TEC.almost 2

Tuck Man is just blossoming these days.

He still does classic Tucker things. You know, like bringing me handfuls of poop. His poop. And smiles like he just accomplished something excellent. Of course for him, that is some kind of accomplishment. {note: this never fails to occur as I'm nursing Will, the most opportune time to bring me handfuls of poop.}

Then there are other new things. Like his language. It is exploding and we are really enjoying getting a little verbal glimpse into that mind of his. He is communicating complex things and speaking in short sentences. Though his verbal skills have developed later than Grey's, he's really taking off. I'm sure having a big brother who won't stop talking has something to do with his picking it up :)

He is able to follow multi-step directions. Which also means that he suffering consequences more often for being defiant. Whew. He's a tough one sometimes. 

And then there are the times where he's not so tough. He can give the biggest bear hugs and tuck his little head right in the sweet spot where the shoulder meets the neck. Mmm those are precious moments. I am soaking them all up and bottling them in my memory bank for the days when he doesn't even want to sit in my lap anymore...oh dear, I can't even go there.

He is big into singing these days. I mean he's singing a lot. Some of his favorites include but are not limited to "ABC's," "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Jesus Loves Me," "Frosty the Snowman," "Wheels on the Bus," and any blessing we sing before meals. He picks up the tune and the words pretty quickly and likes to sing-a-long to almost any song. Before bed we all sing together and if Grey is absent from the room (usually before his nap) he cries and yells for him until he comes to sing him to sleep.

In his bed with him there is a rather large front loader truck, a book about dogs, a Mickey Mouse look and find book, Bear Bear, Doggie,  a pillow, and his Clemson blanket that he likes to be covered up with for naps and bedtime. There's not much room for him but that's the way he likes it. He puts his big ol' truck on his tummy and sings it to sleep. And good luck if we try to go in a remove it later.  He is definitely teaching me the meaning of "choose your battles."

Outside is still his choice place of residence. As I watched the movie Babies recently, I made the comment that Tucker would definitely be much happier living like the little African babies. They literally live outside, play in the dirt, drink water straight from streams, and bang rocks together. That would pretty much be heaven on earth for Tuck.

He doesn't go far without his fishing pole and bobber. Now that is one thing I refuse to let him sleep with. And I do pay for that with screams and crying for his "pole and bobber." I see a good ol' fashioned fishing trip in the near future.  

He's the fastest little man and can find trouble around every turn. If I was a neat freak or over cautious (both of which I am totally not) I would spend all day cleaning that boy and telling him to "get down!" or "come back here!" Now I do say those things all too often but I wouldn't do anything else. I am convinced I can just give him a hose and put him on the deck before too long and he'll maybe stay in one place for more than 5 seconds.

Can't believe he'll be 2 years old next month. Time goes entirely too fast.