-He likes to "sign my name, mommy" which really means plinking it out on the keyboard on a blank word document with a size 35 font. He started with 2ELLIOT- when I told him there was no 2, he argued and insisted that "I'm TWO!" Now that he's fluent there, he wants to move onto the Ulrich Papczun part. He also started finding his name in things like my t-shirt from Athletico- he will pick out E-L-L-I-O-T successfully from those letters. Pretty neat.
- He's very into birthdays lately and requests that we sing Happy Birthday to him often, even after we explain it's not his birthday for a long time. We make birthday cakes with Play-Doh too.
- After the WORST day ever with Renee a week or so ago, he has been quite good lately. Seems almost like he's reached a more grown-up point in his development (for now!) and is a bit settled.
- The #2 of potty training is a major struggle still... sigh. Everyone reassures me that he won't be circling like a small animal, saying "My bottom hurts!" when he's 16, but for now, this stage/phase seems to be going on forEVER. Poor Renee-- the last issue she had with this was public, complete with vomiting from having to push so hard. Lovely. There have been more vegetables eaten, and there seems to be a *small* improvement in this department. As a parent of a toddler, it's just nuts how many times we talk about poop.
- Elliot is pretending a lot more. His imagination seems to have blossomed lately and it's really fun. He goes to the store and gets chocolate ice cream, bringing each of us a cone, collecting money, then we put all kinds of toppings on it. Or, we're all birds-- he's a toucan, dad's a pelican, and I'm an owl. He's also gotten much better at playing hide-and-seek. Although he still yells out, "No, I'm in here!", he hides better and will take his turn counting and looking (which he didn't do before).
- He wheels and deals a ton, over everything. I'll tell him I'll stay one more minute, "No, two more! Three more! 1-2-3-4-5-6 more minutes!" I guess that's what we get for negotiating everything, down to how many bites of veggies get eaten. Everything is a deal.
Caught him perched on the windowsill in his underwear.
Easter was quite the excitement. After 7am sunrise service at the lake, brunch at a friend's, a no-nap day made for a very tired toddler.
Nancy and Micah had perfect treats for Elliot- giant bunny cookie was a hit, as well as the birdie whistle (which then had to be taken to bed).
Coloring eggs with Diane and Martin.
Boiling the eggs first. "Mommy, the eggs are getting warm!" Then, of course, he insisted that Kathy (the babysitter) didn't do that to the eggs first...
Ah, the fun of nesting Tupperware bowls!
Trying on Grandpa's funny drumsticks.
7 of the 9 cousins who were in for spring break at the farm.
Uncle John suggested mushroom hunting, and everyone tromped along. It was pretty darn cute. Elliot kept picking up handfuls of dirt and yelling, "I found a mushroom!" We really only found two.
Making his way through the brush- he was really a trooper, pulling the branches out of the way, clamoring over the logs.
He'd have to stop and rest. He had to have a walking stick like everyone else, too.
Grandma stealing a moment to read to him.
When we were packing to go to the farm, he put himself in the overnight back and hollered to me that he was ready to go.
Finally got a quick shot of him wearing the owl hat Aunt Heidi made him!
Ponyrides at a cousin's birthday party. What a treat! He was in awe.
I think the older cousins have figured out how to put this situation to their advantage.
Super gentle English Mastifs (sp?)- they had just given him a big kiss!
Seeing if we can get some seeds started during our really warm early spring!
Elliot saw this on the screen, immediately starts pointing and naming the letters... "G-- O-- O-- O-- eight-- I-- E!" We were laughing under our breath, and thought the moments of contemplation before the mistaken g/8 was interesting!
