my favorite things...about sean at 2 1/3 y.o.

I've been thinking lately about how easy it is to remember to do a monthly update on Ben since he's changing so quickly from month to month, yet all the intricacies of Sean's little personality right now are getting somewhat overlooked. And yet I think about them and talk about them and love them so much that they are, indeed, worth recording. So here are some of my favorite things about Sean at 2 and 1/3 years old:

• "TANE tu!" I love that he says "thank you" for almost everything that's given to him or done for him (the trigger words especially seem to be "there you go." Anytime he hears "there you go," you can pretty much guarantee that his "TANE tu" will soon follow). I wish that Chris and I could take the credit for this, but we honestly have never emphasized saying "thanks." The kid just has a heart overflowing with thankfulness, I guess. And I love to hear it. There are few things sweeter that come out of his mouth than a big, heartfelt, "TANE tu, Bobby!" Priceless.
• His soft, soft skin. I thought babies were supposed to lose that after a while, but not Sean. And I'm so glad, because I love to feel that silky softness.
• The appetite of all appetites, in kids anyway. I rejoice that the child loves to eat. Truly, a boy after my own heart. I love sitting across the table from him and hearing his "MMMM!! Dummy!" about all kinds of different foods. Makes cooking (and eating) so worth it.
• His enormous, soulful brown eyes and those extraordinarily long lashes. They get me everytime.
  
• His recent attachment to the little blue stuffed puppy that we gave Ben for Easter. Ben's never been impressed with it, but Sean discovered it all of a sudden a few days ago and has slept with it for naps and nighttime ever since. He always has to make sure the puppy has "covers on," and the first night I had to come back into the bedroom to wipe the puppy's nose, but other than that, there have been no disturbances due to the extra little bedfellow. In fact, Sean seems to be sleeping better now than he ever has.
  
• His hilarious habit of answering with a very solemn nod or "yes" almost anytime he's asked a question that he doesn't fully understand. Chris especially loves this habit: "Sean, do you like to play with nuclear grade plutonium?" Serious nod and "yes!" "Sean, have you been to Indonesia?" Serious nod. You get the picture.
• His enthusiasm for going somewhere, anywhere. All we have to say is, "All right, boys!" and Sean chimes in with his extremely loud, "AW WIGHT. BOYS. IN. TAR!" And it's always accompanied by a solo stampede to the door.
  
• His volume. He has only one: LOUD. If you know Chris even a little bit, you'll understand where the kid gets it. Need I say more?
• His excitability. Sure, it can be rather annoying and frustrating at times, but most of the time his persistent excitement and fixation with a particular thing/person/event is quite amusing. He tends to get one thing in his head that he sees or wants to do and he immediately becomes a broken record. For example, motorcycles (Marshall's in particular), sports of any kind, and playgrounds.
• His love for his little brother. This is really worth noting, because I'm sure there will come a day when the love's not exactly there, and we'll need proof that at one point it was. For the time being, though, he loves to play with Ben. He's still figuring out that he needs to share, and that Ben isn't quite ready to play the way that he can, but overall their playtime together is quite enjoyable for everyone involved. And I love LOVE LOVE to hear them laugh together. Makes me smile every time.
• His sheer sweetness. Sean's always had a tender heart, even from when he was a baby. Chris used to not be able to tickle me in front of him because Sean thought I was being hurt and he'd start crying. And when he first started throwing a football around 14 months, he'd get upset or start crying if he hit me in the head with it because he thought he hurt me. Granted, those things don't bother him a bit now, but he's still as sweet as ever, and I hope that never goes away.
• His love for all things boy. If it involves balls, sports, trucks, numbers, dirt or adventure of any kind, Sean's in. And I love that. I don't always get it, but I do at least appreciate it. (And did you know, he can already count to seven, just by listening to a numbers book a few times? But ask him what color something is, and there's no telling what answer you'll get...but that's about true for any guy, right?)
  
• His being. I dreamed my entire childhood and young adulthood of one day having children, but I never could have dreamed that God would give me such a delightful little package all wrapped up in one little boy. I'm not naive enough to think that he's a perfect little angel, but he's at least healthy and happy, not to mention one of the cutest little specimens on the face of the earth. Three years ago I couldn't imagine life with him, and now I can't imagine life without him. What a blessing.