Ups & Downs

He may not be as big as he would like (struggles of late have been about who gets to drive) but I think it is safe to say Harry is officially a big kid. This kid has wanted to be big since he was born, and 2 year molars, scabby feet, a bottle of Motrin and some sun block in his eyes are not going to deter him from swimming underwater, following after “Dom-nic”, fishing with PopPop, jumping ocean waves, driving a golf cart or reciting Good Night, Moon from memory. To be honest, I don’t know which of his antics are the most amazing.
Harry has just a touch of stranger anxiety, but once he warms up there is no turning him off. He would prefer to have Snoedel and Baby with him at all times, but losing one of them has become Kevin and my biggest fear. If they leave the house, we become lovey bodyguards. Some may argue we take better care of those two than our own son, but it is because we fear the repercussions of misplacing one of them, and we also really don’t want Harry to go to bed with a peanut butter covered doll! Needless to say, the two made the trek with us to Cape May this past holiday weekend. “Snoedel here?” is the phrase we often hear, followed up with “Where’d Snoedel go?” (Snoedel is often right next to him).
Since Isabella and Dominic did not have their bikes with them, Harry’s never left the van. He spent lots of time with Baby’s stroller, yelling “Car coming!” and scampering to the side of the gravel roads whenever an SUV would show itself…often three blocks away. He has learned patience.
Harry also spent his non-bike time begging whoever was in site to get him the key for the golf cart. Didn’t matter if anyone we knew owned the golf cart- he climbed in anyway and said "Where's the key?" or "No key." Didn’t matter that he couldn’t reach the pedals, he was determined to drive. PopPop and Uncle Dom each let him steer, and he was welcome to spend hours on end sitting behind the wheel…he just couldn’t get enough of it! And after somehow ending up behind the wheel of my car while we loaded up, he has decided that he can now drive that, too. Again, doesn’t matter that he can’t reach the pedals. That he doesn’t have a license. That his car seat is meant for the back seat. That he is 2! Every time we get in “Me drive.” Very matter-of-fact. After I try to explain Virginia driving laws to him, he eventually gives up.
So, in Harry’s world, Snoedel comes first, then driving, then “Dom-nic.” Apparently cousin Dominic is the coolest kid in the cosmos. If Harry wasn’t yelling after him one of the other little boys was. He is the sweetest boy. He loves Harry and he is so patient, but even a saint has limits! It is funny, though, to remember that Dominic used to be the same way with Kayla. And it is neat to see, once again, how much Harry responds to big kids. That is not to say he and Isabella don’t get along swimmingly. She seems to have just the right personality to get along with Harry: Harry plays with all of her toys and she observes him like a lab rat, as if to say “Hmmm….fascinating.”
Kevin suspects it was the hero worship that got Harry to step foot on sand. Maybe. I think it is his love of the water. He has never liked sand. He hated it at our Disney hotel this year and last. I was concerned before we left (since I LOVE the beach), but luckily his love of the water won out. He isn’t an idiot. He has a respect for the water. He likes to know that I am nearby (an inch away with my hand open to grab him) when the waves come. He doesn’t seem quite as concerned about whether I am next to him when he jumps into the pool though! And he seems okay with it if I am not! He doesn’t mind being underwater and he not only jumps under, he will stand there, squat down and put his head in for 10 seconds. It is amazing! Even though we practiced, this is a giant leap. He actually seemed to want to swim underwater, too. He moved his arms and began to float…but there is a fine line between letting him learn on his own and the trauma of being under just a little too long. We have Josh’s pool pass for the summer, so we will keep practicing.
Practice certainly pays off with Harry. After regular readings of Good Night, Moon, I decided to see if he had been paying attention. Often, he would rather ask about the pictures than pay attention to the story, but I guess he absorbed a little after all. He knows what words come next. He likes to refer to the bowl of mush as oatmeal, but he knows it is “mush!” He also knows when the old lady says “hush,” she really means “Night night.” He seems very proud of himself and happy to play along. I just think he is awesome!