a letter to harrison

sweet boy, 

i've been meaning to sit down and write you a letter for a while now.  time flies too quickly and life gets in the way too easily.  sigh.  but i suppose it is better to be spending time with you instead of writing about you?  well, in any case, here it goes.

you are just shy of 22 months old and i absolutely cannot believe that your two-year birthday is approaching.  you are growing up so fast!  the best thing about this stage is that every day i am surprised by you...a new word, some kind of new activity, a realization that you know WAY more than i think you do.

first off, we don't have one single ounce of concern about your speech.  son, you have so many words in your vocabulary - it's incredible!  right now my favorite word that you say is "garage". i have got to get some video of you talking about the garage.  you could not be cuter.

you like to tell me when you have a "poo poo" or "wet" diaper.  and you want a "clean" diaper right away.  we got you a potty chair, which you like to sit on, but you still haven't really put the two together.  mama is going to start researching the details of potty training.

you've had a big boy bed in your room for about six weeks now.  you love to sit in it and read books with mama.  you love to sit in it and look out the window (especially when you can watch the "mailman" deliver the mail).  you love to pretend to sleep in it.  but if mama tries to leave you in it for a nap, you start to cry.  you still love your crib!  lots of boys at your age are climbing out of their cribs.  you like to climb in.  : ) 

the other day you wanted me to lift you up onto the kitchen counter so you could watch/help me cook dinner.  i obliged, but told you not to touch anything.  you were quick to pick up the coffee pot and pretend to pour coffee.  being that the coffee pot is made of glass, i was even quicker to take it out of your little hands and place you back on the floor.  you looked up at me and said, "obey" (a word you had never spoken before...but one you had heard quite often).  at that moment i could not have been more proud of you.  and you were rewarded by getting to sit on the counter again.  and you did, indeed, obey.  

another day last week we were playing on daddy's computer - on crayola's website.  you got bored and started playing in daddy's desk drawers.  the next thing i knew you were climbing up the stairs and saying what i thought was "play".  i wasn't sure what you were referring to, but you reappeared with a "pen" (which was behind a safety-latched cupboard, by the way).  you had found daddy's check book in the drawer and wanted a pen to write a check.  such a smart boy.

during the day when daddy is gone you always ask where he is.  when i tell you he is at work you always say "home".  : )  it melts your daddy's heart to know that you miss him when he's gone.  

you are a very neat and tidy boy...always putting things where they belong.  you love to pretend to "vacuum" (which sounds like ma-moom) and "mop".  during one of the really warm days a couple weeks ago we had just come inside and were sitting on the floor, taking off your shoes.  you pointed to the bottom of your shoe and said "dirt".  i agreed, "yes, that is dirt".  to which you replied, "towel".  you crack me up!

you are becoming much more accustomed to your brother...and you are the best helper in the whole wide world!  during all his bad bouts of crying, you did such a good job.  i could tell it bothered you, but, for the most part, you played quietly while i tended to "baby".  when graham would start to make noises you were quick to tell me "crying".  and, then, you were quick to say "stop".  ha!  thank God, our sweet little graham has not been crying as much and we are having a lot more fun playing with him now!

you have renamed your grammy.  she is now lovingly called "meme"...a word that is much easier for you to say.  and i know she loves to hear you say it.  you love to go up to meme and papa's house because she makes really good cookies!

you are thriving at school...you love to go to the park...if you see a dog, you are on cloud nine...you love to take showers with daddy...you know that they have free cookies at the store (thanks to your daddy) and you must ride in those germ-infested grocery carts that have a car for you to sit in...you think it's so funny when graham has a "poo poo" diaper...you are sitting in a booster seat now, instead of your high chair...you love to dip things in ketchup and bbq sauce (thank God for organic ketchup)...you would rather be outside...you love to color with markers and you do a very good job of only coloring on paper (so far)...you can turn the most mundane things into an adventure!

your daddy and i think you are the sweetest, smartest, funniest, cutest, most precious human being on this earth!  (and, sometimes, the orneriest).  your smile brings joy to our hearts.