I really like cars. No no. I love cars. LOVE them. I love them little. I love them big. I love them racing. I love them working. I love them fast. I love them slow. I love EVERY thing about them. I have so many. So so many. Sometimes I take them to bed and find them under my pillow. Sometimes I forget to put them ALL away and Momma or Daddy step on one, or two, or many…or sit on them on the couch. I get cars for pooping. I get cars for filling up my chart. I get cars for doing my chores all week.

Cars. Cars. Cars.

I can’t imagine a life without cars. And I can imagine A LOT!!!

So, imagine my surprise when we went on a field adventure a little bit ago, and Momma showed me someplace called a Pony stop…no… an Expires stop…no…a Pony Express Stop!! Get this…cars didn’t USED to be here. Like…there were no cars. Wai…wai…wai…wait!!! NO CARS???? Mind = blown. People used to ride around on horses to take notes and mail and stuff to other people! Whaaat?! Why??!!!

I guess it is true because there was a building and stuff and a bunch of words on a sign that say so.

I have to think about this for awhile. No cars…pfff. Horses!?

I have been writing these notes for as long as I can remember- even before I turned 1. That was pretty tricky at first!! I had to hide these from Momma.  Some people know me, but maybe some of you just started reading and wonder who I am. Well, I’m Nate-  I’m a brother, a son, a nephew, a grandson, a cousin. Sure I’m a loud, moody, toddler boy who loves cars and is afraid of the dark, but that isn’t all that I am. What makes me tick? Where did I come from? What do I like or not like? Well, I’ll tell you…

I get it!

Making lists…

Names– I’m Nate- “real” name is Nathaniel C.S. Kitchens (C and S are my secret- just because, but mostly because I can’t remember them right now!). My family calls me other names too though. Momma calls me sweetie (*Eye roll*…so embarrassing). Daddy calls me Buddy or Mr. Man (He’s my best friend.) I bet you guys don’t have a super hero for a best friend!! Lyla (a.k.a annoying little sister who isn’t leaving) calls me Net-Net-Net-Net etc. She repeats things a lot.

Age– I’m THIS many (number of fingers changes each time I show people). No seriously- I got this.   I’m 3. Not 3 years old. Just 3. Not just any 3.

Origins– My story didn’t start that happy or easily. I don’t know all of it, but Momma and Daddy tell me more and more as I get taller. I do know that I was in another Mommy’s belly- She gave me the name Nathaniel. I do know that Momma and Daddy dreamed about me, said prayers about me, and keep saying prayers for that other Mommy.   I was sick for awhile before I met Momma and Daddy. I am safe now. I am safe and I am loved.

What makes me tick?- I love moving; even when I sit, it is hard to be still. Hey, quit with the judgy eyes- I’m 3. I’m a boy. 3 year old boys move all the time. I love stories. Read to me, tell them to me, just give me a story. Now. I love to imagine and pretend. Sometimes I pretend Lyla is gone and it is just me and Momma playing all day. Sugar. Sugar makes me tick. I don’t get enough, so I usually have sugar withdrawal symptoms that make me to move faster and then go limp when you touch me. You should give me more. Sugar and red dye. Give me more. Okay okay. Calm down.  Everybody calm …down.   I DO love my vitamins and probiotics!!  If you are reading this and you too are a misunderstood toddler who gets tired of big people talking, just start talking about probiotics…it freaks them out to hear a 2 and 3 year old talk about that stuff.  Works every time.  I like puzzles and projects, building things and bike rides. I like air. Without enough outside time, I feel/act like an animal. Momma calls me an animal sometimes. Shame on her- she knows what she needs to do. Laughing. Laughing is perfect. Making my big people laugh and laughing with them is the best feeling. Hopefully I make you laugh sometimes. Apparently there are times I shouldn’t laugh, like when Daddy is using a deep, angry voice and telling me to stop something. But he looks so cute like that-he’s just a big softy. Field adventures– I really do like exploring and seeing new things with Momma and Daddy, even Lyla. And we usually get new stories during the adventures.  Attention makes me tick. If I’m not getting enough, repeating, “Hey…hey…hey” in louder and longer ways usually works. My lovey– this amazing blanket (not original thanks to Daddy) doubles as a cape when needed. Enough said.

I don’t like-Many rules. Okay, ANY rules. Unless they are my rules. Cameras. I don’t like those darn tootin’ cameras out all the time. Or maybe it is the embarrassing shenanigans that Momma does with them (kneeling in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, laying on a park bench, laying UNDER a park bench, straddling a hole in ground, making animal sounds at zoo to get straight shot of said animals, etc.)? Either way, I blame the cameras. Sharing– sharing my things or my big people.   It isn’t realistic so stop making me share everything. And you don’t share all your stuff with me!! Life isn’t fair- get over it. But can I have some of your ice cream please? Transitions. Way hard. I don’t like stopping my fun just because you tell me to. As for food, I don’t like broccoli, white cheese, potatoes and most canned vegetables. You could cut the food budget WAY down if you just stop with that nonsense. I also don’t like food or things hot, spicy or cold. I like food just right. And you have to figure out what that “just right” is- I know you can.

BIG life events so far… Ummm…I’m here- I made it even with some hard parts at the beginning!  Meeting Momma and Daddy.  Meeting Lyla (*eye roll). Meeting all my big people- grandmas, papa, nana,  cousins, aunties, and uncles.  Getting the last name “Kitchens”.   Learning that eggs don’t bounce.  Road trips to Oregon, Minnesota and Canada.  Getting Uncle Tim Legos- that needs NO explanation!  Getting my own camera. (Whaaat?!) Breaking my collar bone– snapped it in half while reading “8 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”!  Alaska- BIG Adventure with big animals and car, boat, train, bus (bleh), and plane rides!  Bumping and cutting my head open- bonked my brain good and it still bothers me. Starting preschool next week!

This is pretty much me on paper. I want to write as long as I can, as long as Momma and Daddy let me, so hopefully you will keep reading my notes. Not every kid gets to share things like I do, so I know that is special. I start Preschool next week, so I will have new stories and new people to teach about textures, pictures and laughing.

Thank you for reading. Bye for now!

**(Seriously though- who ISN’T afraid of the dark??? I know a lot of you big people are still. Why do you think we crawl into your bed in the middle of the night? To protect you!)**

For someone who likes lists so much…Momma sure got this one wrong. She showed me the picture list of all the things we were going to ride on this trip in Alaska. It went: CAR. BOAT. BUS. PLANE…

I may be little. And I may not have a formal education yet…but this is NOT a plane. This is a train. Don’t get me wrong! I LOVE that we are on a train!!! But I just want to be clear…a train is not a plane.

So all the sickies recovered from the fun wave ride on the boat, and we took a bus trip here, where we met cool friends and now are getting ready to get on a train!!!

Back to this bus ride. Kids my age aren’t meant to sit still for that long….we aren’t meant to be quiet for that long…we aren’t meant to transition from one thing to the next without having a hard time. How would you like to be bossed around all the time, told what to do, when to do it, how to do it?  We are meant to LIVE!!! Let us LIVE! LET! US! LIVE!!!!

Anyway, no real harm done. It’s not like the bus ride was 6 hours long or anything. Now THAT would be harsh. Here we are, on the train!! A train!!! Lyla keeps saying, “Chugga! Chugga!” which is pretty cute, even I’ll admit that.   This is WAY better than a bus. We get to walk around, go outside, see everything, and eat snacks…all while the train is moving!!!

The train guy yelled, “All Aboard!” and we climbed up to our seats. On my way, I made sure I told everyone, “A train is NOT a plane.” And Lyla squeaked, “chugga chugga!”.  Momma shook her head and made weird eyes at me. Here we gooooo!!!!   I can’t wait to tell you all about this adventure! It is totally the best field adventure EVER!!

Lyla on the outside car of the train! It was windy!

Alaska Train!!

As we got in our seats, I heard Momma say to Daddy, “Hopefully this will be so fun that he won’t mind being on a bus for 7 hours tomorrow!!”

Whaaatt??!!!! Do you want to see my angry face???

It’s hard to be three. I think I’ve made my point with that a few times. But lucky for those of you who don’t learn as fast as I do, toddler skill #14 is repeating things over and over…and over. 

And over.

So yea, it’s hard to be three. It’s even harder to be three and have a banged up brain. See, I was running/racing inside on a rainy day (yes, it was a Momma-approved activity- so put your eyebrows down)…and my wheels went flat. I crashed. I crashed right into a door and the bottom thingy that sticks out. It cut open my head, made it hurt inside and outside, and made a mess. It hurt so bad, all I wanted to do was go to sleep. I tried, but Momma was mean and didn’t let me. Neither did any of the people that helped me at the *hopstitaw. I had to stay awake, look at lights, walk, wait for awhile, get cleaned up and have my head glued back together. Yep, they glued my head! So cool. Usually I get to use glue for projects, but now I have glue on my head!! So. Cool.

(SIDE NOTE: Can you believe that while I was bleeding and hurting, Momma was looking around at all the machines in the *hopstitaw and saying she wished she had her camera??? Excuse me while I roll my eyes and lay here hurting. This WAS after the doctor decided I could go home…but still…enough with those darn tootin’ cameras.)

Anyway…I haven’t been feeling very good since then. My head hurt inside for awhile, my tummy was angry, I was really tired, and just wanted to cry a lot. Even though Momma and Daddy and all my big people have been really nice to me, and have taken care of me, they still ask me to do things I don’t wanna do. I think that with a banged up brain, I should get a break for awhile. Seems okay to me. Lyla should learn to do more anyway!! She’s almost two and still doesn’t do that much. Sheesh.

It has been in this time of my brain getting better that I learned about negotiating…kind of like Momma’s whole “give and take” speech. Except that when you are hurt, you can kinda take more. Pssst…that’s a secret. So here are some times when I started practicing this new trick…err, I mean skill.

Don’t wanna eat what Momma gives me. “If I eat two bites, can I have that magic cookie that will make my tummy and head feel better? And then I don’t have to eat any more bites of this because it makes my head huwt?”  

Don’t wanna take a nap. “I’m feeling kinda sad Momma, and my head huwts inside. Can I sit on yow lap and get a big hug and wead lots of stowies and then play with my caws and then maybe it won’t be nap time anymore? Can we do that? I will even help you clean. Would that be good?”

Momma says we can read 2 books before dinner. “So, this book isn’t a long story, so I was thinking that maybe we could wead fwee books.   (WHEN SHE STARES…) Oh what a pwedicament. You wanna wead four books then? Not fwee? Would that make you happy? Are you so happy? Say something Momma!”

At the flea market with Daddy. “Can I touch that Daddy? No? What about this? But I want to! Do you want my help? Yes? Okay. Excuse me. Hey hey hey…would I like this flamingo (now getting to touch it)? How much? How much is this flamingo mister?! It’s not fow sale? But I weally like it! How much do you want? Hey hey- But I hit my head!”

These are just the easy ones. I’m still practicing. It works a lot though! Watch out. When I get really good, I’m gonna figure out how to get my hands on Momma’s camera and computer for good.

*Momma’s Note: hopstitaw= hospital. Nate just says it differently; it isn’t a spelling error.

Nate is unfortunately still not feeling great after his concussion last week, and isn’t up to writing much. Since it is Thanksgiving Week, I decided to ask my little guy what he was thankful for, what makes him happy. These are his responses…and I quote:

“Thank you fow my food. Thank you fow my family. Thank you fow my special planes. Thank you fow my special fwiends. Amen.”

“I like playing with Windlifter, Blade, Dusty and all that stuff.”

“Matching things makes me smile, which is the same as happy. So can we do that?”

“Putting chapstick on makes me happy. Thank you fow chapstick. Sometimes my lips just hurt. It is a pwedicament.”

“Thank you fow my multivitamin and my pwobiotics. I LOVE pwobiotics. They are delicious. Do you?”

“I like stowies. They make me happy. Can you tell me a stowie? No…not that one.”

“Chwistmas makes me sooooo happy. Hey- is it Chwistmas?”

“Momma?  I’m not happy or saying thank you fow bumping my head.  Is that okay?”

And there you have it.  We are hoping he’ll be back at it next week!  Stay tuned.