Dear Spotty Chop you were 45 months old yesterday

When I have been picking you up from school or Nannie and Papas you have been throwing your arms around me saying I’ve missed you so much all day today.

We have been playing Chaotic. We stand in the library, “spin” the locator, you tell me what land we are in and then we choose what monster we are going to turn into. Then…WE FIGHT

I see big problems ahead between you and your dad. You two are very alike and I think may kill each other. I will be in bed with the covers over my head, call me when you are done.

We have been trying harder to eat as a family at the dinner table instead of in front of the TV. You are not thrilled, but I think with practice we will get better. We used to eat at the table all the time. I don’t know why we stopped.

You won’t eat squash

You love to kiss our eyes

You now say “sorry my bad” correctly, but we have no idea where you got this from. Uncle Paulie taught you to say “Peace out” so maybe we do know…

You have been calling your daddy “sir” and saying things like “yes young man”.

You are constantly on our ass if we say a “bad” word. This actually makes me happy. You have been saying damit a lot, but when I told you that it would make Nannie unhappy you started to say gramit. You are using it pretty consistently which tickles my funny bone.

You have been thoroughly entertaining Nannie and Papa. When Nannie forgets things you have been saying “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR BRAIN?”

You have begun to notice a few words out of context. Which means? You will be reading in no time. This is so incredibly awesome to me. I can not wait to begin reading longer stories with you.

When daddy plays video games with you and he is having a hard time with a section you climb behind him, wrap your arms around his neck, lay on his back and tell him “I’ll protect you”.

You like to show a lot more independence when it’s just you and your daddy. You brush your teeth and get undressed all by yourself. You also actively seek out your daddy to play with, you sometimes tell me to go away.

You told Nannie the other day that a kid in school kicked you. Nannie was OUTRAGED. “Who would dare kick my Spotty Chop? Why did he kick you?” You said you didn’t know. Nannie kept asking and eventually you said “well maybe it was because I PUNCHED HIM HARD”, when Nannie said that was not nice and she was not pleased you told her, “well maybe I was lying.”

You are having night terrors again. Not as bad as they were, but we are spending one or two nights with you screaming and crying and being un-consolable. I really hope you grow out of this. I know you don’t remember it, but it makes me sad.

You have pretty much stopped taking naps for us. You still take them at school and sometimes for Nannie. The good news is that you are falling asleep around 8-8:30 and your daddy and I have been able to spend some time together.

I can’t wait to see how you handle X-Mass this year. Love ya tons!!!