It's Official...

...our son likes cooking shows. He chose to watch Lidia's Little Italy today over cartoons. Then he went over to his little Ikea kitchen and started to cook along with the show. It was an amazing display of cuteness.

Daniel's Third Birthday

Today is Daniel's third birthday. Christy took the day off work so we could all be together. We went to Lamar's donuts for breakfast. Afterwards, we visited the WOW museum in Lafayette, cashing in on a membership for Daniel that his aunt Jill got him for his birthday. After that we had snacks at Something Sweet in Lafayette: Daniel had a cake-pop (and fell over backward in his chair, giving everyone a scare). And we closed the evening out like VIPs in the Star Room at the Yak & Yeti, where Daniel ate almost half a platter of chicken pokhora (or "crispy chicken," as we call it right now). We were a bit surprised when we walked into the star room, because there was a temporary "art" exhibit featuring tantric couplings vividly painted on black velvet! After dinner we came home and gave Daniel a present: a calico critters cottage. A great day was had by all!

We have many further events scheduled for the octave of Daniel's birthday, too! Daniel is having Turi (his friend from My Gym class) over on Saturday, and then on Sunday, the whole Anderson-Tidd clan, and also Mike & Kari, are coming to our house for a celebration.

New Contractions...

...but not of the baby-forthcoming variety. Daniel has started using his own self-devised contraction in speech: amn't. Amn't is a concatenation of a shortened "am not," as in "I amn't hungry" but more commonly used as a response to a question. Example: "Daniel, are you ready for bed?"

"I amn't!"

He uses this contraction quite often, many times a day right now.

3 Big Decisions

Daniel has recently discovered three great joys of childhood, and he has made some important decisions based up these discoveries: 1) He has decided that he no longer needs to eat any boring ol' food he doesn't want, he will live instead on Halloween candy alone, 2) He wants to move out of our house and relocate to a toy store (Beyond the Blackboard), and 3) the only song that he wants to listen to is the theme to "Ghostbusters," over and over again, as played by his novelty, dancing "ghost-dog," Buster.

Words I Don't Want to Hear in the Morning (or Anytime)...

"I painting with poop."

"Too Wobbly!"

Daniel is doing very well at my gym. He likes to do gymnastics, listens well, and always has an answer ready for the teacher's question at the beginning of class.

However, he doesn't like to climb ladders. He refuses to do so. If asked to climb, he will adamantly reply: "I don't want to do that. I can't do that."

He also refuses to have anything to do with the swings, and he has forsaken the slides (although he used to slide on them when he was smaller). He will very carefully climb stairs upwards, but on the way down, he creeps from step to step on him bottom. He will not walk over walkways if they are elevated, although he will walk on the balance beam with help.

He's being very cautious right now, even when the teachers are helping him.

Target Routine

Shopping with Daniel is not as easy as it used to be.

He is protesting sitting in the cart, and he wants to grab everything he sees.

He has reached the point that he remembers now where the toys are at Target, and he wants them. He wants everything he sees, actually. Toys, candy (M&Ms), batteries...

Also, his "Target Routine" has become quite elaborate. When we go grocery shopping there, Daniel expects: A free cookie from the bakery, an apple (or peach or grapes, some kind of fruit), a squeezie from the baby aisle, and a sticker at the register.

I was pretty embarrassed today when we went to get his free cookie. The lady at the bakery gave Daniel a chocolate-chip cookie, and he tried to give it back, asking for a cookie with frosting instead. "Sorry, kid," she said, "that's all we have today."

Daniel Tells a Story

While Christy and I were having dinner, Daniel abstained and headed into our bedroom to play on the bed.

I overheard him begin to tell a story:

"Once upon a time... there was a harmonica... named Horchata..."

I was intrigued, and asked him to tell me more, but he clammed up after that.

Daniel Counts 1-2-3

First recorded instance of Daniel, self-initiating counting for communicative purposes.

Daniel: "Can I have peanut butter bagel [slices]?"

Dad: "What was that?"

Daniel: "Can I have the... one-two-three peanut butter bagels?"

...and there was much rejoicing!

Enter: The Brat

Daniel has been getting steadily more crabby each day that Mommy is away on her business trip to Staples HQ in Framingham, MA. His alter-ego, Bickerbee (the boy who disagrees with everything I say) came to stay the day after Mommy left (which inspired me to consider writing a children's book called Bickerbee Doesn't Agree), and today during our visit to Hobby Lobby, Daniel tried out a new persona: The Brat. The Brat wanted to grab everything off the shelves, didn't want to follow Daddy anywhere, and proceeded to push and kick at Daddy if I attempted to intervene with his neurotic outbursts of "GRAB ALL THE STUFF!" Most memorable line: "No, Daddy, (I) don't need to hold your hand!" I am also concerned because he will not listen to me when I ask him to "stop!" or "freeze!" when he's doing something that might actually harm him. He doesn't seem to be actively ignoring me, but when he gets caught up in the fervor of doing whatever he's doing, his focus narrows down to just that and everything else is background noise. He stopped acting like The Brat the minute we left Hobby Lobby.

Transition to the Big Chair

Daniel has decided that he no longer wants to sit in his high-chair during meals. He prefers sitting in an adult chair instead. He will often come and go frequently while we are eating, but this seems to actually make him eat better (at some times).

Makin' Pizza

Daniel has long enjoyed jumping, snuggling, climbing on Mom and Dad's bed.  The latest craze is "Making Pizza".  When is started a few weeks ago, Daniel would allow himself to be tossed on the bed as the 'dough' then imaginary sauce, cheese and other topping were spread and sprinkled on him.  Even Aunt Jillian got to make a Daniel pie during her visit.  Jill added the step of pulling Daniel off the bed like a pizza on a peel coming out of an oven.  From that encounter, Daniel now requests to be baked until crispy.  These days, he doesn't sit still for toppings but reminds you if you forget, for instance, the 'pepperoni'.

You're a Sharp-Dressed Man, Daddy

This morning, as I was changing his diaper on the changing pad (which he now hangs off, ridiculously, at the knees), Daniel complemented me on my boxers, which were spring green and feature a repeating pattern of tiny Hawaiian wahines in grass skirts, strumming ukeleles. "I... like... your... pants," he said.

Yes, I thought to myself, you are indeed my son.

Daniel the Songwriter

Daniel amused himself today by composing some vulgar songs.

While we were grocery shopping at Target in the afternoon, he started to sing out, loud and proud: "Strawberry mucous! Strawberry mucous! Everybody likes to eat it! Strawberry mucous!"

And then at dinner last night, he altered a bump-ditty from the Disney Jr. cable channel (the original features some of the 101 Dalmations learning "This is how you learn to wipe your paws"). His new appropriation featured the lyrics, "Barf, barf, barf your paws... this is how you learn to barf your paws."

It made my think about the accusations of plagiarism against Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and countless others. People who write songs know that songwriting is more of a exchange with a greater tradition of continuity than individual, hermetic works of untainted inspiration. We want to copyright ideas so we can hold them and cash in on them forever, but in exchange for a livelihood, we're damming the collective flow of creativity.

And, yeah, I thought... yuck. 

EXTRA! EXTRA!

After putting Daniel in his crib for a nap, I listened to him shout "EXTRA! EXTRA!", à la old-timey paperboy, for several minutes.  I have no idea where he would have heard this phrase or in what context.

Parents Have Feelings, too, y'know!

Our little ray of sunshine has been making his Mommy and Daddy feel oh-so-much better today by walking up to us and saying, "I don't like you!"

Also, he has been greatly amused by repeating, over and over, his nonsense(?) phrase, "CACA FOREVER!"

Divide and Conquer

Recently, when Daniel has received a response he doesn't like, he has started to seek a second opinion from the other parent.

"You want ice-cream?" (Daniel tends to make requests right now phrased as questions, switching pronouns as if to suggest rather than demand)

"No, we just ate cookies, no ice cream."

"I go ask Mommy now..."

Daniel Jumps

Several weeks ago, Pappy came over and heckled Daniel a bit because he couldn't jump. "Look, Daniel, you got to get up off the ground when you jump!" he said, demonstrating.

Daniel has now mastered clearing the ground when he jumps.

Onrush of Words

I've noticed a few times now that when Daniel is trying to tell somebody (like his Grandparents or Mike) a story, his mind is working a lot faster than his ability with words can keep up with. The result is a rush of words: "Playing... huh-huh... Purple... huh... we made mistake!" It's like an avalanche of thought that is outpacing the words he knows.

Bathtub Terror

Daniel has developed a full-blown terror about getting his hair washed and rinsed in the bathtub. He cannot be talked into it, and when we go to rinse him (anyway), he erupts in hytsertical shrieks, screams and scream-growls. Right now, hair washing is almost impossible, and he gets completely traumatized. This is not a "butting heads" or disagreement-style trauma, but a flown blown terror.

I don't know why he has developed this phobia. I know when we were at the Apex center, swimming in the wading pool, he fell off my back and went underwater, and when I pulled him up from underwater, he was completely hysterical (then Christy took him, to calm him, and a bucket of water fell on both their heads, reigniting his terror). Another reason might be that the shampoo is hurting his eyes, but I think Christy is not using an irritating shampoo. It's pretty rough right now, no matter what the reason is.

Camping: Pretend Play

We just returned from a 3-night camping trip in State Forest State Park.  I wanted to note some of Daniel's pretend play:

"Is there anything else, Mommy?" aka Making a Combo
This game started as a version of "Ding-dong. Can I come in to <fast food restaurant>?"  In the game, Daniel asks me to place an order (often a "combo" meal of some kind).  He leaves to make the meal, returns, and asks if there's anything else I need.  If I request something he might like (cookie, ice cream, french fries), he often adds one for himself to the order.  The playhouse at the KOA playground served as Daniel's restaurant.  He took my order (I would sit on a nearby slide) then retreated to the playhouse.  He would make the food by banging on the plastic slide from inside the house.

In the Car
When I hold Daniel or wrap my arms around him while he's standing in front of him, he sometimes tells me he wants to get out of the car.  So, I'll open my arms, he steps away, and "closes" the door by folding my arms in my lap.  Then, he gets back in by tugging my arms open and stepping into them.  He likes me to rock/bounce/sing while we're "driving".  Then, he'll get out and repeat. 

Toward the end of our camping trip, Daniel learned the word 'occupied' which I used in context of a bathroom being occupied and preventing us from using it.  He incorporated it into the car game by announcing that we were at Daniel's house, getting out of the car, then say "This isn't Daniel's house! This is Occupied!" Sometimes he pronounced 'occupied' like "Occupiers".  Then he would get back in the car and try again to drive to Daniel's house.

Making Ice Cream
Daniel decided that the vestibule at the front of the tent was an ideal place to make ice cream.  He would ask if I wanted some ice cream and walk to the corner.  Then he would turn around and hand me my ice cream.  If I asked what flavor it was, he would answer "chocolate and buh-nilla".

Hammering
Daniel loves tools, especially hammers.  While we were putting up and taking down the tent, he loved using the big hammer to knock on the wooden edge surrounding the tent pad.  He would also use a "little hammer" or "drinking straw" (tent stake) to hammer the tent, tent poles, other hammers.

Daniel's Secret Language

Daniel has been amusing himself lately with made-up words, like he is creating his own language. If I ask him a question, he likes to answer back in gibberish, which amuses him to no end. Here's an example exchange:

"What color smilely face sticker would you like for your chart?"

"...poo-pai."

"That's not a word. What color?"

"...anrachni."

"What color?"

"...gee-so-goo."

He used to be able to tell me the color he wanted, just fine. Now it's more fun to tell me made-up words.

Daniel Recollects

Daniel is now able to tell us about his recollections if we ask him. I noticed today that when Pappy Craig came over, and asked him about our Portland trip, Daniel started to tell him about the trip. The details were idiosyncratic, something that only Daniel or us would understand, but I knew he was relating events from the trip. "We go in orange car [the rental car]... go to the 'H' room [the Holiday Inn Express]..."

Daniel-isms Part 3

• Blue Dog = Mickey Mouse's loyal companion, Pluto
• Penny o'Pooh = Winnie-the-Pooh
• Cah-ra-dio dance = karate class (see "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" for context)
• Gramma Neese = Grandma Denise
• Ackria = Acura (Daniel is adept at identifying makes of cars by their logos)
• <Car Company> House = dealership, for instance "Volvo House"
• "I think it might be..." or "Looks like it's..." = phrase preceding answer to a question, even answers he's certain of
• Light swish = light switch
• Squirmy bottle = squirt bottle, he's corrected his pronunciation now but I was fond of the "squirmy bottles"
• Swish = Nike Swoosh
• Zoot-case = suitcase
• Buh-nilla = vanilla

In addition to unique pronunciations, Daniel has a slew of nonsense words and phrases that he uses when he's being silly or obstinate.  One of his favorite games is to repeat a nonsense phrase until you repeat it back to him. Then he responds with "No <phrase of choice>!"  For instance:
Daniel: Boo-bah
Daddy: Boo-bah?
Daniel: NO Boo-bah!

After a brief hiatus, Daniel has started singing again.  He tends to sing somewhat under his breath so it can be tricky to determine if he's talking or singing to himself.  Current favorites are:

• Winnie-the-Pooh (see above for Daniel pronunciation)
• I've Been Working on the Railroad (loves the "Fee-fie-fiddly-i-o" bit)
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme ("M-I-C-K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E")

Potty Humor

In Portland, we saw a restaurant called Steamers that specialized in dumplings.  Jarl and I chuckled about the inappropriateness of the phrase "steamer dump".  Daniel quickly picked up on it and gleefully chanting "steamer dump steamer dump steamer dump" and reducing his parents to helpless giggles.  At random points in the trip, Daniel revisited the "steamer dump" joke.

Daniel isn't fond of diaper changes these days especially if it means cleaning up poopy.  At some point, we changed a diaper after a bout of gas and said something like "oh! no poop, just gas".  Now when Daniel has gas or poops, he announces that it is "not poop, just gas".  He repeats frequently even after you've acknowledged the statement.  He seems to intuit that the phrase is not intended for polite company.

No Circle Time

So... Daniel has matriculated to the next level up at My Gym. He graduated from "Gymsters" to "Terrific Tots." The new class required that Daniel actually pay attention to the instructor and follow some rudimentary instructions. For instance, during the gymnastics period, he has to sit on a mat with the other kids and wait for the teacher to call him so that he can take his turn. He's having a difficult time with the whole affair, he doesn't like to go back to the circle in the middle of the room and sit attentively (during "Circle Time!") after he's been off playing on the equipment and doing his own thing.

I remind him before class that he needs to listen to the teacher (Ms. Abby, who is good, but nothing compared to the recently departed and much adored Mr. Dustin), and I haul him back to the circle for Circle Time.

We had class yesterday, and while we were getting ready, I asked him if he wanted to go to My Gym. He said "play at My Gym," which gave me pause. I suspected he was telling me he doesn't like the "class" part, sitting and listening, and he was warning me that all he really wanted to do was go and play, to heck with all that other stuff. He did listen a bit in class, but quickly lost interest, and when the instructor asked him to do activities, like swinging on a trapeze, he was adamantly against it ("I don't want to do that") and sat out.

Today, Christy, Daniel & I went back to My Gym for a free play (no structured class activities). He mentioned several times, "no circle time!" before and on the way to MyGym. Later on, he told his mom:

"No Circle Time."

"That's right, Daniel, no Circle Time today. We can just do what we want."

"No... listening."

"Uh..."

Cooking with Daniel

Christy and I have been watching cooking shows again, such as "Essential Pepin" with Jacques Pepin on the Create channel. Daniel also seems to be fan of cooking shows. Tonight, while I was cooking dinner, he was also "cooking" in the kitchen with me, hosting his own show and narrating his prep step by step. "And the next step... we add sugar... and then... it's done!"

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Daniel has recently become enamored of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show on the Disney Channel. Unlike the original Mickey Mouse Club, which was a live-action affair, the Clubhouse is yet another 3D computer animated show with semi-interactive "learning activities" sprinkled throughout (much like Dora or Daniel's other current TV obsession, Super WHY). It features the classic Disney pantheon of characters (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Pluto) solving mysteries with some gadget (the "Mouseketool").

Last night, as I was doing dishes, Daniel walked by on his way out to the living room to watch the mouse. "Are you going to watch Mickey Mouse?" I asked.

He stopped, turned to me, and then walked over to hold my hand while he told he quite earnestly, "He has a clubhouse."

"He does?"

"Yes. He has a clubhouse, Daddy."

The Terrific Twos

It should be noted that we are now in the midst of the Terrible, er, Terrific Twos.

Daniel has taken to asserting himself with great gusto. Now, most mundane everyday activities that we have been doing for months and years are met with great protestation. Changing his diapers, getting dressed, naps, getting PJs on, teeth-brushing and bedtime are now (almost always, but not always) met with tempestuous crying, stamping of feet, kicking, gnashing of teeth, growling, and even "growl-muttering," like a cranky old man.

On the positive side, his communication abilities are evolving rapidly. He is now speaking, quite often, in full sentences. He also is in love with books, and he's enjoying more complicated stories with more text that take longer to read. Some examples: Tiki-Tiki-Tembo, Skippyjon Jones, The Gruffalo, Henry the Explorer and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. The days of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See are quickly fading away.

The temper tantrums are hard for Christy and I to weather, but they're interesting because they can pass so quickly. One minute, he's mad as heck at me, and then about four minutes later, he's normal again and feelin' fine, like nothing happened. How I wish that could last forever. And Christy has done an excellent job of teaching him to take deep breaths when he's having a temper explosion. That only took me about 35 years to figure out.

Tiny Town

We awoke to rain but decided to visit Tiny Town as planned.  Daniel was a good sport about the drive (30-40 min) and eager for adventure.  The first building that caught his attention was a fire station that he could go in.  He entered, walked around and exited several times.

The train was parked on the tracks near the fire station so Daniel was able to take a close look.  Today's train was pulled by a yellow diesel engine named 'Betsy'.  Daniel also like the red caboose.

Daniel's favorite buildings were the ones he could go in.  While he was exploring a little blue windmill, the rain started up again so he got to play with the umbrella too.  He tried to open the tiny doors when he saw door knobs or handles - he was a little frustrated that he couldn't go into all the buildings.  Some of the buildings I liked best were the flower shop (with a greenhouse), the barn filled with square dancers and the storybook house.

The rain cleared and we played on the playground.  I suspect that's when we all got a little sunburned.  After the playground, I was getting hungry so we wandered to the snack shop.  Not finding many vegetarian options, we bought some gummy candies and a drink and decided to get lunch elsewhere.  We rode the train before we left which was a lot of fun.  Daniel enjoyed being on the train and seeing the extended Tiny Town along the train loop.

We ended up at The Blue Cow in Morrison after an aborted attempt to eat at the Shiprock Grille in Red Rocks.  Lunch was great - but slow arriving. Daniel played with his new train engine and explored the creekside. 

Bath Battle

Usually bath time is a lot of fun for Daniel, but last night we had a crisis when I tried to wash his hair.  Laying back in the water to get his hair wet has never been his favorite thing though he usually tolerates it long enough to get the job done.  I had purchased a cup with a handle for pouring water.  Daniel's had a great time playing with it - standing and pouring water into the tub, on himself, on Mommy.  But, when I used it to get his hair wet, he freaked.  In an act of further cruelty, I put shampoo on his wet hair so now we had to rinse it.  After much wrestling, comforting and cajoling we managed to rinse his hair.  I hope we haven't ruined bath time.

Cousin Fiona

On Monday, Fiona spent the day with us.  Jarl got the festivities rolling by taking Daniel and Fiona to get donuts (while I got a shower - big thank you).  After breakfast and some play time, we headed to the movies to see "Brave".  It was another 95+ degree day so being indoors felt like a very good idea.  We got popcorn and a cola squishee.  (I also had Raisinets stashed in the diaper bag in case popcorn didn't work for Daniel.)  The Raisinets were crucial to keeping Daniel in his seat for about 1 hr - a new record!

Daniel and I left the theater right about the time bears started fighting on screen.  Jarl told us afterwards that was a pretty scary scene.  After we left the theater, we played in the hallway until the movie ended.  Daniel found it interesting that this movie was "not the Lorax" (his first movie-going experience).

We had lunch at "beans and rice place" but Daniel was far more interested in getting his cousin's attention than eating.  When we got home, Daniel went down for and took a nap.  He only slept for about an hour, waking early enough to have more play time with Fiona.  She was a good sport and kept Daniel thoroughly entertained.

There were many tears and protestations - "don't want to say good-bye!" - when Fiona had to leave.  The tantrum trend continues.  Aside from the end-of-day meltdown, Daniel behaved well.  I think the heat, sugar and disappointment took their toll.

Read to Me

Daniel is reading to Mommy before bed these days.  He likes to point to the words on the page as he "reads" each one deliberately. The title page is a favorite.  We have several small (6 page) board books that Daniel holds, flips through forward and backward as he describes the pictures.  When he's finished, he closes the book and asks "Do you like that story?" 

Another favorite book these days is "The Tawny-Scrawny Lion".  Reading it now, I find the vegetarian theme pretty funny.  Daniel will whip up a batch of "carrot stew" for Mom and Dad in his play kitchen.  The critical ingredient to his version is "tools" (nuts, bolts, nails from his tool box).

In other news, the frequency & intensity of tantrums has increased.  Most of what I read says he's right on schedule as this difficult behavior generally ramps up at 2.5 years.  Though it's a good indication that he's developing normally, the histrionics are frustrating.  Last night, the big outburst centered around wanting to ride in Grandma and Grandpa's car as they were headed home for the evening.  As an added bonus, it was bedtime so staying with Mom and Dad also meant putting on pajamas and brushing teeth - not favorite activities these days.  Yelling, tears, feet stomping, the works.  I tried the "Happiest Toddler on the Block" technique of connecting with respect which snapped him out of the tantrum.  But, when Grandma and Grandpa actually left and we had to get ready for bed, some of the emotions flared up again.  Daniel didn't completely lose it again but the battles are tiring.

Skippyjon Jones

Daniel and I have been reading "Skippyjon Jones" before bed lately and for his 2.5 "un"birthday, Daddy got Daniel his very own Skippyjon Jones doll.  Daniel's favorite part of the story is when Alfredo Buzzito (the Bumblebeeto Bandito) POPS! on Skippyjon's sword and beans come pouring out.  When we're not reading the story, Daniel will recount parts of it to me.  His favorite lines: "Not your beans!" and "Dude just wants his beans back."  He also likes to list all the kinds of beans: pinto beans, coffee beans, jelly beans, "bacon" (baked) beans...

The Skippyjon doll gets thrown around a LOT.  Jarl's theory is that since Skippyjon jumps on his bed quite a bit in the story, Daniel is recreating that experience by chucking him throughout the house.  Daniel likes to throw Skippyjon, exclaim "ouch!" and cackle wildly as he scoops up the doll and throws him again.

Ding Dong...Can I Come In?

Daniel has engaged in some rather elaborate pretend play over the last week.  The best example (and one I get to participate in) involves pretending to visit a fast food restaurant.  It starts with Daniel at the doorway (usually to the bedroom) and goes like this:

     Daniel: Ding-dong! <pressing on the door frame>  Can I come in to Burger King?

     Mommy: Yes, please come in.

     Daniel: Nice to see you.

     Mommy: Nice to see you.  What can I get you today?

     Daniel: French fries

     Mommy: Oh! Sounds good. <makes food>  Here you go.

     Daniel: <takes food from Mommy's hand> Hot?

     Mommy: Yes - you may want to blow on them before you eat them.

     Daniel: <blows on food then eats>

     Mommy: Does it taste good?

     Daniel: Good!  B-bye!

     Daniel: <at the door> Make you a burger next time!

Then the exchange is repeated.  On Saturday, we must have done this about a dozen times.  Sometimes, we pretend we're at Jimmy Johns or McDonalds or the pizza place.  We make whatever food we're most likely to order at these places. 

Strawberries... Forever.

Daniel was singing the chorus from 'Strawberry Fields Forever' at the dinner table tonight. He did it several times. Neither Christy or I are quite sure where he picked it up. I know he's heard it a few times, on the radio (thank you, 'Breakfast with the Beatles'), but I think this is the first bitlet of a pop song that I've heard him sing aloud, solo. His musician Dad sees this as a milestone. I'm very proud of him!

Christy points out that he was singing, "Strawberries... Forever."

Selective Hearing

Note, from the Ice Cream store shenanigans this afternoon:

Begun, the selective hearing has.

Tall Boy, Skinny Waist

Daniel is now wearing size 2-3T shirts, but only 12-18 mo. shorts & pants.

"I Have Idea!"

During gym class today, Daniel holed up underneath a ramp that had been connected to the ball-pit (like a giant carpet slide, so kids could run down the ramp and jump in).

I wasn't sure what he was up to, I thought maybe he was just being shy, or punking out (like he's done a few weeks previously). Instead, Daniel pokes his head out and says to me: "I have idea!"

"Oh yeah?" I respond, "What's your idea?"

He ducks his head back into his hiding space. Then he pops out again and says, "I have idea!"

So I figured out what was going on: he was pretending that the space was his house, and he was using a red gym mat as his "computer" (he was typing on it), and the handle-slot to the ball pit (where the colors of the balls show through a narrow opening) was the "monitor."

I looked around at all the other kids. The way they were playing (and tend to play all the time) is different. They tend to "use" the all the play-equipment functionally (they slide on the slides, they jump on the trampoline, etc). Daniel does this, too, but after awhile, he likes to set aside some time for himself to find a quiet space and pretend-play.

Thank You, Public Television

Gym class today ended with a game that the kids had to play themselves (parents weren't allowed to help). The kids sat on a red gym mat, and Miss Julie was on the other side of the room with a monkey puppet. The kids would ask, "what time is it?" and the monkey would say 1 or 2 or 7. Then the kids were supposed to take that number of steps forward (until the monkey said midnight, and then they were all supposed to run back to the mat). The other kids caught on, and counted out steps, but Daniel either didn't get it or couldn't care less, and he ended up getting help from Mister Dustin. I felt like the other parents around me were taking pity on me because my kid didn't get it.

But then when we went to put on socks & shoes after class, Daniel went over to the puzzle-rack, and pointed to an alphabet puzzle. "The letter 'Q!'" he explained, pointing correctly at the letter Q.

"That's right." I said.

"Q is for Quiet," Daniel said.

All the parents around me turned and stared. None of the other kids in the class have identified any letters yet, not that I've heard, much less associated them with words. It felt like we went from last in the class to first in just a few minutes. I'm really proud of my little guy.

And I'd like to thank his Mom for reading to him every night. And thank you, Public Television, for Super-Why. He loves that show.

Will You Take the Call?

During a visit to the "Casseroles and Cocktails" exhibit at the Lakewood Heritage Center, Daniel discovered a Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone (70s style, baby) and a pink Princess Phone (slightly more up-to-date).  We came home with the FP phone and he's been chatting ever since.  This morning as I finished drying my hair, I heard Daniel explaining to Mr. McGregor (Peter Rabbit is a favorite bedtime story these days) that "was just the hair dryer" as he walked from the bathroom back to the living room, receiver to ear, phone dangling at his side.

He used the phone for his first pun (first I've heard at least).  He picked up the phone and said "is anyone HAIR?" and chuckled when Mommy repeated, pointing to her hair.  Another favorite game is rolling the phone into the sink in his play kitchen.  This produces a satisfying crash as the phone slams into various pans, dishes and toys.

Repeating Longer Strings of Conversation

I've noticed that Daniel is now repeating back entire sentences of what I say. It goes like this:

JARL: "What do you want to do today, Daniel?"

DANIEL: "want to do to-day..."

J: "Do you feel like going swimming?"

D: "Feel like go-ing swimming..."

J: "Do you think we should go into outer space and live on the moon?"

D: "Go space, live on moon..."

J: "Do you wish your head was a great big cookie?"

(pause, cogitation)

D: "Want cookie!"

Soft and Cuddly

For Easter, Daniel and I found a fabric bunny that we could stuff with catnip for Tashi.  Daniel loved carrying the bunny around, petting it, giving it kisses.  I asked him if the bunny was soft and cuddly.  He coveted the bunny all the more because Tashi was interested in it too.  Soon, Daniel would tell me that the bunny was "soft and cuddly" using the cutesy voice that he uses when he's being funny.

One night, we were making pasta for dinner.  Daniel knew that the uncooked noodles were too "crunchy" to eat.  So I told them that after we boiled the noodles they would be soft.  He then asked "and cuddly"?   Took me a second.  He's a funny kid.

Separation Time

During gym class today, we had our first ever "separation time," meaning the parents were sent to the lobby, while the kids played together with toys in the gym area. Daniel did a good job playing with (or at least among) others, and he lasted the whole time, only coming over to try and find me right as separation time was ending.

All of us parents spent separation time in a heightened state of anxiety. Separation time: one of the things that make your heart go, "uh!"

ABCs

Daniel is (correctly) singing the Alphabet Song!  We have "Super Why" to think for this achievement.  One of the characters, Alpha Pig, has a toolbox full of letters and he sings the alphabet (little different from the traditional "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" melody) while the letters fly from the box. 

Daniel sings very fast, often while hammering (imitating the Pig's tendency to construct) and wraps up with "sing with me!" (instead of "next time won't you...").

He also recognizes certain letters: P, B, U, O, L, Q, K (sometimes), E (sometimes).  The differences between capital and small letters is often confusing.

Another "basic" we're working on is responsibility.  I found a magnetic Responsibility Chart to hang in Daniel's room that's been a source of fascination.  The chart has various tasks (get dressed, brush teeth, share, pick up toys, say 'please' and 'thank you') for which you child is responsible.  Successful completion of a task earn him/her a smiley face that can be put on the specific day of the week next to the task.  There are many colors (pink, yellow, green, orange purple, blue, red) and messages ('You Did It!', 'Awesome', 'Lookin' Good', etc.) on the smiley faces.

Daniel really likes the smiley faces.  Here are the tasks we've had on the board for the last 2 weeks:

• Brush teeth
• Get dressed
• Take a bath
• Pick up toys
• Stop whining

So far 'brush teeth' and 'get dressed' have been successful every day but 'pick up toys' has only earned 1 smiley face in 2 weeks.  I'm planning to switch them up for next week.  When the smiley faces themselves stop motivating, we'll move to a system where the number of smiles in a week earns some sort of reward. For now, choosing the color of smiley face is exciting enough.

Hide 'n' Seek

It was bedtime.  I was in Daniel's room arranging blankets and stuffed animals calling for Daniel to come and get his pajamas on.  No response.  I called 3 times then went to find him.  At the bathroom door, I saw the hamper from Mom & Dad's room on the floor, jiggling.  "Where's Daniel?" The hamper rolled and giggled.  "It's time for pajamas.  Where did Daniel go?"  A foot shot out then was quickly drawn in again.  I stood there quietly for a moment.  Daniel peeked out, spotted me, squealed with delight and tucked himself back in the hamper.

It was hilarious.

Ten Count

As I'm tinkering w/photos from our trip to the Colorado Tartan Day Festival in McIlvoy Park, Daniel is in his crib. It's naptime, and he's talking to himself, counting...

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10!"

A full ten count! I'm not sure if he knows exactly what the pattern means, but... thanks, Public TV!

The Whine of Death

Daniel is perfecting the high-pitched toddler whine of death. He employs it throughout the day against his Mom & me when we are wanting him to do some routine thing that he doesn't want to do anymore, like diaper changes, putting on clothes, putting on shoes, turning off the TV, etc. It's just a whine, no usually any specific words, although it often morphs into, "nooooo..."

It's like fingernails on a chalkboard after a long day. I think the whine can peel paint off the walls, and it's probably harmful to animals with high-pitched hearing.

More Daniel-isms

Toddler-speak, decoded:

"Jokey-Joes" - Tokyo Joe's, the restaurant
"Green Place" - Larkburger, next to TJ's
"Owl-Car" - A Mazda-brand car or truck (the logo looks like the eyebrows of an owl)
"Button Car" - A Ford car or truck (the blue logo looks like a button)
"Mommy Bathroom" - The women's bathroom in any given public location
"Daddy Bathroom" - The men's bathrooom...
"Logo grocery store" - Target, Daniel's first ever (?) logo-association
"French Fry Place" - Usually, McDonalds
"Tot Place" - Sonic, where the tater-tots are.

Night, Night

When Daniel was really small, just starting to talk, his Mom would take him in his room and he would say, "night, night" to me.

But that stopped months ago. It was more like this:

Jarl: "Night, night, Daniel!"

Daniel: "..."

Christy: "Say night, night to your father."

Daniel: "...cookie!" "...milk!" "...tofu!" "...egg-grop soup!"

It was a battle for wills.

So, I am quite overcome to report that I have been honored, once again, with a "night, night" from my son for the past two nights in a row.

You Funny / "Anyway!"

When I was changing Daniel this morning, I was making silly faces at him, and he was laughing up a storm. He just looked at me, shook his little head, and said, "funny!"

He's been laughing quite a lot lately. Mindy & Tom were watching him this afternoon, and I met them for dinner @ Larkburger. Mindy was talking to me, and after a momentary Daniel interruption, she said, "...anyway!" Daniel thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard, and he started endlessly parroting "Anyway! Anyway!" while laughing his head off.

He also thinks it's hilarious that people say, "cootchie-cootchie-coo" to babies.

Colorado Railroad Museum

We visited the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden on Friday (3/30).  Daniel's love of all things "Thomas" was Daddy's inspiration for the trip.  It was a lot of fun! We saw engines and cars of various vintages and sizes.  We went inside a mail car complete with mannequins sorting mail.  We sat in the cab of an engine, pushed buttons, pulled levers and fed it a quarter to make realistic sounds.  We saw people repairing trains in the shop and the turntable with all sorts of engines in the roundabout.


Inside the main building, there were model trains and a massive train display.  The display had several towns, a carnival, a drive-in movie theater, a cross-section of a mine complete with miners and lots of other fun details.  Each section could be run (for a quarter).

While we were walking around outside, a man and his daughter asked me if Daniel could have a Raisinet.  I said sure.  Daniel was delighted.  Days later he is still talking about "chocolate" and "raisin" he had at the Railroad Museum.

So Polite

Today we went to Target for groceries.  There Daniel can get a free cookie at the bakery, but he always reminds me by saying "ask cookie" as soon as the bakery counter is in sight.  For several weeks, I have been asking Daniel to say thank you when he's handed a cookie.  Today was the first time he did.  He looked the woman in the eye and said "thank you!" very clearly.  I was so proud!

April Fools!

Daniel and I decided to play a trick on Daddy for April Fool's Day.  Daniel had just spent some time with Grandma Denise and was still talking about "joke with Gramma Neece".  So when he woke up from his nap, I asked him if he wanted to joke with Daddy who was finishing a nap of his own.  Daniel was still a little bleary eyed as I explained we'd tell Daddy that the potty was broken and the was poop on the floor.  Then when Daddy said "Oh no!", we would tell him "April Fools!"

Daniel ran to our room and when I put him on the bed, I asked him if he wanted to tell Daddy what had happened.  It took a little prompting but he finally said "Poops everywhere!"  I added that the potty was broken.  Daddy said "Oh no!" right on cue, but it was up to me to tell him "April Fools!"  It wasn't until bedtime that Daniel said "April Fool's Day!" He was still talking about it the next morning.

"Mommy spilled the milk!"

We decided to pick up dinner at Larkburger a few nights ago.  Daniel calls Larkburger the "Green Place" because their logo is a green square with a white flame in the middle.  He likes to go because he can see "Jokey Joes" (Tokyo Joe's aka "Lunch Place"). 

I decided to order a milkshake, which I rarely do, because it was hot and Daniel so loves ice cream.  With Daniel on my hip, a bag of food in one hand and milkshake in the other, we headed for the car.  One of the Larkburger employees opened the door for us (so nice).  When we got to the car, I set the milkshake on the roof.  Guess I didn't set it far enough back because whoops! the milkshake fell to the ground splashing me and Daniel.  Daniel was startled and started wailing!  I was so surprised by his reaction I wasn't sure what had happened.  We went to the other side of the car and calmed down.  By the time I got him buckled into his car seat, he had stopped crying and was talking about how "Mommy spilled the milk". 

He told his dad about it when we got home and still talks about the incident when we drive past the parking lot or if he brings up fries at the "Green Place".  Definitely made an impression. 

The Jokester

When we got home for a date night tonight (we had a sophisticated night out at Le Grande Bistro downtown), we came home and my Mom told me that Daniel had been "joking" with her. When he did something funny, he'd telling her "joke!" Afterwards, all night, Daniel would say, "Joke Grandma 'Neese!"

Daniel's 1st Movie: The Lorax

Daniel went to his first-ever big screen movie this afternoon, "The Lorax." He lasted about an hour, with several sightseeing trips during that time. At one point, he hopped out of his Mom's lap and headed down the aisle. His Mom chased him back and forth under the big screen as he feinted towards the exits. In retrospect, the popcorn was fine but the Coke-flavored Icee was probably a bad idea (rocket fuel).

His favorite part of the trip was playing with the old-school payphone in the lobby, he thought that was pretty fascinating.

Bonus: An excerpt from Daniel's naptime this afternoon: "MOM-EE-MOM-EE-MOM-EE-MOM-EE-MOM-EE..." Yep, the dreaded "Mommymommymommy..." has begun.

Daniel's Neighborhood Tour

Now, when we are driving around Arvada, Daniel likes to point out all his favorite places as we go by...

"My Jay-um!"

"Yep, that's My Gym. We went there yesterday."

"Sun-Sun... Sunflower Grow-shri stoh-wer!"

"Yep, Sunflower. We've already been to the grocery store this week."

"Green Coffee Place! Green Tree Coffee Place!"

"Yep... Starbucks. That's where Daddy gets his coffee."

"Beans & Rice place!"

"Yep... Little Anita's."

"Logo grow-shri stoh-wer!"

"Uh-huh... Target."

"French fry place!"

"Yep... McDonalds."

"Gramma & Grampa!"

"Yep, Gramma & Grampa like to take you to McDonald's for fries."

Daniel's Solo Slide Trip

Today, while we were waiting for meet Fiona after school, Daniel made his first solo ascent & descent on the orange slide in the park next to Excel Academy. His Dad was terrified, and he slid down on his knees (like a rockstar) - but he made it without crashing, and then did it himself again about five more times.

Fiona joined Daniel & Jarl for lunch @ Gunther Toody's, and we all had a grand ol' time playing the "Lord of the Rings" pinball game. I put Daniel on a chair and told him to "watch the silver ball," which he did. We even "matched" and won a free game.

Daniel-isms

• Back-yarn: Great place to explore.  For instance, "Sandbox. Back-yarn!"
• Egg-grop soop: Daniel's favorite soup.
• Blanquet: Good to cuddle with during naptime.  Daniel loves his "star blanquet".

Say My Name!

During class today at My Gym, when asked "What's your name?" by Mr. Justin, Daniel responded: "Daniel!"

Major milestone. His Daddy is very proud.

Traffic-Jam Talkin'

I've noticed a lot in the past week that Daniel is now trying to talk over me when I'm speaking with Christy. Usually, I'm saying something about my day, while he is loudly repeating whatever he is also trying to tell her at the same time.

Christy asks: "How was class today at Naropa?"

and then, at the same time...

Jarl: "Well, I went to my field placement job"
Daniel: "French Fries! French Fries! French Fries!"

Battles and Errands

Mondays tend to go one of two ways in our house:
1. Fun Mommy-Daniel time with lots of laughs, play and adventure.
2. Errands punctuated by a battle of wills (usually over food).

Today has been the second kind of day.  It's 2 o'clock (nap time) and I'm exhausted.  It started at 5:30a when Daniel awoke crying.  Jarl brought him to bed with us where he (eventually) slept.  Though he would wake occasionally to tell me Tashi was on the bed or the next door neighbor's door is yellow or that he wanted eggs for breakfast.

At 8:30 I let myself be dragged from bed and confirmed that Daniel would like eggs and oranges for breakfast.  I scrambled an egg, peeled a clementine, made tea and toast for myself.  Daniel saw the toast and asked for red jelly.  So, I made him a piece with strawberry jam.

We sat down and the battle began.  Daniel didn't want to get in his high chair which isn't rare these days but is also a sign that he won't be eating much.  He drank his juice and ignored the food on his plate.  I asked that he take 5 bites before we called it quits.  He ate a section of clementine which I counted as a bite.  The egg that he'd been asking for since bedtime the night before? Shunned.  Toast slathered in butter and strawberry jam?  Eschewed.

After 20 minutes of cajoling, I lowered my expectations.  "One bite and you can get down."  Oh no.  This was a moral issue at this point.  I tried to make a game of it.  "I bet you can eat one bite of egg before I finish all these pieces of orange."  I explained that all the fun stuff ("grocery store. french fries. beans and rice place. mommy's car.") he was rattling off was out of reach until he ate one bite.  His reply? "Done."

I was angry.  I was tired, needed a shower and had to get to the grocery store for a few things but had painted myself in a corner.  We couldn't even go to the grocery store until he ate one bite.  We sat for a few more minutes and I upped the ante.  If he got out of his chair without taking a bite, he would have to go to his crib.  And that's how it went.  I took him out of his chair and put him in his crib.  Now he was angry too.

I took a shower, emptied the dryer and put a new load in.  By then, I had calmed down a bit.  I took him out of his crib and started folding laundry.  He asked for a "squeezie".  Ah ha - a compromise!  I gave him a squeezie (which he ate) and got him dressed.

First he got a haircut.  He did great though he clearly does not enjoy the process.  He got to watch "Bob the Builder" and play with the trains.  Then we headed to the shoe store and found two pairs of shoes (size 7).  Then grocery store.  Our list was really short since we have lots of plans in the evening this week.  By the time we were heading home it was 12:30p and Daniel was asking for "lunch place. french fries." almost non-stop.

We unloaded groceries then back to the car.  I toyed with the idea of going downtown but remembering the breakfast battle thought we'd both be more comfortable eating at home.  I bought french fries.  We came home and I made Daniel a peanut butter sandwich with chocolate milk.  That meal was about as close to an ideal Daniel lunch as I could get without handing him a bowl of ice cream topped with cookies and cake.

He ate a few french fries and a quarter of a sandwich and drank about two fingers of milk.  When we counted it up, it came to about 5 bites.  I'll count it as a win even though it did not feel like one.  Now? He's napping.  Before he went to his crib, he protested missing "Lazy Town" and took issue with my mandate of no TV.  It took about 45 minutes but he's quietly sleeping.  That would be a win too but the maids will probably show up and I'll have to preempt the nap. 

Spare a Kiss

Daniel was watching carefully as I made dinner tonight.  I boiled noodles, chopped veggies (asparagus and artichoke hearts) and mixed everything together.  I offered him a small piece of asparagus but couldn't get him to taste it.  He happily fed pieces to me though. (I seemed to enjoy them soooo much.)  As I was putting plates on the table, Daniel said "spare a kiss".  I repeated as a question to make sure I heard right.  He said it again and pointed to the kitchen.  I finally made the connection - 'spare a kiss' = asparagus.  The Cute-o-Meter jumped 10 points!

Stars Upon Thars!

I just finished "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" and one of the methods of encouragement has already been put to good use.  Dr. Karp recommends putting a check on the back of the child's hand when s/he does something asked of him/her.  Daniel loves getting his hand stamped so we modified the hand check system slightly by drawing stars on his hand to log a good deed.  He stopped struggling and sat in his high chair for dinner when promised a star for his hand.  He also did a great job eating his beans and rice (two stars for that).

Another tip from the book is to review the "checks" at the end of the day, reflecting on how helpful/patient/kind your child was that day and what you look forward to tomorrow.  Daniel and I sit in his room while he winds down for bed so this chat is a nice way to remember the day.

I'm a fan of "The Happiest" kids series.  Dr. Karp's ideas are easy to implement, respectful of your child, and generally a lot of fun.

Mu-see-um

We visited the Denver Art Museum today to see the "On the Road" exhibit which is timely because Jarl is taking a writing class focusing on Beat Writers.  Since it's the first Saturday of the month, admission was free (bonus) and there was a good crowd.  Daniel and I spent much of the time seeking out the many kid-friendly activities.  He stomped on "bubbles" projected on the floor until he and a bigger boy went for the same bubble, collided and both hit the floor. 

In the North Building, we found kids coloring Chinese dragon masks.  Daniel was happy to color leftover scraps of paper and move markers in and out of cups.  In the same area, we found blocks to stack and, better still, knock down.  Daniel pointed out "number one!" on the stairwell door. 

We decided to try lunch at Palettes in the museum.  Daniel wasn't too interested in the food even though they accommodated our request for scrambled egg and french fries.  He ate some fries and snubbed the egg.  The staff was fabulous - the waitress happily took our rather strange order, the host found Daniel an orange marker when he saw Daniel was less than impressed with the ballpoint pen he had, the tabletop was covered with paper so lots of space to draw.

After lunch, we visited the bathroom.  First, Daniel explained to the host that it was time to "use the bathroom".  He suggested we try the singing sink.  Having the sink sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" was a little disconcerting for Daniel, but he enjoyed watching the group of German students fix their hair and gossip.

Before heading home, we visited the gift shop and found a surprising number of board books featuring artwork from various artists.  Jarl found a Rousseau book and I picked up a coloring book by Taro Gomi (author of "Everybody Poops").  Daniel liked: the rings made of beads with flowers, the big people books, Erector set type building components with plastic sticks and balls ("bake pop!"), a ball made of magnetic parallelograms that broke apart in a very satisfying way when dropped on the rug.

It was a fun visit.  Unfortunately, nap was not achieved when we returned home but Daniel was in good spirits for the rest of the evening and fell asleep quickly after his bath.

Oh Potty, My Potty

Over the weekend, we decided it was time for Daniel to "make friends" with a potty chair.  We bought a potty chair and a potty seat that fits on the regular toilet at Babies R Us ("baby store!").  Daniel is well pleased.  He enjoys "sit on potty" and even enjoys looking at a book while on his new throne.  After he sits on the potty, he's rewarded with a single square of toilet paper which for several months has been only available to people who use the potty.

We also found a book on potty training, a caddy for books and a copy of "Once Upon a Potty".  We have a ways to go before training starts in earnest.  The good news is that Daniel is interested and comfortable with some of the equipment.

Soda & Fries

Daniel had his first sip of soda today - while I was preparing a PB sammich for him in the kitchen, he snatched my Diet Coke fountain drink off the dining room table. When I came back into the room to put him in his chair, he was slurping happily away. Finally! The forbidden fruit, that which Mommy & Daddy won't let me have! When he saw me, he offered it right up and said, "soda?"

Along these lines ("forbidden fruit"), it should also be noted that at 26 months, Daniel already recognizes the McDonald's logo, he knows they're the "gol-den arches," and he knows that's where french fries come from. Neither Christy or I have taken him there, yet, but he has visited once or twice recently with the elder Tidds, and it stuck. Behold, the power of McD's fries... and branding! Our 2 yr old isn't forming complete sentences yet, but he knows where to get the fries.

Toddler Chef

Over the weekend, we visited IKEA to redeem a gift card we'd received.  After lunch, we gravitated toward the kid's area and watched Daniel play with the race track and play kitchen.  We came home with two boxes full of kitchen assembly bits, felt food, pots 'n' pans, and kid-sized utensils.  Daniel has been tossing stuffed fruits and veggies all over the living room for days. 

Yesterday, my plan was to start building the kitchen while Daniel was napping.  I figured I'd wait for Jarl to get home if I found I needed another pair of hands.  Well, Daniel didn't nap.  He chattered away in his crib for nearly 3 hours.  And, I managed to assemble the bottom part of the kitchen unassisted.  I rescued Daniel from his crib and asked that he not walk off with hardware and tools while I built the top of the kitchen.  Luckily, Jarl arrived shortly after that to maintain a Daniel-free perimeter.

Daniel spent the evening turning the "burners" on and off ("Grocery store!" because the burners look like glowing, red Target logos), filling/emptying/removing the sink, throwing felt "food", and piling toys in the cabinets and microwave ("Microphone!" starts the same).  The kitchen withstood the test beautifully.  I am well pleased!

In other news, I realized I forgot to mention one of Daniel's word games.  He's playing around with possessives and it goes something like:
     D: Mommy's fries!
     Me: Right! Your fries are on your plate.
     D: Daddy's fries!
     Me: <wait for it>
     D: Daniel's fries!

This game works with lots of things: books, pens, water, beds, cups...

Fun & Games

Bedtime was a traumatic battle of wills tonight.  Daddy reports that nap time led to a similar battle.  So while soaking in a hot tub while my son screamed himself to sleep, I thought about the games Daniel enjoys.  Many of these have been documented in previous posts, but they are still favorites.

What Are You Doing?
This game is initiated with the question "what-r doing?" (months ago the question was simply "doing?").  I reply with whatever I happen to be doing: driving the car, making dinner, trying to have a conversation with your dad, sitting with you while you fall asleep, etc.  Then ask Daniel, "What are you doing?"  His reply is invariably "speaking."  To which I respond by asking "Are you speaking with me? Oh wonderful! I love speaking with you."

Dark Here
To play this game, we need to go some place dark.  Daniel's bedroom closet is an ideal spot but under a blanket or behind a hat works too.  Participants are not all required to be in the dark place simultaneously and after Daniel proclaims "Dark here!" your role in the game is flexible.  You can:
     a) agree that it is "Dark here"
     b) find another location where it is dark
     c) revisit the original location

Name That Tune
Daniel sings the first words (or word) of a song and you guess it and continue singing.  He particularly likes to sing "whennnnn" because this word could be the beginning of the "Fireman Sam" theme ("when he hears that fire alarm...") or "When You Wish Upon a Star".  If you guess incorrectly, Daniel will sing a few more words to clarify.  If you pause, he will often sing the next few words.

Jump On Bed
Pretty self-explanatory - Daniel jumps on Mommy and Daddy's bed.  If you help him to jump higher, great.  If you sing "see how I'm jumping, jumping, jumping", awesome.  The key to this game appears to be never ending it.  Daniel often requests a round of "Jump on bed!" while Jarl and I are finishing our dinners.  If we explain that we're still eating or trying to talk or just don't feel like jumping, the volume of the request is increased.  Sometimes tears are added or he will ask another person - if he started with Mommy, he'll move to Daddy and pull you room-ward.

Grocery Store
Daniel makes many trips to the grocery store.  Usually we shop at Target because it has groceries, diapers, inexpensive clothing in one convenient location.  Daniel points out the Target logo wherever he sees it: a sign in the parking lot, flyer in the mail, box of raisins, saying "grocery store".  When we get in the car and the destination is unclear (or sometimes even if it's been announced), he will recommend that we go to "grocery store".

What Day Is It?
Our weeks follow a general pattern:
     Mondays - Daddy is in class and Mommy is home
     Tuesdays - kid gym
     Wednesdays - Grandma & Grandpa Tidd visit
     Fridays - music class on Fridays
     Sundays - breakfast at a restaurant

Daniel likes to ask about certain activities and hear when they will happen.  For instance, "Mu-sik class?" is answered with "We'll have music class on Friday.  That's next week/tomorrow/in a few days."  Once the time frame is established, Daniel will confirm additional details of said activity.  "Mu-sik class" is coupled with "Pizza!" because we pick up pizza after class.  "Grandpa Tom" may be combined with "French fries" or "Museum" or "G-P-S!"

Freedom, Horrible Freedom!

As of two years, two months & one day, Daniel has figured out how to escape his crib. He climbed out today.

The day was pretty high energy. First we went to his "My Gym" class, then we met his Mommy for lunch @ Mimi's Cafe.' He didn't eat a lot at lunch. When we came home, he was groggy, but decided he didn't want to nap. I left him in for an hour, and went in to check: poopie. After changing him, I put him back in the crib and reminded him it's naptime (which he never likes, honestly, but I don't like getting stiffed on his nap, either). I left him in his crib, and (according to standard operating procedure) resolved that if he stayed awake for another hour, I'd cancel the nap attempt. He must have been hungry, because he started calling out all different kinds of food, and finally ended up chanting (for some unknown reason): "Yellow Jello! Yellow Jello! Yellow Jellow!" ...and then... *CLUNK* *WAAAAAAAAH!* He boosted himself out of the crib and fell. Daddy just about had a heart attack. A brief review determined that he didn't appear to have seriously hurt himself, I think he clambered out on the lion and then fell from there. But I'm afraid the carefree days of "put him in his crib 'til he sleeps, don't worry" are over.

But the gym class must be working. It's only his second class, and already he's figured out how to climb stuff, mostly from watching other kids. The monkey is loose.

Verb! That's What's A-Happenin'

Daniel is composing multi-word sentences and carefully considering his words.  When he asked for more orange juice at dinner tonight, his request for orange juice illustrated this nicely:
D: Orange Juice!
Me: You would like some orange juice?
D: Eat...<think>...Drink! Orange Juice. Drink orange juice.

He's singing more and more.  Added to the repertoire: "Peanut Butter and Jelly", "Sing a Song", "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Good-bye Song" (from My Gym), "Wash Wash Wash" (from Noodle and Doodle).  With me, he sometimes sings to diffuse tension.  If I'm getting irritated by his behavior or he doesn't feel part of a conversation, he'll start to sing the first few words of a song and pause to see if I'll pick up the melody.

ABC Song

Daniel was singing the ABC song this morning. Here's how far he got:

"Ay Bee See Dee Eee..."

"Good job, Daniel! What's next?" Daddy asks.

Daniel pauses and repeats through "E."

So Daddy says, "Eff! Gee!"

Daniel wanders off.

Fireman Sam = good, Robots = bad

Yesterday evening, Daniel wanted to sing the Fireman Sam theme song over and over.  We sing it as:

When he hears that fire alarm,

Sam is always cool and calm.

If you're stuck, give him a shout.

He'll be there to help you out!

To cue Mommy, Daniel sings "whennn" "whennnn" and, if I pause after "he'll be there to", Daniel will enthusiatically proclaim "Help You Out!"

In other news, robots are bad.  We had a preview of this sentiment over Christmas when Uncle Ryan gave everyone remote control robots.  Daniel did not like their looks or their (seemingly) independent movements.  Yesterday, Elmo and Zoe pretended to be robots.  Daddy reports that this behavior was not appreciated by Daniel who would watch briefly then leave the room obviously disturbed by what he saw.

Memory: Online

In the last 2 weeks - 1 month, approximately, Daniel has begun to show impressive displays of memory, and he is communicating them with us.

Several weeks ago, I told him Fiona was coming over and he piped up: "Ice cream!" (we often get ice cream when we see Fiona).

Several days ago, when I told his Tidd Grandparents that he had recently gone to the dentist, Daniel recalled memories from the visit: "New Toothbrush! Prize! Balls!" (the dentist provides kids with prizes from a gumball-style machine).

And last night, Christy mentioned Jill in conversation, and Daniel piped up: "Aws-trail-ya! Aunt Jill-Ee-In."

This hasn't happened all at once, but it's becoming increasingly clear now that he's hearing what we're saying, even when we don't notice. And it's also clear that when we ask him about something that's happened recently, he's recalling it in his mind's eye and then telling us what he sees. It's pretty amazing to see this unfold.

The Nopes

Daniel has been experimenting with contrariness for the last week or so, at least where Daddy is concerned. I can ask him almost anything, and he will quickly reply, "nope."

However, if I press on, there is nearly always a repeated pattern to his replies. It goes like this:

"Daniel, do you want to go to Disneyland and meet Mickey Mouse?"

"Nope."

"You don't want to go to Disneyland? Meet Mickey Mouse?"

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

*pause* and then a resigned "...ho-kay."

He doesn't do this all the time, however. Sometimes he actually listens to what I'm saying. I thought I was being clever yesterday morning when (as I was getting annoyed at the flurry of 'nopes' coming back at me), I asked him, "Do you want to eat candy all day?"

*pause* "...candy? Candy! CANDY!"

The candy chant went on all morning long.

Every Little Soul

Daniel has been in a musical mood the last few days. He has started singing phrases from songs he likes. He really likes the song 'Mr. Rabbit' ("Every Little Soul...") from the new 'Music Together' collection ("Bells") that he just got last week.

The chorus goes like this: "Every little soul must shine, shine, shine."

We were having lunch at the Grandview, and he was singing "every li'l soul" over and over.

So I sang the first part: "Every little soul must..." and waited.

Daniel quickly followed with the rest: "shine, shine, shine!"

It's the first time that I can remember that we have traded off parts of a song.

Ra Ra Ra

A friend recently expressed amazement that, at 2, Daniel can clearly say her name, which begins with an R.  Daniel's pretty good with Rs, but Ls not so much.  We have a book called "Storytime for Lamb" that he requests by saying "Ram! Ram!"  This could be technically correct given that the lamb's gender is not clear.  Also, our music teacher is named Melissa and Daniel calls her "Rissa".  It's like living with a small, blond, Japanese tourist :)

Dark Here and Upside Down

Daniel is enjoying 2 new games these days.  "Dark Here" involves going somewhere dark (closet, rack of clothing in a store, under a blanket, parking garage) and stating that it is "Dark Here!"  Ideally, the other players (Mommy and Daddy) will join him in the dark place and agree that it is indeed dark.

"Upside Down" is a new activity best performed on Mom and Dad's bed.  Previously, jumping on the bed was the most fun.  Now, Daniel likes to be turned upside down over the bed.

Evoked Companions

Thinking about Daniel Stern's "evoked companions" today: I put Daniel in his crib for a nap about half an hour ago, and he has been chatting away ever since with Grandpa, Grandma, his uncle Ryan, and Santa Claus.

Banging & Shaking

For the last week or so, Daniel has become preoccupied with banging things. More specifically, picking up objects and then slamming them down. This isn't new behavior, but he seems to have become fixated on it recently for some reason.

Today, he also spent quite a lot of time shaking things, like bottles. Again, not new behavior, but it seems to have caught his interest.

Another behavior that is new is that he is experimenting with the tone of his voice when he talks, so when he's really excited, he talks in a very high pitched voice now (just like we adults talk to him when we're excited about something he's done).