Happy F I V E Ez!

I remember the entire week before Ez turned four I was up late looking at his baby pictures and crying. Four felt so big compared to three. He was no longer a toddler, and definitely not a baby. All of a sudden we were entering brand new "little kid" territory and I didn't feel at all ready for that. I had no idea what four held in store for us, but I felt like the changes would be big. 

And they were.

They were big and necessary and difficult (even the good ones) because that's just the way change works. It's scary and uncertain and hard.

But Ez, he showed us time and time again that he could handle big changes. He can do hard things. He can be uncomfortable and frustrated and come out stronger and better. He's my little bull, through and through. 

I thought I'd feel really sentimental going into five too. We already know even more big changes are on the horizon, and big decisions have to be made. But this time around they don't feel nearly as scary. And that's because I know Ez has got this. I have nothing but confidence in his ability to grow into the amazing person he's already becoming. 

Dear Ez,

As I was looking back through old videos I realize how much responsibility I've placed on your shoulders over the years. I thought you were such a big boy when your brother was born, and now I realize you were only two, even younger than Declan is now. You were doing your best to figure out the whole big brother thing, just like I was doing my best figuring out how to be a mom of two. As the first born you definitely got stuck with a set of rookie parents; thank you for showing us so much grace over the years. You've taught us about patience, loving big, laughing easily, forgiving quickly, never giving up, and always eating an apple a day 🍎😉

We celebrated your birthday with a school party on Friday, an Ez Day birthday eve - aka a day filled with your favorites: Wacky Tacky, Panera Bread, Toys R Us, the splash park, and cake + presents, and then a family birthday party on Sunday (aka Mother's Day). 

I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day gift than getting to celebrate the boy who made me a mom five years ago. You've exceeded all my expectations about being a parent a million times over and your daddy and I couldn't be more proud of you. Love you more, love you most, love you to the moon and back 🌙

I remember each of these days like they were yesterday:

Ezzyisms: 4 years, 9 months

I remember back before Ez could really speak, I'd hear parents talk about the funny things their kids would say and I could NOT wait for that phase of parenthood. Well, my friends, we are finally there. Not a day goes by that Ez doesn't crack me up. Sometimes intentionally, usually not, but he has the freshest, most hilarious view of the world, and I really wish I were more on top of recording it all. The last time I did an Ezzyisms post was a whole nine months ago, which is a shame, because so many funny moments that I thought I'd remember forever have already come and gone. I mean to write them down, I really do, but, of course, I don't. Except, I finally did! A few of the funniest moments from the past few weeks made it to a notes folder on my phone, and now, finally, they're making their way to the light of day. Here's a little glimpse into Ez's world, in his own words:

• shaking his head "I don't live in Sacramento..." <Joe> "Where do you live?" <Ez> "The playground." <Joe> "The playground??!" <Ez> "I mean, I live in a house." 
• <trying to say Millenium Falcon> "lemony falcon" "melanie malcolm" "romero camaro" (??!)
• "What kind of car is that?" <talking about a car that just cut me off> Me: "We'll just call it an impatient car." Ez: "Yeah...like daddy." 😂
• "Babe, that's disgusting." <when Joe burps, farts, or does any other gross boy things.>
• "We're going to the cake pop store." <aka Starbucks>
• "Can you please stop that?" <anytime Joe or I sing>
• "Mommy just ate it all." <EVERY time I finish a meal...he's giving me a complex>
• "We just need a little pit stop." <whenever we stop at the gas station.>
• <Falling asleep then suddenly waking up, giggling hysterically, and shouting> "you CAN'T fly!!!" (Toy Story)
• <my mom, aka Gangy, asked if she and Grampa are old> "No...Gangy's not old. Grampa's old."
• <Declan was making all kinds of random noise during a road trip> "Decky, can you NOT do that?" <a few minutes later> "Decky, you can be quiet, or you can not be loud." (such a little dipolomat, outlining all of Declan's options.)

Ez's current obsessions include:

• Toy Story - especially when Buzz attempts to fly, and the rocket scene at the end
• UPS trucks (????)
• Roaming the backyard for hours at a time now that we're having Spring like weather
• Ice Cream trucks & his toy ice cream set he got for Christmas
• weekly 3 hour trips to Wacky Tacky (an indoor playground)
• reading (aka, reciting by memory or being read to)
• asking what everyone is eating all the time 
• Star Wars, especially the droids and space ships
• That song "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" 
• Ice Cream sandwiches, cheetos, melon, and apples
• Panera Bread
• the mini carts at Trader Joe's
• bossing his brother around
• doing everything by himself (aka - stay away Mommy! DON'T help!)

Four, almost five has been such an age of growth for all of us. We've seen Ez branch out more than ever before, creating his own little world outside of our home, and he's doing an amazing job. He went from crying every time I dropped him off and not being able to tell me a single thing that went on at school, to excitedly telling me about his day, what games he and the other kids played, and what fun stuff they have planned for later in the week. It's like I blinked and all of a sudden he went from toddler to school aged kid. We are so, so proud of him and all the hard work he's doing each and every day.

While I sadly failed at catching all the variations of "millenium falcon" on video, I did get a few fun Ezzyisms:

Happy Half Birthday, Ez!

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."

Today Ez is four and a HALF years old. And as we all know, halves mean a whole lot when you're four. As of tomorrow, he's officially closer to five, which blows my mind. While we don't celebrate half birthdays (mostly because Declan's falls smack dab on Christmas) it is a good reminder to slow down a bit and look back on how far Ez has come in the past half year.

2017 turned out to be a year of big changes for Ez, and while I wouldn't call any of the transitions smooth, per se, I am so impressed with how hard Ez has worked to tackle all the challenges we've thrown at him. There was our spur of the moment move from San Jose to Sacramento in January, potty training, which I will shortly sum up as a battle royale, and, of course, preschool. Out of the four of us, he has had by far the most eventful year. Joe and I joke that Ez is the only one of us that has to leave the house and interact with the real world on a daily basis. And you know what? It hasn't been easy. For any of us.

Ez went from never being left alone with strangers, not even for a few minutes, to being left with people he'd never seen before for twelve hours a week. There were tears (and to be honest, there still are) but he has grown so much. He comes home wanting to play school. He leads me through their routine of outdoor time, art time (aka - playdough time), snacks, complete with washing our hands before, sharing, and story time. He has gone from being the shyest little wall flower, to coming out of his shell and playing with other kids. He's taken on a new level of independence, wanting to do things all by himself, even if it takes five times longer. We couldn't be more proud of him.

We have asked so much of our little four year old this year, and with each new lesson he learns, and task that he tackles, he is a little less my baby, and a little more boy. Then he does something that reminds me of little Ez, like jumping for joy when the garbage truck comes by, or wanting snuggles when he scrapes his knee, and I remember that he's still just a little four year old boy and I want to hold onto those moments forever. Or at least take a million photos that I can cry over every half year or so 😉

Dear Ez,

With every new challenge you face this year, you impress us over and over with your bravery, your hard work, and your persistence. You've nearly conquered your fear of public restrooms (which, to be honest, everyone kinda hates public restrooms) - and mommy's sorry for having to threaten you with being kicked out of Disneyland if you didn't use their restrooms, BUT, it worked, and one day you'll thank me. You've bravely branched out and are busy forming a little world all your own, outside of our family, where you learn so much each and every day. You've made new friends and sparked a love for learning that I hope continues to grow, year after year. You've fully embraced your big brother role this year, alternately looking after Declan, and then tackling him to the ground. You are still my best little helper, a role you've held since you could walk, helping with laundry, cleaning up, and taking out the trash. We love you to the moon and back, sweet boy, and we are so thankful to be on this journey with you.

Ez Lately

Summertime Ez can be found splashing in the pool, eating his way through an entire watermelon, running through sprinklers, or digging in dirt. He's definitely mastered the art of summer vacation and I hope preschool doesn't cramp his style too much. This summer seems to have transitioned us from the year of the garbage truck to the year of the train. He still loves taking out the trash and watching the garbage trucks each Monday, but his enthusiasm has definitely waned a bit in favor of all things trains. Specifically mini Thomas trains, which are the most evil genius marketing ploy ever.

This boy has developed a major love for Target, which he always tells us is "not just a toy store...it's Target!" in case we forgot. Case in point: We're pulling into the Target parking lot and Ez chimes in from the backseat: "I think this is my home!" A few minutes later, as we're walking toward the entrance, he says, "It won't be long now!" Apparently the anticipation of walking into Target affects him exactly the same way it effects me. I don't know if I should be proud, or ashamed. You can see a little more of his Target excitement in the video below.

We were so lucky to visit with lots and lots of family this summer, but Ez has been having a hard time with the goodbyes. Some of his biggest fits have been when I told him we were going to visit Gangy and Grampa and we didn't leave THAT VERY MINUTE. He still asks daily where Grandma went, and sometimes when our alarm alerts us that the door is open he'll say, "Oh! Auntie Ianca is here!" He also demands to go visit Aunt Anna about every other day, and there have been tears when I explain that Aunt Anna actually has a job and isn't home at all hours of the day to play with him. This kid loves BIG and if he had it his way he'd have all his relatives right here with him each and every day.

Watching his imagination grow is one of my absolute favorite parts about parenting. In addition to playing house at the playground, he also runs around the backyard pretending to be a dirt bike, comes up to me with a magazine in his mouth pretending to be a puppy dog, and plays garbage truck using anything and everything he can get his hands on as a garbage can and dumping it over his shoulders. Fun little fact: if we want to bribe Ez we either offer to let him take the trash out, or to take a shower. For some reason these are the ultimate pleasures in life. #itsthelittlethings

That being said, four has come with its own set of challenges. Ez finds loud noises terrifying which means public restrooms are essentially off limits (although he's perfectly fine with the garbage truck, so apparently it's a selective phobia). Ever since diapers became a thing of the past and he has access to his you know what, we have to remind him "hand!" all the time. And, probably most difficult of all, is the "no" phase. He'll ask to go to the playground, and then once we're actually heading out the door to go it's suddenly "no, I don't think we are going to the playground." He always says it like it's some kind of casual prediction. "No, I don't think I am going to put on my shoes." "No, I don't think I'm going to go potty before we leave." You get the point. I'd say about 80% of my parenting meltdowns occur when I'm trying to get them out the door which is somehow a forty minute process.

Ez Quotes:

"I found another money dollar!"
"BABE! Can you get me some water?" (He started calling us babe after hearing us call each other that. Thankfully he's slowly transitioning out of that one...)
"Alright! I'm going to work! I'll see you when I get home guys."
"It's a mummy! Just like you, mommy." (Confusing Egyptian mummies with mommies.)

To my dear, sweet Ez - you are sugar, spice, and everything nice AND snips, and snails, and puppy dog tails. You are my #1 cuddler. You ask me for snuggles at least a dozen times a day and I love it more than anything. Having the whole family in one spot makes your heart so happy, and you're frequently trying to boss us all to "come sit down!" in the living room with you. You are my best little helper and for the most part you eagerly do your chores. You are also slowly embracing your independence, which often means doing things your own way without help or suggestion. I see the smart, caring, compassionate little boy you're becoming and your daddy and I are so proud of you each and every day. We love you to the moon and back!

Happy 4 Ez!!

And just like that the sweet little serious-faced baby who made me a mama is now FOUR. 

The mama waterworks started about a week before his actual birthday as we were packing for our Disney trip and I got to thinking about why we were going on this trip (because he's turning FOUR <sob>), and how little he was last year as a tiny three year old who couldn't even ride big boy rides, and that Disney doesn't even consider him a kid anymore (at least not a free one). So many Ez's have passed before my eyes these last four years, and I've loved each one with my whole heart only to wake up one day and realize he's a little bit bigger and more mature and that smaller, babyish Ez doesn't exist anymore. 

Bittersweet. That sums up motherhood.

I wish I could bottle up each phase and keep them all on a shelf for when I need some newborn snuggles or a good old-fashioned toddler dance party, but since I can't I try my best to record it all here because I don't want to forget any of those little things that I love so much.

Each new, slightly older Ez brings so many sweet new things to love. A few things have remained the same over the years. His love of all things cars. The snuggles that he gives with his whole body and heart. His keen empathy and instinct to cheer us all up. His love of learning. But this year Ez's imagination and communication have really soared to new heights. He's at that stage where he says the funniest things and cracks us up daily. In many ways it's the most fun age yet. 

Currently Ez's favorite things include hours spent digging in dirt, counting down the days until the garbage truck arrives, tackling his brother for no good reason, watching youtube videos of garbage trucks, roughhousing with his daddy, running circles through the house, and snuggling with his momma. 

He can count to about 40, loves telling us what color everything is, will spot any and every garbage can within a two mile radius, prefers the swings to anything else at the playground, and does his best to gather the whole family altogether in one room as often as he can. He'll repeat anything he hears, and so far (knock on wood) he hasn't repeated anything terrible yet. He did shout across a crowded restaurant, "Nina! Over here!" and it was so disorienting to hear him call me by my real name. 

Ez hates goodbyes and whenever anyone leaves he immediately starts asking when they'll be back and often gets a little teary-eyed. He will ask the same question over and over and over again if he doesn't get the answer he wants. Sharing toys is not one of his strengths. Hungry Ez is a completely different beast and whenever he has a meltdown of epic proportions that usually means he needs a snack, STAT. 

To my dear, sweet 4 year old Ez,

Each year I'm prouder and prouder of the boy you're becoming. Kind, inquisitive, smart, caring, playful, intelligent, and the all around best snuggler in the world. I hope you know that you can do anything you set your mind to, you can be exactly who you want to be, and the world will be a better place for it. I can't wait to see what this next year brings my not so baby boy. We love you to the moon and back!

A Moment in Time

Every now and then Joe gives me a list of things I should record in this little ol' blog here so we don't forget it, which is usually my not so subtle reminder that it's been a while since I've done a life lately post. Like the way Ez is obsessed with reciting both Little Blue Truck books by heart or how Declan has to get down and dance anytime there is a snippet of music playing. They both seem like completely different people compared to even just a few months ago and I want to remember every crazy little thing they do. Declan is developing into a little jokester goofball who will do pretty much anything for a laugh. Ez is getting to that (mostly) fun age where he says crazy things out of nowhere and cracks Joe and me up. They're each at the perfect age to interact and play with each other and they're really starting to get the hang of this whole "having a brother" thing.

Family Life Lately

We are so, so, so blessed that Joe gets to work from home now. It's been the best thing for our family and Ez and Declan are on cloud 9 having Daddy time all throughout the day. Ez has switched over to becoming a total daddy's boy in the last few weeks and I'm basically chopped liver now. He just shadows Joe all day saying, "look at this Daddy," and when I try to chime in he'll repeat again, "look at this, Daddy." Ok, point taken kid. That being said, Joe working from home goes a little something like this:

Sitting on toys with a basketball bouncing off his head while on his laptop pretty much sums it up. Not sure how he pulls it off, but somehow he does.

In the evening we're all about family walks, or just running laps through the house over and over and over till everyone passes out from exhaustion. Well, when we don't all have a nasty flu, anyway. It's becoming very apparent that I live in a house full of boys because roughhousing is pretty much everyone's favorite pastime. Except mine. Apparently I don't have that gene that likes wrestling. Thankfully that's where daddy comes in.

Ez Lately

Moving to a house with a backyard is basically like Christmas and birthdays all rolled into one. Ez wakes up and the first thing he says is, "Wanna play in the backyard?" Clearly we've been depriving him and he's making up for lost time. Laying face down, elbow deep in the dirt is his happy place. He's my little earth worm. And after a nice long digging and rock collecting session he'll come in with his mud-streaked face and say "that was so much fun!" which makes all the extra laundry so worth it.

When he's not outside he's either asking if he can use "his" ipad, or eating. Seriously, that kid wants to eat every 30 minutes like clockwork. Apples are still the snack of choice and I have to cut him off or he'd eat a tree's worth every day. Also, it's a pretty good sign that my kid has seen one too many Youtube videos when he starts telling us, "Thanks for watching! Please subscribe." We've pretty much got a locked in subscription for the next 15 years or so... ;) Also thanks to Youtube Ez is basically a nonstop jukebox of nursery rhymes and songs. "Brother finger brother finger where are you? Here I am, here I am, how do you do?" is the current soundtrack of my life.

Despite the great upsides of our new place, there was definitely a turbulent little period when all the recent change caught up with Ez and he was basically a storm of emotions all throughout the day. When he's happy and excited he's the most bouncy exuberant little being you've ever met, but when he's pissed he's PISSED. Not sure if it's the move, a growth spurt, his age, or what...but it's a little hard to keep up with. I could do a whole post on "reasons my son is crying" and it would go something along the lines of: he asked to watch monster trucks so I turned on monster trucks; he asked for pink yogurt but all we had was blue yogurt; he wanted the yellow (box) mac & cheese not the blue one I gave him; he wants to play with the one missing toy instead of the 3,574 toys already strewn across the floor; the apple I gave him was "too big".... I think you get the idea.

Declan Lately

Declan is in that adorable gibberish stage and I really really wish I knew what he was trying to say. His made up language sounds like a cross between Arabic and Russian and there are certain sounds he'll repeat daily but I have no idea what they could possible mean. If anyone can translate Ah Shaka Doh for me, that'd be great, thanks. He likes to yell that at me periodically and for now I can only assume it means something along the lines of "bring me food, woman!" His English vocabulary has also grown a lot lately. "Doh!" (go or no), "Ca-kwa" (crackers), "wawawa" (water), "ba" (milk/bottle), "Ga doh?" (get down), Toooo!!! (Tootles - usually followed by a piercing scream) "dadada" (Dada). No mama yet though :(

He's forever my rambunctious troublemaker and whenever he gets caught redhanded doing something he shouldn't be he tilts his head to one side and sidles away without making eye contact, like if he can't see you, you can't see him. Some of his trouble making specialties include: dumping any glass of water he can find all over the floor. Splashing in the toilet. Typing on Joe's laptop the second it's unattended. Turning off the wifi. Storing bits of food in his toy garbage truck and then pulling them out for a snack later.

He does this wonky back and forth run like a little drunken sailor when he's trying to be silly and get a laugh out of us. His favorite perch is on the stairs landing where he can look down on the family room and watch whatever's on TV from his own private viewing box. Joe and I will be sitting at the table and all of a sudden this little blur of a boy goes running past full speed on his way to the stairs like he's on a mission. And speaking of running, running off and leaving us in the dust is becoming a pattern with him. Like that time he ran behind the bar at Outback and scared the crap out of me. He has the opposite of survival skills. If there's danger within a four mile radius he's automatically drawn to it. He just can't help himself. Gives whole new meaning to this meme:

Except there's a good chance I haven't showered...

Brothers

Ez and Declan are at the stage where they actually share a few common interests and watching them interact is my favorite parenting experience. Declan is loving monster trucks and motorcycles and all things with wheels and he'll roll them all over the house (like literally, up the walls and everything) and then when he's done he'll walk over and hand them to his brother and stand there gesturing and talking his rapid jibberish. Ez has no idea how to react and usually stares at me baffled until I cue him to say "thank you Declan" which he repeats in his little voice and Declan seems satisfies and wanders off to find another toy to share with his brother. Cutest thing ever. Bath time is another bonding experience for them. Splashing water within a 12 foot radius never fails to get laughs out of both of them. Chasing each other in circles around the house. Building, and more importantly, destroying block towers. Ransacking and hiding in mommy's closet. I was shocked that they were able to sit quietly side by side in my closet trying not to get caught. Who knew they could be silent for minutes at a time?? Stealing each other's toys and then tattling on each other... All the normal brotherly stuff ;)

And in case you're not convinced, here are several more glimpses into the crazy I deal with on a daily basis. (Thank you YouTube for turning one of my clips upside down...):

 

Happy Half Birthday, Ez! - 3.5 Years

Dearest Ez,

My sweet boy that made me a mama, here we are, three and a half years in, and I want you to know that you've taught me far more in these years than I've taught you. I know you would've learned your ABCs and numbers one way or another, but I can't think of anyone else who could have so perfectly taught me that the little things really are the big things. A trip around the block to see some motorcycles makes the whole day better. Taking a little time out each day to stomp some crunchy leaves or dig in a nice pile of sand never fails to bring a smile to your face. You're just as happy with a day at the park as a day at Disneyland.

You've taught me to forgive and forget. The faster the better. Because even though we've both seen each other at our worst you never hold those moments against me. The ones where I lose my patience and immediately regret it and we both need hugs afterward. You're always the first one to offer up those hugs. And while we're at it, you've taught me how to really snuggle, because don't tell your daddy or brother, but you're the best snuggler in the whole world. 

Your enthusiasm for the things you're passionate about is contagious. Seeing you jump up and down when we see a fire truck drive by makes me want to jump up and down too. Almost, anyway ;) I hope you never ever lose that enthusiasm my sweet, passionate boy. 

That same enthusiasm you have when you're excited about life? Well that works in reverse too. If you're not happy you're really not happy. I guess we'll just say you know what you want when you want it, and anything less just won't do. Of course you're not going to get everything you want all the time, and sadly it's my job as mom to teach you those hard lessons. One day you'll thank me. Probably not until you have kids though. But at the same time, even though it makes my life a little harder, I want you to keep some of that fight in you, and stand up for what you want. Not necessarily candy 24/7, but the really important things, and I know you'll be wise enough to figure out what those important things are.

And, most important of all, you've taught me that you are you, wonderfully unique and absolutely perfect just as you are. You're not height and weight percentiles, you're not milestones, and timelines, and benchmarks and averages. You're so much more than that, and as my first child it's been a long slow lesson for me to learn to tune out that white noise from experts and parenting books and "online experts" and just let you be. Because when I do that you never cease to amaze me. Your imagination, the way your mind works, how much you care for others, your playfulness, your serious contemplation, and a million other things that make you you. Your daddy and I so, so proud of you every single day. 

I was just reading through my last Ez update at 3.25 years, and it's amazing to me that you've already grown out of so many of those sayings and favorites. These months really are so fleeting and then all of a sudden you're a little bit bigger and more mature. To call it bittersweet doesn't even begin to do it justice. Here are a few things I want to remember about you at 3.5 years:

- You've just learned to "whistle" - but not actually whistle, you just put your fingers to your mouth and then make a loud, shrill, ear-piercing sound that sounds almost exactly like whistling.

- You call Tootles for just about everything that you possibly need to do in a day. Need to reach something off the counter? Let's call Tootles and ask for an elephant. 

- Monster trucks are currently out, motorcycles are in. 

- Airplanes and trains are also pretty popular at the moment.

- Playing chase at the playground is your new favorite thing. You've branched out of your shell a bit and you love playing tag with any kids that'll join you. 

- If you're trying to get Daddy to chase you, you'll grab a leaf and tell Daddy, "I'm pretty sure this is your leaf!" and then run away. 

- You like to dictate our days now: "Moppy, we're going to see motorcycles today" or "let's go to the playground now." How can I say no to that?

- You get so excited when we pull out the steering wheels for Mario Kart. You run up to me and ask "Are you ready Moppy???" Then you race around the living room with your very own steering wheel.

- You've turned into a bit of a bully. On the one hand I'm happy you're standing up for yourself, on the other, I don't want you to be the instigator. There's a fine line bud, and I think we need to work on that a bit more.

- You love to grab a blanket and come snuggle next to me on the couch, cover us both up, and then say "Now we'll be clean" which apparently means cozy, and it actually makes me a little sad that you're finally learning the actual word cozy.

- Your facial expressions are pretty extreme. You've got your happy face, your mopey face, your intense eyebrows furrowed face. I would not be at all surprised if you wind up an actor some day. 

- You've started doing these sad little puppy dog whines. I gotta admit this isn't one of my favorite phases.

- You're still the king of all engine sounds. If I had to name the current soundtrack of my life, it would be your interpretation of various engines. All day, everyday.

Your daddy, brother, and I love you more than you'll ever know! Happy half birthday to our #1 3.5 year old.

Ezzyisms - 3.25 Years

It's been about 7 months since my last Ezzyisms post (you can read them all here) and looking back it's striking how his vocabulary grown. He used to be all about sounds, he wanted to know what sound everything makes. Yes, even stop signs. And in case you're wondering, saying something doesn't make a sound is not an acceptable answer to a two year old. Thankfully we've grown out of that stage because my sound impression game is not strong. You know what we haven't grown out of though? This kid's love of vehicles. Planes, race cars, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, you name it, he loves em all. But his current most favorite vehicle of all is monster trucks. I can basically name fifty different monster trucks, along with their drivers, and chart you the lineage of connection between all the drivers (because most of them seem to be related or married) and I can pick from a lineup all the crew members and which trucks they work on. I kid you not. That's a whole lotta brain space attached to a subject I really don't care that much about. But I get pop quizzed daily, and oh boy, if I fail there's hell to pay. Here are a few other typical Ez interactions and sayings. 

I'm assuming this is just a three year old thing, or maybe my kid is a weirdo (and most definitely a control freak), but most things can't get done unless we follow a specific ritual. Pretty much the first time I suggest anything (let's put on our shoes, throw your trash away, brush your teeth, etc.) Ez immediately refuses. When I reach a sufficient level of frustration he says, "What are we gonna do???" to which I have to respond by repeating exactly "what are we gonna do?" and then he'll say "we're all gonna put our shoes on!" like it was his idea. That's a big thing right now, it's all gotta be his idea and he wants to do it all himself. Then he reminds me that I'm supposed to tell him: "You're the best!" even though in my head I'm thinking the best kid would've really just put his shoes on the first time without this whole ten minute run around that we have to go through every. single. time.

On the topic of doing everything himself, there was that time Ez wanted to know where his Nemo stuffed fish was so I grabbed it and handed it to him. He immediately took it, hid it, then repeated asking over and over, "Where is it??" before going and retrieving it from the hiding place and saying, "Look! I found it all by myself!" To which I'm expected to reply (you guessed it) "You're the best!"

Probably another toddler trait, but Ez loves to ask a question repeatedly and with urgency like it's a life or death matter, aka - "Wanna watch monster trucks???! Wanna watch monster trucks??? WANNA WATCH MONSTER TRUCKS??!!!"

Me: You want to watch monster trucks?

Ez: Wellll...otay (ok)...
The kicker that gets me every time is how he responds like I'm twisting his arm but he'll humor me just this once. Maybe he's trying reverse psychology on me?

We're going to Gangy and Grampa's house! (anytime we're in a residential neighborhood.)

Need tickles??! when he wants daddy to tickle him.

Falls down on purpose just so he can say "I'm otay!"

"Let's watch it go!" (anytime he wants me to watch him play cars.)

"The motorcycles are sleeping" whenever I tell him we can't go to our local motorcycle dealership.

If I tell him no he says, "Gotta say please!" The idea that sometimes the answer just really is no is not something he accepts willingly.

"Where is it??!" Referring to the truck I refused to buy him from Target, now known as the one that got away. It's been a week and he still brings it up daily, which is pretty impressive considering the toddler attention span is not renowned for lasting longer than a few minutes. 

Whenever we go to the motorcycle dealership he asks what each motorcycle sounds like then proceeds to do elaborate and different engine sounds for each one. The cruisers get loud rumbling sounds, the race ones get fast zippy sounds, and the list goes on and on. How he acquired dozens of different engine sounds I have no idea.

For some reason I catch him randomly singing the Mr. Clean jingle to himself pretty frequently. It is a catchy tune, I have to admit.

I'm happy to report that his enthusiasm for the hot dog dance continues to increase. He sings along while jumping around like he's in a mosh pit. 

"Gotta fix it!" (Referring to his toy monster trucks) followed by "errrr! wooo! eeee! errrr!" (Simulated pit stop sounds.)

On the same note he likes to race around the couch stopping in front of me to ask "pit stop??" and then I do all those sounds to his elbows and knees before patting him and telling him "Gooooo!"

"We'll be back Deckles." Whenever we go upstairs without Declan, followed by "we came back!" When we walk back downstairs.

Whenever the zombie monster truck comes on TV he wanders around the house doing his zombie arms.

He likes to announce the families on Family Feud along with Steve Harvey (aka - It's the... CRAIG FAMILY!!)

Every time the barracuda kills Nemo's whole family and Marlin tries to fight him off Ez laughs hysterically. I really hope that doesn't mean he's a future serial killer.

Three is an...interesting...age. You just never know what you're gonna get with a three year old. There are lots of rituals and patterns, and we often have the same truck-related conversation multiple times a day, but there are also so many new thoughts and connections being made daily. I read somewhere that babies and toddlers make 700 new neural connections every second. It's amazing to think about and I am so impressed by how Ez's little sponge brain soaks everything in and puts it all together. There are times when it feels like nothing I'm doing or saying is getting through, and then all of a sudden one day he wakes up and it clicks like a light bulb went on over his head. 

There is so much energy in his little body. All the caffeine in the world wouldn't give me half as much energy as he has at any given moment. Somehow even watching TV is a workout for him. He likes to run laps around the couch, climb on and jump off the ottoman repeatedly, or just dance around pretending he's racing cars. 

Some days I spend what feels like hours just timing his time outs, and when I go to get him he'll tell me he's not ready and actually asks to stay in his room longer. Then other days he doesn't need a single time out, and he's so gracious, and polite, and says please and thank you like a little gentleman and tells me how much fun he had playing at the park with me and my heart just melts. 

The emotions run high this year, but so do the rewards. Seeing him make sense of his world, express himself better each day, and explore his imagination have been some of the best parts of parenting. Watching his crazy, loving, stubborn, sensitive, energetic, playful yet serious personality unfold is such a blessing and while I'm pretty sure I'm never gonna look back and miss those public grocery store meltdowns, there is so much I know I will miss from this age. Like the way he can't pronounce f's, and how he does a happy dance whenever he's excited, and knowing that even though he's oh so independent right now, if he gets hurt or doesn't feel well I'm the first person he looks for and comes running to. And on that note, I think I need to go tackle him and steal all the snuggles right now before he gets even the teensiest bit bigger.