Almost 2

Dear Elijah, 
Today your daddy went golfing and you and I spent the morning together.  I enjoyed it so much I wanted to write to you and tell you all about it.  I hope that some day, oh say...maybe 30 years from now you may be approaching fatherhood yourself.  Maybe as you prepare to be a dad reading this will help you understand just how special being a parent is.  But I think (since I'm your mom I can say this) you are not only special, but amazing, charismatic, funny and inquisitive (among other things) and the most fun child to be a mom to.  

You sat nice in the jogging stroller while I went for a run.  You have not done this since last year.  I was a little worried you'd be bored or put up a fuss, especially since you were only rolling around  an outdoor track.  There weren't squirrels or birds to watch.  But you survived without complaining. 

We filled up your pool and all morning you said "I wanna poo".  I thought you had to go #2.  But you were staring out the window at your little pool-dreaming of the splashing you'd do.  I told you we had to  wait for the water to warm.  Meanwhile you ran errands with me, ate breakfast and played trains.  You were a very good listener.

Then we headed outside.  Oh the joy in your every step.  You went in and out of the pool.  Your bucket seemed to be super glued to your fingers. You spent a lot time filling it with water from the pool and then pouring it over anything and everything, but mostly all over yourself.  You stepped in and out of the pool but never sat down.  I looked away for 3 minutes and when I looked back you had poured a bucket of mud into that pool.   So...we had to dump that pool (Oh the joy that brought you) and refill it. The water was ice cold again.  So, back in and out you stepped.  You threw in rocks. You kept "watering" different things.  You stayed right by me and the pool, never wandering.  I was able to sit and watch you.  Bucket in. Pour. Splash. Rock in. Rock out. New rock. ANTS!  Such a boy. 

These days you let me put sunscreen all over you because that is a sign we are headed outside.  I'm dreading the day you wiggle, cry, shout, and run away when I try to put lather you up. Your swim suits from last year still fit you.  We have about 10 now because people have given us some and I can't say no at rummage sales. I hope we get a lot of use this summer.

When daddy got home from golfing we took quite the bike ride.  You melt my heart.  These days you are making sentences (small ones, but yes-sentences).  You know how to change your voice if you are asking a question, even if you forget a word or three.  The inflection in your tone is so darn cute.  "Mamma bike ride?"  You love to see air planes, buses, trucks (mixer? dump truck?) and motorcycles.  My heart swells when you try to say motorcycle, it comes out as "meer-circle".  Back to the point-the bike ride we took brought us to the big blue swirly place-icecream.  You haven't done a whole lot of this before but you ate like a pro.  We shared a hot fudge sundae you and me.  It was so special to me.  You had your own big boy spoon and we sat at a little picnic table while the cars drove by.  You took spoonfuls that were much too big for you and splattered it all over everything.  Once I finally let you just control the spoon by yourself,  I saw the real joy in sharing icecream with my favorite almost 2 year old.  Thank you for that today.  I never enjoyed icecream so much.
~We're back out at the pool now. Daddy went for a little while again.  You are so busy dumping water in and out of your bucket and finding rocks I haven't even had to stand up once to help.  You are a dream come true of a little boy right now.  I am entranced by your every little move these days.  I wish that someday you are able to recall these moments you share with me because I feel like there are not enough.  I work all day to make enough money for us to get by.  NOT to be away from you.  All day at work I dream of coming home to play with you.  I know you are too young to start remembering "moments", so the most important thing is for you to remember me.  To know me.  To enjoy me...no matter what age you are.  It's the moments that really make my heart pitter patter-letting you control your own spoon, letting you pour water every where and anywhere, stopping everything and building that train track, putting sun screen on you 5 times in 3 hours.  See you next weekend for more long, sun and fun filled days together.
Love, Mom
PS Today you napped without a nuk.  It didn't kill you or me.  Unbelievable.  Can we do this?