Happy 37 Months!

Dear Connor,

A few days ago, your turned 37 months old. I wonder when it is appropriate to stop thinking about your age in months. Probably several months ago, or maybe even a couple of years ago. It is at that point when I honestly have trouble remembering life without you, though I have a feeling it did not involve someone calling me from across the hallway requesting to be covered. Really, Connor, this is pushing it.


This last month was filled with water. You did, indeed, get cleared to go off the diving board - although it seemed a little iffy to me still. But, you decided not to go. You never even went over to the diving board. You just announced one day that you didn't want to do it anymore and this was totally fine with me. It is, after all, quite a big jump for a guy your size. You had fun, instead, jumping off into the "deep end" (about 4 feet of water) and then swimming under the rope into the shallow end, and climbing out - or jumping into the shallow end (about 2.5 feet) and then swimming to the steps, and jumping again, or diving into the really deep end (about 6 feet of water) and swimming to your dad. We went to the waterpark (twice) and you and Daddy owned "Big Pete". It seemed a bit big for you, but as you remind me constantly, you can swim all by yourself. This is not the only thing you can do all by yourself. You go to the bathroom by yourself, you brush your teeth by yourself, you get dressed in the morning by yourself. Heck, one day you even announced you were going to buy a house and live all by yourself.

Your grandma sent you a wagon for your birthday and oh, wow, this is most definitely the coolest form of transportation ever. We have been on wagon rides throughout the neighborhood, laughed as Helen tossed toys off the back end and then looked longingly at the toy as we drove away, until you piped up and mentioned a toy was overboard.

We checked out a book at the library about a beaver and now you build dams everywhere. Possibly the greatest one was at a friend's birthday party that took place adjacent to a creek and you and about 4 older kids carried rock, after rock, after rock, until an adequate dam was built.

We started back at our parent-child class at the local Waldorf school and the first day we were there we got to celebrate your birthday. You were so proud of the crown you got to wear and the rainbow candles that you got to blow out. But the very coolest thing was the candle you got to take home from circle time. You will absolutely not let anyone light it at home. This held true even when the power went out for a few minutes and it was book reading time at night. When we went out on the playground the second week of class, you noticed the climbing wall that last year was too difficult to conquer. This year, you scampered all the way to the top, much to the amazement of me and your teachers. You did this alone, as the rule at school that I try very hard to follow at other parks as well that you can do what you can do - and parents are not supposed to interfere.

You have enjoyed much of your sister's new found movement, but you also realize the downside. You are remarkably good at keeping the toys we have identified as dangerous out of Helen's reach, and will even announce that you are going back to your room to play with your marble run. You will then close the door and announce it is so Helen cannot come in. I also hear you saying often "Helen, I'm playing with that. You play with this instead." and you will try and reason with her, but of course, she is as unreasonable a person as you were at her age. You get mildly frustrated but generally accept that she is something you have to put up with.

You can be stubborn as can be and would prefer you had no rules. But that's not going to happen anytime soon, and you seem to understand that. Our days are fun, Connor, but sometimes they can be L.O.N.G.

Love,
Mommy