A big day for a big boy!!

A triple play if I may so. So many things happening at once.

1 - You slept the whole night with out your pacifier for the first time. You just decided it was time and you did it. In the morning we gave you a giant lollipop as your reward.

2 - You used the potty to go poop in. Amazing news here. Mom can explain more. But it went something like this. She took your diaper off and let you run around the house. When you had to go, you told mom and she put you on the potty. You told her not to look, and ka-boom! You did it.

3 - You wore big kids pull up diapers all day. You noticed when you were wet just like you're supposed to and told us.

You are progressing so rapidly. Im sure you'll be counting to 20 in a few weeks and that new green guy (the little green alien from Toy Story) will be yours soon.

All that and you just turned three last week. Sigh......
xoxoxo
Dad

Skyler's Birthday Party week with Ahmee & Baba

What a great week! We celebrated Sky's b-day on Sunday (not the 19th which fell on Monday) and had cake, balloons and too many presents. Ahmee, Baba, Nana, Miss Lynda & her mom, Grandma Jeanne came to eat some cake and celebrate 3 YEARS! Skyler blew out the candles and loved the whole thing. It must be weird to not remember ever doing this before... to him this was all brand new! Judy's birthday was on Tuesday the 20th and my mom watched Skyler while Jules took the birthday gal, Matt and me to Farallon (fancy and delicious) and it was so special, one of the best times I've had at a nice dinner. Judy loved her purse with the picture of Skyler feeding a bottle to Sequoia on the front. Then on Thurs. J & J met up with Skyler and I at our swim class at the JCC and then we went to lunch at the Ella's. We grilled and ate Farmer's Market delicacies and said our goodbyes.

We all get together again in November for the Jules & Judy 50th wedding anniversary!

Happy Birthday!

Today you are three years old! The best three years of my life for sure. I hope you remember some of your life from this time, it has been wonderful. And you are the greatest kid. You are so kind and thoughtful, and funny and so many other wonderful things. Thank you for choosing us to be your parents. I have never been happier.

We had a lovely party with Ahme, Baba, Nana, Lala and Lala's mama. You got lots of gifts from Buzz & Woody, Elmo and Winnie the Pooh. Sweet dreams and we love you very much.

xoxoxox
Daddy

"Mommy, when I was a bird I died too...."

We found a dead bird yesterday down the street from us, just off the sidewalk in some bushes. Skyler saw the bird sitting on the ground under the bush as we walked by and it didn't quite look like it was sleeping, it looked different. He asked what was wrong with the birdie. I quickly thought through all of the implications of telling the truth (how worried, scared and concerned he'd be, having to explain death to a small child) verses the importance of starting to talk about real life, and that death is a part of it.

I told him that the birdie was dead, that he got very, very, very old and died. Skyler got really upset and said "No! Make him real! Make him real!!” I told him that I couldn't make him "real", he was dead and I couldn't make him alive again. He was standing on the street screaming and crying to make the birdie alive again. How do you explain that you can't do that? He didn't get it. I realized that kids think mommies can do anything to make it better and now he was finding out that I couldn't change this one, I couldn't make the bird move and be alive again. We went round and round... he was so upset and crying and he just didn't understand (but I think he kind of did a little, and it scared him).

I had to pick him up and carry him upstairs with him mad at me, crying as if I wasn't doing something that I should be doing. I told him again that when things got very, very, very old they stopped living and they died. "Like Grandma Sadie, you remember Grandma Sadie? We went to visit her and you climbed onto her bed and gave her hugs and kisses?" And he said "And I had Daddy's Juice" (that's orange juice). He was right; he did have OJ with Sadie. I pulled up some pictures from his website of Sadie and he was there with her, with a glass of OJ on the table between them. I showed him pictures of the funeral and explained that she was very, very old and died.

You saw a dead bird and you're learning to swim.

Skyler saw a dead pigeon and became very concerned. He wanted mommy to wake him up. Then he made her take him out to see the dead bird again.

He then said the most astonishing thing. " When I was a bird, I died too" Steph asked, "When were you a bird?" Skyler's response was "a long, long time ago."

When I got home I asked Skyler what kind of bird he was a long, long time ago, he said he was a red bird.

Today mommy took you to your swimming class at the JCC. You were very happy when you came home.

Hurricane Katrina

The worst natural disaster in US history occurred this week when New Orleans flooded & Biloxi was turned into rubble. All New Orleans had to be evacuated, and it was a terrible scene of desperation. What a mess. We are very lucky to have so much and plan on restocking our food and water 'earthquake supplies' (you cannot count on the government to be there to help you - thanks for caring Bush!).