We've been absent for 2 months during which we moved (again), celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas, saw our 5 cousins, took a trip, and are settling down for a bit. We're now living in a house we love and hope to stay in for many many years - a wonderful thing after such a long process to get here. God is good! Cole and Tyson are growing up and I (Christina) have absolutely LOVED being able to be home with them full-time. I feel like I'm living my dream and what a blessing to be able to do that.
Memorable Things About These Days:
1. Cole found the A-Z National Geographic Mammal books that I had growing up - they are his new obsession. He has spent HOURS and HOURS paging through them and broadening his animal repertoire. His favorites are llamas, mongooses, anteaters, and bobcats. 90% of the time when asked to go pick out a book to read, he goes and finds one of those two "animal books".
2. Cole doesn't like laying down to get his diaper changed and always runs around giggling wildly wanting to be chased. I've told him that Mommy needs him to obey and he needs to lay down, so now when I tell him to come lay down for his diaper-changing he starts chattering very fast and seriously with the only coherent word being "obey" which is repeated every few words while he stays OUT of arm-reach. He knows that diaper-changing and "obeying" are linked, we're still working on exactly what that connection means.
3. Cole is a very good eater and usually clears his plate. His favorite foods are "Paaastaaaa" which he says drawn out in his gangster voice, "Peetsda" (pizza), "Waythin" (raisin), "Notes" (milk - not sure how this pronunciation got so skewed), "muffin" (this is the only word he can say the "f" sound in), "Appa" (meaning applesauce), and "baDA-baDA-baDA" (banana - this one makes me smile every time I hear him say it).
4. Cole is very interested in potties and poo (in typical male fashion) so we got him a little kid potty. He sat on it for fun and had a grand time the first night it was in the house, but since then if you ask him if he wants to sit on the fun potty he yells "No!" and runs away. Thankfully we're not actively trying to potty-train yet and hoping this will wear off :)
5. Cole is very particular about certain things. He will get in a panic if you try to put the "wrong" shoes or jacket on him prior to convincing him that it's the best option. He prefers to wear his "mud" tennis shoes and 25 cent garage sale "mud" jacket, a predicament for places like church. He's also particular about things that are Tyson's not being swapped for things that are his. One of Tyson's toys had been left in Cole's room when he went to bed, and he cried until we came and removed it. I used an "unclaimed" blanket to throw over Cole in the middle of the night last night and went in to get him this morning when I heard him crying and there he sits, holding the offending blanket away from him like it was poisoned. He was disgusted that I had put a blanket in his bed that was not "his". He knows that Tyson's burp cloths have ribbon on them and CANNOT use one of them as the burp cloth that he sleeps with.
6. I got Cole a play lawn mower at a yard sale and his favorite thing to do outside is pretend to mow. He's terrified of the real mower, but he loves to chatter about Daddy mowing and "Tole" mowing (he can't say the C sound).
7. At night when it's time to go to bed Cole loves to go through the list of all the important people and animals in his life and remind himself that all of them are going night-night. It sounds something like "Ty-Ty nigh-nigh, Bo and Max nigh-nigh(Mimi and Grandpa's dogs), Mommy nigh-nigh, "Tole" nigh-nigh (he throws himself in there about every 3rd person) Daddy nigh-nigh, "Stout" (Scout) and "Wayah" (Waylon) (more dogs) nigh-nigh, "Duts" (ducks) nigh-nigh (at the pond by our house), and then anyone he's seen that day like Grandpa or Freeman gets thrown in for that night.
8. He takes his blanket, burpie, and cup of water to bed with him and then we pray with him and sing him a song or two. His 2 favorites are "Deezah" (Jesus) which is short for "Jesus Loves Me", and "Yite" for "This Little Light of Mine."
9. His obsession with trains continues and he knows when we pass over the tracks driving on I-55 and I always hear "Choo-Choo 'Tacks'!!!" He often goes in his room where his little train set is and lines up all the train pieces, cars, trucks, and anything else that's small with wheels onto the tracks. Yesterday he wanted me to come and look at the 15 items he had lined up on his tracks. He LOVES trains.
10. Cole loves his brother more than I could've hoped for. He brings me toys for Tyson even when he doesn't need one, he voluntarily gets down on the floor and talks to him and plays with him, he loves to lay on him and put his face right next to Tyson's and Tyson just laughs which makes Cole so happy. There's something about this picture below that is so sweet to me. Cole, my little working man with his bare chest and gut hanging over his slouching jeans, is giving Tyson a hug after showing Tyson a toy and then working hard to get Tyson to hold his hand. What a sweet blessing for my boys to love each other so much.
Last night I had dinner ready so I called, "Come on Cole, hop in your chair, it's time to eat." "Noooo, Momma, I READ!" he pleads back. I laugh and say, "You can read later, it's time to eat, come on!" "Mommaaaaa, I READ!" he calls back. He finally grudgingly came to dinner but was sad to leave his books. 
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