Cole at 3 1/2

Cole at three and a half is a handful. He is still very calm and easy-going but we have had a few terrible three moments. Mostly from him being sassy and mischievous, nothing really major. He has given up his nap, which I miss desperately. I often find him asleep in his chair at 5:30 or 6:00. His little body is just plain worn out by then.

He still hates loud noises and runs and hides in the kitchen if a scary monster comes on TV. He makes me laugh everyday and really keeps me company. He is very talkative and not shy at all. He will talk to anyone. He loves his blue blanket and asks for it when he is tired. Scott wants to take it away but of course I say no way. The thing that amazes me the most about Cole is how kind he has been to Ella. I really think he likes her and enjoys her being around. I'm hoping that one day soon they will play together.

He is still attached to Scott but I am gaining a little ground. They have their special games and every night Scott reads to him. One night I tried to do bedtime when Scott was out of town and Cole kept telling me I forgot to swoosh him. Scott swooshes him from the bed to the basket of books. Then they go through every book and Cole says yes or no if he wants Scott to read it to him. Then he swooshes him back to bed. Whew! That is too exhausting for a mama who has been with children all day. That's why daddy's are so great.

But every night he always asks for me when they are done reading and I still rock him just a little. I know he is too old but I do it for me. Then I lay him down and just look at him. I often get emotional because he looks so little in his bed but I know he is growing every day. You know, when he was born I never imagined how much I could love him or how much I would worry about him.

Funny Things He Says:

• When you ask him how did he know that. He always says, "My brain told me."
  
• He once asked me, "Mama do you know my cousins Dalton, Parker, Spiderman and Dash?"


• In the car we had a conversation about death. And Cole asked me if he was old. I said no Cole you are not and he said yeah that's right I'm new.


• He always says, "Yeah that's what me and my daddy dos."


• For some reason he points with his middle finger. He is always giving people the bird and I can see their eyes get really big, but he has no idea.


• He is always saying, "That is just nonsense mama," and when I tell him to do something he says, "no, never." Not sure where he has heard these from.
  
• I still have to carry him everywhere and he has promised me that when he turns four he will walk. Funny thing is Mrs. Oliver has told me that Scott wanted her to carry him until he was about four.
  

So that's Cole at three and a half. He sure does bring so much love and joy to our lives. I thank God every night for him.

He loves to trace names, numbers, and the alphabet. Ms. Beth (his old sitter) let Cole have this desk and he loves it. It has a tracing light.

Ella thinks Cole is funny. And he really cares about her. She gets on his nerves every now and then but for the most part, he loves her.

Asleep at 5:00 with his blue blanket. He is very hard to wake up too. Sometimes we just put him in the bed and he sleeps until morning.