Oliver Gerard Harms.
At just 3.5 years old Oliver has fulfilled our adventures with laughs, meltdowns, joy, and above all, love. Oliver took turning 3 as turning into a real boy-straight up Pinocchio style, but also quite different. I often find myself torn between amazement and asking all clocks to just stop. Here are just a few of my favorite phrases gathered in last 6 months:
Oliver has a clear and yet unique concept of Time:
“I did this running all day”
“we only do that yesterday”
“Remember when it was Christmas just yesterday?” (we are currently in the month of December)
“I can’t wait for Halloween tomorrow. I have been waiting all my life” (we are still in the current month of December)
“”we need to get to the store right away..It just might close!”
“I just need my walkie coffee (walkie talkie) right away before anyone gets it next time”
“why are you always in such a rush mommy?”
“what time is it? (checks watch) Oh, it’s 14 dollars.”
“Daddy, let me measure you..yup just as I thought..you’re 5 dollars tall”
Oliver is a patroller by morning and through evening..sometimes and if we are really lucky… throughout the midnight hours..
Lifts a “phone” to ear, “Sergent 111, we have an emergency and yes I’ll be there right away..we need back up..overnout”
“Have you seen horrible bad guys? I like to take care of my customers.”
“No one goes in the street on my watch!”
Oliver takes patrolling so seriously, he is quite willing to tell on himself:
“Mommy..I have some truth to tell you..I took half a bat Halloween cookie and held it by my side and ate it downstairs..annnd I left crumbs”
At 3, we even have our hard days,
“I will be talking to myself since you are not nice today.”
“I just can not remember my nice word, please, so instead I will say plea”
“Today i just can not remember any of my nice words so I will probably be in time out.”
“I think I am having a bit of a rough day, but I know we will get through it”
Oliver has been taking it to the next level in pretend play:
We spend many of our days doing house tours, hospital tours, and fire truck tours. Oliver is the tour guide and often has a patrol team or kids behind him….its difficult for me to set the table with some many extra “visitors.”
When Oliver is Dr. Oliver for the day, one of his favorite tasks is to check the “glub pressure.”
I overheard the guide mention one sunny afternoon, “and here we keep our luggage and leg breakers (but we are very very gentle) we are ambulance number 5 because we always take care of 5 emergencies.”
“Hey sun?! Can you dry this puddle for me? And also don’t forget to play with your friends in the rain and cloud..and include the planets like earth, mars, and jupiter! Thanks! Overnout” #justgettinginthecarforgroceries
~Some days are difficult to keep up with Oliver’s many needs:
“I need you to talk normally”
“I need you to use your real English”
“I need you to relax mom, I can totally handle this”
“I need everything on the right and everything on the left.” (points in opposite directions)
” I need everyone in the world to be happy.”
~Some of my favorite days are the rational yet reflective days (most of these come out 15 min after bed time):
“You know libraries are libraries because they are just so quiet inside”
“What is difference between characters and figures?”
“Houses need people and friends.”
“Wolves sleep in the night time and awake in the day time”
“Boys are always sometimes silly”
“Please..how hard can it be? Easy Peasy.”
“Where are you going mommy? (I replied that I was going to vote for the president of the United States of America) “but you don’t need to vote, Captain America takes care of America.” #2016election
“Is this a hexagon or an octagon?”
“you know I just love being regular size Oliver”
“I can’t chose to use English right now because it is just too loud”
“I think Nora is cranky because she’s got cavities in her teeth and that means holes and we should all go to the dentist” #reflectionsbeforemass
“The smell of your pasta is really exhausting.” (night 3 of 5 with Daddy traveling)
“why do all the parents go downstairs when the little boys are trying to sleep?”
~And sometimes we are just a heartmelter:
“you know I just love my Grandpa because he has a mustache like my daddy has a mustache” (told in the summer after Grandpa had passed in January)
“This is my baby sister, Nora, I protect my sister.”
“Mommy, you are just the best.”
“My Grandma is the best because she lives in Chicago, Richmond.”
“Sometimes I get sad because I just miss and love my daddy.”
“I love my Nana because she loves fire trucks”.
“Mommy-you just pick out the best snacks in the whole world from the grocery store.” (after receiving an apple)
“Of course I remember Grandpa, because I love him.”
“I have lots of freckles on my face like you mommy-they probably came from the stars.”
“I’ve just been waiting my whole life for this.” (in reference to almost any daily activity).
There is no other oldest son I’d rather take on my adventures with..keeps me on my toes, my heels and probably my elbows if he could….Love this little human..
With a grand hug and an emotional smile,
Meg
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virginiaisformeg 