First Tooth!

No, you can't see it yet, but it's there! Maybe more sleep is on the horizon now? :)

 

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Eavesdropping on Ethan: Dancing and Daddy

E: "Mommy! I know my stop light colors."

Me: "Oh yea?" [unimpressed, he's known those for, like, a year.]

E: "Red means stop, green means go, yellow means slow... and orange means DANCE!!" [and starts breaking out his ultimate white boy moves]

[giving Ethan a hug after he wakes from a nap...]

Me: "I love you buddy"

E: "Mommy... I'm going to wear a shiny sparkly ring on this [his middle!] finger because I loooooove DADDY!"

Me: [pause...confused, and admittedly a little rejected...then I get it!]

"Do you mean you want to wear a wedding band like Mommy does because she promised to love Daddy forever?"

E: "Yes! I neeeed a wedding band ring too! Because I LOVE Daddy!!"

Now how can I feel anything but happy about such a sweet, honest moment!

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You should hear the giggles...

between these two every meal! Notice the lack of space between their chairs. No matter the distance, Ethan always scoots his chair to reach Gavin's to pull them smack next to each other.

He'll put his arm around him and exclaim, "Look Mommy! We're sitting begether!" No, not a typo. That's how he says it :)

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Turning Three: A Day of Biking and Bumps!

Today Ethan turned three! His prayers were answered and we gave him a bike for his big day. Chris skipped sleeping and the four of us went to a nearby playground to give him his gift and give it a spin.

He was as elated as we expected!

 

Ethan hopped right on and started pedaling...

And pedaling!

 

He showed no fear!

 

And then... The inevitable first tumble. The first knee scrap of sports weather!

At first we were alright. Just a lower lip response.

But THEN he saw the "red stuff."

The next half an hour was a variation of these looks...

But after a little non-bike related play, Grandpa called to sing Happy Birthday! Ethan, who thinks all phone calls are video chats like Skype, and yelled to Grandpa, "Watch this!!!" He jumped back on his bike and rode nonstop for at least another hour. He even took another tumble on the same knee later, but brushed it right off.

I imagine today will likely be a lot like his third year will be. Filled with lessons, laughs, and tears. I just hope more of the former than the latter!

 

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"Remember to leave room for the Holy Spirit!"

I don't think this is what the nuns had in mind! ;)

 

Love this picture of us dancing at our friends' wedding, congrats again Suz and Lauren!

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Facepalm

Win: Actually being able to shower while leaving both boys alone (in separate rooms of course). Came out and found Ethan still sitting on the same spot I left him watching his show just as I instructed.

Fail: Finding his underwear and sofa underneath soaked... With pee.

 

No accompanying photo today!

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Ethan's Prays to God for...

Ethan has suddenly become very interested in the concept of God, prayer, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Upon seeing any building that looks like it has a steeple, he will call out, "Look Mommy, there's God's house!" He will randomly close his eyes, reach his arms out, and give God a big "hug". Sometimes he'll even ask us if we can say grace at the table, often because I think he just enjoys practicing the sign of the cross at the end.

So last night I decided it was appropriate to start a nighttime prayer where we say the typical Guardian Angel prayer and then allow him a chance to say whomever he wanted to say special prayer to God for. When I prompted him asking him who he wanted to say a prayer for, I mentioned it could be for a grandparent, a friend he misses, for people that are going to bed hungry that don't have enough food, etc., etc. He didn't pause for single moment and said,"Dear God, I want a bicycle!" What?! In my very basic explanations about God I never explained that you could ask for things! He doesn't even know you can do that with Santa!

I repeated all of the special people or needs that he could pray for (and that I apparently deemed more worthy) and told him his prayer was all his own. And he said, "I know Mommy. Dear God, I want a bicycle!" So much for my artful coaching. "Okay Ethan. Amen."

Tonight his prayer was, "Dear God, I pray for God." Hey, BIG step up from my next guess... Chocolate!

How have you explained your faith or God to your toddler or preschooler? I'm in over my head here.