Letter to Samuel: TWO

Dear Samuel Woodford,

Today you are TWO! How is that possible? Seems like just yesterday we welcomed our blue-eyed boy into this big world.

But it’s also impossible to remember life without you.

Two means adventurous and spirited, smart and inquisitive, sweet and considerate, independent, observant and focused, and absolutely hysterical. It is most definitely our favorite age yet.

Your vocabulary has grown immensely this month, and you surprise us with new words every day. Here are a few current favorites: Donald (as in Duck), football, pedal, buckle, park, slide, airplane, purple, boots. You almost always say “please” and “thank you,” and sometimes you even correct us if we forget. You still call Lucy “dog,” and you have renamed Mr. Ribbit “Ricky.” You call all berries “boo boos,” including grapes. You have just started to speak in sentences. You say “I want cheese, please.” “Momma, tie shoes.” “Push car.” “All aboard, choo choo.” “I want Dada home.” You know the names of all of your family members and some of your little buddies. And you just amaze us with the things you remember. You know Minnie rides a pink bike in your favorite episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You associate Nini with flowers and Pop with work. When we mention football, you roar and say “I want the lion” (the Nittany Lion, of course). You talk about ducks in the water and airplanes in the sky. It is just incredible to carry on conversations with you and watch your little mind work.

You are quite artistic, too. Coloring is one of your current favorite activities, and you will sometimes sit for 20 minutes and work on one page in your book. You also enjoy crafts that involve stickers and glue. You can draw circles and identify blue, purple, and orange when asked. When we say “how much” or “how many” you often say “one, two” and sometimes “three.”

You still love to run and play outside, of course. You have become very good at kicking the soccer ball and throwing the football. And you have conquered nearly every local playground. You received an early birthday present about two weeks ago — your bike! And you are obsessed. You wear your helmet and ride around the cul de sac, and you have almost figured out how to pedal.

You are also still very interested in your tools. While working on the wall between our kitchen and living room, you helped Poppy to hammer and drill and take measurements. You would pull out the tape measure, hold it both horizontally and vertically, then record the numbers on your notepad. Such a big helper and a hard worker!

We all caught colds this month, though Mommy’s has lasted longest of all. You point to my nose and say “boo boo” and “achoo.” You take such good care of me.

Lucy is still your best bud, and we are very grateful that she is so tolerant of your rough toddler play. You play tug-of-war and try to take the ball right out of her mouth. And you love to wrestle with her! When we dropped her off for her first weekend at the kennel, you cried huge crocodile tears and said “No, my dog, home.” But the reunion after two days apart was incredibly sweet! You both ran loops around the house, screaming and barking with excitement.

I believe I can now say that you are fully adjusted to your big boy bed. You sleep from about 9pm until 7:30am with an afternoon nap that sometimes lasts three hours. You no longer stand at your gate and scream, and you very rarely climb out of bed after we say goodnight. You have started to sleep with your head on a pillow and your body tucked under a comforter. Which makes you seem so grown up! Your current favorite bedtime books are Thomas the Train, Dora, and (still) Chugga Chugga Choo Choo. We also spend at least 10 minutes every night talking about our day. You request to “talk,” and it may be one of my favorite new habits. Then you ask for the “baby” song (Hush Little Baby) and the “ducks” song (Five Little Ducks Went Out One Day), and we say “night night” and blow about a dozen kisses before I slip out the door.

You seem a little bit more mature every day. You now sit in the big chair while having your hair cut, and you wear the cape, too. You are content to sit beside me during my doctor’s visits and no longer whine. In fact, you get very excited to hear baby sister’s heartbeat. And during our recent trip to Penn State, you acted like such a big kid. But you are also still very attached to your Momma. Sometimes only my hugs and kisses can soothe your tears, and I don’t mind at all.

I have written a letter to you every month since the day you were born. And we have both changed so much over these past two years. I am so proud of the big boy you are becoming, and I am thankful for you every day. You bring immense joy into our lives, and we couldn’t love you more. Happy 2nd birthday, Sammy!