Loves of My Life

Monty ... my little rockstar -jock -

Your life is all about music and you drum away (night and day) on just about everything. You can't get enough of it! I think you'd happily sleep with those drums in bed with you if you could. You've just started playing soccer and, just as we imagined, you really love it (surprisingly, your big brother does too). You're very quick on the field and leave everyone in the dust, but you have no idea what's going on. haha. You're a real softy, you know that? You have a gentleness inside that is (finally) emerging after those years of struggling through the head aches of your terrible twos, which kinda leaked into your threes a bit. You seemed so incredibly strong willed but now I think it was just that phase of your little life and that you're in fact a huge softie. Okay fine, a softie with a "don't mess with me" side. I'm figuring you out finally. You can eat so much more now and eggs don't seem to bother you anymore, thankfully. Another thing we've grown out of. You've also started trying to write your name and you've got the M T and O down now. I think that's pretty cool. And when you bring work home from school and it's no longer the scribbled picture I've grown used to seeing, but traced letters and numbers or pretty art, I'm so impressed. You impress us daily with your mad skills, my sweet little guy, and we can't wait to see how those skills evolve and where you eventually focus all of this energy. Wish I was as driven as you. You're incredible. 

Parker ... my perfectionist wrapped up in a people pleaser -

You went to a soccer practice with Monty and when they invited you to join, you inched your way along the walls until you finally reached a ball and then tentatively/awkwardly kicked it across the field to join the others. But you've been practicing your running ever since, around and around the house hands fisted, eyes focused forward like you're burning a hole through the finish line. You've also decided that now is the time to learn how to tie your shoe laces and you spent much of this morning locked in the bathroom practicing until finally, just before school, you proudly presented your successfully tied laces! You're also reading at night to Monty and I from our Curious George books and you're becoming so much more confident. It's amazing. I can't believe that I have a reader! You also like to write all sorts of notes to us on your chalkboard. I definitely have to grab you for a hug nowadays (except when you wake up each morning and hug me all on your own) but I did get to snuggle with you when you were sick last week, and we were watching a movie on the couch together. That filled me up for a good while, so thanks! We find out soon where you'll go to school next year and while I'm excited for you, I'm nervous for that change. We'll do it together baby. 

Elliot ... mamma's boy and the cuddliest creature on the planet -

You've been through a rough couple of weeks, sweet thing, with all the sickness that hit you. But it seems, if it's even possible, that you now hold onto me even more tightly. You put your head on my shoulder, link your arm around my neck and with the other you play with my hair. So precious. You love to look up at me from underneath your lashes (like you're hiding from me); it's a little game with us. Reading books makes you smile and you think it's cool to dump out all of the kid's dishes and cups from the cupboard onto the floor. You also like scooting around on your little car and flipping the light switches. You're saying so much now - this morning you even handed me one of your shoes, telling me "shoes". And then you can say on, off, tato (potato), nana (banana), toes (toast), juice, milk, and a few more though I can't remember them now. I suppose you're at that age where the words come spilling out and a new one daily at that, but I tend to forget the proper timelines and so it seems so impressive to me. You're a studdly little dancer and when I'm choreographing or if you happen to join me at a private lesson, you make everyone laugh with your moves. You put your arms high in the air and flip your hands over and wave them up and down while you rock around. It's pretty adorable. You have so many little Elliot things that you do and they're all so wonderful. Everyone thinks you're the bees knees. 

I love you guys so very, very much.