at two-and-a-half...

sweet ezra

::  is {mostly} potty trained.  we started potty training quite some time ago, and he has been underwear-only during the daytime for a month or two now, but he has reached his regression and has become unreliable again (silly me for thinking this day wouldn't come!)  i am sure that he will be over it soon, though.  and anyways, doesn't the possibility of wet or soiled underwear at any point, in any setting make life more exciting or something?

::  is really kicking up his language development.  and as it turns out, he is pretty funny.  last night, after reading the story of creation as a family, he and gabe ran around pretending to be as fast as jesus (you know, because my kids think jesus had super strength and stuff).  ezra stopped in his tracks, turned to gabe and told him "no gabe jesus.  me jesus!"  now that he can express himself he is really starting to take a stand for what he wants!

::  loves to be praised and is so proud of his own accomplishments, no matter how small.  at the library last month, as ezra was watching gabe play on the computer, he called over his shoulder to me, "mama, watch me watch gabe!"  

::  prefers to pick out and wear clothes from gabe's drawers, even though the shorts always fall down.

::  surprised us by being much more excited about the animals at sea world than we expected.  when we went to the dolphin tank, he ran around hugging people (many of them strangers) and yelling with absolute joy, "dol-feen! dol-feen!"  

::  has spent the last few months obsessing over the hymn "let us love and sing and wonder," or as he calls it "washa gutta bud!" (washed us with his blood).  we have to listen to it every time we get in the car and sing it every night before bed.  i don't mind; it is really sweet.

::  imitates gabe all day.  if gabe jumps, so does ezra.  if gabe sings a song, ezra sings with him.  if gabe runs circles around the kitchen, ezra does it right behind him.  if gabe pretends he is a cheetah, ezra is a cheetah too.  it is so sweet to see how much he adores his older brother.

::  hugs titus randomly throughout the day.  and anytime we meet someone, ezra introduces titus by pointing to him and announcing "bay-bay" until the person acknowledges titus's presence.  he is so proud of his little brother.

::  makes this face whenever i ask him to smile.

::  is still the world's best napper!  some days, he will nap for three hours!  it is lovely!

::  is proud of his status as a big kid.  in fact, if you tell him he is a baby, he will tell you "no, i a bo" (translation: boy, or big boy)  and, sometimes if i tell him that he is precious or lovely, he will also respond, "no, i a bo!"

::  calls steve "goggy" or "gaga" instead of "daddy".  he is perfectly capable of saying the word "daddy" and has slipped up and said it before.  but he prefers his own original names over the traditional.

::  loves wrestling with steve.  all the boys do, in fact. but recently ezra has announced his intentions to start a wrestling match by jumping on our bed and hollering, "i wresee! i wresee!" until steve comes in to tackle him.

::  is really into goodbye kisses.  in our house, ezra instructs steve in the mornings as to who he should kiss goodbye.  and if ezra misses someone or thinks that steve has missed someone, there will be no rest until that person gets their kiss!  we are so glad that this incredibly affectionate and sweet boy is ours!