Month 26

Dear Corbin,

You are 26 months old now. You are not necessarily learning more skills, as much as you are expressing them in bigger and louder ways. More and more you play games that take your whole body being active. You love to run. We were coming home from Grandma and Bapa's the other day, and you ran the whole way, saying, "Run run run." You love it when we chase you, and when you chase us. You made up a game that you call Pin Ball: you take a long-handled plastic cooking spoon in either hand, and then hit one of your round plastic foods (usually the apple, but sometimes the lemon) around the house. It works best in the kitchen where it can't go under anything. And you'll play this for a long time, until you make yourself all sweaty. I got you a plastic oversized golf club and ball from the grocery store, so you could play Pin Ball outside, but it doesn't work nearly as well.

It's funny to me that you're such a stereotypical boy some times. You turn anything into a ball, or into a vehicle. You love games that involve hitting things. When you get frustrated, you are quick to throw or kick things. But my favorite example so far is when we sat around the other day playing with your train engines in your doll house, especially when Thomas used the potty.

My Aunt Irene and cousin David Soong were here to visit all last week. It was nice to see them. They were in CA with us for your uncle Alex's wedding but this time we really got to talk and visit. They were able to come down to the museum, which was really fun. You climbed all over the kiddie ride and the replica coach, and crawled under the big horses. You also got to visit their hotel and swim in the pool. It was funny to see them here in MN, since I had just been in NJ the week before for work, and I would have seen Aunt Irene then if they hadn't already been traveling. I traveled twice this month, and it looks like I'll be traveling more in the next couple of months. You don't seem to mind my absences very much, which is good, since I'll be doing more of it. We're already planning some trips as a family, too. Mainly up to the Cottage this summer, but we also found out that Alex and Lena are planning on coming to Madison for Christmas this year, which will be really great.

The weather is finally starting to act like spring. We broke out your set of yard tools and got the yard raked. We made it out to the dog park, where the dogs proceded to get covered in mud. We even managed to grill out for dinner last night with Chris and Mony. We made moose steaks, which were good, but a little tough. You mostly ate chips and fruit and then made everyone take turns chasing you around the yard and wrestling with you. You tried to convince me that my beer was juice, so that you could have a drink, but you can't fool me, kid. I'm wise to your ways.

Otherwise, it was a fairly quiet month. Although, with how much you talk now, I suppose I can't really call it quiet. We noticed a few weeks ago that when we were driving down the alley, you would say, "Bye, house! Bye, house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, dirty house!" I thought it was cute that you were saying goodbye to our house, although I could have done without the editorializing on how clean it was. But then one morning you said, "Bye, house! Bye, house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, green house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, dirty house! Bye, dirty house!" and we realized that you were saying goodbye to all of the garages we passed in the alley, most of which are white and in need of a paint job but one of which is green. Which made me feel better about both my housekeeping and your powers of observation.

Love,
Mom

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