Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Can you believe that this little shrimpy thing..........

...... has already transformed into this huge boy?

Ready for a playdate

Loves to climb up the slide

And take big brother Mowgli for a walk

Has to read at least 5 books before bed

There's a great big world out there!

 A few weeks ago, we were enjoy a lazy Sunday at home.  As I crafted a healthier version of mulligatawny, Cameron play with his Etch-a-Sketch while Sesame Street provided the background noise. I put the soup on simmer and went to sit with him - but he was no longer interested in drawing a magnetized picture.  Instead, he clambered into my lap and buried his face in my shirt. 

Cam: "Mom! Big Bad Wolf get you."
Me: Cam, the Big Bad Wolf isn't going to get you.

It turns out that Sesame Street was doing a rather hilarious parody (featuring Tim Gunn) of The Three Little Pigs and the neon pink BBW had totally freaked my son out. And he could tell me that he was scared.  So began the daily practice of telling him many, many reasons why the Big Bad Wolf can't get him  (Wolves are scared of mommies, grandmas and Mowglis. Wolves can't come into your room. Wolves don't like the way little boys smell.  The wolves don't like to leave the zoo.)  Sometimes he believes me and other times he's pretty skeptical.  And really, all I can think when we have these conversations is When did you stop being a little shrimp & become this little person? 

He has his own little sense of humor.  Whenever I ask him what he wants to eat, he will first respond with some outlandish request (cake, cookies, pie, ice cream) and then giggle about it.  "No, really...." I respond and then he'll answer honestly (meat, cheese, yogurt, berries, corn). When he catch me and Brian hugging or kissing, he runs screaming towards us "Me too, Me too! Pick Cameron up. Daddy kiss Cameron. Cameron kiss Mommy. Mommy kiss Mowgli (how come mommy gets stuck kissing the dog?!)" He can be so serious, so sad and so sweet - it's a hoot to be a part of toddler mood swings & whims.

I keep wishing that I could freeze time so he'd stop growing - but then we arrive at a new stage and he's increasingly funny, curious, and entertaining. I'm overwhelmed with this feeling of not only being grateful for getting to be a mom, but getting to be his mom.

 “I don't remember who said this, but there really are places in the heart you don't even know exist until you love a child.”- Anne Lamott