Conversations with a Two-Year-Old

I want to remember what Leo was like in these early days of learning how to have a conversation. He's very verbal and very social and we chat all day long.

Some things I don't want to forget:

--

"Mama, school bus go beep-beep!"

Yes, Leo, that's right, the school bus goes "beep-beep" when you honk the horn. Someday when you are older you will ride a school bus to school, would you like that?

[eyes widen] "Ok, go school bus!" [pauses, then gently pushes me away] "No Mama, Mama go. Mama too big."

--

Leo, time to go home for dinner.

"No dinner, more park."

One more slide and then we have to go.

[climbs onto platform, veeeeeerrrry slowwwwwly inches his way towards the slide]

Leo, one more slide, it's time to go.

[grins and stops on platform, reaching out to the slide] "Oh no, can't reach."

--

Leo's very into talking about things he remembers right now. He'll start his story with "Remember...?" which sounds like "momo...?" Some examples.

"Remember Leo fall down?"
"Remember choo-choo train?"
"Remember Leo puked?"
"Remember cousins? Remember Uncle Al?" [Christmas in Texas made a big impression]
"Remember Papa catch the ball? Hahahahahaha!"
"Remember carwash, kinda scary? 'Sokay, no big deal."

Side note. He talks a lot about things that are "kinda scary." He has a book about Thomas the Train being scared in the woods at night (it's a five-page board book and ends happily) and it was the first thing that was "scary" to him. We talked about it a lot and he seems to understand that if something is scary it's good to talk about it and it makes you feel better. We recently went to a park that had a huuuuuuge tornado slide and I told him that it scared me a little bit (um, truth yo) but that I would go up there with him. He seemed really surprised that I was "scared" by something.

Sometimes very little things are scary. Tonight in his bath he found a bottle of Matt's body wash. It has a picture on the label of a large, dark splashing wave. "Kinda scary. 'Sokay." We looked at it for a while and talked about how it was big and dark but it was just a picture of a wave so it was okay.

I love him so much.

we do faces

An afternoon stroll through the botanic gardens

Yo yo yo, the Pavelkas are now card-carrying members of the South Coast Botanic Garden, thanks to a sweet Groupon that I found. We love this place. In the concrete madness of LA it is so nice to have a green, tree-filled space where we can actually escape traffic noise (for the most part). Leo loves it here and though we've visited several times already we have yet to see it all and have much still to explore, since they close at 5pm and we're usually racing to get there after Leo's nap.

Today's garden adventure focused on the banyan grove. We only had about 45 minutes.

(there is something vaguely "naked human" about this wacky fig tree, right? it kind of makes me uncomfortable)

january

happy birthday

dining out

 Papa hugs

  My cousin was in Miss America

 sometimes big boys get lollipops

chopsticks are difficult

 ice cream tastes better when you share

 temptation tower on a gray beach day

no more pictures

our backyard

Two.

 I cannot believe two years have passed since you came into our lives.

We had no idea what we were in for.

You fill our hearts and our lives with unbelievable joy.  We are thankful for you every, every minute of every day.

Happy birthday, precious son.  We love you.

I think I just worked something out here

You may notice that I've been doing a lot more blogging recently.  Actually, in all likelihood, you are my mom (hi MOM!), who is the only person I know of that reads this blog regularly. :) 

I do not want to come off like I'm complaining.  I have a WONDERFUL life and I love it.  I love the two amazing dudes with whom I share a home, for better or for worse, forever.

I've been blogging a bit this week because I've needed an outlet - Leo has been sick for about two weeks now, since the day before we left for Texas for our family Christmas.  It has been one week today since I have been, for all practical purposes, quarantined (mostly) indoors (mostly) alone with my toddler son.

Because Matt got the Christmas holidays off, he gets slammed for New Years (while those Christmas-working suckers are living largely and luxuriously as I type this in my three-day-old PJ bottoms), so not only has Leo been sick, but we've been Papa-less.  Oh, and I am sick too.  Oh yeah, and the 12/14-hour-night-shift-working-Papa is sick too. 

Sick Leo means coughing Leo, and coughing Leo pukes.  A lot.  Coughing Leo needs to be held upright at night, so I've been doing a lot of upright semi-sleeping in the recliner in his room.  Sick Leo takes late naps for some reason, so he doesn't wake until about 3pm (sometimes in my arms), and Sick Leo takes a long time to adjust to awake-life after his nap, so we usually don't make it out the door in the afternoons, which means that the Mama has a lot of very creative toddler-entertaining to do.  Tonight we had two dinners and took two baths.  He wanted it, so I went with it.

..."He wanted it, so I went with it."  Interesting.  Being alone with him for the past few days and unable to do park trips and playdates has made me realize how much I plan our days.  I actually think that he has had a fine time being with me in our house and being with Papa for a few fast and furious minutes each morning.  A lot of the other things keep us entertained and keep my spirits up, and yes I think he is happier with parks and playdates and other kids in our lives, but it's been a challenging and enlightening experiment to just see what he comes up with every day.  Wow, I think I just worked something out here.  See what I mean?  The therapeutic blogging?

Enough whining.  We have so, so very much to look forward to in 2013.  We actually have so, so very much to look forward to this weekend - BOTH sets of grandparents coming for Leo's birthday!  My parents staying for THREE MONTHS!  Matt being on his elective rotation (sleep in, family time, work a little) for two weeks!  If being trapped in my apartment by the beach for a week with my beautiful, sweet, funny little boy is the worst thing that ever happens to me, so be it, I will take it.

But if the Papa could have a day off here or there, that would be pretty awesome, too.  Just stating facts.

Welcome 2013

My husband is working this New Year's Eve at a county hospital ER, sure to be a busy and frightening night.  I kissed him goodbye as he left and I said, "2013 is going to be our best year yet."  He replied, "We've had a lot of good ones."

Proof, in no particular chronological order (but omitting most of 2001-2008 due to hurricane wipeout of all digital proof of good times):

I am so looking forward to our adventures in 2013 and beyond.  I thank the universe for you every day.  We are so, so lucky.