Bops

 There are two baby bunnies in our back yard, one with a tiny white spot on his forehead (Spot) and the other, smaller, without (Not Spot). I haven't seen them for a couple of days, as we had a heat wave and then the chill gray foggy weather more typical of New England in the early summer. But when they were regularly appearing as tiny handfuls of brown fur munching the clover or snack on the flowers your dad planted in our former tomato patch, you get very excited and would point at them and say "bop!" So we now are in the habit of referring to rabbits as "bops." We point to bops in your books, and to bops on your pajamas.

Your favorite books right now are a tossup between this inane Easter book from Fisher Price that I find sort of bizarre and offputting, and a series of charming realistic stories of everyday life from the Montessori toy company that I've subscribed to for you. Not every item they send is a hit (ring sorter? No thanks, says Succotash), but your love for the books and felt balls (which we now refer to as "indoor balls") is worth the price of admission. When we read the one about going to the doctor for a checkup you touch your leg where you had to get a booster shot, just like the toddler in the book.

I am writing this waiting for a call with a speech pathologist, as your school still wants us to have intervention for you, despite the fact that you have been adding a couple of words nearly every day, and I have now lost count, I think, of the words that you will say. You are also getting quite good at signing, and while there are still times when you seem frustrated at not making yourself understood, I definitely feel like we are having conversations now. You get home from school and climb into my lap for nursing and snuggles and I ask you about your day. Did you play in the gross motor room? You nod. Did you read books? Nod. Did you play with Saorise? Pause. Head shake.

My very favorite thing is your smile. You have an open-mouthed smile of delight that makes me feel like my entire body is light up with Christmas lights. A point, a smile, and "bop!"