"Balk balk balk"

November 8, 2013
11 days until 2!

I really and truly love toddlers.  They are little, innocent people walking the earth looking to discover (and destroy) anything they can get their hands on.  At this stage in the game, they start communicating more effectively (50% of the time...).  Their interpretation of life is just extraordinary.  As CJ asked me the other night, "Wouldn't it be funny if we could remember what our minds were thinking when we were two?!" 

He loves airplanes and helicopters....Grandma draws them and he colors them in.

This morning seemed to fly by.  It is a blur of Super Mopi, Honey Nut Cheerios, play dough, the market and one ravioli-infused t-shirt.  I have managed to somehow get dinner in the crockpot (Eggplant Parmesan) and Colter has only been asleep for 30 minutes.  If all goes well, I should have at least another hour of peace. 

WOOHOO!

Colter cracks me up.  He exhausts me.  He makes me want to be a better mom.  He makes me laugh.  He makes me cry.  He makes me want to scream (and, sadly, I do on occasion). He makes me stop and listen.  He makes me run.  He makes me wonder.

Our little monkey.

The other day he wanted a peach.  So I sliced up some peach.  Then he wanted me to peel the skin off.  I peeled the skin off.  Then he wanted the skin back on.  I don't know about you, but I can't do that.  My mother never taught me that trick.  Which means my beautiful little 23 month old threw a tantrum.  My girlfriends tell me that toddlers think we are Superheroes.  Today was the first time my Bubba realized that I am not a Superhero.  I hope tomorrow I can prove him otherwise.

This morning all Colter wanted to do was sit up on the kitchen counter and play with play dough.  For, like, an hour.  Those of you who know my child know that sitting in one place is not his forte. I washed dishes and he played.  It was a peaceful time.

Legos and a salad spinner:  what else could you possibly need?!

I needed to go to the market.  It's cold out.  I can only tell you that by the time we managed to get my 23 month old in all his gear, it'll be Spring.  The lure of Super Mopi won out and we made it out the door.  Thank heavens.  (By the time we finally got outside, it had warmed up significantly and the layers had to come off...)

Super Mopi!

Colter brought me a bag of fruit snacks just before dinner the other night.  I told him to put it "back" please.  He looked at me with this quizzical look.  He took the bag and held it on his back.  His look was priceless.  Just like that he learned there are two definitions to "back".  So cool.

Fun with finger painting...

We sat down to dinner the other night - a yummy pineapple sesame chicken that Grandma had brought.  I handed my son some chicken and said, "Here you go, Bubba, eat your chicken.  Yum yum!"  He took it, looked at it for a second, then started "balking" like a chicken.  At the dinner table.  I burst out laughing.  Now every time before he puts a piece of chicken in his mouth, he makes a chicken noise.  Mental note:  don't invite any vegetarians over to dinner any time soon.  Some people may get offended by his quite realistic chicken noises.  I'm just happy he eats chicken.  Feel free to "Moo" when you eat beef too, buddy.

So darn cute.