Alex

I realize that I find it harder to write, or even to talk about Alex. With Max, I have so much to describe, and the vocabulary to describe it. He is so awesomely qwerky and says so many quotable things. I call my grandmother to tell her stories about what he said while we were driving to school or how he described a story he had read at the library with amazing candor. But, Alex? When people ask, I find myself usually just grinning stupidly, I am just so smitten with him, and, well, speechless. I don't really know how to describe him. He is so unlike Max, so completely his own person. I used to describe him as constantly happy. But, now that he is almost 2, he can have bursts of temper. But, it is not even a temper, it is like bursts of character, his character. For example, he now has strong opinions and when he does not want to do something he will mutter under his breath like this afternoon when we were done with our carriage ride and he wanted to ride the horses again. I told him they were going home to nap, that they needed a break. He stomped his foot, grabbed my hand, and we walked towards the playground with him muttering "no horseys need nap. no nap. alex want ride. no nap. no nap...."

He also makes up his own words. I think Max helps with this though. For the past 6 months, whenever he does not get his way, he will flick his wrist and say "maa br-uh." We have pretty much translated this to me "f**k you" and it is usually delivered with a protruding lower lip in a pout. Unfortuantly the recent reincarnation of "maa br-uh" has turned into "my butt" which is not quite as cute perhaps because it is getting closer to the profane.

At almost 2, with a growing vocabularly, he can pretty clearly pronounce a number of words and is even stringing together sentences, but he still signs please and more and thank you. And, I love it. I relish in this one aspect of him that still is somewhat baby-ish. Probably because it is all there is. He refused the high chair after about 11 months, hated to be spoon fed, and only wants open cups. He will follow Max to the steepest slides and will walk straight up a mountain (or into a pond, unfortunately). And then he will come up to me with his arms outstretched and plead "hold me, mommy, hugs please." He is a ball of delicious contradictions. And I am delighted to discover each and every one of them.