Dear Noah 38 months

Dear Noah Noah,
You have had a verbal explosion. I can't believe how much you're saying and the stories you're telling me! Kate is a little sad about all that she'll miss when Emmie goes to preschool this year and that she'll hear the stories from her but she won't actually be experiencing life with Emmie during the hours she's at preschool. I wasn't too worried about this... I was a little sad that I wouldn't even hear how your days go at preschool because you didn't tend to tell me stories of your experiences... until this month. You tell me everything!
"Look, the sky is blue"- Noah
"The sky is blue"- Mommy
"You're right!"- Noah
You have started mimicking our speech more and more this month too. I think it started when you and Uncle Shawn went back and forth repeating a line from a movie that Uncle Shawn knows. When you realized how fun copying was... well, sometimes it's all you want to do and it's very funny hearing your articulation of what we've just said.

Your manners have multiplied along with your verbal diarrhea. I hear a lot of "sankyou"'s which is pretty adorable. We also often hear you as you lay in your bed falling asleep calling to us:
"Excuse me!.... I need some snuggles.... Do you hear me?.... I'm right here!.... Daaaaad!!!"
You also often insist that you "need" something that you definitely want... you don't need. I have thought that it's so refreshing not to have a kid saying "I want" all the time but I'm not sure if that's any different from "I need".
We had a very busy month with two trips to Vermont! You were very very sad to have to leave Grammy's house. During our second trip you would often refuse to get in the car when we went somewhere (the park, a friend's house....) until I reassured you that we were going to Grammy's again- we weren't going home. How you love being at Grammy's!

We had my Grampa's memorial service in Plattsburgh that we combined with our first trip up to Vermont. You and your sister were the star of the show as the youngest attendees. It was enjoyable to get together with family and friends and remember Grampa. You had fun running around the cemetary- who knew cemetaries could be so fun?

We left Daddy home for most of our second trip to Vermont. We had fun hanging out and it even got warm enough for you to want to get in the pool. I was skeptical of the water temperature but was forced to jump in fully clothed when you fell out of your floaty boat. The weather was pretty refreshing after all. After a couple coughs and a snuggle/crying session with Mommy you fell asleep for the night. The next day you were back in the pool, no harm done, thankfully.

You keep crawling into my lap and out while I write this. I keep telling you to just wait a minute.... I'm tying your letter. You're saying: "Yeah, you're writing N-O-A-H".
Anyway, I know there's more things to say about the fun we've had this month (you're very excited about the prospect of school when the leaves change colors, for instance; that you're refusing to take a bath because you hate hate having your hair washed; that you love love wearing your red crocs still; that you give your sister anything she yells for- even when you were playing with it- but you avoid her hugs and kisses at all costs; that you hate being tickled and will burst into tears if anyone other than Mommy or Daddy tickle you- if Mommy or Daddy tickle you you turn onto your stomach and insist on "only back scratches"- in fact, you hate tickling so much that you often insist that "she doesn't like that! Stop!" when we tickle Del, despite her giggles and signing "more"....) but your sister is done munching on watermelon and you're wanting me to write a letter to Aidan and Isaac- two playgroup friends....
Love you baby boy,
Mommy