Happy birthday sweetest James!

James turns two tomorrow.  He is angelic.  He willingly and eagerly eats vegetables, wants to help clean the house, is adoringly gentle and reverent of babies younger than him, and loves saying his prayers and singing Holy Holy Holy.  I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop since he was 4 weeks and sleeping through the night.  Occasionally I drag my feet over introducing him to new situations because heaven help me if I’m the one to break the spell.

So we haven’t talked much about the dreaded P word.  As long as those diapers fit and he’s not overfilling them I haven’t felt the rush.  But others might.  James got some “big boy pants” as an early birthday present from his surrogate grandmother the other day.  She is a smart woman.  Not only are they big boy pants, incentive enough, but they have basketballs on them.  In James’ world that’s almost as magical a combination as the episode of Curious George where he rides a train.  I mean…wow.

James thought the briefs were cool.  But there were other more important things about, so I tucked them away on top of his dresser and forgot about them.  Until tonight, when I was visiting the room that contains the P word.  The door handle bobbed up and down, pushed in, and my angelic toddler entered.  (I’ve got to remember to lock the doors in this apartment.)  He quickly sized up the situation and motioned for me to hurry.  I completed my task and James told me (mostly through hand motions) that he wanted to take a turn on the P word. 

This is new.  He hasn’t shown an interest, I haven’t pushed, and the world has been fine.  But, we do have a little P word stowed away in a closet, awaiting its turn in the limelight.  So I asked James if he would really like to try the P word.  “Yaaahhhh!!”  I asked him why and he ran into his bedroom, stretched on his tiptoes, and pulled the package of big boy pants off the top, pointing eagerly at the basketballs.  Grandma Joy is VERY smart.  (And so is he.)

So we unpacked the P word and I plopped James upon it.  He sat there in awe, a look of wonder and determination on his face.  I totally expected that it would be a 30 second visit and then it would be over.  But no.  He insisted on staying put.  He couldn’t say it in English, but I am quite positive he was going to stay there until he “contributed.”  He had me read books, sing the ABC song 20 times in a row, and keep him company, periodically peeking between his legs to see if anything had happened.

I’m sure he would have sat there until the victory was won, but Uncle Lucas stopped by for a visit and he got the stage fright. 

I am STILL waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it can’t be that easy.  It won’t be.  But…with James.  You never know.