new developments

Noah likes to run away, and run into our bedroom, and hide (in the same place every time); he likes to feel naughty. But the new rule is that he has to ask permission first. Then after I say yes, he can be naughty. This morning he figured out how to open the trunk of the car using the lever under the drivers' seat.

Aviva is saying a few words together. For breakfast she likes eating apple slices with peanut butter, and when she wants more, I pushed her to say what she wanted. So she says "More. Butter. Please." Also she likes to peel tangerines. But she actually will not let me peel it. She demands that she do the peeling.

One Three Four Cinco

1. This is how Aviva counts. One. Three. Four. Cinco. And she really likes to count things. Then she says "okay." 
2. She has a way of saying things where she adds an N to the end. Diaper = diapin. Finger = fingin. Towel = towen. Penguin = pengin. Elephant = elpin
3. She likes to jump and hop and walk backwards
4. She sings Twinkle Twinkle and also the alphabet song. Sometimes they go back and forth. Then she says "okay." 
5. She says "dirt" and looks at the bottom of her foot, or anything that isn't where it's supposed to be (like he calls things "crumbs")

What Noah quinks

1. Today was picture day at school and he had his picture taken with a camya. 
2. He said I should eat a kumquat that he picked because it's sour and that's good for the body. Spicy food is also good for the muscles in the body.
3. He's been pretending to be a baby, whenever he doesn't want to do something. He says he wants a diaper whenever he has to go to the bathroom (he's only wearing diapers at night now). Yesterday when he was pretending to be a baby he said he wanted a passasuka. That's what he thought a pacifier is. Pass-a-sucker.
4. He was playing with a little etch-a-sketch toy, but forgot what it's called. He called it a "washasquash."
5. Noah's birthday party is coming up soon, and we made an invitation flyer thing to hand out at school. He liked giving them out (everyone got one) but he kept telling people it was only for kids. So his teacher could come but only if she brought her own children, and even then she would have to drop them off and then leave.
6. He gave Josh a book to read, and when Josh asked if he should read it aloud or silently, Noah said "In the middle."
7. Noah has been enjoying counting things. He can count backwards on his fingers from 5. It takes a good amount of concentration. 
8. We were coming back from something and Noah was holding two lollipops. Aviva had one. Both of them were happy to be holding lollipops and they also walked uphill back to the car and backwards. Walking backwards up a hill holding lollipops. See how big our kids are? Babies can't do that.
9. We were having a problem that was nicely solved. Noah was running away when we were going from the car to the house or school and going from home or school into the car. He would run away fast and far and he knows not to cross a street, but he also wasn't quite thinking straight and didn't necessarily act rationally. We were careful to hold his hand tightly for these transitions, and we were also trying to offer incentives for doing it nicely, like holding a toy in the car or listening to music. That was okay but Josh's idea is the best: He can run away with permission. He has to ask permission, has to stay in eyesight, and he has to come back. If those rules are followed, he can run away. It has been wonderful. He feels like he's being naughty, which is what he wants, and he's also getting himself tired out and it's a fun and funny thing. He asks very often, and usually we say yes. 
10. He still rubs his eyes when he's tired, but if I ask him if he's tired, he says no and that there's just something in his eye.