You are three and for the past 6 months or so you have declared often "I'm a big boy now" for all to know, that you are in fact no longer a baby! And it's so true! You are getting big! You are growing and learning every day, and it's just so fun to watch. Your joy is life giving! Your innocence is so refreshing! I get why parents don't want their kids to grow up. You and your brother and sister are just at such fun ages, still pure and undefiled by the world. I am trying my hardest to treasure up all these moments and these days because they are sure flying!
Last year for your second birthday we were in Bron and celebrated with a pig party! Abi made you a fun looking pig cake and you got some Peppa Pig books and a couple pig stuffed animals. Simple things are so delightful to you, it's wonderful! We have come a long way this past year. We moved from Bron to Croix Rousse in December. Grammie left in early December as I was done with language school and so was able to stay home with you each day. Then in July we moved to North Africa, and this is where we will hopefuly call "home" for several years, Lord willing. You have weathered the transitions and adjustments so well, dear one. At this age though I think the most important thing for you and your little heart is that your family is together and loving, and we have strived to maintain that stability, so praise God for bringing us this far. We have had a lot of changes and will have more in the upcoming months and years. But this letter is about this past year, and we had such a great year as you were two! You have grown and changed SO much.
You potty trained yourself fully by the time you were two! Incredible. I don't even think you've had any night-time accidents! You are talking a lot better since last year of course, though still have some letters you just can't say yet. Like when you ask me to hold you you say "wold me", I think you still call Isaac "E-yak" and when you are really frustrated with your siblings you yell "TOP." This of course makes them laugh really hard, which brings you more frustration, it's a sad vicious cycle! Your little voice is the sweetest though and I love when you hug my neck, kiss me so sweetly, and whisper "I yuv you mommy." Yes, you started calling me mommy this year, I'm not really sure why, you still call me Emayah too and of course I'll take both! You also have asked me several times if I'll marry you when you get older. It kind of melts my heart. You share your excitement with others and the littlest things bring you joy, so it's really fun to share in your joy! You are grateful and are so good at saying "thank you", thank YOU for that! We've been working really hard at gratitude and contentment with you kids, and I think I see glimmers that you guys are getting it, though, to be honest, it's a life-long lesson and I can't say I've actually arrived fully!
Ezra you are a sweet-heart and I sure do pray you will always have a tender and gentle heart. But don't mistake this for weakness as some might be tempted to do, you are one fierce and courageous brave-heart as well. These two attributes are not mutually-exclusive, they are a beautiful combination and I pray you will use them wisely for His glory throughout your life! You love animals and as we are driving down the road you will yell out "CAT" because there are hundreds of strays here in our new host-country. Yesterday we did some shopping and one shop owner had a chameleon and you were in awe! You kept wanting to touch it's tail, which made you both excited and nervous!
Your smile is incredible. Your eyes smile, your dimples come out (go in?), and your smile is simply the best! You get nervous around strangers, but it's always a playful kind of shy where you run behind me, and peek out smiling at whomever is trying to say hello to you. You love to laugh and be tickled. You love to wrestle with your Abi and Isaac and Aniyah. If Isaac is being mean and picking on Aniyah, you are really good at coming to her rescue and defending her. But mostly, you love to just be around your family, you love to do whatever your brother and sister are doing, and you think they are the greatest people ever!
This year, you and Aniyah played a lot of "mom and dad" together, and acted out Beauty and the Beast! You guys loved to dress up together at the Wainrights with all their play dresses, you especially loved to wear those plastic high-heels because of the fun noises they made on the wooden floors. We found our Spiderman suit and so now that's your go-to, and you're pretty adorable running around making shooting noises while wearing that outfit and mask! You and Aniyah are really the best of friends and (for the most part) play so well together. I pray you kids just continue to grow in your friendship. You both are learning your letters, you have quickly learned the alphabet song (maybe I was late in teaching it to you), and you've shown interest in learning how to draw letters. Just this week we started memorizing scripture together and you totally learned "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger!" I was super impressed when you shared that with friends last night at dinner.
My boy, you seriously bring me so much joy, and in the midst of all the difficult culture-stress and hard adjustment moments, you have remained so full of wonder and life that honestly, how could I stay stressed or begin to worry while you are awake and so playful!? I thank God for sending you to our family! I can't wait to see how He will continue to grow you in this coming year. Three is going to be great! It's always been one of my favorite ages! So, let's play more "Polar bear" together, and dinosaurs, and build things with legos, and play all the games, because your imagination and playful, sweet, hilarious little spirit is just the best!
I love you always my little man,
Emayah
A few pictures from last year until now. From a little peanut toddler to a little boy!
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