Chatterbox

Josh is growing up. FAST. He'll be two years old in June, for crying out loud! Every day I'm amazed at the new tasks he's learned and new phrases he's put together, seemingly on his own. He's a real person now!

Besides making horrific messes every time I turn around, here's what the little chatterbox has been up to lately:

- Yesterday I caught him counting poker chips to himself. (Look out, Vegas!) He got up to ten on his own! Then he started switching between sixteen and nineteen like a broken record.

- I took a picture of his butt crack peeking out of his diaper one day, said the words in front of him, and he went around for the next few minutes saying "butt crack! butt crack! butt crack!" Let's hope it doesn't stick.

- Josh often makes his demands in question form, looking up at me with raised eyebrows, like "wanna go outside?" Then when I repeat it back, he says excitedly "Oh, yah! Yessss!" with a few big dramatic nods of his gigantic head. Like he's very proud of me for understanding him.

- You might wanna sit down for this one...Have I ever mentioned that Josh likes to smooch older women? Well, he does. Especially Leah. That little tease busted out some dance moves tonight that would've put any toddler into a frenzy! I love how they are holding each other here.

- When he doesn't like something I say or is disappointed, he groans "aaawwwwwwww" with an up-down-up inflection. Know what I mean? Like a big kid groaning about Mom telling him to do his homework before he goes out to play baseball with his friends. Where did he learn this?!?!

- When he wants to watch TV, he gathers both "mote contolls" from wherever they're hidden in the room and brings them to me, saying something like, "wanna watch GoGoGadget on da TV!" 

- He runs increasingly complicated errands around the house for me. I'll say something like "Josh, go get Mommy's phone. It's out by the computer. On the desk." And he'll actually do it. I might have to start calling him Jeeves.

- He tries to sing the ABCs all the time (see video from earlier post). HIJKLMNOP are hard for him to annunciate, but the rest is pretty dang clear. He also sings Wheels on the Bus, Bob the Builder, and the Dora theme song (but definitely not if you ask him to). And I don't mind sayin' he's got the cutest little voice of all time.

Eating ice cream with the big boys at the playground

- Recently he insists on unlocking the front door and the mailbox all by himself with my keys. I'm a little nervous about him figuring out that trick in the car! Still, he's on his way to becoming a very good helper when I have my hands full.

- Almost every day, he drags a chair over to the stove, climbs up on it and says "I wanna make eggs/cookies!" I've started to let him crack the eggs (or try, anyway) and help me stir. I'm so proud of my little chef!

Checking out the cookies he made with Daddy in Arizona

- When Daddy chases him with tickle fingers, Josh runs to me and wiggles around until his body is completely shielded by mine. Do kids just know this instinctively? Hide behind Mom for safety? It's the cutest thing!

- He's so particular about the way his clothing fits. When his socks are not perfectly adjusted over his toes, he gives a series of panicked grunts and demands "No, fix it!" like it's the end of the stinkin' world.

Yes? Can I help you?

Is this important? I'm working on a really scathing blog about hyperpartisanship in the Senate.

Little phrases that make me laugh:

-"Where's Daddy? Daddy at work?"
-"I did it!"
-"Oh dang it!"
-"Oh maaaan!!"
-"Oh my GOSSSHHH!"

-"Sit down!!!" (sternly, pointing next to him on the couch so we can watch TV together, or to the floor so some part of him can be touching me while he builds a train track)

-"thank you welcome"
-"excavator" and "bulldozuh" (his favorite man-made objects besides the TV)
-"I don't like that"
-"I wanna go to the Tot Lot"
-"Bobbbablblluh can na fix it?" = Bob the Builder
-"Put it in da sink" (what he always does with his sippy cup when he's finished)
-"OH! Okay! Okie dokie." (when following instructions or talking to himself while playing)
-"mmmmmmmmmmMUH!" (giving kisses)
-"Mommy, do need moe German 'ancakes?" (when my breakfast plate is almost empty)
-"I wanna hode you, Mommy"
-"yay! yay! yay!" (trying to jump up and down when he's excited to go somewhere)

mustache = chocolate ice cream

I take very little credit for this kid's intelligence. Although he has an extremely smart father, I really believe Josh just came to us with an already curious, sharp mind. And now I feel this overwhelming responsibility to feed his brain as much as it can handle so he"ll reach his full potential and I won't be guilty of holding back his development. I guess it's time to start buying real parenting books that teach me how/what to teach my little man. Any suggestions?

I just had to show off his curls from a couple of months ago, before the big haircut!