Leo's been here TWO years!

I walked in Leo's room this morning with his Rah Rah and Granny Jo and when we told him, "It's your birthday!" he looked both excited and relieved. I mean, it's been a long time coming. All his friends have already turned two and he keeps saying, "It be Leo's birthday!" But now, finally, "it really be Leo's birthday!"

Leo's love of balls has turned into a love of sports in general. He likes to strike up conversations about his favorite topic by saying, "I talk about baseball," or "I talk about hockey." He requests the sports page from the newspaper each morning so he can say things like, "He fall down," and "He missed!"

When he goes to Mother's Morning Out or the YMCA he will spend the entire time perfecting his baketball game. The staff at the Y always tells me that he is going to play college basketball and when he does, he better thank them.

He's also developed quite a love for trains, thanks to his best friend John's influence. They both love Thomas and all his friends. We are quickly learning all the train lingo. I first thought we would just give him a couple of trains and a few pieces of track. Now that has turned into a giant train table in his play room complete with this elaborate track configuration. We call it "The Island of Sodor." Thomas fans, you know what I'm talking about!

He really enjoys music class but the only song he'll let us play in the car is the "choo choo train song." As soon as we get into the car he insists, "CHOO CHOO TRAIN SONG!" and I have to prompt him for his manners. (See below.) Other favorite songs include Twinkle Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep and the Wheels on the Bus. And he sings all of them--word for word!

He now knows that when he doesn't know something he should say, "I don't know" but he says it more like a question. For instance, yesterday I said, "What does Elise like?" and he said, "I don't know?" Or sometimes he says, "I say I don't know?" Ha!

He's getting better with his manners (but still needs a lot of prompting). He knows to say "please," "thank-you" and "I'm sorry." This last one he has to use a lot because he has a pushing problem. I told Frank, "The other day he pushed Olivia and..." Frank goes, "What? He's pushing girls too?" I know; it's terrible! But whenever he does it, he goes to time out and then goes up to the friend and says, "I'm sorry, Livia" or "I'm sorry, Bianca." John can forgive but he can't forget. When he stands somewhere that Leo pushed him, he says, "Leo push."

And speaking of time out, he often puts himself in it and calls it "hide out."

He plays with his Little People and it's so fun to watch him pretend with them. He's given them all names--one is friend Etienne, then there's Ms. Steffi (music class teacher), mama, dada, pilot, Bobby, Paul, Popsy, Granny Jo, Rah Rah, Rah Rah Roh, Driver...they all get on the bus, fly in the airplane and go to school. At school they have to "be patient" while they wait their turn on the slide. It kind of scares me when he makes Rah Rah Roh (Grandpa Ron) fly the airplane.

When I'm driving he tells me to "be patient" at stoplights and he knows that green means "go."

And that's good news for the colors--he's got them down! He knows blue, red, yellow and green. Sometimes he even knows purple.

He can sing the whole alphabet song (even if some letters do sound a little clumped together) and count to ten (which you saw in the previous blog entitled "dribbling and counting.")

He knows his name: "Leo James Si-Sick!"

He knows lots of different stores: Target, Best Buy, Learning Express, Chick Fila ("Tickle-Lay") and Babies R Us. The Little People on his school bus are always going to Babies R Us to get footballs.

I was really surprised the other day when we got into the car at Target and he looked across the shopping center and said, "Dollar Tree!" Yes, the Dollar Tree was over there but we've only been there a couple of times and I always call it the "Dollar Store." So it was almost like he was reading it!

Although when we ask him to read something on a shirt or in a book, he always thinks everything says, "Leo." His second guess is "Texas Bite."

He does pretty well when we leave him places and he says, "Mama be right back." So even if I say, "We're going to the YMCA," he'll say, "Mama be right back."

He likes me to sing the song, "You are my sunshine" and he calls it "Please don't take" because of the part that says, "Please don't take my sunshine away."

One thing he does NOT like to do is share. He says, "I share!" but he doesn't walk the walk. He's always saying, "It be Leo's turn!"

Right now he's saying, "Look at Leo!" which is one of his favorite things to say. He'll also say, "Look what Leo has" and "Look what Leo did!"

Here you go, now you can "Look at Leo," our big two-year-old boy!