Are you my Friend?

It is both interesting a frustrating to understand that my son is his own person.  They say kids figure this out around age 2, and thus begin acts of defiance to establish their independence.  I guess a similar transition happens for parents, too.

I suppose I always accepted that there were "clicks" at school, but it is completely rational to play with a couple kids at a time and not an entire class.  But I foolishly assumed they all get along.  We can ask who Jonah played with at school and the answer is always some combination of the same few kids.  Then I ask about some of the other kids in the class, and the answer is a firm "no" or even "he's mean".  Even if grown-ups are always calling all kids friends, toddlers seem to know better.

While it's delightful for Jonah to make friends or recognize a bad apple, it is sad when his judgement differs from my own.  A very sweet, but very shy little girl from playgroup kept asking Jonah, "are you my friend?" to which he kept replying, "no!", crying and running away.  The poor little thing!  I felt so sad for her, but admired her resilience.  She must have asked a hundred times.

I want Miss Jacqueline!

A good college friend came to visit over the long weekend and spent lots of time entertaining Jonah playing ball, cooking, reading, etc.  If she so much as left the room Jonah would ask me, "Mom, where your buddy?"

When we hurriedly dropped her off at the train station today, Jonah gave the loudest and most emphatic cry I have ever heard from him:  "I want Miss Jacqueline!  I want Miss Jacqueline hug me!"  With HUGE crocodile tears.  The poor kid was clearly distraught at her departure.

We took a walk down by the tracks, where five tracks simultaneously pass above a river and below a pedestrian walk, all of which tunnel under the mall.  He loved it... but kept intermittently crying for Miss Jacqueline!  We waved to the commuter train as it passed to say good-bye (although her Amtrak train had departed 20 minutes prior.  Shhhh!)  Bye, Miss Jacqueline!  We miss you!!!

Fast Friends

Happily, Jonah decided to be best buds with the son of my college friend.  They had met before as babies, but now 2 years old they can actually play together.  They immediately found they have a lot of similar interests, including basketball, soccer and bounce houses.  Unfortunately, these hobbies intersected in a rather competitive way.  Even with 6 balls in the yard, they always wanted the same one at the same time, even though the favorite varied throughout the day!  They both did a great job "using their words", but understanding one another was another issue entirely.  ;-)

Surprise!

I love to be surprised by the new things Jonah can do!  Today he sat in the "big boy" swing and pumped his legs correctly.  Then it was my turn and he pushed me in the swing!

After swinging, Jonah did a somersault in the grass!  He thought I should do one, too.  I don't remember it being quite so painful!  Ow.

Greatest Show on Earth

Jonah was terrified, but couldn't take his eyes off the show!  His mouth was hanging open through most of it.  The trapeze was a little too much for him and he wanted to go home, but after a short break he came back to see the tigers!  Jonah loved the tigers and elephants best.

Elliott slept through most of the show, but awoke near the end.  He was hungry, and awfully surprised to find himself at the circus!  The startled look in his eyes was priceless.

1-Second Neck Exercise

Elliott has very little interest in doing a "cobra", or even picking up his head, during tummy time.  It seems lying and sucking his thumb has become a comfortable place to be.  I finally found a trick, which is to lay him looking to the right.  He picks up his head, turns to the left, and lies back down where his thumb of choice is readily accessible.  End of exercise.  This is a little troublesome, since friends and cousins born around the same time have been doing a cobra for over a month now.  All in his own time... and who can blame him with a noggin measuring in the 99th percentile?

Thumb Sucking Extraordinaire!

Elliott has mastered the art of sucking his thumb - always the left thumb.  And unlike the fist, which can be upsetting when it doesn't produce milk, Elliott is perfectly content to suck away, sometimes even while sleeping!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkk!

Things that will make Jonah shriek:

• A piece of hair touching him in the bathtub
• An ant crawling on the floor

The piercing nature of the wail may lead one to expect some catastrophic event has transpired.  Nope.

Happy Easter!

I may have failed as a Catholic parent this Easter.  I never want Easter to be just bunnies, eggs and candy.  But how do you explain to a toddler what the celebration is about?  Does he understand death?  Is it silly that death is so taboo in our culture, or a good idea to avoid the topic with a sensitive little mind?  I offhandedly gave Jonah a couple soundbites about God, Heaven and Jesus but it certainly wasn't a theological conversation intended to foster deep understanding.  But you never know... sometimes a little phrase can stick with him.  Last weekend, Grandmama asked Jonah if he would come to her house to help find the eggs the Easter Bunny hid.  All week we've been hearing Jonah excitedly explain, "I go Mema's house, she need help finding eggs.  I help Mema find the eggs!"

Easter was a lovely day of Mass (we arrived just in time to get seats in the vestibule, right behind Jonah's friends.  They were all a little more rowdy than usual... maybe from the candy???), egg hunts (which included a full boisterous and theatrical narrative worthy of a Tony Award) and family.

How embarrassing!

[Bedtime]
Jonah:  I need George.
Mommy:  Here you go. [Hands Curious George to Jonah]
Jonah:  Oh no!
Mommy: What's wrong?
Jonah:  There's poopy coming out his bum!  He need a diaper change!
Mommy: I'll get him a diaper.
Jonah:  He need monkey diaper!
[Mommy diapers Curious George]