Dear Danilo,

You are three and a half! The last six months seem like a life-time and you, my sweet boy, seem like an entirely different kiddo.  Your vocabulary and articulation have EXPLODED as well as your social development.  You started preschool and all of a sudden we are in a whole new world of singing, counting, memorizing scripture, recounting stories, recognizing your written name, learning letters and physical education.  It's definitely too much to try to write all in one letter.  (Not that that won't keep this Mama from trying!)

In September, while playing trains you said, ”Oh no! The train! It crashed! Let's try again.”

In the car, you said:  ”God made me. God made Mama. God made Papa.” (9/24)

One afternoon you asked me:
”Papa's working?”
”yeah.”
”At the office?”
”no.”
”At the house peoples?”
”yes, at the people's house.”
”oooh, that's nice!”  (9/25/12)

Holding up a handful of dirt carefully cupped in you hand you said, ”Mama look! It's a frog!”
”Wow! That's cool! What's its name?”
”Catherine.”
”um, ok.”
My next thought was, WHO is Catherine!?  (9/26/12)
Later I discovered Catherine is a girl in your preschool class.

In October, you got into the car and buckled up by yourself, although you rarely do that by yourself even now, mostly because it takes you so long to do it and I don't want to wait.  You also managed to put one glove on without help and at Christmas, you graduated to regular-sized Legos (from duplos).

For a while, when asked how old you are, without blinking an eyelash, you said, "Ten." Then, after laughter had died down, when I asked how old you really are, you'd say, "three."

In November, when we were having lots of microwave s'mores at home, your name for a marshmallow became, "sparlellow."  I'm going to be sad when you learn to say it correctly.

Also in November, we introduced you to the original Superman movie, which you called, ”super Batman.” You were immediately and completely enthralled with Superman and flying.  I think you wore a borrowed Superman costume for approximately the next ten days straight.

You weigh around 30 pounds.

You recently asked me to change the radio station, and wanted me to put it back on Prince's "Meet me in the ladies room."  You like dance music and you love to groove and sing in your carseat, although you are timid about it.

Last week we got together with friends and you were eating a sugar cookie that our friends had brought to share.  After you ate half of the cookie, I ate the other half and you lost it in a mess of tears.  I turned to my friend, and said, "May I have another cookie?  Danny's falling apart because I ate the rest of his."  After replacing your cookie and encouraging you to settle down, you said to me, ”Mama, you ate my cookie. And Danny's falling apart for that.”

Your favorite way of buying more time is to ask me, "Mama, you set the timer?"  Usually my answer is yes and usually when the timer goes off, you are fairly faithful to stop playing and follow my directions, even if I do have to say it three or four half a bajillion times.

We've been staying at Grammy's and Grandpa Shaun's house for almost two months and you are taking it like a champ.  You ask me when we're going back to "Danny's house in Cowado" often and when we can go to the "big Jazzercise," (also in Colorado).

You are fantastically affectionate.  You give the greatest hugs and kisses and tonight you would not let go of the hold you had around my neck until I gave you a "really good hug, Mom."

You call me "Mom" more often than you call me "Mama."  And tonight you told Papa, "I love Papa because I wanna go to work with Papa and do work with Papa."

When you bumped your head into my pregnant tummy this week, you said, "Hey! The Baby kicked me!"  You have definitely come to understand and embrace silly slapstick humor.

You've started to want to pray by yourself and tonight you thanked Jesus for about 25 things before saying, "Aaaaaamen!"  You don't really understand asking Jesus for things yet, but you do understand singing and dancing for Jesus at church.

Your one-liner of the month was definitely the following:  Aunt Lisa and Uncle Ray (who you adore to bits and pieces and ask about ALL. THE. TIME. were over hanging out and Lisa got up announcing she needed the bathroom.  You were playing Legos on the floor.  As she walked down the hallway, you called after her, without even looking up and in total seriousness, "Don't fall in the toilet!"

You are a total crack-up, and the cutest kid I know. You are smart, well behaved, well-liked by all, and you don't miss a thing.  I LOVE doing life with you, sweet pea.

Love,
Mama

P.S.F.G. (Post Script From Grammy)  For sure, like your Mama said, you don't miss a thing. You are observant, expressive, and fun, with a great sense of humor.

Most often spoken sentences that I have heard this month:
"I could help!"
"Ya wanta build a tent?"