Mess.

It's been a whirlwind since our last post.

Shortly after we left off, Levi got to spend a week with Tim's parents, his Nannan and Papa, while we

disappeared to the Dominican Republic for a lovely relaxing time. I don't know who had the better time: us without a toddler, at an all-inclusive result, or Levi with his two grandparents at his beck and call :) He stayed in daycare while we were gone to keep him on schedule, and got to do fun things like get a new truck every day, one of Tim's original construction vehicle/John Deere collection. They also had some fun playing in the mud and visiting a local children's train event.

When we got back, Levi had, of course, changed so much in just one week! He was a little confused at first when we both walked in his room Monday morning, but seemed game to get ready and go to daycare with me.

He learned to say the "s" sound while we were gone. He also was willing to try to blow his nose by himself. and managed to stack about half of our wood pile in his play slide. And can climb the really steep stairs at the playground all by himself. and probably dozens of more things that I can't remember

right now.

In some ways, Levi seems to be learning in leaps and bounds - we got him magnets for his birthday, and he constantly pretends to count them. He now actually gets upset if he can't help clean up his messes, and will tell us when there is a mess to clean up. He finally stopped trying to knock over my piles of folded laundry. He also seems to know where the oreos are at any time, even though we try to hide them.

He had a moment of sanity around two dogs the other day - usually he freaks out and starts screaming and shaking. But he let a little Shitzu and an old mutt come up and sniff him, and seemed kind of sort of OK, as long as I had my arms around him.

In other ways, he seems to get scared/be wimpy/get upset way more often than he ever did as a younger child. While some of that is certainly normal toddlerdom, he seems to be sort of regressing. He saw a spider while he was in the tub the other day (probably a testimony to my housekeeping skills...) and lost. his. ever-loving mind. He did not stop screaming and shaking, even though the spider was nowhere near him, until I picked him up, soaking wet and soapy, and drained all the water. At his two-year appointment at the doctor, he was only OK while he was in one of our laps/next to us and touching us.

Anytime the nurse or doc came near him, he just started wailing inconsolably. And that was before the blood stick.

I think most entertaining right now is his insistence of doing everything that mommy and daddy do. He now likes to brush his teeth in the morning (although sometimes he just likes to put mommy or daddy's toothbrush in his mouth - yuck). He tries to put his socks on by himself - or sometimes put his socks on Mommy. He got mad today when I started to clean up his mess from dinner without his help :)

We had his second birthday party over the weekend, with a picnic in the park and delicious pork made by Tim, and some of my family, our neighbors and some friends just handing out, playing some bocce ball and
blowing some bubbles :) Levi seemed to enjoy it, and of course some of his presents later as well. He got a Red Sox hat to match his Daddy, and some new socks. And a new fan in his big-boy room installed compliments of his Grumpy.

#BostonStrong