Dear Lucas (37 Months),

I wish we had a camera crew to follow you around and record all the funny things that you say everyday. I can't believe all the funny stuff that comes shooting out of your mouth and there is just so much that by the end of the day I've already forgotten the funny thing you said over breakfast. So far 3 has been so much more fun that 2 (with a little bit more attitude on the side!) Tonight we were just hanging out and you asked me a random question and I just shrugged my shoulders and you crouched down in front of me and with every bit of seriousness you looked into my eyes and said "Use your words!" That is the phrase I always tell you when you are whining or throwing a fit. I cracked up laughing and you did too.

Lately you have become OBSESSED with "Toy Story!" I am not willing to admit how many times you have seen it in the last few weeks (let's just say you already know just about every single word to the movie) especially since you've been sick the last few days. Yesterday when you begged to watch it for a million and two times I told you that we couldn't watch it because the DVD needed to rest and if you kept watching it over and over it would break. I don't know how you fell for it but you did and I silently celebrated! Well, the first thing you did this morning was walk straight for your DVD and pick it up and say "It's rest! Look Mommy, all better! It is all rest!" You talked on and on about how rested the DVD looked and how Woody and Buzz had a great nap and you were so serious.

Another thing you are into lately is pretending you are going to school. You will put your backpack on and tell me "Goodbye Mommy, I go to school now! I love you! I'll miss you" and then you come by for a kiss before you "go to school." School is in mine and Daddy's bedroom and I'm not sure what goes on during "school" because you never stay long. After a minute or two you come back and say something like "We went to the beach, there was a crab. It was fun! I missed you!" Then you repeat the game over and over. It is so cute!

I think tonight I was speechless for the first time in maybe my entire life. You came running up to me with a tampon swimming from your fingers going "What's this?! What's this?!" I didn't even know what to say. I knew if a named the thing in your hand that then you would ask me what it was used for and I'm just not ready to go down that road with my three year old son. I just laughed and told you to go ask your father. Your Dad (who won't even be SEEN within 2 aisles of the feminine hygiene aisle) told you it was a "pop gun" and then from there it was a microphone and a rocket ship. You even wanted to sleep with it... this will be one of those stories that you will probably "cringe" if we ever retell it in front of you when you are about 15. Is it wrong that I am looking forward to those times just a little bit?

Today we went to Vidalia and spent a little time with our family that lives there. You had so much fun seeing all the animals and just investigating everything. When I was a kid I used to LOVE going to Vidalia and visiting my Grandparents on the farm. I had the best time horseback riding, fishing, and picking fresh corn. I wish you could have known your Great Grandma back then, she was so different then she is now. I remember her playing football outside with us grand kids and "plaiting" my hair. I also wish you could have met your Great-Grandpa. He would have loved you and I know you would have adored him (that is his dog that you "rode" today.)

I have so many good memories from that place of Summers and Christmases that sometimes it is hard to go back there because it just isn't the same. It was so much fun taking you there today though and I realized it is somewhere that we need to go more. I showed you the field where we used to ride horses and jump on hay bales. Then you asked if I ever went in the boat by the pond (I did, and your Dad even did one time too. It was actually the first place we ever went camping together.) and you just thought the whole place was so cool.

I can't believe that summer is almost over! There are so many things I thought we would have done by now. We've hardly been to the beach at all this year and it makes me feel a little bad because you love it so much. Gas has just been so expensive that we haven't gone even a quarter of as much as we did last year. I also haven't taken you swimming that much just in the pool. The last few times we've gone you've been using your water wings and you go swimming by me all on your own. It is such a change from how you used to clutch on to me because you were scared I would let you go. Now you go down the slide at Grandma and Papa's house and you've even jumped off the diving board a few times. I've got to get my little fishie in the water more before it starts turning cooler.

Bugga, I love you to the moon and back,

Mama