Our 2-Year Old

Michael is something else.  He is blossoming beyond belief - he is a jabberbox, repeats everything we say, and is close to talking in full sentences.  He can say the words "medicine" "ridiculous" "conference" and "consequences" - words I thought only older kids would say.  He is full of more energy than we can deal with especially at night time.  He has to touch everything - I mean everything - even when we tell him not too.  He also destroys and dismantles everything - I mean everything - books, toys, my closets, etc.  He is the most curious and inquisitive person I've ever known.  He is constantly on the move - fidgeting, jumping, running, yelling, clapping his hands, and talking.  And yet, he is the cutest and most adorable little boy anyone could have and we love him to pieces!!!!

Here are his 2-year old pictures (photo credit - me)

He loves to pick and play with pumpkins (he says "punkins")...

and loves to look at books...

He loves to be chased and run and run and run....

and he loves car rides (especially to Grandma and Grandpa's).  He can say "Grandma" but not Grandpa.  Grandpa is "Gon-ka")

He likes to wear his cool sunglasses...

and watch caterpillars crawl across the concrete.

And now he has started to help me cook (mixing pancake batter)

Last weekend we made a trip to LaCrosse, WI where Russell attended a Catholic bioethics conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I took Michael to a children's museum while Russell was at the conference.  His two favorite parts of the museum were the play "grocery store" and play "kitchen".  I was perplexed as to why he spent so much time in these areas when the museum was filled with so many other things to do, and then it dawned on me.  I always take him grocery shopping and he always sees me cooking so this is what he identified with most at the museum.  We stayed in a hotel along the Mississippi River and we ran back and forth on the boardwalk over and over and over, as he laughed and giggled because I was chasing him. 

He is so amazingly smart!  He gets screwdrivers out of drawers and acts like he is taking apart his toys where the screws are.  He is really a pretty good eater for a 2-year old as far as variety.  Some of his favorites include canteloupe, strawberries, any kind of sausage, waffles and syrup, chicken nuggets, pasta, pumpkin pie, cooked carrots, bananas, and most meats (especially if it's on a bone).  He loves to go to the park and especially be pushed high in the swing.  And he continues to love 4-wheeler rides with his Dad.

So that's our boy in a nutshell at age 2!