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).