Terrific Twos

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of keeping my nephew, Eli.  He was good as gold but I forgot how exhausting caring for a toddler can be!  Maybe that's why it has taken me a week to recap our adventures.

We weren't sure how he would do, never having spent the night with us, but he was eager to travel with Aunt Heather.  Living in the city, I don't think he's used to long distance because if he said "we go Heather's" once during our drive, he said it a hundred times.  

Since I know a two year old can really only wait patiently about two minutes, we passed the time by talking about the view out our windows.  I mentioned the barns, horses, fields and cows we saw along the way.  Somehow that translated into me actually having cows in my backyard.  Once we got settled at home, he kept going to the back door and looking for them.

Although it was a little chilly and we were running short on daylight, I decided to surprise him and run up to our family farm to visit the longhorns.  The cows weren't visible when we pulled in but a quick shake of the gate had them rounding the hill in no time.  Excitement turned quickly to fear as they drew closer and Eli took off back for the safety of the car!  It took a bit of coaxing but he was soon a master farmhand and loved feeding the cows.  

In fact, the rest of his stay that's about all he talked about.  He still believed they were in my backyard and would look out the door asking for them.  "Feed cows?" he would sweetly say.

After a day of reading, playing, naps and cows, Aunt Heather decided dinner would be easier if someone else cooked!  Noah happened to be working that night and, knowing Eli loved him and pizza, that became our dinner plans.  He couldn't have been better, passing the picking on uncle Tim and watching Noah cook.  We shared so many laughs at his funny, inquisitive personality and spunk.    And we couldn't have asked for a more well-behaved toddler out and about.

Noah snuck him off a piece of dough and he pretended to "cook" with his buddy.  He was so focused, rolling and patting, adding sauce with his fork and even a pepperoni on top.  I love watching their little brains think and work.

Or imagine, create and build.

And decorate the doggie...

Who says these are the terrible twos?  I'd say they're pretty terrific!

  

Letting Go

When's the last time you had a pillow fight?  Doesn't the thought of it just take you back to your childhood?  To a slumber party with friends?  To attacking and torturing your little sister?  There's just something freeing about a pillow fight and how it both excites and relaxes you at the same time.

Last night, Noah tossed a couch pillow at me in response to me picking on him.  I tossed it back.  He grinned and flew it back to me.  I returned it with a flick of my wrist, lopping him on the head.  His grin grew bigger and a light bulb went off above his head.  He flailed it across the living room back at me.  The fight was on.  I returned it faster and harder than before.  He attacked me back with a rapid action reload, as he grabbed every throw pillow in the surrounding area.  Having a couch full of ammo, I fought back and we continued this this for several minutes, until we were both out of breath and full of laughter.

It was great fun for him, as he didn't expect his mom to get into a full on pillow fight.  For me, it was an exciting way to let go, release the stresses of the work week, and wind down for a weekend with family.  And it was certainly the most fun I've had at a mini workout in a long time!