Beau at 2 1/2 Years Old

There are so many things to say about Beau at 2 1/2 years old . . . where to begin?!?!  Beau has such a strong personality and not a second of "laid back second child" at all!  He has the biggest laughs and the biggest frowns, can be crazy happy and crazy mad, and can be the sweetest little guy or the not so sweetest little guy.  I don't think our family would trade a bit of Beau because he keeps us all on our toes.  He mostly thinks he's 4 like Lincoln and doesn't understand when he can't participate in something because he's really 2.  In truth, he has the vocabulary and intelligence of at least a 4 year old and always amazes me with his crazy smart little mind.  He never forgets anything!  Driving down the street brings out so many memories that he has to remind me every detail of, such as "Whataburger that Pop Pop gets him lunch from, Cane's where we went to buy chicken strips but they were closed that day, little MiCo where we went as a small family, big TomTom where we buy a lot of food, the ice cream store for chocolate messy cones" - it seems like they are all about food!  Speaking of food, Beau is a very confident eater and always sure about what he wants to eat.  The only two things I know that Beau doesn't like are blueberries and meatloaf.  Everything else is pretty ok.  His favorites are pork tenderloin, any kind of chicken, rotini, broccoli, strawberries, apples, bananas, yogurt, ice cream sandwiches, Popsicles, cheese, crackers, any snacks, and birthday cake!  Pretty well-rounded if you ask me!  Beau can carry on a conversation like no other 2 1/2 year old, and he amazes people every where we go.  He is so confident in his communication skills and knows exactly what he wants to say.  His teachers at school always marvel at how quickly he picks up things and takes the lesson or story to the next level.  We are a family of talkers, and Beau doesn't miss a thing!  The boys are always arguing over who "said it first" and that can drive us crazy!  I'm secretly thrilled that sometimes Beau wins and keeps up with Lincoln without missing a beat.   Beau really does adore his big brother and loves to join in Lincoln's made up adventures.  Sometimes we laugh at their crazy imaginations and stories they make up together.  I'm not always sure that Beau knows what he's doing, but he loves to have fun with Lincoln's schemes!  Thankfully, Beau is still happy to sleep in his crib tent.  I know one day he'll need to transition to a toddler bed, but for now I'm enjoying that he doesn't have freedom and doesn't care!  He's been wearing pull-ups for a while now and going in the little potty some.  We've beefed up our efforts on using the potty in the last week and have talked a lot about being a big boy potty user.  Friday will be our first day with underwear, and we are excited!  He chose his first pair (Thomas the Train, which he knows absolutely nothing about, but they were hand-me-downs from Lincoln) for tomorrow, and we stocked up on lots of indoor activities and M&Ms for rewards.  I am super sure that Beau can learn to use the potty without accidents because he's so smart in general, but I am aware that his need to do things on his terms could get in the way.  Did I say that Beau is extremely strong-willed?  Often telling him not to do something that we secretly want him to do is the only way to accomplish said action . . . not sure how that's going to translate to potty training.  We have a plan and are ready for action!  Beau is the best Beau Thomas Kuhlman ever, and we are so blessed that he is in our family.  He can give the squishiest hugs and say the sweetest things and melt us all with his blue eyes.  We love our Beau-Beau so much!