Isaac has been in karate for about 18 months now and I can safely say that other than school and having a little brother, it has been the best experience he has had in his young life.  This has transformed him.  He is physically fit, coordinated, and now, 18 months in, he is showing real skill.  This is strange to say, but I think Isaac has real talent in karate. 

He practices all of the time, walking around the house doing kicks and punches, sometime perilously close to his little brother's head.  He loves his kama and there is a regular click and clack to the pattern.  He is getting better.  His roundhouse kick, which was sloppy and confused in the beginning, is sharp, precise, powerful, and elegant. 

Isaac has become incredibly flexible.  He can do the splits like most people walk and his pride in the ability is heartening. I love watching him drop and show off a tiny bit.  Its nice to have a calling card of cool when you are six, something that everyone can see but few can do.

And so its a great vantage point--watching a little guy enjoy doing something they are good at.  And in case you are wondering, neither Bianca nor I have any appreciate equivalent talent.  I did Taekwondo for seven years, but my biggest skill was absorbing punches.  We are lucky, our local karate studio, FMAC, is incredible and they deserve a lot of the credit, but so does Isaac.

Every day we get three or four new words.  In a week, Ethan can go from a phrase to a compound sentence on a given topic.  Watching and listening to all of this is pretty incredible.  It reminds me just how powerful a learning device the brain of a toddler is.  Our most powerful computer pales in comparison.  Here are some of his most popular new phrases:

"Look at me!": this one is perfectly clear with no "kid speak" at all.  Even someone that doesn't know the Beeth will understand what he is saying.  And this is an increasingly common phrase, whether it is uttered after he sneaks up on to the top of the dining room table or is splashing in the pool.

"Coo Me": This is a new one too and something Beeth uses, thus far, differently than Isaac at two.  Isaac at two would use "excuse me" basically to tell you that he is about to bowl you over.  Ethan on the other hand uses it correctly.  But, unlike Isaac, if you don't immediately move out the way, Beeth goes bananas.

"iPaad" There is a bit of a drawn out "AH" in the middle, but it is clear what the Beeth wants--he wants the iPad.  This is mostly uttered when Isaac is using the iPad or he sees it at a time he cannot have it.  

"ABCD Mouse" Isaac's addiction to ABC Mouse has caused a bit of Monkey See Monkey Do with Ethan and he has the name just a bit wrong, adding a "D" that is not normally there. 

In addition to these new phrases we get a lot of "deep voice" Ethan when he is trying to emphasize something.  "ABCD!" In a deep bellow often rings out as does a request for "TINY CHOCOLATES!"

Beeth talking is amazing.  Charting his grow is even more amazing. 

Yes, it is the fate of the second child to have a belated birthday post.  No, it is not because we love him any less.  Its because we are probably at the very least twice as busy.  So as between posting and watching the Beeth get his Play Do on, I choose the latter, even if it involves him yelling "No, Daddy!" a lot as I get him the wrong Play Do implement over and over again.

But it is time to say: Happy Birthday Ethan Joseph!

I would have never guessed or imagined that two children from the same two people could be as different as Isaac and Ethan are.  Isaac is a thinker, something of a quiet kid.  Ethan will just tell you like it is.  If Isaac's off on his own it is because he needs to sort things out.  If Beethan is, its because, well, he could give shit what everyone else is doing.  Bianca and I have a saying and it is simple: "Beethie don't give a F***."  It is a clear shift in demeanor and it is uniquely Ethan.  Their faces are different.  Their eyes are different.  Their hair is different.  Their walks, even at the same age, are different.  They are just two totally unique people.

And what a wonderful person Ethan has turned into.  Even in his most "I could care less moments" Ethan is still incredibly polite.  He loves sharing, and especially gets a kick out of people appreciating what it is that he is sharing.  He always says "thank you," which comes out as "can coo."  He always wants to give something to his big brother, which comes out as "ear ooo go brudder." 

Ethan has also forced us all, myself, Bianca and Isaac, to go out of our comfort zones.  We had Play Do before, but for Ethan it is a huge deal.  We also liked the basement before, but Ethan could live down there.  And Isaac likes the sandbox, while Ethan, I think would happily join a Berber tribe and wander the Sahara.

Isaac was a gift to us.  Ethan is a gift to all three of us.  And seeing the two boys make each other laugh and smile is a gift to anyone that experiences it. 

Happy Birthday The Beeth.  We love you.