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).

My twenty-first month started out with a bit of drama, as I contracted pneumonia and found myself wheezing quite a bit.  Mommy and Daddy took me to the doctor and bought a nebulizer to continue breathing treatments at home, and I’m well on my way to recovery.  I’m actually very compliant about sitting still with a mask on my face for the ten minutes it takes to complete treatments, and I like to walk around the house holding the mask up to my babies and stuffed animals in order to give them medicine.

I’ve continued to build upon my growing vocabulary, and have recently begun speaking in two-word phrases (“more pizza,” “night-night Daddy,” etc.).  I attempt much longer sentences, too, although they sound like gibberish to the causal listener (“oh nah magheeta, Dada!”)  I can sing the alphabet song all by myself from beginning to end, although I do take a few creative liberties in the middle.  And I’ve recently become much more accurate with my color identifications (I can always reliably identify blue, green, yellow, and purple, and I’m 80% accurate on red and orange).

I’m very good mechanically – I can identify pretty much all basic shapes, and I’m a whiz at getting them into my shape sorter.  When I’m thinking very hard about a given task, I stick my lips out like my Mommy does (see picture below).  My favorite activities include toys that require assembly or stacking, rocking my baby dolls, and coloring.  As the “old lady” of the Infant Room, I’m enjoying being a big fish in a small pond at daycare, while I wait to formally move up to the Toddler Room.

Current likes: getting my way, when Mommy picks me up before my brother

Current dislikes: when dinner doesn’t involve pizza or “noo-noos” in pasta sauce

Life has taken a domestic turn this month.  With Father’s Day and Daddy’s birthday both located in the month of June, there have been lots of tasty treats to prepare.  Mommy has named me her baking helper, and I assisted her in making a double layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  The best part about the task was probably getting to wear an apron.  One of my favorite books to read in the car is “Mrs. Greenberg’s Messy Hanukkah,” and when I put my apron on I exclaimed, “oh Mommy, I look just like Rachel when she made potato latkes!”

I’m turning into a little adult, and I’m very concerned with my status as a four-year-old.  If someone makes the mistake of calling me a little boy I’m quick to remind them that Lena is little – I’m not.  When I ask to do things like drive the car and Mommy tells me I’m too young, I respond, “okay, when I’m five I can drive?”  I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to pick Mommy up by the time I’m six, and that I’ll marry her sometime shortly after that.  Daddy will be cool with that, right?

On days when I’m a good helper my favorite reward is ice cream.  In fact, it’s difficult to find a recent picture of me that does not include ice cream.  My standard order is vanilla soft serve with rainbow AND chocolate sprinkles liberally applied, although sometimes I opt for the blue flavor-burst topping.

Current likes: kittens (I got to meet a bunch of rescues at Zia Stefi’s house, and I loved them)

Current dislikes: when my sister isn’t gentle with my kitty cat

I’m 20 months old today!  I’ve always had a big personality, but it only seems to be getting larger with age.  This month I’ve discovered how to fold my arms across my chest to communicate my attitude when I’m displeased about something.  I’m not always grumpy, though.  In fact, one of my favorite things to do is to enthusiastically agree with people, yelling “yeaaahhhh,” and nodding my head to whatever’s just been stated.

I’m increasingly communicative, and I’ve added words like “airplane,” “empty,” “owl,” “moon,” “monkey,” and “flower,” to my vocabulary – putting me at just under 50 words that my parents have counted.  I can also identify three colors correctly almost all the time (blue, purple, and yellow).  I’ve also learned how to communicate that I have a dirty diaper, although I’m only right about 50% of the time I announce it.

Unlike  my cautious brother, I’m a bit of a daredevil.  I love nothing more than when Jack-Jack pushes me very fast on our riding tractor toy, and I’m fearless with regard to heights.  I don’t love being left alone, however, and for the first time ever I’ve exhibited some hesitance over being left at daycare.  I also absolutely demand that someone stay in the room with me at night while I’m falling asleep in my crib.  I’m used to Mommy or Daddy sitting in the chair in my room and singing to me, although I’ve recently begin singing some favorite songs (ABCs, Goodnight Ladies, etc.) to myself while falling asleep.

Current likes: self-serve ice cream

Current dislikes: being alone

What’s a little ‘nilla between friends?

Happy 4th birthday to me!

We celebrated at home the night of my actual 4th birthday – just a quiet dinner: candles, cake, and a few presents with family.  I was super excited to unwrap some PJ Masks action figures, and got right down to business playing with them.  I’m a big fan of toys that allow me to imagine.  I’m also a big fan of having collections of things, so this was right up my alley.  My only regret was that a “Night Ninja” action figure was not included in the set, but I had high hopes that I’d be able to round out my collection at my June birthday party with friends.

My friends party was very nearly derailed when I came down with a vicious case of pink eye the day after my birthday, which I subsequently spread to Mommy and Daddy.  Fortunately we were able to recover in time to pull off my PJ Masks bowling/arcade party.  It was a great time, and I really enjoyed myself except for when it was time to sing over cake.  I don’t really like being the center of attention and I don’t like loud noises, so birthday singing is a perfect storm.  Fortunately we were able to dispense with the formalities and skip right to cake, so it all worked out in my favor!

Cake/cupcakes probably remains my favorite food at the moment, but that’s followed closely by “tubie yogurts” and chicken fingers.  I would probably live on those foods if I could.  I remain bright and inquisitive.  I still love reading books, and have amassed quite a library in my bedroom.  I’m a master negotiator, and can usually con whoever’s putting me to bed to read “just one more” about five times.  I still usually request that either Mommy or Daddy lie in bed with me while I fall asleep, but I did manage to go to bed by myself a few times last week.  I’m still also very shy in new situations and around new people, but I fully engage after about a 15-20 minute warm-up period, after which I’m downright gregarious.

I’m also a serious limit tester, and although I respect the system of consequences my parents have put in place for me regarding behavior, I frequently get in trouble because I can’t help but tiptoe right up to the line of what’s acceptable v. punishable.  Then I like to argue my case as I’m being carried up to my room for a time-out.  I definitely keep Mommy and Daddy on their toes!

Current likes: Arcade games

Current dislikes: having to stop before Mommy and Daddy get to a “3” count

In spite of outward appearances, sometimes we truly love each other and get along famously.

The times they actually hurt your heart with how sweet they are

We got to the doctor a little bit late for my 18 month appointment, so it really became my 19 month visit.  I weighed 26 pounds and 6 ounces, was 33 inches long, and had a 20 inch head circumference, putting me in approximately the 75th percentile for height and weight and the 99th for head size.  I remembered having been at the doctor for a vaccine not too long ago, so I wasn’t too keen on going again, and I was right to be suspicious.  Ouch, those shots were not my favorite part of the visit!

I’m still a happy little girl (with personality to spare) and although my canines are bothering me a bit as they come all the way in, it’s nothing a nice frozen pea snack can’t fix.  I happen to like some veggies, including peas, green beans, and asparagus.  Other than that my foods of choice include yogurt, fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pizza, macaroni and cheese, and anything covered in marinara sauce.

My favorite pastime is chatting it up with my brother, who I have dubbed “Jack-Jack.”  I continue to add to my vocabulary of just over 40 words, and my new ones really give you a sense of my current obsessions and priorities.  The are: mine, Ernie, iron man, pizza, shoes, and flowers.  I really like to make Jack-Jack laugh, and the surest way to do this is to slap myself in the face and then say “ow.”  We both think it’s hysterical.  I also take very seriously the responsibility of warning people when something might be hot, and I proclaim most foods hot (even string cheese) until someone agrees to blow on it for me.

Current likes: puppies and taking my shoes on and off

Current dislikes: the doctor’s office

Just a month shy of my fourth birthday, and I’m looking forward to it immensely.  A few of my friends in preschool have had birthdays recently (or have them coming up this month) so the difference between being a 3-year-old versus a 4-year-old is a big topic of conversation in our house.  I have recently discovered a deep and abiding love for all things related to the PJ Masks, so of course I’m anticipating a superhero themed birthday.

I brought home my first Scholastic Books order form from school the other day, and there was – you guessed it – a PJ Masks-themed book inside that I was very excited about ordering.  I’ve been asking almost every day if the book has arrived yet.  Delayed gratification is still sort of a hard concept for me to grasp!  I have been saving up all of the loose change I find around the house though, with the goal of using it to buy a toy.  So in that way, I suppose I’m making progress on the whole notion of saving up and waiting to get something I want.

I’m still doing well with my 1-2-3 Magic discipline system, and I’ve been especially charming this month.  One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to help Mommy get dressed, and I always voice my opinion about her outfit (“don’t wear that dress Mommy, it doesn’t have anything on it!”).  I opt for patterns and lots of jewelry.  Sometimes Mommy lets me accessorize with her – in the picture below you can see that I escaped from the house wearing a necklace my Yia Yia made.  I like how smooth the stones are!

Current likes: picking out a new book at Barnes and Noble

Current dislikes: the speed of the U.S. postal system

Don’t let the angelic expression fool you

We headed down to the beach to see family over Easter weekend, and had a great time taking the ferry (we saw dolphins!  And dogs!  They had M&Ms!!!!!).  We had a great weekend filled with fun, family, presents, and food.