I thought I would blog about some of Cole's more recent everyday moments...they don't pack a punch or stand alone as a entry but they do make up an ordinary day and thus are more of a gift in many ways than those bigger than life moments that are more easily recorded and remembered...


The past few months as Cole has gotten more and more and more and more verbal (yes, he could talk the ear off a salesman), it has led, I believe, to his latest developmental chapter of "pretend" play...he more than entertains himself for long periods of time, chatting away to his trucks, trains, stuffed animals, bath toys...he actually loves to lay on the floor and have a dialogue with his toys and I catch myself stopping to listen to his lilting little boy voice changing tone and inflection as he switches between his "characters". In the evening after stories and lights out, I often find myself sitting outside his bedroom on the hallway stairs wishing I could capture an audio of the nighttime routine he has with his various bedtime pals as he shares snippets of his day or memories that were made with them.

He has also taken to "hiding" from us...wanting us to find him as he escapes under a blanket/towel/comforter. Cole has always found refuge from unfamiliar faces by burrowing himself under pillows or a quilt so it is natural that this behavior has evolved into something of a game now! I think he just loves to POP out and try to scare us and the smile on his face makes the sometimes tiresome pursuit worth it in the end.

He sometimes takes my IPHONE, or a book and his little flashlight and creates a pup tent for himself. I enter the room to find the shape of a little ghost contentedly reading or playing games on the couch under his blanket. He has always been one to cover his face with a blanket when trying to go to sleep, which of course has always freaked me out. I would let him begin to nod off and then have to extricate the blanket gently tugging it safely from his head. To this day, he still does the same thing. Not but 15 minutes ago as he began his nap did I have to re-position his beloved blue blanket.

Cole has a lot of my stubborn independence which is a blessing and a curse. He wants to do much for himself which I give him kudos for, however that can and does drive me nuts. Everytime we get into the car, he wants to match up and snap the top latch on his carseat. His fine motor skills are put to use lining up the "puzzle pieces". When I am not in a rush, I can typically start the car, put the groceries in the back, and so forth but in a downpour or when we are late for something I just want to GO. Cole doesn't flip out about much but if I even attempt to manage this task for him, oh boy...same goes for shutting off the bathwater, getting "his" books off the reserve shelf at the library and getting soap to wash his hands (even when he can't reach it at a restaurant or store bathroom.)

There are so many little ordinary moments that fill in our days; I know these mini adventures tell their own tale and probably define who we are the most. I am most sure that these understated bits in a day are the ones I will miss most of all as Cole continues to change and find his way in this world.