Things My Toddler Does

A few days ago my sister-in-law posted that she's feeling a bit pent up and exhausted and likened the feeling to being a toddler (really, not far off).  In response a bunch of us started posting things for her to do to act more like a toddler.  While posting some of the antics of the day on her post, I realized that the things that he did during the day that I found really frustrating were actually pretty hilarious in retrospect.  This has inspired this post of things that my toddler does...

Every night and naptime when we put him down we'll hear him practicing his vocabulary in his crib.  He always starts with names of his favorite people:

"Mommy. Dada. Papa. Nana. Jah. Puppy. Kitty. Keys. Car...." etc, etc

when he gets bored with that he'll rawr randomly.  "RAWR!"

There were a couple nights where he was fighting a cold or the flu and we had put his mattress at a slant.  One night when he was starting to feel better we heard "WEEEE!!!!" coming from his room.  Looking in our video monitor we spotted the stinker walking up and down the slope!  Every time he went down he would squeal "Weeeee!" as he ran.  

My son is a major re-organizer.  Be wary letting him into your kitchen if we come to visit!!!  One of his favorite games right now is to take all of the tupperware out of the drawer we have it in and put it into another cabinet across the room.  

In the past he has emptied the tupperware on the floor so that he can climb into the drawer and 'drive' it in and out!   

He also gets a kick out of emptying cabinets in order to sit in the cabinet himself: 

Speaking of climbing into cabinets... 

He loves climbing into small spaces.  here are photos of him playing in the repurposed tv-stand and my suitcase (that I was trying to pack for a trip to visit family for thanksgiving)

He's got a new interest in 'helping' mommy and daddy.  This has led to him picking up bits of trash (and some things that aren't trash) and throwing them in the trash can.  When mommy shouts "NO!" he smiles and claps for himself.  

He loves helping with the dirty dishes.  I love that he wants to 'Helpee' however, I'm less than thrilled when he grabs a spoon from the soapy, dirty dishwater and starts drinking from it!

Similarly, he will drink bathwater either when he's laying on his stomach in the tub or pouring it out of the plastic bucket we have in there. *shudder*

He has slowly been figuring out body parts. About 6 months ago he figured out belly and belly button.  With this discovery, he started going up to people (thankfully just family so far!) and pulling up their shirts to poke them in the belly button.

This month's discovery is noses. he'll point to his nose and say "Nose" then shove his finger up my nose and say "mommy nose."

He often asks for something to eat (usually from mommy or daddy's plate) then, when it's on his plate he will pick it up, maybe put it in his mouth, then hand it back to you.  At that point it can no longer even be on his tray, so it has to go in your hand or he throws it on the floor.  Your choice!

Another recent food-related game is how he eats out of bowls - particularly things like applesauce, hummus, and thick soups.  It starts perfectly; he eats neatly with his spoon until the level gets too low for it to be really easy.  Then the bowl comes up and he starts 'drinking' from it like a cup.  When that's not working the fingers go in.  OR the bowl goes on his head and he pushes it down so that it a) squishes his forehead down and he looks like a pug and b) squishes all the food into his hair.

He LOVES drinking tea.  However, tea gets joined by whatever's on his tray for breakfast. (bananas, cheerios, raisins...)

I'm thinking that this will become a series of posts! Monthly perhaps?

What do you think friends?  Do you have toddlers?  What kinds of antics to they get up to?

If you're interested in the post that inspired this post (and the woman who got me writing again) Check out Let's Eat Grandpa!

Have a fabulous Tuesday, Everybody!

~E.S.