I realize sitting down to write this that it's going to be a quickie. It's already the twelfth and life just isn't slowing down. I am completely overwhelmed at the moment and just can't seem to get my head on straight to write. I'm dealing with all new and very challenging stuff at work. Things with Ethan's dad are pretty up in the air at this point and that adds stress. Plus there is just all the day to day stress. I didn't think it was too bad until parts my face started twitching. A sure sign of overwhelm. Sigh. So this is my disclaimer: you get what you get this month. If it touches and inspires you then great. If not, chalk it up to life being life-like and wait for the next one :)

I've spent lots of time with friends and family over the past couple of months. I've reconnected with my good friend Josh from college and can't wait until he and his family get back from Germany so we can all get together and play!! I've started cultivating some mommy friends, slowly but surely. We've had some really fun play dates. And it's great to have friends with boys Ethan's age so I get to see that they are just as crazy and wound up as he is. Ethan, Alli, her boyfriend (at the time) Dave and I all went to Lamb's farm. It's like an amusement park just for kids and we had a BLAST! Especially Ethan. I think he spent about an hour on that jumper. Boy, does that boy like to jump. We also celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday by renting a pontoon boat for an afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun driving around and picnicking.

David has made several trips up from Florida and I spent the fourth of July weekend with him at his brother's wedding. And yes, that means that I got to meet almost the entire family in one fell swoop! It went really well and it was nice to finally put faces with all the names and stories. Plus they didn't tell him to run for the hills or anything so that's a really good thing too. It has been great to get to see him as often as I do and we are getting along very well. He has plans to move up to the Chicago area in mid-September and it couldn't get here soon enough for me!!

Ethan, of course, is amazing. And wonderful. And hilarious. He's grown so much in the last couple of months! Where I notice it the most is in his language and the understanding that drives it. He's getting his mind around some very cool concepts. And while some of these new "breakthroughs" drive me nuts, they have also given me all kinds of laughing fits and remind me that I had to learn all of the things I take for granted now. "Two minutes" is a favorite. I like to give him warning about what is coming. I find that he is a lot more likely to cooperate with what I've asked if I give him a little notice. So I tell him that we're going to go in two minutes. Or that it's bedtime in two minutes. Or that he needs to come sit down for dinner in two minutes. The funny part is that he's totally turned it around on me. I can say "okay Ethan, time to turn off the TV" to which he replies "two minutes". And if I acquiesce then it's "two minutes" when his two minutes are up. It's almost like a snooze button he tries to push at every opportunity! And we're still dealing with the whole idea that I get to tell him what to do and not vice versa. That may take a while...

My other favorite is "me have idea!". For example: If we're throwing the ball around and it ends up in the bush, the following conversation almost always occurs:

E: what we do now?
M: I don't know Ethan. What do you think?
At which point Ethan places his finger on his temple and rocks back and forth with a look of great concentration on his face. And if I make the unfortunate error of interrupting his train of thought I get: "No mommy! I busy! No talking a me!". Eventually the rocking stops and Ethan's face lights up...
E: Me have idea!!!
M: what's your idea?
Ethan then launches into a mostly unintelligible rant filled with many emphasized words and wild gesticulation and the occasional mention of a "DRAGON" (his favorite conversation topic). Basically it all boils down to "one of us should go get the ball". So one of us does and then we continue playing. I love that he is starting to pick up on the flow of conversation - saying please and thank you. Occasionally even waiting to talk (okay, VERY occasionally). Asking for the listener's attention and then expressing ideas. They are things that seem so very automatic for me but are obviously learned when watching Ethan attempt to master the skills.

Our toilet training is back to being spotty at best. Ethan will occasionally announce the urge to go, but mostly lets the clean up crew take care of it. I know that this is a pretty normal development but still have to admit to being disappointed. I was really ready to have bought my last box of diapers. Oh well! Too bad. Ethan has started to get freckles which I think he really likes because they are just like mommy's! Funny how children start out with perfect skin and then they start to get marks (freckles, scars) that they will have for the rest of their lives. More than anything it makes me think of how far we have come and how much I have enjoyed the journey. It does have bumps, that's for sure! I have a quote taped to my computer that reminds me that "a woman who can cope with the terrible twos can cope with anything". I have to give myself a break on those days when I'm just about to take my third "mommy time out" or risk killing my only child. But mostly I love it and love him and couldn't feel more joy in watching and helping this wonderful little boy become a man.

Did anyone notice the comment in paragraph one about Alli's boyfriend (at the time) Dave? Did you wonder what that meant? Hey Sharon! Did they break up and you just didn't want to cut him out of all the pictures? Very much to the contrary! My little sister is now engaged to her then boyfriend now fiancé, Dave S! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! They've been dating for just over a year and Dave popped the question in Las Vegas on a family vacation. I couldn't be happier for her or for them. They are a wonderful couple and really compliment each other. And the best part is that she'll be Alli S!!! I mean, what's better than a name that rhymes!?! I hope you'll join with me in wishing them all the best in their new life together.

Whew! That's it for now. Have a great couple months and I'll write again after things (hopefully) settle down a little. Until next time...