Sometimes I get this powerful desire to share my son with my Mother. I wish we could see her  rmore often. I’m so thrilled that she and Scotland are going to get two weeks together to bond and create memories here in a few months. 

-Books. Scotland has finally taken a interest in books. We go to the library at least once a week to refresh our supply. As soon as I finish a book he’ll say “One more?!” He likes to point out everything he sees on the page, often asking “Wuz is?” We started his “Reading Book” I couldn’t have been more proud when he moved his little finger along the arrow under the “M” and said “mmm.” 
-Counting: usually 1-2-3-4-5, 7-8-9-10! (He’s not too partial to 6). He has really grasped the concept of two. Using it often in speech. 

-Letters: He knows many letters and loves finding letters in the word all around him. Trying to teach him the alphabet an seeing him struggle with how similar how many of them look as been interesting to me. Couldn’t we have been more creative when we created the alphabet? I mean, l,1, and I look awfully similar (in case you didn’t notice the first was a lowercase L the last and I (ah-ee). And what about b, d, p, or w and m. Z flipped over is a capital N. and q can look awfully like a. (If you don’t write a script a.) His best bud Cody, is obsessed and brilliant with letters. As a result Scotland is often shouting out random letters or singing his very disconjunct version of the alphabet song. One time when they were eating lunch together Cody shouted out “A!” and Scotland repeated “A!”, Cody, “B”, Scotland “B, they continued on until “E!” When Scotland didn’t repeat, Cody said: “Say E, Scotter!” But he was done.
-No is starting to be a mainstay in Scotland’s vocabulary. It’s made us realize how often we ask him Yes or No questions. And made me consider stopping asking questions all together! He’s getting a tad more rebellious, and little tantrums are springing up more often. (I’m bracing myself.)

-Cooking: Scotland’s always been involved in the kitchen with Tom and I. For his birthday we found him a tiny pot and pan, salt and pepper shakers, and a tiny spatula at the thrift store. ThennI made him a few felt food items: sliced bread, tomato, spinach, jam, a fried egg, a strawberry and two cookies. They have become his obsession- he carries his little pot full of food with him all over, offering cookies, a strawberry or lettuce and munching away imaginatively. We often have picnics- with his six stuffed animals all taking part in the fun. I’ve been impressed by his imagination. He gets it when we turn a block into a cup and dip our cookies in the “milk.” He’s finally grasped pretend eating and no longer puts the food in his mouth. I’m super excited to slowly add more and more items to his culinary collection. 
-“Thank you!” “You’re welcome!” One day Scotland started using “Thank you” all the time. He says it in a high pitch voice, often with his head tilted to the side. It sounds more like “Kank Kou.” But it’s always said sweetly, genuinely. I’m not sure why but it gets me every time. I can’t help smiling, perhaps that’s why he continues so diligently! From time to time he’ll also say “You’re welcome.” 

Scotland having a lazy morning. He’d been up for some time, just playing with his animals, singing songs, and jumping around. When I went in and asked: “Do you want to get up?” He looked up briefly, said “No” and went back to looking at his book.
-Stuffed friends. Scotland’s collection of stuffed friends is growing. He loves his stuffed animals and always incorporates them in his play. Often we’ll be downstairs playing together and he’ll suddenly jump up and say “Owl!” or “Teddy!” suddenly fixated he’ll walk all the way up stairs to retrieve them. If they’re out of reach in his crib he’ll come all the back downstairs (two flights of stairs) to request my help, then we repeat (four more flights of stairs.) One funny thing: When we came back from Tucson last Christmas we brought Tom’s childhood teddy bear “Beary” with us. We gave it to Scotland, always calling it Beary. After a while I noticed that Scotland kept calling him Grape. It took us a while before we realized that Scotland was confusing “Beary” with “Berry” and confusing that with the other small fruit: Grape! His name is now Grrrrrrape! With a very exaggerated R. 
-“Hi!” This is another high pitched, oft voice expression that makes us smile everytime. It will come out of no where. We’ll all be playing together and he’ll suddenly look up at one of us and say in a sweet treble: “Hi!”
-“Play toys downstairs?” This is the first thing Scotland says almost everyday. And he doesn’t stop until he goes to bed. 

Scotland was transfixed of the antler chandelier at B Spot. 
-Observing. Scotland absorbes the world at such a fast rate it astounds me. This is such a fun age. We went out a lot more this week: B Spot, Loganberry books, Children’s museum. I love how his eyes get big and you can see his gears churning when he’s in a new place. He’ll just look around for a while and then start pointing rapidly, asking “Wuz is?” 

I said “Smile for Dad!” This is what I got! He’s recently found his smile, and is more willing to look into the camera and show off his pearly whites.

-“Tiny!”  “BIG”

–One day when I was driving Scotland to Jen’s house he said: “Mommy work, Daddy work, Scotter Cody’s!”

-Sympathetic. Scotland gets very concerned when other kids cry. I get the sense that he is going to have his Father’s innate ability to sympathize and care for others. 

-Dramatic. He gets this from his Mother. He can wip up an impressive fake cry. Often smiling halfway through with a little mischievous sparkle in his eye.