From the Desk of Your Bug-Bitten Mama

Dear Little Bug,

As you slumbered in your car seat while we drove home from a natural element-taxing weekend of camping, your daddy and I were nearly speechless with pride.

You've come so far.

This weekend you held yourself together through grueling heat and a nighttime storm that even had your parents on edge. You wore sandals instead of leg braces all weekend long and held your own. You busted out numerous new words. You ate at an adult-sized picnic table. You skipped your nap and were completely off schedule, and you handled it with 2-year-old grace. That is enough to get a gold star from your adoring parents.

Even more, you proved how much you have matured emotionally and developmentally. You played close with other little boys without hitting them in the face (although we did have some time outs, but those were for pretty normal 2-year-old behavior sort of things, so you get a "time served" in my mind). You played with your friends, not adjacent to them. You clearly enjoyed the interaction. You practiced sharing. You even held hands and tried to run with them.

It's always been a secret fear of mine that your social skills would be something you would struggle with for a long time. My heart would break at the thought of your bright spirit not having friends to share it with. You still have work to do, but all 2 year olds do.....you're in good company, my sweet boy.

To see your hard work pay off with the chance to play with little friends and enjoy their company was the VERY best part of a fun camping weekend for your parents. As your Appa said tonight,

"I love being his dad."

That's ditto for me.