The Terrible Threes

Swimming at Grammy Mary Ann and Poppy John's

Cayucos beach
Playing cars with Gram Gram

Carolyn, Marshall and Haley in Tahoe

Marshall and Ainsley at VBS

I'm pretty sure I do not have convenient amnesia when I recall that Marshall at age 2 was nowhere near as rotten as he is now. His tantrums are more frequent, more physical, and his size makes him harder to handle. He is much more likely to try and hurt people when he is mad these days. He hits and kicks me and has taken to throwing items at people. He threw his milk cup at his grandma and a water bottle at a friend.

Since Marshall is still reluctant to potty train and I am reluctant to move him from his crib, I feel like we are making very little progress in the growing up department. I suppose this could be some sort of mental road block on my part (i.e. since he is likely going to be my one and only, I am having a hard time letting go of some baby stuff). The crib thing is easy enough to resolve but I don't know yet how to proceed with the potty training. I have gotten a ton of advice and have tried multiple strategies but have yet to find Marshall's motivator.

On the plus side of things, Marshall continues to be healthy and happy (more often than not). He eats well (for a toddler) and surprises everyone around him with his effective communication skills. He is attending vacation bible school this week with his friend Ainsley, which is a lot of fun for us both. Marshall seems to like the singing, crafts, and time with Ains and I sure appreciate the time apart!

Marshall occasionally has some word confusion, which has been so funny! He calls his park ranger car "hydrangea car," he calls oleander bushes "ravioli bushes," and he referred to a scenic drive as a "citrus drive."

July has zoomed by but it still doesn't seem like summer around here. We're having one of the colder seasons on record. Aside from a few super hot days scattered over the last couple months, it is has been unseasonably cool (in the 70's) and we've been getting the marine layer and sea breeze all the way inland most days. I'm sure hotter days will come in August and September and then we'll wish for July's chill.

Last weekend Marshall and I went down to Cayucos to see my mom and Bob while they were home briefly from Idaho. We didn't do much other than sit around and chat. A very nice visit. Chris stayed home to study for a work test and re-stain our deck. I don't think his weekend was as relaxing as ours! Weekend before last, we went to Tahoe with a couple other families. Three days in a row at the beach. Great weather. A fun and exhausting trip.