I really shouldn't call Daniel my toddler anymore. His puppy belly no longer exists and he has grown long and lanky. He is all brown from a summer of free-ranging outdoors.
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| I wonder when he'll stop thinking butter is cheese. |
He is ready to potty train. As long as he is running around "nay-ked" he has no accident. He'll tell us when he needs to go "sit-a-potty." But those all-wise baby rearing books say do not attempt to potty train during a negative streak-when child is actively saying NO. I say, "Do you have to go potty?" Daniel says, "NO!" even when he means YES. And since he does have to go potty, he gets crankier and crankier and naughtier and naughtier. At this point, I just have to put a diaper on him. He sneaks off to his favorite thinking spot and comes back a few minutes later full of smiles and sunshine. Today we were able to trick him with the old sibling competition trick. Fiona claimed to need to go and Daniel yelled, "No, I'M going!" and beat her down the hallway.
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| Getting ready for a birthday party! |
Also this morning, Evie, Fiona, and Daniel were jumping on my bed in the piles of clean laundry needing folding. I came in with a look of mock horror on my face and exclaimed, "Look at this mess! Who did it?" Evie said, "Not me!" Fiona said, "Not me!" And Daniel said, "ME!"
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| Prince Charming! |
After a tumble outdoors, he needed a bath to soothe his hurt feelings. I started the water, added the soap bubbles, and got back to folding laundry. A few seconds later, Daniel came streaking down the hall, dripping soap and water, and shrieking, "A bider! A bider, Mama! A bider in da baf!" I had to follow him back to see that there was a dead spider waaaaay up in the corner. He refused to get back in the water until the spider was gone. The only way to get it was to step in the water, get my pant leg wet, and knock it down with a scrub brush. I won't tell you what the scrub brush is for, but I will tell you when I found him "scrubbin' da baf" with the same brush, I made him get right out and drained the tub.
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| Secure in his Masculinity |
Last night, Daniel was wearing one of those full-body outfits with the snap-togther legs. I didn't snap it so it looked like he was wearing an over-sized T-shirt. Daniel held the edges out like he was going to curtsey and said, "Look at my dress!" He then spun around in a circle and said, "I'm Barbie!" He may be spending too much time with his sisters!
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| He only looks sweet and innocent (icing licking)! |
The Princess Party this evening was the cherry on top of a very fun day. The girls were so cute in their princess costumes, but my little man stole the show with his handsome suspenders! He morphed from Prince Charming to The Beast by the end of the party (no nap) and I had to lure him to the van with a small bottle of bubbles. When he screamed, "That's MINE!" over the pink sparkly princess crown-to me!-I knew it was time to take him home. He was in bed shortly after 8:00, bless his sweet little heart.
