Rusty James at two

my RustMan,

my littlest darling, you are two and you are having so much fun destroying everything in your path. You are our Wreck-it Rusty all day, everyday. After your two sisters, I had nearly erased the memories of toddler boy mayhem from my mind (when your big bro was this age,  I was inspired to write 25 rules for moms with sons because I thought I was actually losing my mind!) and then wreck-it Rusty came out in full force and I was like, "aw crap, here we go again."

It's a step up worse this time because you have a giggling, disbelieving audience at your beck and call. Grey is daily holding his belly in laughter as he watches (and eggs you in) all your naughtiness, while Gem lets you get away with near murder because you're the baby, and Violet is on the receiving end of your antics almost all of the time. You are the most popular person in our family RustMan, there is no doubt about that and boy do you eat up that spotlight, sideways grinning and checking to see how many siblings are giggling at you.



You are such a perfect example of your zodiac sign, the Gemini; giving us constant whiplash as you swing back and forth between the sweetest, cherub faced, curly haired angel who wants to hug us all the way around our neck to an actual demon stealing things from our hands, biting, squeezing, and pinching until we cry out and send you to time out where then you do your 'fainting goat' move and fall to the floor in a heap of tears. Oh RustMan, we will figure out how to balance this emotional seesaw together!

your most favorite thing is Daddy's tractor. You love going for rides and helping us mow the grass. You love saying hello and goodbye to the tractor. When you want to join the conversation, you can formulate phrases most easily by talking about the tractor. "Daddy's tractor outside," "that's Daddy's tractor," "no Mommy's tractor, that's Daddy's tractor." A few days ago you were hand-me-downed two John Deer PowerWheels tractors and I don't know that you'll ever be delighted in your whole life as you were when you saw those. Every morning since, you've woken up and informed us, "tractor mine, outside, go"

You are finally starting to talk after what feels like forever. I guess as the fourth child, who needs to talk when you have bigger siblings who can read your facial expressions and know your secret language of grunts, points, and squeaks. But finally, we are understanding you and you're quite funny. You had me laughing out loud the other day while we were laying in Grey's bed and I was trying to get you to take a nap. You said, "mum, eat" and held out your empty hand. I said, "buddy, lay down." and you said "no, eat" and then you continued to pinch imaginary snacks out of your empty hand and put them in your mouth and fake chew them up. You little weirdo, we were both cracking up.

Your hair, buddy. You haven't had a haircut yet because I'm almost a little too afraid to see what you would look like without that full head of the sweetest curliest ringlets. At this point, your hair is now part of your personality and we've figured out how to (mostly) manage it - so they stay indefinitely. You did have a partial first haircut the other week, when Violet did some experimenting on you with the scissors, but luckily it didn't cause any visible damage. Your hair is certainly the first thing everyone notices about you ("omigosh! look how beautiful" as people pull down your ringlets gently to watch them bounce back into place, hah) but it isn't the only thing they notice about you which makes me happy. Your hair can draw people in, but it's your silly personality and sweet smile that makes them want to stay.

You are quick-moving, curious, and fearless which is the trifecta of dangerous boys. We often find you in perilous situations where we need to act as crisis negotiators; stay calm, smile, distract. Your bigger siblings have caught on that it when it comes to danger with you, it is safer to react calmly than it is to show any sign of distress because you will act out recklessly just to watch us squirm.

You have each of your siblings figured out already. If you want to play rough, you seek out Grey - if you need loved and snuggled and babied, you find Gem (many times calling out "Demma!" from wherever you need rescued - poor girl, she is such a sucker for you!) and when you feel like playing pretend (or bullying) you find your "Dially." You still prefer me only slightly to Dad and I'll be holding on to that for as long as possible - because if you are anything like your big bro, it will be short lived and soon you'll be all Dad, all the time.

You love talking on our 'hellos' (phones), and eating 'chippies' or 'chawkit' (potato chips or chocolate chips). Your favorite animals are cows but you also love Grey's hamster 'Pike!' (Spike) You have a little tricycle motorcycle that you love, you don't use the peddles yet, but you can get around so fast on that thing by moving your feet. You love taking baths (not washing your hair though) and if you could be naked all the time, you would be. You sleep in a toddler bed, you are about fifty-fifty when it comes to potty training already, and you love learning to be independent (putting on your own shoes, buckling your car seat, feeding the dogs..)

Yesterday while I was standing at the oven making dinner, the dogs started barking at something outside and startled you from where you were playing on the other side of the kitchen. You hopped up and ran over to me and grabbed a hold of my leg and half hid behind me. And because you're the baby, I had my chronic nostalgia flag go up in my heart, "remember this momma, he'll be the last one to do this." Everything with you gets cherished just a little bit more because you, our baby, are like rose-colored glasses come to life.

RustMan James,
I will be loving you forever.
Even when you, my baby, get so big
even bigger than me!
my babiest babe forever
i will be loving you.
momma