Hello underoos

Okay, well, maybe not underoos (do they make them anymore?), but Sam fully potty trained over Thanksgiving break this year and now gets to wear his choice of colorful undergarments (Thomas the train is his favorite, with Percy and Lightning McQueen tying for second place). He also started tracing letters for the first time at Thanksgiving, so Mom is hoping to develop that a little more as his attention span for it increases.

Sam is starting to come out of his shell at school a little and has learned the songs and corresponding motions for circle time. He is learning other kids' names, definitely loves to follow the older boys around and has picked up on how to chase girls. Ah well, it's a path well-trodden.

We are practicing Christmas carols at the moment and he's learned Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer quite well, complete with hand motions. When he heard Jingle Bells on our preschool music CD he said, "Hey, the Wiggles sing this." (Yes, his music taste is still fully Wiggles-centric)

While he still naps most days, he is certainly all little boy now, no toddler left. Green Blankie still is important to him, but he happily trots off to Sunday School by himself. On the way in to the children's sermon, he picks up Andrew in the nursery and they walk in together, hand-in-hand to the alter for their sermon with Father Mike. He's blossoming into a wonderful older brother - playing patiently with Andrew and enjoying his company.

Preschool

Sam and I started attending a co-op preschool three weeks ago and he is just loving it. He knew Teacher Mary from some outdoor classes we took, but he is having a great time. He loves all the new toys, bicycles, legos and the music. He is attentive in circle time, though he was resistive about standing up or moving during the songs (many have motions to go with the words). Yet he sings the songs at home so I know he enjoys them. Perhaps he's just observing right now and when he's fully memorized the motions he'll break them out. All the mothers rotate among stations (art room, preverbal games, premath games, playdough, legos, water table, wheeled toys, kids snack, etc) and Sam often accompanies me for at least half of free play time. However, Wednesday was my first day "off" (you work two days, get one day without an assigned station) and he proudly announced that he'd gone to preschool alone for the first time. He's genuinely happy to go each day and while he won't recount how his day went, every once in a while he'll announce something he learned or did in Teacher Mary's preschool. We're going to have a fun year!

Big brother kiss

When Sam was little, I learned early to master the art of the Healing Mother's Kiss. It amazed me the power this little being attributed to my touch, but I will whole-heartedly admit that I milked it when I could. After a time, my kiss was often replaced by his Green Blankie and more recently by a short pout about hurting himself before continuing to play. A short while ago Andrew hurt his fingers in the sliding glass doors of the TV cabinet. He crunched his finger pretty well and I could see the shock and concern in his face when my Healing Mother's Kiss didn't immediately take away all the pain. I knew I needed to come up with something else. So I asked him if he wanted a Big Brother Kiss. His eyes grew wide immediately and he vigorously nodded his head. I told Sam that Andrew wanted a kiss from him to feel better and I could have sworn I saw Sam's chest immediately puff with pride. Indeed, the Big Brother Kiss had healing powers as well and has since often been called upon (as has the Little Brother Kiss, it's nascent partner). Just today Andrew stubbed a toe in the bathroom, cried a bit, and went straight out to his brother with his foot uplifted. Sam listened as Andrew asked for a kiss and inquired where said kiss should be placed. Andrew pointed to his foot and Sam bent down and kissed the owie with pride. What a great big brother! I'm very proud. :)

Book limits already?

I know both Dave and I loved to read when we were little and I remember more than a few times my parents had to come down and tell me to turn off my light, stop reading and go to sleep! However, I didn't expect to have to do that with my own kids until they could actually read. Sam adores flipping through his books at bedtime and we've had to start to limit how many he's allowed to go through or he'll stay up for an hour or more. He points at all the pictures, maybe counts various things, talks to himself or tells himself what he remembers of the story. It's very cute, but amazing to me that books have such a draw for him before he can even read the words!

Great lines

Sam has been coming up with great lines these days and I just wish I could remember them all. He hangs his head down and asks me "Mommy, when am I going to be an adult?" He also told me that he's going to be sad until he's 6 years old when he'll be old enough to sleep on the top bunk of the bunk bed but after he's 6 he'll be happy. Phew, only 2.5 years of being sad left!

Sing a song

Sam is just becoming a singing kid. His rendition of "raindrops on roses" is about the cutest thing you could imagine. He loves "Happy Birthday" and makes sure that both Christine and I get a few birthdays each week, just so he can sing it. And last Sunday after Sunday School, he sang "Father Abraham" to us over and over - when he just sat quietly and watched during his class.

Imaginary play

Sam has been having fun with imaginary friends that "work" with him and come visit and whom he can call on his cell phone. Sometimes they are the fruit friends from the "Banana and the Coconut" song that Dave created, sometimes they are real friends/people who just aren't there right now. Either way, it's fascinating to see his brain at work and see what he comes up with. Elements of our daily lives are intertwined in his imaginary and provide illumination into his experience of the world. Our favorite was when he said our friend Ruth called to say she was getting married and she and Papaya were coming over to work on puzzles with Sam later. Ah, how rumors start.

3 year stats

At his three year check-up, the nurse confirmed that Sam is indeed a big boy. He came in at the following:
Weight: 36 lb 8 oz, 90%
Height: 40 in, 95%

Why? why? why?

I can pinpoint the exact day that Sam began to ask more and more questions. It was New Year's Day 2010 at 35 months old when a switch clicked and all my answers were met with why. Let me tell you, it has kept me on my toes to come up with that many answers! He seems to take particular interest in why things have the names they do and what people's motivations are. It certainly keeps life interesting and fills up car rides with all sorts of interesting conversations.