toddler years memories

More memories and moments with my sweet boy, in those early years...

I remember how you memorized the cases to all your favorite Disney movies years before you could read. We could pull the videos out and you would match them by placing back into their cases. (And these were old VHS days when there were no pictures on the tape!)

I also remember how much you loved repetition of your favorite shows. We watched Barney and Disney sing-a-longs a million times!

I remember how fiercely independent you were from the very beginning. Once you learned how to do something, you did it yourself. You loved fixing your own snacks - I guess it made you feel big to pull it out of the frig, heat it up in the microwave, etc.

I remember your first prayers and how much you enjoyed saying them at dinner. You would grab our hands, close your eyes, and say, "God great. God good. Thank you food. Amen!" As you grew a little older, your prayers grew in length because you would thank God for EVERYTHING on your plate and anything that surrounded it.

I remember how imaginative you were, acting out characters from books and movies. You always wanted to be "just like Dad" and would pretend to be a firefighter and EMT, and whatever job Tim had at the time.

I remember how cute your speech was at this age, before you were in school and frustrated by the difference. I loved how you'd use big words like "Knucklehead" and "Turkey Lips" to poke fun at us. My favorite saying of yours has always been, "You're getting on my nervous!" when you would get mad.

I remember your excitement in seeing something new at this age. I can close my eyes and see you squatting on chubby legs, amazed at discovering an ant hill. Whatever the experience, my joy always came from watching your reactions in those moments.