Dear Theo

I just need you to know how much I love you. I am not so good at showing it most of the time, because often I am busy, too busy to read books, too busy to play hockey, too busy to let you do dishes with me, too busy to bake with you or do crafts. But I am learning, that I should be too busy because I am doing these things with you.
You have changed so much in the last six months, really become such a boy. I don't even really think of you as a toddler anymore. You say things like "I am laying on the couch because it is comfortable." You can have a conversation with me like an adult, tell me all about when some knocks at the door when I am in the shower (you even tell them to come in, YIKES! Good thing we live in an apartment with people who know better then to listen to a 2 1/2 year old lol) Here are some of the things I love most about you right now....

- Your imagination! Boy can you entertain yourself for such looong periods of time making up stories with the few tractors and trucks that you have. I love listening to the 'conversations' that your lego men carry on too.

- The way you walk around the house and randomly spout off verses that you have learned, like 'Seek the Lord while he may be found" and "The heavens declare the glory of God" (which you say in a very sing song voice) and of course random pieces of Ps. 23 that come out here and there. It encourages me to keep teaching you more.

-The way you call the kitchen floor your ice, and haul your hockey stick and rubber wheels off one of you trucks that you have made 'pucks' and you run around in circles and slide to the ground and say touchdown. Your daddy will have to explain some of these sports terms to you eventually.

-I love how much you love your friends. Don't get me wrong, you are still a little wretch sometimes and push them and steal their toys from them, but you get SOOOO excited when you see them, you can hardly contain yourself. And sometimes you are just so excited to see them you don't even notice when they are annoyed with you, or are upset, you just think its a game and laugh.

-It melts my heart when you say t'amo (italian for I love you) to me at night when you go to bed.

-It cracks me up when you go to do something and then say "This is not a good idea."

-I love when you come up to me and ask me to check your armpits because that's what you dad says when he is going to tickle them.

-When your daddy goes to leave for work or anything really, and you say Papa, give me a kiss. :)

-I love the way you love Soren, how you can't stop giving him kisses sometimes, or you try and make him laugh, or come tell me that Soren is a good boy, or how you sing to him when he is sad. God knew you would be the perfect big brother for Soren.

Some days are challenging, actually a lot of days are challenging lately. You are a sinner in your heart and your desire is not always to obey. But I want you to love Jesus so much, and I want it to be easy for you to follow and obey Him, so we butt heads, and there are tears, from both you and me, and we are learning together how to be mother and son, and you the first born will probably get the brunt of a lot of things. But your spirit is strong, you have so much joy and laughter and forgiveness, and I am SO thankful for the way that God made you and we love you very much! It does my heart good to write these things too you, to remember the good things, to remember to praise you for you are indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made"!