Seen and heard

In an effort to cut out the rhetoric that could turn this post into an entry akin to "war and peace" I'll short hand it: Seen and heard over my birthday, halloween and first day of preschool week. 
1. Corbin asked me about 10x on my birthday if I am happy... he loves to hear me say "Absolutely" and it's funny to hear him say it back.
2.  At the end of breakfast he said, "Mama... nice music, I want dance you Mama" and he picked a great song (one of my favorite things he gave me for my birthday)
3.  Auntie Karen took him shopping and he picked out my gift along with a beautiful card... my first one "from him" that says "To My Mom". 
4.  He made a grown man cry.  Watching a strong, confident, outgoing, hockey coaching, business owning grown up man cry as he thinks of his own little boy waiting in Russia made me even more reverent for the fact that Corbin is home, he's happy, he's healthy, he's mine.  Watching this mans love and pain roll down his cheeks reminds me that my own story before Corbin was home isn't that far from the surface - I can still feel it in the pit of my stomach for those in limbo.  To my friend J and his 6 degrees of separation wife R, you know how big the celebration will be with you here in Cowtown when your son is home right?

5.  Blowing candles out and singing happy birthday... 
6.  ABC's... this shocked me so of course I got out the camera :)  I've sung this to him in the car regularly and he's learning what the letters look like and say from "the letter factory" which is wonderful.  It's so cute to see him pointing out "MAMA!!! LETTERS!!!" on everything and having him tell me the letters on my shirts.  This is a new bedtime ritual.

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7.  Halloween.  He was going to be a cowboy until a friend brought over LIGHTENING MCQUEEN!!!! and that was that.  Our little posse travelled together and Corbin had a blast... and I love coffee crisp :)
8.  At the haunted house on our block he ran up the walk yelling "I no scared!" and then told the man dressed up as Frankenstein at the door, "You a SCARY man!"
9.  First day at preschool.  Never looked back.  He didn't cry when I dropped him off... but did when it was time to go.  Not surprisingly I was told he was redirected for using his outside voice indoors... I grimaced a little in the knowledge that he is having trouble monitoring his volume button.  He LOVED his morning at school and told me he played with new friends.  I can't wait to volunteer next week and see just how he does in his new school.