It's been a good two months that Lloyd has reported to friends and family his sighting of a bumblebee. He overheard me telling Papa about how he talked to all the moms at Rachel's swimming lessons. His subject: bumblebees and honeybees on the clover getting nectar. So now he tells us, without actually seeing a bee, that he has seen a bee.

His last "hang up" was wanting the light blanket, not the heavier one or the little one that was "too soft." And he wanted the blanket to cover his diaper. He currently wants no blanket at all.

He is the kid who, at two, has never been attached to anything. No pipe like Rachel until age four, no blankie like Rachel still, no finger sucking like Dallas since birth. He didn't even notice when his bottle was officially replaced with a cup. He does; however, have a fondness for graham crackers dipped in coffee, he picks his scabs, and he'll do me the favor of twirling his hair when sleepy.

Last year it was choo-choos. He'd call, "Mama." I'd answer, "What?" He'd say, "Choo-choo go woo-woo." This exchange would happen at least five times a day. I was tricked. I would get excited to see what he was thinking about, but then had to smile at the familiarity of Lloyd.

I call him Lloyd Kid or Kiddie and he calls me Mama Monster.