September Tyler Tales

Stashing things: Tyler has taken to stashing things all around the house - much like a little squirrel does with acorns before winter. One minute he is playing with his cars and then next they are all being shoved under the china hutch. Missing library books have finally been found under his dresser. Legos are under the entertainment center. Crayons are more fun to roll under the kitchen island than to color with. My mixing bowl beaters end up in the toy box after he helps me unload the dishwasher. The most exasperating is when we catch him about to do this stashing act (like rolling a marble under the stove) and he does it anyway with a look of defiance and pleasure on his face. He has also started stashing himself in places around the house now too - when his idea of what to do next and Mommy or Daddy's do not agree - like hiding under the slide when it is time to change his diaper, or under the table when it is time to wash his hands....makes Mommy feel like hiding in her room some days! :)

Contradictions: One minute he wants us to help him and then next minute he is pushing us away saying NO, I do it, me do, I get it. Lately he has started grabbing our hands after dinner and pulling us into the living room saying, "Momma, a play cars wif me," or "Daddy, a play balls a me!" We tried potty training for 3 straight days when he seemed interested all of a sudden but his interest was short lived so we are back in diapers with only using the potty a few times a day when he is in the mood. The other day we were going to eat and then go to the park, but Tyler stood up on a chair and loudly demanded "A drink, a park, a NOW!

New Words...or Whole Sentences: Besides "Momma, a play cars wif me," he is also using sentences like "Oh YES, a go park and go wheee (slide)," and "Momma, where at?" or "Momma, are you?" when I am out of sight. He usually gets out of bed/his room on his own after nap time but last week I heard him saying "Momma, all done night night" over and over until I came to get him up. Words are also maturing like "broke-ded" has now become "broken"...a word he hears a lot...hmmm!

Trains: To get Tyler to do anything these days, like get in the car when we need to go, all we have to do is just mentions trains! He has gotten more excited about trains lately and we have read almost every library book on trains in the toddler section! Living in Boone encourages this passion of his with trains going right through town every half and hour, the train museum, going to see Thomas, his Thomas DVD, and the library has had train decorations and train books set out to celebrate Pufferbilly Days in Boone this month - plus their 2 toy train tables Tyler plays with each time we visit. He has to loudly point out each train and its "moke" (smoke). He says choo-choo and whooo, whoo now and also thinks he sees train tracks in everyday things, like muffin cups, fences, rugs, pictures with lots of lines in them, the xylophone picture on the side of his wooden block, etc.

Empathy: Adam has had a cold for a week and each time Tyler hears him coughing or sneezing from his office upstairs, Tyler stops what he is doing and says "Oh NO! Daddy A-choo'n!"