Dear Max & Jake,
I’m writing this a little late, again. I’ve been busy, to say the least, but this letter’s not about what’s been going on with me it’s about you two curly-headed boys. I’m going to go ahead and warn you that this post is going to be a picture overload! The newness of my camera hasn’t worn off yet =)
So a couple of months ago Dada and I took you boys to the Omni to see “Under the Sea.” While we were there we got a glimpse of the museum and Max really wanted to go see the dinosaur exhibit. I hadn’t been to the museum in years, and even though it was closed, I saw a lot more stuff for kids. There is a section dedicated to young children (1st grade or under), so one week Nona and I decided to take you boys and check it out. Once I saw how much it would cost us to get in and see everything, I made a spur of the moment decision to buy a pass. With the pass we get up to 5 people in to all parts of the museum and we get 15 tickets to the Omni to see any of the short documentary films. Since we got the pass we have seen “Under the Sea” twice, for a grand total of 3 times. It’s funny because you guys just love watching all the fish and seahorses and sharks. Max, you got scared when they showed the great white shark because at the Omni it feels like you can reach out and touch it. I told you to close your eyes when you see the shark and then you waited for me to tell you when the shark was gone so you could open your eyes. We really enjoyed the Children’s museum, where you boys played grocery store and doctor. One time we went with your friends, Creighton and Catherine, and we played with the water features outside, it was tons of fun! Out of all the neat things to see and do, Jake seemed to like the big turtle that was inside a glass dome. We also enjoyed sitting on the camel at the Egyptian exhibit and building “planes” out of paper plates and paper cups to see if they would fly in the wind tunnel. I think that most of all you boys loved the dinosaurs. There is a dinosaur exhibit in the museum, but then there are two dinosaurs outside. Jake loved the T-Rex and kept saying “ra-rex” until we took his picture with it. The museum is so much fun, and educational, and I’m glad we got a pass so that when the weather is bad we still have somewhere really neat to go!
So we have gone to the museum a lot, but you two still LOVE the zoo. Thankfully the weather hasn’t been too bad and we’ve been able to go to the zoo, even though it’s winter. Since we are veterans of the zoo and know where everything is, we usually go for about an hour or an hour a half and we see everything we want and we always ride the train. Every once in a while I will let you guys ride the carousel. When we go to the zoo I ask you both what you want to see first. Max, you usually tell me you want to see the hippos first. Jake, you usually tell me that you want to go see the turtles, you really have a thing for turtles lately. We really love going to the “MOLA” area of the zoo, the Museum of Living Art. I got a really great picture of a snake opening his mouth and Max always gets excited to see the Komodo dragon, which is the last thing you see at the MOLA exhibit.
So one really amazing thing happened this month, I started taking you boys to my volleyball games. At first I didn’t know how you two would do by yourselves and I brought books, blocks, and some food to keep you guys occupied while I played. There is a big gymnastics mat that is on the floor between the bleachers so I brought two little chairs to put on the mat, and to my surprise, you both stayed on the mat and watched me play 3 games (lasting about 45-50 minutes)! So far I’ve taken you two to 3 matches and y’all are perfectly content playing on the mat, I cannot begin to express how happy this makes me. We also got to spend some time this month with your buddy Oliver. It was pretty funny because all three of you were selfish and constantly annoying each other when you were in the living room with me and Emily, but when you three went to Oliver’s room y’all played great together and we never heard a peep out of you. We also went to the birthday party of our buddy, Bryce. Bryce’s dad, Branden, is my cousin on my mom’s side. So basically, you and Bryce are cousins of some sort. Anyway, We had a blast at the birthday party jumping in the bounce houses, playing games, and you both got to experience your first ride on a go-cart! We had a blast, and we all enjoyed the Elmo cupcakes, especially Jake!
So on Labor Day we did a photo shoot with Andrew Weaver. We got a few group shots of the whole family because we wanted to give one to Granny and Pappy for their 60th anniversary. Well I also wanted a few shots of the 4 of us and then individual pictures of both of you. Jake, you weren’t very cooperative because you wouldn’t be still long enough to really get a good shot, but I think some of the pictures of you two together turned out really good! So in these pictures Max is 3 years-old and Jake is 18 months-old. Time sure is flying by.
Max, you have started saying some really funny things in the last month. You will use really big words that you don’t even know the meaning of, yet you will use them in the appropriate context. It just cracks me up. You say things like “I absolutely want to eat lunch.” In fact, absolutely is one of the words you use quite frequently. You also have started saying very interesting things in your bedtime prayer. One night you prayed, “I’m thankful that sharks don’t eat people” and a couple of times you have prayed “Thank you that people don’t eat other people.” You have also said, “Please let Nona have a safe trip home” despite the fact that she left our house at least 6 hours earlier and we only live 2 minutes away. I’ve had some health issues and was in the emergency room and you prayed, “Please be with Mama in her recovery.” It is just so precious to hear your sweet prayers, even though they are sometimes funny and Dada and I have to try our hardest not to laugh. Once the doctors figured out that my gallbladder was the reason that I was having so much pain, I told you that I was going to have to have it taken out. You were very interested about it and you asked lots of questions. I told you that they were going to have to cut my stomach to take it out and that I would feel better once I had surgery. So the week before I had my surgery, out of no where you asked me if Jesus had a gallbladder. Then I explained to him that everyone has a gallbladder unless they have surgery to remove it. You are so inquisitive and very smart. It amazes me some of the things that you pick up on and remember.
Ever since we saw “Under the Sea” at the Omni you and Jake have been fascinated with sea creatures, especially sharks and cuttlefish. One day Nona took you boys to the library while I was teaching and you got a bunch of different books about sharks, whales, and they even had one about cuttlefish. I don’t know why, but it never really occurred to me to get non-fiction children’s books until now. Needless to say, we have checked out books about sea creatures, woolly mammoths, hippos, dinosaurs, rabbits, foxes, and the list goes on and on. I have even bought you a big book that has lots of animals in it and information about what they eat, where the live, and things like that. I also found a book about sharks and one about dinosaurs at Half-Priced Books and you two love looking at it and learning about the animals. Unfortunately, I missed the last few music classes due to my gallbladder issue. You both really enjoy music and I’ve noticed that Max has been singing during church and really enjoying it. Max, you love singing “Doe a Deer” and it’s amazing that you know the words to so many songs. I’ve also started doing more Spanish with you and Max can count to ten in Spanish and I’m hoping that you will continue to want to learn Spanish.
Jake, I am amazed at how “grown up” you are. You are such a little copycat because you repeat EVERYTHING. In the last week or two you have started to put words together instead of just saying one word at a time. The funny thing is, Max talked early and he seemed to develop language really fast, despite the fact that he didn’t have an older sibling. From what I can remember, and looking back on the letters that I’ve written to Max, you are pretty much talking as much as he was at this age. The thing that really sticks out as a major difference is the vocabulary difference. Jake, you know so many words that most one and a half year old’s would never know. For example, you know the names of all of Batman’s nemeses: Joker, Penguin, Two-Face (you call him “face”), and Mr. Freeze (you call him “freeze”). You also know the names of so many animals, and not just the “standard” ones, you know words like toucan, flamingo, catfish, hammer-head shark, and you even know that some elephants have tusks. I mean honestly, what one and a half year old knows the word tusk? I’m not saying you’re brilliant, although I am your mom and of course I think you are smart, but you know these words because of your brother (and the fact that we have a zoo pass probably helps too). It’s just nice that you can tell me what you want and I don’t have to guess why you are crying or upset. The things that you usually want and the words you say a lot are: milk, water (sometimes you aren’t so specific and you say “drink”), ish (you don’t say the “f” at the beginning and this refers to goldfish crackers), treat (this is usually referring to some sort of sweet that you get if you eat your food). Aside from wanting something to eat or drink you will also say, “babbie” which is your way of saying “blankie” and it is usually what comforts you. Sometimes you will get your blankie and then say “tag” as you look for the tag so that you can rub it and suck your thumb. You are just so silly and funny and you crack Max up all the time by dancing crazy or putting stuff over your head, or just being silly in general. The other day in the car you had Max’s big Batman action figure and you starting singing, “Nanananananana Batbah!” You are just so much fun right now. We are even getting you to pray at night. The other day your prayer went like this, “Teh tu for Mama, Dada, Max, Jake, Nona, Papa, house, car, books, toys, HULK, Jeja name, Ehen.” Of course you often repeat the same thing so I have to keep you on track by telling you “Jesus name” so that you will end your prayer. It’s still absolutely precious.
I’ve never enjoyed staying home as much as I have in the last few months. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but as I’ve said before, staying home isn’t a bed of roses. I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to stay home and I definitely wouldn’t have it any other way, but you two are now at an age that I’m really enjoying. I love waking up and deciding to spontaneously make a trip to the zoo or the museum. I’m so lucky to have such precious boys, and even though there are days that being a stay at home mom is really hard, I love you two so much and I can’t imagine leaving you in the care of someone else. Right now is a crucial time in your lives because I think that your character and behaviors are being molded into the men that you will become one day. Max is learning how to speak respectfully and treat others how he would want to be treated. Jake is learning how to share and how to deal with his emotions when he doesn’t get his way, particularly that it is completely unacceptable to fall on the floor and cry. You are both learning that if you want what the other one has then you should try trading toys with each other, it is making all of our lives easier. I pray that God will give Dada and I the wisdom to raise you to be obedient, respectful, loving, selfless, and caring boys and to train your conscious to be in line with God’s word. I pray that you will both strive to be like Christ and to live according to God’s will and not your own. We are trying to instill these characteristics through example, and we know that we fall short in many areas. The thing is, Max and Jake, you make us want to be better Christians, husbands, wives, fathers and mothers. Personally, I know that I have many short comings and that I am always going to be a work in progress, but I’m hopeful that Dada and I can pass along our good traits despite our bad ones.
Love,
Mama
