Hey Monkey:

You're two--but you are telling everyone you are four! You are appropriately called Monkey--though you are also called Little Boy and Macco from time to time. You can climb anything, and you never show the slightest hint of fear. And most of the time, the fear I show proves to be unnecessary. You have a talent and skill for getting to high places in a very coordinated and athletic way. In fact, you show great athleticism even when you aren't climbing. You can throw, catch, kick, balance, jump (with both feet off the ground), dance, and run like nobody's business. If you could figure out how to fly, I'm sure you would enjoy that, too! You also walk around on your tippy-toes most of the time. I'm not sure if you do that because it makes you feel bigger or if it makes you faster, but it's quite cute!

You have become a talker in the last year. You can mimic any word anyone says to you, and you are starting to put together little two and three word sentences. You are not shy about talking to new people, and you definitely have your own opinion...on almost every subject! You are also starting to sing along with your favorite songs. And singing is usually the best way to calm you down when you are upset.

You have been going to preschool one day a week since September, and you are getting pretty good at counting and saying your alphabet. You never cry when I drop you off, but you do cry on the days that we take Weston to school and you don't get to stay.

You are starting to interact more with your brother and sister. You love to be involved in their games and participate in their activities. But, you still maintain a fierce independence that allows you to play and, um, "explore" all by yourself. You certainly have a mind of your own and aren't waiting around for anyone to tell you who you are or what you should be or do.

You're a good eater (as evidenced by your standing in the 83rd percentile for weight, at 31 lbs). You love corndogs, corn on the cob, "roni cheesy," a dip of any kind, and anything sweet. But, you like to control what goes in and when. Just because you loved something yesterday doesn't mean you will eat even one bite of it today. You have been known to skip a meal or two and to throw a fit if everything isn't to your liking. You have NOT been known to get your parents to bend to your will, though. No doubt, that will not deter you from trying. You continually sneak into the kitchen to try to steal food out of the pantry and fridge between meals. But, unfortunately for you, you aren't really very sneaky (and your older siblings usually rat you out), so you usually get caught. We have gone to a pantry door "locking system," involving double-twisted rubber bands to keep you out when no one is watching. Most of the time, it works--when we remember to put it back in place. We haven't figured out what to do about the fridge yet.

You are interested in writing and drawing, and reading books with Mommy and Daddy. You love to play with magnets and blocks (especially the kind that go together and come apart). You also like trucks (LOVE in the case of the garbage truck that visits our house twice a week) and you are almost constantly seen carrying around a "cell phone." You love animals and enjoy playing with all your stuffed friends, as well as interacting with live animals when the opportunity presents itself.

You are learning to dress yourself. More often than not you prefer to wear your cowboy boots and mismatched socks. Turns out cowboy boots go with shorts, pjs and even just a diaper. You even sleep in them sometimes! You also like hats and one particular necklace of Ruth's. You are absolutely adorable!

You have just recently begun to pray on your own, and each and every prayer blesses us so much! It is so wonderful for us to see you already developing a love for the Lord and for His project.

Max, we are challenged by you at times, but you should know that we are having so much fun with you at this amazing stage of your life. We see you turning into a little boy before our eyes, and we are blessed to be a part of the process. We love you very much, and we are so very proud of you! Happy, happy birthday!

Love,

Mommy