Rules

There are a lot of rules.
Don't make a mess. Mommy doesn't like mess, it makes her sad, because she has to clean it up.
No jumping on the stairs.
No throwing toys in the house.
No hitting.
No kicking.

I'm getting pretty good at all of these rules. I say "sorry, mommy" when I break them.

But the other day, Mommy did something strange. We were sitting in the kitchen, and she suddenly said "Hey! Ivan! Your baby brother is kicking mommy! Come feel my tummy!"

So...I thought about that for a minute.

Then I deliberately kicked her in the shins.

Apparently, "don't kick Mommy" is still the rule.

(Now she says my baby brother is "wiggling.")

developmental jump!

I had another burst of new skills, apparently.

Mom keeps noticing how fast I run. I don't wobble side-to-side as much, so I am just putting all my momentum forward. Zoooooom! And I'm in better control of my feet, even imitating little dance moves I've seen on Mr. Rogers.

I'm sleeping most of the way through the night now, with just one predawn wakeup, and I've been staying in bed for that. Usually I've wiggled out of my covers and just want someone to come tuck me back in. Then i sleep until 6:45 or 7.

My talking and stories are much more interesting and detailed now. I love to "cook" things for people on my cardboard box stove, mixing with bowls and spoons and serving up "mommy coffee" or "blueberry soup" or "muffins" or "chocolate cake with strawberries" or "carrots" or "chicken and noodles." Even "salad."

I make up stories that didn't happen. Like "Mommy, biiiiig tree! Really big tree! Fell on head. On my head. Oh, maaaan!" And then i laugh.

I love to run and spin around in circles until I fall down. Even better is if I can get a grownup to do it with me.

I draw eyes, and horses, and babies.

I love to fix things. And to do other things myself, like peel pomegranates (mom quarters them, and I dig out each little kernel).

I am fierce about brushing my own teeth, and getting better at actually doing it. And sometimes, especially if I'm naked already (like waiting while the bath fills up), I use the potty all by myself. That makes mommy and daddy super happy.

Bye bye bottles, hello big boy drum and bed

I have a big boy bed now! Sometimes I still go into my crib, but most of the time I like the bed. It has robots over it.

And I gave away all of my baby bottles. I'm all done with them. Mommy said when I'm all done with them, I get a big boy toy...so now I have a big boy drum! I like it a lot. It's loud, and mommy and daddy have been teaching me how to do drum rolls. I'm pretty good at it, even.

Tatüüü, Tataaaaa!

I'm a firetruck!
Mommy and Daddy made it. It has blinky lights, and wheels. I like it, but it gets too heavy after a few minutes, so mommy had to carry it around when we were trick-or-treating.

I like saying "trickortreat!! Trickortreat!!" .... but I get too shy to say it to the strangers at the door, so I just ran in circles yelling it on the sidewalk.

Mommy let me have one small candy piece, a twix bar. "Ivan likes candy." Mmm, chock-leck.

I like to hug kids, and Mommy's tummy, and daddy and Uncle Hans and Mary Kat and Uncle Chris.

I love to follow Tory around. Trick-or-treating was all about running after Tory. Tory is fast when he's with his big kid friends.