Out of Character

 

 

Leo’s daily requests that we call him different names went from cute to crazy. He screams at innocent people—even children—when they call him Leo. A lady at the grocery store called him “sweetie” and he threw a tantrum. I took him down the aisle and tried to give him a pep talk. She came up and said, “Did I say something wrong?”

Plus, sometimes it feels like you can’t win:

“Leo, it’s time for bed.”

“No, I am the goalie!”

“Okay, Goalie. It’s time for bed.”

“No, I am the Big Boy!”

“Big boy, it’s time for bed.”

“No, I am the lion!!”

 

And he’s not saying this sweetly. He’s screaming while stomping his feet. It’s gotten to the point where I cringe when I hear his name. I think, “Oh, no. Here we go again.” 

I knew it had to stop when I witnessed him throwing a tantrum while playing with his Little People. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Driver called me Ee-oh so I hussed.”  (The Fisher Price Little Person, the school bus driver, called him Leo so he fussed.)

Here are the new rules: We will call him whatever he wants—basketball player, baby, the conductor, Gordon, goalie, “hoot”ball player—when we’re at home. Once we leave home, he is Leo. I even made up a little spin he can do to go from a character to Leo. He says, “I am basketball player” and then turns around two times and then says, “Now I am Leo.”

He seemed to accept this today when we were out and about. At sports class he let his coach and the other kids call him Leo. In the car he tried to trick me though: “Mama say, ‘Why are you sad, basketball player?’” I said, “Why are you sad, Leo?” He “hussed” a little until I reminded him that he is Leo when we’re not at home.

 

And here are a few pictures that don’t really have anything to do with his characters; they’re just cute: playing in the leaves after sports class with John, hanging out with Grandpa Ron and playing on an airplane at the PDK airport playground (where he was, of course, “the pilot.”)

 

 

  

Leo’s rendition of Rock-a-bye Baby. Don’t let him near a real baby!

As “The basketball player”

Typical Man

 

 

 

  

All Fired Up

Leo attended a fire-man themed 3rd birthday party for his friend Tucker last weekend. It was the coolest kid party that he (or I ) had ever seen! Ever since, he’s been obsessed with all things fireman-related. He made us call him “the fireman” all weekend and wanted to sleep with the hat, vest and Dalmatian he received there.

Three things to point out about the pictures:

1. I’m so sorry I don’t have any of Tucker, the guest of honor! He was busy working the crowd.

2. Look at the amazing cake that Tucker’s mom made herself!

3. Notice the last picture: it’s the next morning and he’s in his pajama top, a diaper and his fireman gear.

 

Labor-Free Weekend

 

Leo lives by the rule, “Work None, Play Hard.” This weekend he spent time with Tia Kristin, watched the horns at a bar (where he was the ONLY kid but still fit in just fine), played some basketball, wore matching Star Wars shirts with daddy, went to a festival, hung out on third base, danced with Tia, got a football painted on his face, ate a cookie, had a picnic, hiked to some waterfalls, went swimming with John and friends in the pool and finally, rode in a wagon with John to go get Fro Yo.

 

Wooh, being his mommy sure is work!!

 

 

 

Back to School

Leo starts “school” on Friday (which is really just one day of Creative Play and he did it this summer already). But he calls it school and he likes me to pretend that his little people are going to school.

But the real excitement around here is that real school is back in session and that means we get to watch the school bus come pick up the kid across the street every day! (I hope that kid doesn’t give us a restraining order.)