27 Months Old: Blackeyes and Pumpkins

Dear Max,

We have had a very busy month and things are finally starting to slow down a little bit. Now that the seasons are changing and the fall is upon is there are pumpkins everywhere. There is a really neat pumpkin patch really close to our house and I thought it would be fun to take you and Jake. You absolutely loved it! At first you were scared of the tractors, but you got over it very quickly and then you wanted to climb up and sit on every one. You also loved the little hay house. Most of all, you loved the pumpkins! The first time we went I wanted to buy you a pumpkin since you loved them so much, but I didn’t have any cash with me. One Saturday, we dressed you and Jake up and we went back to the pumpkin patch to take some pictures and to buy you a pumpkin. I let you pick out a small pumpkin that you would be able to carry. You quickly found one you liked. It had bumps on it just like the bump on your thumb (from sucking it) and that is why you picked it. Later on that day when Bucky came over he asked you what you wanted to name your pumpkin, and you said, “Ronny Wade!” It was hilarious.

Speaking of Ronny Wade. He was definitely at the forefront of your mind. He was here one Sunday this past month and he spoke for us both services. He and Alfreda stayed with Nona and Papa before heading to their next meeting in Oklahoma. We were able to spend some time visiting with them. We went to dinner with them at Cici’s one night and the goofy child that you are, you wanted SALAD, at a PIZZA buffet. Well, you also wanted cinnamon rolls and brownies, but who could blame you? Right after Ronny and Alfreda left we started our meeting with Kevin Presley. It was a great meeting and I thought Kevin did the best preaching I had ever heard him do. Saturday night we had Kevin over for pizza and games and you got to stay up a little bit late (because of the time change) and show off your batman pajamas.

A little over a week ago you got your first black eye. It was the weirdest thing. I was playing with you on the couch and your Peter cotton tail bunny that sings and jumps was laying on the floor next to the couch. You were being a wild man and you slid off the couch on purpose, but you just happened to hit your eye in just the right spot on the hard part of the bunny’s foot. You didn’t cry, but I could tell it was going to bruise almost instantly. You look like someone punched you right in the face.

You are starting to say the funniest, most random things. I got an iPhone this month as an early birthday present and you LOVE it. You have already been exposed to Aunt Jojo’s iPhone and you try to tell me that my phone is YOUR phone. Ha! Yeah right! I did get some apps that you really like. A few are games, but the really cool one quizzes you over your letters, colors, and shapes. It says the letter and the sound it makes and you have to choose the right one. It has really helped you to learn your alphabet! You are way too good at using my phone. You know how to go to the camera and take pictures and then scroll through the pictures and make them bigger or smaller. So the other day when I was teaching Nona took you and Jake on a walk. You had your play cell phone with you and you were pretending to take pictures of everything. Nona asked you, “Are you calling Mama?” and you said, “No Nona, I’m checking my email!” Nona said she cracked up and when she told me the story I laughed my head off. You love technology.

Jake is crawling and standing up and you are trying to play with him more. It is so neat to watch the two of you together. Now that Jake is older he is starting to care more if you take something away from him. You are usually pretty good about “sharing” with him, but sometimes you just take stuff away from him and I have to get onto you. Speaking of discipline, I think you have gotten more spankings and timeout this month than ever. You are just starting to test your boundaries I think. You don’t yet understand when it is acceptable to say “no” and when it is not. Like when I tell you to do something and you say, “no” I stop and look at you and make you say, “Yes, ma’m”. You are catching on, but it is a bit of a difficult concept.

You are talking more and expanding your vocabulary everyday. It is amazing to watch first hand as someone acquires language. I think it has truly helped me to be a better teacher of a 2nd language. You have started to stammer and stutter at the beginning of a sentence. It almost seems like your brain is moving faster than your mouth. I was a little concerned at first and not quite sure what to do, but after talking with a lot of people and doing some reading I have learned that it is very common and that I shouldn’t do anything. In the past few days I have noticed you doing it less and less, so hopefully it is just a passing phase.

I started a program to get my masters this past week and it has been hectic. It is a lot of work and sometimes I think I am crazy for even trying it. The thing is, I am doing it for the knowledge that it will give me to help you and Jake. There is an emphasis in literacy studies and I am fascinated by all the information that I am gaining so that I can work with you on being a good reader, writer, listener and communicator. You still love books more than anything and we have been going to the library every couple of days and checking out about 5 books. It’s like getting a new toy to you and you are so excited when we check out a book and you want to immediately go home and have us read them to you. I hope you keep that love of reading.

Love,
Mama