Communicate

Henry's vocabulary is not expanding, BUT he is really getting a lot of use out of the few words that he knows. For instance, when in the car, Henry has taken to shouting BAH BAH BAH at every single car we pass. It's cute in theory. And he's also very into night night. He says nuh naaaaaaaaaaaaaaa in this little sing song voice. Goodnight Moon has become one of the highlights of my day. He has the point down to a science. Yesterday, he crawled to me, pointed up in the air at me and then lifted his arms up. Pick you up? Got it. Next he pointed to the pot on the stove, then to his high chair, then back at the pot on the stove, then he pretended to grab food out of the pot and shove it in his mouth. What was that, Henry? That food looks delicious. Why don't you put me in my high chair and serve me some of that delicious food and then I will eat it. They're geniuses!

And Sam. I actually posted this facebook post on my wall yesterday. It was something Sam said to me.

"I'm never EVER going to do something because you tell me to do it. I'm only going to do something because I tell me to do it. Oh mom, I'm so frustrated with you right now. But I'll be happy later." (HUGE sigh from him as I walk away.) This is what you get for trying to teach your children to be independent. they're INDEPENDENT. and, if i must say so, terribly mouthy.

Now, at first, my impulse was to interpret this as attitude. I didn't reprimand him for saying it, but inside I was really annoyed. But upon further reflection, I'm actually incredibly proud of him for expressing himself so well. First of all, I do want him to do things because he thinks it's the best thing for him to do, not because I think it. And second of all, to be as mad as he was (and he was mad at me) and be able to tell me he was frustrated, needed some time, and would be fine in a while. How freaking self-aware and self-possessed is my four year old?