Osrid Olov, 2 3/4

I feel a bit guilty as I've been meaning to do this for a very long time...in fact, I was hoping to do this every few months, to chronicle the changes in my sweet son in a cute little way. Well, life has gotten in the way, I've been tired, I've been scatterbrained, busy, this that and the other thing.....but this is so important....so hopefully I will kick myself in the pants to do it more....in any case, I am doing it now....

Osrid Olov, 2 3/4 Years Old.

Loves his 'Tars (guitar shirts) SO much (taking them off is a very hard time, too, bless him!)
Kisses Mum & Dad with either his lips OR his head-saying "mmmUH"
...and sometimes does so repeatedly, really really fast. MUHMUHMUHMUHMUH! 5x
Favourite taste other than mamas milk is coconut water, and he will drink a whole can at a time!!
Loves taking baths
Loves water play
Says "wheeeeeeee!" when he moves around in a fun way
Make-believes that his hand is a car-it is, isn't it?-all the time!!!
The hand-car's favourite places to drive are through the bathwater and in mummy's hair...of course.
Is a fantastic little helper and finds the vacuum to be a great source of entertainment
A biphasal sleeper with a 26h (approx) circadian rhythm
He is an old soul...and feels the heaviness of being one
Loves baking w/mum-and is shockingly good at measuring!!
HATES having his hands fiddled with in any way (getting them clean has taken some creative thinking!)
Absolutely HAS to go for a walk.
         Every day.
                   On his favourite path.
...unless HE decides otherwise. Of course.
Is still a very picky eater.
...but loves cookies ("free-from"!)
Asks "wwwhhhhyyy?" about 100x a day
There is a funny game he invented that we like to play downstairs, it goes like this:
He has a car with one hand, I have one car, and he has a car with the other. We stack them up on top of each other and, they go "flying" in the air backwards and we say "aaaaaahhhh!!!!"-sometimes hollering it, and sometimes almost saying it in a whisper. Depending on his mood...energy levels? I don't know...but it is so cute and fun and funny and I love to do it because it makes me laugh.
The vacuum cleaner is sooo funny!
--he is very good at using it too-bwahaha....soon I can simply lay back and relax...
Make-believe sneezing on someone/thing is a blessing. He likes to stop to extend his arm and say "ah..ahh...AHH-GO!", opening then his hand as if sprinkling fairy dust, upon people and things that he likes...and then he waves-"BUH-bye."  He thinks it is very exciting when I *actually* sneeze. We imitate the sounds around the house, because it's lots of fun and silly. "Ah---GO!" he says. "I GO!" *ACHOOOOO* "AhGO!"
This boy is awfully clumbsy, and prone to lots of bumps and bruises.
...but then, it isn't easy being 2!
Expresses every emotion with his whole body-a very intense boy-who knows where he gets it? :)
Emotitive empathy far, far beyond his years...
Very fearless and over cautious in completely backwards ways (me too, sometimes)-it's a good thing to have each other, very much
He has only just so soon began to climb the stairs again after regaining his confidence to do so and has another favourite game for on them: "Bubble" (thus the word!) I throw plastic balls up the stairs, trying to get them to land still. He throws them down, trying to throw them past me. He will throw lots down and I will throw lots up all at once and it gets to be a very busy game-when we get to the last bubble, the rules change-I try and throw the ball past him and he tries to throw it past me, and whoever gets it past the other wins-this is according to his nonverbal gestures!!! Incredible, right?? It is very challenging and actually very fun-he is so clever, I don't know how he comes up with these things, but it is really very cool!
He doesn't have an easy time with other kids-like me-we are on the wrong planet?
He loves riding on my back for nature hikes
Water play is the best...especially if it involves making a huge mess on the kitchen floor :P
Sometimes-he has such a hard time-because he cannot talk so much but a few words...but he can hum words, and when he tries hard enough, he can communicate what he needs. He is a very smart guy! He has even hummed that he loves me :)
...and he is still JABBERING in a Danish accent!! "A bee der boh, skee der skoh, I go, lee dll oohhh.." No Danish wrds, only jabber-per haps he will be good in acting some day ?
Sprinkles "magic blueberries" (invisible) on his favourite cars in the neighbourhood when we go for walks
Has a very tickly spot just beneath his precious toes, and how he loves to have them tickled!
Tucks me in with a special blanket every time he nurses
Dances with the pure joy that he feels from his heart
Wears his heart on his sleeve, the beautiful soul that he is
Osrid Olov, 2 3/4 Years Old.

I wish I could bottle you up and keep this time forever-please always be my wonderful you!

Holler Blocks

Where to begin...

The beginning of the year has been blustery and cold, and I like love it that way. I really don't want the weather to change. I'm dreading it! DREADING it! I love winter, so much. Summer, I could live without. It's just so STICKY!

...but anyway, it's not even spring yet, I should stop giving myself anxiety over silly stuff. (Which isn't going to happen as we know, but I try, in any case :)) we've been making a lot of cookies, my favourite little guy and I. Osrid Olov's tastebuds somehow seem to have gotten pickier, a bit of a setback, but he loves raw vegetable and seed breads which a mum can't really complain about. At least he makes good choices to be picky with, right? Right. He's like a little me, when I was a girl.

We've invented a new game, that I'll call "holler blocks". Which is exactly how it sounds, really: he has stacking blocks(sent to him from my very own wonderful godmother in fact!), and at some point he's discovered the echo of his voice -a very funny, amusing, exciting thing-as is the echo of mine-and so it became a game, and we have been letting out our excess emotion by hollering back and forth into these blocks, which muffles the sound, and in doing so sounds funny and makes Osrid Olov giggle. Hearing him giggle makes me giggle, and we both feel better, and he starts to stack them all in order...and then take them apart and holler blocks again.

Osrid Olov's great grandfather isn't doing too great, and we're very sad for him, and hoping that he is not in pain. It is so sad to know someone you care about is sick and in pain-sigh-no-one should ever have to lose anyone, I tell you. I just wish him peace.

We're mainly trying to pass the time right now, waiting for a decision on my residency (this is so nerve wracking!!) visa and for Paul's contract, and on a lighter note Osrid Olov's grandad (my Dada) is coming to visit us, for the first time, in March for my birthday! I am so excited, and antsy and nervous and really happy and it keeps bringing weird tears to my eyes because I miss him so much-it's been 4 really long years, REALLY long feeling years and he'll be meeting his grandson for the very first time. I hope they take to each other really well. I keep imagining our meeting in my head and it makes me so emotional. I want it to get here!! I know I am going to be so heartbroken when he leaves, and that makes me so sad, I'm insane thinking so much on this, but really I just wanna see him. :)

We had a really nice day today, too-OO and I walked to the library as we do from time to time to pick out new books to read together. We sat in there for hours, he was having such a fantastic time picking out books and having me read them and reading some to me. The best ones were the ones with cars, and sensory/touchy feely ones, of course, but I also found a really sweet story that I think I are gonna buy to keep at home too. We also had a bath (my tummy was a water drum!)-and so many cuddles and baked a loaf of bread and played a lot, you know, the usual kind of lovely things that I'm blessed with. I also got some great bits of mail... I am SO LUCKY to have this incredible boy in my life! Oh, the things he teaches me!

The End Of An Era...

2012 is drawing to a close-

Always a tragic time of year for me; a sort of "postchristmas depression" if you will! I know, there are other things to look forward to, but it is always a bit hard.

So many things have happened-a terribly tragic event on the 14th which, although had nothing to do with me,  was another of many echoes throughout time reminding me of the fragility of life-as if I needed a reminder! What a precious life this is. Between this and the commotion of people believing that the world would end at the turning of the Mayan calendar (what!) on the 21st-I've felt somehow that I needed to get back in touch with things that I had lost sight of. My patience hasn't been as great as it could have been, these days-and it's something I've decided to work on. Including jumping into puddles. All kinds of puddles. With my shoes and socks and favourite trousers on-because that's what my son loves-and even though it's so gross, these moments are so beautiful; his smile is so beautiful, and if I remember the way the mud feels squidging into my toes it will be worth it for the prevalent memory of my laughing son. Our connection has deepened even more than ever, I think; because I feel like I'm understanding things a little bit differently.

O, our autumn/winter has been so beautiful-crunchy leaves and frothy breath before us-December bringing into the most exciting festivities; of course! I've made it so Osrid Olov can get to the counter with me now-and help me bake and things-which is so sweet and special and fun for us both. He is so excited to do this and I am too. What a valuable skill, especially for a boy with food allergies! We've made such nice treats-like cookies and sweet mincemeat pie.

I've also done so much sewing-I made a star for our tree, ornaments, presents for O.O. and more...and acquiring more presents, making spice blends and listening to the sweet music. I just love love love the holiday season! Such a shame it has to end, phuu. I adore these winter days; and am so glad though that we have a couple of months left of truly COLD weather. I want to live where it is winter all of the time, and we can do Christmassy things all of the time!

O.O. has learned a ton of words lately-I knew his vocabulary would begin to develop-but of course, no-one else understands him but me; it would seem. His voice is so incredibly deep-poigniant, deep and beautiful. I have never heard a voice like it. I am just thrilled as could be to understand more and more of what he is telling me. It makes everything so much easier.

My dear son teaches me so much about life-nothing that we feel is too small, or silly or stupid; it is all important-and no matter what anyone says, the things we do together confirm what I've been fighting for all along: love is the only rational act.