2 Years, 1 Month

What a fun, exhausting age.

Toddlers are a real mental strain ... lets be honest.  But with a little creativity and some serious consistency, they are quite a bit of fun.

Mac loves to color and paint.  Mostly circles, ABC's, numbers, and puppies.  Oh, and with finger paints, "bubbles" are a favorite -- made by energetically tapping a paint-laden finger and exclaiming, "Pop, pop, pop," with each tap.

 Painting with a brush is much more serious and requires a lot of focus.  No messing around.

 Also a recent obsession:  tracing hands.  Especially when they are showing off different numbers.  Sending these tracings to missionary aunts and uncles is always a good idea.

As far as counting goes, he loves to count to four over and over again as he lines up his favorite toys across the floor ... but on a few rare, magical occasions I've heard him go up to seven all by himself. 

Mac loves shapes, and thanks to ipod applications and neat toys he got for his birthday, he can name all the basics and feels really cool when we quiz him.

He loves to point out letters on signs.  "S" is what we hear most often, but O, P, T, A, B, I, M, R, U, X and Z are also pointed out from time to time.  This is one of our favorite ways to survive shopping trips.

He loves to be involved in conversation.  If ever Mark and I are deeply discussing something, Mac can tell and never fails to break in with a, "Mom!  Dad!"  (pause while he looks around him) "Big big garbage truck."

Few things make our mini man as excited as "helping".  Whether it's cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing computer things, or fixing something, you can count on him to be right at your elbow pointing out colors, telling you to be careful, and handing you things.

This boy is my little shadow.  Having Daddoo come from work never fails to throw him into a fit of excitement, but in general he is a real mama's boy.  It is wonderful and exhausting.

He still loves sports, and lately has been quite into hitting the ball when we pitch it to him.  He's getting really good at it ... especially now that he has a bat that is actually his size.  (Thank you, Grandma!)

He is also finally getting into books again.  There were several months where he refused to sit still for a book.  We kept reading to him though, and now he is showing interest again.  Especially if it's "Hungry Hungry Caterpillar" or "Caps for Sale".

He also loves to sing songs before bed, and will ask for them over and over again as you are trying to put him down.

He is quite emotional and manic depressive.  He can turn it on and turn it off in a split second.  Sometimes, when he is feeling particularly ignored, he'll put himself in time out -- without my saying a thing-- utter a few badly faked cries, and then say "I nice, I nice," which is how he lets us know he's ready to come out.  He knows that Mark or I will come without fail to give him a hug and talk to him about why he was there.  This is the most clever trick he has come up with yet ... and it works like a charm.  I immediately feel bad for ignoring him and try to involve him in whatever I'm attempting to finish.

Oh Mac.  What would we do without you?  You make our lives one great, big, never-ending adventure.