Leo’s been here 16 months

Look at all that hair! It’s really thick and long in the back. I think he’s working on a mullet.

Okay, let’s get down to business:

Chatting:
This kid can TALK. I’m losing track of all the new words. He’s now starting to say some of the words he signs: For instance, milk is now “mimi” and he just started saying some form of “all done.” For "help," he pats both hands on his chest as the sign but also says “hep.” He uses it when he can’t open something or can’t turn on his guitar.

What’s more amazing than the words he says is what he understands. Like the other day I was on the computer and he wanted to come mess with everything on my desk. In an effort to distract him with something else I said, “Where is your dump truck?” And he went over to his play area and pointed at his dump truck. Then I said, “Why don’t you put your blocks in your dump truck?” And he did! Frank is certain that soon he will be able to understand, “Get daddy a beer.” He already pulls beers out of the fridge and says “dada.”

Mingling:
He still has "stranger preference" and people always comment that he is so friendly. Sometimes at play groups he goes up to the other moms so much that I fear they think I don’t pay enough attention to him.

Walking:
Totally has this down! So long scoot. Well, the scoot resurfaces every now and then.

Melting:
He’s prone to toddler meltdowns—especially in the morning. I don’t think he’s a morning person. Everything upsets him in the morning and if I dare try to clean a dish or do something that doesn’t involve him, he goes crazy. I mean screaming, thrashing, crying, foaming…until I pick him up and comfort him. I feel like I’m constantly talking him off the ledge. (And then I’ll take him somewhere later that morning and people will say, “He’s so calm.” If they only knew.)

Singing:
He’s not in music class right now but we still listen to the music class CD all the time. He loves to sing, “Bah bah bah” and his Leo CD is basically on a constant loop in the car. I’m totally numb to it now. I’ve heard it at least once a day since Christmas.

Playing:
He’s still obsessed with balls. And he calls everything a ball—fruit, acorns, anything round. You’d be surprised how many ball-shaped statues there are outside of retail establishments. Leo always finds them. He also loves his red and yellow Flinstone-ish car. So you would assume that when he saw the inflatable red and yellow car filled with balls at John’s house, he would be stoked. I said, “Leo, look! It’s a car full of balls!” But he was freaked out by it. He wouldn’t go in it. He said, “No, no, no, no” and clung to me. I think it was too closed-in for him. I’ve noticed a pattern of him being afraid of enclosed spaces. He doesn’t like the tunnel slides at the playground either. I think I’ve got a little claustrophobic on my hands.

Blowing:
Sometimes when Leo’s food is hot, I blow on it. He loves this and now he blows on his food no matter the temperature. He always says, “hot” and then exhales onto whatever he’s eating. It’s pretty cute.

Venturing
Next week he starts Mother’s Morning Out. It’s once a week for two and half hours. I’ve left him at the YMCA play center and the church nursery but this will be the first time I leave him somewhere where I won’t be on site. I don’t think he’ll have any problems…as long as they have balls.