We have heard on high

So, now that the cat's out of the bag about the bun in the oven, regular blogging can begin again. Commence!

It has finally, FINALLY cooled down here in the sultry South and none too soon. Today, Toddler J and I ate yogurt out on the back porch because it was so lovely out, and he finished it all, a record consumption for the last month or so. He's in a strange food period: he has a big appetite but only wants to eat at certain times, most often NOT meal times, which is inconvenient, to say the least. And probably unhealthy. BUT, I'm not feeling the mealtime love much either, so we both end up snacking all day long. A clementine here, apple slices there, raisins over here, assorted crackers and cheese in this place, fluids all the live long day, some bites of pasta, some toast, etc. etc. etc. All of which makes monitoring his overall intake somewhat sketchy. Of course, as anyone can see, he LOOKS healthy, robust even, so no one is really worried about nutrition, but I would kind of like to stop the grazing in favor of establishing better meal habits. I'd also like to, you know, stop being sick and eat like a normal person myself, but it seems as if both these things have an equal likelihood of happening!

I once had a friend who had a son about the age J is now. One day, as he was cavorting around in the grass, she noted that she was finally becoming friends with her son and it was so much fun. I thought the comment was odd at the time, but, looking back now, I'm not sure why. Did I think it was odd that she wasn't already friends with her toddler? Did I think it was odd that she was becoming friends with a toddler? I honestly can't remember, but, now, I'm pretty sure I get what she meant. Toddler J, at 19 months old, has been developing quite the personality for some time now, but it's only recently that I've started to see that we are actually becoming friends. It's a bit one-sided, of course, but a little nascent friendliness is definitely there.




And it's because J is quite the little character. He is less independent than he once was and has developed the habit of grabbing my hand to lead me where he wants to go during the day (most likely because he's figured out that getting me to move lately takes physical force most times!). His favorite places to go are the back porch (so he can run around me in circles, his latest activity of choice out there), the guest bedroom (where we read a certain dinosaur book with which he's obsessed, the only kid's book in that room for some unknown reason), and the front room couch (where boxes stored behind the couch make a perfect launching pad for him from which to jump on to the pillows piled on the couch below). He has a new "surprise face" that he pulls out when he wants to make me laugh, along with his signature crinkled nose and closed eyes of anger and/or distaste, a delightful expression I refer to as his vampire look (it's just like Angel or Spike when they turn into vampires on Buffy). We are still negotiating about discipline since J feels like he should get his way whenever he flashes this face, but at least now it's (usually) a friendly negotiation!