There You Have It

Conversation occurring at our kitchen table during snacktime between my mom and Wyatt:

W: WA WA!
M: milk.
W: WA WA!
M: milk.
W: WA WA!
M: Milk comes from cows, where does water come from?
W: pause. pause. Cup.

Bonded

It's been really cool this week to see my son and my grandma hanging out. They're kind of a symbiotic little pair - it helps her back to push his stroller, she's willing to sit and re-velcro his wooden fruits so he can cut them again - everyone's happy. Wyatt has really gotten the whole thing down, naming ba-pa, gamma and gate-gamma and figuring out who's willing to do what for him.

Fast-forward to tonight, when Jeff & I went out to celebrate our anniversary (8 years for those who are curious, no longer newlyweds but not yet seasoned pros) and we left our little charge with his grandparents. Everything was under control when we left and seemed to be that way when we returned. However, we were a little chagrined to have my 87-year old grandma laugh at us for being home so early and then she just kept laughing. I've never seen her laugh that way. When I pressed her for what was so funny, she said I'd have to wait until Jeff was back in the room and then she'd tell us together. And then she laughed some more. Also, my dad was laughing pretty hard. And then my mom returned to the room and she was laughing. What the?

Well, apparently it went a little something like this: Dad was cleaning up from dinner, Grandma was sitting on the couch knitting and Mom had Wyatt upstairs for his bath. Mom realized Wyatt had a dirty diaper and cleaned him up before heading for the tub. It should be noted that Wyatt enjoys a little streaking before his bath each evening (gets it from his dad) and tonight was no different. Mom claims Wyatt had an ornery look on his face but that she saw no evidence of questionable behavior. HOWEVER, (and here's where it's helpful to know we have a small loft overlooking the family room), Grandma thought the ceiling was leaking. That's right, he peed right through that railing and it landed squarely on his great-grandma's leg. I'm glad she thought it was funny - hilarious, apparently - and I'm glad my kid's showing his true colors for our extended family.

Two.

How on Earth did this happen? And will I feel this way every year? My baby is two today and while last year's birthday made me feel like I'd survived, this year's just leaves me scratching my head and wondering how it is that he's been hanging out with me for 730 days.

We celebrated more formally on Sunday evening, so today we're just doing little fun things all day (translation: it's a normal day to Wyatt). Jeff and I greeted him this morning with a little happy birthday song, he requested cake for breakfast and was denied, he opened birthday presents from my sister and her family this morning then played all morning with Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma before we all took him to a park. My plan was to get McDonald's for lunch, but he said he wanted macaroni & cheese, apples and milk so I decided we'd err on the side of nutrition (well, not totally since he had his cake for dessert).

Wyatt at two is entertaining, a great mimic - he'll attempt any word you ask of him - and really fun. I know, I know. I rant about his antics sometimes and I'm sure those days will come again, but we're in an upswing around here and for the most part, times are good. His favorite activities are having me read him books, playing in sand, water or both, pretend cooking and just generally being a little boy. He manages to litter the house with balls, trucks and other random toys, he can derive great joy from a single free balloon from Trader Joe's, or rocks, sticks, acorns and anything else found in nature; he likes to get his own bib and then close the drawer by leaning against it and telling you, "knee", as if you can't see he's not using his hands. He likes to hide and can stand eerily still behind dining room chairs, loves to dance and requests music all the time, has a great appetite and a vocabulary that surprises me daily. He uses his manners most of the time and understands that without them his requests are less likely to be granted. He has started making three-word sentences (usually in the form of a command) and is a highly opinionated little boy who usually lets us know exactly what he thinks. Basically, he's doing all kinds of things these days that make me think I'm raising myself and not all of them are flattering. He's full of energy, likes to sing, can count one to ten but often skips numbers 3-5 and almost always ends with a big YAY!!! He keeps me on my toes and makes me laugh a lot. He's a good little sidekick.

But here's what gets me: this time last year he couldn't walk. I can't believe how much things have changed in the last year which leaves me wondering how this post will look in another 365 days.

Happenings:

1. Down with arachnids. We are overrun with spiders and their nasty webs all over the outside of our house. My devoted readers (read: family) might recall that I don't care for spiders but am trying not to pass along said fear to my kid. It's been a challenge. The fight is over, though, and I win because I used my non-arachnid opposable thumbs to dial United Pest Control and the nice man arrived less than 24 hours later with a high pressure hose connected to a 50 gallon drum of chemicals. Organic? I doubt it. Spiders dead in their webs all over my house? Hallelujah, sister, you betcha. Next appointment? 9 September because we'll be addressing this little issue quarterly.

2. "Moon comin'" gets old after a while, especially when it's the only sentence in the stable. But it's amazing how often it can be used!

3. I asked Wyatt if he wanted a haircut and he told me, "two". So he got sheared again because it turns out I like it shorter, too. However, this time I mentioned the crazy cowlick so it actually lays down a little. See? I'm learning!

4. Wyatt disappeared with three hairbrushes and a comb two days ago. I finally recovered two brushes last night (found in our closet, behind a rack of shoes) and one more this morning (in the pantry, next to the cooking spray of course) but the comb is MIA. If you visit and you find it, I think you'll win a prize.

5. We had a babysitter on Tuesday night. I guess she's pretty much perfect because (1) Wyatt sent me off with zero fanfare, almost like he was kicking me out, (2) he asked for her upon waking yesterday and was not too pleased when I told her she'd gone home, (3) she drives.

Sentence

Just yesterday, I told my sister that Wyatt isn't putting words into sentences yet despite all the parenting knowitalls saying he should. So of course today he is.

"Moon comin' and stars" shall be recorded as Wyatt's first sentence. He said it every time I put a sheet over us this morning while we were playing, as in now it's dark so the moon must be coming and with it comes the stars. I'm guessing this comes from us telling him at night that the moon is coming so it's almost time for bed.

It's official: I'm raising a sponge.

I Can't Make It Up

This afternoon, while watering the plants and one stretch of sod, Wyatt decided to get wet. No big surprise except that he stayed at it for a solid 45 minutes and didn't go gradually. Nope, my kid started by sticking his head under the sprayer about a half-inch from the nozzle and proceeded to soak himself from stem to stern.


************

Tonight at dinner, Wyatt was playing with his spoon (his utensils never end the meal being used in an appropriate manner) by spinning it on the table. It - of course - spun off which made Millie scramble out of the way. It's a lot of commotion for a simple spoon dropping, so I said in an exaggerated tone, "uh oh!" Wyatt looked at me in all seriousness and said, "happens."

************

On our way upstairs for the bedtime routine, I told him that I was going to vacuum after he got in bed and not to be upset when he heard it. So I did the whole kit and kaboodle with the bath, dried his hair, brushed his teeth, applied lotion and powder, wrestled him into pajamas, read six books and put him in his crib, saying the same blessing I say every night. Immediately after we said the word "peace" together, I told him I loved him and to sleep tight. He looked at me and said, "bye bye, mom mom. Bacuum." I cracked up! By that point, I had completely forgotten my vacuuming intentions but my little elephant-minded boy had not.

Tech Support?

For days - maybe a week? - I have tried posting some pictures to this little thing I like to call my blog. They're really cute, the pictures that is, and I bet you can guess the subject. But every time I click on the 'upload now' button, my internet connection is terminated to the point that I have to reset my router. This is A. NOY. ING! So instead of getting to show you how cute Wyatt and Isaac look in Japanese warrior headbands, I'm left with the sinking feeling that either my computer or my whole house's wiring needs to be replaced. Why can't it all just get along?

And also, I really wanted to show you a picture of the wildlife we rescued this morning. It seems the nest in the dryer vent (halfway up the side of our house, of course) must be getting full because this is day three of finding a baby bird laying on the ground. The first two were dead (and are currently creating an unpleasant stench in our trash) but this one has more feathers, two little curious eyes and a bright yellow beak. After about seven calls to various agencies, we finally found someone who told us to line a plastic dish with toilet paper, nail it to the nearest tree and put the bird inside. Apparently the mom will still take care of it. Here's hoping the survival of this one can atone for the loss of the other two.

If I can get the computer and blogger to quit fighting, I'll provide a little illustration for your enjoyment, but I wouldn't hold my breath.