LUC & LIA-ISMS

today, while i was nursing lia, luc told me: 'did you know, i can share some of my milk with you? this one is milk {pointing to one side of his chest} and this one is apple juice {pointing to the other side}. and THIS one {pointing to his belly button} is POPCORN!'

lia hums when she crawls and while she's falling asleep. 'mmm mmmm mmmmm' constantly! it's so darn cute!

luc has started saying everything is 'awesome!' or 'terrible.' HAHA, its hilarious! he will frown and say 'oh this is terrrrrrrrrrrible!' when something goes wrong. and the other day he told me 'mom, you are awesome! high five me!'

lia will only eat food that comes off my plate. if it goes onto her tray and it wasn't on my plate first, it goes straight on the floor. {with the exception of white cheddar cheetos. she LOVES white cheddar cheetos} so i spend a lot of time lately hiding whatever i'm eating that she can't have and only putting on my plate {in her view} things i can give her too. yesterday she caught me eating an apple and when i wouldn't give it to her, she screamed like she was on fire. seriously, she was hysterically mad. this girl takes her food very seriously.

luc used to call cantaloupe 'orange watermelon' and he'd always ask for an 'orange watermelon rainbow' {a whole slice of cantaloupe} but he's learning words by the hundreds these days and recently started saying cantaloupe. except he pronounces it 'quantawope' and i love it so much.

lia puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, and if she can't fit it in her mouth, she licks it instead. i'll be sitting on the floor playing with luc and she will crawl over and pull herself up standing and lick my shoulder or cheek, and then get down and go find something else to lick. if luc hugs her, she licks his hair or ear- whatever she can get her mouth on. it's hilarious when i don't think about the amount of germs she ingests daily.

luc knows all his letters by sight and is starting to recognize words. everywhere we go, he will start reading the letters he sees, like while we're walking across the parking lot he is reading 'T-A-R-G-E-T' and then he gets excited and says 'that spells TRAIN, mom!!' so far all T words spell train, haha.

when lia sees me or papa after a nap or when papa gets home from work, she grins, squeals, and kicks her little feet furiously like she's air swimming. kick kick kick, she's so excited, she can't contain it! it's one of my most favorite things about her.

LUC-ISMS

last week, while sitting on the potty, he excited informed me: 'tomorrow, i'm gonna be a big boy and do everyfing wif wee-a, mom. i'm gonna play wif her and exercise wif her.'

'i'm your bigger, better helper, mom!'

at dinner a few weeks ago, he announced 'oh! i have important news!' and when we asked him what it was, he thought for a bit and said 'ummm.... it's a surprise.'

when he's doing something he knows he's not supposed to do, and i catch him, he'll quickly run over and give me a huge hug, and declare loudly 'I LOVE YOU TOO!'

whenever lia puts something in her mouth, he'll try to take it away from her and tell her 'no wee-a, you only eat milk!'

every time i  comb his hair, immediately after i'm done, he rubs his hands all over his head and declares 'I DON'T WANT TO BE BOOTIFUL!'

luc was rescuing bugs out of the swimming pool the other day, and when he couldn't find any more to rescue, he exclaimed triumphantly 'the world is saved!'

his favorite letter is T because TRAIN starts with T, but he just learned what sound A makes. so he goes around singing 'T is for TRAIN,  it makes the sound ah ah ah.'

after i had kissed his face all over- 'oh, thats lots a kisses mom. that's enough!' but when he saw my sad face, he ran right over and give me a big smooch on the lips. he is a spirited, playful little tease, but he's such a sweetheart too.

when he wants to do something himself he say 'i do it by my own!'

last week luc and papa were discussing bedtime, and luc was stalling. then i overheard this:
luc: 'mom is gonna be mad...'
papa "yeah cause you aren't going to bed'
me: 'and cause i'm a MEAN DRAGON!'
luc: 'no, you bootiful mom! don't say that anymore!' (while wagging his finger at me)

we've told him all about preschool and he's so excited about it. he tells me everyday- 'you gonna drop me off mom, and i gonna go to school all by my own!'

 

LETTER A

we are two weeks in to our 'letter of the week' adventure and i have to say, it's so much fun! we do an activity each day to learn our letter- so for example, for A week, we hung up pictures of things that start with the letter A, we colored things that start with A, we learned a song about the sound A makes, we practiced writing the letter A, we went through a book of stickers and found all the A's, and we snacked on apples, animal crackers, and apple juice all week. luc was super excited about pretty much everything, but he did not want to learn how to write the letter A. so i ended up writing it a bunch of times while he watched, and that was that. last week we moved on to B, and this week we are starting C.

i have been really thrilled with how well luc is picking up on the letters and sounds, despite his refusal to learn to write them. that'll come eventually, i reminded myself. and then on saturday, while playing with chalk at our friends' house, he hollered 'look mom, look mom! i drew a A!' and i turned around and saw the most beautiful A i've ever seen. he was so pleased with himself, he was beaming, and i got a little teary eyed, i was so proud of him! he was paying attention and learning, even when i thought he wasn't! all my efforts have been so so worth it, just for that sweet moment.

one of my favorite parts of motherhood is watching him learn and grow in new ways.

LUC, ALMOST THREE

i saw this going around facebook, and wanted to record it here so i can remember it always. i love my luc and the hilarious things he says!

Luc, almost 3 years old 

1. What is something mom always says to you?
'no'

2. What makes mom happy?
'jumping!'

3. What makes mom sad?
'ummm... being sad'

4. How does mom make you laugh?
'just being silly'

5. What was mom like as a child?
'happy'

6. How old is mom?
'eight'

7. How tall is mom?
'big!'

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
'play trains'

9. What does mom do when you're not around?
'cry'

10. If mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
'ummm.... ?'

11. What is your mom really good at?
'painting and coloring'

12. What is your mom not very good at?
'running'

13. What does your mom do for a job?
'Luc'

14.What is mom's favorite food?
'green ice cream' {mint chocolate chip}

15.What makes you proud of mom?
'ummm.... ?'

16. If mom were a character, who would she be?
'a frog'  {i think his understanding of this question was 'what animal would mom be?' i think. he was a little confused by this one}

17. What do you and mom do together?
'play trains!'

18. How are you and mom the same?
'ummm.... ?'

19. How are you and mom different?
'you big bigger!'

20. How do you know mom loves you?
'just cause'

21. What does mom like most about your dad?
'talking to him'

22. Where is mom's favorite place to go?
'the museum! it's beautiful!'

23. How old was mom when you were born?
'three'

{my favorites are 1- apparently i say no a lot, and 20- i love him 'just cause' haha!}

A GOLDEN DAY

i absolutely LOVE days like this. we woke up happy and luc requested a day at the train park, which i was more than happy to oblige. and we had so much fun! lia was an angel and luc was such a good listener all day! he was so happy, so cheerful and obedient, he'd say 'ok mom!' to everything i asked him to do, it was so darn cute. we played and laughed and had such a great time together. i want a thousand million more days like this!

LUC-ISIMS

this kid, he makes us laugh everyday. just last night after we'd put him to bed he was yelling 'papa! papa!!!' and after a long pause, when no one answered him; 'waando! waaaaaando!' HAHA! looks like someone learned papa's first name :)

randomly throughout the day, he'll give me a hearty pat on the back and say 'you da best, man!'

'that's my daddy, his name is papa!' he informed everyone at church one sunday.

luc talks to lia in the most precious voice, especially when she's crying in the car. 'hi sweet girl. it's otay wittle one, it's otay. oh baby wee-a, you so toot! {cute}'

orlando  brought home donuts after work one day, and luc took one look at the pink box and exclaimed 'you brought donuts?! FOR MEEEEE??????!!!! HOORAY!!!!' and proceeded to cover papa in hugs and kisses. apparently donuts are the key to his heart.

'mom, give me baby wee-a, i want to eat her' and then he licked her face all over.

'mom, i a racecar.' he corrects me whenever i call him a little boy.

lately, whenever i ask him to do something he doesn't want to do he tells me 'mom, i tant! my tires are flat, i need air! i all out of gas, i tant move!

'i want to kiss you!' he told me the other day, pulling on my hair to get my face closer to his.

we were coloring a rocket together, but luc got distracted and left me to go play trains. so i finished coloring and showed it to him when it was done. his response: 'that's AMAZING mom!'

'papa you not going to work? mommom, you and papa staying home with me?! i wuv you guys!' then he grabbed us both around the neck and hugged us tight to his cheeks, so happy to hear it was sunday and we were all spending the whole day together.

'here mom.' he hands me a stick at the park. 'make marshmyows with me!'
me, a little confused: 'marshmallows?'
luc: 'yeah mom, dis is da fire {pointing to the ground}. dis is da marshmyows {pointing to my stick}. dem yummy!'
me: 'oh! we're roasting marshmallows over the fire?'
luc: yeah mom, dis is great fun!'

'i have an idea! wet's turn on the TV!'

me: 'luc, smile!'
luc: 'i tant. i a broken racecar.'

THE END OF THE BINKIE

i loved that luc loved his binkie. it saved us countless days and nights, and besides nursing, was the one thing that could calm our sweet boy almost instantly. bless heaven for binkies!

as he's gotten older, his attachment to his beloved 'bintee' has remained strong, though he no longer needed it like he used to. we've contemplated its farewell for months now, but it always felt like pure torture to end such a happy friendship {and this pregnant mama didn't want to give up her full nights' sleep}. but last week luc chewed a hole in the very last binkie we had- and we bravely decided to go for it- no buying new ones this time! we simply showed luc how it had 'broken' and we cut off the nipple. then we let him take the rest of it to bed with him, and he fell asleep clutching it in both of his little hands {cue mama tears}. and he didn't wake up once in the night or cry about it or have a meltdown- none of the dramatics we had imagined! he still takes his little nub of a binkie to bed with him, and holds it tight as he falls asleep, but that's fine with me. he can take it to college if he wants!

i'm so proud of my big boy, he constantly amazes me with his adaptability and courage. hooray, we have a binkie-free toddler now!

LUC-ISMS

luc is HILARIOUS lately. despite the challenges and epic meltdowns, i don't think i'll ever get tired of this wonderful stage. he says the funniest things, and is full of so many passions and opinions and feelings, and i'm constantly laughing.

each night before bed we sing 'i am a child of god' and luc has always loved it. just the other night, i started to sing when luc suddenly joined in. i stopped singing and listened as he sang the entire first verse word for word all by himself. it was the greatest thing i've ever heard!

last week, after brushing teeth and saying prayers, i told luc to give papa a squeeze goodnight. he was being hyper and silly, and he ran into the living room and hugged a pillow on the chair, saying 'i wuv you papa! i wuv you!' and then he looked at the pillow in his arms and exclaimed 'WHAT THE?! that's not papa!' orlando and i CRACKED UP! next, he went to the arm of the couch and hugged my phone, saying 'i wuv you papa! what the?! no it's mommom's phone!' then he did the same thing to the blanket on the couch, and finally he reached orlando and hugged him good night, saying 'i wuv you papa! yay i found him papa!' we were laughing so hard at this hilarious joke that he came up with all by himself.

every time all three of us sit down to eat dinner together, luc says 'all friendses! mommom friends, papa friends, luc friends!' pointing to each of us and grinning wide, his face so happy to have us all together.

a thousand times a day, he grabs my hand and says 'play with me mom! play trains!' and pulls me into his room to sit and play with his train table. when he's got me sitting there to play, he runs over and closes the bedroom door, proudly declaring 'mom stuck, hooray!' haha! he gets so excited to have me sit and play with him. i'm trying to remember to enjoy every moment, even when it feels like we've been playing trains nonstop for hours {which we have}, because someday he won't want me to play and i'll miss it.

he's turned into a big bargainer lately. today i told him to smile for a picture and he said 'otay but two candies mom.' apparently the price of a smile is two m&m's haha. and when it's bedtime and he wants to watch a show he'll say 'one show mom. one show almost done, five minutes, just one show mom' over and over ha!

his first request every morning: 'donut mom, i need a donut with sprinkles now'

LUC-ISMS AND SOME THOUGHTS ON TWO YEARS OLD

OH MY GOODNESS. 

this age. what can i say about 2.5, really? it is simultaneously the most fun ever AND pull your hair out frustrating. i love luc's ideas, the way he chatters and tells stories and sings songs and gets so excited about things he loves. he is quick to say 'i so sorry' and 'i love you' and he calls me his 'best best friend.' he gives the best hugs and kisses and has such a sweet heart, i just melt. he is so proud of himself when he shares or listens, and his little self confidence is so high, i never want anything to make him think any less.

but. he is also highly irrational, as stubborn as can be, and very opinionated about how he wants things to be or what he will and will not eat or how many toys we will be taking with us to the store. and he's deaf to pretty much all of my instructions that he not run away from me. this is the hardest one lately- i don't run as fast as i used to {8 months pregnant will do that to you} and he loves to sprint away and ignore all of my requests and bribes and threats of time out to get him to stop. i spend a lot of time chasing him across the park or the parking lot or the mall or wherever, and he spends lots of time in time out as a result. i have no idea what i'm going to do when i have my arms full of newborn and he's running away. 

but for the most part- like 99% of the time- i really love this age and all of its fun conversations and growing independence. luc makes me laugh countless times a day, and he is so eager to learn and help and exercise his agency. my prayer is that i can guide him to exercise it in good things, always. i love this kid so much.

a few of my favorite conversations lately:

while running around the house:

luc: 'oh no! oh no! my tires! my tires are flat! i can't move!'

then he'll freeze in place and say 'i need air mom!' and i'll pump up his tires {feet}. he'll continue running around or a few minutes and then he'll stop and shout 'oh no! need gas mom, more gas!' so i'll full him up with gas {via his belly button} and he's off at full speed, until his tires go flat again. over and over.

we were stopped at a red light and it turned green.
luc: 'oh a green light! let's go!'

we pulled into our apartment parking lot to find a fedex truck blocking our parking spot.
luc: 'luc push mail truck. luc strong. luc have muscles!' and then he grunted and made this face of exertion while showing me how he would 'push' the truck. i laughed SO HARD.

while sitting in his bedroom playing trains today:
luc: 'mommom! i heard something!'
me:'what did you hear?'
luc: 'an animal. an elephant.'
me: 'oh really?'
luc: 'luc ride elephant'
me:'where are you riding this elephant?'
luc: 'in a dump truck.'

luc asked to watch an episode of thomas, but i told him that it was bedtime and watching thomas would have to wait til tomorrow. shaking his finger at me, he said: 'no no no mom. luc watch show or mom go time out, ok?'

LUC-ISMS

'pome on mom, pome on. follow luc!' whenever he wants me to follow him to his room to play.

orlando and i were trying to have a serious conversation and luc was not thrilled that we were kind of ignoring him. after a few whiny minutes, i tried to bribe him into letting us finish talking.
me: 'luc, papa and i are trying to talk for a minute. can you let us talk and i'll give you a treat when we're done?'
luc: 'no talk papa. shush papa, play with luc now!'

me 'hey luc, baby sister is coming soon, are you so excited?'
luc: 'no baby sister coming. santa coming, bring trucks to luc's house'

'calm down mom, calm down!' this one he says with his hand over my mouth whenever he wants me to stop mid-conversation and pay attention to him.

every time i accomplish something like climbing a flight of stairs, or getting luc out of his car seat: 'yay mom, yay!'

me: 'no buddy, we aren't going to take that toy home today. but you can put it on your christmas list for santa and maybe he'll bring it to you.'
luc: 'i need santa now! get him!'

me: 'hey bud, close your eyes, we're going to pray'
luc: 'i can't! i just can't!'

every five minutes through the duration of sacrament meeting: 'nursery now, luc go nursery now. play toys, sing songs, talk jesus.'

we drove by the new phoenix temple the other day, and i asked luc whose house it is. 'Papa's house!' he proudly exclaimed.

helping him say prayers the other night:
orlando: thank you for baby sister'
luc: 'no, thank you nana'
orlando: 'ok, and thank you for baby sister'
luc: 'no, thank you abue'
orlando: 'ok, and thank you for baby sister'
luc: 'no, thank you max'
orlando: 'ok, and thank you for baby sister'
luc: 'no thank you trains'
...this went on for a good while, til we were laughing too hard to be reverent and luc shouted 'amen! yay luc, yay!' and clapped for himself.

LUC-ISMS

waking up after papa had left for work one morning:
luc: papa work?
me: yeah buddy, papa is at work
luc: no papa work! mommom work. papa stay home with luc.

luc praying at dinner:
dank doo sood {food}, dank doo papa, dank doo memus {thomas}, dank doo bames {james}, dank doo pecy {percy}, dank doo emee {emily}… and he proceeded to thank heavenly father for every train on thomas and friends that he knows the name of. it was a long prayer.

i really confused him last week when i told him to come and feel baby sister kick:
luc, very perplexed: baby seester kick?
me: yes, come feel her kick!
luc, looking at me warily and uncertainly {probably because i've told him we don't kick people}, walks over and very gently kicks me in the belly.
luc, proudly: luc kick baby seester!

luc refused his regular nap yesterday, and then spent the two hours after whining/crying over EVERYTHING. knowing he was tired, but being unable to force him to nap, i was hoping for an early bedtime and trying to be as kind about it all as possible. then at 5pm, luc grabbed his blanket and binkie off his bed and climbed in my lap.
luc: mommom, luc sleep now.
me: is luc tired?
luc: uh-huh
and then he got up, climbed in his bed, and went to sleep. just like that. it would have been AWESOME, except that it was 5pm.

looking pleased as punch about his accomplishment of climbing up on the bathroom sink and pouring cups of water on the floor: 'i did it! wash agua, all clean!'

when i sing wheels on the bus, he often requests various things for the next verse- for example, he'll ask for the trucks and trains on the bus, and i sing 'the trucks on the bus go vroom vroom vroom…'  and 'the trains on the bus go choo choo choo' and etc. yesterday he was on a roll with the requests, i was laughing so hard! a few favorites:
chocolate
iron man {what does iron man do on a bus?!}
dump trucks
frogs
george {as in curious george}
papa
agua rain
yellow bus {the yellow bus on the bus goes…}
ice cream
luc
baby sister
sharks

while running through the splash pad in his pajamas
luc: i did it!
me: you did it! you're all wet!
luc, pointing to his wet clothes: mommom wash shirt. luc play.

while walking into reading time holding hands with his friend lexi: 'mommom! luc and lexi friends!'

i laid him down for a nap in my bed {where he's napped since he outgrew the swing at 11 months old}
luc, sleepily waving me away: luc sleep mommom's bed. mommom sleep luc's bed.

helping me unload the dryer:
luc: luc help mommom. {grunting and showing his muscles} luc strong!
he then climbed into the laundry basket and i piled the clean towels on top of him
luc: so heavy mom! luc did it! luc help mom!
as i carried him, the basket, and the towels into the living room.

LUC-ISMS

luc has been talking our ears off this past few weeks and to say we love it is a complete understatement.  orlando and i spend all our time together laughing and giving each other looks of surprised delight over the newest thing to come out of his little mouth. i think talking is my all-time second favorite developmental stage- right after the gummy newborn smiling.

a few gems lately:

{first thing in the morning, handing me my glasses} 'mommom eyes on. put eyes on.'

'mommom wuv you' {first time he's ever said it unprompted!}

{after our car got a flat tire} 'oh no! boo tar broke. papa did it.' {oh no! blue car broke. papa did it.}

{in the middle of the sacrament} me: 'luc we need to use our quiet voices, we're in church.'  luc, yelling: 'no church! no bread! no agua!'

{luc's first prayer, i only helped with two words!} 'jesus. dank doo food. wuv you. jesus. amen.'

{the other night from his crib when he was supposed to be sleeping} 'hello mommom? hellooooo? knock knock! where are you? papa? helloooo papa? …silence… oh no, mommom papa lost.'

{as he looks all around the room} 'bebe seeser {baby sister} where are you? where bebe go?' {then running over to me and triumphantly pulling up my shirt to see my bare belly} 'there he is!'

and my new favorite thing he does- he's learned to jump with both feet {and he loves it} so now everywhere we go, he walks like this: step step !jump! step step !jump! it makes for very fun, very slow walking haha.

this kid is the happiest part of our lives, he seriously lights up our home with his humor and imagination. there's never a dull moment and i love it! he has handled the move pretty well. we had a couple of whiny days right after we got here, with him begging to go back to nana's house or his cousins' house alll day loooong. but now he's made a few friends here and he LOVES having his own room again with all his toys unpacked. it's been like christmas, every time i unpack a new toy he jumps up and down with glee and then plays happily for hours. {it is AWESOME!} we love our little man so much, and can't wait to see what else is in store for us as he grows.

looking like a little wolverine pre-haircut

LATELY, SAN DIEGO EDITION

luc is talking up a storm! he names the color of EVERYTHING, talks to his trucks and trains, and makes great vroom vroom, beep beep, choo choo sounds. i am having a lot of fun listening to him these days. 

did you know there are zero nice splash pads in san diego? the few we've been to have been terrible- tiny, half broken, and each costs $3! utah is seriously killing it in this area, california. get with the game!

i am craving a raspberry milkshake from east coast custard, a penn station cheesesteak sub, and angelo's pizza. basically all the food i just left behind in ohio. i guess that's what i get with a 'made in ohio' baby. i do find it incredibly unjust that i'm living in the mecca of fabulous mexican food {something i've wished for the past three years} and pretty much ZERO mexican food sounds good. ever. 

luc's most recent obsessions are popsicles and the movie cars. he eats at least three pops a day- though most days it's more like six- and he's very particular about what color he wants. his favorite is pink. i figure a kid can never have too many, it's summertime! and we watch cars everyday before naptime. he usually only stays awake through the first twenty or so minutes, but insists on starting it over everytime so that's about all of the movie we ever see. i have it memorized and so does he. 

we are spending lots of time at the pool, the beach, and playing with cousins. thank heaven for cousins! just when i'm sure i'm going to die from exhaustion, we visit bella and max, and luc runs off to play so happily that i don't feel bad about sitting comatose on the couch for a few hours. 

i've been putting luc to bed later than usual since we got to san diego because he's been sleeping in and napping late {which is fine by me because i am NOT a morning person} so he usually goes down at about 10pm. and this week he has been so full of energy that he just sits in his crib and talks and talks and jumps and talks- FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS. pro: at least he's not screaming. con: we share a room so if he's awake, i'm awake. last night was especially fun- i put him to bed at 10, sang him a few songs, and then went to sit in the living room while he played/finally fell asleep {he is way more energetic for much longer if he has an audience}. FINALLY, at about 11:25, it was quiet so i decided to wait a few minutes to make sure he was really out and then i could go to bed. but no. at 11:30pm, luc opened the door and walked out of our room with the biggest grin on his face. he was so proud of himself that i couldn't even get mad. HE JUST LEARNED HOW TO CLIMB OUT OF HIS CRIB. we made it two years with him never figuring it out and i'm sad this day has come. i have a feeling bedtime is about to get a whole lot more fun!

is it august yet?

POST-PHOTO SHOOT SHENANIGANS

remember those nice pictures i posted of luc on his birthday? we went to balboa park to take a few of him looking so handsome and grown-up and two, and then right after, this happened. 

i love this kid so much. being his mom is a blast!

LUC-ESE

this kid has his own hilarious little language, and the past week or so, it's been growing rapidly, which is great because he seriously said only like seven words for 6 straight months. now he's adding new words daily and we couldn't be more excited about the improving communication around here. plus it's SO DARN CUTE!

ama {mama}

apa {papa}

awa {agua}

nay-nay {snack/treat}

theeee {teeth, toothbrush}

sheeee {cheese}

soos {shoes}

pleees/thleees {please}

buh {bus}

voom voom/mmm mmm {any car and/or truck}

boof {any construction vehicle}

el mee {help me}

bye {bye}

no {no}

ah-di {again/more}

aye-uh {hello}

bumpa {bumper- on any vehicle}

oh-va {oval- the only shape he recognizes}

jo {go}

eh-yee {ready- as in ready, set, go!}

bah {ball}

ah yun {all done}

ta da! {ta da!}

bon {bonk}

kshh {crash}

fooo {food}

hi yah! {hi yah!}

ah-poe {despicable me movie}

oh no! {oh no!]

uh oh! {uh oh!}

pop! {pop!}

tchoo tchoo {choo choo train}

and the animal sounds he's learned so far:

horse- neigh

dog- ruvvv 

sheep- bah

owl- oooo ooo

cow- moe

cat- mauw

LUC HAS OPINIONS

this boy came out of the womb opinionated, so it doesn't surprise me that he is {possibly} the most opinionated toddler on the planet. while it can be flustering, it's also a little hilarious, and i like seeing glimpses of the little individual he is turning into. here are a few of my favorite luc opinions, as of late:

-he MUST have the car cart at the grocery store. any 'regular' cart is unacceptable and he will avoid sitting in it like its made of hot lava.

-he HATES going back inside, even if it's freezing. he will take my keys and run away, thinking we can't go in if i can't unlock the door {smartie pants}. when i catch him, he throws the keys as hard as he can in a last-ditch effort to keep them from me.

-he prefers to be naked at all times. he will undress himself randomly throughout the day, and pull his diaper down a few inches in the back. he hasn't ever taken it off, but he is VERY insistent about having a bit of crack hanging out. when i try to fix it, i get the wrath of the kraken in return.

-he is MR. INDEPENDENT. he wants to climb anything, run away, walk up and down stairs, open doors, and read stories all by himself. he wants to go down the slide all by himself and climb the jungle gym all by himself and play in/eat dirt and bark all by himself. i say 'no!' and 'yucky!' and 'careful!' A LOT.

-he isn't a terrible eater, but he only wants to eat what he wants, when he wants. one day that's a quesadilla, the next day quesadillas are a GIANT NO. it's a fun guessing game, and a lot of what i give him results in this face and/or the whole plate being dumped on the floor.

-his favorite thing right now are these reusable stickers of cars and trucks that we've put all over the windows. he will play with these for HOURS, it's awesome. but he's very opinionated about what goes where, and you have to ask permission before moving something around. if you put the wrong truck with the wrong trailer, you're in BIG TROUBLE.

all these opinions {and so many more} and he doesn't even say 20 words yet! i'm excited to see what happens when we add talking to all of his daily activities.