Last Month Letter... Twenty-Three

Mica,
You are our echo now... You repeat all we say, string words together with effort to form those magical songs called sentences, and mumble mysterious missives that leave us wondering what you might mean.

Things that leave no doubt:

"Wove you, Mama."

"Papa home."

"I talk honey?" (when I am on the phone with Papa)

You name us all: Papa, Mama, Brudda, Feep (Felipe, the cat).



We name you: Little Nut Brown Bear...

This summer you sinewed your naked body all over this house and yard, the sun bringing you browner. The scratchy white scars upon your knees and legs and arms. Your hair a light brown halo around your eyes just like Rom's. You go from chubby to less chubby and back again.



You dance, you run, you growl. You like to play music and sing. You sing, "A-B-C." The other day you listened to me singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star twenty times in a row on the floor amid the library bookshelves.

You are loved by so many of the homeschool kids. They line up to carry you around at park days, and one boy in particular assures me with pride, "It's okay. You don't need to worry. I'm taking care of him." They feed you snacks and include you in their games. You know all their names, and you say their names with a smile.

Another thing I understand:

"Non't!" A rather ingenious combo of No and Don't, if I don't say so myself. :-)

Unlike Orlando you've got a bit more of the two-year-old NO thing... likely because you've heard No much more often, and for that I am sorry.

When I ask you a question and you roar "NOOOOOOOOOO," I say, "Oh boy. You can say, 'Not now, Mama.'" and after a moment of silence you say, "...nnnot.... no... ma-ma."

And then I wait and ask you again, "Ready to go downstairs?" and you cry out with glee, "Sssssssuuuuuuuurrr!"

Or when I tell you that breakfast is ready, you cry out, "Yaaaaaaayyy!!!!" and come run-dancing into the kitchen, hopping up and down in front of the table until I lift you up and present you with the food you mouth, swallow, spit-out, and throw.



Or when it's time to go.... another "Yaaaaaaaaayyyy!!!" and into the car we go. I can't believe how good-natured you are, how willing, how easy-going, how direct and strong.

Thank you for blessing us with your sweet-silly tiny-big self.

We love you!!
Mama