It's the simple things. . .

The other night I heard Joey talk in his sleep.  He said, "I love you, Papa."  When I told him about it, he was so excited.  He later explained to Jose that he was "sleep talking." (I guess he got this from "sleep walking", too cute.)  Joey always relates well to people, trying to share similar experiences.  He told Jose, "Daddy, I was sleep talking and said, 'I love you, Papa' just like you said, 'That smurf, he. . .he kicked me!'"  (By the way, Jose's funniest "sleep talking" quote yet.  Jose, Joey and I always laugh about it.)

Joey isn't fond of peppermint, yet.  So, candy canes don't have that allure to him, but yet he has really wanted the experience.  The other night at his "tumbling" class, they gave him a fruit-flavored candy cane.  He was so excited.  Joey broke off a piece and repeatedly kept taking it out of his mouth saying, "Mom, look at it now!"  He was so excited about how much smaller it was getting.  I remember those days - oh, the joys!

Joey is so excited about Christmas.  I have to attribute some of the excitement to his preschool.  When you walk in the room, the home center has been transformed into "Santa's Workshop," fully equipped with 2 trees for decorating and various Christmas dress-up clothes - Santa hats, Xmas aprons, etc.  He has brought home so many special Xmas crafts.  Today, each student made their own gingerbread house.  The teachers prepared small houses made with graham crackers and included a Xmas tree which was an ice cream cone turned upside down, covered in green frosting.  Wow!  I always say that Joey is in the best preschool in San Antonio, and I believe it!  It's just what preschool should be - learning and being loved.

I have to say - Joey has had a "perfect" month at school.  He has received "happy faces" all month as of yet.  For his class, part of the discipline program is a calendar for the month.  On each day, the student receives a happy face or a short note.  And, although the teachers are kind in their notes (ex.  Joey had a rough day), Joey cries every time he doesn't get a happy face.  I am so thankful he is so motivated.

Tomorrow we will be visiting a friend who recently had surgery.  I mentioned to Joey that his swim teacher was having a surgery, and he said, "We need to go visit her."  She was more than willing to have us over this week.  So, tomorrow we will be taking her construction paper gingerbread man with a band-aid on his hip that states, "Get Well, Cindy," a cranberry nut bread (which I hope is fully baked), and the cards from some of the students she teaches at school.  Joey has a good heart - thinking of others.