Fast approaching TWO!

I can hardly believe William turns 2 in four short days.  Where has the time gone?  Oh, I know...it's gone into raising him and growing him from a toddler into a young boy.  The past year has been a joy-ride and changes come daily.  I forgot how much fun this age is to watch a child discover the world around him and learn how to interact with it.  So, as I reflect on the past year and look at where William is today, he's come a wonderfully-long way!

He's got a great vocabulary accompanied by an endearing pronunciation.  Uses multi-word sentences to communicate.  Getting better at saying his name.  Has discovered possession...placing the word "my," "me" or "mine" at the end of sentences when he wants you to do something for him.  In the past week, he's learned what "same" means and enjoys matching pictures within books saying in a loud exhilarated voice "same!"  He loves school, especially "weezie and cat".  He can sing the ABCs and enjoys counting to 10.  He's still signing and I continue to introduce new signs.

He is definitely not lacking in the gross-motor skills department.  We are convinced he'll be our athlete.  Distinct run with accompanied arm motions.  He's been jumping for months now - both up and down (with both feel clearing the floor) and off of things.  He loves to leap to you, so you've got to be all eyes when he's around.  He's got a mean right kick.  Can ride his scooter incredibly well.  (we can't get over his balance as he often holds one leg way up in the air...now to teach him how to use the brakes!)

He still likes nee-nahs (aka fire trucks) and can hear them a mile away.  He also enjoys most forms of transportation...trains, garbage trucks, construction equipment, airplanes.  He loves to "read book"...and now we're working on having Thompson read to him as well.

Generally speaking he continues to have a good appetite and will eat a variety of foods, although his favorites seem to be oatmeal, mac and cheese, pizza, pasta, meatballs, muffins, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, smoothies and fruit.  Oh, and he still loves his "mik", "ice seam" and "emmys" (aka milk, ice cream and M&M's).

A year later, he still gets out of the bath/shower, curls up on the floors with his towel over him, looking like a turtle and says "like Thompson".  His "bensit" (aka blanket) remains a prized posession and has that distinct William smell.  He cracks himself up.  He often gets out of his seat during mealtime to come over and give me or Bobby a kiss.  He loves to tell people "OP Taylor's" (it's a local toy store).  After eating something, will look at you and hold his hands out to the side as if to say "where did it go?"...his answer "tummy!"  Most recently, he's starting saying the phrase "ha-ha" (think pronounced like "ta-da").  And whenever he sees a Star Wars character, especially Darth Vader or Yoda, he says "daaa da da".  I think the past year we've heard "no" as the answer to every question asked, even when "no" meant "yes".  Well, those "no-yes"es have become "yeahs"  We often eat dinner at church on Wednesday nights, but every time we go to church he say "eat church".  Will say "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" whever he sees a picture of Mickey or Minnie.  Likes Special Agent Oso and Handy Manny.

When it comes to riding in the car, he likes to crawl through the drivers seat to get into his carseat in the back.  He still remembers Aunt Ally sat beside him in the back seat and pulls the middle seat-belt and says "aunt ally sit here me".  His favorite songs are the "touchdown song" (To My Father's House), "rainbow" (Signing Time's Colors of the Rainbow), "guitar" (Wassiye by Habib Koite) and "surprise" (Haydn's Surprise Symphony).

He is learning manners and has "scooz me" (excuse me) down-pat.  He knows it is what is said after a burp or the passing of gas.  I think one of his funniest remarks is when he toots as says "scooz me gas" or when he poops and we ask him if he's pooped and he says "no. gas."  Absolutely hysterical!

He comes by his Type A personality honestly.  He knows shoes go in the laundry room and dirty clothes go in a hamper.  He is a child who responds very well to routine.  He's also flexing his independent skills and discovering there are consequences when he does not "listen and obey".  Without sufficient warning, transitions can be tough...he's got one heck of a tantrum whereby he'll throw himself on the ground, scream and roll over.

And, he's still got those adorable dimples and all his locks are still in place.  I just love the curls...especially since T wasn't blessed with them and think they are too darn cute.  No doubt about it, we can't wait for the next year!