Jude (lately)

Jude is a hoot.  He is becoming more independent and verbal, and that provides a lot of comic relief.  I find myself thinking a lot lately, "This is a really fun age."  Of course we still have our share of tantrums, but we're getting a little better.  I have started reading Setting Limits with your Strong-Willed Child, but of course this morning as I was trying to glean knowledge from it, my strong-willed child ripped it out of my hands and chucked it across the room.  I get my best reading done during nap time (although nap time is usually when I want as much of a break from the rigors of toddler land as I can get).  I'll say it again, his improved speech has made wiped out a lot of frustration, and added a bundle of good times.

Jude loves the beach.  He asks to go almost daily.  We go to a little pocket off of Doheny that has no waves, so it's appropriately nicknamed "Baby Beach".  It's also paddle boarding central, and we'd love to put Jude in lessons when he's old enough (I think they start at 3).  There are little kids who are about 49 times better at it than I was last time I tried.



Jude has decided being tickled is a great way to spend his time.  When he wants a tickle fest he goes over to the couch and lies down on his tummy.  Then he looks at me (or Jeff if he's home) out of the corner of his eye with a silly grin full of anticipation.  And then I pounce!

When he gets a bonk or scrape he wants a "night night" which, besides meaning sleep time, means getting snuggled.  He puts a couch pillow on the floor, grabs one of Graham's blankets, wants it wrapped around him, and then he collapses onto the pillow.  He's very particular about the blanket covering his feet entirely, and then after about 10-12 seconds of recuperation, he's up and at em again.

He figured out if he wants something out of the fridge above a certain drawer, he needs a height boost.  He stood on the Boppy and was very proud of himself.

He's starting to do this really sweet thing where, if he means business, grabs my face with his hands and says/asks most sincerely, "Go go?  Peas?"  or "Park?  Mimi?"  On Father's Day we were Sarah and Harry's in LA and Harry was sitting on the floor reading.  Jude wanted to show him a car and, sensing Harry's focus, bent over to catch Harry's eyes before proclaiming, "CAR!"  So sweet.

He recognizes the quiet electric engine sound of the Mailman, whom he calls "Money!"

He looooves to get lotion applied after the bath, and when we are at the park he is always ready and willing to get his slathering of sunscreen.  Hey, one less battle!  I'll take it!  Same with his current obsession with his fedora hat.  Let's keep that skin cancer at bay.

I got him a "wiggle scooter" off of Craigslist and he lives on that thing.  He rides it all around at the parks and in the kitchen/family room.  He takes the corners of the kitchen island at break neck speeds and has this nonchalant posture while rip snorting on that thing that makes us laugh.

A few weeks ago on one beach day, he and Lyla just kept escaping together.  They kept going over to the lifeguard tower to sit underneath and jabber and talk with each other, playing in the sand.  No matter how many times we'd bring them back to our camp, they'd just try to sneak away again.  I kept having visions of them sneaking out as 16-year-olds on warm summer nights to go get slurpees.  Now it's their new thing; whenever they get together, they want to have their own secret little hang outs far away from everyone else.  Now that I'm writing this it's making me stressed out....

Jude gets to go on weekly toots with my dad/Papa.  Jude sees him coming and runs to get his shoes out of the shoe basket, and brings them to me yelling, "Toot!  Bye!  Papa!"  Thanks, bud.

He is not interested in potty training, but my next door neighbor whose last 2 sons are the same ages as mine said she just pulled the plug on her 2-year-old anyway.  I think in a week or two I might do the same; changing his diapers is getting OLD.

He now says, "Love you" which was one of the all-time best moments, period.

He says "boat" like "butt" which always makes me think of Finding Nemo.

Speaking of Disney/Pixar, I think we're going to take him to the theater when Planes comes out.  I think he might like it just a titch.

He counts to 2, which is pretty cute.  He gets a gummy vitamin every day, but always asks for more.  I've been saying, "No, you've already had yours, and you just get one today."  Then one day he responded to that with puppy dog eyes in full effect and a "Two??"  No buddy, but I'll definitely use gummy bears as your potty training reward.  He'll point to himself and Graham, saying, "One, two, one, two."  Ug -- I am going to maybe eat him, he's so cute!

He greets absolutely everybody that passes by, and usually wants to show off his cars to people.

His cheeks still jiggle when he runs.

He walks around with a purpose 90% of the time. 

If I ask him where something is, he always says, "Hmmmmmm" even if he already knows where it is and is heading right for it.

Before I can even get him out of his crib in the morning he is asking to "Go go??"  Being at home is torture.

His voice volume (near constant yelling) is still sometimes more than I can handle by 10 in the morning, but luckily if I start whispering to him he'll usually whisper back (for a few sentences at least).  I can't wait to show him videos when he's older of him living life at a SHOUT.  "I'M NOT SHOUTING!!! ALRIGHT I AM!!!  I'M SHOUTING I'M SHOUTING I'M SHOU--(thunk)."

Jude, high 5.  You're awesome.