Lot 10 Linden Grove: Happy Third Birthday, Otto

Oh, Otto. He's 3 years old now! And he continues to be our silly sweetheart.

After I had many of my memories from this year captured, I took a stroll down memory lane by re-reading my post from Otto's 2nd Birthday. Many of the observations I made last year rose to the top again this year, and his voice and singing were a couple of them.

Over the past year Otto has grown so incredibly much. A year ago he was still learning words and short phrases. Now he talks a lot. A year ago I referred to Otto's voice as "bubbly." More recently I've been describing it as "staccato." Very brief and abrupt between words and thoughts. For awhile now, when Otto talks, "staccato signals of constant information" (from Paul Simon's Graceland) has started playing in my head. I think the song makes reference to military intel via SOS signals, and I actually feel like I'm listening to SOS (and sometimes trying to decipher it) when Otto talks his voice is so staccato.

But mostly Otto sings.

For the past couple months Otto has been creating little music studios throughout our house. He'll set up shop - which includes the Ukelele and all of my curling irons and flat irons (which, of course, are his microphones). But for this birthday, Auntie Jamie got him a real guitar. And now he is playing his guitar all day long. Literally. When I was home with him and Wren last week he sang all day and "tuned" his guitar and plugged in cords for all his microphones. He shut himself in the bathroom and every time I'd check on him he was busy singing and practicing his music, five curling iron microphones lined up, planning his next jam session.

Otto with his new guitar from Auntie Jamie

Getting ready to sing

Playing a song (microphone not too far away, ready for when he needs it)

And here's a little of his singing. While he was in the bathroom I just had to capture a soundbite from outside the closed door. I have no idea what he's singing...possibly made up, possibly Hebrew.

Perhaps fitting with his singer/musician kick, he also loves his long hair. Particularly his ponies (& piggies sometimes). He insists he doesn't want his hair cut. He wants his pony tail. Sometimes I put them in his hair, but usually his teacher Amy at school does his hair for him (as well as the rest of the kids in his class:).

Speaking of school, his teachers adore him. And we adore them. They are three of the best teachers we've had for the kids. Incredibly observant and always sharing detailed stories about Otto. Awhile ago, shortly after Otto started in their classroom and without knowledge of how Joe and I describe Otto's personality and strengths, they began observing similar things as us.

Most frequently are their stories of how innovative Otto is. That he mixes and matches toys, using them for things they are not intended. He'll create amazing things and then lead (through example rather than verbally persuading) most of his class to this new use of the toys that he's dreamt up and implemented.

Over the past year Otto has physically grown a ton, too. I cannot wait for his three year check-up next week. He seems so tall and has feet the size of skis - I'm curious if he's off the charts or if it just feels like it! He's totally leaned out, too. A year ago he had a bit of meat on his bones, but he's pretty much skin, bones and muscle these days. In fact, when I switched Wren from formula to whole milk, I decided to switch Otto from skim to whole (or at least 1% or 2%) because he was too frequently waking up at 5am saying he was hungry. He doesn't drink any more milk than he did before, but I swear he's less hungry (and hangry) now that he's getting a little more fat in his diet.

And as much as I say he's so tall, when I hold him he seems so tiny because his body structure is so different than Max's was/is. Just the other day for his nap Otto insisted on sleeping inside his pillow case instead of using his blankets. He was like a tiny little mouse curled up in a matchbox.

For Otto's Birthday celebration last week I hung balloons in a couple of the doorways by our kitchen. Otto is so kind-hearted. When he woke up and saw the balloons, right away he said "Oh look! A little one for Wren (it had deflated a bit and was tiny)." Then he counted each of the balloons... 1 - 2 - 3 - 4...! WOW! They're a LOT of balloons. I'll take one to Wren and Max (who were still in bed sleeping so I begged Otto not to go running into their rooms with balloons!)

After he saw the first set of balloons hanging in one doorway, he went to another archway and saw "MORE" (which still sounds like "moy" when he says it because Otto's "R's" are pronounced like "oy") hanging!!!

Next week I will celebrate belated with his class by reading some of his favorite books and sharing a bit about his baby memory quilt with his school friends.

Oohhh, I love our Otto. He is so kind and sweet and silly. I love his sincerity when he says "Thank You" or "I love you too so much" or asks Max "I have a turn when you're done?" or he tells Auntie Jamie "Thank you for celebrating my Birthday."