the valentine nest: Anson at 2 & a half

The Ansonater along with Mighty-O celebrated birthday #2 in March. He had avoided the stomach bug at that point but by default (with a sick twin) didn't get to have a cupcake. Poor guy, he sure loves a good cupcake! He's a happy go lucky kind of kid and.....he's two, he didn't know the difference when we celebrated a month later. He is hilarious, snuggly & has the biggest brown eyes I have ever seen.

Looking good in Daddy's boots...

This little mister had his first real haircut in February. Although he can be cautious he was very comfortable in that seat & tolerated getting his new do well.

While we are on the subject of hair, this boy loves to fix mine. He will snuggle in my lap & tie my hair in knots while twisting his fingers around & around saying "that feel nice mommy?" Anson's hair grows so fast, goes every which way & happens to be pretty cute even with that pouty face.

This little guy loves to play outside & took to his lawnmower very well. This makes us laugh because he & Owen are both terrified of the "blow-a & mo-wa"known as the blower & mower when we hear it outside. Sadly (for them) we live in a tree ridden area & there seems to be people mowing & blowing leaves ALL THE TIME! If it's just pretend, he's all smiles.

When I think of Anson a word that comes to mind is "helper" since he just loves to help me. He has always followed me around the house so I oriented him to some simple tasks & he was hooked! He can clear the table, carry clothes & load the washing machine. Both boys prefer to load up a laundry basket with actual laundry, toys, bags, etc. & push it around. I often come into my bedroom to find dirty laundry dumped ALL over the floor & no basket in sight....sneaky little guys.

Oh, they can take the trash out too! Never too early! This was really great for me when I was pregnant & super nauseated.

He loves our Bella girl & thinks she likes to be hugged while drinking her water. Sometimes he passes her a piece of food & her alligator snap surprises him. At some point since he turned two, all the kids were eating lunch & asking for a cookie if they finished it all. Everyone minus Anson was done & closing in on the plate of cookies. He threw his plate full of food up in the air & it crashed to the floor feeding Bella a delicious snack. He was yelling "I done! I get cookie!" I was laughing so hard I gave him one anyway.

Anson took his first trip to the dentist over the summer. He was brave & received an A+ in dental health. We chalked that up to the amount of toothpaste this child has ingested. He & Owen + toothpaste, oh my goodness! There was an evening that I was enjoying a big mason jar full of the perfect flavored iced tea. I sat it on the counter in the bathroom while I put Owen in the bathtub. I figured I would let them swim around while I kicked my feet up & finished off my beverage. Instead, I turned around to find Anson holding all four toothbrushes head down in my tea swirling them around while smiling at me ever so sweetly. What a picture of life right now haha!

Nicknames in this family are not only established from the root name but more often based on the personality of the one being named. Anson & his cautious way of life was described as being a sparkler in the realm of fireworks compared to his bottle rocket brother. There is great benefit in life maintaining a healthy amount of reservation when trying new things. A few things that make Anson stop & think- a swing that might be pushed too hard by someone new, climbing onto a rock wall to jump off that might be too high....it's nice to have a sister....

Anson & some watermelon that he can devour almost as fast as Bennett...

This child looooooves his blankie which in some ways makes me happy since my mom & I made it but we really need to work on some separation from it....all in due time. Maybe about 6 months ago he rubbed one corner so much that he made a hole in it which he found to be the perfect place to loop his finger through. Over time the hole got bigger & bigger to where toys would disappear into the dark hole & have to be fished out. Finally one quiet Sunday afternoon I whipped out the sewing machine to stitch it back up to it's proper diameter. Anson was extremely concerned for his blankie's safety as evidenced by the photo below...

It took some sewing & ripping out stitching to get it to the exact size he desired & until I got it right he was not too happy with me. He decided he wanted to be able to stick his four fingers in so I fixed it right up for my big brown eyed boy.

Things about Anson at two:

He says "I be bot back" when walking out of the room & plans to return
When I say I am going to do something he doesn't like he says in a grouchy voice with a furrowed brow "no you cannot." He also does not like when I put something in the microwave that he prefers to eat immediately such as oatmeal. He says "hey! Do not cook it" Although since I find him sitting in the pantry eating oatmeal straight from the container as well as chewing on the wrapping trying to get into a granola bar.
He along with the rest of the bunch love to play "Chick-A-Lay" where they stand at the Lemonade stand & charge money for chicken, fries & "lemolade." One afternoon I asked him how much my meal cost & he said "one honey dollars."
For the past 3-4 months Anson will randomly say with great gusto & slight concern "It's 8 o'clock!" Sometimes he glance at the clock & sometimes he just pops up from playing with Legos & says it. We have followed suit & every evening after a drawn out bedtime between the Fab Five we walk back into the kitchen & one of us says it but it is actually the real time. For months I have wondered where he got this from but last week I was reading him his favorite nursery rhyme book & the last page has "Wee Wille Winkie runs through the town, upstairs & downstairs in his nightgown. Rapping at the window, crying at the lock, are the children all in bed for now it's 8 o'clock!" No wonder he says it with concern....it's extremely creepy haha!
He hates when we stir things with the utensil upside down
He turns many things he is eating into a lollipop such as a pretzel & a piece of cheese.
He uses his right hand for everything
When he jumps in our bed some mornings he lays right on my arm & says in a very irritated tone "SCOOT"
He experiences great confusion on mealtimes & now has his brother confused too. When they wake up in the morning he says "It's morning time? We eat dinner?" I say that we are going to eat breakfast & he says "NOOOO, we eat dinner!" So that times every meal & snack time we have this conversation.
He says "sea force" for sea horse & "monster" for lobster
He is sensitive to the blower & mower sounds along with any noise or shadow once he is tucked in for the night. One evening we heard him saying "I sared. Whats' that noise Owee?" Owen did a great job calming him down.
When I walk to another room of the house & Anson notices I am not with him he starts saying "Mommy, where ah you?" Once he finds me he says "you were lost Mommy, I found you!"
When I take my seizure medication in the morning he says "That you medicine mommy? You brain broken?" I say "yes buddy my brain is broken." He & Owen say "Don't worry, you get a new brain in heaven."
Favorite animal is an ostrich & when you ask him his favorite color or number he says "ostrich"
When we are out & about around others that leave the room he says "where da maamses?" since ma'am is the word for all ladies.
When we are shopping & I say we need to go to the check out he says "but I don't want a check up, they give me a shot? They give me a diaper change?" Makes me snicker every time.
He likes to take his "vitamim"
When the kids are reconciling with one another it usually ends with a hug. Anson always says whether offender or offended "I forgive you/ yes I forgive you, no hugs"
His favorite snack is yogurt raisins & almonds
When I forget something & say "Oh my, I forgot!" He says you lost your mind mama?"
He says "rollercycle" for motorcycle & bicycle, "rollypop" for lollipop
Apparently I say "oh my gosh & come on man" on a regular basis. I was in the kitchen fixing a meal & goofed on something. He immediately said "oh my gosh man!"
He is a thankful little boy & often says thank you for the most random things. One day he said "Thank you mommy." I said "for what buddy?" He said "thanks for nothing" with the sweetest grin on his face.
When I tell Owen or Arlo they are so handsome Anson interrupts & says "no, I'm handsome." He's right on considering we call him "Handsome Anson."