18 months old

Hi Easton...it's Ama.

Today is the 16th of August which means that you are officially a year and a half old!! Wow! When did you get to be so OLD???
Ama and Papa have seen you go from a baby to a full fledged toddler during the summer. You are so independent and have such a strong desire to figure things our for yourself. You are so talkative, too, and I know you are telling us some really important things in your dialogue but we just haven't quite figured it out yet. Every once in a while it will dawn on all of us what you are saying, and it makes perfect sense. You repeat just about anything you are asked to say and know so many words of your own that you say on a regular basis. Your favorite one right now is 'NO', so I guess that means we are headed for the trying twos. (I won't call them terrible twos, because two year olds are charming in their own right.)

You also still love balls! Balls are your favorite thing to play with...baseballs are the ball of choice right now because you have been introduced to the game this summer. You have been to see the Ft. Worth Cats play, and you are now watching the Rangers on tv. I love it when you shout out 'beesball'. Just this month you acquired a football, so I am sure that this fall you will be watching the Cowboys on a pretty regular basis. And basketball? You love that too. Our neighbors on either side of us both have basketball goals in their driveways and you love wandering over to play around those. They are both set really high up, so it is hard to get a ball up there...at least for your Ama and you. But hopefully this fall we can get one of them lowered so we can throw at it.

This summer Papa got a new toy that you really love! It is a Kawasaki 'Mule'...a good sized ATV (all terrain vehicle) that he plans to use when he and your Daddy go hunting. But for now we have been riding it around in the back of the yard around the trees. You think that is great fun. I can just see you driving that thing around when you are 8 or 9, if we can hold you off that long. The horn fascinates you and you love climbing up and down on the seat and maneuvering the gearshift. I know that thing will be lots of fun for you and Austin when you get a little older. Ama even loves to drive it around in the yard.

Mommy and Daddy also found a bicycle seat for you to sit on the back of their bicycles and take you for rides around the neighborhood and the park. You rode in that for the first time the other day and really liked it. You have a helmet and everything. I will have to post a picture of the new 'toys' really soon.

AND, tomorrow you will get to come over every weekday to stay while Mom and Dad are at work. Papa and I are really looking forward to having you here. This fall we are going to have a really great time, especially when the weather cools off a little bit. We are so thankful that we are able to help out by having you here during the school year. So...I will see you in the morning and we will begin the second half of your second year together.

I love you, E.
Ama