2014 Beach Trip- Numero Uno

Of Ladybugs and Tin Cans

Aidan,

Your curiosity has been coming out in bigger, bolder shows lately. You unscrewed and dumped out the bug spray all over the table. You checked out the terra cota citronella candle holder lid, which somehow broke. You dumped out the sunscreen all in the inflatable pool and some deck furniture...but after all, your "tail was burning" (as you told me). You destroyed our pet spider's web to see what would happen (and you later apologized and- right on cue- the spider crawled back up (literally) the water spout to build his web again). You climbed up a ladder at Baba's house to pick yourself some delicious figs.

We love and embrace your curiosity; and I love your little, trickster, mischievous gleam you get in your eyes right before you get a sneaky idea to do something super sneaky cool.

But, I was reminded last week that amongst all the impishness, your curiosity also reveals your innocence and sense of wonder.

You and Julia spent the night at Yaya's and Baba's house (first time! woo hoo!). Your mother and I came to pick you guys up in the morning.

You hugged on your mommy for ages, and Julia hugged on me. Then you guys started telling us about all the amazing, cool, and fun things that you saw and did!

Finally, you said, "Mommy! We found a ladybug! C'mon! I show you!"

Your Mommy followed you to the bedroom/playroom.

"Where is the ladybug?" your Mom asked.

"Under the bed!" you said.

So you guys got down on all fours, and peered under the bed.

You pointed to an old, cylindrical tin can (once a home to cookies or something) and excitedly told your Mom to look inside! Because therein was the ladybug!

Your Mom got the can out from under the bed and turned it around and inside was...

A BIG, DEAD, COCKROACH!

<your mother hates cockroaches>

She screamed and dropped the can. I started laughing. It would have been the perfect prank, a hilarious joke to play. But you were not laughing.

You didn't know what a cockroach was, nor did it seem gross or scary to you. To you, it was just- to your best knowledge- a large ladybug.

Your Mom got over it quickly and started chuckling too. She and I realized that you were innocently serious; you hadn't meant any harm or mischief. You just wanted to share your discovery.

We stopped laughing and hugged you. Explained to you why we thought it was funny. That cockroaches and ladybugs are in fact different. And Mommy is creeped out by cockroaches.

And then you started laughing too.

You were now in on the joke you unwittingly played, and you got a big kick out of it.

So much so that when in our art room at home, a few days later, you spotted a cylindrical tin that once housed cookies, you got a mischievous look in your eye and announced to us:

"Look! There's a ladybug in there! A ladybug like this" (and then you made your 'croaked' face).

We all had a good laugh. A really nice, warm laugh as a family.

You're growing up really fast son; but I will never forget your innocence with the mistaken ladybug.

Of Pig Tails and Tissue Trails

Julia, you are about 21.5 months old, but sometimes you act as if you've been here forever- wise beyond your years, too perceptive and smart to not even be two yet. This summer, your vocabulary has skyrocketed, your singing and dancing have gotten super amazing...

...and you've even learned how to jump.

Sometimes, you just leap forward physically, leaving your mother and I astonished at how much of a big girl you really are.

 

First and foremost, it's official: your hair has finally grown long enough to sport more 'do's. Today you wore your first ever pig tails, and they suit you to a tee. Just. Plain. Awesome. You are always beautiful.

Today you are beautiful with pig tails!

 

 

For just about a week solid preceding the pig tail incident, you were waking up moaning, griping, and sometimes crying in the middle of the night and nothing could console you except for being held. We could not figure out what the heck was going on, since you are normally such a good sleeper. Then, one day, after what turned out to be the last such night, your mother and I both independently noted that you seemed bigger...heavier...and then all of a sudden you could reach things you couldn't reach before. That settled it from an acadmic standpoint: you had a growth spurt!

 

 

 

Sometimes you seem to be growing up before our very eyes. Sometimes you seem like you've been here before.

 

Sometimes you seem like you might be from somewhere else altogether!

 

 

You love to color on yourself.

 

And you have to sleep with a tissue in your hand. You've been doing this for quite a while; sometimes a tissue to hold will comfort you if you're upset at night time...even so much as a year ago.

 

 You call tissues 'nanos'; even though you can say tissues. Each night, you request a nano, and then in the morning it's gone. Sometimes we see little pieces of tissues balled up, here and there. Sometimes you call down to us "Mommy, nano fall!" Sometimes you are pretty upset about their frailty, as one night when Mimi and Pops were babysitting and you kept yelling down "Mimi, nano broke!"

 

Most nights though, the nanos just seem to disappear...Until one day I moved the crib from the wall and found nearly a box-worth of tissues all torn up and balled up under your bed. You are so funny! Some people have security blankets, some people have security nanos that they tear up night after night.

 

No matter how strange that may seem as you're reading it, it is completely normal- and a good reason to buy stock in Kleenex- and completely a part of who you are: old soul, growing up too quickly, quirky and hilarious!

 

I think we'll keep you.