Dear Eliot: Two Years, Ten Months

Dear Eliot,

I have recently stopped telling people that you are "two and a half".  Instead, I say that you are almost three.  You are, you know, much closer to three than two these days.  I can hardly believe how fast you have grown, but you act like such a big kid.

You let me know that you are big, too.  Sometimes I accidentally call you "my baby," but you smile and say, "noooo," like I said something so silly, like I called you a dog or something as a joke.  You don't see yourself as a baby at all.  However, you still are so sweet to me.  You love to be held and cuddled.  I still tuck you in at night, and you give me Eskimo kisses and tell me that you love me unprompted.  I think that is one of my favorite parts of the day.  No matter if we've had a rough day or a great one, you always make me feel like I'm doing a good job since you always tell me that you love me without me even asking or saying it first.

You had your first trick-or-treating experience this Halloween.  You have been going on and on about wanting to "go to Halloween" and be Buzz Lightyear.  We finally did it!  You were so stoked to say "trick or treat" and kept saying it before people would open the door all of the way to hear you.  It was so funny.  You had a great time, and I worried that you might not understand why we couldn't do it again another day, but things settled out and you accepted that Halloween is over.

We enrolled you in soccer classes.  I am hoping to sign you up for soccer in the spring, and I wanted to get you started in a group activity to prepare you.  Once a week, you play soccer and other games with a group of kids.  At first, you were shy and didn't want to stretch, but within a handful of minutes, you were running and playing with all of the other kids.  I was so proud!  You keep growing socially.

The funniest thing with you and other kids is the way you get started talking to them....  We might be at the park and you'll find some kids your age.  And then you start talking about your shirt or their shirt, and then you and the other kids automatically set up a game of chase.  Instant friends!

I am so thankful that you and your brother are continuing to get along well.  You try to take care of him and play with him.  Almost every night, you drag your blanket from your room into the den and set up pillow so you two can cuddle.  It's so cute and pulls at my heart every time.

You're definitely stepping it up in "big boy" status.  After sleeping on a mattress on the floor in your room for a while, your Robinson grandparents gave you their bunk beds for your room!  Your granddad slept in those beds with his brother when he was a boy.  Now I suppose you and Jack will share them when Jack grows big enough.  You think the bunk beds are the coolest toy.  We play ship, house, fort, and so many games with them.  Not to mention that you have gotten really good at climbing ladders....

I love your creativity and your imagination.  I love how you always want to play, jump off of every surface, pet every cat, collect every fallen leaf, test out every pen by drawing pictures, and kick every ball.  You make me so proud and thankful every day.  I love watching you grow, little guy.