26 Months Old: Batman and Gnomes

Dear Max,

We have been rotating your books lately and it is so funny because you get so excited like they are new again. Anyway, you have really taken to the Batman books and you love “reading” them. You want to know who is a good guy and bad guy. You really love the Batman versus Joker book and you are intrigued with the Joker. We went to Toys R Us to buy a birthday present and you saw a bunch of Batman toys. Being the wonderful mom that I am, I bought one for you. So you have a “Bat Jeep” with small Batman and Robin action figures. The back of the jeep has a cage with a cardboard Joker in it. Well, after a lot of searching I found you an actual Joker action figure and made you throw the cardboard one away. This is really the first toy you’ve played with and it is so fun to watch you play and hear the dialogue between the characters.

Ever since you started showing interest in Batman, Nona started showing you the old 70’s Batman episodes on the computer. They are soooo cheesy. There is one episode where a shark has a hold of Batman’s leg (it is just hanging there all fake and rubber) and he gets a can of shark repellent (like that is something you always have handy) and sprays the shark and it fall into the water and explodes (so believable). You LOVE every minute of it. You have also started to like Spiderman. You are such a little boy and I love it.

We have been working on teaching you the alphabet. It amazes me how many letters you recognize. You can spell your name (like it’s hard or something) and sing most of the ABC’s song. You still love puzzles and we’ve had to throw some of the $1 ones away because you’ve worn the pieces out. Now that Jake is mobile he is always trying to chew on your puzzles and we have to be careful to keep stuff away from him.

Speaking of Jake, he is increasingly more interested in your toys and I totally expected you to get all territorial and mad when he started “playing” with your stuff. As it turns out, you think it is kind of funny that Jake just wants to chew on everything, as long as it isn’t something you are playing with at that moment. You are learning to share and take turns with Jake, and now that Jake is mobile you are starting to play with him, and he loves getting your attention. You keep wiping your nose on him and saying, “Wipe booger on Jake” so I let him grab and pull your hair to make it even.

Your favorite thing to eat is Taco Bueno. You LOVE it. You always want chips and queso and a bean burrito and let me tell you, you eat almost every bite of it. If we eat this it takes you FOREVER to eat and you always make a huge mess.

This past weekend we went to Oklahoma for Avery Hogland’s birthday party and to meet your cousin Ian that was born in July. We had a good trip and you enjoyed getting to watch DVDs in the car. I was thankful that Papa let you borrow some headphones. It was funny watching you and Eliana play and seeing Avery and how much she has grown and getting to meet Ian for the first time.

So it is that time of year where people dress up and it is ALWAYS fun to dress kids up. So I found the most hilarious costume at Wal-Mart. I know you would probably choose a Batman or Spiderman costume if I had given you a choice, but you didn’t get one, so you are a Garden Gnome. One of the joys of being a parent is getting to dress you up in funny outfits and laugh at you. You’re welcome.

Love,
Mama