Snippets.

Almost two.  How can it be?  It seems like a million images instantly flash through my mind when I think on the past two years of being Buster's mom.  A few things that I don't want to forget from the past few months:

• Buster loved going to our community outdoor pool just about every week this summer.  Even though the pool is now closed for the season, if you ask Buster where he is going or where he would like to go, he will just about always say "pool".

• Buster has developed a deep "tough guy" voice that he uses when he is being particularly silly.

• He is possibly even more attached to Beloved Roy than before.  Now, if he gets hurt, its a toss up if he'll want a kiss from Momma or a kiss from Roy.  When he decides Roy will handle the situation best, he gets him and pretends that Roy is kissing whatever the injury of the moment is.

• One of his favorite activities is fishing with Dad.  He imitates a pretty good 10-2 fly rod casting motion.  He's most interested in the reel, though.

• Buster still loves trucks, tractors, buses, etc.  He now wants to ride them all.  Yesterday, as we were walking home from the Post Office, he spotted a tractor and said "Momma, I ride big big tractor".

• He sings songs that he makes up.  Usually, if you ask him what he is singing about, he'll say "cats".

• If it were his choice, he probably would only sit down to eat, and even then he would prefer to be moving or, at least, standing.  He is all about running, climbing, "tunneling", jumping, spinning, rolling, tackling, wrestling....moving.

• He laughs at and imitates noises that his (or anyone else's) body makes.  He's a boy.  You can probably guess to what I'm referring.

• Buster has a best friend, Mattias.  They either hug or give each other "high fives" at the end of their playdates.

• He has another friend, Tommy.  Buster thinks his name is "Tummy" and shows us his belly when he is referring to Tommy.

• He has a grin that lights up his whole face.  But, sometimes, when he is the most contentedly, genuinely happy, he simply smiles with his eyes.

And, of all the things that I don't want to forget about this time in Buster's life, the most humbling, sobering, challenging, and wonderful thing is that we've been entrusted with him.  Amazing. 

Spiderman Kisses.

Somewhere between one and a half and two.  Not really a baby.  Not fully described by the word "toddler".  All boy.  Part comedian.  Part explorer.  Part stunt-man.  Very silly.  All intertwined with a sweetness that sometimes catches me by surprise.

Buster is fairly selective with his expressions of love through physical touch.  He gives sweet hugs and kisses to his daddy and me and he's been known to do the same to grandparents upon request.  He also voluntarily hugs his best little buddy, Mattias.  They like to hug at the beginning and end of each playdate.  Outside of this circle, Buster usually sticks to "high fives".

Recently, we were making our daily expedition to our neighborhood playground.  As we got closer, Buster let out a slightly surprised "oh".  In the sand, with his torso partly buried, was a Spiderman figurine.  His head was missing.  As I watched, Buster trotted over to him and picked him up.  Noticing, I think, that Spidey did not have a head, Buster gently gave him a kiss.

That little gesture embodies a whole lot of what I hope I never forget about this sweet boy at this age.

Snow.

It snowed.  We explored.  Buster walked ahead of me for a long time.  Then, he got tired.  And turned around to find me.  And lifted his arms up so that he could be carried for a while.  Little big-guy.  My arms regretted it, but my heart loved it.  

Time.

I've been slow to post.  I'll chalk it up to toddler induced attention deficit issues.  Buster has an attention span of about one minute.  Maybe a few more if I'm letting him watch vintage Sesame Street on DVD.  (Nope, we're not anti-television around here.  We're just very limited and highly selective television when it comes to Buster.  And, I feel pretty good about vintage Sesame Street.)  But, I digress.  It think I was writing about my attention deficit issues?

So I have a couple posts rolling around in my mind.  One about some "nesting" that Buster likes to do, especially in the evening right before bed.  And one about the ever growing rock pile that is the result of Buster's new rock collecting hobby.  Every venture outdoors results in at least two rocks being added to the pile.  (And, he's learning life lessons about the differences between rocks and doggie poo - sometimes things that look the same on the outside are entirely different on the inside.)

But, I'm going to save those posts for another time.  Its just about the end of Buster's morning nap, and I'm banking on about five more minutes.  Tops.

So, instead, I'm just going to write that, somehow, over the course of the past sixteen months, Buster has become a little person that I love spending time with.  I've always loved him.  No doubt.  And, its been hard for me to be away from him, like on the day that I am at work.  But, I've just realized recently that when I'm out and about without him, I miss him.  I see things that I wish he could see because he would be so excited:  school buses, trash trucks, crows, dogs, and smoke coming from just about anything.  And, he's funny.  He can be so silly.  On purpose.  And it makes me laugh.  Hard.

Life with a toddler certainly has its challenges and ever increasing responsibilities.  My daily prayer is that by God's grace and by the power of His Spirit we would raise Buster well.

At this moment, however, I am just reveling in the fact that I love spending time with my little boy.

Trucks.

Recently, I received a personal invitation to a "Home-made Monster Truck Race".  The invite came from a little neighbor who was wearing a hoodie about three or four sizes too big for his little frame.  He is probably about six years old. The race was set to take place in our neighborhood playground.  Our neighbor promised that it would "be at night, when it is dark, with flashlights".  He advised that I should consider wearing a coat and that I should be sure to have Buster wear a coat as well.  He also added that I could bring my husband along if I wanted.

Buster and I attended part of the race a few evening ago (with coats on, as recommended).  We watched as this little boy enthusiastically pushed Tonka trucks and mini-Monster trucks through the dirt and over jumps.  And, true to our friend's word, there were indeed flashlights.  He was pretty excited to have real life spectators.

Tonight, our doorbell rang and he was standing on our doorstep with his dad.  In his hand was my debit card.  I've developed a bad habit of just carrying a debit card in my pocket rather than carrying a purse - It just seems to me that an active toddler and a purse slung over my shoulder don't really compliment one another.  I had been missing and searching for this debit card for a couple days. He said that he found it laying in the parking lot and wanted to make sure that it got back to me.

I'll gladly attend more "Home-Made Monster Truck Races" if it means that I've earned some friendship from a little neighbor who'll bring back my debit card if he finds it in the parking lot.  Its just nice to know that I've got a friend watching my back in our 'hood.