THREE! We made it! Buddy Boy had a birthday a couple of weeks ago and is fully leaning into big-kid status. The latest developments:
No more diapers! We’ve had a plastic potty sitting in our hall bathroom for several months, ready and waiting for Isaac when he felt inclined to use it, but then we let him take the lead. He decided in late May that he was done with his Huggies and after a few short days of jelly bean rewards for each pee on the potty, he fully had it down. He has ditched diapers even at bedtime, which is wonderful, minus the occasional 2am shouts of, “MOMMY! I HAVE TO GO PEEEEEEEEE!”
He’s still all about his cars, all day, every day, but we’re testing out a few new hobbies. Biking, maybe?
Dress-up is a hit – he helps himself to whatever miscellaneous accessories he finds laying around the house.
Also, he’s forever finding ways to repurpose his own clothes, putting his face through the hole of his shirts or underwear so they’re a makeshift lion’s mane.
Books! Books are a hit, particularly as a stalling mechanism when it’s time to get on pajamas and get ready for bed.
He clearly knows he’s milking it.
He might have a future in track? He loves running laps at the neighborhood middle school while Juliette does soccer drills with her dad.
Oh goodness, and the tattoo obsession. He got a sheet of Toy Story temp tattoos at a birthday party and was forlorn when they eventually washed off. I bought another package and use them as incentives in lieu of lollipops. Life is a chorus of pleas for “More Buzz! More Woody!”
When he wears long sleeves, he insists on his sleeves being pushed up, so that Buzz and Woody “can see”.
Public transit and morning bus rides continue to be a source of excitement. Juliette joined us a couple of times in the summer, getting off at Isaac’s stop and then walking home. My kids’ up-for-anything attitudes can’t be beat.
There was much hand-wringing over Isaac’s first haircut, as I wondered if he was capable of sitting still for a stranger, but now he’s a pro and handles the clippers like a champ.
The sleep 411: Naptime continues to be the best. Love, love, love the mid-day snuggles.
And I especially love when sister is given the all-clear to burst into the room for a post-nap tickle session.
(I’m a very scary tickle monster.)
Bedtime, though! I’m spending less evenings sitting in the chair until Isaac falls asleep, but there’s a whole big rigamarole in getting him settled, part of which is a flashlight sweep behind his crib to check for wolves. We both declare, “No wolves!” and then I tuck him in, and then he tells me he needs to go the bathroom, and then he gets out of bed and back into bed and I turn on the hall light per his request and finally make my exit with calls of, “Isaac, can you hear me? I’m just in the other room! You’re safe, Buddy!” And he responds with a sullen, “Ok…” and all is quiet. For about five minutes, until he yells, “MOMMY? NO WOLVES!” and I tell him he’s right and then he says, “CLOSE MY EYES?!” and I say, “Yes, child, for the love of God, close your eyes! I love you VERY MUCH.” And then we’re done. Phew.
Couch snaps:
Sister snaps (with freshly-shorn hair…):
And bath snaps:
The light this child brings to our lives…the way he exclaims, “I missed-ed you, Mommy!” each time I walk in the door, even if I was just taking out the garbage. The way he’ll put a hand on each of my cheeks and whisper, “You’re my best fwiend.” To be clear, he’s very generous in his use of “best friend”, bequeathing the title even upon his favorite Hotwheels, but it still gets me every time. The other day I picked him up from daycare and he looked right up at me and said, “I yike your hair, Mommy!” Million bucks, he’ll make you feel like.
I spent an extra-long time doing books and bedtime on the eve of Isaac’s third birthday. We were at an AirBnB on Bainbridge Island for a soccer tournament and he had a tough time settling down, but I leaned into it and savored the snuggles and silly chatter. I sang to him and he giggled and then finally, he slept. My big little boy.
We spent Isaac’s actual birthday watching his sister play soccer, but when we got home on Sunday afternoon I pulled out the streamers and Juliette and I dashed to the store for a cake and that magical evening was all about him.
We invited my parents over for burgers and watermelon and then let Isaac loose on his stack of gifts.
A tractor flashlight, to look for wolves, of course…
A puppy from sister…
And a remote control Mario Kart, as he’s lately smitten with “Red Mario and Green Mario”.
Gosh, he was pumped about that little RC car.
Cake time! I asked Isaac what kind of cake he wanted and he shouted “Pink!” and I made it so.
It was such a sweet evening, our little gang. Isaac was on cloud nine. But get ready to have your mind completely blown, Bud… You dad picked up a surprise for you…
TA-DA!!! Facebook Marketplace score of the year…
Isaac hopped right in and put the pedal to the metal. We all ran for our lives. This thing has oomph!
We let him cruise down to the sidewalk and it quickly became clear that he needed a crash course in Driver’s Ed.
Cue Sister, who happily folded her long legs into the front seat to show him the ropes.
My gosh, these kids. I could not love them more.
Happy Birthday, Isaac. Thank you for filling our home with joy and noise and matchbox cars and unbounded love. It’s been awhile since I’ve tucked you into the Ergo and sang You Are My Sunshine as we sauntered through the neighborhood, your head heavy on my chest. Suddenly I’m watching you speed down the street and I can hardly keep up. But you’re still my sunshine, for ever and ever, Amen.
