Eph:  Momma, where does your boob milk* come from?

Me:  Where do you think it comes from?

Eph:  Well.  ((very seriously))  First I think when you drink some milk, the milk goes into your tummy.  Then it goes on a conveyer belt, then it goes on another conveyer belt.  Then it goes in a pool, then in a tube, then in Talya's tummy, then out Talya's bum!

 

He's going to be a doctor, I tell ya.

 

*yes we do call breast milk 'boob milk'.  Gotta problem with that?

Ephraim, Ephraim, Ephraim.

You, my fabulous son are four years old.  You are so big now!  Your babyface has gone, and you are full of stories and interesting things to do.

You never stop moving.  Even when you're sitting still, which believe me is only on rare occasions, some part of you is still moving.  Rubbing Petey's ear, tapping your foot, building something.  We'll soon have to move on from painting mama's toes to knitting I think!

You are tentative of new things, but once you fully understand what it is, or what's going on, you are all over it.  Climbing giant spiderwebs, building activators, telling stories, leaping tall buildings in a single bound...

... these things are nothing to you.  You pshaw the difficulty!  But, only after you have had a good chance to think it through.

You are very much of the attitude that you can do anything better than anyone else.  And if you can't, then your daddy certainly can.  You can jump higher, run faster, know more words...

You, my glorious son, are certainly an individual.  You know your mind, and you are determined that people will see things your way... even when you have no idea what you're talking about... you get that from your father.

I really want to encourage your individuality, and yet at the same time, I just want you to listen to what I have to say without arguing.  It's going to be a long bunch of years until you move out, son of mine!

While you are getting to be such a big boy, you are still so little in so many ways.  You still like to snuggle.  You still can't go to sleep without a kiss and a hug, and you still love to be around your mama and daddy. 

I love you so much, Ephraim, you make me absolutely nuts, make me wonder why I ever became a parent in the first place, and then turn around and give me one of your dazzling smiles.  Or tell Talya how much you love her...  you have such a soft and caring heart, and that is your saving grace.  Your heart trumps any mischief that you could possibly get into!

Keep on laughing, big handsome boy, when you laugh, my whole world brightens.

Love,

Momma

 

I took Zi to soccer last night, and I came home to this in my backyard.

"It's an activator, Momma."

"You can sit on it."

I think I'll pass.

(from the top of the stairs)

Eph:  I'm cold, Momma.

Me:  Well then get back in bed and cover up.

Eph:  I can't.  My blanket slipped into Zia's room!

"You know, Ephraim, I'm so lucky, I have a sister AND a brother."

"I KNOW, Zia."

"But, you're really really really lucky, cuz you have TWO SISTERS!"

So, my son is three.  And he is a stubborn little thing (gets it from his father, of course.)

The other night Eph was wearing snap up pj's.  You know, the one piece jobbies that snap up the front.  Totally fine.  He needs a bit of help to go pee with them on, but he still loves them.

Ja was putting him to bed and had the genius thought of teaching our illustrious son how to do up snaps!  That's all fine and good, teaches him, lets him try a few, tucked in, nighty night, right?

When Ja and I went up to bed after ten, our son was still sitting on the side of the bed.  Doing up his snaps, and then undoing them.  Doing up his snaps and then undoing them.  Doing up... well, you get the picture.

He practiced doing up his snaps for two hours.

I had to change him into snapless pj's to get him to go to sleep.

Then I had to have a little chat with Ja about how it's great to teach our kids new things and all, but maybe hold off til morning, and not do it right before bed!

Good thing Ja didn't teach Eph Algebra or Calculus before bed... the poor kid would probably still be awake.

Ephraim, my gorgeous little dutch boy, today you are three years old.  Three years ago today, you decided it was time to wreak all the havoc you could on the world from the outside... 


And wreak havoc you do.  You have this impish little grin, and these twinkly blue eyes that make me want to hug you instead of putting you into the multiple time outs that you seem to get in one day.


You are a vibrating little bundle of energy.  You want to go and go and go... and you don't give up going until you're forced to.  You insist on being a big boy, and yet you are still soft and need the love of a little boy... as long as it is on your terms.


Eph, your entire short life up to this point seems to be based on how you can get your own way, do things your own way, be your own way.  While at the same time you want to do everything that your sister does... especially if it ruins her fun.

You are all boy.  Your favourite pastime is throwing rocks into the water... any rocks... in any water.  A treat for you is going down to the creek with your daddy and tossing rocks in to your heart's content. 


You are a stubborn little thing too.  It's amazing how hard it is to get a little thirty pound boy to do what you want him to do when he has the will of a four hundred pound man.  You will do the exact opposite of what we tell you to do, just to see what will happen.  You get angry when it's the wrong shoes, the toast is cut the wrong way, it's a different cup than you had in your head...  Unfortunately for you, your daddy and I are just as stubborn.  Is there a manual that you read on what are the exact buttons to push to drive us batty??


Ephraim, you have become such a little man over the past year.  Learning how to spell your name out loud... counting, as fast as you can up to ten, or higher.  Usually mostly in order.  You love singing songs in the bathtub with me.  You adore super heroes... Larry Boy, Veggie tales, but mostly you adore your daddy. 

I think in your mind, your daddy is the ultimate super hero, and that is how it should be.  He can throw the super ball mega high, he can lift you up and play airplane, and he takes you to throw rocks in the creek.  I love how much you love and adore your daddy.  You are so adorable when you "help" him by taking all the drill bits out of his case.  Your eyes light up and you get very serious when you see your daddy getting out the tools.


Ephraim, the age of two brought us so many things.  Toilet training, learning how to spell your name, talking about mighty machines at every possible instance.  I'm sad to see the baby in you go, but I am so excited to see what the world of three is going to bring us.


Your daddy and I so ache for you to become a man after God's own heart.  I hope and pray for you every day.  You are a joy in our lives, and you make us smile with your antics...  Keep your humour, big boy, keep your energy...


Happy Birthday,

love,
Momma

Friends of ours came over last Thursday for a little visit and to pump the kids full of sugar right before bed. 

Kevin decided it would be fun to chase Eph and Keyz around with Eph's fishing pole stick, gently tapping them with it.  Much laughter and hysteria ensued...

This is the email correspondence that followed that fateful day...

Kevin, dear,

I just HAD to write and thank you so much for playing with my children last Thursday!  It was so nice when the next day I caught Ephraim chasing Keyzia around the yard with the stick trying to whack her as hard as he could. 

The best part was when I asked him why he was doing it, and he responded, "well, that's what the stick guy was doing!"

Love,
jamie

 

Dear Jamie,

What can I say but, "You're welcome!"  It's nice to know that I can still influence young minds.  Hope Keyzia can run fast.

Love Kevin

 

 

Dear Ephraim,

I am glad to hear that you enjoy playing with your sister.  I hope you will use the stick as a fishing pole and not a girl wacker.  Wait about another 20 years before you chase girls.  The expensive part is if you catch them.  So heed my advice and play fish.

Love

The Stick Guy

16 weeks???  Woohoo!  Only 5 months to go!

As those of you who have spawned, as good 'ole SJ says, "crotch fruit", you know that every time you go to the doctors, you get to pee in a jar.

As an aside, does anyone realize how difficult it is for a woman to pee JUST in the stinking jar??  Especially after having kids?  Usually I pee on my hand, on the jar, around the jar, and am lucky to catch some in the jar... bah.

Ahem.

So, yesterday was my 16 week checkup.  We didn't get to hear the heartbeat at the last checkup, so Ja really wanted to go to this one.  That was totally fine with me!  Especially seeing as having two kids with you while at the doctors can be... well... a bit stressful at times.

I was waiting for the lovely nurse to swipe my health card and Eph came tearing up to me, announcing that he had to go pee.  Off we go to the bathroom, and me, always thinking of multi-tasking figures that I'll just do my deed at the same time.  Makes sense, right?  Already IN the bathroom... might just as well!

Ephraim was quite fascinated by the fact that I was actually peeing IN A JAR.  "In a JAR, Momma?"  I explained to him that the nurse needed to make sure the new baby was healthy and that she needed my pee to do that.

He was pretty satisfied by that.  Usually explaining something to him helps him out a lot.  Especially if he seems to understand.

We go out to the waiting room, and I go back to the nurse's desk to get my card swiped.  Eph runs out to Ja... and, in his VERY LOUD toddler voice announces to the entire waiting room that "there was PEE!  In a JAR!  And it was Momma's Pee!"

Have I ever mentioned the volume of this boy's voice???  He is LOUD.  He has no control over what he's thinking coming directly out his mouth.

After much laughter, by everyone in the waiting room, he announced again about the pee... then was distracted... "Something smells like donuts!  What smells like donuts, Daddy?"

sigh.

In other news... the peanut and I are both healthy, we heard the heartbeat and we have an ultrasound scheduled in a few weeks.

Also?  It's a good thing that giving birth and breastfeeding takes away all vestige of modesty.  It prepares you for the loud mouthed nature of an intrepid two year old!

Keyzia:  Momma, I love you to the MOON and back!

Me:  You do?  Well I love you to the moon and back too!

Ephraim (not to be outdone):  MOMMA, I love you a bushel and a guk!

Me:  A guk?  What's a guk?

Ephraim:  Well.  I don't know.  I think it's like a popsicle stick.

Me:  I love you a bushel and guk too then!