- Tanner and I take a nap together everyday. We have for almost 2 years. At first it drove me CRAZY, that I had to take the time out and lay down with him for up to an hour trying to get him to fall asleep so I could sneak out and get some things done. It drove me nuts how if I didn't time it just perfectly with Kate's nap then I couldn't lay down with him and he wouldn't nap, creating a monster. Well, now I love it. I love that the whole house is quiet and that we get in my bed, he gets my soft pillow and I get Shad's hard pillow and we cuddle until he falls asleep. He will only fall asleep if I'm holding him. He wants to be held tight and close. Often he tries to procrastinate because he doesn't want to fall asleep so he'll try to make me laugh. It usually works. It's one of the only times he'll talk about anything, very calmly. I admit, there are still days that he tries to refuse to lay down and he is crying and I'm trying my hardest to stay calm, but mostly, it's wonderful. I never want to forget the feeling of a tiny 3 year-old Tanner snuggled up next to me in bed fast asleep.
- Kate saying, "I hold you" all day long. Sometimes it drives me nuts, because she really does prefer to be held constantly, but mostly I love it. If she could, I think she'd be on my hip all day long while I do housework, make dinner, clean up, shop in the grocery store, etc. What I love though, is that she wants to be held by me. She loves me unconditionally. Whether I'm a great Mom that day, or an impatient Mom, she still wants me hold her.
- Tanner will tilt his head to the right, with huge sparkly eyes and have a down-turned smile (it may seem this doesn't exist, but it does, because Tanner does it all the time). He does this when Kate does something naughty and he looks at me like he's another parent thinking, "Can you believe her?" But not in an upset way, with a great sense of humor way.
- Kate saying, "I so excited," with a huge grin an squinty eyes. She says this about anything and everything. It could be about coloring, food, watching Dora, going to the park or Daddy coming home. She is "excited" about everything and I love it.
- How much Tanner and Kate pretend. I love that Tanner will get on his bike and whether anyone is watching or not, he will put on his pretend helmet and buckle it in place. I love that Kate will give Dumbo her binkie or share her sippie with him. I love that she picks up her stuffed animals and rocks them like a baby while singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." I love how they make pretend birthday cakes and sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out the candles.
This is a good time in life.