Sam at 2.5

Oh Sam.  I just chopped your hair and i miss your long too cool locks.  You're suddenly so big.  so so big.  You want so much to be with/like Jackson.  its funny how many pictures i've taken and you're looking at hitm so you can do what he's doing.  When you're getting in trouble you're cheerful and agreeable.  When you're being playful you get this intense mean growling face with a pursed mouth and a throaty growl.  You roar when you're mad at somebody (just following the example Jackson set for you.)  You gravitate towards balls--like you did from the beginning.  Today, you begged me to throw the baseball to you to tryi to hit but i didn't do it because i was talking to a neighbor.  now i feel bad.  then you picked up jacksons beseball glove and tried to get me to throw to you.  i did a little but then you put the ball on the tee and tried to hit it and even tried to catch it with the glove--yes, still off of a tee.  I believe originating from your love of sports, you only want to wear 2 pair of athletic shorts--everyday.  I'll put you to bed for a nap in one outfit and almost daily you'll wake up in one of those two pair of shorts.  If you find them in the laundry pile you will immediately change into them.  I'm nervous about what will happen in the winter!  This morning it was 40 outside but you insisted on your shorts.  I won though and put you in jeans, jeans that kept falling off because you're 2.5 but 2T jeans are still too big.  skinny short boy.  i suppose it was my fault when you ran out of the house without pants today.  now that jackson is in school you miss him.  i feel sorry for you when you come in wearing your penguin backpack asking to go to school with jackson.  i want you to sleep in but when i come in to wake up jackson you jump out of bed.  "i wan sirul.  i wan shtawbewwy chotit milt"  you cute boy that cant say his "k" sounds but says them all with a t.  jatton. tootie.   we have had some good times though with a little bit of extra one on one time.  i like saying yes when you ask to go to the playground even though i know you'll want to swing the whole time.  friday, jackson was out of school and we decided to go to as many parks as we could in one day.  we went downtown and went first to the sunsphere and you're still talking about it.  so innocent.  one day when my answer is "we'll go back some day" it will sound like a no but when you're 2 that's a yes and you cheer and give an arm pump and an enthusiastic "yes! we goin to sunsphere some day!"  its different being a second child.  you're more territorial than jackson was.  when you have something and somebody tries to take it you stand your ground and will quite stubborn.  until you win.  and then you give it to them.  you really are loving.  when i leave to take jackson to school you run out the door saying bye mom!  love you!  love you!  tiss! hug!   you very affectionately call eva viva and we all love it.  now i call her viva as much as eva.  jackson refused to sleep without kiki but you have always been more flexible with gleeglee.  in fact, you're just more flexible all around.  you have your opinions but you'll go along with insistence.  you must say every prayer.  if somebody else prays.  it must be your turn next.  sacrament meeting is our time too.  we always sit together.  you play with my face, my jewelry, my hair.  we hug and play as quietly as possible but you always laugh too loud when we play rock-a-bye.  its probably my favorite part of church.  there are few things that make me as happy as bonding with you there.  you are so special.  happy. friendly, kind. goofy, funny, little, messy (you spilled the "shtawbewwy chotit milt" on the couch this week), helpful, excited. perfect.