three (and a half).

I've strayed away from the monthly updates that I did until Nate turned two and, even though I always found myself running behind posting them, I miss having the little milestones to look back on. I'm going to shoot for biannual updates, but we'll see how that goes. In the spirit of tradition, I'm a little over two weeks late to the party with this post.

At three and a half...

• Nate's imagination is working overtime! The pretend play, imaginary friends (or fellow superheroes), and intricate story lines make it so much fun to watch him play -- but not too closely because he's now valuing a sense of privacy! 
• The more intently Nate plays, the more he sings. All playtime has a soundtrack and I seem to get his own blend of pirate songs and Star Wars stuck in my head long after he's headed off to school or gone to bed for the night
• Nate is fully potty trained during the day and only rarely has an accident at night. Finally. Potty training was a struggle to start, but he caught on quickly. I'm happy to cut down on the pull-up buying because just recently Nate's decided that he hates them! Insomnia pays off though, because there's many a night that I've intercepted a half-asleep kiddo trying to find the bathroom in the dark
• Whoever coined the phrase "terrible twos & threes" was an idiot and clearly not a parent. I think that it should be "trying twos and terrible threes" - and dare I predict "flippant fours"? While my kiddo is discovering how to use his words to convey complete thoughts and feelings, he's not afraid of mincing his words and having some pretty spectacular tantrums. Luckily the tantrums are less frequent, but certainly memorable (and deafening)
• Speaking of using words, Nate's come out with a few phrases that were pretty cute/funny/where-in-the-world-did-you-pick-that-up-from: I promise I'll [...]; these can be a little tricky; I'm so tired and sick of you; may I have [insert item here] please? It's my faaaaaavorite [crosses arms over chest and does a quasi-piroette]
• This child loves his dogs. LOVES. Every day after school the dogs get huge hugs and Nate says "They miss me so much. Look - they love me!"
• Nate has started to learn the value of responsibility and earning his just rewards. His big helper duties around the house include putting his (non-breakable) dishes into the sink when he's done with his food, helping to feed the dogs, and cleaning up his toys every night before bed. While I'm sure he'll be an allowance one day, his pay comes in form of sticker currency which accrue to special treats, like a Starbucks cake-pop.  
• Keeping up with the trend set at an early age, I'm convinced that Nate does not sleep enough for his age (or heck, for mine). I rejoice if Nate is in bed before 10:00 p.m. and he's always up by 8:00 a.m. at the latest. Naps have tapered off quite a bit - school day naps are getting shorter and weekend naps are virtually non-existent. If I could only have a fraction of this kiddo's energy, I would be set! 

And to start a new tradition! Making a list of questions for Nate to answer and then to see how these change! :)

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite food? Goldfish crackers
3. What is your favorite t.v. show? Jake and the Never Land Pirates
4. Who is your best friend? Connor
5. What is your favorite animal? Giraffe
6. What is your favorite song? Happy Birthday
7. What is your favorite toy?Soldier Pirates & the Joker
8. What is your favorite movie? Jungle Book
9. What is your favorite stuffed animal to sleep with at night? Winnie the Pooh Bear
10. What do you want to do when you grow up? a cowboy and a barista

 Let's do this again in six-ish months ...