I moved up to the toddler room at daycare this past month (July 10, 2017 was my first day).  Although I love hauling my own backpack around and was developmentally very ready to go, I did cry at drop-off for the first time ever.  I’ve adjusted now, and am more enthusiastic about starting my days in that room, especially when we get there early enough that Jack can hang out with me and play a bit before going upstairs with the Pre-K class.  While I was dependably napping for at least an hour each day in the infant room, it’s probably less than 50% of the time that I do so now.  I’m a hot mess by around 6:00 p.m. each night, but I do love being one of the big kids!

One side benefit of hanging out with developmentally advanced peers is that my sentence construction is really starting to take off.  I speak pretty dependably in two-three word sentences now (“no, Daddy,” “open, Mommy,” “my cup,” “that’s my Mama,” and “read it, Mama”).  Daddy was particularly pleased that my first subject-verb sentence was “Daddy toot.”  We’re a sophisticated family.

I continue to be advanced on the mechanical side, and I’m able to put on my own velcro shoes.  Of course my favorite thing is removing my them, usually at inconvenient times and locations for my parents.  I know all my colors very reliably now, and I’m also able to count all the way to ten, if you get me started.  I can sing quite a few standard children’s songs all by myself (ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle, etc.), and I’ve also learned certain parts of Jack’s Lion King soundtrack (for example, I like to hum with the hyenas at the beginning of “Be Prepared”).

My current favorite foods are bread with butter (a new discovery), and anything in the pasta family (noo-noos).  Yes, I am a carb-o-holic.  I’m also really into dairy, specifically Baby-Bell cheese and milk, which I pronounce “mük.”  If you put the carbs and dairy together, then you achieve my idea of nirvana: macaroni and cheese.

Current likes: Sesame Street characters

Current dislikes: falling asleep (for naps or bedtime)

I finally got in to see my pediatrician (for a slightly delayed 4 year visit).  My vital stats are: height of 3 feet, 4 and 3/4 inches, and weight of 38 pounds.  This puts me around the 60th percentile for kids my age, but I definitely fight above my weight!

This has been the summer of snacks for me.  I’ve learned to try to negotiate the eating of “healthy food” (loosely defined, as I include things like pizza in that category) for the promise of future treats.  Top on my list are cupcakes/cake of any variety, ice cream, and black & white cookies.  Well, the black part of black & white cookies.  The good people at Table Talk Diner are familiar enough with my dessert order and my eating habits that they actually custom made an all black cookie just for me.  That was a red letter day!

Big on my list these days?  Dinosaurs.  On a recent trip to D.C. to celebrate my baby cousin’s first birthday, my family took me to see the dinosaur bones at the natural history museum.  I was very impressed by the T-Rex, although I think my mouth may actually be bigger, proportionally speaking.

I’m also really and passionately interested in Disney’s Lion Guard and Lion King.  I’ve never seen the feature-length movie, but I have the soundtrack.  I demand that my Mommy play it over and over again in the car on the way to school, and I sing along at the top of my lungs.  I probably only get 60% of the words right, but what I lack in accuracy I make up for in enthusiasm.  Some of my parents’ favorite mispronunciations are: “when I was a young warthog” = “when I was a one yort-hog,” “our teeth and ambitions are bared,” = “our teeth and our missions are bared,” and “the world for once in perfect harmony” = “the world for once in perfect enemies.”  I scoff if anyone tries to correct me.

I’m so into the Lion King that I recently told my mom I want to be a king when I grow up.  Mostly I just want to be in charge of somebody.  Anybody, in fact.  I try desperately to control my sister, but she’s seldom compliant, and Mommy and Daddy wind up reminding me I’m not the boss of her.  I asked whether I can be the boss of my brother (I named him Rocksteady).  They said okay, so I guess I’ll take it.

Current likes: car ride sing alongs

Current dislikes: letting anyone else choose the music

Happy 4th, everybody!  We took our family (including both sets of grandparents) to a James Taylor concert at Tanglewood to celebrate the holiday.  We had a fun picnic dinner, played with dinosaur toys and bubbles, and enjoyed some great live music.  It was pretty late by the time the fireworks went off, but one of us managed to keep his eyes open long enough to see them, (Lena passed out on Daddy and slept right through the noise).