Zeeke's curiosity is getting intense. Whenever we read books, he has dozens of questions about the characters and their motivations and what else they did that's not in the story. "Why did she do that?" "What did she say when the bears came home?" "What is that person's name?" "Who is her mommy and daddy?" He's gotten into rhyming lately as well, telling us when words rhyme or laughing with glee when he discovers one. Sometime he'll just free associate words he knows that rhyme, although it quickly descends into made-up nonsense words (but at least it's rhyming nonsense).
After a few weeks of good behavior, he's started getting into a little trouble again, not quite as bad as before and perhaps with a touch more self-awareness. One day, after being put in time out, he begged his teacher, "Please don't tell my mommy and daddy!" At home, he's testing limits too, always needing to find out just how serious we are when we tell him not to do something. Some conversations it seems like we can't utter a single declarative statement without Zeeke echoing back some sort of refutation ("It is not....").
He ate a ton of raw broccoli Monday night. We've taken a few steps backward with potty training. He's gone from using it six or seven times a week to hardly ever. But he's mastered zippers, which of course if both good and bad.
After music class Saturday, Steve & Zeeke went to Moira's birthday party. Zeeke had a great time decorating them both with they myriad of available stickers and sampling all of the goodies. After the party, we went to lunch with Kim, Jen & the twins. Zeeke had a blast sitting next to William & Jack and sampling a little of everything on the table.
On Sunday we had a chilly trip to the playground which included lots of running around. He rebelled against wearing his own hat once we got there, but consented to wearing Daddy's hat. After that we took a quick trip to the Acme, which Zeeke insisted on walking home from on his own the whole way.
Conversations with Zeeke:
"Look at that dinosaur, Daddy."
"I think that might be a dragon."
"I don't like dragons."
"Oh, ok. But you like dinosaurs?"
"No. I like Christmas!"
Gabe runs up and asks, "Zeeke, do you like Dora?"
"No, I only like Christmas."
"Goldilocks is not nice, Mommy."
"Why is Goldilocks not nice."
"She ate the bears' porridge and broke their chair."
"What did Goldilocks say when she saw the bears, Mommy?"
"What do you think she said?"
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!"