What I Love About You

Dear Ollie,

Let me tell you what I love about you right now.

I love that you're vamping up your personality.  You agree by saying, "Let's do that!" and beg for more time by saying, "Fi moh mins," and holding up your fingers.  You've told Mama and Daddy when you don't like things like pepperoni ("I don't like that, Mama!") and when we should stop pouring water over you in the bath ("That's a no-no, Mama.").  This whole mimic thing is so amazing - today, you told me, "Roh bak, roh bak!" with your pointer finger in the air.  It took me a couple of minutes to realize you were saying that you would be right back!

I love that I can catch you making someone - us, a friend, an adult - laugh.  It was fun to find you giggling with our new friend, Josh, when I came into the kitchen on Saturday.

I love how your artwork is developing.  We keep almost everything.  (Especially after you caught me trying to throw your shell work away.  Eeks.)  Everything's displayed on the fridge and then into a bin for later sorting.

I love how much you love tractors, animals, motorcycles, Little Einsteins, pizza, water and ice cream.

I love when you turn down your head and look at me through your eyelashes when you ask for something that we've already denied.  Actually, you don't ask; you tell me like it's an inevitability.  With that face, I'm ashamed to say that most times - it is.

I love your belly.  It's my favorite.

I love when you wake up from naps and your hair is sweaty and matted and your eyes are wild and uncentered.

I love your fake conversations with Papa Mickey and Gaga.

O: (picking up a toy and putting up to ear): "Hi Papa-Mickey-Gaga."

"I love you!"

"I miss you!"

"Bye-bye!"

(taking the phone away and pressing two imaginary buttons): "Boop, boop!"

"Mama, now you."

I love the sound of your feet hitting the floor and slapping into our bedroom all too early in the morning (because you now have a big boy bed and you tend to fall out of it).  

I love that you immediately bounce over to my side of the bed and come close to examine my face.  I keep my eyes closed but I can smell your breath up my nose, Little.

I love that this morning you patted my head and petted my back before yelling, "MAMA!  GEH-UP!"  

I love how excited you are to walk into your classroom and see Miss Casy.  And how excited she is in return.

I love that sometimes when I pick you up from daycare, you need to take my hand and proudly show me around the room.  I remember how crazily proud I was when my parents came into my classroom, so I delight in seeing it in you.

I love holding your little hand.  I love the back of your neck.  I love your defined little calves. I love your little buns!  I love your feet, ears, nose, eyebrows...

I love how you bound up to me when I pick you up off the daycare playground.  Your cheeks are bright red, your neck is sticky, your tee-shirt is stained and I think, "This boy had FUN today!"

I love that when we pray, you interrupt to remind me to pray for all the babies in the family.

I love how friendly you are.  You have such a love for others and an open honesty that it breaks my heart to have to teach you Stranger Danger.  But do it, I must.

I love how much you like to sing and "read" to yourself.  Your favorite songs right now are Baa, Baa Black Sheep and A, B, C Truck.

I love how you get our attention by grabbing our faces and turning them to you.

I love your hoppy hugs.

I love how you tilt your head back so that I can brush the food out of that problem tooth.  

I love that we have our own special Turk code when brushing: bottoms - upstairs teeth - tooth - tongue - cheese - spit!

I love reading you bedtime stories in our bed.  I get a kick out of the fact that you love it too.

I love snuggling and cuddling with you after a bath.

I love when you repeat prayers at bedtime.  

Now I lay me down to sleep....(sweep)

I pray (pay) the Lord my soul (soh) to keep (keep)

Please watch over me all through the night...(night)

And wake me with the morning light...(light)

I love that you still let me rock you from time to time.  I am praying for that to last as long as possible.

I love how stubborn and bossy you can be.  Yesterday, you decided to pick up the paper from the end of the driveway.  You placed me where you wanted me to stand and wouldn't let me follow you.  Gosh, I'm not looking forward to your first day of school.

I love your cheeks so much that I still want to put them in my mouth and gum them, but I can't do that anymore because that you say, "No bites, Mama."  You're doing so well with that phase that I can't jinx it.

I love that you're trying to clean up after yourself by requesting "Towa" (paper towels) from me and then scrubbing up corners of a mess.  You're such a good helper.

I love that you are now asking "WHY?" for everything.  I was wondering when we'd get to that stage.  I will try to be patient and tell you the same reason again and again with a hug.

I love you so much, Teense.  I hope you know that the world is so much brighter because you're in it.  My cup runneth over.

Good night, baby.