A Letter to my Son on his Two Year Birthday!

Dear Turner,

Last night, on your last night of being one, when I checked on you before went I to bed you seemed so large in the crib. Nearly stretching completely from end to end.
I know you looked no different sleeping than you had the previous night when I checked on you, but now you seemed bigger, older.....just like that.

This morning you woke up....two years old! You woke up earlier than usual and about 30 minutes before your actual birth time and seemed larger, still. Large in life.
Always smiling, giggling, dancing, hopping there's never a doubt that you are overflowing with happiness, a trait that is enviable and one I hope you hold on to as you age. Today, though, you woke up supercharged with happiness. You were smothered with hugs and kisses and tickles and spoke non-stop, you asked for your Mimick, and got the remote, and grinned, beautifully, as you do.

"Oh mama, I can't even look at that bedhead of yours!"

You spent you morning at school, "Barbara's House," where I am told you had a good day. Your class sang to you and shared a snack. We had dinner, as tradition has become, around a hibachi table where we enjoyed a dinner show. It was good day. Saturday we will have your birthday party....a storytime with Mr. George (a favorite from our trips to Barnes and Noble!)

Two years old. It is rather incredible. We hardly remember your infancy, it feels like you were always a big kid. The grin on your face and the life in your eyes has always filled a room, even when you were small.
You have an infectious laugh, a bellying giggle that is easily triggered.  It is impossible not to have fun when you are around.

Your talking has improved drastically in the last few weeks.  You can now say almost anything we tell you and you talk often.  Non-stop, really.  All of the time.  In small sentences and with command.  Forcing me to look you in the eye when you speak, you will grab my chin and turn my head and look at me directly, pupil to pupil.  Your words, though attention grabbing and sometimes commanding, are still sweet and polite.  And, always offered with a smile.  Most of your words are pretty clear to me, though there are still some that leave me guessing.
Some of my favorite things you say include:  "follow me" then you grab my hand and take me where you want to go.  "hat on!"  A hat is what you call a lid, and every lid must be on.  Unscrew the milk cap, pour milk, and instantly, "hat on mommy, hat on!"    I laugh as I replace the lid that quickly.   A new favorite book of yours is Chicken Little, which you say, by rolling your tongue over and over as, llilllillill!  It makes us all laugh out loud.  You always refer to your brothers as "RyRy and Chase" and school is always "Barbara's house."  And, though I am not sure why, you always refer to me as Mama. You will now let me know when you have a dirty diaper by saying "pyuck" and holding your nose.  And, the favorite part of your day may be the moment you get your vitamins, or "minamins!"  You love them.  I am not even sure you are supposed to be taking them, but you do love them.  No matter how many times a day we say it to you, one thing we can't get you to repeat is "I love you!"  Words we want to hear so very bad.

You started school this week and so far it has been great.  You seem to really enjoy being at Barbara's House.
Although bed time and nap time issues have been resolved you do ask almost daily for a bed.  "Sleep in Chase's bed?"  When I say no, you say "me sleep bed, too!"  This is something we will work on going forward in the next few months.  I have told you that you need to use the potty first, we will see if that actually happens.  Although you have sat on the "pahpah" it is usually just to show your brothers where you are sitting.  You have never peed, nor have you even tried.  Not yet, anyway!!
Mickey is still MiMick, and your favorite, but "Yo Gabba Gabba Gabba Gabba" is coming in a close second.  And, it seems, Barney may be a thing of the past.  I am not sorry about this.  Still, the only movie you will sit through is Pinocchio, "pokenoke" and your favorite part is in the beginning when Jiminy Cricket puts his hand on the wooden lady's butt.  You laugh, say "butt" and ask me to rewind.    You also love doing the Hokey Pokey, but the only body part you are interested in putting in is...your butt.  No doubt there that you are a Tovsky.
You can count along to three with me, and to be quite honest, we have never gone higher.  We haven't worked on letters other than T, and you usually answer blue or red for colors.  Perhaps I should start working on all of this stuff.  You do, however, know your body parts, and your animals.  You know how to strum a guitar like a pro, and have a natural ability to bang on the drums.  You love to clean up messes, and insist on all doors being closed.  You love to brush your teeth and have recently started undressing yourself, including once taking your diaper off.  I hope that once was enough for you.
You are curious and beginning to get into everything.  Every drawer must be rummaged through, every cabinet must be opened.  You are rambunctious and have energy and though you are coordinated (I think) you have not become, yet, much of a climber.
You walk around singing and humming and ask me to sing songs to you as well.  London Bridge, Hokey Pokey, Twinkle Twinkle, Hello Song and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, are the current top 5.  You always ask us to put music on at bedtime, and insist on picking the CD yourself.  You insist on picking most things.  A straw for your yogurt smoothies (which you drink several a day) has to be chosen by your little hands, socks, shoes, you must pick.  "I pick" and "do self" are commonly said phrases from your little mouth.

At your 2 year well-check you weighed in at exactly 27 pounds, 34 inches, and your head is 19 inches.  This lands you comfortably in the 50th percentile.  Though "Average" to the world, this is much heavier and longer than your brothers were at the same age.  And, though I expected otherwise, you did not get any shots at your appointment.  This was the case even though Ryder and Chase insisted on coming with us (and leaving school early) to hold your hand!!

You are a true joy.  You emit rays of happiness and joy and your presence brightens up a room.  You are  discovering your sense of humor, love to be silly, and laugh a laugh I just want to bottle.  Never a day, let alone a moment, passes where we do not look at you in awe.  In awe of your beauty, in awe of your personality, in awe of the boy you are becoming more of everyday.

Turner, Happy 2nd Birthday.  I love you so.....

Mommy

Thinking about (with a smile) the trouble I can cause as a two year old!

2.5 years

Chase and Ryder turned two and a half the day after Turner was born. It seems that at all milestone birthdays they naturally mature as they are supposed to, as was the case this time around. Of course the birth of their baby brother makes them seem exponentially older and larger than they are, but still, they really have advanced all on their own.
The boys play together now, and even if playing means wrestling, it is still very endearing. They have conversations with one another that I know I should not be listening to, but I have to, it is just so cute. They literally run in circles around each other, or will help one another with a puzzle. They look out for one another the way brothers should, asking for two of something so they can give one to the other or letting me know (in case I had not noticed) when one is sleeping, crying, or in need of something. They will say "good job" when one of them does something, or encourage one another to keep trying if they are struggling with something. They ask each other if they are OK, when one seems sad or hurt, and even if they are the one who made them sad or hurt it is nice to see they have empathy. This brotherly love is indeed something we nurture, but we can't help but think so much of it is nature. Is it a twin thing? A brother thing? Can it be so simple as the way we are raising them?
Sleep issues have finally been resolved, at least for now. We have compromised with the door being left open and the hallway light remaining on. I have to sing songs after books and no matter how many times I say "last one," there always seems to be one more. The last few nights Ryder has insisted on sleeping with his guitar, Chase then asks for his Elmo guitar, and they often sing themselves to sleep. Chase also has a tendency to sleep with ten or more books scattered all around him. And, in the morning, when he comes to our room he is carrying Pooh, his blanket, his guitar and at least five books. He does not ask us to read them, he just likes to carry them.
They don't eat very much, nor very often, but they do drink a good amount. Ryder prefers chocolate milk and Chase prefers juice. Chase continues to be the better eater, willing to try more things. Ryder, when he is hungry, will sit and eat nicely, but is certainly a bit more picky. Despite eating grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs with cheese, he does not usually eat a cheese stick and will often take all the cheese off of his pizza before eating. Of course, if you give him pizza without cheese (tomato pie) he will not eat it at all, and will ask for a plain slice...then pull the cheese off.
They insist on doing things themselves, from washing and drying their hands, to putting on their own pajamas, to changing the CD's. As we revel in their fight for independence we wish there were some things (ie: handling of the CD's, or the cutting of a bagel) they allowed us to help them with.
At two and a half you can have full conversations with both boys and we continue to be amazed by both the things they know and the things they remember. Although both boys have great language skills, Chase speaks with a clarity well beyond his years. Yesterday he was correcting Ryder's mispronunciation of the word picture. "Pishture" Ryder would say and Chase would correct him "Ryder, it is piCK-ture, not piSH-ture."
They have a new fascination for The Wiggles, much to my dismay. I have learned to accept, perhaps even like, Barney but I find nothing appealing about these four Australians. And, despite never actually seeing a Bob the Builder episode, they have somehow taken a liking to Bob and so I went and purchased a DVD.
They have basically dropped their nap, which makes for a very long day, particularly on a non-school day. They will still fall asleep in the car but I no longer drive just to have them nap. By 3 in the afternoon they are often in a daze and will stare at the TV for some rest time.
Ryder has become a classic rock enthusiast insisting on listening to Todd's CD's or watching concerts we have on DVD. He has also been going to the bathroom on the potty several times a day. Although he has gone on command by both sitting and standing, he is not yet ready to give up the diapers. He goes when he wants to and, as usual does things as he is ready. Although Chase has no interest in potty peeing (his response, when asked if he wants to go potty, is simply "no thank you") he does like to flush his poop down the toilet and say goodbye to it every time.
They welcomed their baby brother with the same charm they present to us daily. There are moments when they love Turner Luke (as they call him) and kiss him or pat his head, then spend the rest of the time hardly noticing he is there. Although occasionally they are too rough with the swing or the bouncy seat, at times it seems the bouncy seat will work as a slingshot and they will catapult young Turner straight across the room, mostly they handle him well. Chase often wants to help feed his brother, or help change his diaper and Ryder will have a tender moment when he thinks no one is looking. Their behavior has been pretty good and they have not seemed to have jealous moments or signs of regression.
They continue to have moments of hilarity and often it is their simple exchanges that can keep us laughing. They continue to do well with school and love to be around people. They often greet you with smiles and hugs and are pretty good about using their manners, though they do sometimes have to be reminded. Of course, with their age, comes some whining and some crying. There are days where they are great listeners and days where they are not. Chase almost seems to enjoy testing his boundaries, and though we stick to our punishments, he has not yet learned. But, also with their age comes the thrill of hearing them say I love you, the thrill of their greeting me with a hug, the thrill of their voices and their laughter, the thrills of two and a half.