Month 21 and Month 22 Newsletter PLUS A Mariposa Christmas 2006

Dear Rory -

Okay, so I'm running a little behind on your monthly newsletters, but since you've been the one keeping me so busy, I'm hoping that you'll let it slide. These last few months have been a whirlwind of holiday activity in our festive interfaith household - and it's only made it more crazy having a Mama that works in retail during the biggest shopping season of the year. But although it's been a bit exhausting, it's been wonderful watching you take it all in with that enormous sponge brain of yours. You have loved reading about the 8 nights of Hanukkah, especially pretending to spin the dreidal and eat latkes (you like pretending to feed all of your stuffed animals some latkes, too!) You also became OBSESSED with your very first DVD, The Polar Express, which taught you about the North Pole and Santa Claus, as well as one of your new favorite sayings "Watch the MOOOOOVIE!".

The holidays also meant our annual Christmas trip up to Mariposa to visit with your grandparents on the Pearce side, which is ALWAYS an adventure. (For those of you who are not familiar with Mariposa, a tiny, rural town just outside of Yosemite, you should check out a more descriptive post here.) It's the kind of place where people have wood burning stoves that they actually chop their own wood for (see your Papa Stan below) and people have bumper stickers on their cars that read "Man + Woman = Marriage."



As always, you had your fair share of soda pop from Grandma Judy and watched your five year old cousin Joaquin play with pocket knives, but this year, instead of being given a BB gun as a gift, you and your cousin were actually given your very own machetes. REAL ONES. But yours came with a leather carrying case that could be strapped onto your little leg because as your Uncle Dubby said, you "might be a bit too young to just carry it around on your own". Thanks, Uncle Dubby...

Actually, aside from the machete, you got some pretty terrific, more, um, age-appropriate gifts, including your own little vacuum cleaner and a little motor bike from your grandparents that is sure to make you the envy of all the other boys on our block. I think your face would have split in half if you had smiled any bigger:



You also got to spend some quality time with your cousins and grandparents, and that, in itself, is priceless.





Speaking of priceless, now that you are practically speaking in sentences, some of the things that come out of your mouth are definitely noteworthy enough to be mentioned here:

- "BATCHIPOSA" - your way of saying "Mariposa"
- "CARRY YOU" - which means, carry me
- "ELMO-ZOE-ROCCO!" - your demand for a specific episode of Sesame Street
- "MORE BOOTY PLEEEZ" - Now, now, it's not what you think! This is your way of asking for more Pirates Booty from Trader Joes aka crack for toddlers.
- "MAMA ALL DONE!" - The new way you ask to get out of your high chair since I always say that you can't get down until I'm done eating. (You sneaky devil, you!)
- "WAITING...CHANGE!!!" - The endless demand that we hear in the car for your favorite song by John Mayor, "Waiting for the World to Change".
- "STARBUCKS - VANILLA MILK! - Well, this one is pretty self explanatory, and I guess a hazard of your Mama's job, eh?

I'm sure I'll think of more, but these are the gems for now. You amaze us everyday with the new words that you're picking up - it's one of the highlights of my day to see what's going to come out of your mouth next.

I have to say that in these last two months, I really feel like we are beginning to find our rhythm as mother and son. As other kids your age start heading towards their "terrible twos", and scaring their parents with sudden personality changes, it seems to me like you are just getting better and better. Yes, you have your melt downs and your tantrums, but we're able to communicate so much more now and usually we are able to resolve things fairly quickly and get back to having fun. And I love that. I love playing "boo" with you and watching your eyes light up when you help me vacuum the house or we read your favorite book. I am SO PROUD of you, Rory - you are unbelievably smart (sometimes almost TOO smart for your own good!), and I wonder if you know how much I beam when people tell me how impressed they are with your ever growing vocabulary. "He's not even TWO?!" they always say and I think to myself, "I KNOW! Isn't he AMAZING?" And you are. You REALLY are. In EVERY way.

Happy 22 Months, little man.

Love,
Mama