C.J. - Years Two and Three

C.J. was very easy to train.  He had all of one accident and that was all it took for him to learn.  He was completely trained by 2/12...without ever out growing a size 3 diaper!

Ahem...we also had groovy shag carpeting in our living room.


Also by this age he loved watching Barney videos.  He could tell you which tape he was holding at which time...he could do the same thing with books (even if you covered up the pictures).  I swear there was a part of him that could read.  
He found a way to reach the VCR by standing on the toy chest and learned he could put the tapes in himself.

His obsession was Berenstein Bear books. He got to pick one out each Friday.  He would look on the back of the books to decide which book he was going to get next. (notice shag carpeting replaced by something... less subtle)

He also had to bring his books to bed with him for nap or night.
I included the next picture for a couple reasons.  First, because this is how he traveled to Florida and back for a wedding in June of 1994.  Second, to illustrate his blanket holding/thumb sucking combination.  It was like the two went together.  He never sucked his thumb without his blanket and he never had his blanket without his thumb reflexively going into his mouth.

By three he had improved his puzzle skills...he was still crazy about them.

He also was just as small as ever.

A month after turning three, C.J.'s Grandma Koeck died. Even though we saw them at least 2 or 3 times a week, I don't remember him mentioning her until right before Christmas when he told me that all he wanted that year was for Grandma Koeck to come back (oh, my aching heart when he said that). When I told him that it doesn't work that way, people don't come back from heaven and that even though she loved him deeply she didn't want to leave heaven...he said "well, maybe she can just come for one day and then go back."







It broke my heart.

At three years and not quite two months old, he started preschool at Sacred Heart Christian Preschool.

Although he was quite shy... he adored his teachers
Mrs. Rasmussen (or Mrs. Rassamun as he called her)

And Mrs. Jensen

And I think he might just have been their favorite...

This next picture from his preschool Christmas program really shows how small he was.

He had a hilarious sense of humor but would only show it to those he knew.  He did this on his own and then asked me to take a picture.

This was right after he took Jon's and his Christmas stockings and put them on his feet.


And just as a side note - I think I heard tow-head every day.  At first, I didn't even know what that meant.  

Right before turning four, C.J. was a ring bearer in his cousin's wedding.

It was about this time that he made a conscious decision to "not be shy anymore." He entertained everyone at the wedding reception by singing every word of the Lion King song "Be Prepared" complete with facial and vocal expressions.  

I am not exaggerating when I say people were dropping onto the floor from laughing so hard.

By his fourth birthday he discovered another love

books on tape.  He would listen to them for hours.

This was the first year I let him pick the kind of cake he wanted.  My kids always had the best birthday cakes thanks to my best friend, Carey.  She was an amazing cake maker and this was always her gift to my kids.

At his four year check-up his stats were:
weight: 28 pounds (less than 3%)
height: 36 inches (less than 3%)
By now I am used to him not registering on the growth chart.