23 things to remember for 23 months

Happy 23 months, Adler! Can't believe you are turning 2 next month! What a blessing you have been over the past two years! Here are some things I always want to remember about you today:

1) You love Thomas the Train. It was Cars for a while, but now you are pretty much over LM. Your favorite engine is James. Which we can't quite figure out since he's not the main character, but for some reason, James is the best.
2) You also love Little Einsteins and ask to "watch rocket?" 100x a day
3) You go to sleep at night with a collection of Cars, Trains, your blue dog, and stuffed Lightning McQueen. Before we go to bed, we come in your room and have to search in the dark for these items. You are usually laying on a few, holding one, etc. We always put them on your nightstand so you can reach them from your crib and play with them in the morning
4) You love your letters and know all of them except two: "W" (you call "M") and "X" (you call "K")...(this thanks to the book you love, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom)
5) You know Red, Blue and Green (this thanks to the fact that the Thomas trains are all different colors)
6) If the dogs bark outside, you will stop what you are doing and yell "NO! Stop!" (you learned this from Mommy)
7) Some things never get old and you are always impressed by your Lightning McQueen PJ pants. You'll say "WOW!, Coo!" but you put a "d" sound at the end of "cool" so it sounds more like "cold".
8) You recently learned the word "scared" and will tell me if something scares you - for some reason, these things are our friends' English Bull Dog, Lucy, and most noisy toys
9) You love playing sports in the back yard, but when it comes to golf, you just want to watch. You insist that I'm the one that hits the ball. You will sit observantly on the deck steps and cheer and give a polite golf clap after I make a hit.
10) You drink a lot! You are always wanting milk or juice and I'm always trying to get you to drink water. This never goes over well. You can use your body weight to open the refrigerator door and will pull out whatever you want if I'm not quick enough. One time I came into the living room and you were sitting in front of the TV with an entire jug of apple juice in your lap. (lid still on, luckily)
11) You love to run. When you see other kids running, you get a big smile on your face, stop whatever you are doing, and run after them. You also love to run in the house, bouncing from one couch/chair to the other. You also love to run in circles/spinning, make yourself dizzy and fall down. When you do this, you do a funny thing with your eyes where you are trying to focus on something while you are spinning, so that your eyes are big and focused to one side of your head as you turn. It's really hilarious.
12) Your favorite person is Caleb. You call him "Cake". He is almost 6 and pretty much like a member of the Jonas Brothers Band in your world. You talk about him constantly. If we get in the car, you ask if we are going to see him. You also know his mommy's name, Bonnie, which is the only friend of mine who's name you actually say when you see them.
13) Speaking of Caleb, you get so excited when you see him, you just want to tickle him. This is your way of playing/communicating your adoration. This usually doesn't go over well in Caleb's world as your "tickling" isn't very close to tickling at all.
14) I really love that you are so big for your age. I don't have to really worry about you amongst other kids...even kids that are a couple years older than you, you probably are the same weight or out weigh them. However, you have learned how to use this to your advantage and will knock other kids down (without ill intent) like dominoes in order to get to whatever toy you have your eye on. Your daddy says this will come in handy when you start playing football for the coach that was recruiting you last month.
15) Lots of times you will decide you are bored with things around the house and ready to leave. If you are not dressed, you will bring me clothes to put on you. Then, once you are dressed, you will say, "Ready to Rock" or "C'mon! Let's go!".
16) You love your dogs. You also put them through a lot. You love to hug, wrestle, kiss, pat, and chase your dogs around the house and back yard. I'm constantly trying to regulate this, but I know a lot of it goes unnoticed. They are pretty good dogs, even though I give them a bad wrap sometimes. You love Sadie best and still call even Tristan "Sadie".
17) You love to jump and your special talent is hopping on one foot. This is actually more like a pose where you stand on one foot, but you are really good at it.
18) You don't really like the stroller but love your wagon "Waggy" and bike trailer. I would have it made if I could only take these things into the mall
19) You are a super sweet kid. You love to randomly give us hugs and when you do, you say, "Mmmmmm, hug". And I love it. You also stick out your bottom lip when you want a kiss.
20) Speaking of kisses, you've started a new thing, when you are in trouble, and I'm trying to talk seriously to you face to face, you will go in for a kiss. Oh, this is hard to resist and you know it!
21) You love to wrestle with daddy. Especially with the living room pillows. It seems the harder you are hit with a pillow, the harder you laugh. Sometimes, I can't watch because it makes me too nervous, but you love this time with your daddy so much!
22) You've suddenly gotten really brave at the play ground and like to climb the highest, most dangerous ladders while I stand as your "spotter" below. Then, we both cheer when you've accomplished your goal. It's fun to cheer you on!
23) You are one tough kid. You will take the hardest fall, complete with splatting noise, and roll and will stand up, brush yourself off and laugh. Everyone is amazed. I've gotten used to this and have learned to not react when you take these falls. Which I'm sure, to other parents, looks heartless, but I just know what your thresh-hold is and it's pretty up there. If you cry after a fall, I know you really did get hurt. And of course, I'm happy to kiss it and make it better.

Oh, there are so many special things about you, Adler! We love you and are so thankful Jesus brought you to us!