Imaginary Things

I've been spending some time "observing" Mercer. Lately, when I'm putting him down for his nap, I've also been laying down for a nap of my own in the bed next to his crib. I have a habit of waking up 10 - 15 minutes after I fall asleep (sometimes, the power-nap is annoying, but for the most part it's a good thing). After I wake up, I lay there - pretending to still be asleep & get to listen to him talk, play, and sing as he's trying to wind down for his own slumber. It seems that I need that mid-day nap with him on the weekends for the benefit of the quick refresher and i "need" to be around to see these cute things that he's doing. It's really been a pleasure observing him!

- He talks to his toys or stuffed animals that are in his bed. He talks to the froggy. Here, drink water.

- He drives cars along the side-rail like it's a road.

- He has even put some of his toys in time out! (I didn't catch what they did to deserve their punishment.)

- He sings little songs.... most of which I don't recognize. Either he's making them up or he's learning new songs at school.

Outside of nap-time, he uses a bumble-bee rattle and shoots it like a gun, making shooting sounds. He has a olive-wood cross that a dear friend gave him for his baptism. He flies it around like an airplane and makes flying sounds. He "feeds" Todd and myself fake food and makes chomping sounds.

LOVE seeing his imagination coming out! It's something that's been developing over the past several weeks... and I'm excited to see what else comes to life.

Mercer is sporting a new haircut - as seen in these photos. Some of the pictures are random shots around the house and others are at his friend Jackson & Glady's house making valentine sugar cookies.

Yesterday, we went to a movie at the dollar theater called "Despicable Me."

*SPOILER ALERT* if you intend to see it, skip the next paragraph.

It's an animated cartoon about a villain who adopts three girls to help him with one of his evil ploys. They get sent back to the orphanage after he pulls off his feat, but his heart is softened. He misses the girls, so he goes back for them and they live happily ever after as a 'unique' family.

This is the first time that Mercer sat through an entire movie at the theater. (We tried a free movie last summer - Toy Story 3 - but he didn't quite make it all the way through that one.)

He got scared a few times during this movie over the weekend... the cartoon dog on screen would growl at characters in the film... or there would be an action scene or two... but nothing really violent. He would cover his eyes and hide his head in my shoulder. I got to spend a part of the film cuddling and comforting. (yay!)

Overall he liked going. Proof: this morning when he woke up, he asked to eat popcorn and watch a movie on the really big t.v. again : - )

Have a great week ahead~ Candice, Todd, and Mercer