your fun.