Hockit Tockit

This kid. Sigh. He melts my whole heart into a puddle of mommy mush. Last week he insisted that we get "Baby Matthew" a Valentine present. I let him choose between five little stuffed puppies and he chose the one with baby blue spots. I put it in the Pack n' Play and every now and then Garrett checks on it, always informs me that it's for Matthew, but never touches it.

He is also very excited for summertime. He desperately wants to swim in his pool but, as it is about 35 degrees outside during the afternoons, I inform him that he must wait until the summer months. He opens his green eyes wide, looks me square in the face, and asks sweetly, "Summertime come now?" I wish. I explain that right now it is wintertime and summertime will be here when it gets here because time tables make no sense to my toddler. Then he tells me that when it is summertime he will swim in his pool. "Baby Matthew play in pool, too!" I don't have the heart to explain the finer points of a four-month old's motor skills, I just relish in the fact that my son is, at least, daydream sharing.

We installed both carseats so that Garrett would get used to the idea that Matthew is a real live baby and, at least at this point all systems appear to be a go and, with hope and a prayer, he will really be coming home with us. I thought it would prepare a jealous toddler for the world ending catastrophe that is about to befall him. It's not working. Instead, he questions me all the time about where he is and why he isn't in his carseat. He's also seen the suitcase and knows that generally means California and GeeGee and Papa's house. This afternoon he got it in his head that we were going there right now and he started crying when we pulled into our driveway after having lunch with friends. I told him we'd see GeeGee and Papa soon and he replied, "Go pick up baby Matthew now!"

I plan to remind him of this very exchange sometime later in his childhood when I am separating the boys from an inevitable bloodbath.

And Garrett says hockit tockit instead of hot chocolate, which just makes him that much cuter.