Big Boy

I just love Danny's age right now. 2 3/4 is so much fun! For every frustration and mishap it seems there is also a new accomplishment or feat. Danny is independent as can be, and yet he still wants a snuggle every night at bedtime. He'll get so mad or sad when he is sent to time out, but then he forgives and forgets so quickly. He is just full of questions and energy and life. Here are a few things, for better or worse, that I don't want to forget about my growing boy. They are in no particular order, and it gets a little long, so you can just skip the reading and enjoy the photos if you want.

• How rubbing blue dogs ears seems to make everything feel better.
  
• His obsession with straws, pencils, knives, and chopsticks - he carries one around at all times and says it is his weapon.
  
• How he recently started to transform his weapons into instruments as well. "My violin mom." He then sings me his rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star while tucking a straw under his chin and using his knife as a bow.
• Prayers - "Bless us have a good day, bless daddy at work, bless mommy daddy at the temple . . . " And sometimes his prayers become like a stuck record repeating two phrases over and over and over. "Bless us have a good day. In the name of Jesus Christ. Bless us have a good day. In the name of Jesus Christ." We've probably had 5 or 6 FHEs about how to say prayers, but sometimes the little guy still gets stuck.
  
• His dance moves.
• His potty successes and failures. Well, maybe I do want to forget the failures. :)
• No matter how many times he gets out of bed and we sternly put him back to bed during the night, he always wakes up so cheerfully. "Is it happy time?"
• He's started learning to "read" stories to Matt and I. One of his favorites is The Hungry Caterpillar.
  
• "Hold me Mommy." "Stay with me Daddy."
• He's become even more independent with the arrival of a baby sister. When I don't respond quickly enough to his pleas for a drink of juice, he opens the fridge himself and then chugs right from the carton.
  
• Dad's "chocolate medicine" (British Smarties) is a cure-all.
  
• Every single day when Danny hears the garage door open he runs and hides in the same spot to surprise Dad. Matt still pretends he can't find him. And every time Danny is equally delighted.
• His recent obsession with fighting off giant dragons in our front yard. So glad to know our home is safe!
  
• He really likes the book Pollyanna, but after recently watching the movie from the library he told me his favorite part was when she falls. Not too sure about this . . .
  
• Danny LOVES his nursery leader, Sis. Bonnie, and the story time librarian, Miss Nancy. If either is absent we certainly hear about it.
  
• After a trip to NASA with Grandma Hong, Danny decided he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. He now tells us how astronauts must be strong and smart.
• We don't let Danny watch any violent cartoons and haven't owned many weapons, but it is clearly futile because we read from the Book of Mormon picture scriptures every night. Danny chooses the story and always wants to find the "fighting" ones. He seems to think the gospel is all about fighting the bad guys . . . which maybe it is. We've recently switched to the New Testament pictures scriptures.
• Every night Danny insists we look to his ceiling when he turns out the lamp so when can see the "night sky" - his glow in the dark stars.
• If Color, the imaginary monkey, sleeps with Danny, he usually sleeps better.
• How much he loves to help spray the dishes . . . and sink and himself.
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• His obsession with Star Wars even though he's never seen any of the movies. He recently expressed interest in having a Star Wars fighting theme for his 3rd birthday.
  
• After a recent family birthday celebration Danny started requesting to sing the Happy Birthday song at bedtime. Each time the song ended with a blow . . . to blow out the candles.
• A few weeks before Kaylee was born we were out for a family walk. He got tired and wanted to be carried the rest of the way home. "Mom, please carry me." "Sorry, but I can't right now. Dad will have to." "No, mom." "I'm carrying baby sister in my tummy, so I can't carry you." "Take her out."
• The first time he made it up the Chic-Fil-A play area climbing thing by himself - I almost cried I was so proud.
  
• No matter how exhausted I feel after a busy day, Danny still has tons of energy.

So, now I'm just rambling, but I just love this little guy so much. Overall, he's adjusting really well to not being the only one around and he's very patient with Kaylee. On this particular day he when we were taping her, he wanted to make sure he got some camera time too. He was pretty proud of his spins and hops!