It's amazing to me the little things. Especially when i don't see him for several days at a time. It might be how he now tilts his head, has a little more control over his facial muscles for slight changes in expression. The fact that he can tell you not just that he is holding an elephant in his hand, but will point and name the trunk, the head, the back, the legs.
His stories are getting longer and have more details. And he is always making me laugh. Sometimes because of how he says something and I realize he got that inflection from me. Especially when you repeat something back to him in a question and he says...yeah. His insistence on helping is growing but he knows he can't grab everything or else mommy gets frustrated......cause he inadvertently spills stuff. But I let him watch and help out when he can and he loves that.
His memory retention almost freaks me out at times. He's so observant about things he sees he has me scrambling the line of sight to see what he saw - cause i know he saw it.
And while he is only 2 and a half - wow - the things I can articulate to him and his comprehension of it, blows me away. At the same time. I love it. It is teaching me not to take my son's intelligence or ability to understand for granted. To not treat him like a concept is beneath him, simply figure out how to explain the concept in a way he can understand. I love that I can rationalize with him. I can give him choices and let him choose. Although we are working on that - you don't always get a choice and this is one of those times. LOL I find it funny that I have him queued up on "let's have a talk." And we do. He comes and sits with me, I am calm, and then I explain whatever it is. Ask him a question in there, make him look at me. It's a very personal moment. A moment I know he has to pay attention. A moment that for me will always be built on. I know that I am creating the foundation to always "have a talk" with him. And that he knows when it is said that it will be calm. Might be a heavy conversation, but one where a discussion will be had and clarification will be stated.
I love that he is emerging from some of the commonalities of babies and into his own little being. And that I am getting to identify what those are. He likes Cars from Disney - but because of Mater not McQueen. LOL So off I go to find all sorts of Mater based stuff. He loves fresh blueberries and blueberry flavor, but not blueberry yogurt - cause of the pieces. He loves it when I make smoothies for him and it is almost a nightly occurrence now. He always wants ice in his sippy cup. He eats with his hands cause he wants to but he hates having his hands dirty so we go through multiple paper towels. He still loves to play with my pots and pans. And he cooks in the kitchen at school too. I thought he might be over this phase - but it does not appear to be the case. Oh well. He will be in the kitchen with me for years to come anyway. He hates tomatoes but loves ketchup and pasta sauce sans tomato chunks. He even knows where a hidden tomato is and refuses to eat it. He's into trucks and trains and building things, but not really into dinosaurs or robots. At least not yet. I love that he can sing Bob Marley, his ABC's, some nursery songs and a few others. And I am way happy not to have bought any of those annoying little kid songs.
He has a sweet and sensitive side to him. He uses manners and really except when he is wound up from rough housing, he is very well behaved and sweet. Sometimes he will softly pet my face and whisper - I pet mommy's face...with a smile. Or you might get a hug and kiss without prompting because he wants to give you one. He will give his own buddies kisses too. And when a kid at school pushes him - he looks at the kid quizically like, why did you do that?
There is a sweet innocence to him still. And while I know someday that will go away - i hope it isn't for awhile yet.
