Matthew loves Pop Ice, but he can't push it up on his own. Once, I was pushing his up and snuck a little bite. Robert saw me. Well, the next time Matthew needed someone to help him with a Pop Ice, Robert immediately volunteered.
A second later I hear Matthew yell an authoritative, "Hey!" and I look over to see him scowling and pointing an accusing little finger at Robert who has suddenly grown very red in the face. Yup, he had tried to sneak a bite. Matthew immediately forgave him, though, and we all laughed and laughed about it.
Alice came in a little while later wanting a popsicle of her own. We had all finished, so we were lounging about in the living room. Alice steps onto the living room carpet and Matthew runs over to her with a furrowed brow, "Odd four!" Alice immediately returns to the hard floor, as our house rule dictates for popsicle eaters. He knows the popsicle rules and isn't afraid to enforce them in his squeaky little toddler voice.
I've seen a few of his first tantrums this week, too. Almost always about leaving a place he wasn't ready to leave yet. He's the first of my kids whose arched back position really is stronger than my grip. I can't wrestle him into the buckle like I could with the others. Uh-oh
Speaking of uh-oh, Matthew counts like this, "1...2...uh-oh." Yup, he's growing up next to James. Lots and lots of counting going on around here ;)
He's asked to say the dinner prayer a couple times. He repeats one word at a time and gets all smiley proud of himself at the "amen."
His vocabulary still hasn't caught up to his desires and expectations, but his expressions speak volumes. He's got this sly little "yeeeeeeees" he does that kinda sounds like no, with one eyebrow raised and his lips in a thin little grin. He's trying to pull one over on you.
Matthew was playing with a balloon yesterday afternoon and it popped right near his face. He cried and cried, holding his cheeks. For some reason, when my kids get hurt, my first instinct is to ask them what happened. Even if I had witnessed the event (I think part of that is because I want to redirect their attention from the fear/pain and get them to focus on telling a story). Anyway, Matthew's in tears and I ask him what happened and he's patting his cheeks saying "seek" and pointing over there saying "buh-yoon" and slapping his hands down on his lap saying "bop" and "loud" and "ouchy." Then suddenly he stops crying, hops off my lap, and runs over to pick up the balloon remnant. He cries again, asking me to "wix it" "bwoh." I tell him it's hopeless, but smile and say, "Would you like to put it in the trash?" Of course he would! And he does. Then off he goes to play with something else.
In addition to practicing his jumps and falls, he's taken to running "wasss", er, uh "fast." He says, "Mama!" I look, he smiles, then tears down the hallway with that toddler hip waddle thing he does. He turns around at the end and grins, "Wassssss!" And comes back at top speed.
He's in love with all things tractor and truck and ball and baby and "tewk" (cute). He sees billboards and diaper boxes with cute babies or animals on them and asks if he can "holdit?". He tries to hold flies, too, and is often frustrated in his efforts :(
He watches his surroundings. If there's a sudden sound or someone is standing or speaking or holding themselves in a way that he finds interesting, he'll turn to me and mimic it, then smile. A friend brought her 6 week old baby to our house one afternoon and Matthew just loved mimic-showing me all the interesting things about her: o-lips, clenched fist, little squeak, eyes blinking, hand open, pouty lip, hungry squeak. He finally put his fists to his chin and declared her "deeeeewt!" (cute)
Love watching this guy come into himself a little more.
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