Happy 23 Months G3

Well...this is the last month we can refer to your age in months without getting strange looks from people! 23 months...and in just a month you will celebrate your second birthday.

Its been yet another busy month as we've barrelled into summer...sort of. Its been very rainy lately, but we've managed to get outside as much as possible. We've been doing a lot of work at the community garden and at our own house, so you end most days covered in dirt, with black toes and fingernails. A few notable things from the last month...

Your Attitude: The "terrible two's" should be interesting!! You have a very definitive way of letting us know when you are dissatisfied with something, that's for sure. You scream. Sometimes its just noise, a repetitive "ahh! ahh!! ahh!!" to tell us that you want out of your highchair, or you need help, or you don't want to go inside. Other times you scream "HELP!" usually when you need one of us to do something for you. And sometimes you simply melt to the ground and scream as loud as you can until you are red in the face, as if to say "Oh my God you CANNOT possibly expect me to go inside/take my shoes off/stop playing with my trains!" Transitioning from a fun activity like playing to a non-fun one like eating must be dealt with precariously...gone are the days where I just pick you up from what you are doing and move on to the next! You have also learned the word "stop!" and use it effectively, complete with hand motions. And, when very angry, you've taken to hitting whatever the cause of your frustration is. Its sort of funny, because you barely use any force and usually immedately look at me for the consequential "Gabe, we don't hit. Time out!" Things you have unleashed your wrath on: Mommy, cantelope, trains that don't connect right, the wall, and the car. Fun times!

Storytime Class: Last Wednesday, we went to your first ever group class/activity...storytime class at the Mainstreet Coffeeworks/Library in White Haven. Your friends Hailey and Theresa also went, and you did so good jumping right into the crowd of kids, following the lead of the older ones by sitting down to listen to the story. You did have one incident...when it was time for the second story, you apparently panicked because you couldn't see me, began sobbing hysterically, and ran to my friend Salena in desperation. When I finally got to you, you were hyper ventilating, sobbing with your eyes closed, and clinging to me for dear life for about 10 minutes. It was SO SAD!!! (But also, one of the very few times you've really needed comfort and only Mommy would do, which was kind of a nice feeling!) And, with the help of your goofy buddy Theresa and some goldfish crackers, you soon jumped off my lap and joined the kids again, which made me really proud of you.

Speaking of Theresa...and Maddie and Hailey, you are so cute with your friends. You kiss them hello and good-bye, which is funny because you are the only boy. We recently had a rainy day playdate that involved pizza and cookie making, and just a few days ago we went to Knoebels with Maddie and her family. Its so much fun to see you DOING things with your friends...you and Maddie riding rides together, you and Theresa throwing handfuls of cheese onto your pizzas, or you chasing Hailey around the house so many times your little heart was beating and your face was all red!! You also recently played with your cousin Maddison...I left you there for a half hour when her mom offered to keep you so I could go get a truckload of topsoil. You probably haven't seen them in a few months, but Stephanie said you were "perfect"...and we've both commented how nicely you and Maddison play together. In fact, when it was time to go you displayed your little attitude, told me "no!" and climbed into a play car and took off!!

Talking and Singing You continue to advance in leaps and bounds with vocabulary and talking...you string together words more often, and sometimes, even though its technically incorrect, it amuses me to no end. For example, the other night you ate not one, but two helpings of chicken nuggets. Seriously, like 12 nuggets. This was also the first day that you learned to say "chicken" which was pretty cute. After the first batch, you begged for more by shouting "CHICKEN CHICKEN!" and banging your plate. I made you some more, and while I was doing it you did your little dance of excitement (I have to videotape this sometime, so funny.) Anyhow, after the second batch, you begged again but since you hadn't touched anything resembling a vegetable or fruit on your plate, I ingnored you. You then began saying "Allllllll chicken, MAMA! ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL Chicken!" Clearly combining "all gone" and "chicken" since I wasn't getting the message that you wanted more!!

Your singing gets better, you are now singing full lines, sometimes with prompting, sometimes not. Sometimes you just vocalize, but its in the right tune. By far my favorite is when you sing "move on back!" when prompted with "The driver on the bus says..." - and you usually punctuate it by smacking your hand on the nearest hard surface for emphasis!

You pick up new words all the time, but you have your favorite things to talk about. "TRUCK!" is a popular topic in our house. So is "car" "Daddy" "poop" and "water." You ask for food and drinks by name, specifying "milk" "juicey" or "water" or by begging for a "'nack, 'nack!" (snack) or by telling me you're "HONGRY HONGRY!" But by and large, the thing in our house that we discuss with you the most is trains. Train train train TRAIN all day long..."where train? TRAIN!!" Which leads me to the final notable event of the month...

Thomas the freaking train. Oh, I don't really hate Thomas. But after living and breathing him day in and day out I would be totally okay if I never saw him again. Or any of his train buddies. I cannot say the same for you. We thought you were obsessed with horses, but I think you're mildly interested in them compared to your love of Thomas. You often greet me in the morning by saying, "Train? Where train? TOMMY!" You play with the trains all the time, and I suspect as time goes by we'll have quite the collection of them. You know some of their names, and like to rattle them off..."James...Percey...Emily..." You want to read your Thomas books all the time, and especially watch the Thomas movies. We RARELY do this because of the ensuing meltdown that occurs when the movie ends. And the begging that occurs for the rest of the day for the "train! train" - said in the most pitiful, sobbing voice imaginable.

This weekend was a big Thomas weekend for you though, as we stopped at a yardsale full of Thomas gear. I was pretty much forced to buy it all for you, seeing as you were walking down the driveway with two Thomas toys and a book in your arms, barely able to carry it all! I am sure things such as Thomas bedding and a Thomas suitcase will be purchased eventually. I always swore up and down I would not be that parent that decorates their kid's bedroom with some lame character...but I can totally see myself doing that now (*insert rolling eyes*). I'm sure we will take you to see Thomas the Train when he comes to Strasburg in September (he's coming this weekend too, but Mom and Dad have a wine festival...priorities!!) I will definitely be getting you a Thomas cake for your birthday, and buying Thomas paper plates (even though that its a complete waste of money and not very green.) It will be worth it to see the smile on your face. Heck, everytime you brush your teeth you practically melt with love because "TOMMY" is on the toothpaste bottle!

To cap off this post, last weekend we went to Knoebel's with Maddie and her family, and the first ride we went on was the train. You were beyond excited...see picture below. Its blurry (piece of *&*^^$%$%&^ camera!!!!) but it doesn't matter...it still captures the absolute joy that you really can only find in a two year old boy on his very first train ride!