"Ball mine" and "share"

Theo is embarking on another significant developmental stage, learning words such as "mine" and "share" (the second one I'm especially proud of). He is also beginning to link words with increasing frequency. He has said "Myr wa" which means, "Myrtle is drinking water", and just the other evening "ball mine". I'd been modeling sharing for months, and recently he actually started using the word when offering me food. The best example, though, was the other morning. Theo was playing with his cars in the bathroom while I took my shower. I turned the water off and opened the curtain, and Theo looked at me and said "done!" I told him he was right and asked him if he would hand me my towel. He methodically emptied each hand of its car and grabbed my towel with both hands, turned around, and lifting it up to me said happily, "share!" It is the development of these concepts that fascinates me so. For instance, to Theo, "mine" means more than just a possession of an object, the uses it to mean "my way"! When he doesn't get what he wants he sometimes cries "mine mine mine".

The action and awe of an evening outside

Playing outside with Theo yesterday evening, the games included running up and around the car and back down the driveway, kicking and throwing the soccer ball, and watching planes and birds.

Tallest tower

Daddy and Theo built the tallest Duplo block tower ever! Even taller than Theo!

Pee-pee in the potty!!!!

I'm proud to announce Theo's very first pee-pee in the potty! We have practiced sitting on the potty and reading books before, but never had any deposits been made. Most of the time he had just peed or pooed and it was too late. This time, Theo had just woken up from a nap, and I went to change his diaper, and it was dry! He had just had a bottle and I knew a torrent of urine was imminent. Fortunately, he was interested, and within moments, out it came! Theo looked a little confused but I was cheering furiously and Matt came running from the other room to join me. We poured the pee-pee into the big potty, said bye-bye and Theo flushed it down. Of course, Theo wasn't done sitting and reading despite this accomp- lishment, so we had to stay and sit and read for several more minutes before I could finally coax him into putting his diaper and pants back on. We have no illusions that we'll actually achieve potty training in the near future, but you know, baby steps, and this is a big one.

Counting, drawing and cleaning

Today Matt called me at work to tell me Theo said "9". Matt was counting to ten and happened to pause at 8, and Theo said "nine". Matt was floored. So was I. Apparently, he has been listening, and learning. The he started saying "nine ten" over and over again. He can also say eight. He doesn't string words together but rarely yet, thought he does say "big piece" to ask for larger quantities of foods during meals now.

You wonder why there are fewer pictures of Theo now; mainly it is because whenever he sees the camera he wants to look at the pictures of himself in the camera, thus the end of this video. When we were done with his washable markers this evening, I gave him the sponge and asked him to wash his little table, which he eagerly did. His drawing is quite good, too, I'm going to take it to work to hang in my office.

Box o' toddler

Why look, Theo's got a car with him! How unusual! It was Theo's idea to climb into a very narrow box and sit down in it - when he fell over sideways twice in a row, we intervened and got him a bigger box.

Theo's other favorite toy besides cars right now: his bunny. He likes to hug it and give it piggy back rides.

Theo is totally obsessed with cars right now. He even knows the difference between cars, trucks, and vans. Cars are almost the only toys he wants to play with right now, aside from balls and his bunny, and you know, other things that go, like planes and trains. He even wants to play with them in the bathtub and have one in his hand at the playground. Let's just say that there is definitely some strong evidence in the nature nurture debate that nature has something to do with it. Nurture plays it role, of course, but yes, so does nature - and something about boys will be boys?