This is very much a documenting/journaling post. It’s long, and overly specific for my memory’s sake.
I haven’t posted an update on Scotland for quite some time, which is such a shame, becuase he’s at such a fun age. His speech grows in complexity and vocabulary by the day. 

Playground in the rain
These are the texts my Mom sent while we were in China documenting Scotland’s goings-on:
May 4, 2013

Scotter is happy as a lark. He’s loving all the kids and attention from two attntive mothers, Dantz and Adee.
May 7, 2013
Peaceful long night rests. Lengthy naps. Lots of smiles. Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 pieces of toast, a large glass of grape juice. Hours of lawn mowig with the gorcery cart while danz mowed the lawn.
He loved your phone message and said “Again!” after the first time so we listened to it a dozen times.
It’s 91 outside. Scotter has been running through the sprinkler. He just came in, stated that he was cold and wanted a warm coat and some hot cocoa!
May 8, 2013
Asked where the baby chickens’ arms were. Held a kitten and gently kissed and petted it softly. Asked wy the eyes were closed and where the daddy kitty was. Charmed the sisters at the quilting bee while he sat up to the table with them and ate the delicate sandwiches and yummy cakes with smiling eyes and  big appetite. No mess or fuss and many “Thank yous.” Played quietly in the hall at violin lessons as he downed the bag of crasins in the diaper bag and whimpered when he bit his finger trying to eat a handful at a time. Ran through sprinklers, mowed again, fed the dog, watered the horse. Played wild with Dantz while I went to a shower. This morning awoke all happy and crazy and silly. Played with the hose, buckets, mud, sticks, corcs, trucks and dog for a couple of hours, until I heard a loud cry of distress and raced over to find an earwig crawling around on his neck! Love you. Hope you’re having as good of time as we are.
May 9, 2013
Scotter continues to be exuberant independent and the life of the party.

May 10, 2013
Scotter’s adventures: meticulously scouted out every pine cone on the patio to enjoy plopping them in the pond. (I’m sure you’ll have just as much fun pullinig them out, right?!) Frequent bridge crossings. More hours of hose, mud, bugs, sticks, buckets, cups and any container he can scrape up. Watching him with the water and all his self found creative supply made me think how sterile the water play areas are at children’s museums in comparison. Tracing his hand and feet with chalk on the entry path. Had a hard time getting him to come from the bar. He was SOOOO enjoying the water trough, opening and closing gates, following the chickens around, making mounds with the wood chips, crawling back and forth through the fences, walkingalong boards like they were balance beams, etc. He is an outdoor boy all the way! He may never be completely clean agin. I’d pay a pretty penny to know the thoughts running through his head as he is intently focused, muttering softly, joyfully, doing exactly what he pleases in nature, with no inhibitions and a multitude of smiles.

Scotland asks “Where’s Adee?” several times a day.
May 12, 2013
Wakes up singing loud and boisterous as he scans through piles of books. Can’t get enough water. Perhaps a marine biologist is in his future. Watches pops fix sprinklers and goes around trying to adjust others himself even though he is getting a massive shower in the process. Runs back and forth with crazy gaits through sprinklers a joyful laughing sound ringing out. Climbing to the top of the fences and like a cat not sure how to get back down. Sweetly runs to Pops when he returns and gives big hugs. Wants me to chase and tickel and tease when I return. Eats spinach pasta salad like a hungry vegetarian and asks for more peppers and tomatoes. Can put away four peanut butter rhubarb jam sandwiches at a sitting. (I’m afraid he’s not saving any rhubarb jam for your return!) When praying blessed Mommy and Dady in China, and awlays each specific food by title. I could go on and on. Love you guys.

Enjoying the view’s and Grandma and Pop’s house
May 14, 2013
Mr. Scotter likes to be the manager of order. I go around opening doors and window shutters, and when I’m no looking he goes around and shuts them all. he likes making caves and tunnels and towers out of various mediums. This morning he was in the house playing while I was outside for a while, when I returned some of the kitchen garbage was on the floor. Then I went into Adee’s room and found a little pee on the carpet. I’m thought, “I guess I better not leave Scotter alone anymore, and it must be time to start potty training.” As I proceeded through the room I found more pee puddles. Scotter is no where to be found. Then I realize it had to be the dog. The one time Scotter didn’t close the door and look what happens! He is confident and Tuck and barvely stands up to him. He wants his hand or arm washed when Tuck licks him.

Building a lawnmower at Home Depot- his first hammer and nail experience.

* * * * *
And here are some more recent conversations with Scotland:

Today at lunch Scotland observed that I had finished my food. He asked:

“Do you want some more, Mommy?”
“No, I’m okay.”
He paused, then looked at me with his head tilted and asked in a sweet voice:
“Your tummy is full?”

After watching Tom get his hair cut, Scotland sat patiently while I cut his.

Last weekend when we were at my Mom’s I peeked in on Scotland soon after he had awoken from his nap. He was sitting contently in his crib, talking to himself. As I watched he sat, somewhat docilely looking out the window, then all of a sudden he hollered “It’s rhubarb time! Yayyyy!” at which point he proceeded to clap.

“It’s X-time!” is a new favorite phrase. “It’s church time.” “It’s sleep time!”
Or when we were at my Mom’s “It’s swimming time!”

We were at an indoor mall playground the other day and a woman was talking to another boy about dinosaurs. The boy told her that he had gotten a dinosaur at the mall. Scotland was observing the conversation, and then he walked right up to them and said: “I like dinosaurs.” At which point the woman asked, “Really? What’s your favorite dinosaur?”
“I like dragons.” Scotland replied.

The playground- our new backyard

The other day I had put on a pair of silk pink pajama pants with a colorful pink and purple shirt. When Scotland saw my outfit he said “You are handsome Mommy!”

Scotland has official entered the dumping stage, where playtime is always accompanied by emptying the contents of every bin and bucket of toys. 

Scotland can be incredibly loving and gentle. There have been a few times this week when he joined me for naps. Both times at one point he would snuggle up next to me, caress my face, and then put his little arm around my neck and pull me close. Today he was teasingly kissing me. For the first time he tried kissing me on the lips.

Waiting for the raptor program at the zoo

Today at the library I read a book called “Wild about books,” about a librarian who introduced the zoo animal to books. It’s a cleverly written and illustrated book that talks about how the animals went wild for books. About ¾ of the way in, Scotland looked at me with a smile and said “I love books too!” (Which was great to hear, because you wouldn’t think so considering his resistance to reading time at home.)

Lazy summer- One of our new favorite activities is eatting popcorn on our porch swing. 

Scotland is very interested in crying. He’s very aware of when other children are crying, usually pointing it out, and he will often report that other children cried if they were playing together. At times it is clear that his cries are fake and overly dramatized. He’ll often tell us “I’m crying.” Today after quite a vocal resistance to going down for a nap, I invited him to come in and nap with me. He laid down next to me, put his hands behind his head, and said “Now, I’m happy.”

“By self”- Scotland goes shopping.

Last week Tom had an intern get together at a bar’s happy hour. Never having been to a happy hour we brought Scotland along, only to be told he couldn’t attend. It was a big disappointment for him, as we had really talked up the event. He had even asked to wear a nice shirt, and stood patiently while I combed his hair. We reviewed proper restaurant etiquette in the car on the way over, and he practice what to say when someone asked him “How old are you?” Or “What is your name?” He walked confidently into the restaurant, like a little man. In an effort to still make the night fun, even though we left Tom alone at the restaurant we hit the grocery store to pick up some ice cream and a few other needed items on the way home. Scotland decided he wanted his own basket, and carried it throughout the entire store, at great effort. He got it into his head that because he had his own basket, he could do his own shopping. He walked down each aisle scanning the food making decisions from time to time. A can of sardines went in first, then he asked “Do we need peanut butter?” “No, we already have some.” “Oh, what about this kind?”, a cake mix, etc. Each time I explained to him, why that purchase wouldn’t be necessary. He’d listen intently and then agree, letting me put the item back. It was quite hilarious. 

My attempts at yoga while Scotland is awake usually look like this

We moved Scotland into a toddler bed, and took away his passy soon after we moved to Seattle. He transitioned out of the passy gracefully. The first night he was crying for quite a while. I went up there, sat at the end of his bed, and we talked about it. “Scotland, is it hard to fall asleep without a passy?” “Yeah!” “Do you miss your passy?” “Yeah.” “The thing is Scotter, you’re not a baby anymore. Because you can walk, and talk, jump and run, and that means you’re not a baby and passys are just for babies.” “Oh.” “So, your passy is all gone.” He looked at me, considering. And then said, “Passy’s dirty, it’s broken.” “Yeah, your passy is broken so we got rid of it.” He listented intently through the whole conversation, admitting that his passy was old, and did have a rip in it, and thus was due to be thrown out. I sympathized with his transition and suggested otherways to comfort himself so he could fall asleep (snuggle with teddy, hug blankie.) Apparently, they were good enough for him, because he quickly fell asleep. The next night we had a similar chat, though shorter and he fell asleep. The next night- no problems. The transiton to toddler bed has been much more difficult, it takes a great deal of discipline to lay still on one’s bed when surrounded by toys. His nap times are by-and-large “Quiet times” now, where he just plays in his room. As a result he’s been falling asleep in weird places, at weird times. Yesterday he didn’t take a nap until 5:00. He wakes up before his ready and walks out of his room, unable to fall back asleep- where he would have once sat up for a minute in his crib, only to fall back asleep a few minutes later. 

He continues to be a remarkably easy child. (Especially when you give him lots of opportunities to run and jump.) He’s generally happy, willing to help and obey. Mothering is easy with him. We feel abundantly blessed!