You have big appetites for food and everything life has to offer. Speaking of food, you are (surprisingly, from one so ornery) a healthy eater- lots of fruits and veggies and yogurt, like John Paul. You are very smart, too smart, easily bored, seemingly immune to the expectations of adults but still adept at playing very well when you want to with all the "neighborhood" big boys. You would much rather stir things up to keep them interesting and get in trouble, than allow things to be quiet and well, in your opinion, boring. You have no interest in potty-training despite that you are totally. capable. and have already earned several short and long term rewards in the process, only to go back to pull-ups as soon as the reward is won. So, now we're just patiently waiting for you to decide you are ready. Waiting...and waiting...and...
What follows are some classic Markie stories I don't want to forget:
- Recently we had one of our parish priests over for dinner. In the middle of eating Mark disappeared, only to come back to the table with the bowl from his little potty full of pee-pee and without his pants on, proudly displaying his work (that he never wants to do any other time)! Luckily this priest is from a larger family himself wand was quite comfortable surrounded by our children. At the end of that visit, Fr. was blessing a space in our home (where we've enthroned an image of the Saced Heart). Fr. splashed the holy water in Mark's direction only to hear Mark start throwning a mini-fit: "I don't like the water! Oh, NO, not on my PACK-PACK !" Then, he dramatically rescued and clutched his backpack.
- Mark has Christmas and Easter confused. Every night last Advent, instead of singing "O Come Emmanuel" with us over the lit Advent wreath he sang, "God is not dead. He is alive, He is alive...". I have no idea where that song came from. He still sings it whenever we pray a prayer or sing a song he does not know. (Which is really not all that often, despite that all these stories are Catholic or church-related. I guess I just remember these more than some of the day-to-day ones.)
- We try to get to daily Mass once a week with Jesse at the tiny Eucharistic chapel on base, it is a pretty little chapel and always special b/c the kids get to be so close to the altar, basically right next to it. This means we can see everything but everyone else can also hear us... One time the priest was distributing communion, Body and Blood, by coming around to us b/c that is simpler in such a small space. After being passed over twice, Mark looked up at me full of self-pity: "I got nothing!"
- Finally, I've always sang a little song to the kids when they are litttle and need extra cuddling. It goes to the tune of "Frere jacques" (Yes, I had to look that french spelling up! Did the internet get it right?) and I list all the people in their life who love them. Only Mark has ever added an extra verse..."And Markie loves himself!"
These are photos of Mark's most recent birthday, his 3rd birthday, which he calls his "Blue Birthday," b/c he wanted everything to be blue : blue cupcakes (Don't laugh at my homemade icing-it was runny!), blue juiceboxes, blue plates & napkins, and bikes & trikes painted blue as his gift, Thomas blue to be exact, by Daddy.
At home.
At our chuurch's pre-school.
And, last but certainly not least- This has been your favorite costume for a long time now: Super Mark. A picture is worth a thousand words.
(We cut your hair shortly after your 3rd b-day but you can't tell in the most recent photos we have b/c your hood was always up.)
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