For the most part Evan is very laid back and has been since he's been a baby. He'll usually go with the flow as long as John or I are around, and generally likes trying new things. Some of my fondest memories or experiences with Evan come from the simple things in life. For example, if I need to see what pure joy looks like all I have to do is take Evan to the park. He lives and breathes for the park it seems like. We took our yearly family bonding trip to Broken Bow a week ago and visited not one, not two, but four parks in one day. At the last park as Evan was running from the slide to the stairs to slide down the slide for the 50th time, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face and squealed a shout for joy that I will never forget and will bring a smile to my face every time I replay it back in my head. His love for being outdoors and playgrounds has taken me back to my childhood several times.
Evan also has a big heart and loves to love. I can't count the number of times he's stopped playing or doing something to get up and give me a hug or kiss for no reason at all. And every time he does that my heart skips a beat. It's those types of moments that make being a mom the most rewarding thing in the world.
As with every up, there is always a downside. By downside I mean the temper tantrums that come with being a toddler, and wanting to figure out the world your way. When Evan has his temper tantrums, time almost seems like it stands still and they go on forever. Half the time I have no idea what he is so upset about, and since you can't talk any logic into a toddler in the throes of a tantrum I wind up standing there staring at him in bewilderment or putting him in time out until he can calm down and show me what he's so upset about. The other downside to having a very opinionated 21 month old is when it comes to food. I've mentioned it before, but Evan is the pickiest eater I've ever known. He turns his nose up to everything from mashed potatoes to mac and cheese to Jell-O. This has led to many power struggles in our house and usually ends in me giving in and making him pizza, hot dogs, or grilled cheese. And before you say anything, yes, I am aware that none of those things are very nutritional. I have been saved by the fact that Evan loves fruit and I can trick him into eating pureed vegetables, so he's at least getting some of his nutrition that way.
Having a boy in the house also means unlimited amounts of energy that I somehow have to figure out how to burn during the day. It also means that there is no rest for the weary on days that I'm feeling absolutely exhausted. All I can say is thank goodness I live in Texas where the weather is descent 10 months out of the year. I can't imagine living in Chicago again and dealing with the grueling winter months with Evan. Being outdoors is my life saver most days.
While most days I do love being a mom and all its ups and downs, there are days that I wish I could escape from the madness. For those days I'm thankful I have John, who seems to take everything in stride and understands when I need some "me time" away from it all. And for the other days that I can't escape I just have to keep telling myself to take it all in stride and remind myself of one of my favorite country songs by Tracy Adkins, "Your Gonna Miss This" which says:
Your gonna miss this
Your gonna want this back
Your gonna wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But your gonna miss this
Every time I see this picture I can hear Evan's squeel of joy!
Learnign to swing like a big boy
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