Still loving accessories, Kendrick keeps us smiling with his outfits. He loves to wear hats and "gubs" and sunglasses are never far behind. This is just him on a typical day, getting ready to go for a walk.
Kendrick LOVES football, which he also calls helmets. He asks at least once a week if we are going to Grandma Becky's to watch helmets. He actually sits and watches the game, calling out "touchdown!" and raising both arms in the arm when a team scores. Sometimes he squats down like he's on the line and jumps up to run when they hand the football off. Or, when a receiver is running he'll chant, "go, go, go, go!" It was no surprise that a blue football was among his favorite presents he received.
Another obsession of Kendricks is Sesame Street. Not many shows hold this kid's attention, but Sesame Street has him frozen on the couch every second it is on. He loves all the characters, but Elmo and Cookie Monster are his favorite. He also loves books and will sit and read them to himself, or carry them to any victim throughout the day. His favorite books are any Sesame Street books we own. That's why I was hoping giving him an Elmo potty book would help me indoctrinate him to be potty trained soon.
Kendrick has a fabulous memory and can tell me where we're going most of the time as we turn down streets in our city. He even can tell we're going to the library well before we get there by recognizing where we're at. Even if we go the back way to the library, he can tell where we're headed from each direction. He knows we're going to Grandma's house if we turn down the Arbor's street, and when we're getting close to Lydia and Ammon's school I hear him chant from his car seat, "Bye yiea. Bye Ammon. Ha good day at schooo." I've never seen a kid under two able to tell and remember directions to places so well.
I guess I shouldn't be too surprised when he taught himself his letters and his numbers already, knows all of his shapes, and talks in full sentences. At his two-year checkup, the doctor said he's already at a three-year-old's learning and vocabulary. Kendrick often calls me Kari instead of mom, because he knows that I'll respond and that it drives me crazy. Despite being such a smarty-pants, we were having a hard time with colors for awhile but he's seemed have made a breakthrough in that area as well. I knew he would appreciate a cake with a two on it for his birthday, because he loves all things with letters and numbers on them and announces what he sees, loudly and proudly. "Two!"
This boy thrives on music. With such a demanding, spunky, sassy, stubborn personality, nothing calms him faster than music. I'll never forget when he was absolutely losing it in the car after I strapped him in his car seat without letting him run wild in the parking lot (how dare I!?). He stopped screaming as if someone had flipped a switch when an Imagine Dragons song came on that he liked. He loves to sing any song he knows and he asks me to sing to him for hours! He insists on opening the hymn book at church to the right page and having someone help him wave his arm to lead the music. He always says "yay!" and claps when any song is over. My favorite is to hear him sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to himself when I refuse to sing anymore. No matter how many times I try to get it on video, I have been unsuccessful. You can see a tiny bit of how much he loves singing in his birthday video.
Really, how can you not love this little boy? Half the time I want to thrash him because he is my most wilful child yet who hates to share and loves to run things, but I think he's just a normal toddler who's too smart for his own good. When I stop and think about it, he's really a good little boy. He always says please and thank you, repeats most everything he hears, actually talks to people when we are out, and has dimples for days.
His birthday was low-key and simple (poor third child) but he had three helpings of cake and seemed as happy as could be. I love this little man who fills my days and I wish him the happiest second birthday ever!
