Devon: January

Devon is still in soccer once a week for an hour. Watching three year olds play soccer is hysterical. It's just drills, no games, and they have a blast. They are so serious about their water breaks. Gotta hydrate, mom! (He's in the hat on the far left).

"Im' ready to do ju jitsu! I'm a fighter!"

Devon's daddy made the design on this t-shirt. When he wears it he demands to be called "octopus man".

This is his mountain hat. He got it at the Asian market and wears it happily. How adorable is he?

Chillin'.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Meet the "White Animal". Joe made this sweet puppet about a year ago out of a tube sock and feathers. Devon named it the White Animal. Joe is the only one who can do it because the White Animal has a very specific voice. It used to be the only thing that would calm Devon down when he was really upset. It is crushingly adorable to watch Devon talk to the White Animal and give it hugs totally oblivious that his dad is responsible for making it move.

Devon has sort of given up naps. He takes one about once a week so I call it "resting time" which means that every day he has to stay in his room for 1-2 hours and rest. This means he has to stay on his bed (with the off chance that he will get tired and sleep) and at the very least play toys quietly. This is how I found him when I went to get him out. Shirt off ... mask on.

He loves to ride his motorcycle in the house and on the driveway as Audrey and I ride together on a plasma car. Our driveway slopes just enough to give you a bit of speed as you head back towards the house.

Devon loves to read. He knows all the words in most of the books on his bookshelf cover to cover. His memory is amazing to be able to recall, word for word, as many as he does.

I decided to put Devon in a teacher lead gymnastics class to see how he likes it and he does a great job. He has more confidence on the trampoline, he can do forward and backward rolls, jump tucks, follows directions, interacts with kids his age (all girls by the way) and swings on the rings. He loves his teachers and gets covered in stamps at the end of each class.

Sand angel. This is how we do it in the desert.

So serious.

"Look, mama! I made a "X" with my bacon." Devon can be such a contradiction. He is making a letter x out of bacon, but at the same time demanded to eat in the high chair. He goes through occasional days where he wants to be a baby, go in the pouch, "go" in his pull up and eat in the high chair. I sort of indulge him in it because it is pretty short lived and it's just his way of telling me he needs more attention and care. I love the days when he's extra snuggly, but it's difficult when he has to be carried a lot and demands things as "baby Devon" that add extra clean up and stress to the day. Plus, Audrey actually is a baby (well, more of a baby than Devon is and actually needs to eat in the high chair and be carried down the stairs)and needs extra attention as well. I need more arms!!!

Devon loves to be outside, play with his daddy, play on our bed, paint, color, watch shows, fight, make crafts, go to the park, eat fruit snacks (he calls them ponies), eat ice cream, go to the Children's Museum, run and do anything that requires never ending, child energy. He is nice to his sister, polite to strangers and is always telling us how much he loves us and that he is proud of us. He is the sweetest little boy around.