The One About Letting Go of Age 2 Asher

     Here it is:  my sappy birthday post to Asher.  Goodbye age 2!

"Two took One's budding language skills and ran with them.  While his peers were collecting discrete words and phrases, Two was engaged in a constant monologue.  He would give the day a theme:  "It's New Friend Day," he'd announce in the morning, and we'd head to the park, our mission set.
Two also had his dark moments.  When his needs weren't quite met, he'd throw himself to the ground, his language skills abandoning him as he shrieked nonsense syllables.  (We still talk about the time Two screamed that his stroller was too "murfy.")  I never thought I'd miss Two, but in retrospect, his tantrums were kind of adorable compared with the bigger-kid frustrations we deal with these days."
                                         ---Letting Go of Henry, Little by Little
                                         --by Alice Bradley
    I will admit that Two has been a little rough lately.  I think the move and a new baby on the way has been a bit too much for Two.  I remember Gavin going through a rough Two-phase before Asher was born too.  It's a lot to take in for a little guy.  Asher has had a bit of an attitude, to put it mildly.  He knows how to push my buttons, and he isn't afraid to do just that.  He will say exactly what he knows I don't like:  shut up, stupid, NO!....and then just look at me and wait for the reaction.  He argues a lot.  Like all two-year olds, the world revolves around him. 
 
     Yet, we still have those sweet moments that I hold onto.  The cuddling, kisses, hugs, etc... that I grab onto for dear life.  When he gets hurt, and runs over to me to kiss it.  Needing to have Blankie with him all the time.  The little things that remind me that even though he looks four, he is still just Two.  Yet, I look forward to Three, because I remember that age being so great when Gavin was three. 
  
    Here are some things that I absolutely LOVE about Asher right now, at this age:

1.  His facial expressions.  When he is mad, his eyebrows instantly lower and his eyes narrow.  He shows so much emotion.  When he is trying to be silly, his eyes get really big and he opens his mouth.  I just love watching him go through emotions on his face.
2.  His silliness and sense of humor.  He is the funniest little boy.  He says the cutest things, and at the most random times.  The other night, we were all lying in their room at bedtime and out of the dead silence, Asher whispers, "Basketball players wear diapers!"  Why?  Who knows?  Ernie said they had watched a slam dunk contest on TV that night before bed, but I have no idea where the diaper connection was made.  Asher makes me laugh every single day, and I love that about him. 
3.  His animation and dramatic response to every situation.  Not only is he very loud, he gasps and puts so much emotion into what he is saying.  I will definitely want him to be involved in drama in high school. 
4.  His lack of fear.  He will go down the biggest waterslides, climb up the tallest rock walls, talk to complete strangers, etc..  He doesn't let anything hold him back.  Lately, he has been the "shut up" patrol.  If he hears someone say "shut up", he lets them know that it's naughty to say that.  If he sees someone smoking, he has no trouble walking up to them and telling them that it's bad for them.  With all these guys working on our house this year, Asher is right there talking their ear off.  (we all know who he gets that from!)  :)  He even invited Bill Ross to his birthday party this year. 
5.  He still likes me to hold him.  "Hold me, Mommy."  He will let me rock him or curl up on my lap.  He says, "I love you" at random moments.  For such an aggressive and rough little boy, he is very sweet. 

6.  His creativity and imagination.  He comes up with some awesome ideas. 

7.  And m favorite:  how he looks in the morning when he comes out of his bedroom holding his Blankie.  He refuses to wear pajamas, so just has on athletic shorts and no shirt.  His hair is messy and his eyes are sleepy.  He also comes straight to me for a hug, and it is one of my favorite times of the day.  He just crawls into my arms and holds me. 

     For his birthday morning, a friend had told me abou this idea she read about on a blog.  You blow up a bunch of balloons and just throw them on the child's bedroom floor after they go to bed.  So when they wake up, they are greeted to a birthday surprise.  So after the kids were in bed last night, Ernie and I blew up a bunch of balloons.  Of course, this would be the night that Asher wakes up at 1:00 a.m.  So he found the balloons early and a red balloon and tired little boy ended up in bed with us. 

     Happy Birthday, Asher Hayes.  I love you to the moon and back!

From baby:

To One:



To Two:

To Now: