Mama just got back from San Antonio, TX. I was there for a work conference - what a long four days without my little mister!  I called and face timed you multiple times a day but it just wasn't the same - I missed you so much. Daddy told me that you were having a hard time when I was gone - you would cry a whole lot and just really clingy to him - I think it was because you were afraid he would leave too. It broke my heart - one night, I guess daddy bought you a pizza to try and lift your little spirits. You sighed and told him, "I'm just not hungry daddy."  Daddy kept asking why you were so quiet, why you were so sad, why you wouldn't eat - finally after enough prying from Daddy, you said "I just miss my mama."  Just about ripped my heart right out of my chest when I heard that!  I couldn't get home fast enough!!! I was dropped off about 20 minutes before daddy and you came home from daycare - I was hiding and when you walked in, I stepped out. I have never seen your eyes light up quite like that - you really made Mama feel special. You ran as fast as you could and jumped in my arms. Over the course of the night, you wouldn't leave my lap and would just randomly lean up and give me hugs and kisses. I got so many "I love you mana's" and "I missed you so much!"  My favorite job in the world is being your mama - there's really nothing like it. When it was time for bed, you told daddy "you can sleep downstairs tonight." I just cracked up. Daddy said he loved the boy time while it lasted but knew it would end as soon as I returned. That's right Daddy, Lathan is a mama's boy and I am certainly a Lathan's girl! ;) 

Mama stayed home the next day from work and just worked from home. I needed some special Lathan time. We had your parent teacher conferences with Mrs Dreher for preschool - she had nothing but AMAZING things to say about you. She said her and her assistant are very impressed and pleased with your capabilities - you are one of the only ones that can recognize and spell your name. (Mama made up a song as to how to spell it for you - it really worked! L-A-T-H-A-N. That's how you spell Lathan!  That's me!!" She told us that you really are such a sweetheart- you play really nice and share with everyone. (That actually kind of surprised me because you really struggle with sharing with the girls...) She also said that she can tell you really love to learn - you always follow directions and are right there ready for 

"circle time" and "group time" waiting to see what the next thing you will be doing is. She also told us that you are very helpful - in fact, you are a leader when it comes to cleaning up after yourself and picking up all the toys that are out.  (Sometimes you will help clean at home but most of the time you find excuses not to.) So in summary, you're still a little sweetheart genius - DUH. 

We went to visit Grandma Bye and Aunt Theresa the other day after I picked you up from preschool.  They asked where Daddy was and you said "At work."  Theresa asked why he had to go to work - why did he have to pay all of those bills?  You very quickly responded "He has to pay for all of his speeding tickets!"  We all about died laughing - I immediately texted your Daddy and told him that was why you said he had to go to work - let's keep in mind that he has gotten ONE speeding ticket! Haha!  It is not like he has gotten multiple tickets or is this crazy speed racer! :) Hilarious!

Poppy was over Monday night and was telling us a story - you interrupted him and said "I was not done with my story yet."  (You were not telling a story at all, you hadnt been talking one bit.)  I said "No poppy, is talking.  You were not telling a story Lathan."  You looked at Poppy and said "Poppy, say 'Go ahead Lathan.' " Poppy cracked up and said "Ok, go ahead lathan."  You very quickly looked around to try and come up with this so-called story you needed to say.... your story was "My toe-nails are growing, I am going to eat chicken and drink water.  Go ahead Poppy."  Oh good grief child, you are hilarious. 

You are really enjoying both daycare and pre-school - you will randomly start singing songs and saying expressions that I know you learned at school.  You do not really talk a lot about Children's Day Out though - little bits and pieces of information come out at various points throughout the day.  Nancy drops you off and Mama picks you up every Tuesday and Daddy and Poppy take turns picking you up on Thursday's.  On Tuesday's, Mama takes the rest of the afternoon off and we hang out at home - on Thursday's, Daddy and Poppy have to take you back to Nancy's to finish the day there so they can get back to work.  When I pick you up, your teacher always has fantastic stuff to say about you - "He is such a sweetheart."  "He really behaves great."  "He does perfect!"  That makes me so proud of you; sometimes you can be a little stinker, so I was a little worried.  Ha! ;)  On the drive home, I always ask you what you have for snack, what songs you sang, who you played with, what books you read...you typically only answer the snack question and then answer the rest with a "I don't know."   It really is the same for daycare too - I ask what you ate for lunch, "I don't know. Nothing."  Who did you play with today?  "No one."  You are just stubborn!  :)  Like I said though, then there will be moments when you will start singing an adorable song, or you will tell me about the dinosaur picture you painted, the yummy graham crackers with frosting that you ate...it lets Mama know that you are enjoying yourself.

This past weekend, most of the family went to Wichita to visit Uncle Dave and Aunt Sheena.  Daddy could not be there because he was playing in a softball tournament, Kendalyn could not be there because she had a friend's birthday sleepover to go to, and Uncle Ezra had to work.   We got there about lunch time so we started our fun day eating a lot of pizza at CiCi's - YOUR FAVORITE!!!!!  You ate three pieces of pizza and a cinnamon roll - little piggy.  Aunt Sheena had a surprise planned - we were going to Tynaknaga Wildlife Park - Talk about AMAZING!!!!!!  It is an interactive zoo about fifteen minutes outside of Wichita.  I bought you a wrist band which allowed you some of their "premium experiences."  You fed a giraffe; talk about neat.  Mama held you up so you could pet her neck and the giraffe licked your head; you laughed and laughed.  We then fed lemurs - the monkey grabbed your hand and pulled it closer to take the food out of it; we fed lorikeets - one landed on Kassidy! You were all set to go on a camel ride with Aunt Sheena, but in typical Lathan-fashion.....you panicked at the last minute and cried!  So Mama and you just watched Kassidy and Sheena go for a ride on Charlie the Camel!  You got to pet kangaroos - and we even saw two mama kangaroo's with their babies in their pouches!  All of you kids really loved feeding the bunnies and the gigantic tortoise's; the tortoises got a little aggressive though - they kind of worried Mama, so I had you stand outside by me.  They were climbing on top of each other and using their fins to hit one another...seriously!  Kind of nuts! :) You fed and pet llama's and also went on a little train ride pulled by a llama.  It was genuinely a perfect day!  Daddy was very sad he missed it though - but we sent him lots of pictures (to make him even more jealous!) :)

You are in a really clingy Mama-Boy phase right now - Mama does not really mind AT ALL!  Every night you want me to put you to sleep and cry and cry if Daddy wants to lay down with you, I am the only one that can brush your teeth, get you dressed, take you potty, etc.  "No, Mama do!" or "Mama's turn!"  You always tell Daddy that you want to "take turns" with who puts you to bed...but somehow it is always "Mama's turn." Breaks Daddy's heart....but makes Mama's heart smile! Hehe.

When you grow up you want to be a race car driver.

Your favorite colors are blue, orange, and green. 

You are going to marry mama someday in our church (when asked where daddy would be...you told him he could go to Wichita.) 

Your favorite food is pizza!

Your favorite tv show is Dino Dan!  (T-Rex is your favorite dinosaur.) 

Your favorite song is the Planes themesong. 

You say your best friends are mama and daddy. 

Your favorite toys are cars - especially remote controlled cars. 

"I love this fruit cockatoo!" (Fruit cocktail) 

While holding your finger under your nose "I have a mustache question." (I mustache you a question...)

You wanted to wear a certain pair of Lightning McQueen underwear to bed. I found one but apparently they weren't the right ones:

"Mama, those are really really great and I love those a lot...but I don't want to wear them tonight."

"I have a lot of trigger bites!" (Chigger bites)

"Someday I'll be big like daddy - and then I'll be bigger than you Mama. That means I will be your big brother and I will protect you."

"Kambree sure is beautiful...especially that day in the church!"  (David and Sheena's wedding.)

You are obsessed with dinosaurs right now...when telling Mama about a Dromaeosaurus, I tried to repeat it and could not pronunciate it.  "Mama....say DROMAE (Pronounced like Dromey) now say ASAURUS."   I could not help but crack up inside at my little three year old teaching me pronunciation of dinosaur names. 

You run really fast because you have rockets on your feet.

Nancy has a stuffed giraffe at daycare with a long tail - you told Nancy that she had to cut that off because you could not teach Bristol (a 5 month old little girl at daycare) that giraffes have tails when they really do not.  Nancy told you that giraffe's do have tails and to look for them at the zoo.  When we walked up to the giraffe's at the zoo you said "Ugh, I messed up!!!!"   :)

You went to a workout class with Mama the other night - you sat and watched for about 25 minutes. The other 45 you were participating beside me - you sat on my workout bench and attempted tricep dips with me - you very loudly told everyone that "you were my BEST FRIEND!"  :)  Yes, little man.  You certainly are my best friend. 

Dromaeosaurus

 

Today was your FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!!!!!!  So proud of my big boy!  Tuesday was your sneak peek - that was when daddy and I went with you to your school for an hour. We met your teacher, had a snack, played with your friends, and went outside and played on the playground equipment. You wore your Lightning McQueen backpack and couldn't have looked any sweeter. Your teachers name is Mrs Drehere and her assistant is Mrs. Stewart. Afterwards, mama and daddy took the rest of the day off and we went out to lunch with you and then bought all of the school supplies that you needed. We spent the rest of the day cuddling and playing. 

Today was your first day without moon and daddy there. We were pretty anxious about dropping you off - I didn't know if you would cry...and honestly, I didn't know if I would cry too!  However, you and I were both very brave and no tears were shed. We dropped you off at nine - we walked you in and gave you the biggest hugs. You then said you were ready to play with your friends and teachers... So off you went. There's "observation windows" where we can watch you play and you can't see us ... So we stood there and watched you play at the sensory table for a while.  I am just so proud of you and the big boy that you are. Although it is every parents goal to raise successful and well-adjusted independent children, the fact that you are so grown up does break my heart a bit. 

Daddy and I picked you up at 1130 and you were all smiles. You told us that you played outside and are frosted graham crackers. We took you to Toys R Us to get the remote controlled car that you've been begging for a while and then met Poppy for pizza.  I would say you have had a pretty special day!  :) 

I'm so thankful that I have the job that I have now bc I do not have to miss anything in your little life anymore. God has truly blessed us with you and I am so thankful everyday!  We are so proud of you my darling!!! 

A lot of big boy changes are coming your way!  :)  One exciting thing that has happened within the past few weeks is that you have a BIG BOY BED!!!! Daddy and I (Ok, Daddy did all the work, Mama just came up with the ideas and bought the stuff) worked really hard on a Lightning McQueen Room!!! You have a big Lightning McQueen bed with headlights that actually turn on and off, you have fun signs everywhere (Stop signs, caution signs, route 66 signs) you have a traffic light for a lamp.  Daddy painted a new dresser for you red and black to look like a Craftsman Toolbox, and Daddy painted your white pocket book shelves to look like checkered flags!  You have checkered flag curtains in there too.  When you saw them you screamed "Checkered flags - here I come!!!" (What McQueen says when he's winning a race.)  You were SO excited about your big boy room.... Mama and you took a nap in your bed....once :)  Haha.  We kind of expected that you wouldn't be quite ready to leave Mama's pillow and Mama and Daddy's bed...but at least you have your own special space for whenever you are ready.

Daddy and I went to your preschool orientation last week to over the policies and the handbook.  Then the three of us go on September 1st for a sneak peek and then on September 3rd will be your first day!!!!  I am so excited for you.  You will only be going Tuesday and Thursday from 9-1130 but I think that will be perfect for you to get a taste of school and really enjoy yourself.  I find it so hard to believe that my baby boy is starting preschool.  I am just not ready for you to grow up.  I find myself looking at you all the time in awe at how tall you have gotten or how you don't look like a baby anymore.  You look like a little boy.  Breaks my heart but happy for you to be so healthy and thriving as well.

You continue to melt our hearts on a daily basis.  You will randomly tell me "Mama, you are my best friend EVER!"  Or you will just say "I love you so much."  for no reason at all.  Well today, you had spilled your water over on the coffee table - Mama told you that you needed to go grab a towel and get it cleaned up since you made the mess.  You got one and wiped the table off completely.  I told you what a great job you had done!  You ran back into the kitchen and said "I would do anything for you guys."  It was just one of those moments when I know Daddy and my heart melted completely - we just looked at each other and were speechless.  We grabbed you up and gave you lots of hugs and kisses when you came back in the living room... you are just so special baby boy.

You had your first dentist appointment last week!  You impressed everyone!  You had the sweetest little attitude - all please and thank you's. You laid down perfect and held still the entire time while she cleaned your teeth. The dentist said they've never had anyone be so fantastic on their first visit :) 

We talked about your under bite - something that we will definitely have to watch. He said sometimes as people get older and their big boy teeth come in- they can come in different. If they don't - we will have to talk about braces. Mama and daddy both had to get them when we were older - so it's not the end of the world if you need to someday- but we will just watch them. We talked about starting to floss - and the hygienist tried but said you had a "very curious tongue."  Your little tongue would follow her hands everywhere. Haha. I know it's true because you just did the exact same thing to me when I just flossed them. ;) 

You currently have a summer cold - the other day at daycare you kept sneezing over and over and told Nancy that you had the "bless you's."  Good lord, could you be any cuter.