He looks so different and so much older. I was sorta dazed for days whenever I looked at him. But it was so necessary. And is so much more manageable.
Let's see... what else is going on in Mason's world? Well, he's been going to nursery for 2 months. I should just leave it at that. But for remembrance's sake I will add that he screams as though he must be in an agonizing amount of pain when we even drive into the church parking lot. And then he calms down when he realizes we are headed to Sacrament meeting and we are all together. And then as soon as the "amen" is said for the closing prayer, he lets loose again. It's like clockwork. People have even started bracing for it, it's that predictable. And the meltdown continues for a while into class. At first it would last upwards of an hour. But I have stuck with it, because, call me mean, I totally believe in empowering children and teaching them to be independent and if I sit in there with him he is never going to learn. So we hug, love, drop and run. Almost like putting out a fire. Almost.
Now he is down to maybe 15 minutes of screaming. And once he stops, he has started to play with other children and... could it be?... actually enjoy himself. A little bit. We had one other child who had a rough time (I'm thinking Isabel? can't for sure remember), but it wasn't this bad. He seems to enjoy ending a lot of things with a bang!
Other that that, we all continue to adore this little person. His communication skills are growing by the day, which is always so fun to watch. He loves Elmo - LOVES - and will sit and watch an entire 45-minute Elmo movie with not the slightest utterance of sound. I can be accused of using this to my advantage on occasion. He loves cars and trucks, music and dancing, being in the kitchen (he recently "helped" me by unloading all the dirty silverware from the dishwasher into the clean utensil drawer, wasn't that nice?), he LOVES when things boil on the stove, he loves bubbles, and he goes crazy with joy anytime he can get outside.
He also loves putting things in the toilet anytime someone forgets to close the bathroom door. Toy cars, blankey, stuff animals, puzzle pieces and more have all gone swimming on occasion. This makes me crazy. He eats crayons like it's nobody's business (which he really believes, that it isn't our business). This is very difficult given the fact that I have three other children who color and do art projects on a daily basis. Nap time provides a nice safe option for art play. But if there's a roving 20-month old in the vicinity, he is ready to strike at the slightest drop of a crayon and instantly skulks off to chew away. Kinda like a shark. This makes me crazy.
He thinks he is way older than he is and will get seething mad at any attempt to exclude him from older activities. He is smart as a whip and can count to 13 (well, we can count for him and he likes to say 2, 6, 9 and 13, in the correct places). He has a slew of words. He loves his family and can say most of our names. He has different games he plays with each of his siblings that they have created for him, and he has such love for each of them. And they in return are crazy about him. Even after he has thrown their favorite toy in the potty and chewed their favorite crayon color.
His daddy adores him, especially when he wants to sit in daddy's lap and backs up like a truck for about 10 feet before landing and also when his little hand grabs daddy's big hand to be led in trust somewhere.
And I adore him so. Even if his toddler-ness makes me crazy.
